senior program summer site : conversations : first session



	kayla from new jersey (7/11) Kayla is entering the tenth grade and enjoying her second summer at Explo, her first at the Senior Program. She is obsessed with The Titanic and would like to study business law in college. What is your first course and what have you been doing in it? My first course is painting and we’re just exploring our own personal talents and using them and expressing them through paint. Is there a particular style of painting that you like? I do not like watercolor; I like acrylic, I like oil – anything that’s not too watered-down, I like to really splotch it on there. Do you have a favorite artist? Michelangelo. What’s your second course? Intro to Business Management. It’s so much fun! We’ve just been learning group dynamics, like, how to do public relations and how to get your company to look the best . . . like through ethical behavior and that kind of stuff. Which subject do you prefer, business or painting? I like them both for different reasons. Business, because it’s more intellectual . . . but art because it’s more artistic . . . and I enjoy both sides. Is there one of those for which you’re considering going to college? Business – law, in particular. What mini-course did you do last week? I did “Theology and Philosophy on Film”. It was really fun; we listened to a lot of types of lectures and stuff about different people's ideas, and different religions, and movies — which I thought was really interesting. One of my favorite parts of the class was discussing Star Wars. What about your second mini-course? The one you started today? It’s knitting. It’s a small class and we all get along really well . . . just from, like, the first hour. We’re all working together, so we’re teaching each other and helping. Have you ever done any knitting before? Yeah, I took an intro class at Explo last year. Actually it was just an activity last year during the activity period, so I never really got to go the full length. I am making a scarf now. What trips did you go on last weekend? I went deep-sea fishing and to the aquarium: a lot of fish. How were they? The aquarium . . . I got there and realized I’d been there before, but then there was a Titanic exhibit and I love Titanic so it was really fun. Deep-sea fishing was early. [Laughs.] It was fun in a different type of fun way, because everyone was sort of on there tired, but we had some fun moments and there were some interesting people. Did you go to the speaker series yesterday? I saw Eva von Dock. She talked about anorexia and eating disorders in general. Did you learn a lot? I did. Her style of teaching was very different from other speakers. She acted everything out, so that was very interactive. And she kept it short, like, going from character to character to character, so you weren’t on one person for too long. What has been your favorite main event so far? Club night. My entire living group getting ready for it . . . we went all out. I wore this red dress with these really cute shoes. Are you enjoying living in your suite? Yeah, I think my suite is just different. We have a fun dynamic and everyone’s a little bit different . . . so we have all our little quirks together. You mention this is your second year at Explo but first time at the Senior Program. How is this year different? More freedom. This year, I really like my suitemates, too . . . and I have a single, which is the best part! My suitemates are from Spain and New Hampshire, North Carolina, and New York. Do you find it at all difficult to make friends? No. I learned from last year to be a little bit more adventurous, so some days I just go up to random people and start talking to them, which I think is really funny. What is your favorite thing about your living group? That we’re just random. We just say the most random things, or have the random conversations . . . but we all get it. Do you think Explo is preparing you for college? Yes and no. College will offer more liberty, but I guess this is like a precursor to college. I think as you go up in the Programs you sort of get a little more freedom. I think as you get to your senior year of the Senior Program, you don’t have to go on all trips, so you get a day off, so that’s sort of the pinnacle of what we get to here. Have you thought about schools to look at? Yes. Columbia, University of London, Sarah Lawrence, Wellesley after visiting last year, Yale . . . What are you looking forward to most at Explo? Hanging out with my friends and going to the gym. We do everything: we go into the exercise room, go on the treadmill with our iPods, go to the track, hang out, and go into town afterwards. What advice would you give someone coming to Explo for the first time? Be very open. If you really try to open up, you’ll learn something. And, also, don’t touch the squirrels. What will you miss most about Explo? All of my suitemates; we’re so close, it’s so sad to think about it. Can you tell me something interesting about yourself that most people don’t know? Well, something interesting that many people know is that I’m obsessed with Titanic. Not just the movie: everything to do with The Titanic. I’ve read all the books and seen all the movies. I’m obsessed with them. My favorite fact is that one woman didn’t trust the ship – they said it was unsinkable, but she didn’t trust it – so instead of sleeping at night, she would stay awake the entire night and go to sleep during the day. So when The Titanic did hit the iceberg, she was ready to go. If you were a kitchen appliance, what sort would you be? A refrigerator: so cool. more conversations > first session \| second session