The Summer Times - August 6, 2015

Adiós ... Au Revoir ... Auf Wiedersehen ... Ciao ... Sayonara ... Zàijiàn ... See Ya!

THE SUMMER TIMES ‘The Summer Newspaper of Phillips Exeter Academy’

Vol. XXXIX, Number 5

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire

War is Over!

(Or Would Be If Our Students Ran the World) Peace Breaks Out Here

By RENEA HARRIS-PETERSON Summer School Staff Writer

Many countries have deep-rooted conflicts with others, but that doesn't stop the students here from continuing to get along with people across borders, even becoming good friends. Students from uneasy neighbors like China, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea have become friends, and students from Russia and the U.S. also get along.

For centuries, Japan was a part of the cultural sphere of the Chinese civilization to its west. But modern tensions in China's relations with Japan date all the way back to the SinoJapanese war. This was when Japan marked its emergence as See PEACE, page 3

Leaving Conflicts Behind

By KANAT YAVUZ

Summer School Staff Writer

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

Birthday girl Grace Woolson partakes of the goodies at the International Festival highlighting the last week of 2015 Summer School at Phillips Exeter.

The Things They Didn’t Carry

By KANAT YAVUZ

Summer School Staff Writer

Every year, students leave behind -- or perhaps forget -- their personal belongings at Exeter. Some students have a hard time trying to fit their clothes and other stuff in their luggage, some don’t want to take part of their belongings, some prefer to donate them and some just leave what they think is unnecessary.

Student Baran Abali said: “I did a lot of shopping here and I don’t think I will be able to fit everything back to my luggages. So, I decided to not take my bed sheet and pillow. I am planning to

take them to the Summer School office.”

Another student, Jaime Ostler said “I am planning to give my fan to the summer school because no student should have to live with that much heat.”

In previous years, students have left behind a lot of things and this seems to be a big issue for the school to deal with. Amy Fish, from the Summer School office said: “This is an issue from year to year as students can be forgetful when they are packing to leave. It’s probably because students are too busy having fun with their friends and saying See COLLECT, page 3

Visitor Drives Dunbar Batty Summer School Staff Writer

It was approaching the close of a day full of leisure. It was Saturday. Much of Exeter had journeyed to Maine to capture sun at Old Orchard Beach, find pleasure at a nearby mall, or dominate neon bowling. When eleven o’clock struck, Dunbar Hall was filled with happy sounds of girls wrapping up their weekend with soft, cold, summer ice cream.

You and your family and friends back home can follow us online at www.peasummertimes.com. All our issues this year (and some years past!) are archived on our Website.

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Thanks for all your excellent contributions and loyal readership!

Friendship Prevails

By JULIA BENGHIAT-JURIST Summer School Staff Writer

Exeter’s Summer School allows students to interact with others from around the world, despite their countries’ disagreements. The environment here allows for friendships strong enough to overcome home countries’ politics, at least when it comes to choosing friends.

The conflicts between Germany and Greece, countries that are both represented at Summer School, began in World Wars I and II. They fought on opposing sides. However at the end of World War II, Greece was one of 22 countries that contributed to Germany’s bailout or financial rescue.

Recently, the tide has turned and now Greece is the country See FRIENDSHIP, page 3

Art Show and Dance Concert!

The Student Art Show opens at 5 p.m. in the Mayer Art Center. The Dance Concert kicks off at 7 p.m. in Fisher Theater (free tix in Student Activities).

See BATS, page 3

This is the final issue of The Summer Times for 2015 — but hang on! We’re alive and well on the Web!

See CONFLICTS, page 3

TONIGHT!

By ANGELICA L. MARTINI

LAST...BUT NOT LEAST

Can people coming from countries in conflict become friends? Here in Exeter, friends come before the conflict of countries. Friendship is strong and definetely not affected.

Greece and Turkey have been at odds for hundreds of years despite many commonalities. The conflict started back when Turkey was known as the Ottoman Empire.

They had many other issues after that but friends do not let this conflict ruin their friendship. Mark Butrosoğlu, from Turkey and Dimitrios Kanellopoulos, from Greece, get along very well and they are fully aware of what

Discipline Case: Plagiarism

In the first and so far only Discipline Case of summer session, a student was put on Probation on Monday for Plagiarism.

T h e p e n a l t y, a w e e k ’s restrictions imposed by the Summer School Discipline Committee of eight faculty members and a nonvoting chair, requires the student to check

in an hour early at night, not leave the dorm room at night or the campus for trips, and not participate in any extracurricular activities.

The Committee could have imposed the more serious penalty of dismissal but decided it was not warranted in this case.

In accordance with longstanding practice, the

student’s name and details of the charge were not released.

“A lot of unfortunate circumstances can be avoided by open and honest communication,” said Dean Jeff Ward. “It is always better to ask for permission than forgiveness.”

Plagiarism — a serious See DC, page 3

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THE SUMMER TIMES

THE SUMMER TIMES Summer Times Staff Reporters Julia Benghiat-Jurist Renea Harris-Peterson Angelica L. Martini Cristobal Picon Alexander Puri Kayla Vega Jawuan Walters Taylor Weeks Kanat Yavuz

Summer Times Layout Editors Alec Greaney Michaela Streep

Faculty Advisor

Ralph Blumenthal The Summer Times is written and edited by Mr. Blumenthal's B format Journalism class and contributing writers throughout the Summer School. It is produced by Summer Times Proctors Alec Greaney PEA '14 and Michaela Streep PEA '16.

The Summer Times welcomes original articles and Letters to the Editor emailed to peanewspaper@gmail.com. The editors reserve the right to print articles and Letters as space permits and to edit them for content and clarity.

Lower the Costs of Exeter Summer Alexander Puri

Summer Times Staff Writer It is no secret that students have to spend a fair amount of money during their summer at Exeter. The tuition of over $8,000 is already a hefty price, let alone what other items, lessons or trips the families of Summer School students must pay for. Trips can cost up to $30 while extracurricular programs such as music lessons or Seacoast United Soccer Club each cost another $1,000. On top of that, those enrolled in ACT or SAT prep classes must pay the same fee. I feel that for a host of reasons, PEA Summer School must lower its prices on most of the items or assets available to students.

Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself at Exeter this summer. I have made a number of friends and have been able to meet people from all over the world. The activities planned by the school, such as Field Day, Fit Week, and of course, the Talent Show have all been an absolute blast.

Inside the classroom, my experience has been as enlightening as ever. The courses are interesting not only in content, but in the way they are taught. The Harkness method invokes deep conversation among my peers and me which keeps me both engaged in the classroom as well as interested in the material.

Another huge facet that allows me and many others to enjoy life here at Exeter is the fact that we have access to excellent facilities. The fitness center, for instance, is incredible, and offers a wide selection of exercises that most other schools could not. The same can be said of the other areas in the Love Gymnasium, such as the enormous gym and the swimming pool.

In terms of entertainment, the game room in the Phelps Academy Center basement offers a number of enjoyable activities such as ping pong, pool, and my personal favorite, foosball.

However, the prices that Exeter charges for its trips, classes, and textbooks are quite high for a Summer School. Many people find themselves already having to pay hundreds, if not thousands before the session even starts, for airplane tickets and other traveling purposes. Once the summer session starts, students can find themselves paying up to a hundred dollars for books at the bookstore, which will be used for only five weeks.

What stands out as most disturbing to me however, is the price of a trip, which can reach as high as $30. At a summer boarding school, the chance to leave the town of Exeter to enjoy the assets of summer, such as a nice trip to the beach, is fairly limited as students at Exeter have the chance to go to the beach only once a week. I feel that to charge students such a large amount of money to go on these trips, is a bit unfair given that many would have the opportunity to go for free, or if not, for a low price if back home.

PEA already does quite a bit to ensure that its students can experience an enjoyable summer. However, it could go even further in that regard by lowering the prices of trips to areas such as Boston or the beach that are hard to come by given how busy students are kept during the weekdays.

Reducing the price of such trips may invite students who would otherwise be intimidated by price, especially given how much they are already spending, to participate in them, and enjoy summer to an even greater extent.

Opinions

Exoniensis: Ave Atque Vale

By KAYLA VEGA

Summer Times Staff Writer

So, I guess this is it. The end of an era. The final days of the Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School. For some, leaving the campus may leave them wishing that there was an extra week, but for others, they may be looking forward to returning to their homes. Regardless of how we all feel towards leaving this Saturday, we can all agree that we’ve made unforgettable impressions upon each other and the Exeter community.

I think I can speak for most of us when I say that coming into Summer School, we were all a bit nervous to a certain degree. Being enrolled into a new place for five weeks with people from all around the world can be extremely nerve-wracking and a bit intimidating. After all, being in America’s best boarding school with hundreds of other smart people can make someone question themselves and their decision to come here. However, something that I’ve learned from my five weeks at Exeter is that time flies when you’re having fun.

It’s such a classic cliche, but think about it. In the emails we’ve all received from the school in the weeks prior to arriving, they noted that they wouldn’t honor any roommate requests. The inclusion of this is crucial, in that it forces us to be put in a place with someone new, and allows us to meet new people. Coming from such a small

Contributing Writers

When we think of murder, we think of how unjust it is. When we think of the death penalty, don’t we think of the same thing? It is clearly inhumane, and a crime of humanity for people to be put to death. Do people really deserve something as iinexorble as death? We don’t believe that the death penalty is ethically and morally just. Everyone has a valuable life, and to throw that away is simply appalling.

The right to life is something everyone deserves. According to article three of the United Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.”

This means that your right to life can’t be taken away, ever. Despite one’s wrongdoing, whether or not he’s guilty, taking away that person’s life is just as bad because nobody’s life is more valuable than another’s. When a country sentences someone to death, it is violating one of the key articles in a document that the country has agreed to. You don’t have the right to decide what happens to someone’s life, when the case is

dorm like Knight House, I’ve learned to be more open and cooperative with my housemates, and it’s made us all a lot closer than we were when we first got here.

These friendships that we have all made were extremely important to our stay at Exeter. Imagine being stuck on a high school campus for 35 days with no one to bond or share your experiences with? I could imagine that time would feel slower than it is, and would make us want to leave sooner than we’re going to.

In addition, something that we’ve all gotten a lesson in is responsibility. No parents, no allowance, and no excuses.

It’s hard to not get work done when there are hours of leniency for us to do whatever we please, whether it’s go to the library to finish up a research paper, or take a long, well-deserved nap in our dorm. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it’s productive. There are no parents here to remind you to do your math homework, or to take your phone away when you’re on it past 11 p.m. It’s important to make the best decisions for yourself, and Exeter has made that explicit to me.

All in all, we’ll miss our time spent at Exeter. Saying goodbye to the friends whom we’ve made here will be harder than we all think, and on our ways home I’m sure that we’ll wish that we had another day to spend with them. But at least when we’re all back home, we’ll never forget the lessons learned here in and out of the Harkness discussions that will stay with us forever. Farewell, Exeter!

A Women’s Right to Choose

BY ISABELLE DENG, ZIYAN LEI, and YUYONG LIANG Contributing Writers

Half of all pregnancies are unintentional, according to the World Health Organization, resulting in abortions being arranged by millions every year to make sure that their wanted babies will have a better life than their unwanted babies. Abortions are a controversial topic right now, but the answer is clear: abortion is correct.

Every woman has the right to have full control of her body. If the pregnancy interferes with work, study or other part of life that the pregnant woman considers more important than having the baby, it is her prerogative to keep the baby or not. If the family is not well prepared for the unborn baby, the quality of the baby’s life is questionable, which is even worse than aborting the baby in the first place. Many studies have shown that more than 15% of children (often unintentionally conceived) born into a poor environment will grow up to break the law and be arrested at least once, showing that those who didn’t have abortions often raised children who were much more likely to become criminals.

Abortion is a woman’s reproductive choice, and gives her control over her own body. She will know if she is not suitable for a parent, and many of those cases, abortion is the best choice. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissenting opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) that undue restrictions on abortion infringe upon "a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature." Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey: "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives."

Many pregnancies are unpreventable. Abortion gives those women who have been raped and conceived a baby unexpectedly or whose health is threatened by the fetus a chance to survive and protect themselves for the next intentional baby, so abortion could not be completely banned. In this situation, the baby either does not have a father, or loses his/her mother after she gives birth to the baby because of difficulty delivery or faces other health issues. Children raised in a single-parent family tend to have more problems both physically and mentally. Statistically, 63% of suicides nationwide are individuals from single-parent families.

Some may argue that adoption could solve the problem of unwanted pregnancy instead of abortion, but they are forgetting basic facts. The Earth that human beings are living and depending on is overpopulated already, and abortion could surely help release the pressure of overload, which adoption has nothing to do with. According to the US Statistics Bureau, 250,000 new children enter the US Foster System every year, and

Thou Shalt Not Kill

BY JAMES STALLER, AMELIA DEMOPOULOS, ASHA ALLA, AND VICTORIA CHOE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

as severe as death. Certain forms of punishment can be justified, but when you kill someone, that is a crime in itself. It doesn’t matter if they are murderers or innocents, two wrongs don’t make a right.

Death penalties are sometimes known to be racist. Some people are suspicious that criminals are being accused of a crime based on their race, or ethnicity. People are sometimes put to death, just because the judges have a racist influence.

For example after 9/11 some Muslims were interrogated based on their religion due to the racist stereotype that “all Muslims are terrorists.”

According to DeathPenalty.info.org, if you are Muslim your chances of being on death row are 3.9 times higher than others.

Many people were tortured, and some executed based on their ethnicity. The government says that it was based on the possibility that they pose a threat, but it couldn’t be since the suspects showed no links to terrorism. People also are accused based on their heritage. If you are put to death for simple things like your race, what has humanity done? Why should the your background, race, or family have any relation to whether you die of old age, or on the execution table?

in the highest adoption figure in the past few decades, 150,000 children were adopted (in fiscal year 2000).

That leaves 100,000 new children every year in the foster system, which now doesn’t sound so open a choice to anti-abortionists. What’s more, based on statistical data, there are more than 200 million orphans in the world, and many of them were abandoned just a few days after they first met this world because their family could not afford a newborn baby. Adoption counts little compared to the huge number of orphans. Giving women an opportunity to end the pregnancy prevents the child from being abandoned and having an unequal life.

Modern abortions are safe, and do not have a high rate of mortality or bring on any future medical defects. According to a study published in January 2015

by Obstetrics & Gynecology, less than .25% of legal US abortions lead to medical defects. Additionally, the mortality rate for childbirth (8.8 deaths for every 100,000) was indeed higher than the mortality rate for abortions (0.6 deaths for every 100,000), by 14 times.

Additionally, both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute have refuted claims that abortions lead to breast cancer, and this all proves that abortions do not pose a risk to the women’s health.

Many people against abortion are Christians, and they believe life begins at conception; abortion is the same as killing a person and depriving one’s human rights, and calling it a “biogenic Tower of Babel” and that abortions “offend God”, according to an antiabortion article written by the TPFS Student Faction.

The problem with that? The United States of America, among with the greater number of the countries around the world, is not run on religion. Additionally, many of the points that the anti-abortionists bring up rotate around the fetuses’ short-term wellbeing, and not the fetuses’ long-term wellbeing if they are not aborted. Children raised in single-parent family or poor environment are having a blind future, ending up as suicides or becoming criminals as mentioned above, with the same fate often in store for the mother who didn’t undergo an abortion.

What is more important? Short-term wellbeing, or longterm wellbeing?

Abortion is right, when used properly. It can stop a fetus from possibly being born into a damaging and destitute life; women who have abortions are less likely to have mental health problems then those who continued on with the pregnancy, and modern abortions have a much lower rate of mortality for the mother then if they induced childbirth, and it is the WOMEN’S choice to do what SHE wants with HER body, and she should have reproductive choices. The question we are asking here is, what is more important? A fetuses’ short-term wellbeing (being born into the world), or its long-term wellbeing (environment, parents, any health defects, etc.)? A baby should not come into the world unwanted, and abortions help make sure that only the babies that are wanted by their parents and will have a happier life will be born.

The idea of murder as a form of discipline does not benefit society in any form. The death sentence of one prisoner will not benefit the greater good. In fact, it only destroys the life of the valuable human. If it weren’t for death, criminals would receive another opportunity to benefit from the goodness of life.

Families would be restored. Lives would be renewed. Martin Gilbert, a criminal who burgled houses for thirty years decided to change his life and become the person he was meant to be. According to the DailyMail.com, “I have been in and out of prison most of my life, but this time I just thought: I don't want to end up back here. I need to change my ways."

Gilbert was able to change his lifestyle after realizing the wrong he had been committing.

Criminals can change. They have hope and potential as all humans do. Therefore everyone should be treated with the right to life. One’s crimes do not define one’s greater right to life.

If society can realize criminals can change, these prisoners will take the motive to change.

The idea of killing a person for justice isn’t always the most ethical choice. According to The Guardian.com, “At least 4.1% of all defendants sentenced to death in the US in the modern era are innocent, according to the first major study to attempt to calculate how often states get it wrong in their wielding of

the ultimate punishment.” This number would likely be higher, however once somebody is put on death row, investigators often cease the investigation.

By putting somebody to death, not only is it indirectly murdering them, it’s sometimes putting innocent people on their death bed. That is totally unjust. Imagine if you are the innocent person, and you are being put to death, even though you know you have nothing to do with the crime. Do you still think it’s justified that people should be executed, even after 8 innocent people died in 2014?

The death penalty is a cruel, unethical choice of punishment. Each and every human being deserves the right to life. We all deserve to live until natural death, and we all deserve to have a life to live freely. The death penalty is a large consequence of racism. It is abused to stereotype and destroy the lives of human beings because of hate and prejudice. Lastly, all humans deserve a second chance. These prisoners were simply put in an unfortunate lifestyle. Humans are bound to make mistakes, and deserve the second chance to transform, and change into the person they were meant to be.

The death penalty is a completely unjust form of punishment, and does no good for any small or large population of people. Do you believe justice is accomplished by ending one’s life?

THE SUMMER TIMES

News

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

3

Plagiarism Draws Probation Penalty DC , continued from 1 academic offense at Exeter, as elsewhere — is defined in the Student Handbook as “the stealing and passing off as one’s own the ideas, words, opinions, etc., of another.”

Under the disciplinary process set

forth in the Handbook, the Dean’s Office investigates any reported violation of the Exeter rules. As part of the investigation, the faculty member bringing the charge(s) prepares a written narrative of the case.

The student must provide a factual statement of events and cooperate in the investigation: failure to do so may result in dismissal. The Dean’s Office

then decides if the case should go to the Disciplinary Committee.

If it does, the student is informed of the charge(s) in writing. Then accompanied by his/her advisor, the student appears before the Committee and hears the charge(s) and his/her response read aloud. After answering any questions, the student leaves the

room while the Committee deliberates.

The panel’s first motion is on whether to dismiss the student. If that fails, Probation is considered. A tie vote brings automatic re-consideration. A second tie vote results in dropping of the charge(s). If the motion for Probation carries, the student is immediately informed and told of the panel’s reasons.

Pointing a Path to Global Peace Rivals Abroad, Nationalism? Historic Feuds Friends Here “Zero Problem” Are History Here PEACE, continued from 1 a world power, killing millions of Chinese.

"I'm so bad at history," Lucretia Hu sighed. She is from Shanghai and was eager to share her views.

"But of course, we had conflicts with Japan when they were killing people in Nanjing during the Second World War. We joined the war only to defeat Japan."

Many Chinese today regard Japan’s wealth as ill-gotten. Even when the Chinese state was at its weakest, China thinks it enlightened its key neighbors - Korea, Japan and Vietnam- with a root of a common culture.

"We also fought against Vietnam in 1979. I think it only took a month to defeat them!" Lucretia said.

"But now, I think we have a good relationship with Vietnam."

As for her relationship with others here, she "would like more friends, but I'm just not good at it. I would like to meet people specifically from Europe."

The conflict between Russia and the Ukraine is "kind of stupid- now it's complicated and no one really understands what's happening or what we're fighting for," says Julia Anisimova, 15, who is from Russia and goes to boarding school in Switzerland.

After a four-hour flight from Russia to Paris, then a nine-hour flight to Boston, Julia made it here to Exeter. Enjoying her experience, she said, "no politics are involved here, so that's nice." There are eight students here from Russia, and none from Ukraine.

When talking about the conflict, Julia seemed like she has had similar conversations many times in the past.

"It is all about the government," she said. First of all, Russia and Ukraine have been intertwined for over 1,000 tumultuous years. Today, Ukraine offers a lot to Russia and both nations trace their roots back to Kievan Rus. This medieval empire was founded by Vikings who established their capital at Kiev. After Kievan Rus fell, Ukraine's territory was divided up by competing powers. By the end of the 18th century Russia controlled most of Ukraine. But finally Ukraine did break away. The first independent Ukrainian state was declared in Kiev in 1917, following the collapse of the other empires. However, that independence was short-lived. The new country was invaded by Poland, and fought over by different forces. The Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and World War II also greatly exacerbated this divide.

A lot happened during the war. When the Nazis invaded Ukraine in 1941, many locals actually welcomed the Germans as liberators from the Soviets.

They hoped Hitler would reward them with an independent state. About one sixth of the Ukrainian population died during the war. But in the end, Ukraine did become independant. "I have friends from the Ukraine, U.S., Venezuela, Ecuador- all over the place," Julia said. "Where we come from doesn't matter."

FRIENDSHIP, continued from 1 seeking help. Since 2010, billions of euros have been put towards Greece’s bailout loan, with Germany being the largest contributor.

At Exeter, with 15 Greeks and 16 Germans, many of whom are friends, past and current issues are able to be put aside. As Foivos Mavridis, a student from Greece says, “Here at Exeter there is zero problem.”

When asked if politics is a common conversation topic, most students reply that it is not. Attending Summer School allows students to escape their lives at home, and not deal with the difficult situations that may be occurring.

Hannah Scheithauer, a student from Germany says, “The attitude of Greece as a country doesn’t affect my view on the people here.”

Every student here is representing his or her country, whether there are many others that came with them, or they are the only one. With news about Germany, Greece, and their relations coming out during our time at Summer School, it is amazing how many friendships are able to be maintained.

As Dimitris Kanellopoulos from Greece sums up, “Conflict between countries shouldn’t come between friendships.”

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

We Are The World: Summer School students came from 51 countries, 39 states.

CONFLICTS, continued from 1 happened between their countries. They were able to avoid what happened in the past and instead, they became friends.

Dimitrios said: “I would not let the conflict between our countries affect our friendship. I know, a lot happened between Greece and Turkey but such thing cannot determine friendship.”

Greece and Turkey had a lot going on; some people still can’t get over it and they prefer not to interfere with each other, which is totally understandable. Some people, prefer to get over it and try it. Mark and Dimitrios met five weeks ago, when Summer School started.

“We are in the same dorm and we met when we first came here," said Mark. "We simply avoided the conflict between our nationalities and became friends. Both of us, are more than happy with making the decision of becoming friends.”

Dimitrios agreed. “Either way, what happened between Turkey and Greece was a long time ago," he said. "We left history behind and became friends.”

Saudi Arabia and Israel had a huge conflict which is still going on. This conflict is based on the Arab-Israeli War. People tend to take this issue more seriously because it still is going on. There are many people from Saudi Arabia here, and there is one person from Israel. Since this issue has many different aspects, people have different opinions.

Even though it is hard to control, students here always respect each other. Students don’t judge people by their nationalities.

“It is not my right to judge people by their nationality," said Faisal Kutbi. "I think it is better to get to know people instead of judging them by how they look.”

Manaa Al Otaibi said: “We won’t let the conflict between our countries affect the respect we have to show each other.” Beyond showing respect, they get along very well, which is remarkable. Johnny Taic, from Israel said: “I think we understand each other great and I love hearing their opinions and their political reasonings and also their cultures and what they think about all those issues in the Middle East, for example Palestine and what to do with this territory.”

Johnny continued: “I also speak with Lebanese kids. Every single night I talk to my Lebanese friends; they have all these problems in the Middle East and we are not only talking about normal stuff.” Lastly, Johnny said: “I think we always talk and we always have our arguments but at the same time, we always come to this conclusion, and everyone has their own opinions, and we all have the same opinion but we express them in different ways.”

Screams Greet If You Can’t Pack It, Flying Mammal Deposit It Here, Please BATS, continued from 1

Around 11:15 screams rang from the fourth floor. A bat had escaped the outside world and entered the room of Daniela Ozuna.

“The first thing I saw was something clinging to my fan,” said Ozuna.

She immediately turned to her best friend Belqeis Abatiyow for help. Belqeis assured her that the mysterious object was only a leaf, but once the door was even slightly opened the creature begun to move.

To screams, doors flew open, spilling out those who were curious and frantic, and in a matter of minutes the advisor on duty arrived at the scene.

Ten minutes later two security officers appeared.

With only a box to capture the creature, behind closed doors they were able to apprehend the bat from room 411.

Yet even after the bat was gone, the disarray continued.

Phone calls were made to family of Daniela and friends from Exeter and home.

“It was like a big party, chaos,” said Abatiyow.

After things settled down, it was an hour or two later before Daniela entered her room again. To this point there has been no clarification as to how the bat infiltrated the dormitory. All windows in Ozuna’s room are netted and there appear to be no openings in the roof or floorboards. For now the summer is coming to a close and no more bats have been spotted in any dorms.

COLLECT, continued from 1

to the Wonderland thrift shop in Exeter. There will be a bedding and books collection and donation to a local center. There will be an electronics recycling program.

We are hoping to partner with

goodbye during their last days.

Packing and finding lost items are not as important!”

Since this happens e v e r y y e a r, S u m m e r School came up with a useful solution.

In the past, toiletries and women’s soap were d o n a t e d t o a w o m e n ’s shelter. Towels and linens were donated to the SPCA and fans were recycled for future Summer School students on scholarship.

Even then, a lot of was left.

This year, everything will be donated somewhere Courtesy of pinstripeandpearls.com and almost nothing will be left behind.

Fish said the following for Exeter Rent-All. The fans will be what will happen this year: “There cleaned twice a year and stored is a plan of action for clean up this by Exeter Rent-All, then rented to year. Here is what will happen; students at a substantial discount. clothing donations will be made We think that would be the best

way to reduce the number of fans purchased and then thrown away each year.”

It is proven that students leave clothing, blankets, and toiletries behind the most. “I have a lot of clothes that don’t fit me anymore, I was hoping to donate them.” said student, Yaman Yücel.

A large number of students are aware of what to do with the stuff they don’t want to take home and hopefully, they will make the right decision to give them to Summer School for people in need and recycling for further use.

“I think, donating what you’re not using, is a very good decision," said Umay İçkol."Not only will you help the school and its students, but you will help to those in need.”

Don't forget to stop by the Student Activities office to swipe your LionCard for contributions to the Scholarship Fund for 2016!

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THE SUMMER TIMES

Books

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

Classics You Never Read ... Until Now What happened to Holden Caulfield after the end of J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye”?

Did Brenda and Neil ever meet again after the end of Philip Roth’s “Goodbye, Columbus”?

We asked non-native English speakers in Ralph Blumenthal’s “Becoming a Confident Writer” course to write a first chapter and outline of a prequel or sequel to some favorite books.

Here is what two of them came up with:

“Catcher in the Rye” “Goodbye, Columbus”

By AHMED HUSSEIN Contributing Writer

Chapter One No, wait. I changed my mind. I will tell you about what happened after I went back home. My touchy parents I told you about were pissed off when I told them I flunked out. They really were. They started lecturing to me about all the things they had been through to get me into that phony school, which they thought was the best school around. To tell you the truth, I hate when people lecture to me, I prefer if they beat me or something. I really do. They told me I was lazy and didn’t want to accomplish anything in life. Boy, that hurt like hell.

I went to my room that night sort of crying.

I kept thinking about going back to school and all that and how my life could be different if I happened to change. I had been sleeping for the next goddam day and no one bothered to wake me up or anything. They didn’t wake me up for breakfast or lunch or whatever it is that they eat between lunch and breakfast. The next morning I was so sick, I couldn’t move. I really mean it. I couldn’t move. I called Phoebe and told her to let mom or dad or whoever was there know that I was sick. It is depressing to be sick at your house and no one checks at you or even asks you how you are. It really is. I sometimes tell myself that I am the reason why my family is fed up with me because I wasted all their money by flunking out of every school they send me to. I didn’t want to admit that but that was exactly what was going on in my mind and I couldn’t stand it.

Anyway, while I was thinking, Phoebe and mom came to my room. She first thought I was joking or something, but when she saw my terrible look she realized that I wasn’t faking.

She started to care about me more now when she saw my situation. Just a day ago she was talking crap about me and how I was a pain in the neck to the family. That kills me and I couldn’t get over it. But that was good in some ways. It made my mother loose her anger and all and that was good. She asked me what was wrong with me but I didn’t feel any better. I told her what first came to my mind. I told her I was having a stomachache or something and she just believed. it. That is what I like about mothers; they easily believe you even if you tell them the biggest lie you could ever imagine.

But fathers are different, especially my father, he takes everything I tell him with a grain of salt. He never believes me even if I tell that I am dying with leukemia just like Allie. That is

horrible. To have a father who never believes what you say.

To get back to what I was talking about, my mother was worrying about my health.

Old Phoebe was standing beside my mother without saying anything. She was observing me and I guess she was probably perplexed by this sudden stomachache I told them I had. My mother told me that she was going to take me to the hospital to see what my sickness was.

She parked her car near the door so it would be easy for me to just walk. I got up and tried to walk but my mother suddenly jumped to help me walk. I was holding to her shoulder and I felt terrific. I thought to myself and said, “you know what, this stomachache was actually a good thing after all.”

I was thinking a lot while I was in the car.

I thought about what kind of sickness I would be diagnosed with. To tell you the truth I was so scared of being diagnosed with cancer or something. I am very yellow about it. We went inside the hospital. I saw this big guy with big glasses almost as big as his forehead. They told me he was the doctor. I don’t know but whenever I go somewhere I see some phony guys. Although I haven’t met this guy before, I could tell he was phony from the way he was standing, pretending he knows everything. That kills me every time I see it. I don’t like people who pretend to be something they are not. I really don’t.

I sat next to him. He took his phony flashlight and lit it right in my mouth. I don’t know what in the world he was looking for in my mouth but he did it any way. He said I was smoking too much lately and that caused an eating disorder or something. I couldn’t listen to him. He was a real phony. How come he could he tell if I had eating disorder or anything for Chrissake? He probably smelled the smell of the cigarette when he was checking my mouth. That is the only explanation I can think of.

We went back home that day and my mother was fine. She didn’t talk to me about school or anything and that was good. I was tired that day and I just went back to my room and lay on my bed for twenty minutes. Boy, I was thinking about changing my life after all.

I didn’t want to end up being like these emptylooking guys who brag about what their brother or father does for a living. I really don’t want to be like them. So I decided to tell my mother that I wanted to go to another school, but this time I have to choose the school that I want to go to.

(Holden makes a lot of friends, reconciles with his parents and plans to go to Harvard.)

How I’ve Grown

By NIKHIL MANTENA Contributing Writer

My summer experience at Exeter and my life at my home in Michigan showed me very different ways of living and growing-up.

Exeter is one of the most prestigious schools in the country and represents a unique culture formed by the diversity of its students. Back home, I am surrounded by beautiful family, playing backyard football with the kids in the neighborhood and spending time following my passions.

First, I would like to describe my Exeter experience. At Exeter, there is a lot of independent living and learning different cultures. Each individual is responsible for his or her own work and must manage time wisely. I have realized that with independence comes great responsibility and there is no Checker-In-Chief (Hello! Mom). I have grown accustomed to being my own checker, and now completely embrace it. However, there is a more fun side to independent living.

You are allowed to do as you wish. Students are allowed to go downtown or roam around campus at almost any time of the day. We can meet up with friends and organize a fun activity in the fields.

Another thing that I believe is important is learning about different cultures. Students in the summer program come from 51 different countries and 49 different states, bringing a huge diversity of culture. In my dorm room I have a kid from Seattle and another from Moscow, Russia. We had to adjust to and work with each other’s preferences and habits because we all come from different backgrounds. In classes, since we have such a diverse population, we see many bright and creative ideas come from the foreign students who express their way of solving a problem this helps everyone else enhance their critical thinking skills. There are some disagreements and healthy debates, but as a group, we resolve the differences and learn a little more about each other every day.

Back at home in Michigan life is quite different. At home, I am blessed with a beautiful family, and friendly neighbors. I feel safe at home because I am very well accustomed to the community. I go to an excellent school (Detroit Country Day School) and have awesome friends. My teachers and friends at school provide great support in all the activities that I pursue.

However, my current school mostly consists of kids from a fairly homogenous background (well-off suburban kids) and there is not as much diversity of thought. The main difference is at Exeter, you live with kids with a very wide variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

The dorm advisory team (Abbott rocks !) really helps students understand how to adjust to the new environment. I am not saying that my life back at home is terrible.

In fact, it is wonderful and there's a lot of fun stuff I share with my friends and family back at home; however, Exeter brings some new experiences to the plate which I really enjoy and use to help me grow as a better person. Exeter has opened up a part of me in which I am able to easily accept differences in others. All in all, Exeter is an experience that I will not forget. I will truly cherish the experience and the friendships and will hold them dearly forever.

Living for the first time away from family in a boarding school has made me realize that communication becomes very critical in order to have a fantastic experience. My parents have emphasized the 3Cs of communication: Communication - with family; they will have your back no matter what Communication - with teachers, counselors; they will give you wonderful advice Communication - with friends; old and new, will keep you humble and cheerful Although I have not perfected the 3Cs, I have realized the need to have a good balance of these 3Cs for a positive experience when one is 800 or 8000 miles away from home.

By ELENA JACCHIA Contributing Writer

It’s been five years since I had seen Brenda for the last time. I've been thinking about her a lot, but I never thought I would meet her again, especially in those circumstances.

Since that autumn, my life was changed a lot. I didn’t work in the library anymore; even if I was going to become Mr. Scapello’s substitute, I couldn’t work there any longer.

So despite Aunt Gladys’ tears and sobbing, I got back into the army. I had no reason to stay. I was too old to live with my uncles, too old to learn a new job, even almost too old to get married.

I was stationed in San Vito dei Normanni Air Station, Italy, where I joined the air forces. I used to like my life in the army. The routine was challenging and tiring but it allowed me to focus on my work as a pilot, thinking only about the present.

In this way I also found a way to keep studying and reading at state expense. Of course my readings were almost only about physics, mechanics and planes, but over time it was beginning to become my passion. Moreover, being on the other side of the world made me feel safe from my past and the base was located in one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I’ve ever seen, a stark contrast to what we were doing there.

In this way, five years of my life passed quickly and I was going to turn twenty-eight. It was almost spring and I was coming back from an all-night training maneuver. It was my favorite period of the year because the air started getting warmer but at the same time you could feel the grass still cool and damp from the night. As I was walking up the stairs to get to the canteen, someone stopped me.

“Hey Neil!” he called me.

“Hi Pit,” I answered.

Pit was actually the youngest one at the base, but I swear you could never have guessed it because of his size. He was only eighteen, but when I first met him he had a full beard.

Obviously, once he joined the army he had to shave it all, but he was still six feet tall, a wall; his shoulders were twice the width of mine and I could probably sleep in his shoes seeing how big they were. Anyways, what mattered was that he had a huge heart, almost as big as himself.

“You know you have a letter from the U.S.?” he asked “Yea, I know. I used to write to my family.” I hadn’t received anything for quite a while, but if I did, it was probably from my family.

"But this is a strange letter Neil, I mean the envelope is pink and decorated with flowers… it’s not the kind of letter I used to deliver here,” he responded.

“Ah ok. Thanks. I’ll check.”

I replied curtly. I was slightly confused– there was a chance that the letters got mixed up. But I didn’t want to stand here in front of the canteen and talk until breakfast was over. I decided to check as soon as I got some food.

So after a quick breakfast, which actually was one of the few things that I missed from home, I went to check the mail, only to find out that Pit was right. The letter was unusual.

I opened it and realized it was a wedding invitation: Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Abenaim announce the marriage of their daughter Doris Caroline To Mr. Yosseph Zeev Benaim On Friday, April twenty-fourth Nineteen hundred and fifty Short Hills, New Jersey So Doris was going to getting married in less than three weeks.

I couldn’t believe that someone wanted to become her husband almost as much as I couldn’t believe the fact that she invited me to her wedding. But of course she did;

aunt Claire probably left her with no choice.

I could use the pretext of the army as an excuse not to go, but I had never taken a leave before, not even to visit my family. Five years had passed and I had never gone back home, not once. Going to the marriage would allow me to meet all my family, and probably half of them would be drunk after a bit and therefore less hypocritical than usual.

So I decided just in case to ask if was possible for me to leave for a month to go back to Newark.

The truth is that I hoped for a rejection. In this way my sense of guilt would go away without actually leaving. But contrary to my expectations, they gave me the leave. I would leave on the twentieth of April to be back to the base for twenty third of May. To get home I took a cargo plane directly to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, not far from my destination. The flight took forever.

Moreover Bruce, the pilot, didn’t like me at all and he couldn’t have shown it better. It almost felt as if I was inside a washing machine with the only difference being that the flight lasted much longer. It was worse than whatever pilot training. But after all I managed to survive and after another couple of hours on the train I was finally home.

I expected it all to be the same. I lived there for 23 years and nothing was never changed. Instead, I was really surprised to see how different the place was. The parking lot in front of my uncle’s house had become an elementary school with a fancy little yard and a fort, a slide and other games. It gave to the neighborhood a less sleazy look.

Unlike that place, my uncle’s was always the same.

“Gladys!! It’s cold, the dinner is cold!”

“This is not possible Max… I’ve pulled your steak out of the fire less than two minutes ago.”

“And so, why is it cold?” “ O h h d o n ’t j o k e , i t ’s s t i l l smoking how hot it is! Try to touch it before complaining.”

“You are right. It’s scalding! Are you trying to burn me!?”

“Neil?!” both of them asked in surprise.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Aww, how thin are you my son, when was last time you ate?”

Aunt Gladys asked me. I wanted to answer that it wasn’t true but I only ate a piece of bread before leaving the base and I used to eat only what I needed to do to survive there.

“Aunt Gladys, the army doesn’t spoil me like you. The food is not the best part of army life.”

“Why? Is there a nice part in the army life?”

“Gladys, don’t start! He is serving our country and you should be proud of this like I am, instead of badgering him! why don’t you give him something to eat.”

“Oh he didn’t tell me he would arrive for dinner. Why didn’t you Neil! Now I have to go back to the kitchen again!”

“Sorry Aunt Gladys, I didn’t know the time of my arrival.”

“Come on, give him something to eat quickly! He must be tired.

Aren’t you Neil? How was your trip?”

“Really tiring, in fact don’t worry I’ll eat tomorrow now I really need to rest.”

“But… are you sure? You are already too thin… I can... “ “Yes. Thanks Aunt Gladys, I’m sure,” I interrupted her.

I was happy to see them again but really too tired to reply all those question and complaints. So I snuck out into my old bedroom and fell asleep ....

(The sequel goes on to say that at the wedding of Brenda's sister, Doris, Brenda and Neil meet again. Brenda reveals she had had Neil's daughter, Miriam, whom Brenda had hidden from Neil, and that Brenda and Neil get married.)

THE SUMMER TIMES

COMMENTARIES

Contributing Writer

“Khalid, are you alive?” those were the first words I heard after the car had crashed. I heard the heavy sighs coming from Liban as he thought he would never see his brother again.

Luckily his brother was alive. I didn’t know where I was; it felt as though I was trapped in an unescapable tragedy; I thought I was dying.

I touched my head to see if I was injured and saw the blood gushing out. I tried to move out of the car, but there were two of my friends on top of me and I couldn’t move a finger. Later they got out of the car, and I just followed them thorough the door like a crazy man. I took off my shirt so that I could stop the scary blood that was coming out of my head like a waterfall. I saw the taxi driver running back and forth in the road with confusion and despair in his face. Just before the crash, I told him to slow down the car, but he didn’t listen to me, and he kept speeding up until we crashed.

I had all crazy thoughts coming to my mind while the car was crashing. It wasn’t time to delve into these thoughts, but I don’t know how it happened. At that moment, I was certain that I was going to die, and I thought of my family and my friends. I was saddened as I thought I would never meet my loved ones again. I hated the fact that I didn’t leave any legacy so that people would remember me and pray for me whenever they see what I did. I thought about some of the mistakes I committed in the past and how that could lead me

to hell. Obviously I was scared. The mistakes that I had done weren’t that big that could lead me to hell, but when you are scared you think of all the bad things that could happen to you.

In the meantime, I called up my family and some of my friends. My family couldn’t believe what just had happened. I was talking to them a moment before my friends and I took the taxicab to the school. It was a great shock and tragedy to my family, especially my father who left the house barefoot without noticing it. I was put in a hospital for the night.

My teachers and classmates came to reassure us that everything would be just fine. Most of my friends weren’t badly injured, except Abdifatah who broke his arm in three different places. I saw bones sticking out of his arm, and honestly I couldn’t bear to see him cry. I couldn’t sleep that night and everything felt like a nightmare. I couldn’t believe I was at a hospital. Unfortunately, in the middle of the night, I was informed that one of the passengers who was riding with us just passed away. I was helpless. I thought to myself and said, “ what if it was you?”

I was at the hospital for two months because I had a skull fracture and I had to rest for a while. I missed a lot of classes and going back to school seemed difficult. Nevertheless, I went back to school and I was required to do all the work that I had missed during my time at the hospital. It was during a break so I stayed at the school for the whole month studying incessantly.

Wanted: More Time to Flirt

By JUAN SANTOS

By ISABELLE DENG & ANJALEE NARENTHIREN Contributing Writers

Some may think of us as a dysfunctional duo, but we like to think of ourselves as nerds with a sense of humour- and our misadventures, the souvenirs of our “wise” choices and time at Exeter. And, trust me on this one. There are a lot of souvenirs that we’re carrying back to our home, but our favorite one has been the story of the Cold Lomein and the Existential Crisis.

There are certain times where an alarm clock is useful. Accidentally setting the alarm to 3:30 a.m. and waking you up, is not one of those times. If the Devil had a job, it would be designing standard alarm clocks. Anyhow, I figured that my alleged insomniac of a friend would be reading a novel or watching cat videos on YouTube down the hallway.

To my surprise, I had caught her on one of the few nights when she actually slept. To her misfortune, I had decided to slip headphones over her ears and allow her to jerk awake, to the blaring sound of Kanye West.

It only took a few mumbled threats from her, stretching over half an hour as she slowly relented and agreed to come out of bed. After that, the situation rapidly plummeted downhill. Using our famed and infallible moral compasses, we came to the conclusion that we would drown our sorrows (and hunger pains) in Chinese takeout piled in the basement fridge. With that, we crept down the stairs, hissing occasionally at each other to be quieter. Which was at best, counterproductive, and at worst, had the potential to awaken the rest of our dorm. We began to shove lo-mein up our faces.

Soon, realizing how dubious we would look if anyone walked in on us. I imagined myself frantically trying to talk my way out of a confrontation with the “I promise, we’re not selling drugs! It’s not what it looks like! ” Or yelling some other non-relevant excuse, as I

Contributing Writer

If I were to change one thing in the Exter Summer Program it would have to be the dorm check in time. A later check in time for Upper School students will allow them to explore the cultural riches of other students as well as to make new friends. Extending the dorm check in time will also allow students to hang out and be more social.

Changing the dorm check in time will not only provide students with more freedom but more social activities as well. I often find myself rushing to the dormitory around 8:55 because I am having fun and do not realize the time that has passed. Problems that arise with the current 9 o'clock check in time are students coming in late because they were hanging outside the dorm until 9:20. I arrive in my dormitory around nine because I am a social person who enjoys staying out late flirting with girls. Some students arrive late to check in because they are hungry and try to go get food in The Grill.

Around eight thirty The Grill is crowded with students so some students have to wait in line for ten to twenty minutes. Students hang out in the basement and forget to go to their dorms to get checked in is another problem.

If Upper School Students had more time to socialize outdoors it would give them more responsibility because they would have to manage their schedule more tightly. Upper School students are responsible for managing their schedule throughout the day. Extending the dormitory check in time by an hour would not hurt to try out. Upper School students are fifteen to eighteen year olds who have experienced coming home late. The people in my dorm check in early most of the time because they have enough responsibility to know when to go inside and do homework. In my dormitory we have an hour of homework and then we could visit other people’s dorms but then we only have about 30 minutes left to socialize, then students have to go back to their dorms.

If I had more time to talk to girls, then I would not be tired in the morning because I would not have to text them in the night.

Exeter Summer School is only five weeks.

Giving the students more time to hang out can be a great way to remember this experience.

Homework gives the students less time to hang out with the girls outside their dorms.

Since girls can not be brought into the dorms, the students would have more time to mingle outside the dorms. More time outside can lead to fewer problems because the students would have enough time to socialize and whatnot.

Students would not get in trouble for being outside talking to other students because they would have more time to talk and socialize. If students have an hour extra of communicating then they will not complain about being bored.

When the kids reach their dorms they will be too tired to fool around so the dorm will be less rowdy. When the kids in my dormitory come back to the building they are always loud and pranking each other because they are not tired yet.

Some of the students go to sleep late because they spend time on social media talking to friends from other dormitories. They spend most of their time watching videos on YouTube or using their phones. This is a bad example to the younger kids because we are supposed to be social. As teenagers we should be outside meeting new people and being active. Going into our dormitories at nine makes us bored because around eight thirty all the girls and boys in Upper School do not have classes or extracurricular activities. This only gives the students about 45 minutes to talk, play sports, or flirt with other students.

Providing us with more time can allow us to go to town and come back before check in.

Most of the kids in my dorm are hungry around ten and since The Grill closes at 8:45 they can not buy snacks. If check in was at ten then the students could go into town to Walgreens or a gas station to buy food or drinks. Changing the dorm checking in time is not a high risk.

More socialization will create more friends and memories. Meeting new friends can decrease the loneliness of others. The more time outside socializing, the more students will remember this experience.

tried to cover up the fact that we were eating noodles at 4 a.m.

At that point, I was beginning to seriously question our morals and or priorities. After minutes of piling noodles in our mouths in silence, I finally gathered my thoughts and pondered aloud “Is this what we are looking forward to in life, eating takeout at hours? Is this what we’ll be doing in university?”

Well, that was a mistake and a half, to say the very least. Apparently asking an existential question to Isabelle in the early hours would inherently lead to a heated argument which mainly consisted of myself posing deep and meaningful existential questions (or, at least, I like to think they were), and Isabelle would reply with something along the lines of “Shut up! You’re the one who used your deplorable decision making to drag me down here in the middle of the night!

For all I know, you could be trying to kidnap me! This isn’t the time for me to fuss about your early mid-life crisis! Some of us are trying to eat frozen noodles, and if this is my future, then at the very least, please stop rambling!”

“Lesson learned,” I grumbled to myself, although grinning slightly inside. It’s nice to know that you’re not alone, even if your companion was snapping back at all your existential questions while drinking away her sorrows with cups of Earl Grey.

But all the small vignettes of memories that Isabelle and I had shared were like puzzle pieces. As our time at Exeter nears an end, the full meaning has finally been revealed to us. Exeter is the second home for us, with every nook and cranny full of curiosity and fleeting but hilarious memories that we had made together. Perhaps it is strange that we had started casually referring to Exeter as "home" so soon, but the truth is the truth. Exeter feels like home, and, as cheesy as it is, it’s like what Dorothy says: There’s no place like home.

"Yo Soy Boricua!..."

By ANA SOFIA RIVERA PLANAS Contributing Writer

A great asset of Phillips Exeter Academy is the diversity of the people who attend school here. We can see the different cultures that represent Exeter at the Agora since it has the flags of every country that has participated in the school. I was sitting in one of the big brown chairs of the Agora looking at all the different flags when I realized that the Puerto Rican flag was not included. My friends and I asked why and the Deans told us it is because it is represented as a part of the United States. We did not think that was a reasonable explanation for not putting up the Puerto Rican flag. My two friends and I were frustrated by this matter and decided we were going to do something about it.

Puerto Rico deserves a flag because it is not a state of the United States, it is a territory and it is not represented in the American flag.

We are not a state nor want to be, so why do we not deserve a flag that represents us? We have our own sports team in the Olympics with an engraved flag in the uniform, we participate in the Miss Universe pageant as Miss Puerto Rico instead of Miss USA, we do not vote in the election to choose the United States president and we have our flag which we show with much pride. We pretty much are our own country.

The first part of our plan to get the flag installed in the Agora center was quite simple.

We would go to the Deans of Fun office every free time we had with a piece of paper saying “Puerto Rico deserves a flag in the Agora,” and we would each do this at least once every day.

The second tactic would be telling the Deans of Fun every time we saw them why the Puerto Rican flag needed a spot at the Agora. There were times when they would run from us. The

last part was the most complicated one. We had one of our moms send us Puerto Rican flag so we could give it to the Deans of Fun and ask if they could put it up. When we showed it to them they gave us huge smiles we never expected and started jumping around saying they wanted to buy it because we had convinced them, but now that we had bought it first they would waste no time in putting it up. We left full of excitement and pride for Courtesy of Google Images what we had accomplished. We started chanting “Yo soy Boricua pa que tu lo sepas” when we got out of the Agora which is well-known phrase in Puerto Rico that translates to “I am Boricua just so you know.”

We wanted to put the Puerto Rican flag in the Agora because it shows respect and gratitude to every Puerto Rican who has attended this school. I have a friend whose mom came to this school; I know that there is a Puerto Rican teacher in the regular session and right now in the summer session. Every year Exeter receives students from Puerto Rico, and I bet that all of those people who have noticed that there was no Puerto Rican flag felt the same way I did, left out. Puerto Rico needed to be represented here.

If you go to the Agora you will be able to see the newest addition to the group of flags, the Puerto Rican flag. There are other countries that do not have their flag in the Agora, and I hope one of their citizens decides to do something about it like I and my friends did. We all deserve to have the flag of our country in the Agora.

We need to show the real diversity at Phillips Exeter and how much we care. It only takes one person who cares a whole lot about something to convince others to work together to achieve something that for them is significant.

You're Bored? How Boring.

“I’m bored. I literately have nothing to do now." I hear these complaints regularly from my friends since I came to Phillips Exeter Academy Summer School. It is true that we are bored during certain times as we have nothing to do besides classes, sports, homework, and eating.

"Well, you could socialize with your friends at downtown or at The Grill," some may suggest as a solution to kill time. But this aggravates our boredom even further.

Exeter is too small and limited to keep us entertained during the free time we have on afternoons. The same thing applies to The Grill, since all we can do there is to eat, drink, and chat. This brings us back to the initial issue: boredom during our free time. In order to avoid having a gloomy and dull afternoons, there should be more extracurricular activities in which students

5

Prank You. You're Welcome

"I Thought I was Dying"

By AHMED HUSSEIN

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

can participate and entertain themselves.

Currently, students’ option in choosing activities are limited; there are only choir, glee club, orchestra, and jazz band.

However, if I were the Head of this Summer School Program, I could add extra activities that would interest more students and will actually be educational and instructive.

These include entertaining activities such as chess and Othello, where students can learn worldwide traditional games, as well as some of the popular international school activities: Model United Nations, Brainbowl, Social Justice Committee, and math teams. Increasing the categories of activities will definitely excite more students to participate in them compared to the current list of choices, where the only participants are the students with musical interests.

After coming to the decision to in-

crease the number of extracurricular activities, I need to hire teachers who specialize in specific fields of activity or participate in certain activity during the regular year in their schools. Hiring teachers just for these activities would not be the best idea, as it means more expenses for the school.

Therefore, I can recruit more faculty members who have both experience in teaching classes as well as extracurricular activities, which will not require much extra money.

Why extracurricular activities? Why not increase more off-campus trips or other activities? One reason is that we already have a sufficient number of trips; we have them on every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as the almost daily Polar Bear Swims. These trips often last for three to five hours: too long to fit into free time. Extracurricular activities only last

By MIKI TAKAHASHI Contributing Writer

for one to two hours, which fits perfectly in students’ free time. Another reason why I chose extracurricular activities over trips is that they give so many benefits. They enable students to acquire new knowledge and skills, as well as to improve skills that had been already built. In other words, students can earn something meaningful during their free time hours.

Having free time is not always a bad thing, but when students feel bored with it, it is definitely not the most effective way to spend time. In fact, I’ve heard many students complain about their boredom and suggest increases in evening activities.

Spending our free time in extracurricular activities can give so much enjoyment as well as the opportunity to trigger students’ interests and talents. This should be the main purpose of this Summer School.

6

SUMMER LIFE

THE SUMMER TIMES

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

Access Plays: From High School to Zombies

By GINNY LITTLE Contributing Writer

Jawuan Walters/The Summer Times

Jawuan Walters/The Summer Times

Glory on the Playing Field

By TAYLOR WEEKS Summer School Staff Writer

Exeter Summer School offers a wide variety of sports in its 5 weeks in session, where many decide whether to try a new sport, or continue on with the sport they play in their home state or country.

Now, with the summer session ending, many look back on sports as one of their biggest highlights in school. Some made new friends, and experienced new sports that they never tried, while some strove to perfect a sport while still making friends along the way.

The sports range from team sports, such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse, squash, and others, to sports that are for individual improvement, such as swimming or walking. For many during these five weeks, it was a challenge choosing which sport they should do.

Some are motivated by a desire to best close relatives or friends who are rivals at home. When asked what led to his choosing of tennis as his sport, Gianni Torti replied that “I got inspired by my cousin because he plays tennis, and so I want to get as good as him to compete with him.”

When asked about what classes he would recommend, Coach James Tufts replied that “I recommend all the classes!” He stated that the teachers for each respective sport “are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their classes,” and noted that every class “is a great learning experience.”

But many students had their favorites.

When asked what his choice was, Alexandros Michaelides said “Squash, because it was the most fun, and I got to meet a lot of new people and make new friends.”

However, when Tufts was asked which sport was the most popular, he said:“The most popular sport is probably soccer. There are 65 students in the SUSC program and another 40 in the PE soccer program, plus almost 30 in the ACCESS. So that is 130 students playing soccer each day.”

He also stated that “Weight training and tennis are very popular as well”.

When asked about the least popular sports, Tufts responded that “Diamond Sports and Recreational Games had a very low sign-up so we didn't teach those classes.

The smallest classes are Golf and Walking.”

The sports program ends today, two days before everyone heads home Saturday.

On Monday night, summer students from the Access Exeter Creative Arts Cluster demonstrated their theatrical talents by performing three one-act comedies, all of which had some serious (and mostly not-so-serious) advice for the audience. Under the direction of summer theater teacher Amy Beth Gelineau, over thirty summer Exonians provided tips and tricks on subjects ranging from fighting zombies to succeeding in high school without much effort. While the usefulness of zombie warfare techniques is debatable, the enthusiasm of the cast and the hard work put into the production are not, and these three performances were a welcome and humorous break from the Exeter summer communities’ more serious projects, commitments, and homework.

Though a zombie apocalypse may seem unlikely – unless one is a fan of AMC’s "The Walking Dead" – it is always better to be safe than sorry. Be prepared! In Don Zolidis’s "How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse," two government agents provide advice and inspiration to a small group of humans who are fighting to stay alive as the world around them turns into a land of brain-eating zombies. One bit of advice given by the agents is to fight off the undead using martial arts, or one could just use good old-fashioned trickery (“Hey, Zombie – what’s that behind you?” as you make your escape when the zombie turns to look behind her).

More practically but less kind, don’t forget that you can always sacrifice the weaker survivors to save yourself.

It may look easy and effortless, but comedy has its own set of rules. In "The Rules of Comedy," by Peter Bloedel, the student actors reminded us that comedy is like a science, where some things work on stage while other things

just don’t. Using Shakespeare’s play "Hamlet" to prove their theory that comedy has rules, the cast members took us inside Shakespeare’s classic tragedy to teach us about comedy. Rubber chickens used as a theater prop? Funny.

Realistic looking ghosts on stage? Not funny.

Gorilla suits? Funny (even just a hairy part of a gorilla suit is funny). Using real clubs to fight other actors? Never funny. This humorous take on tragedy and comedy by Peter Bloedel as performed by talented Exeter summer students?

Always funny.

More important for those of us in the audience who are in high school or heading there soon, the cast’s presentation of Jonathan Rand’s "How to Succeed in High School without Really Trying" provided great advice on how to get ahead at school, whether at Exeter or somewhere else. At the beginning, government agents inform an audience of 8th graders that they have “temporarily kidnapped” their teachers and infiltrated their student assembly to provide advice for high school. And what advice is that? In addition to legally changing one’s name to “what?” to get out of attending classes, one should always speak in English class with “100 percent authority,” whether one knows what she’s saying or not.

In other words, it’s not important to understand what you’re saying as long as you say it with all your heart. We are assured by the agents that following this golden rule of English class, and the other rules described in the play, will guarantee high school success.

An evening of humor, especially humor geared toward students our age, is always welcome at Exeter. We are thankful to Ms. Gelineau and the summer Creative Arts students for reminding us not to take ourselves too seriously and, most of all, to enjoy each other’s laughter.

Jawuan Walters /The Summer Times

THE FEW. THE PROUD. THE MERRILL. Jawuan Walters/The Summer Times

Ralph Blumenthal/The Summer Times

Yikes! Germ Attack!

By DIVYA SETH Contributing Writer

As our wonderful time together at Exeter ends, we must protect ourselves from the real threat. Flight Germs.

Studies from the American Society of Microbiology conclude that certain bacteria can live up to seven days on a plane. It is estimated that luggage comes in contact with over 80 million different bacterial microbes during a single flight.

E. coli is found on the surface of the restroom counters in planes and besides bacteria there is radiation. Exposure to radioactivity is measured in milliSieverts (mSv). The average background radiation on the ground in UK is 2.5mSv a year and if you are flying for approximately ten hours a week it adds 4mSv to your exposure. A way you can protect yourself is simply wearing sun screen, especially if you have a window seat.

Just think about it: one restroom for 75 people. While no data actually suggests that people are more likely to get sick from flights, it

is important to be prepared. Make sure to sanitize your seat and tray table with disinfectant wipes.

Sanitize after you wash your hands. Also do not go barefoot through security checkpoints or on the plane because there is a possibility that you can pick up a fungal infection and the carpets are not always vacuumed and cleaned.

If you plan on sleeping, use your own blanket and pillow rest, as most times they are not cleaned, simply repackaged. Also as clichéd as it sounds, drink lots of water. Most importantly, make sure to protect yourself from other passengers who might be sick. Avoid touching your face and nose, because that how diseases spread. Also it is a common myth that, the air in the flight cabin has a large amount of infectious bacteria airborne. This is incorrect; throughout the cabin, air is continuously filtered.

I hope you stay safe and healthy on your way back home!

By KANAT YAVUZ

Summer School Staff Writer

Merrill Hall, the oldest building on campus, is known as a girl dorm but for this summer, Merrill is a boy dorm for the first time, and has 38 boys (including me). We all know those boys for their victories on Field Day and dodge ball. “They’re just a very strong group of guys, both physically and mentally which makes them undefeatable,” said Can Yağan, from Main Street.

It really makes everyone wonder; “How do they manage to do it?” Boys at Merrill Hall are very good friends. Everyone knows each other, and they refer to one another as a brother.

Kai Goerg said: “We’re not just a dorm, we are a family. Our friendships and strengths came together and formed an amazing team.” Boys at Merrill, believe in and trust their friends, which is the most important thing that a team should have. When you lose, instead of arguing, your teammates should support you, which is exactly why Merrill is such a great dorm. They motivate eachother and they strive for greatness!

Merrill Hall has many strengths, but do they have any weaknesses? Josh Jun said: “Our strengths are teamwork and the way we motivate eachother. Weaknesses? We have no weaknesses.” What makes a team average is their trust. An average team has no trust. A team that’s good, focuses on how to motivate friends when needed. “We have a good group of guys and we just came together well and managed to overcome the obstacles that we were facing,” said Walter Hubsch.

As Dylan Hernandez put it: “We never use the word 'friend' at Merrill because we don’t have friends. We have family and I believe that’s what makes us a unique dorm. The moment Field Day started, we heard Merrill Hall roaring, and we saw them motivating each other.

There were times when Merrill Hall was about to lose but instead of giving up, they tried even harder." Faisal Aljaber said: “All we wanted was to win the first competition of Summer School.

We wanted to show the other dorms how strong we were, and what we were capable of.” Merrill Hall did have strong opponents; however, they still managed to win. As Remy Naud said, “We don’t see other dorms as opponents because they can’t compete with us.”

Not only were the students of Merrill Hall strong, but their dorm heads as well. The dorm heads and the kids won this competition together.

Before the game started, the dorm heads talked to the kids and told them how to compete with other dorms but before tactics, they talked about fair play. Both dorm heads are very proud of them. John Corrigan said:“I’ve been doing this for a long time. This is a group that has bonded quicker and better than any other group that I’ve worked with. I am very proud of the kids.

A small dorm never beats big dorms and I think that is because they are closer.”

Students at Merrill Hall are more than pleased to have Corrigan and Matt Denunzio as their dorm heads. “It’s always good to know that you have adults counting on you," said Josh Jun. "For us, as a team, we were very pleased to see our dorm heads supporting and motivating us non-stop. We knew that even if we lost, our dorm heads would be proud of us. Knowing this, motivated us to go beyond expectations. We are very thankful to the best dorm heads John and Matt. If it weren’t for them, we won’t make it.”

Merrill Hall, also known as the undefeated dorm, is proud of its victories and will never be forgotten for its accomplishments. “Our team work is the essence which lights our everlasting fire,” said Kai Goerg.

THE SUMMER TIMES

By TAMSIN NOTTAGE

SUMMER LIFE

Waves

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

By RANON LARPCHAREM

By LEANNE LIN

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

The smooth, caressing waves Soften my journey calloused feet.

The trip had taken many days One giant and weary feat.

I had sacrificed lots to travel here However, all was worth it Knowing I would reach my Montauk dear All I can do is sit.

Tranquil waters complete the scene Of the overcast bitter end.

The pacific ocean provided a screen Separating the real world from those who wish to pretend.

For now I will rest upon the sand Watch the clouds roll past and the waves roll in.

Soon I will sit up and take in the peaceful land A place where the dreamers lie within.

7

Boom! The waves crashed against the shore loud, powerful and strong.

Thunder wiped away the oars, as the ocean sang fearsome songs.

An unlucky passenger gets lost at sea, in the midst of eternity.

No one would listen to her mournful plea, knowing that it was the end of her journey.

The waves howled and pranced.

The clouds darkened up the sky, as the waves advanced.

The unlucky passenger cried, “who will help me?”

She yelled out “Will anyone answer my plea?”

Alas her voice just echoed about No one answered her plea The blustering winds laughed The tremulous thunder roared the boat perished and so did she.

I hear the waves drum upon the shore And the birds singing their harmonious tune I hear the whales roar And the drizzling Thai rain of June.

I feel the warm, chunky sand And the sun’s presence comforting me I feel the presence of the glamorous land As I glance at the stunning blue sea.

I see the foamy waves crash upon the sandy shore And the crowds of people sprawled among their blankets, Soaking the sun’s rays I see dolphins swim among the shores, hoping they’ll bring more And I’ll always be here, Even when the ocean changes in the most drastic way.

My Soccer Band of Brothers I See...I See...Sea Lions!

By TAYLOR WEEKS

Summer Times Staff Writer

The last 5 weeks have been a turbulent time to say the least. From running around getting story after story for Journalism, finding my book for Global Justice, to trying to keep concentrated filming and editing during and after Video Production, my time here has been hectic. But, there was usually something to look forward to, and that was playing soccer in Seacoast. Knowing that I will be able to play a game that I love to the bottom of my heart was something that was close to euphoric.

I’ve gotten to know the group and team as a band of brothers who have been a huge part of me as a steeping stone to maturity, and

By MARIA CLARA COBO Contributing Writer

I could feel myself melting as we bounced on the waves, but the whistling wind blew the heat away. The water rocked us back and forth, and I could no longer distinguish the sea from the sky. It took some time for me to realize that the boat had finally stopped; we were in the middle of the ocean.

The water reflected the loneliest cloud in the sky, and it whispered welcoming words. My eyes met Rafaela’s, as if we could somehow read each other’s minds. We hurried to put on the snorkeling fins and to cover the glasses of our masks with toothpaste to prevent them from fogging. I was ready. Before my sister could think twice about going in, I pushed her out of the moving boat. The impact of her body in the water only made its movement stronger, taking away my balance. Splash! My body fell into the motionless waves, washing away the unbearable heat. Through my glasses I could see nothing but the sunrays piercing like knives Located at 109 Water St. is Ganesh. Ga- through the turquoise water, and my sister’s nesh is a local Bohemian-styled women’s clothing store that offers a wide range of products from henna to Indian cloth handbags.

Sales associate Jen Poulin said “EvBy JOY (ZHICHUN) ZHANG eryone seems to be doing henna now, and Contributing Writer our flash tattoos are very popular and make great accessories.”

Have you ever imagined discussing inter- if there are times when the final result may not Ganesh also offer an assortment of national problems, human rights, nuclear control be personally satisfactory, we have learned how Indian and middle eastern influenced pat- and similar interesting issues in a class where to listen, discuss, make a compromise sometimes terns. The store hand picks fabrics of bags four totally different languages can be heard? and reach a common consensus with everybody to be sent from India.

Have you ever tried doing model U.N. around else in an acceptable manner.

“These bags are probably the most a Harkness table? But this is only the tip of the It is a class but also a family. Sometimes versatile,” said Poulin. iceberg of what we do in the United Nations class. when we are in a heated discussion, we stand up The bags are normally used as fashion Multi-cultural diversity leads to a wide and debate. When someone’s computer doesn’t statements because of their vivid colors, range of different experiences. We share our work or somebody is going to give a speech, but they are also reversible and can be used memories of participating in protests, witnessing we are always eager to help. We have tensions as beach bags and school bags. the problems and changes in the places where we and laughs, but after all, we are a big family. I When deciding what to wear to the live. I notice how much my peers care about their remember the time we first met, we were too end-of-summer Dance, fashion gurus have countries, their compatriots, and the world as a shy to talk with each other. In the first two model to take all of this into consideration. Where whole. We talk about regional conflicts, education U.N.s that we did, we had fierce fights. Gradually, to shop? What to buy? How to match? systems, gender equality, freedom of speech and as we got to know each other better, we learned Hannah, Yeerem, and Poulin men- media censorship. No matter how different our to understand each other and care for each other. tioned that what is really trending is confi- cultural backgrounds are, no matter how far the Although we are so different in many ways, I can dence. Though Hannah enjoys shopping at distance between our countries is, we are brought feel the stronger cohesiveness among us. places like Mango and Zara, Yeerem enjoys together to this single round wooden table this The U.N. is a place where differences and shopping at Topshop, and Poulin enjoys summer. We are here with our common concern disagreement can be easily found. While at the selling clothes to people who enjoy fashion, about the world, with the world, for a better world. same time, it is also a place with help, coopthey all come to a consensus that you have It is a class of democracy. We are given a eration, understanding and love disregarding to be happy in what you wear. full chance to decide how we run the model U.N. national, racial and ethnic barriers. The art of “That’s what you should choose your During the process of choosing the topics and communication makes a difference. In the United clothes by, what you feel happy in,” said countries, divergences and disagreements inevi- Nations class, we are all diplomats and socialists!

Hannah. tably happen. We feel free to deliver our different At the same time, we are all dwellers in the global opinions and vote to make final decisions. Even community.

a sense of stability. Just knowing that for an hour and a half, I would be playing a sport that I love, and just dedicating that time to getting better at the sport -- well, it has been an honor playing with you guys!

When we leave a place we hope that we made an impression, that we left a mark on the place we leave. That we will be remembered in some way. I hope that I will be remembered there as the most acrobatic goalkeeper there, as well as a brother on a team where the brotherhood was transparent. Now that we leave in a few days, I want to say thanks for the experience. Thank you Seacoast United!

Fashion Trend:Confidence

By ANGELICA L. MARTINI Summer Times Staff Writer

With summer coming to a close, what is called “trendy” is changing. Many students at Exeter embrace the trend transformation and convey this through things they wear every day or plan to wear in upcoming events such as the end-of-summer Dance.

“I like that we have so much vintage fashion,” said Hannah Scheithauer. Seventeen-year-old Hannah noticed that many of the clothes she found in her mother’s closet are similar to what could be found in popular clothing stores such as Top Shop and H&M. “I love that you can see crop tops, high waist pants, and flair jeans almost everywhere,” said Hannah. She noted that she even borrowed the vintage chic idea from her parents to trail trends during her time at Exeter. She plans to wear a short black and white checkered crop top for her dance performance on Wednesday, August the 5th, and Thursday, August the 6th.

Though being popular is indeed what makes a trend trendy, some choose to stray away and fabricate their own style. Yeerem Chum is an upper school student who takes a more Gothic approach to her brand. To Yeerem being stylish is black lipstick and high-healed combat boots.

“I don’t really follow the trends, I make my own style,” said Yeerem.

Additionally, many boutiques in the town of Exeter supply the latest couture.

chopstick legs dancing to the swiftness of the currents.

As we looked below us, our eyes were blinded by the intensity of innumerable different colors, some of which I didn’t know existed.

Coral reefs blanketed the deepest grounds and starfish illuminated the path for the fish to fly in the transparency of the water. As we swam along the marine jungle, I caught the glimpse of a dark spot, slowly moving closer to us. As that spot began to multiply itself, I thought that my glasses were probably clouded. I reached out to the surface to fix them, when I heard Rafaela scream, “Sea lions!”

Before I could take in some air, she pulled me by my arm. I could not believe what I was seeing; we were surrounded by a pack of sea lions that swirled through everything that was in their way. Our bodies floated motionless at the spectacular show before our eyes. Big sea lions were followed by their babies, that danced their way through the crowd. As unexpectedly as they came to us, they disappeared into the depths of the ocean.

Exeter's Own United Nations

My Loves: The Bronx...and Daisy

By JUAN SANTOS Contributing Writer

In New York City, The Bronx is the borough of diversity, food, music, girls, and crime.

The Bronx is where I spend my life trying to become a man. "The Bronx can either break you or make you.” The Bronx influences people’s choices but accepts their failures. I grew up in this borough of struggles and poverty where I learned to love my life.

Bronx neighborhoods are filled with people from Italy, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Canada who live in the same neighborhoods. The streets are filled with all different genres of music which pours from car radio speakers and $20 speakers from Walmart.

Music is a big part of the Bronx so there is plenty of music to choose from. There’s Old School, Rap, Country, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Bachata.

Music affects the social life of teenagers in the Bronx. When people start public school they often have to make up their minds which music group they want to be part of before they even go to school. In school music can be heard throughout the classes,halls, and the lunchroom is no exception. The lunchroom is the stage for those who want to show off the music they enjoy listening to. On one side of the room people are blasting One Direction while on the opposite side people are listening to Wu Tang Clan. I am part of the group that likes to listen to all different music genres. Many people refer to me as “ the

Wizard” because I am a good poet and rapper.

I perform in the lunchroom, often making rap lines. For example, I might say “I am the title and composition, I have more lines than your notebook so there is no competition.” I love the lunchroom especially when the music is louder than the fire alarms.

The Bronx has food that is a major part of one’s life. There are many places to visit in the Bronx for food. Chinese, Mexican, Italian, French, and Jamaican restaurants have food that make stomachs happy. I often go to Tony and Tina’s near Little Italy because it is near my house. The food there tastes great because the meat is well cooked and the bread is homemade.

The Chinese food can be typical fried rice and wings but there are places that serve Sushi and Wasabi from Japan that will explode your taste buds. Chinese food in the Bronx tastes great because it is cooked and not frozen and microwaved. The food is spread all over the Bronx so there is no going hungry. Fish sprinkled with lemon juice with a side of rice that comes from South America. Cheese Cakes with milk from cows in Europe. The food will amaze one’s sense of taste.

Crime is a major part of the Bronx. I live near the most dangerous street in the Bronx called Mt. Eden, which isn’t terrible. I encountered many dangerous situations where I was uncertain whether I was going to get out hurt or dead. One day when we had half a day I was

chased by some gang members because I was in the wrong section of the Bronx called Port Morris. I met bad role models such as drug dealers and gang members but I have never followed in their footsteps. There have been incidents where crime increased by 6% from one year to the next. I know friends who sell drugs or take them. There are peaceful days and horrible days in the Bronx. Crime may vary depending on the street you live in. I live on 187th and Prospect which has 134 robberies a year and 47 homicides. Most of the people who die are younger than 24. I am proud of the way the Bronx has nurtured me because I have learned how to defend myself in hazardous situations.

Crime in the Bronx is nothing but a life because all you do is learn how to survive.

The girls in the Bronx are a mixture of Spanish descent and European origin. They can be classy, top notch models, or just plain gold diggers. I only experienced one positive effect from the girls there. I met a girl named Daisy, who was French and Puerto Rican. She had beautiful white milky skin and curly hair that looked like she had cotton candy on her head.

Her body was well proportioned, and she had a personality that turned me into Romeo. Daisy was outgoing, optimistic, and loyal. I became a poet because of her. She was a vital part of who I am because we belonged together. We both loved music and poetry so I decided that I should impress her. She left the Bronx because

her family had better financial opportunities in California.

I first met Daisy was when she transferred from her school to mine. I was listening to Drake-Trust Issues when I saw her looking intently at me. Our eyes connected and that moment felt like a romantic movie when the two main characters meet. I started to talk to her and she was kind and respectful when I talked about my rap songs and stories. Daisy asked me if I wrote poetry and I responded “Yeah, I’m a great poet”, which was a lie. The following week I spent more than 45 hours trying to write a poem that she would like. The first poem I wrote was called “ Juan.” It was about me loving my mom and growing up without a male role model.

When Daisy was about to leave for California I wrote her a poem called “Thousands Of Miles”; it was meant to be a goodbye letter but I had to tell her how much I liked her. I still talk to her but the Bronx is where I had my first love so I love the memories I have there.

The Bronx neighborhoods are now my fingers; I know them like the back of my hands, The Bronx is a place where dreams come true or dreams stay dreams. I am a young priest because I treat the knowledge of my neighborhood like religion because it makes me keep going in life. I grew up in the Bronx where each part of the culture became who I was. I have absorbed the music, food, and personality of the Bronx.

I am the Bronx.

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THE SUMMER TIMES

SUMMER LIFE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

SUMMER SENSATIONS Compiled by RALPH BLUMENTHAL, JANE PARRIS & TAYLOR WEEKS

Courtesy of Ralph Blumenthal