THE SUMMER TIMES
First Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid Mailed from 03833 Permit Number 78
‘The Summer Newspaper of Phillips Exeter Academy’
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire
IS N EAR The Wages of Sin: Discipline Cases Mar Final Week at PEA
(S OB ! S OB !)
Vol. XXXV, Number 5
T HE E ND
Boston Bus Breakdown: That’s Oil, Folks!
One Required to Withdraw, Two on Probation
By LAYLA RAO and LUISA SANABRIA Summer Times Staff Writer
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL and ELENA PETRICEVIC
One of four buses driving kids back from Boston Sunday broke down about twenty minutes before arriving on campus. The students were transferred to the remaining buses. “The bus was really, really hot; it was really sticky and humid,” said Morgan James, 15, of Exeter. “There were people everywhere and everyone was screaming and talking over each other. There was no room to move.” The driver said the breakdown was caused by an oil pressure problem. Jan Trueman, the Queen of Fun, said later that she had talked to the driver, whom she identified as Mr. Booker, and that he had called it “a transmission issue.” Asked later what she thought about the incident, she said, “I’m glad that everybody’s safe.” She said it was not the driver’s fault because “it could happen to anyone.” Students questioned why a bus would be so poorly maintained as to break down on the road, creating an unsafe situation. There was chaos inside the three buses that were left to take the kids home. The seats, which were originally designed for two average- sized people per row, were crammed with three kids making the remainder of the ride back home very crowded. “Kids were practically falling out of their seats,” said Chelo Barton, 15, of San Francisco. “I couldn’t move my arms and I was smashed against the window and random people I did not know.” Sarp Uner, 15, of Ankara, Turkey, was also critical. “The driver
Summer Times Staff Writers
Four days before the end of Summer School, a student was forced to withdraw Wednesday over charges of “unsatisfactory conduct” and two others were put on probation, one on a charge of “plagiarism” and the other on a charge of “dishonest acts.” In keeping with Exeter practice, the students’s names and details of the infractions were not made public. The cases were decided Wednesday by a 9-member faculty and administration Disciplinary Committee. At the same time, school authorities were investigating the theft this week of several backpacks from the boy’s locker room in the gym. Property thefts traditionally rise at the end of summer session as students leave money and other valuables lying around and prepare to scatter to the four corners of the earth, so director Ethan Shapiro cautioned students at Wednesday’s International Day Assembly to take particular care to avoid losses. Last week, some 25 pots in the ceramics class were found smashed after an unknown intruder, or several, entered the night of July 26. The proctor that night, Cahaley Markman, said she left at 9 p.m. and closed the doors, but the doors were not locked. “I was here proctoring, the pots were fine, “ she said when asked if she saw anything. The upper school ceramics teacher, Wes Coombs, says that the smashing was definitely done intentionally: “no doubt, if you saw the way they were.” Mr. Coombs said there were no suspects at this time.
See OIL, page 4
Urwah Ahmad/The Summer Times
Out There, the Real World Awaits By ALEJANDRO PENATE Summer Times Staff Writer
Alex Braile PEA’10
Question: Where in the world will PEA students head on Saturday? Answer: all over the globe.
There’s still time to donate to the Summer School Scholarship Fund. Last year, 126 students donated $2,200 to defray tuition for future students needing financial aid. So far this year, 50 students have donated a total of $1,000. Students can use their Lion Cards to donate $10, $20, $30, $40 or a maximum of $50 in the Student Activities Office.
As summer here at Phillips Exeter Academy comes to an end, it continues on in all corners of the world for students heading back home. While most students are bound for their regular schools, other students plan to continue traveling for awhile. Some are eager to return home to their native countries. A select few will meet up with the friends they made at the summer session here at Exeter. Even more surprisingly, some students will continue their summer with other extracurricular programs. Either way, Exeter has been an exciting pit stop for what the rest of the year holds. For many students coming to Exeter, the objective is to meet longlasting friends. Carlos Hurtado, 15, from the Dominican Republic says, “I am going to New York to visit colleges and universities and I
plan to visit the people I met here at Exeter in New York. Afterwards I’ll go to my native country, the Dominican Republic, I’ll chill there before going back to my regular school.” Others miss the things that you can only find at home. Sergen Gelis, 15, from Turkey said: “I am going home. I want to get some sleep. I miss Inonu Stadium, the food, and my friends. I miss my country.” While international students had to adjust to a different country, most are happy with the experiences they had at Exeter. Rodrigo Vogeler, 16, from Venezuela said: “When I get back home, I immediately begin school. In Venezuela, you don’t have the same freedoms as in many other countries like the U.S., but despite all that, it’s still my home country and I enjoy living there. I wouldn’t change it for another country.” Now something that truly needs to be appreciated is the tenacity of many Exonians for their personal growth and education. Niel Bhandari, See HOME, page 4
Mamma Mia! A Greek Ode to Summer By ΧΡΙΣΤΙΝΑ ΨΥΧΑΡΗ Summer Times Staff Writer
Κάτω από τον ήλιο σε μια απέραντη αγκαλιά καράβι η αγάπη ταξιδεύει κι εμείς στην πλώρη του να δίνουμε φιλιά κι η θάλασσα να μας ζηλεύει Σου υπόσχομαι αυτό το καλοκαίρι να’ναι ένα απ’τα πιο ωραία για μας μωρό μου
Με χρώμα θαλασσί θα ζωγραφίζουμε τον έρωτα παρέα σαν τ’ονειρό μου Ωραία, ωραία με σένα αγάπη μου παρεά ωραία μαζί σου θα ‘ναι με θέα με θέα τ’αστέρια πάνω απ’το Αιγαίο ωραία που θα περνάμε εμείς οι δυο μωρό μου καλοκαιρινό
Ξανθό το κύμα από το φως του φεγγαριού κι αλάτι πάνω στο κορμί μας κι εμείς γεμάτοι από χαρά μικρού παιδιού θα ξεγελάμε τη ζωή μας
Αφού θα κάνουμε παρέα Ωραία, ωραία Με σένα αγάπη μου παρέα Ωραία, μαζι σου θα ‘ναι
Αυτό το καλοκαίρι
Με θέα, με θέα
Αυτό το καλοκαίρι Για μας θα ‘ναι απ’ τα πιο ωραία
Τα αστέρια πάνω απ’ το Αιγαίο, ωραί Που θα περνάμε εμείς οι δυό Μωρό μου καλοκαιρινό
***For the song translation and author name, turn to page 4. See GREECE.
Was ist das? Match the international dishes to their native regions.
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN ROBERTSON (SEE PAGE 10 FOR ANSWERS)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
2
THE SUMMER TIMES
THE SUMMER TIMES Jiyoon Park Alejandro Penate Mitzi Perez Elena Petricevic Christina Psychari Layla Rao
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
Letter to the Editor
SUMMER TIMES STAFF REPORTERS Urwah Ahmad Alix Dufossé Virginia Harmon Colin Keane Adam Marquardt
OPINIONS
To the Editor:
Justin Robertson Luisa Sanabria Yaritza Sandoval Djinnie Timoleon Arthur Weiser
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.
Give Peas a Chance!
I believe that Gordon McCord did a superb job speaking at Assembly on Monday, July18. He was both motivational and informative. Mr. McCord presented problems and was able to present several possible solutions to each one. He was a talented speaker and captured our attention through his powerful examples of problems. These problems, along with their possible solutions, were described in great detail that played to our emotions. However, Mr. McCord failed to take a stand on what solution, or combination of solutions, is the best in his opinion. This was a perfect example of how people can talk about problems and their possible fixes all day, but fail to make a decision on what solution is best. Many people also fail to create a plan and follow through with these solutions. I, however, am not saying that Mr. McCord is not a man of action; though, we are not certain if he is since he never mentioned actions. I, personally, feel that he never told us the way to implement his fixes. Mr. McCord also never took a side on the energy crisis. For example, he shied away from declaring whether or not nuclear, solar, or wind should be part of solving our future energy needs. Mr. McCord did a great job at presenting the “what”, but could not deliver the “how.” This is one of the greatest problems with society today. We, in America, have become a nation of people who talk about problems, but do nothing about them. Sometimes we even talk about talking about problems, but still we fail to do anything about these problems. Many people blame the lack of real political, economic, or social change on lobbying groups and big corporations. However, it is possible to overcome these road blocks ourselves. The only way to solve the problems Mr. McCord presented is to do more than talk about them; we must implement solutions. So how do we do this? First, each of us must engage in our own community. If your city, town, or neighborhood lacks a sense of community, join or create an organization that works on improving the area where you live. Next, become politically active in your municipality. This involves going to your town meetings. However, that is only the first part. You need to speak out against what you believe will hurt your community, the environment, and other things that are of importance to you. You need to advocate for your own education, especially if you go to a public school. Soon, you will find that the future holds even greater opportunity to make positive change. After you go to college and find a job that you feel will allow for you to make a real difference in the world, go ahead and make that change. Too many people with new jobs are afraid to make important, positive changes because they fear that senior co-workers will not approve of the changes. Do not become part of the system that fears change, be a leader who creates and implements solutions that will better all of the world. Change, after all, starts with one person. Be that person. Sincerly, Christian Knapp
Justin Robertson Summer Times Staff Writer Some may think that being a vegetarian is really hard, or that there aren’t many choices out there for those who wish to be one or already are. I’m here to squash all those worries! For the past week, a friend and I took it upon ourselves to become vegetarians for the week. This would allow us to get a feel for how hard it actually was to switch from one type of diet to another. Now for those of you who don’t know what a vegetarian is, it’s a person who does not eat any meat, such as beef, poultry or pork. We started out two Sundays ago, right after the cookout. Throughout the week, we weren’t to eat any meat what-so-ever, and I even learned a few new things. Did you know that marshmallows are actually made from burning leftover bones to gather gelatin-like substances, which are then colored? And it doesn’t stop there. That also applies to gummy worms and bears! As for the variety, there was plenty of choice. We had meals with eggplant, tofu and good-ole vegetables. Even if I couldn’t find something I liked there, I was able to make my very own steaming Panini!
Is Gay the New Straight? Adam Marquardt Summer Times Staff Writer
Some places in the world are not ideal for homosexual people. For example, as a friend from Oklahoma elaborates, “you do not want to be gay in Oklahoma.” Other countries have also been known to not take too kindly to homosexuals either, namely Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian Mohammad al-Khadra, distinguished with a righteous afro, noted, “public acts of homosexual affection are punished with two hundred whips. “ While it is unfortunate some places are not so accepting of homosexuals, the good news is, Exeter campus is certainly not one of those places. Gay is the new straight here at Exeter Summer School. This can be illustrated at the Gay-Straight Alliance meetings. The main concern of this week’s meeting was analyzing Biblical sections that have been interpreted to be anti-gay. As a Californian, I am very used to outward homosexuality. However, in California homosexuals usually come together in an extravagant and neon-blaring fashion through parades and festivals. This fascinated me, because pretty much everyone, gay and straight alike. attends these gay festivals in San Francisco, because quite frankly they are awesome. When I first heard that I would attend a Gay-Straight Alliance meeting, I pictured a confetti-filled bash with techno music with gay and straight people alike essentially partying. What I got: a seminar that could be interchangeable with a Catholic school religion class. Many people would deduce that a lecture type of seminar would fall short of the excitement of the extravaganza I was expecting. However, sitting through the lecture made me realize most of my friends, as well as myself, have no idea what cause we are supporting at these gay parades. The meeting made it clear that the struggle, which makes such parades necessary, is directed towards fundamentalist Christians. There was a consistent theme through out the lecture, which pointed out specific Fortunate children are complaining about school quotes, with tricky wording, which could be convoluted to preach anti-gay messages. and about the tons of homework teachers gave them. Marike Andreas, who some may know as the blonde girl with the unique fashion sense, elaborated: I am here, completely illiterate, “The way these quotes have been skewed is just unreasonable.” can’t even spell my own name, At this lecture, I found a frequently quoted passage from the Bible, usually interpreted to be anti-gay, because I am too busy fighting for my life. essentially saying, “Don’t you all just hate the drunkards and gay people.” But later in the passage I realized it was really saying shame on people who deem these people unholy because those people are just as bad Fortunate children live with their families but still complain when their mothers order them to do one simple thing. in the eyes of the Lord. This rallied me behind the gay cause far more than putting on a “Legalize Gay” neon tank-top and shouting until my voice was hoarse. I don’t even know where my parents are, The whole meeting was taking these quotes and word for word defining the meaning and trying to never received this type of love and care, depict how these words in the Bible do not announce anti-gay messages. The whole time, I was simply because, you see, family and war do not connect. astonished. Fundamentalist organizations such as Westboro Baptist Church are convinced enough that God looks down at gay people that they are willing to stand outside of churches with heinous signs. The Fortunate children have people they can call friends arguments are embedded in these up-for-grabs statements that never really proclaim that, “God hates gay people that they play with and can trust. people.” I have no such thing I must admit, a gay pride parade might be a tad bit more fun than such lectures. However, I see such and playing is never part of my schedule informational meetings as more progressive for the interests of gay rights than these parades. Most people because being a child soldier involves stripping away my childhood. at parades simply get intoxicated to the point of vomiting and come out probably knowing less about the struggle of gay people than they did coming in. While you are enjoying life While that may be fun for some, at home there has been a theme through all the reasoning behind and complaining about the things you should be grateful for homophobic people’s views. Many are disgusted by the lewd manner at such parades and are convinced stop and think about us. gay people are not sophisticated or are simply “gross.” There is some truth to that, as with at any parade, Think about the thousands of children like me there are bound to be some radicals who do “dress to impress.” who are abducted by their own community leaders In this way, gay parades sometimes hurt the struggle for gay rights. Some lewd display can confirm and who are brainwashed to kill - and only kill a stereotype for the anti-gay populace. This is why, I recommend anyone --gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, in order for us to see the future. transsexual, and every variant in between -- to attend such a seminar over the parade. While at the time, a parade may seem appealing to the partier that exists in all of us, a seminar is the true seam to awareness. I have been an invisible child for too long Therefore, even if you are a Klan member from Jackson, Mississippi, awareness is the shovel that can pry It’s about time you know about me. any head out of the sand.
‘Invisible Child’ Kerlie Merizier
Summer Times Contributing Writer
Don’t Go Wild into that Good Night Alix Dufosse, Summer Times Staff Writer After five weeks of our friendships, homework, bonding, and memories that will last a lifetime Philips Exeter Academy summer session of 2011 will come to an end Saturday. Many people have different ideas of how they want to spend their last night here at Exeter. In past summer sessions, students have been known to be quite unruly. They usually go to dances in big groups, and when the dance ends, some are reluctant to separate and return to the dorms. Even though there are no lights out on Friday, most groups of friends aren’t in the same dorms, therefore they can’t spend their last night together. So a lot of kids decide to either not go back to their dorm or stay in the fields, or walk around town. Some go back to their dorms,
sign in with their advisors but sneak out moments later. Students who were here last summer session said that campus security officers are usually very active on the last night. To catch students roaming around campus during the night, they drive around on golf carts and pick up anyone who is not supposed to be out and escort them back to their respective dorms. Students last year created a Facebook page inviting everyone to sneak out of their dorms earlier to say farewell, but the deans were aware and persuaded the students to wait at least till 6 a.m. to leave the dorms. There are many ways to enjoy the last night without causing too much trouble for the summer session staff. Most of the students will attend the dance, but what is unclear for
them is what to do once they are done dancing. Some students want to spend a quiet evening in their dorms, either watching a movie, or having a dorm party. Others feel like spending the night sleeping or hanging out in the dorms is a waste of their last moments here at Exeter. Even though it is the last night, and people will not be getting eights for sneaking out, students should still be aware that the school could still take action if things get too out of hand. Report cards will be mailed home, and nobody wants a bad remark on their records. So before running wild on Friday, or creating elaborate plans to join your friends, please be conscious that no matter how much you want to spend your last night at Exeter with your friends, it’s not worth throwing away an entire summer’s worth of work.
THE SUMMER TIMES
OPINIONS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
Ramadan: Waiting for the Sun to Rise
Fasting for Ramadan: Getting Closer to Allah
FARAH ALSHAMMARI
URWAH AHMAD
Summer Times Contributing Writer
Summer Times Staff Writer
Ramadan, starting this Sunday, is a month of prayer that brings Muslims closer to God and to their families. Fasting (i.e. no foods or drinks) is every day in that month from dawn to dusk to show devotion to God and to the religion. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. Ramadan brings all families together and allows one to venture deep within the realm of Islam in a variety of ways. Every year Ramadan moves thirteen days ahead from the year before allowing it to fall this year in the last week of Exeter Summer School. So Muslim students will be fasting the last days of school. We students are committed to fast knowing what is in store for us and are willing to take it. For fasting isn’t just holding back food and water but all things that are prohibited or “haram.” It is to show gratitude for what we have and to sympathize with those who aren’t as lucky. During the last week of Exeter and the weeks after, all Muslims put their daily pleasures on hold to be with God, their family and their brothers and sisters in Islam. There are more than thirty students who will be fasting while going to classes and may even do sports if they think they are capable of doing so. Ramadan is very important in the Muslim world and we Muslim students are ready to face the challenge together as a group. So if you are a Muslim and are hesitant to fast, scared that you’ll be doing it alone don’t be because we are right there with you. As Allah said in the Quran: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” [al-Baqara 2:183]
It was still dark out when I woke up to eat. This is called Sehri. No more food for the rest of the day. Then I go and Wudhu, which are abulations before the Fajr prayer. Then I go back and pray and fall back asleep. Ramadan isn’t like most holidays where we reflect on those who have less and sympathize with them and also thank God for what he has given us and ask for forgiveness for our sins. During Ramadan we learn not to give into our every temptation and wish and instead focus on our knowledge and understanding of our own religion. In this way we become closer to Allah. We also learn that there are more important things then what we want and desire We don’t eat till sunset or till the Magrib prayer.
3
Right after that we break our fast and eat and this is called Iftar. Then at night we also read Taraweeh. During our fast we are not supposed to say anything bad and not do any wrong. By doing this we become spiritually and physically lighter. This month gives us an opportunity to show how faithful we are. I think Ramadan is harder to perceive from points of views of those who have never experienced it. But from my point of view it’s quite an experience. It shows how dependant we are on material things and we look beyond our daily needs. Ramadan is not just for Muslims and we are also not the only people who fast. So to those who are and do get past your material needs there are different experiences to be had. And to all allo a happy Ramadan.
Parlez Francais? Oui, Mais... ‘YIKES’! Emily Greenberg Summer Times Contributing Writer
[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.” [al-Baqara 2:184]
DATE 7/31 8/1 8/2 8/3 8/4 8/5 8/6
Fajir(dawn) 4:00 4:02 4:03 4:05 4:07 4:08 4:10
Magrib(sunset) 8:07 8:06 8:05 8:04 8:02 8:01 8:00
Three Things I’ve Learned at Exeter Brandon Thomas Summer Times Contributing Writer With the last days of our summer experience sitting just over the horizon, I’m sure many people have already started to reminisce on fond memories of this school, both good and bad. Times like this always prompt the question “what would you change about your stay here?” While a select few would probably say something about Ouija Board, most of us would change the fact that we didn’t know something we know after a month here. Some of those things might be wishing we knew that… #3 There WILL be Blood I don’t know about everyone else, but one reason I chose to come here was because I wanted to get away from problems at home, such as pain altogether. The sight of ice packs, bandages, and crutches say that Loki apparently has a vacation home in the New England area. After people getting hit by cars, tearing muscles, and spraining ankles, it’s obvious we all should have known that imminent injuries to ourselves and others would at least make us stick to the soft cushion of the Quad’s grass. Once there, we run into another problem. #2 Vampires Exist Nighttime at Exeter is beautiful. Temperatures drop to pleasant 70s, the setting sun paints the sky, and mosquitoes arrive in droves to feast on those naïve enough to stand near trees. Everyone here has been bitten at least once by one of these mongrels, and now everyone is suffering the same. With people’s legs now looking like human versions of connect the dots, the bug spray we neglected to pack is biting us in the butt almost as badly as Dracula’s six-legged siblings. Misery loves company, so once everyone has met back up in the next few years we can all compare bite scars on our legs and arms. #1 We Don’t Want to Leave Bittersweet moments such as these are exactly what melodramatic teenage soap operas are made of: comical characters that provide relief for the pseudo tearjerking moments created by the annoying whiners on campus. Sappy, lovey-dovey relationships with couples that claim to care so much and do whatever it takes to make each other happy are all over campus. And then, you have textbook examples of segregated high school cliques, complete with potential fights brewing between them. However, through all the arguments and fights we’ve become members of the same family and as we reluctantly part ways back to our respective homes, one thing will remain the same: we have made friends that will last us the rest of our lives. That is one thing I’m sure no one saw coming at all…
“The Indian who was rowing them was working very hard, but the other boat moved further ahead in the mist all the time.” –In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway I stepped into the classroom. The heavy oval table sat in the middle of the room with thirteen seats. Three were taken. In the seat at the end of the table sat the teacher. I took the seat three chairs from her. She stared at me. “Bonjour,” she said. “Je m’appelle Madame Ramadan. Comment vous appellez vous? Combien d’années avez-vous étudié le français?” I looked down. I twisted my hands in my skirt. “Repetez?” I said. “Comment vous appellez vous? Combien d’années avez-vous étudié le français?” She repeated. “Je m’appelle Emily,” I said, looking up. “But ‘ow many years of French ‘ave you ‘ad?” She asked in a thick accent. “Oh, one” “In French?” “Une ans.” “Oui” she said. I heard her shuffling papers, but I stared at my binder. The other students entered. Each time she asked the same question. Each time they answered. Promptly. My desk lamp made the humid night even hotter. I flipped through my small French dictionary searching for words I knew I should know. A page of lined paper lay on my desk, but its lines were not filled. We had been assigned to “écrivez une petite paragraphe sur votre famille.” My family was suddenly so much more complex than it had ever seemed before. My brother is nice, but what is the masculine form of nice? In which direction does the accent go on brother? My mother can cook well. Where does “well” go, before or after cook? What is the verb for can? My pencil didn’t move. The pages of the dictionary were becoming limp from the humidity, or maybe from my hands. I bit my pencil. It still had not touched the page. “Bonjour classe!” she said. “Passe-moi vos paragraphes.” I gave her my paragraph. “Votre nom?” she asked handing it back. “Emily,” I said. Her arm was out toward me holding the page. “Non, non! Vous avez oublié d’écrire votre nom.” I took the paper back and wrote my name at the top. When I handed it in again, the other students had already given her theirs. Their paragraphs were long. Their sentences were long. Their handwriting was small. Madame Ramadan began class by asking everyone what he or she had done the day before. The students answered, but their words meant nothing to me. Slowly she moved around the table. My forehead hurt from squinting as I tried to pick out bits of phrases I might know. At last she asked me. “Que faisiez-vous hier?” I looked up at her, my eyes searching. The other students looked at me. I gripped the arm of my chair. What was the word for “I?” That’s easy. “Je,” I said. Her gaze was still set on me. I looked down. What did I do yesterday? I met new people. I don’t know the verb “to meet” though. I decorated my room. I don’t know any of the words in that sentence. I did my homework. “Je,” I said again. I looked at the other students in the room. They stared back, expectantly. The verb to do is “faire” but I need to conjugate it. It is irregular. “Je fais,” I said. My hands slipped from their grip on the chair. Now for “my homework.” Devoir is homework but is it masculine or feminine? “Je fais mon devoir.” I said. I leaned back in my chair and looked at her. My face was warm. I licked my lips, they were papery. She began speaking to me, repeating my sentence, but it sounded different. Her words flowed so smoothly, so quickly. They danced around the room but were tangled when they hit my ears. I stared at her, at her mouth. I listened to her words but they still meant nothing. My heart began to beat faster. Her perfume hung thick in the air. “D’accord” she said and stood up to write a few sentences on the board. Once again she began speaking. She was asking questions to the class and the students answered them -- the students in the other eleven seats. I sat. My heart had lodged itself deep in my chest. The other students spoke, throwing out phrases, interrupting each other. She got excited and began writing more sentences on the board. Their words whirled around me. Only a few words entered my ears, untangled and with meaning. When class ended, the other students jumped up, chatting and laughing. I stood up slowly and pushed in my chair. I made my way to the door, looking at my shoes. Madame Ramadan looked up from her papers. “Au revoir,” she said. “A demain.” I shook my head slowly. “À demain,” I sighed.
Note: This week’s Letter to the Editor by Christian Knapp and Farah Alshammari’s Ramadan article are being reprinted due to incorrect attributions in the July 28 issue.
4
NEWS
THE SUMMER TIMES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
THE BEDROOMS OF EXETER By COLIN KEANE and MITZI PEREZ Summer Times Staff Writers
His:
Hers:
When students first arrived here at Exeter they were assigned to single or double rooms. Students were anxious to become familiar with their new rooms and meet their roommates they would be living with for the next five weeks. They were each given a bed, desk, bookcase, clothing drawer, and lamp. Some students felt the rooms lacked creativity and were too neat. The guys began to reorganize, rearrange, and “mess” it up in order to suit their individual needs. When asked about his room Bernard Bright, 17, from New York said: “So I came up in here right? I moved the dressers around. I broke down the bunk bed and put them on opposite sides of the wall. I said ‘hey, we don’t want each other in each other’s territories.’” “Setting up my room how I like [it] has helped to make the experience more unique and comforting,” Bright said. His idea of splitting the bunks beds spread throughout the first floor of South Webster and helped to put a new twist on what he called “a pretty dull room”. Although the guys have been creative in rearranging furniture, many of their rooms are very disorganized and dirty. “That’s just how we guys are,” Bright said. He chuckled as he attempted to throw away trash scattered across the floor as he talked about how he managed to stay organized. He said that he occasionally lost homework and found himself scrambling to get ready in the morning because his room was so messy. Across the hall in South Webster, Muhammad, 16, from Saudi Arabia has taken a slightly different approach. The first weekend he arrived he went on the Saturday trip to Wal-Mart and stocked up on an assortment of drinks. These drinks ranged from Gatorade, to Arizona Ice Tea, Kool-Aid and every soft drink inbetween. Then he had a revelation and decided to convert one of his bookcases into a mini bar (non-alcoholic) next to his bed. When asked about it he said, “I looked at all these drinks I had bought and had no idea what to do with them so I decided to convert one of my bookcases I wasn’t using into a minibar.” He also added,:“I was debating selling them, but I’d rather just share them with my roommates and friends. The mini bar definitely makes my room.”
From the start of the five weeks people have found the time to make themselves at home. The idea of being away from home for that long was the signal to create a comfortable living space. Some people put an honest effort into creating a dorm that captures the essence of home while others did not. Elizabeth Vera, 17, from Richmond, CA., living in Dunbar says, “I have noticed that girls in my dorm try to fill their rooms with pictures and other various items to remind them of home.” When asked who has the best room, Vera named Becky Chambers. Indeed, Chambers thought of the many ideas that makes a place feel like home. From all the stacks of shoes to her bulletins, she did take the chance to make her room feel more welcoming. Other ladies from Cilley stated that Clara Meister had the best room that they have seen. She brought fans, carpets, sheets, frames, etc., which other students also didn’t consider miscellaneous items. Most took the first trip to Wal-Mart to get these and other necessities, but Meister was intelligent enough to bring these things from her house to avoid the homesickness and waste spending money on something that she already owned. The familiar items also helped keep her room neat. Being presentable is an important factor in appealing to people’s better nature. The students who visited Meister’s room were impressed and confused as to why they had not thought of these items to bring from their very own home. Chambers was not hesitant to collect these many items because she is pretty close to home. Her parents in Pennsylvania encouraged her to bring these items and not worry about feeling out of step. Meister, not as local, also received the same information and took it to heart immediately. She unpacked and placed everything in its rightful place the first night. Many people did some of the things that these girls considered. Xochitl Dominguez also placed many pictures and artwork around her room. Her room was mentioned by some girls. But being from Chicago, she had a much tougher time bringing these items that Meister and Chambers thought of. As it turns out, most students did what Xochitl had done. And none seem to really regret it. However some people didn’t bring much, some didn’t even feel the need to unpack, and others had outrageous pigsties. But no matter how luxurious their rooms, all at Phillips Exeter Academy eventually found a way to get themselves comfortable in their own way. Although the rooms were often different from those they came from, to each student they were – at least for the summer -- home.
Alix Dufosse/The Summer Times
Mitzi Perez/The Summer Times
Vive la difference: when it comes to their rooms, girls tend to be more creative and neat (as seen above). Boys, on the other hand, are-- well, slobs!
Life Outside the Gates: Back Home on the Range HOME, continued from page 1 13, from Las Vegas, plans to visit a summer camp before going back home “It’s an activities camp,” he said. “The camp lasts nine days, it’s in Rhode Island. I’m taking archery and nature classes.” Something that can’t be overlooked as part of the equation for having a good time over the rest of the summer is love. Some students here at Exeter left relationships back at home pending while they pursued their education this summer. Junha Kwan, 17, from Texas rhapsodized: “I will meet up with my girlfriend after five weeks and fall asleep in her arms.” To everyone out there with a girlfriend or boyfriend back home, the wait is over, and love is once again in the air. Life the past five weeks here at Exeter has been refreshing, but the time has come to move forward. The days here at summer school have brought everlasting memories that many of us will hold dear the rest of our lives. But as we all came here from every corner of the world eager to learn new things and have a great experience, the time has come to retreat and return to our old lives. That doesn’t mean that Exonians shouldn’t continue to view the world with that same eagerness they have shown here. Every day holds a new experience and a new opportunity to explore.
Fan Letter to a Cool Friend: Gone with the Wind By ARTHUR WEISER Summer Times Staff Writer
The big departure is approaching, much to the distress of many students who made all kind of purchases to decorate their room and to create a intimate place where they could relax at the corner of their bed, with the fan’s hot breeze stroking their neck with an appeasing breath. The fan, which in most cases is unfortunately going to be abandoned by its owner despite the Herculean service performed each day for its master, has been unappreciated and forgotten, so to speak! Joan Gonzales from Spain explains the reason for this separation. “I have to throw out my fan before I’m leaving because I am taking the plane,” he said. “People are going to think I’m crazy if I take the fan in the plane!” Some students went so far as to adulate and personify this daily life object that for some of them, had become the object of all desires, the Holy Grail, from the beginning of the session. Saori Tami from China said,“My fan had become like a friend for me when I was alone in my room. The work that he provided throughout the month was essential for me. I don’t know how I would have done without him with some of the nights hot as hell! I want to pay tribute to all of the fans who unfortunately, are going to be abandoned. They made a great job!” A good number of students with a charitable soul suggest a solution for all these fans rejected by the society so they may again blow on the sweating bodies of other students coming to Phillips Exeter Summer School. Michael Talsco from New York suggests a fan recycling project. “It would be very nice to keep things thrown out by students such as fans and put them in a place for next Summer Session’s students so that they can use them in their rooms,” Talsco said. “It would be economic for them and with this idea, we do not waste!” Despite its freshly acquired title as the “object the most thrown out at the end of the Summer School,” the fan has rivals that follow its path or will maybe even take its number one place in a few years. In this case, sunscreen tubes show up in second place since many students live in countries where the heat is not always present. John Demsey coming straight from the UK points out, “I am going to throw out [my sunscreen], as it is cold pretty much every day in my country.” Demsey said he needed every square inch in his suitcase to go home. One of the best solutions to fight the suitcase that doesn’t want to close despite the fact that five of your friends are frenetically jumping on it after a couple of hours is to use the shipping service that will have a booth in the Agora. Guille Bofill from Spain seriously thinks of using this service. “After my several shopping sessions, I unfortunately don’t have enough place in my suitcase,” he said. “I tried all the techniques: the friend one, reorganize my stuff in the suitcase, folding my clothes in a certain way but nothing works so my last solution is to ship some stuff directly home.” Objects that are the most thrown out are therefore ones from everyday life but a few strange ones make a remarkable apparition in the ranking as Miss Shultz, a worker from the cleaning staff points out. “When sessions end, it is always funny for us because we can find all kinds of things we don’t expect,”she said. “This can go from clothes to electronic equipments but the thing that I am the most proud of is that once, I found a passport in a empty room!” It seems that kids had literally taken Ethan Shapiro’s advice: “You will never want to leave Exeter after these five weeks.” Without a passport, you are in fact not on your way home!
Oil’s Well that Ends Well! OIL, continued from page 1 said that the bus broke down due to oil pressure, but I personally didn’t find the answer satisfying,” he said.”I think it was the driver’s fault the bus broke down. The whole situation was chaos because it was something unpredictable. There was nowhere to sit and we were sitting on each other’s laps. I was really frustrated that it was our bus that broke down. However, I wish to thank Mr. Gargas for doing his best in trying to get us out of that awkward situation.” Fortunately, the kids returned safely to campus. Although many stu-
dents said complained about the incident, it didn’t affect the overall trip. Most had a great time in Boston and unexpectedly made some new friends while dealing with the situation. In addition to the bus failure, a girl was left behind because she didn’t return to the bus stop at the designated time. As it was an unsupervised trip and her own responsibility, she took a taxi back to Exeter and arrived safely home, although considerably poorer. Overall, the unsupervised trip to Boston turned out to be a success and was a memorable experience for most of the students. Many agreed that it was a perfect way to spend our last weekend at Summer School.
From Greece, with (Summer) Love GREECE, continued from page 1 Under the sun In a never-ending hug If love is a ship We’ll be sitting in the front We will be kissing And even the sea will be jealous of us I promise to you that this summer will be one of the best for us baby with light blue color we’ll be painting love together
just like in my dreams Having fun, having fun with you by my side Everything will be fun with you Looking at the stars above the Aegean sea We’ll be having fun Together My summer baby The waves will shine Under the moonlight And while swimming We’ll be full of joy Just like a kid We’ll be fooling our lives
This summer This summer Will be one of the best for us As we will be together Having fun, having fun with you by my side Everything will be fun Looking at the stars above the Aegean sea We’ll be having fun together My summer baby ***Translation courtesy of Christina Psychari, Summer Times Staff Writer
5
THE SUMMER TIMES
EXETER LIFE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
Access Kids Twist Tales, Win Yuks
PITCH PERFECT
By YARITZA SANDOVAL Summer Times Staff Writer
Twisting familiar childhood stories into fresh, original tales, Access actors this week entertained the audience with unexpected beginnings, plots, and endings. Before the premiere of “Twisted Tales,” Access Exeter students diligently wrote their own scripts for two weeks and rehearsed their roles for a week and a half. While some students have had previous experience in acting, for some students this was their first time in the bright spotlight on stage. The audience was filled with supportive friends and peers from both Upper School and Access Exeter. The lights dimmed and the audience ceased chatting. In the darkness, one could scarcely distinguish the black figures standing on the stage and the outlines of chairs and tables in their proper position. The moment everyone waited for was here: the show was about to commence. While the lights dimmed,the spotlight illuminated the two tables and chairs on each side of the stage, gray raisers off to the side, and the wooden chair in the center. One girl with a miserable look on her face sat on one of the chairs, her wrists handcuffed, arms stretched across the table. A lady with a gray suit and hair pinned back into a tight bun sat upright next to the girl. Another lady with a black suit and loose hair stood up from her chair and ambled to the middle of the stage where she said her first line. Even from the first play “Jackie and the Bean Stock,” the audience witnessed students’ excellent acting talents. The performers memorized their lines and accurately stated them in an articulate voice, which was very impressive. During different scenes, the stage darkened and students rearranged various props depending on the tale. The audience acknowledged these students with applause and screams of students’ name like “David!” The creative props allowed the audience to visualize the scene. The sound effects strengthened the actions of the performers and allowed the audience to understand and hear what was occurring. There were 9 plays which included “The Three Little Pigs,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella”, and “Jasmine.” The show came to a satisfying end with the last play: “Hannah and Gretta.” “Twisted Tales” showcased and highlighted the hard work and creativity of the students while still entertaining the audience with quirky characters and amusing customs. A job well done!
Justin Robertson /The Summer Times
Exeter’s Summer Students are a talented bunch, as Saturday night’s Talent Show proved.
Awesome job to all those who performed at the Talent Show! Everyone showed off their individual skills (and in some cases, group skills) so well, and made for a fun, entertaining evening.
A ‘Thing’ for History: Exeter’s Storied Past By GABRIELLE BLACKMAN Summer Times Contributing Writer
Without a doubt Phillips Exeter Academy has one of the most breathtaking campuses of any college-preparatory school in the world. The manicured grounds of the sprawling campus boast statuesque architecture with state-of-the-art amenities, as well as aesthetically pleasing landscaping. H o w e v e r, a s modern and innovative as the Academy is, this sense of modernity is complemented by the rich history of the buildings surrounding campus. Front Street, lined with dormitories such as Knight House, holds great historical importance for the town of Exeter. A causal stroll down this street may not uncover much but in fact, two houses in particular bear signs highlighting early residents:: Retire H. Parker, and Daniel Thing. One is attached to house number 70 and reads: “Retire H. Parker: Tanner, C. 1840.” In his book, “Exeter in 1830,” Dr. William Gilman Perry, M.D., addresses Parker’s residency. The specifics concerning the origins of the house are not entirely known. Perry writes that it was not a house originally but a shoe shop that was then expanded so it became suitable for a private residence. It was built sometime between 1830 and 1855. Retire Parker was the first person to live in that house
and he moved to Exeter from Bradford, Massachusetts, when he became business partners with Jeremiah Robinson. They embarked on a tanning business together. Perry writes “Mr. Parker was a man of business capacity, upright and possessing energy and good judgment. He prospered in business.” Mr. Parker died at the house but bequeathed it to his two sons
served its history in such a meticulous manner is the work of the Exeter Historical Society. Each year the museum curates exhibits on a variety of topics concerning Exeter and its history. The Historical Society also possesses an extensive library with a collection of books and periodicals concerning every facet of life in Exeter. The Historical Society is passionate about keeping the history of Exeter alive, and is most helpful in educating anyone curious about Exeter history. As a student roaming around campus, one can easily be unaware of the rich history and these signs serve as reminders of the past.
Gabrielle Blackman /The Summer Times
and daughter. The second sign is attached to house number 74 and reads “Daniel Thing: Clothier, C. 1730.” The history of Daniel Thing is rather blurry. His occupation was that of a clothier and he left his house to his daughter, Eunice Thing, who died in 1813. In 1730, Daniel Thing bought the land from Judge Nicholas Gilman. After he built his house it was used as a tavern. In Eunice Thing’s will she declared that she wished for her home and the land to be given away for charitable reasons. However, this did not happen because she was in debt and so the property was sold to Benjamin Lovering Sr. One of the pivotal reasons the town of Exeter has pre-
Gabrielle Blackman /The Summer Times
6
THE SUMMER TIMES
EXETER LIFE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
Following the Money: Robert Newman By MIEN WANG Summer Times Contributing Writer
Around the Harkness table, almost everyone discussed the textbook. However, there was a person in comfortable clothes sitting on a chair and looking at us with smile. He didn’t actually participate in conversation, but everyone looked at him respectfully. When he did say something, it guided us to find the right direction through the heavy smog of our current discussion. He led students to see a deeper meaning of the content through easy understood examples. Every student who looked at him tried to gain courage from his unshaved face. He is my economics teacher----Robert Newman. Born in Massachusetts, Mr. Newman.had a youthful dream: to become an environmental lawyer which is a far cry from his current job. When he was a child, he thought nothing was impossible, and he wanted to become a lawyer and protect our earth, but “Ideology is different from the reality.” After trying several different directions in life, he finally found a field of study that he liked - political economy. He believed that economics could find more efficient ways to distribute our resource and to insure a more sustainable future. After he graduated from college, he suddenly decided to jump into teaching. “I love to teach older high school students,” he said. “They are curious about new things. I think the most interesting challenge is to help them develop their beliefs and find their own understanding.” Having taught at the summer session of Exeter, one of the most diverse boarding schools in America, Mr. Newman has had a chance to contact and work with lots of different students. He doesn’t really care about the low salary paid for teaching. He enjoys teaching very much and regards it as a way of giving back to society. “It is always exciting when my students come back from college to meet me,” he said. “For me, the most important thing is family, without a doubt. So, I am here. You know, a teacher’s salary is not very much. In the summer, I spend half of my time working and then I can Mien Wang/The Summer Times go vacation with my family. Being with my family makes me happy. ” He has lots of fun with his fam- Robert Newman teaches Economics during the summer session. ily. When he saw his 3 year old son use a computer
so go on online and play a game, he was really amazed. “One of the most beautiful things in teaching is learning something new,” he said. Compared to regular session, Mr. Newman stated that he thinks teaching in the summer time is more interesting. In 5 weeks, he gets to know more about the rest of world. He likes learning about different cultures. He learns more as he teaches. This summer, he has gotten to know more about the relationship between Taiwan and China, how Saudi Arabia construction companies have been performing over the past few years, and the crisis in Brazil over oil production. “We shared those things in class and everybody learned from each other,” he said. Every year students “invest” in stocks. “Pick five stocks based on your research. I will randomly choose five. By the end of the session, I will beat half the members of the class,” he challenged. This proved to be a really meaningful game. It showed the unpredictability of the stock market. “It is really interesting,” he went on. “Every summer there is some crisis. Last year it was Greek debt. This year it is the debt ceiling issue. A share of stock can plunge about ten percent in a day.” From our own experience, we came to understand that every investment presents both a risk and a potential profit. I think you may not believe it, but when you take a test, you take it with your with your face too. Economics is a science of choice. Choose the best one. Therefore, why not just be happy and relaxed in the test since you cannot avoid it. Rocking back in his chair, talking in arbitrary accents, giving us a better understanding of economics, Mr. Newman shared his knowledge and concern for everyone. I believe, at the end of the summer that his face will be carved in everyone’s mind.
Around the World on Stage and Table By YARITZA SANDOVAL AND JIYOON PARK Summer Times Staff Writers
PEA Summer School celebrates diversity on International Day. On Wednesday, after a short class of D period, the party started with the assembly with various performances by students from many countries with diverse cultures.With enthusiasm and humor, Mitzi Perez and TehQuin Forbes hosted the International Assembly. They did not just introduce the performers but entertained the audience with their own dances and jokes in between like the salsa dance. The performances truly highlighted the true diversity at Exeter. From a Navajo song to stepping, performers informed fellow peers about cultural traditions. Talented pianists, flutists, singers, and dancers were also included in this last assembly. Some of the performers wore authentic clothing that displayed traditional dress, which helped the audience learn more aspects about the culture. In the groove, the audience clapped on beat and showed support by a loud applause after every performance. While the assembly ended, diversity continued to be showcased in the form of food at the International Food festival. In the quad several tents each had food from different cultures: Asian, Middle-Eastern, European and Latin American. For Asian food, sushi, spring rolls, dumplings, and green tea ice cream were served. Next to the Asian food tent was the European food tent that served food like mozzarella tomato salad and meatballs. The MiddleEastern food tent had their traditional foods like roast beef and desserts which many students found extremely sweet. Finally, in the Latin-American food tent, was the mostpopular treat: the churros, with other traditional foods such as tacos and rice. Even though the food was supposed to be “international”, some summer school students complained that it was not as authentic as they expected it to be. As there are only a couple of days left until Summer School ends, International Day was an opportunity for friends not only to get to know about each others’ culture, but to bond , take pictures together, and make some more memories..
Photos: Justin Robertson/ The Summer Times
THE SUMMER TIMES
EXETER LIFE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
7
Culture Vultures soar at PEA On the Easels: Art Galore On Stage: By ALIX DUFOSSE
Center. This year, there is no special theme to the show; students are free to do whatever inspires them. In drawing class, some students took inspiration from other artists, or magazines, or anything that Printmaking, drawing, painting, photography, ceramics -- do was beautiful to them. The art show that will take those sound like classes to you? But here at Exeter place on Thursday,will include Summer School they’re a part of the curriculum, the final projects of each art class, although for many artistic students these courses are and some of the art pieces students too enjoyable to be called work. worked on during this summer “It is a fun and interactive class that I look forward to,” said Kara Perusse. session. The goal of these courses is to further improve The drawing class focused already existing talent, and to share and communicate on black and white objects such as a love for the arts. According to students, the teachers bicycles, which taught the students were very helpful. With wise insight, they said, the how to draw negative space, and teachers guided rather than told the students what on human figures which helped to do, which was vastly appreciated. The courses, teach shading. The final project often described as fun and stress-relieving, definitely was a portrait, some in color. The seemed to be enjoyed by the students. students decided what portrait they Technique is a crucial aspect of any artistic class. wanted to draw. The painting class used pool In drawing, some of the major lessons were shading, balls for studies of still life, and negative space drawing, and contour drawing,. The the results are particularly colorful students also learned how to interpret human figures. compared to the drawing class. All of these aspects will be represented in the final art The final project for this class is to show the last week of school. One of the most popular art classes is ceramics; recreate a famous painting of their choice. students get to learn how to use a potter’s wheel and The Architecture class’s final how to make slab-jars and various other objects such project is to build a house; the only as cups, plates, and vases. To embellish those artrule is that it has to fit in a 20 X 20 works, and to give them a finished and polished look, foot cube. Some students were very the students also learned how to glaze. (The process creative; the houses at last viewing leaves orangey stains on students’s hands.) Justin Robertson/The Summer Timeswere not quite finished yet, but The final projects and artwork of all of the art classes will be exhibited in the galleries of the Mayer Art would be in time for the show. Summer Times Staff Writer
Deans Join in at Talent Show By YARITZA SANDOVAL Summer Times Staff Writer
Exeter students entered the Academy Center before 8:30 pm to reserve excellent seats in the Assembly Hall for a top attraction of the summer: the Talent Show. Different types of music played while everyone settled in. Some used this time to warm up for their act while others chitchatted with friends nearby. The lights turned off. Silence. The audience sat in the dark, wondering and waiting. As the lights came on, the Queen of Fun strolled across the stage and said “Let’s get this party started.” What followed was the uproar of students cheering and clapping. As announced, there were 22 performances. With a musical chord of the guitar, the talent show began. While majestically strumming his guitar, the male vocalist Joohwan Kim sang a soft serenade to the audience. His accompannist Joel Seltzer strummed another soft harmonic tune. A pianist’’s fingers danced across the
across the keys, alternating from the white keys to the black keys, while pressing the foot peddle. The whole body of the pianist swayed with the every note. Other pianists played a wide range of music: from classical music to original compositions. Singers soulfully sang their hearts out. Some unique voices sang popularsongs, allowing the audience to sing along and clap
shoulders. Graceful and poised, with fast-moving body movements, dancers expressed themselves to hip hop and other music, keeping the audience’s eyes constantly scanning the stage, and cameras waving from left to right and up and down in hope of capturing all of it for memories. The constant bright camera flashes from all over the audience illuminated the hall. After every performance, the energetic audience applauded and occasionally screamed “encore!”Outstanding performances received standing ovations. In between performances, the Deans of Fun entertained the crowd with their own humorous acts, from dancing to playing the Ding game. Not everyone Justin Robertson/The Summer Times stayed until the talent to the beat. Other distinct voices rang out show was finished, but a good portion of the in native languages, leaving the audience audience watched every minute. This was not only a talent show, but guessing the song’s words. One performer hit home. Ian Hom it also served as a social event for friends touched everyone’s heart when he said to gather and enjoy each other’s company he was going to sing a song he wrote and as the end of the 2011 summer session apdedicated to his dead brother. It was so proaches. The talent show did indeed end in a heartbreaking and personal that some audience members wept and sobbed on friends’ good note.
One-acts Bring a Laugh a Minute By GINNY HARMON Summer Times Staff Writer
The student drama program at Philips Exeter Academy performed “Love (and Cows),” a night of one-act plays and monologues last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The event was well attended by both students and faculty. It was a very entertaining show, and it caused the crowd to laugh nearly the entire time. The first of the five one-acts was “Hidden in This Picture,” by Aaron Sorkin, performed by Ernesto Aveledo, Emmy Moe, and Brandon Thomas. This kicked off the show nicely. It gained laughs from audience as Moe attempts to direct the final scene of her picture, and everything goes wrong when cows graze in the shot. She did a great job convincing the audience of her passion for her project. The second one-act was “High-Speed Disconnect” by Chris Widney, performed by Vivian Tracy and Matt Geary. The audience could not control their laughter as Tracy and Geary rushed through an entire relationship in one date, going through falling in and out of love with each other, all the while talking on the phone. The next play was the very funny one-act called “An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life” written by S.W. Senek. The actors were Peggie Lyons, Joel Seltzer, and Isabella Robbins. This was a hilarious play that brought to life the love story that an indecisive playwright was attempting to create. She would shout instructions to the two lovers, and then change her mind again and again. Eventually the two lovers got fed up with Lyons’s constant changes to the story, and switched roles with the playwright, so they got to be in charge for once, letting her know how it felt to be told what to do constantly. The fourth one-act, another comedy, was “Courting” by Dan Hershfield. It starred Shaun Spinney, Sara Heckal, Mohammad Al-Jishi, Jordan Cobb, and Mr. Scarbrough. Spinney and Heckal were on a date, with the restaurant doubling as a courtroom, and Al-Jishi and Cobb were playing the lawyers, attempting to make sure that proper dating procedures were followed, yet they often disagreed, so Mr. Scarbrough had to play the judge. This “date” was humorous and caused laughter whenever the lawyers had step in. The final one-act was “Small World.” by Scott Wilson. This starred Dikachi Osaji, Charlotte Robinson, Stancia Harvey, Marissa Boyd, Rayla Putnam, and Ryan Nicholson. Here, three couples are on blind dates, and as the title would suggest, it was a small world, because one of the girls previously dated the other two boys, and the boy she was on a date with previously dated the other two girls. It is hilarious as the audience begins to realize how the couples are connected; however the ending was a bit confusing. There also were in total five monologues. The first was performed by Dikachi Osaji as a girl pouring out her heart, telling the story of what she had experienced in her life, and venting about her family problems. She played her part very well, causing the audience to feel for her, and realize that underneath the anger that she feels toward her family, she truly loves them and will stand up for them, which is touching and relatable. This was followed by another monologue performed by Jordan Cobb, and unlike the last monologue, this one was very funny. The crowd could not help but laugh at the look of disgust on Cobb’ss face when she realizes that the adorable cat that she found dead on the side of the road, was in fact a somewhat less cute dead raccoon.
Dances to the Music of Life By ELENA PETRICEVIC Summer Times Staff Writer
The first performance of the Summer School dance students occurred on Wednesday, kicking off with a stunning performance to Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold.” This performance consisted of the whole dance company and was choreographed by one of the teachers, Allison Duke. Different groups doing similar choreography made up this dance. The second dance was the first in a group of dances of only selected dancers. This was the first student-choreographed dance. Itwas called “Super Star”and was choreographed by Melis Keskin and Danielle Weiner. I enjoyed the fact that the dances included popular music that the audience could recognize. The dances seemed to flow through the students which I think is because it was student-choreographed. In the Waka Waka performance, impressive lifts were done by the students. This shows how much effort was put into learning these difficult moves. Some of the other dances performed by the students were “Lay Low”, with music from a number of artists, including Ludacris, Missy Elliot, and Snoop Dogg, and “KRU”, with music by Britney Spears, Mims, LMFAO, and others. The dancers also performed “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” “M.I.X,”
Unity,” “Little Bitty Pretty One,” and ended the performance with “Time of My Life,” with music from the soundtrack of “Dirty Dancing.” Lifts done by Michaela Hirakawa and Antonio Ferguson were very impressive. The lifts done by the pair can be seen commonly in professional dancing which is especially striking considering the lack of rehearsal time. I expected the dance concert to be under-rehearsed and messy because of the little time we have in summer session. I was very skeptical in the beginning because there were so many dances that needed to be memorized and sometimes a brain cannot hold so much memorization. The dance concert ended up t very memorable. It seemed as though the performers had more time to rehearse than they actually did. It was very Justin Robertson/The Summer Times well done despite the dif“One More Moment,” “Cell Block ficulty of the choreography pand it was Tango,” with music from the Broadway especially impressive because it was production “Chicago,” “The Dynamic student choreographed.
Justin Robertson/The Summer Times
The following monologue was the somewhat creepy performance by Charlotte Robinson, where she was a girl with a very special friend named Zara, who happened to be imaginary. She played her part very convincingly, and the audience laughed at her expense as she realized that she wanted real friends too. Up next, was the monologue performed by Ernie Aveledo. He portrayed a slightly disturbed man who just experienced a close encounter with aliens, and was paranoid over the government’s gaining information about the sighting as well as the spaceship itself. Brandon Thomas’s monologue was the next performance, and he portrayed an angry man, who essentially was yelling at God. This was a very powerful performance, and caused laughter, as well as a little fear in the audience. He performed it in a frighteningly convincing way, and did a great job. The Night of One-Acts was highly entertaining and well worth the time of anyone who decided to attend. It was both hilarious, and deep at some points. The students all did a great job.
8
THE SUMMER TIMES
Spotlight On:
EXETER LIFE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
Pam Parris
By DJINNIE TIMOLEON
reading loads and learn to live in dorms away from their parents. In the end, managing time is an important life skill; students realize that it’s common sense.
Summer Times Staff Writer
Pamela Taylor Parris teaches “Exploring American Culture” to international students this summer.
Q. Do you like teaching? A. Yes. I love what I do.
Q. What are your earliest childhood memories? A. Kindergarten was my earliest memory. I liked school, I was always happy about school.
Q. How did you get introduced to boarding schools? A. I got boarding school experience when I went to Andover Summer Session. I loved it there because I was a serious student. Going there helped improve my French and Spanish, my two favorite languages. It was the first time that Andover was taking girls into their session, before that it used to be all boys. There was a small percentage of girls, so the boys found it hard to get dates to the dance and the girls found it easy to get dates. Now Andover is fully co-ed.
Q. Where did you go to high school? A. Westfield, New Jersey. Q. Are you married? A. Yes I am, to Richard Parris who teaches math here. Q. What is your family like? Do you have any children? A. I have two daughters; both are Exeter graduates. Priscilla, 28, is a nurse, and Jane, 32, is an English teacher in Exeter Summer School.
Q. How long have you been in Exeter? A. I have been here for 33 years.
Q. How did you come to work at Phillips Exeter Academy? A. My husband taught summer school here. Then he got a job offer here for the regular year, so he said “Marry me and come with me.” Q. What classes/courses do you teach in the regular year? A. I tutor individual students. I teach two courses. In the fall, my course helps international students adjust. In the winter I teach Study Skills which benefits students who had an unsuccessful 1st term. DurJustin Robertson/The Summer Times ing the year, students have to learn A 33-year-veteran of Exeter, Pam Parris teaches “Exploring American Culture” to foreign students. to manage their time, manage heavy
Q. How have things changed over the years? A. Not very much has changed. The technology and rules have been a major change. Back then, the dress code used to be strict. Boys had to wear a jacket and tie, no jeans. Teachers were less flexible about deadlines. There was more focus on work, mostly because there were fewer extracurricular activities and trips. Also, I noticed that sports have become intensely competitive over time.
It’s War in Wentworth: the Right to Bear Spoons
By JIYOON PARK Summer Times Staff Writer
A lot of people probably witnessed a bizarre scene of people either wearing masks, or poking someone with a spoon around campus. It is all because of the “Spoon War”going on. But, what is the “Spoon War”? The “Spoon War” is a game that currently Wentworth is playing. All students from Wentworth get an e-mail from their Advisor with the name of their target that they need to “kill.” Their weapon is a spoon, and in order to “kill” their target they need to poke the target. But, this game has a couple of rules that they need to follow: People attending this game always need to carry around their spoon, and a piece of paper that has the name of their target in it. Also, they are not allowed to “kill” each other in academic buildings, bathrooms, in the gym, the library, the common room, and dorm rooms. When a student wants to kill his target in public, he needs to be wearing a mask, and if the target touches the person that has him as a target, the target will not be “killed” for 30 minutes. What do the students think about this game? Gary Huang, 15, from Taiwan said that the game is “fun and very logic[al] finding out who is the target and who has
me as his target.” The thrill of not knowing who has you as a target has been attracting a lot of atention. But not everyone likes the idea of this game. A We b s t e r South student who wanted t o r e main anonymous says that “the people of Wentworth are either VERY determined to kill each other or just retarded.” The “Spoon War” seems to be influencing other dorms to start having dorm games. For example, last Friday, Langdell challenged Dunbar to a tag war.
THE SUMMER TIMES
EXETER LIFE
9
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
What I Loved... (and Didn’t)... By URWAH AHMAD AND CHRISTINA PSYCHARI Summer Times Staff Writer
Emily Suglia, 16, Massachussets: Best: “When I met Evi!”
Ricky Moezinia, 15, England: Murphy Andy, 14, France: Best: “Field day when all the dorms competed. It was fun and challenging.”
Worst “Hiding in a closet at 12 p.m.anticipating a fellow student coming back into his room. I saw someone walking into the room and I jumped out scaring no one other than my advisor.”
Rachel Brooks, 16,Swampscott, MA.: Best: “Hanging out with my friends, doing crew, also the form gettogethers.” Worst: “Not being able to eat ice-cream.”
Hannah Wilhe, 15, Germany: Best: “Every moment here is an awesome moment. I’m gonna miss this camp so much.”
Jack Jundanian, 16, Maryland: Best: “Running away from an unwanted kiss.”
Elya Tsouvelekaki, 15, Greece: “We were at the Grill, 8:50 pm and it was raining. We had to go to our dorms for check-in, so we didn’t have any choice but to run in the rain. We were screaming and running barefoot in the rain until we reached our dorms and burst into laughter. We had the time of our life!”
Sydney Williams, 15, North Carolina: Best: “Field day when we competed and won actually.” Worst: “ Hurt my leg and couldn’t do sports.”
Aizhan Seraly, 16 , Kazakhstan: Best: “Dorm gatherings were the best. Everyone in our dorm is amazing. It felt like our whole dorm was a big family. I’ll miss everyone a lot. Born to be Bancroft.”
Brian Tung,13, Texas Best: “My favorite part was when we got to meet the people in our dorm. I got to meet a lot of amazing people.”
Olga Tasopoulou, 16, Greece: Best: “In this camp every moment is an awesome moment!”
Memories... Like the Way We Were Compiled by LUISA SANABRIA
What We’ll Miss Most:
Summer Times Staff Writer
Sara Hekal : “Harkness, because its something new that I’ll never experience again.”
Natalie Conle: “My friends, Boston because it’s a nice city and the beach, it was really fun and I went there with my friend and it was really cool.”
Adriana Godziek: “The lifestyle, my friends, and polar bear! Even though is ridiculous to wake up at 5, it’s worth it!”
Aizhan Seraly: “My dorm, we all get along so well.”
Luis Munguia: “My roommates, because we are like a family, we get along really well. People like that are not found everywhere.”
Ana Fernandez: “The classes, they are very interesting you share ideas and opinion.”
Augusto Espaillat: “The grill food is amazing! I’m going to miss it so much.”
Molly Wharton: “I’m going to miss all of the people who live in other countries and I’m probably not going to see them ever again.”
Jeanette Fonseca: “I think that what I’m going to miss the most is the people, I’ve become attached to.”
Clara Aristimuno: “My friends, I’m scared to never see them again.”
Emre Barlas: “The Venezuelans, they are really nice!”
Ryan Preacely: “The trips, because I get to see around and get to know Boston and New Hampshire a little better.”
Leire Di Cecco: “Mostly, my friends and the ice cream machine.”
Mateo Guidi: “The people from many different places.”
Mariamalia Alvarez: “My dorm, because we have a lot of fun and we get along very well.”
Isabella Morales: “My friends and all the people I met during the summer.”
Erika Arribas: “My friends! I’m so sad I’m leaving them!”
L u i s Chapellin: “Me? The fact of being alone and independent and making up my own schedule.”
Luis Carlos Rodriguez: “What I’m going to miss the most would be my friends, the meetings at the grill and the relationships I’ve built along these 5 weeks.”
Carlos Gosen: “My Venezuelan friends, which I only see once a year, and the people I’ve become attached to.”
What We’ll Miss the Least: Isabella Morales: “The food, I miss my food back home.” Ana Fernandez: “The dorms, they are uncomfortable and it’s really hot.”
Erika Arribas: “ Check-in, I hated it!”
Ryan Preacely: “My room, because I have to share it and it is really small for two people.”
Luis Munguia: “The dining hall, the food is not really good.”
Mateo Guidi: “The food!” Mariamalia Alvarez: “The check-in time, its too early!”
Adriana Godziek: “The food, and waking up early.” Clara Aristimuno: “ My fan.”
Sara Hekal: “Waking up at 8:30 six times a week.” Emre Barlas: “The homework!”
Aizhan Seraly: “Sharing a bathroom, waking up early and definitely doing homework.”
Augusto Espaillat: “The food at the diner, there’s not a lot of variety.”
Natalia Conle: “The Assembly, it’s really hot in there.”
Jeanette Fonseca: “The walking to Walgreens, it’s so long!”
Carlos Gosen: “ Sleeping in the dorm, because it’s very hot, and having 8’s whenever I misbehave.”
Luis Chapellin: “The breakfasts.”
Luis Carlos Rodriguez: “Staying up late doing homework and waking up early to print in the library, but it was worth it at the end.”
10
THE SUMMER TIMES
NEWS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011
BIDDING SUMMER ADIEU
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN ROBERTSON ANSWER TO PAGE 1 FOOD PHOTOS: 1. ASIAN 2. EUROPEAN 3. LATIN AMERICAN 4. EUROPEAN 5. EUROPEAN 6.ASIAN 7.MIDDLE EASTERN 8. EUROPEAN 9. ASIAN 10. EUROPEAN