Sending a Student to Exeter Summer
Hey, it’s Moby from the Hamm Leadership Program! So my group and I just wanted to let you know about what we’re doing for our Capstone project and to ask that you participate. Trust me; it’s for a good cause.
Sooo… We are actually doing a fundraiser to raise money to send a student, who may not have the financial means to come here, to Exeter Summer! Yeah I know, it’s going to take a whole lot of money to do that. That’s why WE need YOUR support and participation to achieve our goal. We actually have two activities to help us raise money.
First, the Candygrams. Send a fun card and a lollipop to a friend to let them know that you appreciate them. The candygrams will cost only 2 dollars each and can be bought at the student activities center with your Lion Card. We will run this from Monday, 22nd July to Saturday, 27th July. Make sure you get these soon!
Also we have the Dorm Donations Competition. Donations can be made at the Student Activities Office in cash or through your Lion Card. Any amount is appreciated but if you give, know that you have given someone an opportunity to attend Exeter Summer. As I said, it’s a competition. The dorm with the highest percentage of participating members (members that donated) would win an ICE CREAM PARTY. We will run this from Monday, 22nd July to Thursday, 1st August.
However you give, know that it’s going to a good cause.
For any questions contact:
Moby: (646) 350 9921
Ava: (808) 757 8090
Elisa: (347) 559 2592
Hedley: (718) 840 8246
Thank You,
Moby
Partnering with Chucky’s Fight
The students in the Hamm Leadership Program are currently in the process of completing a Capstone project. The Capstone will give the leaders-in-training a chance to put “leadership in action” into real world context by developing a project that positively impacts our community. Our group chose to pursue raising awareness to prevent opioid abuse. We did this by partnering with a nonprofit called Chucky’s Fight. Chucky’s Fight was founded by Chucky Rosa several years ago after his life was changed forever by the effects of opioid abuse.
A brief statement by Mr. Rosa about his life and his nonprofit is as follows:
“My name is Chucky Rosa and I am a non-profit public speaker in the presentation of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. I am very passionate about the cause and I dedicate a significant amount of time teaching to youth about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
“My family and I have been momentously affected by the tragedies of addiction. I have lost two sons to addiction (Vincent and Domenic) and I have vowed to make a difference through awareness and education. I believe if I can save at least one child, through hearing my story and sharing my experience of loss, strength and hope, it is all worth it.
“In an effort to get my message across to those who are suffering from addiction and to realize they are not alone, I have created a website called ‘chuckysfight.com‘. When my sons passed away, they were cremated and their ashes were spread into the ocean. I wake up each morning, take a dip into the ocean every single day (regardless of the weather) and start my day with both of them. My wife and I record the daily ritual and offer a positive message to viewers on the ‘chuckysfight.com‘ website to start each morning. We encourage others to join us in the celebration of life, clean and sober.”
As you can see, Mr. Rosa has made the best out of his situation by spreading opioid abuse awareness throughout New England. On July 22, Mr. Rosa came and spoke at the school to a group of PEA Summer students who were interested in learning more about this pressing issue. The questions asked by the students were particularly insightful, allowing all whom attended to leave with a better understanding of opioid abuse and what Mr. Rosa is trying to accomplish.
On July 25, in the early hours of the morning, students took a bus to Portsmouth, NH, to take a dip in the frigid ocean waters with Chucky. After a pep talk was given by Chucky, the students jumped in the 50 degree Fahrenheit water in solidarity, showing that they were willing to make a stand against opioid abuse. The students agreed that it was an experience like no other, and were glad they chose to participate.
We were able to inform the dangers of opioid abuse to a worldwide audience. We hope that the PEA summer students will share this information in their own communities and help us to truly make a difference around the world.
– Henry Egan
Toiletry Drive at Exeter Summer
70% of Exeter Summer students planned to throw away their toiletries at the end of the session. When applied, this number means that roughly 500 of this year’s 700 students planned to dispose of their toiletries at the end of the summer.
While the idea of toiletries thrown away may not seem too drastic, few students are aware of the struggles that families living in shelters go through daily. When it comes to personal hygiene, there are tons of unsanitary products that are being used by families that don’t have access to quality products.
Our group in the Hamm Leadership Program hopes to assist a local shelter in providing for their residents. The Crossroads House is a local family shelter where over 100 individuals are being sheltered. This large number of residents requires a large number of supplies; we are organizing a toiletry drive in which students may donate whatever remaining toiletries they have at the end of the session.
Acceptable products include shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and other bottled products. From 8 am on Sunday, July 28th to 8 pm on Wednesday, August 1st, dorms will be able to collect toiletries from their students. After 8 pm on Wednesday, members of our group will come to each dorm to collect the donations and will count how many items each dorm donates. The dorm with the most items donated will win an exclusive ice cream-party for its residents! Donating something as small as a bottle of shampoo may seem like it’s not worth it, but everything counts.
There are 101 residents sheltered in Crossroads House. 27 children call it their home. We have this one great opportunity to improve their lives.
For any questions or concerns, contact:
Louise Rosenbaum (lrosenbaum@exeter.edu)
Kush Kapoor (kkapoor@exeter.edu)
Aisha Sarsenova (asarsenova@exeter.edu)
Avonte Thomas (athomas@exeter.edu)
Gabriel Delgado (gdelgado@exeter.edu)
Instagram Page on Reproductive Rights
Last week, the Summer Times published a guest contribution by Arlette Carino and Jolie Lenga from the Hamm Leadership Program. Arlette and Jolie once again reiterate the importance of staying informed on topics regarding women’s abortion rights, and request that readers follow the Instagram page @factsofreproductiverights for more information.
Beach Cleanup
Calling all Exeter Summer students! Are you a beach junky? Have you never had the opportunity to go to the beach? Search no more! Students Juliana Arteta, Logan Baker, Liv Jespersen, Matt Ramstrom, and Shirley Wang of the Hamm Leadership Program are teaming up with the Blue Ocean Society to raise awareness for combating litter on New Hampshire’s coast. On Friday, July 26th, you will have the opportunity to venture to Hampton Beach with these students for a beach cleanup night! The group will depart from Tan Lane at 5:15 P.M. and leave the beach by 8 P.M. to return to PEA before check-in. To sign up, check your inbox for a Google Survey and fill it out. It will request your first and last name, email, and pizza preference.
“Why a beach cleanup?” you may be asking yourself. Well, New Hampshire only offers 18 miles of coast line and brings masses of tourists every summer. This often leads to a dense and overcrowded beach environment. As for most events or destinations that harbor thousands of people, the issue of litter tends to arise. The trash discarded by tourists includes but is not limited to: plastic bags, cigarette butts, cans, clothes, bottles, paper cups, paper plates, and plastic utensils. This negligence leads to many environmental issues. Coastal animals, like seagulls, and pets can ingest these items or get caught in them, potentially leading to fatal complications including asphyxiation and intestinal blockage. Not only that, but humans can accidentally step on and/or come into contact with hazardous items that have sharp edges, disease, or harmful substances.
This hazard of trash obviously poses a massive issue to the New Hampshire coastal environment. The group’s goal is, again, to raise awareness by collecting AND recording the litter. Data cards will then be sent back to the Blue Ocean Society to give them a better perspective of where and what type of litter is being deposited on the New Hampshire coast. We hope to see you there to help succor one of New Hampshire’s greatest environmental problems!