Posts Tagged ‘Academics’
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Hey every one its Drew McEachern here with another blog post. Now that we are in Chile, me and all the boys thought it would be a good idea to learn how to hit on Chilean babes. We were trying cat calls out of the windows but it did not seem like we were getting anywhere 
, so we asked Carla, our Spanish teacher if she could help us out, which she did.
We turned one of our Spanish classes into a date class, learning how to ask girls out and having Carla teach us some useful pick up lines! It was great fun. Later that day we went into town and David Miller got to skip his Spanish class to come with us, but the catch was that he had to take a video of him talking to a Chilean girl.
It was some good laughs watching David try and try, but he just failed every time. The 1st girl he tried to pick up was this 40 year old woman on the beach. He did not realize she was that old until he tried to talk to her! That gave us all a good laugh. At the end of the town trip I decided to step in and give David a hand, too bad it did not help at all! We both got shut down. hmmmmm …. We then realized we need to work on our Spanish more before we could get some girls. So its back Spanish class to practice up for our next town excursion!
Tags: Academics, Chile, Chileans, Culture, Drew McEachern, Pick up lines
Posted in Academics, Culture, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Whitewater Countries | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
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This is a photo essay. Basically a compilation of photos that share a basic theme. My photo essay details our journey through this year, starting in Ottawa first quarter, and ending in West Virginia. I tried to end each section with a night photo, but that was a little difficult. I would like to point out that even though the last shot is not of anyone in our group I feel it describes how we as a group are.
Tags: Academics, Chile, Chile Rivers, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, high school, Huge Experiences, Huge Move Of the Day, kayak, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, Photography, whitewater, whitewater kayaking
Posted in Academics, chile whitewater rivers, Culture, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Kayak School, Kayaking, Photography, Uncategorized, Whitewater Countries | Comments Off
Friday, May 7th, 2010
The past week and a bit spent on the Ottawa River was pretty great. Garb came in which was a real treat, but is kind of strange for the spring. Baby face, corner wave, and push button were also great practice. The week though was pretty hard academically as most of us were and still are preparing for the AP exams that we we do this week here at Tino’s house. It was also a little hard as Lorenzo was not in the country so his classes had to communicate over webcam. We took a field trip also to the Canadian Technology and Science Museum, and I am sure you have all read the essays that we had to do for homework. The week weather wise was not preferable as there was some rain and there were a few days that were a little cold. We closed the time out with a trip to Niagara Falls where there were helicopters ridden, attractions visited, and falls scouted. That was our time spent.
Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, kayak, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, Ottawa river, Photography, whitewater kayaking
Posted in Academics, Culture, Intructional, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Kayak School, Kayaking, Uncategorized, Whitewater Countries | Comments Off
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
I chose to do my assignment on long exposure photos, but that just wasn’t really working out for me. Instead, I captured the essence of the Ottawa River Valley.
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Tags: Academics, Photography
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Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
“Turn that light on.”
“Wake up!”
“Now tell me where you have hidden the gold!”
“Speak up!”
“Now tell me again and DON’T F****** MUMBLE!”
“Shock him.”
“Now tell me if there are traps.”
“Don’t talk to me like that!”
“Now tell me the right answer.”
“Get the bucket and drown him.”
“Let him up.”
“Now tell me about the traps.”
“Give me the right answers and get out of here quicker.”
“Now tell me how to disarm the traps.”
“I said speak up!”
“Now tell me again or things will get a lot worse.”
“Get me some pliers.”
“Now tell me what to do when I get into the cave.”
“Pull out his teeth.”
“Stop struggling or the pliers might slip.”
“Clean up that blood and tell me how to reach the gold.”
“DON’T F****** LIE TO ME!”
“Now tell me, was that so hard?”
“Untie him and throw him over board.”
“Don’t talk back to me. Understand that he is no longer useful to us.”
“Return to your posts and get this ship moving.”
“Understand that we will find that gold.”
Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, Go Huge Experiences, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, whitewater, whitewater kayaking
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Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The other day we took a field trip. We went to Ottawa, our nations proud capitol. Everyone was all excited because they wanted to see our parliament building that was made out of ice. They were however mad too though because they thought that Canada did not have roads yet so that it may take us a while to get there. They also were wondering about the lack of dog sleds in summer. Nothing Jess or I said or did would convince them of the fact that Canada is a well functioning country with advanced modern infrastructure and a nice list of achievements. We arrived at the Canadian Technologic and Science Museum. Every one was shocked at how every thing here was as nice or nicer, more like nicer than in the States. The museum itself was pretty sweet as there were many cool exhibits on Canadian achievements. I liked the trains. They were big. There were also sections on things like Canadian Space travel, the Canoe, and the first nuclear reactor in Canada, which I believe we had before the States. I enjoyed the exhibit on all the things that we invented, like the snowmobile, basket ball and a way to effectively produce insulin for diabetics. Every one seemed to become more accepting of how Canada was actually a country and they became less ignorant. However I think that most everyone thought of it as a joke. I don’t think that that is how you should treat your neighbor. Do you? Mostly I think it is from jealousy or something else along those lines. All that I have to say to them is: Stop making fun of us, eh? We know all aboot stuff, Ok, buddy? So stop. Please?
God save the Queen! And I will see you on the water!
Tags: Academics, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, Kayak School, matt hill
Posted in Academics, Culture, Intructional, Kayak Gap Year Abroad, Kayak School, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Friday, April 16th, 2010
The Nantahala Outdoor Center is a bustling place with restaurants, whitewater rafting, equipment rentals, picnic tables right at the playhole for boater viewing and a whole plethora of cabins and campsites. Good thing it’s still the off-season! Much of the time, we have this whitewater Disneyland to ourselves. We are camped at a more remote location which is about a five-minute walk from Base Camp, where we have classes, meals and heated showers. The Base Camp facilities are pretty awesome- the biggest kitchen we’ve seen yet and many shower stalls flowing with endless piping-hot water! Not that steamy showers are a huge neccessity this week because the weather is tricking me into believing that we are actuallly in the middle of July. It is downright HOT. Luckily, the icy Nantahala River is a five-minute stroll, tops. This week’s location is a bit unusual for us as we are normally in more remote areas. It is almost a special treat for the students to be able to interact with other kids, boaters, Appalachian Trail hikers and vacationers, not to mention having the ability to buy a pizza for lunch! Our campsite is just right for us, 7 wooden platforms and canvas tents surrounding a fire-pit. Tino made excellent use of the fire-pit for his mentor activity last night. The group grilled out over an open fire, letting tasty meats and veggies cook slowly on a bed of coals, then building the fire back up to roast s’mores!
As previously mentioned, this week is focused solely on playboating. The students will be competing in the NOC Shoot-out this weekend, up against all the playboating superstars. (I’ll be sure to post the results!) After many hours of practice on the NOC wave this week, I’m confident that they will do great! The wave here is a bit special – it is a man made wave, formed by a collective effort of throwing rocks into the river. There is even a sign posted which reads, “Please do not change the wave!” There will also be an attainment (upriver) race, which some of the staff are competing in.
The group is getting along great. We are taking advantage of this excellent group space to play evening games of Catan and Scrabble. Last night we celebrated Alex Anderson’s 16th birthday with a German chocolate cake. All the students are upbeat and excited about this weekend’s competition.
Our base here is somewhat of a traveling-teacher’s dream, with tables and quiet study space galore. Several students are working on cool projects to break up the monotony of indoor work, such as Tino’s survival class, which is stirring up some fresh, country apple jam!
I hope everyone is doing well back home, and be sure to check back after the weekend for competition results.
Callie
Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, high school, Kayak School, new river academy, whitewater kayaking
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
The recent photo project by Matt Hill about abstract photography. I think these images are pretty sweet.
See you on the water!
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Tags: Academics, Freestyle Kayaking, Gap Year, gap year abroad, go huge, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, kayak, kayak high school, Kayak School, Kayaking, matt hill, new river academy, Photography, whitewater, whitewater kayaking
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Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Lorenzo en el Rio Negro
Katie Kowalski
hanging out in camp
Every morning, the students emerge from their cozy tents, tucked away in the security of the mossy trees. Our campsite here in Hornopiren is perched atop a grassy knoll that slopes gently downward into a craggy ravine, directly to a gorgeously turquoise 10-foot waterfall. This waterfall makes up one of three that we have been running on the Rio Negro, whose tantalizing whitewater is so close to our tents that we can hear it in our dreams. We are enjoying the wonderful countryside hospitality of our host, Dona Tato, who has been serving up three delicious meals a day- she is even spoiling us with homemade pastries for breakfast. Nights are rolling away while we congregate around the campfire, singing along to Tino and Matti’s guitar and Andy’s fiddle. Lorenzo’s ghost stories have us all convinced that his family’s home is haunted.
Weather has been delightful- sunny, warm, perfect, and has allowed for our classes to cluster around the funky, hand-made wooden tables in the yard. My AP English students had a fun project this week, where they learned the importance of being familiar with both sides of an arguement before taking a stance on it. I had them prepare to write a persuasive essay on a controversial topic, repeatedly warning them to investigate the opposition’s viewpoint as well. When the day of the in-class essay arrived, the looks of horror on their faces revealed my sneaky plan. That’s right, they had one hour to write an essay that was exactly the opposite of the thesis they had planned. Matt’s photo classes have been utilizing the gorgeous sunsets and surrounding countryside to explore the world of landscape photography. Taylor and Eric made slideshows showcasing Al Capone and the Flapper era for Tino’s history class.
Today we had a race down the Rio Negro, on a small section beginning with a 25-foot waterfall and ending with a bang as the students landed that boof from the top of the 10-footer. What a great way to end our time in Hornopiren. I left the students back at camp, packing up their tents and gear bags, preparing to rise and shine at 5:30 am tomorrow. We will get on an eight hour ferry to Chaiten, where we will be about two hours away from the town of Futaleafu. I’m sure everyone shares my excitement in experiencing this legendary river!
Tags: Academics, Chile Rivers, Freestyle Kayaking, gap year abroad, go huge kayaking, high school, Huge Experiences, Photography, whitewater kayak photography
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Monday, February 15th, 2010
All of my English students are reading and writing up a storm! Classes have been full of thoughtful discussions, inspiring authors, and story, essay and poem construction. If that doesn’t sound like paradise, bear in mind that all this occurs outdoors, perhaps under a shady tree, with a breathtaking view of the volcano.
Our daily schedule begins with Taylor and I furiously scribbling sentences in Creative Writing; currently, we are dissecting Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Taylor’s passion for words makes her a delight to have in class! My AP English seniors, Stephen, Matti and Tracy, are analyzing their opinions on the effects of war and the possibility of peace as we read Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. Zoe and Kyle are busy discussing Alice in Wonderland as an allegory for adolescence, and writing endlessly, developing skills to construct the perfect essay. In World Literature, Eric, Alex and Clay just finished essays on the importance of freedom after reading Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Now we are studying Chilean history as we embark on The House of the Spirits, a political, semi-autobiographical novel by Isabel Allende, one of Chile’s best-known authors. My British Lit students, Jessica and Chase, are reading poetry by Chaucer and Shakespeare as they dream up sonnets and soliloquys of their own.
Student dynamics are great in all of my classes, and I am thrilled with the level of cooperation and the willingness to discuss.
Callie Morgigno
Tags: Academic Report, Academics, Go Huge Experiences, go huge kayaking, high school, kayak high school, study abroad programs
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