intermediate program summer site : conversations : first session



	harrison from new jersey (7/21) Harrison is entering 8th grade and his second session this summer at Explo! He's excited to meet all of the new students and perform at Explo Idol once again! So as a two-session residential-student you’ve spent the weekend on campus. How’s that been? It’s been a lot of fun. Kinda sad. But since I’m staying two sessions, I’m gonna meet a lot more people. Definitely! There will be so many new faces so soon! What were some of your favorite things about last session? The dances were always a lot of fun, ‘cuz they always had a fun atmosphere. It’s a great place to get to know people. So long as you don’t set out to dance with a single person, you can dance with everyone, get to know everyone. So, that’s what I did last session and like, I ended up knowing, out of 600 people ended up knowing like, 550. I remember you did Explo Idol! You really got the crowd going! That was very cool. Are you planning on participating again? Yeah, mosh pit! I’m gonna do it again with one of my friends this time who’s staying two sessions. Do you know what song you’re doing this session? I’m gonna do the same one again (“All-Star” by Smashmouth) and then I’m going to try to go for the talent show and go with the same person and for that one I’m gonna do a song by Queen. What classes are you going to take this time? I don’t remember what classes I’m taking, but I know I do need to change one of my classes, Explobotics, since I actually took it as a mini-course last session, but I didn’t realize I had it as a regular course this session. So building a robot, programming it was a lot of fun. Obviously you’re excited about new people coming in, are you nervous at all about meeting new faces? No, the only time that I’m nervous is when I’m on a roller coaster about to get on. I’m scared of heights, that’s my only fear. What has been your favorite thing about Explo so far? Either the people I’ve met, both the kids and the staff or, the trips. The trips were a lot of fun, even though on my first trip I used up all of my pictures because I wound up my camera and it went off in my pocket. That stinks! What trip was that? Um, Hammond castle. It was a lot of fun getting to see all the armour and weapons and stuff. I also went on trapeze and iMax, Blue Man Group . . . What’s one thing that you’re really going to miss about Explo that just makes you really happy to still be here? The sense of community. Getting all these people together and it being able to hold together is really like the best thing. I agree with that! What’s the strangest thing you packed? That’s a good question . . . probably that I brought twenty dollars of quarters… Good for laundry! Is there something you want to do over from last session? The one thing I would have changed is that I would have definitely auditioned for the talent show or off-Broadway night, that way I could have done something there. For the past couple of years I’ve taken, like, six acting classes, so . . . So you like to act . . . what else do you like to do? Uh, for my size you wouldn’t guess it, but I like to play football. I like to run track and field, hang out with friends. If Explo had a mascot what would it be? I know for last session it was Pablo the Polar Bear, but I thing it would be really funny if the mascot was a Platypus. You don’t really think about it, but it would look really cool. more conversations > first session \| second session