The Summer Times - July 21, 2011

THE SUMMER TIMES

First Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid Mailed from 03833 Permit Number 78

‘The Summer Newspaper of Phillips Exeter Academy’

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Vol. XXXV, Number 3

Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire

Crossroad Scare: 2nd Student Hit but Safe

SPIKING IT

By ALIX DUFOSSÉ Summer Times Staff Writer

On July 14, only ten days after another student had been hit by a car and for the second time this summer session, a student was hit by a car while crossing the road. The girl, who was crossing Court Street between the campus and Love gym, was apparently listening to her iPod and not paying attention. She walked onto the crosswalk and did not see the car coming.

She was taken to the hospital but released within hours.

A policeman at the scene said that he would like students See CROSSWALK, page 2

Bus Boo-Boo: Two Left at Canobie Lake

By COLIN KEANE and MITZI PEREZ Summer Times Staff Writer

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

Two summer school students were mistakenly left behind at Canobie Lake Park Saturday night due to miscommunication.

“I was very upset,” said Matt Gargas, one of the Deans of Fun who planned the trip.

The two students were told to return to the bus at 9:30 pm after a fun-filled day at the water park, but they misinterpreted the chaperone and returned to the bus site

Students competed in a volleyball marathon Wednesday evening in the Thompson Gym.

See PARK, page 2

How Do I Love Thee?

Cupid’s Arrow Flies Here

Inside This Issue Exeter Life Exeter icon Russell Weatherspoon looks back on a career helping kids. 5.

By CHRISTINA PSYCHARI and MITZI PEREZ Summer Times Staff Writer Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

News

Justin Robertson/The Exonian

Couples strolling arm-in-arm are commonplace on campus.

Hey Exonians! What time is it? (Hint: it’s not what you think). 3.

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

People had various reasons to join Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School. Some came because their parents had advised them to join this program, some came to experience a new setting from their original country, and others came to get the most out of the

Photo

Summer Times Staff Writer

Gabrielle Blackman/The Summer Times

See ROMANCE, page 7

Hot Town! Summer (not) in the City

By JIYOON PARK and DJINNIE TIMOLEON

What’s hot on Exeter’s fashion runway today?

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education that is provided here. Overall all these options provide opportunity for each student who made the choice to join PEA Summer School.

B u t t h e r e ’s a n o t h e r p o w e r f u l incentive students would generally be hesitant to speak of; some if not most came to this program to find a new romantic interest. And those

“The heat is horrible. I can’t sleep, I can’t concentrate, and I can’t even rest properly,”says Emily Cady, 15, from Connecticut. She added that “it seems like the heat affects the people on the top floor the most.”

At Hoyt Hall, the fourth floor is the hottest, and dampest floor of all, students complain. The fans do not seem to cool down the rooms, but rather circulate the hot air inside the room.

The students on the top floor fighting against the heat have figured out how to minimize the misery in their room: According to Cady, for double rooms, if the bunk beds are separated, the room is much cooler.

Also, some students bring ice and leave it in front of the fan to create an artificially-made cool air- producing fan. They recommended that it is best if they shower as much as possible, and leave their windows open 24/7.

Soaking students’ towels and laundry, and then hanging See STAYING COOL, page 2

The Eyes Have It: Who Do They Belong To? PHOTOS BY LUISA SANABRIA (SEE PAGE 6 FOR ANSWERS)

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THE SUMMER TIMES

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NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

Mixed Signals Strand Two at Amusement Park PARK, continued from page 1 at 10:30 pm.

According to one of the students, the bus was approximately five minutes away from the campus when they realized that they were missing two students and had to return to get the remaining students.

In the words of Naomi Distant, 14 , from the Bronx, “We were supposed to be back at the buses at 9:30 when the fireworks started, but they [the other two students] thought that we were supposed to meet at 10:30. Everyone was upset on the bus including me.”

Although it seems that these two students were misinformed, many said the chaperones should have made an effort to take attendance and double-check that everyone boarded the bus. These students were left stranded for about an hour and no one had realized it. While an extra hour might not have affected them, at that time of night anything could have happened. The faculty are responsible for these events in order to make sure that something like this didn’t occur and in this case it didn’t work out too well.

The Deans of Fun weren’t part of the misinterpretation and should not be blamed for the issue, some students said, although others said they were ultimately responsible for supervising all out-of-town arrangements.

Mr. Gargas, asked about the incident, said: “Many things came at them at the same time. I was very upset.

They were told the wrong time by someone else and they will not be punished.”

Whether it was the fault of the students or The Deans of Fun, many agreed everyone must be more cautious in order to ensure this doesn’t happen again. The last thing that this summer school needs is missing students stranded without being able to be contacted in the case of emergency.

This is especially important as students come from all around the world here at PEA, and do not know their way around town.

The mistake comes as students have been complaining about other errors on trips. Some have signed up and paid their money only to find they were not on the list, with chaperones accusing these students of lying about having signed up.

Courtesy of Google

A day of fun ended in worry when two students misunderstood the departure time and were briefly left behind.

Students Wary After 2nd Gordon McCord: Hit at Campus Crosswalk Aiding the Sick MCCORD, continued from page 3

CROSSWALK, continued from page 1 to make sure they pay attention while crossing the street. Texting or listening to an IPod while crossing can be very dangerous, especially because the cars don’t always have the time to brake.

Also, he wanted students to make sure the driver had seen them and was fully stopped before they crossed the road.

Summer school director Ethan Shapiro confirmed the incident and told students at Monday’s Assembly: “The good news is nobody got hit by a car in the last two or three days. That would be a good streak to keep going.”

Since Exeter is an open campus, with roads going through it, it is important to remind all of the students to be careful while crossing the street at all times. There have been previous accidents in other years involving students and cars.

A lot of students have been reporting that drivers get angry and honk at big groups of students crossing the road creating minor traffic jams. Therefore, it is wise to cross in small groups and to be courteous to drivers.

to dehydration. The solution that solved the problem was the water pump which drew up clean water from deeper down in the ground.

In his presentation, Mr. McCord continued to state problems and solutions, but also outlined the development issues such as: extreme poverty, transition to a low carbon economy, making cities livable, feeding the planet, protecting biodiversity, stabilizing global population, and promoting global ethics.

As he gave examples of major and well-known natural disasters from the past and current years such as the BP oil spill in April 2010, the Pakistan mega-flood in July 2010, and the extreme drought in Northeast Kenya in January 2011, he was able to demonstrate how the natural disasters have been occurring more frequently over the past years.

“This proves that the global ecosystem is unstable,” he said.

He is dedicated to preventing worldwide disasters like many mentioned above.

Furthermore, he talked about the challenges for the present generation, breaking them down into three main components: knowing the science, engaging in politics, and creating global networks. This can be achieved by better education and motivation towards the problems that they might face in the future.

He encouraged the students to “Make it through this bottleneck and continue to invest in opportunities without setting the world on fire.”

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

Ten days after a student was hit by a car on Front Street, another Academy student was struck crossing Court Street as she left the gym.

Both escaped serious injury, but student concern remained high.

Ross Baird: Backing Staying Cool: Ice Bags Inventors to Combat and Wet Laundry Global Warming STAYING COOL, continued from page 1

BAIRD, continued from page 3 salt to free the chlorine in dirty water. The chlorine would eventually kill the germs and helped improve the health conditions of India.

Also, he talked about entrepreneurs making hard decisions in order to make certain deals work out. He told the story of an invention for farmers that used solar panels to replace the use of diesel which is one of the main substances that cause global warming.

But the deal was not working out due to the high cost of solar energy, so eventually the entrepreneur needed to give up on the solar energy and change the machine into the one that improved the efficiency of diesel.

It wasn’t 100 percent green (only 90 percent), but farmers accepted it more than solar.

And with the hard choice, the deal was made, and the machine was successful.

Mr. Baird kept the students concentrated on his speech by talking about the well-known Phillips Exeter graduate entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg.

The story of Zuckerberg declining the offer from Microsoft, which seemed like an amazing offer to other people, was a display of his passion and commitment to his work. This allowed him to concentrate on developing his website: Facebook. His continuous dedication to Facebook has allowed it to expand and connect people from all around the world.

“I found his speech inspiring because it gave me the motivation to pursue something even though it means taking risks,” said Carolina Macias, 16, from California.

Facebook’s famed founder, Mark Zuckerberg, PEA ‘02, was cited by Assembly speaker Ross Baird as an example of a persistent entrepreuner who ultimately achieved his goals.

Courtesy of Google

them around the room with the fan going on also was a method used to cool down the room.

The girls from the fourth floor in Dunbar also complain that the floor is way too hot. When they walk up the stairs from the third floor to the fourth floor, they say they clearly feel the difference.

An instant wave of heat fills the air of the fourth floor. They don’t know why the fourth floor is so hot but they want the school to do something about it. Though it may be unfair to other dorms, they say air conditioners should be added to the fourth floors of every dorm during the summer, especially Dunbar.

School officials are aware of the problem. On Wednesday, Dean Rosanna Salcedo circulated a memo to the faculty warning that soaring temperatures the next few days pose a danger to the community.

Like construction workers who labor in the broiling sun, students should avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water, limit prolonged activity in the intense heat, take frequent breaks in the shade and wear hats and loose-fitting clothing.

Exeter Forecast: Thursday: Windy High 95, Low 74

As a reminder to all students, intense heat brings many hazards. It is a very Friday: Mostly Sunny real danger, but can be High 96, Low 71 avoided by staying hydrated (drinking lots of water), Saturday: Partly Cloudy seeking out shade, wearHigh 80, Low 61 ing hats and loose fitting clothes, avoiding strenuous Sunday: Partly Cloudy activity and taking frequent High 80, Low 61 breaks indoors.

THE SUMMER TIMES

NEWS

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THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

Phillips Exeter Academy: Behind the Times Four minutes behind, to be exact

By JUSTIN ROBERTSON Summer Times Staff Writer

What time is it when the Phillips Exeter clock strikes 6 p.m.?

Why 6:04 p.m., of course.

Students crossing the campus and hearing the hourly chimes from the clock atop the academy building have long noticed that when the hourly chimes ring out, it’s actually 4 minutes past the hour.

Admit it, you’ve wondered this too, haven’t you. So why haven’t you asked?

We did, and here’s the answer. The clock tower is actually an automated system that is supposed to synchronize itself to the correct time. However, the automatic system seems to be a bit, uh, ticked-off.

Often called “Exeter time” by students, the time tolled on the Phillips Exeter bell tower is roughly four minutes off from what you would see on your cell phone, watch or sundial.

Naturally, the bell tower time is automated.

What’s even more interesting is that this isn’t just now happening. According to the students who attend the regular session, the clock has been off all year round.

Wait! It gets even more out-there. So we know that when the clock chimes for the hour, it’s actually 4 minutes past. However, when the clock chimes for the hour, the hands show that it’s TWO minutes past.

So not only is the clock ringing off-schedule, it’s also showing a different time from what it actually is, and when the chimes sound.

So when you hear that bell ringing, remember that it’s actually 4 after. But when you’re looking at the clock, it’s actually 2 minutes behind.

Morale of the story?

Don’t trust your eyes and ears -- not everything is as it seems here at Exeter.

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

Students Seek Out Own Kind, but is that Kind?

SNAPS OF SUMMER

By ARTHUR WEISER Summer Times Staff Writer

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

Top: A goalie for Oxford misses a shot by Seacost United at an exhibition game at Exeter High School last Thursday. The game ended in a 1-1 tie.. Below: The quad draws a busy crowd many afternoons.

Seating at a table in the dining hall, they chat quietly, whispering intriguing words. From a distance, they could be taken for typical American teenagers: a baseball cap on the head, brand new Nikes on the feet, Abercrombie shorts, reddish Exeter shirts and headphones on the head.

Moving closer to their table, one notices that their discussion is incomprehensible to many students on campus, “Entonces, me voy, hasta luego.”

It is not English but Spanish. Not a single one of them is talking in English. Actually, they are all from South America, where the principal language is Spanish.

Lurking in the shadows of the 780 some students here is the question: are some cliques forming at the summer school despite the fact that the Academy celebrates diversity and makes this feature its main strength?

Is the school not aware of what is happening within its ivy walls?

Phillips Exeter Academy celebrates its summer school with the greatest international diversity from an ethnic, religious and cultural point of view. With more than fifty countries all around the globe coexisting everyday in our microcosm, students are likely to make friends from all around the world.

However, this melting pot can lead to strains among the students and in the worst case, a language-based separation by one group aimed at the other kids.

This specific disparity can play a crucial role in the creation of closed community, as Maria Fernanda Garcia, a Venezuelan student, pointed out. “‘I hang out with mostly everyone on campus but most of the time, it’s with ‘Latinos’ as we all speak the same language,” she said. “It’s easier for me to speak Spanish than English.”

But it may not be all one-sided. Eduardo Rodriguez, a student from Puerto Rico, said many Americans do not move even the smallest distance toward him and his friends. “Despite the fact that we stay most of the time together, I noticed that most Americans do not come to us,” he said. “Perhaps they are afraid because we all speak Spanish and they don’t?’

Another possible cause of these cliques is the past of the students.

In fact, a dozen of Venezuelans come from the same high school and had friendly relations even before coming to Phillips Exeter Academy.

As Marco Collela, 16, put it: “Eleven students come from The Jefferson College in Caracas and we knew each other before this summer.

That is mainly the reason we are hanging out together but we try to speak to guys from all over the world!”

Therefore, don’t be afraid, fellow students. No one will eat you alive if you reach out to a different group. Go ahead, try it.

**See the Editorial section (page 4) for student commentary on cliques at Exeter.

ASPIRE AND INSPIRE: TWO ASSEMBLIES

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times Staff

Ross Baird, PEA SS’03, spoke to the Summer School about entrepreneurship and the benefits of hard work.

The Entrepreuner: Creating Value in the World

The Economist: Curing Diseases, Saving Lives

By JIYOON PARK and YARITZA SANDOVAL

By JIYOON PARK and YARITZA SANDOVAL

Summer Times Staff Writers

Summer Times Staff Writers

Ross Baird, a 2003 graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, visited the Summer School Assembly last Friday to give a speech about his job as an entrepreneur.

He described entrepreneurs as people “who create value in the world.”

According to Wikipedia, an entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome of a product.

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times In his speech, Mr. Baird explained what entrepreneurs actually do. For example, the “miracle water” case Gordon McCord spoke of his in India: they backed a water filtering machine that used See BAIRD, page 2

research on the relationship between diseases and the economy.

Gordon McCord, 31, an economist who studies the relationship between diseases and the economy, talked in the assembly this Monday about how worldwide issues can be solved with innovative thinking. For example, malaria, an easily treatable and preventable disease, takes the life of millions of people in Africa.

Countries come to him with problems like health concerns, and he provides reasonable solutions. He mentioned the number one disease that causes child death: the diarrheal diseases.

It is caused by drinking dirty water that leads See MCCORD, page 2

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OPINIONS

THE SUMMER TIMES

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

The Crosswalk: Hits and Errors

THE SUMMER TIMES SUMMER TIMES STAFF REPORTERS Urwah Ahmad Alix Dufossé Virginia Harmon Colin Keane Adam Marquardt

Jiyoon Park Alejandro Penate Elena Petricevic Christina Psychari Layla Rao

Layla Rao

Justin Robertson Luisa Sanabria Yaritza Sandoval Djinnie Timoleon Arthur Weiser

Summer Times Staff Writer

SUMMER TIMES LAYOUT EDITORS Jocelyn Bohn Meg Hassan

FACULTY ADVISOR

Ralph Blumenthal The Summer Times is written and edited by Mr. Blumenthal's A and B format Journalism classes and contributing writers throughout the Summer School. It is produced

by Summer Times Proctors Jocelyn Bohn PEA'11 and Meg Hassan PEA'11.

The Summer Times welcomes Letters to the Editor, which can be sent via email to peasummer@gmail.com. The editors reserve the right to print Letters to the Editor in a timely fashion and to edit them for content and clarity.

In the two weeks that Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School has been in session, two students have been hit by cars while crossing the street. One student was hit the day after registration, and the other was hit this past week. Both students have fortunately not suffered any serious injuries.

The first accident proved a wake up call to the rest of the summer program. The campus police and the faculty both noted that students were more cautious while crossing the streets and kids had stopped taking it for granted that the drivers would stop if a student who was not paying attention wandered into the crosswalk.

But what has happened over the past week? It seems that once the commotion died down about a student’s being hit by a car, the rest of the summer program completely forgot how to cross a street properly. Students are back to texting, listening to their iPods, and absentmindedly stepping into the crosswalk without first making eye-contact with the drivers. And so, a car hit another student.

We need to say it again: Students need to stay alert while crossing the streets. One student being hit was already too many.

This is turning out to be a serious issue and for the next three weeks, students are urged to be as careful as possible, especially while walking at night. When it’s dark, it’s even harder for drivers to see students who step into the crosswalk without any indication. Watch out for not only yourself, but also for the others around you.

The staff at PEA Summer School is pleading that students are careful while crossing the streets. Although most drivers stop multiple feet from the crosswalk, some drivers are not paying careful enough attention to pedestrians. Students need to be responsible for themselves to ensure that no more students are hit by distracted drivers.

Students are encouraged to stay off their cell phones while crossing the streets and to really start making an ongoing effort to keep themselves, and their friends, safe.

Crazy 8’s Ruining Summer Fun

Beantown Booster Luisa Sanabria Summer Times Staff Writer

Elena Petricevic Summer Times Staff Writer What is the mystery of 8’s?

8’s are given as a form of punishment, but students here have been complaining about how they are given for random reasons. I have heard people complain that they have 8’s because: they were getting water at 11:02 (2 minutes past lights out), 2 minutes late to a dorm meeting but happened to be in their room, and not being asleep by 11:30.

It is summertime and we are looking forward to relaxed rules, but how do we feel if we are being monitored to make sure we are following the curfew? I think that these rules are being ridiculously enforced.

For most people 11 o’clock is an early bedtime during the summertime. I include myself. You get up out of your room because you are thirsty, it is 2 minutes past lights out.

As you go outside to quench your thirst you are stopped by an older woman and she says, “I’m sorry, it is WAY past lights out, you have 8’s for tomorrow night.”

Why are these rules so strictly enforced? Nobody knows but 8’s are a curse to all.

I found myself sitting at the back of the bus, waiting for this moment to come, the day that I would finally get to know this big city everybody was talking about.

Over these few weeks, I had been listening to students and teachers talking about this subject that was new to me.I had never been to this unknown city, and this Sunday I got finally see what everybody was talking about.

A huge park in front of my eyes, full of people just having a good time, eating with friends and family and playing like a regular Sunday noon. I didn’t know where I was, I was scared to get lost, but after talking to some of these people we somehow managed to get around the city without any type of map or guide to help us around.

I crossed the park and saw a huge street. I kept walking until we found Newberry Street, and then I fell in love with Boston. All of the stores, lined along this huge and deep street, people coming back and forth with bags, coffees and ice creams just having a good time in a typical Sunday afternoon.

Streets with people whom I didn’t know, but somehow seemed to smile when I passed by to greet me and show sympathy towards us; kids doing shows and activities to

entertain the people made this place so joyful; nobody was mad, or arrogant-- they were all having a great time.

I think that what I liked the most about Boston is the people who live in it, how they are nice and sympathetic towards you; even if you don’t even know them they seem to connect with you with a simple greeting; the streets are full of things to do, the food is amazing and the most important thing is that I feel safe walking down the streets, and safety in my country is not as it is here.

In my country, Venezuela, insecurity is a really sad subject to talk about. You can’t walk down the streets like I did in Boston because its dangerous, you feel threatened and scared to even walk to school. So for the first time, in a very long time, I felt safe, secure and happy that I could enjoy what I can’t back home, and in a place where the environment is really nice and friendly to be in.

This weekend I realized how much I liked this city, and I’m looking forward to going again to go further into the city, to see those places that I didn’t have time to go, and try and get the most from Boston, the great new city that seized my attention and the place that made me feel that I was more than at home

Cliques: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly Just Human Nature Alix Dufosse Summer Times Staff Writer Do you speak French, or Spanish? Do you come from a country other than America?

If so, you might enjoy the company of certain cliques that have formed within the Exeter summer session.

Is it really surprising that groups of students from the same country feel attracted to each other? Five weeks away from home is hard on everybody. I know that when I felt lost during the first week, talking to peers from my home country was definitely reassuring.

When you think about it, hanging out with your fellow nationals— because it’s easier since you are from the same country— is virtually harmless. As long as the groups aren’t exclusive and as long as the people still talk to other students, these groups should not be a problem.

The fact that groups have formed within the school, is just human nature. After two and half weeks, people have bonded and feel more comfortable around the people they know.

Even though the school administration would like the students to mingle with as many other students possible, a lot of my peers would rather socialize with fewer people but actually get to know them and get on a higher level than a first name basis.

The cliques that have formed around campus are not really based on nationality but language, especially with the Spanish speaking students. Because English is not the first language of most of the summer students, it’s just easier to speak your first language.

Leads to Exclusion Elena Petricevic Summer Times Staff Writer Cliquing at Exeter? Yes indeed cliquing is starting to occur. Yet cliquing is stereotyped as the popular vs. the unpopular, but none of that drama is seen here at Exeter.

Cliques often center on the language barrier. I have noticed that cliques form based on language to replicate a sense of safety and familiarity. This sense of familiarity can be excluding to those who only speak one language. I have seen that some groups walk around campus speaking only French, Spanish, or any other language. The point of this program is to integrate with those who speak a different language than you and especially for the foreign students to learn how to speak English.

I feel that if an individual who doesn’t speak (for example) French, and tries to speak and hang out with a group of people who speak French, this only leads to exclusion because of the sense of security a language gives.

This sense of security makes the speakers of that language feel safe and superior to those who speak only English (for example).

The English-speaking people whose intentions are only good (to make friends) feel left out and sometimes even worry that these French-speaking people are talking about them in front of them. This fear of the possibility of being a target of bullying among those you can’t understand is overwhelming and obviously scary.

A language barrier promotes segregation and not unity and one of the goals of summer school is for strangers to become friends and for the foreign students to speak English.

Self-Segregation Devontae Freeland, Summer Times Contributing Writer When I applied to the Access Exeter summer program, I was excited about the new experiences I would have, and the new people I would meet; people from around the world. The first edition of The Summer Times told us that 366 people are international students here, 47% of the school! This is probably one of the most diverse groups of young people in the world, to quote one of our all-school assembly speakers.

Yet, in spite of all this diversity, the intermingling of students from different countries and cultures is not so prevalent. It seems that students who speak the same language or are from the same country seem to stick together, allowing no one else into their group.

I know two students who are both from Latin America and both speak Spanish that never seem to part from each other. They are virtually always together. Besides, they only speak in Spanish with each other, excluding others from their group whodo not speak fluent Spanish.

This is just one example of the separation of students from different cultural backgrounds, and it is not only limited to international students. I see a group of students from inner-city Boston who hang out together non-stop and New Hampshire residents who seem to only be friends with other people from New Hampshire. These exclusive cliques are counterproductive when some of us, like me, came here to meet new people from all around the world, and not just from our respective tri-state area.

This self-segregation, thankfully, is not the only situation that occurs. There are many students who do choose to spend time with a variety of people from a variety of places. I know two best friends who are from opposite hemispheres and wholly distinct cultures, and I have a close friend whose roommate is from a country that is not so friendly with her own, yet they get along perfectly.

It is nice to see we are making some progress towards a bridging the cultural gap and forming a global community.

Disagree or agree with anything on this page? The Summer Times gladly welcomes your thoughtful commentary. Submit Letters to the Editor to peasummer@gmail.com by Tuesday evening for the coming Thursday’s newspaper.

Corrections: A story on students alone in single-bed dorms in The Summer Times issue of July 14 missattribued a quotation to Filippos Lymperopoulos. The comment was actually made by Maria Corina Celis.

Also a byline was misspelled in the Spotlight interview with Heath Alexander.

It should have read Djinnie Timoleon

EXETER LIFE

THE SUMMER TIMES

Spotlight On:

By URWAH AHMAD and LAYLA RAO Summer Times Staff Writers

Russell D. Weatherspoon, 60, Phillips Exeter Academy’s Dean of Residential Life, teaches history and social sciences in the summer school and serves as intern coordinator and campus minister. We sat down with him the other day for a chat.

Q: Are you a New Yorker?

A: I am

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

Russell D. Weatherspoon Q: So you went to elementary school, high school, and college in Brooklyn?

A: Yes. Q: Brooklyn College?

A: Yes.

Q: You seem to have a good record with high school students. How did you become interested working with this age group?

A: I had two interests. One was being a NYC fireman and the other was working with young people. It took me a while to figure out which age group I was most comfortable with. My experience counseling graduate students and teaching courses at the undergraduate houses at Harvard helped me recognize that the people I most wanted to work with were high school students. I enjoy human beings at that time of life because of their inquisitiveness, openess, and awareness. They know they are changing and want to be supported in that change. So to me if you can pull up alongside young people who are in the middle of this transformation it is a wonderful thing for them and for me. It ends up producing oftentimes life-long associations which are very encouraging for me.

Q: Was it a white flight scenario?

A: Yes there was white flight in that neighborhood and other neighborhoods in New York. About 15 or 20 years after World War II the entire state was developing. The president wanted to build more robust roads that would get us up and down the nation. A very sophisticated road system was built and there was an explosion in suburban housing. Many people left the city for what they took to be the new heaven of living in the suburbs. Actually to be honest with you, my family was supposed to be among that group and if my father had not died, I would not even be talking about growing up in Brooklyn because I would be growing up in Nassau County.

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

Q: How about siblings?

A: A brother and sister. I’m the last in the train of three.

Q: what did your father die of?

A: He died of a brain tumor, actually.

Q: So your mother had to go back to work, what did she do?

A: She had done different kinds of clerical administrative assistance.

Ultimately she worked at Macy’s and then as administrative assistant at the public school system.

Q: So you went to public school in Brooklyn?

A: Yes. I moved to Stony Brook [Long Island] in my early 20s.

Q: Are your kids all grown up? What do they do?

A: One’s a musician, one’s a teacher, one works behind the scenes in LA and is writing a book, and my last is a homemaker and has seven children.

Q: What are you going to do during your sabbatical?

A: I’m going to spend my time studying Dutch colonial history, reading here and researching in New York. I also want to travel, to the Netherlands.

Q: Was it a tough area?

A: It became a tough area over these last 20 years. It’s now known for a place of high crime rate, especially in murder. And gangs. For instance, the Bloods and the Crips have made their way out from the west coast.

When I was a boy, 0 to 12, the neighborhood didn’t strike me as unsafe. It was very pleasant, low and middle class but a lot of respect for education.

It began to change dramatically in the early 60s when the neighborhood began to exit so by ‘66 or so it looked very different.

Q: Was your mother working at the time?

A: She might have been, I’m not quite sure. Probably she was employed but I’m not quite sure. As you can imagine, she had to go back to work again after my father died.

rights.

Q: When did you join the Exeter faculty?

A: In 1978. I just finished my 24th year and I will be taking a sabbatical for my 25th year.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in Brooklyn, in East New York.

Q: What did your father do?

A: My father was an electrical engineer.

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Russell Weatherspoon has been a bedrock of the Academy since 1978. He is taking sabbatical in New York.

Q: What did you study?

A: Ultimately I ended up majoring in history and I minored in English.

Q: And then you went on to Harvard?

A: Yes. Q: Are you married?

A: Yes, I’ve been married since 1973 and I have four kids.

Q: Are you both here?

A: Yes, we’re both here.

Q: And what does your wife do?

A: She works with different NGOs doing a lot of different development work around the world. She works in supporting women’s

Q: Some of the kids are scared of you as well. Why? A: I’ve been dean of residential life for 10 years out of the 24 I”ve been here which meant that if you broke a rule I would be there to talk to you and to find out what exactly happened. It’s not me imposing discipline on you, it’s me coming to talk to you about some of the tougher questions.

Q: Was there any major case you worked on?

A: There were many cases but one of the sadder ones was of a girl who was accused of the theft of other girls’s articles of clothing.

Q: Was there anyone who influenced you during your teenage years ?

A: I went to day school so the classes were about 40-45 minutes and you only saw the teacher for that amount of time. In high school there was one teacher who I had for two courses in two different years. His name was Nickolas Malachias. Later when I went to college, I realized that maybe I would like to teach. I came back to the same high school and had him as a mentor. I got to see him from two points of view -- one as a student sitting in class and the other as training teacher. Even though he didn’t know it, he helped guide me into teaching.

Q: Do you have any advice you would like to give teenagers?

A: I have many things I would like to say but one would be that these are not the best days of your life. More powerful joy has yet to come, so hang around

Breaking News! Colonies Split with Britain

used to live in this time period. Important historical figures like Washington interacted with the visitors, carefully remaining true to their role play.

Summer Times Staff Writers The visit through the Festival was rendered even more authentic and exciting by the frequent thunder-like Although American Independence is celebrated nationwide, on the 4th of July, in the noises of the muskets and canons that were fired throughout the day. A group of revolutionaries small town of Exeter, it is celebrated on the 16th. The reason is that it took time for Exeter marched around while playing era-appropriate instruments and patriotic music, which helped set the mood of the day. to receive a copy of its own; this is why, to this day, the town has a festival then in order to According to Gail Nessel Colglazier, director of the museum, the goal of this day is: “ To celebrate America’s break with Great Britain. As David Welch, one of the town’s re-enactors explained: “News travels at the speed of a horse. “ help people better understand the Declaration and the importance of America declaring indepenThe people of Exeter turned this day into a family event. There was a designated part of dence. “ She also added that it was important to see how something that happened so long ago the festival for kids to have fun, with a cotton candy stand and various other stands that sold was still relevant to present society. fair foods. Another fun stand for children was the face-painting stand and the sponge-toss When asked what stand which were very popular amongst the youngest festival attendees. were the requirements to One of the major components that attracted the most people to the festival was the qualify as participants, she re-enactment area where people could interact with dedicated historians, and passionate participants who were glad to answer any lingering questions that attendees had. Many of answered that many had the re enactors belong to historical societies, and there were various groups of re-enactors taken part in last year’s who each represented a different time period that is relatively close to the declaration time festival. While some reperiod which was between 1775 and 1776. enactors participate every Bill Clemens, an enthusiastic re enactor, said that the authenticity of the clothing and the year like the one playing stands varied from group to group. For example he stated that the best way to tell if reproGeorge Washington. othduction clothing was authentic was by looking at the shoes. Indeed during the 18th century, ers joined this year like there were no left or right shoe; the shoes were made for both feet.

John Adams.

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times Different political “Eighteenth century reproduction clothing is made from authentic cottons and parties were present at the festival materials,” he said.

Mr. Clemens’s group was busy re-enacting an encampment scene with a kitchen and tents in the campaigning for the 2012 elections, background. When asked if any family connections to the original colonists were required to participate in thus directly showing the consethe festival, he answered that it was not necessary yet many participants did have a family link to the colonial quences of the birth of a free America.

This showed how past events come settlers.

Another interesting aspect of the festival was that people could visit Folsom Tavern, which is a preserved together and help build future AmeriJustin Robertson/The Summer Times hostel where George Washington stayed. Visitors walked around the authentic house, and saw how people can heritage.

By ALIX DUFOSSE AND YARITZA SANDOVAL

Bottled Water May not Be any Better

By ALEJANDRO PENATE Summer Times Staff Writer

The Advocating Change for a Greener Earth class conducted an experiment last Thursday to see if random people could tell the difference between tap, filtered, and bottled water.

Most could – but agreed taste didn’t matter much as long as the water was safe to drink.

The mission of the experiment was to create environmental awareness and to show how bottled water is processed and how much resources go into producing it. All in all, participants said it was a fun experiment that allowed the people being a part of it to learn some new facts and think about the taste of different kinds of water, because really, who does think about it?

The Access students eagerly awaited all “testies” and accordingly offered statistics and the pros and cons of using certain kinds of water.

Evan St. Germain, 13, of Massachusetts, a host of the experiment, was stating random facts at any given chance: “Last year, the average American used 167 disposable waters.”

You pay more per unit of volume of bottled water than you do for tap water. On average, bottled water costs range between 25-cents and $2 while tap water costs less than a penny.

The further downside of water bottles is that too many resources go into making it. Seventeen million barrels of oil go into making plastic bottles every year only in America, so imagine how many cars can be fueled by that amount of oil.

And once made, the plastic take years to degenerate so if you are going to consume bottled water, help the planet out by recycling.

Students from Exeter were excited to hear about these issues and found the experiment convincing.

Ellie Fu, 15, from Hong Kong said, “It was fun. It was a very exciting experience. We had never thought about the difference of the taste before.” Eilln Chong, 16, from Singapore, agreed.

Many agreed that the taste of water was not even relevant when consuming it. Sometimes it’s these experiments that are needed as reminders on how important it is to understand what we are consuming.

On deck and engaged in the experiment was the dean of Summer School, Rosanna Salcedo. It’s not just kids who need to learn about these issues, she said, adults also need to be reminded. She said the experiment made students think about the Earth and how they can help preserve it.

“The students were prepared with the information they

were sharing,” Ms. Salcedo said. “Overall it was a helpful display.”

Out of the individuals taking the test, 63% guessed correctly for the tap water, 65% guessed correctly for the bottled water, and 51% of the people tasting filtered water guessed correctly with eighty-eight people participating in each individual experiment.

What kind of water people drink may seem an insignificant matter but the experiment showed how impactful and complex an issue it is becoming. Whether it’s bottled, tap, or filtered water, they all involve a production process and all affect the planet in a different way.

So the next time you drink whatever type of water you chose to drink, ask yourself: did I make the right choice in my water?

Courtesy of Google Images

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THE SUMMER TIMES

EXETER LIFE

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

Sick? They’re Waiting for Phantom You at the Lamont Infirmary Haunts Hoyt

registered nurse there 24 hours a day every day for emergencies.

Summer Times Staff Writer For those feeling sick, there are beds on Fractures and sports-related injuries, the ground floor. Since it’s the summer there cuts, colds, bronchitis, sunburns, dehydrahaven’t been any viruses going around but tion, blisters and local allergic reactions to things have still been happening. bug bites – these crises are all in a “I love working here,” day’s work for the Lamont Health said Dr. Myra Citrin “That’s and Wellness Center on Tan Lane why I’ve worked here for 23 behind the Phelps Science Center. years.”

Many students have already Students also had good made the center’s acquaintance. things to say about the care.

“They took care of me so well, and “The health center is really when I went there again with my big and I like how they have friend, the nurse still recognized the waiting room, the nurses me and asked me about my sunwere nice, and they let me rest burn,” said Alexandra Xue, 15 from the whole day,” said Sayuri Shanghai. “I feel great now, and my Oshima,16, from Japan sunburn is getting better.”

Zein Said, 13, from AmWhen you go in, a nurse takes man, Jordan, agreed. “They you to the side and asks you to fill out were very kind ,they helped a short form. Next you also punch in Justin Robertson/The Summer Times me and told me to stay a while a time card so that your teachers know The Lamont Health Center is open 24/7 to ensure stuand afterwards I felt much you were in the health center and not dent safety. The infirmary also has regular office hours. better.”

By URWAH AHMAD

wandering about somewhere. Then you wait in the waiting room for a few minutes until the physician comes and takes you to get checked.

The regular hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and also there is a physician and

Harry’s Last Picture Show

By COLIN KEANE Summer Times Staff Writer

Courtesy of Google Images

As for the actors, this was Daniel Radcliffe’s best performance yet. He has matured both mentally and physically and has exceeded all expectations as we have watched him grow up.

Emma Watson’s and Rupert Grint’s performances were overall very good. The two’s most important moment comes after the destruction of the fourth horcrux. This looming sense of awkwardness and friendship finally comes to a close as Ron kisses Hermoine. The pair take on less prominent roles in this movie but still prove to be

Harry’s best and most loyal companions.

As well, Matthew Lewis’s character Neville Longbottom truly shines as he kills Voldemort’s prized snake, Nagini. The character who began the series as the biggest coward in the wizarding world develops into one of the most brave, and righteously so.

We also see the development of many other secondary characters including Professor McGonagall, Luna Lovegood, Hagrid and Lupin.

These characters and their loyalty to Harry in many ways are the defining characters in the film- they recognize Harry’s courage and willingness to do what is right and put their lives on the line for him.

The cast around Radcliffe is spectacular. The development of the younger characters is particularly fascinating as we see them grow from children to members of the adult world as they line up in their final defense against evil- “he who must not be named.”

Ultimately that is the real magic of Harry Potter -- like all great adventure stories there is a conflict between good and evil-and we are drawn into the imaginary world of Hogwarts.

Like any film that attempts to satisfy the vision we have in our mind of our favorite book, it is hard to satisfy all that we have imagined. It would be hard to please everyone, but Yates, Rowling and a talented cast we have begun to think of as almost real, have given almost every Harry Potter fan the finish they were looking for.

Do you believe in ghosts? Well, some unsuspecting students l have recently been visited by the Phantom of Hoyt Hall.

The Phantom sneaks into rooms, even those that are locked, and creepily removes objects from the owner’s rooms as well as moves objects around on the owners. He (or she – or it) unplugs electronics and even re-organizes items.

This Phantom also does not seem to be afraid of heights, as it has sneaked into rooms on the second and third floors.

Lubna Fahoum, a resident of the third floor of Hoyt, recently received a surprise visit from the Phantom. She claims that her door was locked, and as she was not there at the time,, she does not know how the Phantom managed to get in.

She says that hat both her fan and laptop charger were unplugged, nplugged, while her hair straightener had ad been plugged in. Her suitcasee also appeared to have been taken n out. Fortunately, nothing seemed d to be stolen. “It’s d. “If the creeper is weird!”she said. reading this, it’ss not funny. Stop it!”

Before the Phantom made his way up to the third floor of Hoyt, it made a few stops on the second floor.

Andrea Hernandez, of the second floor, who shares a room with her roommate Meliss Keskin, also had their quarters broken into.

Hernandezz says the Phantom took her roommate’s contact lenses enses case, however, it was returned two days later. The he Phantom must have been thirsty, because it drank k an entire water bottle from the room, and it took k deodorant.

Students think hink it could possibly be another student pulling a prank; however,, they are not amused. It is unsettling to students to imagine someone ne else rummaging through their belongings.

While it is a bit funny to think of the Phantom as a “ghost” roaming campus, s, if it is a student, it is not only invasive of student’s privacy, but it is also goes against campus rules rules.

Maybe the Phantom should get 8’s,

Courtesy of Google Images

What originally began as an idea during a train ride from Manchester to London, J.K. Rowling’s famed Harry Potter series has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon selling over 400 million copies and Rowling’s being crowned the richest woman in the UK. The July 15th release of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 marked the end of a decade for Potter fans. It has been a long time coming- and Potter’s hardcore fans were lined up and ready to see Harry off.

Already breaking records during its midnight showing, the final installment of Harry Potter has received largely positive reviews from critics. Coming in at just over two hours, this is the shortest of the Harry Potter films yet, and although noticeable, still makes for an excellent movie.

Director David Yates follows Harry, Ron, and Hermoine as they attempt to hunt down horcruxes in preparation for the battle at Hogwarts and to decide who will live. Many seem concerned that the movie was overly focused on the “Battle at Hogwarts” and shied away from the emotions, friendships, and relationships that go with the story.

Don’t get me wrong, the action from the “Battle at Hogwarts” is by far the best scene in the film, but it does seem as if it sometimes takes away from the character development.

Rowling has finished by clearing up all the

loose ends that Harry perfectionists demand in the first installment- this final film is a roller coaster ride toward the confrontation that has been coming since we first learned of a boy who carried the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders.

By GINNY HARMON Summer Times Staff Writer

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times

See How Many Eyes You Were Able to Match

1.

Leire Di Cecco

2.

Doruk Doganay

3.

Alessandro Grieco

4.

Rodrigo Vogeler

5.

Fatima Viakil

6.

Ernesto Aveledo

7.

Michelle Santiago

8.

Raquel Beltran

9.

Estefania Cornella

10.

Emrique Acosta

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: LOUSIA SANABRIA

THE SUMMER TIMES

EXETER LIFE

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

7

DANCERS AND ACTORS GEAR UP FOR DEBUTS

THE MUSIC MAN

By DJINNIE TIMOLEON Summer Times Staff Writer

Calleigh Hunter /The Summer Times

One man band: Randy Armstrong, instructor in music, plays a wide variety of world instruments in an Assembly on Friday, July 8th. He teaches African drumming during the regular session.

Marlene Giron, 16, from PuerIn Theater and Dance, students are encouraged to develop their abil- to Rico says that “There is a lot of ity at self-expression. The Dance variety from seeing how people Program, taught by Allison Duke from around the world move and and Amberlee Timm is filled with express themselves; we have great students from different backgrounds dancers in the class.”

Theater, taught by Burke Scarwho find the various cultures and borough, is a difficult yet easy way traditions stimulating.

When students arrive in class, to express yourself. There’s almost no limitation the first thing to what you they always can achieve do is warm in the class, up, stretching he says.Theto get ready ater may be for dancing. difficult but it C u r r e n t l y, is extremely the dance rewarding. class is exStudents perimenting with modern, learn acting jazz and hipand performing skills hop dances. that stick There’s lots with them of variety and throughout influences their experifrom the students.

Justin Robertson/The Summer Times Some dances are choreographed by the ence. Most students feel like theater teachers and some dances are under is a break from the stressful courses control of the students. Students say they take. Right now, the class is that the class is really fun and they focusing on memorizing lines for like all the new skills and elements their play, “Hidden In This Picture” they learned from both their teach- by Aaron Sorkin. They will be presenting the play on the 4th week of ers and classmates.

Kiera Mondesire, 15, from Exeter Summer School.

Emmy Moe, 16, from New York, says: “I really like the teachers, they are very nice. They Austin, Texas says: “ I’m excitcompliment us as well as criticize ed about presenting. I hope that us when we are doing something doesn’t sound vain but I love being on stage” wrong.”

War of the Words: Webster v. Wentworth

By ADAM MARQUARDT Summer Times Staff Writer

The Dorm feud between Webster South and Webster North officially ended on Thursday, resulting in an allied force against Wentworth. The weeklong feud involved continuous nights brawling past three in the morning. At first, the means of fighting were benign, involving little Walmart spray guns and harmless forms of vandalism.

However the fighting escalated into using buckets of scalding hot water, waking up fastasleep students, and piling up bricks in order to trip students cutting around corners.

So how did this fighting originate? It started with Bernard Bright, a Webster South student, falsely informing a girl that Kaleb Randolph of Webster North had love interest in her.

Kaleb Randolph followed this up by bombarding Bernard Bright while he was flirting with a girl on campus.

This ignited a grudge match requiring advisors in the Webster conglomerate to flex their muscles. Between acts of vandalism descecrating people’s nametags on their doors, and posting North/South propaganda on the advisors’s doors, some authoritative action had to be taken. At first it was the ban of water guns inside the dorms. It eventually led to multiple people being placed on an 8 o’clock check simultaneously.

At the end of the day, it was paranoia, not authority, that shoved the divided dorm back

into unity. It was the paranoia of the looming enemy abroad -- Wentworth.

As “Generalissimo Bernie Oswald” (otherwise known as Bernard Bright) explained: “Wentworth is watching, patiently waiting for our little civil war to weaken us, then they are going to take us over.”

One would never guess that a rift had previously split Kaleb and Bernard, as they now can frequently be seen both around campus and on Facebook, fondly interacting.

Kaleb Randolph, whom some may know as the guy with the afro, addressed the matter by rationalizing: “We needed to set our differences aside. The threat of Wentworth mobilized us to unite more than the punishments.”

Meanwhile many advisers are catching their breath, relieved by end of this feud which kept them up into the waning hours of the night. Unfortunately, this brief period of tranquility may only be the calm before the storm. Frequent trips to Walgreens over the past few days only has armed the Webster Army for what many are beginning to call “The Battle Royale.”

From a bird’s eye view, Wentworth looks promising, because they have strength in numbers.

However, during this last field day Webster for the first time in summer school history reigned victorious over the towering Wentworth during the school field day.

Will the brawl follow the trend created by field day, or will Wentworth’s overwhelming size advantage prove victorious? There is no set day for the confrontation. However according to Randolph the tussle is inevitable. Bernard sums it up by announcing “It’s going down, they may have strength in numbers, but we have strength in brothers.”

Love Is All Romance, from page 1 who came to Exeter already engaged in some form of relationship are still interested to know the difference between love in this place and their environment at home.

For all the different lifestyles around the globe, people will eventually end up meeting someone they can connect with. That might mean a friendship, a crush, or a longlasting relationship. The only issue is the amount of time that Summer School provides for these students to mingle. Many think that five weeks is enough to know if they will be fully committed to someone, but is really? Some people here feel really strongly that it is not enough time to be pressured to a relationship.

“It’s important to interact but getting emotionally attracted is unrealistic,” said Estefany Galan, 17, from Tennessee.

Kaleb Randolph, also 17, from Minnesota, agreed. “I am looking for a summer fling, but I feel that the people in here should not date,” he said.

The same goes for Evi Bernitsas, 16, from Greece. As she said: “Don’t get TOO attached, because unfortunately, everyone will only be together for 5 weeks.”

But some of their peers see it otherwise. These students believe that is important to make the most of their experience here at Exeter and that includes taking their love life to a new level with people whom they would probably never have met in their own communities.

“A summer romance makes you feel good,” claimed Christina Voulgarakis, 16, from Greece. “It’s a way of learning different cultures besides taking classes and participating in different activities.

Everyone has or will eventually experience a summer fling.”

You Need According to Alejandro Penate, 17, from San Francisco: “I came to Exeter not hoping to find but hoping to be found. The thing about this summer school is that it’s only a five week program and once it’s done everyone goes home and love is put on pause. It’s great to be young.”

Mariana Assimakopoulou, 16, from Greece considers a summer camp romance refreshing. She also declares, “It is a memorable experience that will make you remember this camp forever!”

The students opinions about summer romance vary: some believe that it is a great and unforgettable experience that gives students the chance to not only take their minds off studying and homework but also to exchange different cultures and beliefs.

Nevertheless, other students are intimidated by the fact that they might get really attached to someone whom they might not see again, and because of that they will not want to get involved in a summer fling.

No matter what students believe or want, people can’t choose if they are going to fall in love. It is a feeling that nobody can control or prevent from happening. There are many couples wandering around the campus and enjoying their summer love. For others, that chance may come later -- or it might never come.

Whatever kind of relationship one might have is an experience that will ultimately stick with them for a lifetime and that reality is what will bring students together this summer.

Exeter will create memories in every student; each will benefit from that. It doesn’t have to be the love of a lifetime, or love at all.

THE SUMMER TIMES

PHOTOSPREAD

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011

What We’re Wearing Now

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: GABRIELLE BLACKMAN

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