Imagine the crystal clear water of a swimming pool rushing up to meet you as you dive beneath its surface. Picture the sand under your feet on a Hawaiian beach, a tropical breeze sifting through your hair. And think of the blades of a helicopter whirring as you prepare to step inside and learn how to fly the large gray machine.
For many this summer, daydreams like these will become reality. Although they might not influence your own summer plans, these articles can give you some idea of what you might like to do this summer, or might just entertain you. It may come as a surprise that helicopter lessons exist and are available for high school students.
Summer gives us time to take a break from this school year and to prepare for the next. It’s often a welcome break, for students and teachers alike. Although summer can often feel too short, it is important to remember that we as Americans have a very long summer vacation compared to other countries.
Following this, you will get a chance to watch WJ students describe some fantastic summer highlights, and read about other exciting plans.
Top Summer Activities
Max Levine
Trying to unleash his inner outdoorsman, senior Max Levine is getting ready to go on a 9-week trip as part of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The journey is broken up into three trimesters, each focusing on different skills, including hiking/backpacking, rock climbing and river travel. Levine has always been a very outdoors-oriented person.
“I love being outside, and, as an artist, I draw most of my inspiration from observing nature,” he said.
He recommends that people who are interested in this should really be committed to such an experience. This program teaches key survival skills which Levine plans to use as a preparation for his gap year in Kenya.
Jacob Sheppard-Saidel
Freshman Jacob Sheppard-Saidel plans to set off on a three-week cross country biking trip this summer. Saidel is going as part of a program called deCycles Indiana. The group will start in Indiana and ride all the way across New York and up through Maine, where they will turn around and go back to Indiana.
Obviously, this is by no means going to be a breezy ride, and Saidel has been practicing in order to get in shape for the expedition. Saidel decided to go on this trip because “[biking] is very enjoyable, and it’s not running.”
Having heard about this program from his dad, Saidel thought it would be a fun idea and is getting ready to go on the trip.
