junior program summer site : conversations : first session



	alex from canada (7/23) Alex is a Pioneer entering 5th grade. He's eager to learn and try new things at Explo this summer -- particularly in his guitar and moviemaking classes. In fact, the courses are his favorite part of Explo, but it's hard to pick just one favorite thing! He also enjoys the trips, like excursions to amusement parks, and he hopes to try simulated skydiving this summer on the "Wind Tunnels and Windmills" trip. What have you been up to today? Well, I had my first class, which was “School of Rock”. That was really fun. I’m actually learning a song and I have it here in my pocket. [Pulls out sheet music.] It’s “Brain Stew” by Green Day. My dad owns an electric guitar, so I’m probably going to practice with it. Do you use acoustic or electric guitars in that class? They’re electric. We each get one to use, and they’re very nice. Have you ever played guitar before? Not really. I wanted to try something new. Are you a Green Day fan? I’m not really a big fan of Green Day, but the song is good. What have you been doing in that class? Well, first we learned a very simple song, which was “Smoke on the Water”. Later, I’m probably going to try learning “Eruption” by Van Halen. What’s your favorite band? I would have to say The Beatles. Do you have a favorite song or album? Hmm. . . It’s probably “In My Life” on Rubber Soul. About 1967, I think. That’s a good one. So tell me about your other class. My other class is “Lights, Camera, Action!” We’re going to make a movie. We got an idea of a comedy about some director who tries making a million dollar movie, but it’s turning out to be a very cruddy series of movies. So, the producer that he gives the movies to finds them hilarious because he thought that he made them that way on purpose, but really he was just trying his best and he had a low budget. How did your class come up with that idea? We brainstormed for a while, and we just sort of meshed a bunch of people’s different ideas together. What was it about those classes that were appealing to you? I figured I would try learning another instrument because I play piano, and next year I’ll also be getting a band instrument, so I figured, why not? I chose “Lights, Camera, Action!” because I like directing, I like having cameras around me, and I like acting. What will you be taking for your mini-courses? I’m taking woodworking, which I’m really looking forward to, and chess. What’s different and special about Explo classes? Well, there’s no homework, and it’s very stress free. I like that it’s very free and you can do whatever you want -- well, virtually. I’ve been liking every second of it! They make me like learning. What is the staff at Explo like? They’re very nice and they’re fun. They act like kids sometimes, but they’re strict when they need to be. Is it easy to make friends here? Yes, it is. People don’t judge you by how you act or whatever. You can find a lot of people that like you here. I’ve made a lot of new friends, and I’ve also seen a lot of friends from last year. The ones that I’ve met from this year are from my day group, but I know from last year that I’ll make friends in my classes, too. What are you looking forward to this summer? I’m looking forward to the trips -- I love those. I’m looking for the days we can sleep over, and the main events such as Final Party and Carnival Night. My favorite trips are the ones to the amusement parks, like Water Country and Canobie Lake. Are there any new trips you’d like to try this year? Yeah, I’d really like to try “Wind Tunnels and Windmills,” and maybe Boulder Morty’s rock climbing gym. So, you have an activity period next. Do you know which one you’re going to go to? Yeah. For the first activity period, I’m probably going to go and play Ga Ga. What’s that? It’s a game where you have a ball, and it’s kind of like dodge ball, but you can move all around the field. You can’t get hit between your head and your hips, but you can roll the ball and you can hit balls back with your hands if you see one coming. I played it before in gym class once. What do you like about activities at Explo? Actually, I find them more unique than classes at school, because you usually know what you’re about to do in school, like in gym class. Sometimes they aren’t fun at school, but here they are. They’re always fun. What’s your favorite part about Explo? Wow, that’s hard. It would probably be my classes. They’re new and exciting. I haven’t tried any things like that in a long time, and they’re fun. They’re usually things that you don’t get to try anywhere else. If you were to give advice to someone thinking about coming to Explo, what would you say? I would tell them, “Yes, go ahead,” and, after the Program, thank your parents a lot. You’ll be very proud after you come back, and you’ll have a lot to talk about. You could inspire a lot of other people to come, and make new friends. Describe Explo in one word. Wonderful. If Explo were a type of food, what would it be? When you hear this, you’re going to find it really gross, but this is my favorite food. . . escargot. It’s buttery, creamy, chewy, and it lasts long. One day at Explo seems like a week full of fun, and you can mix a lot of things within it. more conversations > first session \| second session