By Mauranda Men ’16 and Elizabeth Merrigan ’16, Staff Writers

From Creative Writing to Camping

Maggie DeNoon ’16 went on two separate two-week excursions. On a creative writing program by Putney Student Travel, she traveled to Ireland, exploring places as iconic as Dublin as well as the relatively-unknown island of Inishbofin. Maggie describes the island as “what you think of when you conjure a mental image of Ireland. It’s got the hills, the sheep, cows…” For her, this trip was an inspirational experience where she was able to connect to her Irish roots and explore Ireland’s rich literary history — and, of course, produce some pretty amazing writing.

In addition to her tranquil travels in Ireland, Maggie fulfilled Newark Academy’s Immersion requirement this summer with a boating trip by Outward Bound. She clarifies, though, that the fulfillment of a graduation requirement was “only a small part of the reason” for her travel. Spending over a week on a 30-foot pulling boat (no lower deck), she found that it was difficult not to bond with the people she was traveling with. As Maggie most poetically puts it, there really were “spartan accommodations to the extreme.” The absence of a lower deck meant sleeping in the open air together and using the water as a bathroom. On the boat, all of the participants rotated through specific jobs: captain, navigator, or cook, as examples. The second week, they all had a 24-hr solo camping experience on Burton Island, with just a bagel, an apple, and a handful of trailmix for sustenance. Camping, Maggie enjoyed her only “alone time” available in those two weeks. There were also personal challenges to fulfill like a three-mile run, a swim, and even a jump off a cliff. Maggie gleaned a new sense of confidence from this trip, explaining that she exceeded all of her own expectations and enjoyed one of the best trips of her life.

Cross Country on Wheels: Only Daniel Ratner 

 For Daniel Ratner ’16, an excursion inconceivable to many mortals was a fun, albeit extreme, way to spend six weeks of his summer: biking across the United States from the sight of the Atlantic to the vistas of the Pacific. Add in the fact that this was a self-supported trip, with no extra help or supplies other than what was strapped to the bike, through the Southern states in July, and this trip becomes an almost insurmountable plan. Unless, of course, you’re Dan. Beginning in Charleston and ending with a leap into the Pacific at Santa Monica, his Overland Summers trip through plantations, plains, plateaus, and deserts, fluctuating temperatures, and 16 flat tires was tough. He became an expert bike mechanic, since he needed to fix his own. He saw almost every sunrise for 6 weeks. It wasn’t just nonstop biking, though. Every now and then, there would be a “buffer day” for sleeping late, resting, and fun events, like a backwoods prom where invites could be hidden in bike tires. He commented that the trip was  “more mentally frustrating than physically frustrating. Biking for miles and miles of land. I doubt that my brother could’ve completed it. This really prepared me for junior year.” His cathartic trip was most valuable for its change of pace. “Here at Newark Academy, we all have so many little deadlines and tasks to finish. On the road, I found simplicity. It was only about tenacity and making it to the next stop. In a way, the pace was slower.”

Testing Limits, 5,895 meters up

 From August 8th to the 17th, Cameron Sadeghi ’16 and Adam Branovan ’16 traveled to Tanzania to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Cameron and Adam journeyed with Abercrombie and Kent, a travel company that organizes trips to destinations from Asia to the Arctic. They took the Machame Route, beginning at the Machame Gate, a lush rainforest at the southern base of the mountain, then headed toward the Shira Plateau and

 circle halfway around the mountain. Completing the route took 7 days in total—5.5 to ascend and 1.5 to return, but the climbers also spent several days acclimating beforehand and debriefing and traveling afterward. “The feeling of accomplishment upon reaching the top was the biggest highlight,” Cameron said, “although seeing the five different ecological zones as we progressed up the mountain was very cool, and the group was great.” At a height of 5,895 meters, the climates at the base and at the summit of the mountain differ drastically. The group began each day at five in the morning, leaving camp at seven and reaching the next camp at lunchtime, where they would either stay for the rest of the day or leave to continue hiking for another 1-2 hours. Along with the considerable difficulty of the route itself, the climbers were required to acclimate to new altitudes. Adam described the trip as “very rewarding,” and Cameron commented, “I think it changed how I view myself and my limitations.” More photos from their incredible journey can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/camsadeghi and a video about climbing Mt. Kilmanjaro can be found here.

Building Up: Community Service in Cambodia

Last June and July, Liz Cornman ’16 participated in a 25-day service immersion in Cambodia for students aged 14-18. The trip was titled “Off the Map: Cambodia” and was hosted by Rustic Pathways. It centered around community service with a focus on infrastructure and education. The group first visited Phnom Penh, the capital, then explored Otres Beach, historical museums, and finally, Mondulkiri, where the group engaged in their first service project. Although it is the largest inland area, Mondulkiri is the most

sparsely populated province in the country. Because it is so rural, the community suffers from crippling poverty and experiences isolation and social exclusion. Two thirds of the year, the people struggle to find enough to eat and drink, and only six percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation. Liz worked with the local children at the schools there, teaching English, sports, and games, delivering school supplies, and participating in construction projects. “There were these little moments where we would be painting a school and all of these kids would watch,” Liz said. “They were so interested and excited, even if it was something that seems so little to us, like adding a fresh coat of paint. When we finished and opened the doors, the kids would run inside and open up their books.” The construction work was a meaningful service project to Liz. She noted,”If that’s what it takes to get kids to take pride in their school, then think about what else we could do to encourage education.”