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SPECTRUM
“Your Voice in Print”
blakespectrum.org
Thursday | December 5 | 2024
ISSUE IV
The Blake School
Students Spend First Semester Away School year abroad brings unique experience and allows for new, impactful friendships and connections
Submitted by Nick Gajdusek
Gajdusek and his peers touring and walking through the castle on top of Montjuïc, Barcelona.
Submitted by Nick Gajdusek
Gajdusek (red shirt) and his other classmates enjoying visits to various caves and sites in Spain during their free time.
Ella Evans | Contributing Writer
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hat does studying away look like? Where are some students now? Studying abroad offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves into new cultures, languages, and academic environments. Right now, several blake students are studying away in destinations such as Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Dion Crushshon, Social Studies Teacher and Director of Global Programs, said that eight to 10 students usually study away each year, although there are currently seven.
Lucia Heathcote ‘25 and Macaella Sikhoya ‘25, shared information about their recent adventures abroad. Heathcote, who spent the 2024 spring semester in France, described the significant impact her host family had on her experience, emphasizing how essential a good host experience is to making the most of studying abroad. She also described her classes at School Year Abroad (SYA), where her history and language courses were taught in French, while math and English classes were taught in English with American teachers. “The classes were quite different from
at Blake,” she explained. Heathcote experience included learning about architecture through reallife examples through field trips. The structure of her classes were more “lecture based,” as she puts it, with less group activities and partner work. Similarly, Sikhoya, who studied in Italy, emphasized the impactful, lasting friendships she made with her peers on her trip that she maintains to this day. Crushshon addressed some common concerns that students have when considering studying abroad. “Many students are nervous about how the Blake curric-
tenance department of the Upper School. What prompted his decision to come to Blake was that he felt it was somewhere he was “not just somebody…and has meaning.” Ferugson’s job can be summarized as “ensuring [the school] is working like a well oiled machine.” Bradley added onto Ferguson’s description, saying one of his duties is to “make sure that this place isn’t falling apart… at least at a cosmetic level.” Ferguson noted that he works hand and hand with faculty to make sure that the physical aspects of the building are unkempt and working nice.
As for students, Bradley says the most important things students can do to keep their jobs easy is following signage. “The biggest offense is you guys [students] not using those racks for your backpacks, just throwing them on the floor,” said Bradley. Alternatively, Bradley appreciates the school community for their understanding of a custodian’s duties. “It seems like everyone does understand that what we do and what specifically I do is a necessity…[most people] have been expressing gratitude.” Additionally, Bradley acknowledged that he feels extremely welcomed in the school community
ulum will match up with the curriculum of the classes that they take while away,” he explained. For programs like the Swiss Semester, the academic rigor can
Nick Gajdusek
Gajdusek and his peers visiting the Monument to Philip IV of Spain in the centre of Plaza de Oriente in Madrid.
be even higher than at Blake, which can have an impact on the student’s grade, according to Sophia Peterson ‘25. Additionally, homesickness has become a prevalent issue for some, but Crushshon reassures students that it is a natural aspect of the experience. As of right now, there are seven students studying away. Campbell Arthur ‘27, Raina Prigge ‘27, and Chloe Kern ‘27 in Switzerland, Nick Gajdusek ‘26 in Spain, Aryanna Rossi ‘26 in Italy, Teddy Bower ‘26 in Washington D.C., and Ava Mittra ‘26 in France. Students in Switzerland do not have access to their cell phones. So to capture some of Arthur’s experiences in Switzerland, his mother shared on Instagram: “He has been busy hiking, studying and spent the weekend in France. He is loving it and thriving” She later added that, during a parents’ weekend when she visited Arthur in France, “We did ice caves, gorging, helicopter tour, and a killer hike with 3 [kilometer] vertical (up only) in only four miles.” Studying abroad offers students a unique experience filled with opportunities and experience that extend far beyond the classroom. As students studying away make friendships and adapt to new academic atmospheres, they are also learning about and engaging with different geographical and cultural parts of the
Custodians Work to Make Positive Impact New staff looking to improve community Andrew Jetton | Staff Writer
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fter a chaotic start to the year in the custodial staff, Bobby Ferguson will join us as Assistant Maintenance Lead and Thomas Bradley will join us as Junior Maintenance Technician. Before coming to the Upper School, Ferguson worked at a Toyota car dealership and at a Discount Tire. Ferguson spent three and a half years in management at Discount Tire, which helped prepare him to oversee the main“My heart plummeted and my eyes began to water as the entire crowd shakily sat soundless, taken aback by the sullen scene on stage.”
Variety: Page 4
Students voice their opinions on Taher’s best and worst lunches.
Food: Page 5
Faith Zhao
Ferguson and Bradley joined the Upper School community as custodians this year.
so far, saying that students and teachers have come up to him in the halls and start simple introductory interactions such as asking for his name.
Although Bradley hasn’t been at the school for very long, he loves the flexibility of his job. “I can do things at the pace of Tom, which is my pace,” said Bradley.
After only losing two players to graduation, Boys’ Basketball is ecstatic to get back on the court and contend for a state champtionship.
Sports: Page 6