intermediate program summer site : conversations : first session



	matthew from england (7/18) Matthew is a residential student enjoying his third year at Explo. This actor and travel enthusiast spent a week in Oman before coming to Explo this year. Although he was born in Connecticut, his family moved to Switzerland when he was young and now lives in the UK. We spotted his bright blonde hair by the curb ball court and were jealous to hear he has spotted Jude Law on the streets of London! So, How are you liking Expo overall? It’s my third year coming here and its pretty cool. I went to the Junior Program for two years and then I came here. What classes are you taking? I’m taking “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Actors Workshop”. They’re both very good. What have you been doing in them? Were doing one song for “Give My Regards To Broadway” and then we're doing a pantomime piece in “Actors Workshop”. Which at first I wasn’t very happy about, because it didn't seem like real acting [to me], but now I’m feeling a lot better about that. What are you doing for the pantomime piece? Its like “The Circus of Our Lives” and we're doing stories in our lives . . . stuff like that. So did you all write a story? We do three . . . Well, we do one larger story and then three smaller stories that all interlink together. Excited to perform tonight? Yeah, very. How do you like your teachers? Do they differ a lot from your teachers at the Junior Program? They’re actually very similar. My teachers are pretty good. They’re both really nice. I think they’re better because they’re more serious because they take themselves more seriously because we’re older. And at the Junior Program you don’t have to do as much work. But here you really have to work to achieve a goal, and they really ask a lot of you, which is really fun and you feel really good about it. Sounds like you really like to travel and act, any other interests or hobbies? I know I’ve said that I don’t want to do work in the summer . . . but I really like school. And that’s what’s really good about Explo. Because you can take it like you're at school or you can take it like you're at summer camp . . . and it’s a really good mix. You could do like “Robotics” which is algebra and stuff or you could do “Mythbusters” and do cool stuff with, like, Coke and Mentos. What mini-courses are you taking? I’m taking “Improv” and “Stage Combat”. How’s stage combat? Stage combat is really fun. I mean I’ve taken it as small tasters. The first year at Explo I did stage combat as an activity, but we didn’t get too serious. Then this year I actually went to Munich for a drama festival with my school, which was very cool. I took a stage combat course there, but it was only a day . . . so, I mean, its really nice that here I’ve done six hours of stage combat. I think I’ve learned so much in this little period of time and I think its been really helpful. Have you been encouraged to try something new this year at Explo? Yeah, I mean I’ve been trying all the activities that I would normally never do. Like, really weird ones, things that I would never do at school, like the singing telegram or something. I do that here because I don’t really care [what people think] and I think it would be so much more fun. Don’t care what other people think or what? Yeah, I mean, here you see people for three weeks and then half the kids you won't see for two more years . . . And so it doesn’t really matter if people think you’re kinda weird . . . you can be yourself and it doesn’t make a difference in what people think. What’s your favorite thing about being a res-student? Res-students have to do everything with Explo, so it’s pretty cool, like main events and stuff. I used to get homesick really easily, but now I really don’t, because I’ve spent . . . well, these are some of the best times of my life [at Explo], so I’ve gotten over homesickness and I think I’ve gotten over shyness here. So have you found it easy to make friends here then? Yeah. I think it’s a lot easier. Nobody is pretending to be somebody they’re not. Everybody is just very honest about who they are. How do you like the food? Its good, its good. I’m a very picky eater but as far as I can tell its good. I’m not that adventurous . . . like if it's like a weird turkey thing, i'll just have the pasta. No one really hates pasta, so it’s nice to have that at every meal. What will you miss most about Explo? My friends. I mean, especially this year, I’ve developed relationships with not only people in my grade but also people in 9th grade. Which is actually really sad because I won’t get to see them for the next two years because they’ll be at the Senior Program, so I’m really upset about leaving. And also I'll miss the aspect of, like, the nonchalant-ness. I know that’s not a word, but, kind of like the you-are-who-you-are,-you-don’t-need-to-pretend then . . . And everything that really makes a difference at home. Like, all the problems you might have at home really don’t mean anything here. So it’s really nice because you can get away from all of those things, be with friends, and be who you are . . . which is really great. If Explo had a mascot what would it be? Well there’s Pablo and Oscar . . . Well, it would definitely be the coolest mascot ever, I would have to say. I don’t know what animal would actually represent it, because there’s so many aspects of Explo. There’s the sport aspect, there’s the art aspect, there’s the drama aspect, there’s the academic aspect . . . it’s hard to find something that could represent just everything. more conversations > first session \| second session