Following Global Initiatives, Exonians Travel

From studying giant tortoises in the Ga- lápagos Islands to listening to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation address in Vatican City, Exonians particpiated in over a dozen term abroad programs in over ten countries this year.Exeter Global Initiatives, one of Prin- cipal Tom Hassan’s Immediate Priorities, has had a vibrant year, marked by the found- ing and movement of several term abroad programs and study trips, two on continents where theAcademy has never offered abroad programs before. A new fall term in Ghana is set for fall 2013, and the previous winter term in Spain was moved to Ecuador as of winter 2012-2013.The 2012-2013 winter was also theBuildings To See ChangesBy ALICE MCCRUM and SAM YOOStaff WritersELM STREET DINING HALLFollowing an installation of a double conveyor belt to convert to trayless dining and reduce water waste, Elm Street Dining Hall will undergo another series of renovations this summer.Dining Services Manager Dan Ferland said that the renovations were necessary for making the dining hall a place to serve students better and create a quieter working environment. “The dining hall has been working out fine, but it definitely needs some upgrades,” Ferland said. “For starters, the serveries are designed with one main line, so our through-put is very tight. As you can see on busy days, the line can go all the way out the door sometimes. The lighting and sound panel updates are much needed. We are in a position where anything we can do to upgrade, we are excited for.”Director of Facilities Management Roger Wakeman outlined the work that is being planned for the next two upcoming summers.“The work that we started on the dish room, the mechanical work, and the work on the entryway that was already under contract is going to continue, and right now we are working on finalizing for this summer what scope may occur,” Wakeman said. “We may be working on the lighting and ceilings this summer, but that is still being developed, and then in the summer of 2014 will be more of the major reconfiguration of the dining areas and the larger portion of the project.”Ferland voiced his wish to gain the support of the Academy community for the renovations at Elm Street Dining Hall. “We are hoping that we get theSee RENOVATION, A6Stefan Kohli/The Exonian The Health Center undergoes renovation.

first term that students went abroad to Rome through the Classics department. Addition- ally, the Stratford Program in England will resume for fall 2013 after a one year hiatus.English instructor and Director of Global Initiatives Eimer Page spoke of the benefits and popularity of term abroad programs. “Students and faculty who leave campus find that they return with a fresh perspective. They gain a real understanding of the language and cultures they are studying, and they can also view their own culture with greater objectivity,” Page said. “Travel is often said to broaden the mind, and I think almost all of our participants would agree wholeheartedly.”Senior Kayla Oliva described her ex- perience living with a host family in China during winter term as a mixture of “learning and pure hilarity.”

Initially, the group found themselves unable to comprehend most of what their instructors were saying, she said. Through use of iPad dictionaries and collaboration, they slowly developed a confidence for the language. Now, Oliva says, she misses speak- ing Chinese every day.Upper Davis Leonard, who spent her upper year abroad in Rennes, France, was drawn to the city’s various social and politi- cal movements. Within months of arriving in Rennes, she joined a feminist organization and several political organizations, involving herself in meetings, protests and conferences.“It has been so amazing to not only develop my understanding of feminism, but to develop it in French, and to prove tomyself that I can function in the language

in a community that is constantly engaged in passionate discussion,” Leonard said. “It has been amazing to watch myself learn to think and deal with all sorts of subjects in French, and to have my view of the world change and expand in ways I was not ca- pable of imagining before,” Leonard said.Upper Crystal Lee, like Leonard, found herself influenced by the movements happening in the city she was studying in. Lee, who decided to go on school year abroad to Italy, arrived in the country knowing absolutely no Italian, but eventu- ally learned to communicate with her host family as well as understand the political life of Rome and the Vatican. “This has been a really interesting year politically and for the Catholic Church. I got to witness the elections and even got to see a candidate. I got to see the old pope's last message before he stepped down in Rome,” she said.In addition to term and year-abroad programs, Page also noted the popularity of shorter study-trip programs that were introduced for the first time this year, such as the Exeter Explorations trips during Thanksgiving Break and a student-faculty work study trip to India over spring break.Senior Leo Luo attended an Exeter Explorations trip to New York City, where a group of students visited non-profit orga- nizations, met with beneficiaries to discuss the challenges of running a charity, and saw firsthand the challenges of the inner-city educational system. “We listened to a girl speak about how she was ready to drop out of school in 7th grade, but was motivated to continue by a teacher—and now she’s in ninth grade, and ready to be a lawyer,” he said. “Her speech was so articulate, well-written, and professional. It really showed the value of educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”Although the future of Exeter Ex- plorations was initially in doubt due to the shortened Thanksgiving break next year, Page said they will continue during next year’s spring break. Two trips planned include studying urban planning in East L.A.’s Boyle Heights with John Phillips Award Recipient Maria Cabildo ’85 and an outdoor leadership program in rural Utah

with English instructor Jason BreMiller. In addition to student trips, faculty members also go on group trips. Religion instructor Tom Simpson, who traveled to Israel with twelve other faculty members over spring break, recalled witnessing the prayers at the Western Wall. “I have been studying religion for decades, but that first encounter with the real thing -- the electric atmosphere and the stunning proximity of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holy sites -- was an incredible experience,” Simpsonsaid.“So much of what we saw movedme to deep reflection, even to tears-- the massive scale of the settlements, the suf- fering of Palestinians, the museum dedi- cated to Yitzhak Rabin's courageous and fatal struggle for peace, and the children's memorial at Yad Vashem [the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem] all affected me at the core of my being.”This summer will also be a busy one for Global Initiatives. Students will travel to numerous foreign countries on school- sponsored language immersion programs, as well as explore fields such as science and the creative arts through school-sponsored internships. Students will also undergo independent research projects through the StuCo Fellowship program.Experiences from their time away from Exeter continue to impact many students.“I’m still pen-pals with my host grandma, who’s 74 years old,” Oliva said. “She called me this Chinese phrase which means ‘friends without age.’ I want to go back so badly—before I left there was so much fear that I wouldn’t be able to get used to living in China, or that I wouldn’t like the food, but that obviously wasn’t the case. I’m amazed by how much my Chinese improved and by all the culture I was exposed to.”

Senior Brooke Goddard, who spent winter term in Quenca, Ecuador, agreed. “Going abroad is almost like visiting someone else’s life—realizing that there are different universes out there that people are a part of,” Goddard, who is planning to continue studying Spanish in college, said. “It makes you more aware of how many people there are out there that you have yet to know.”