Junior Urban Adventure

What is the JUA: A Student's Perspective

2011-04-11T12:45:00.001-04:00

When I asked Mack '11 to make a JUA video he jumped at the chance. He was a student on the trip last year so he understood the program and I also appreciate his thoughtful perspectives and film skills.

Here is the video he created. I think it's so much more valuable to have a student produced video explain this program than anything I could have made. That's what the JUA is all about: young people taking action to not only learn about things they care about but also to give something back. Thanks, Mack!

New Media 1: Final Project

2011-03-28T12:47:00.001-04:00

It's not a Game it's a Franchise: Final Project

2011-03-28T12:28:00.001-04:00

Women in Professional Athletics: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:49:00.001-04:00

New Media 2: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:41:00.001-04:00

New Media 2: Final Project

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

This Pill Will Help You Feel Better: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:37:00.001-04:00

This Pill Will Help You Feel Better: Final Project

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

The Science of Shopping: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:36:00.000-04:00

Here is the presentation from the Science of Shopping group... please also see their video below!

The Science of Shopping: Final Project

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Race, Justice & Law: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:29:00.001-04:00

Race, Justice & Law: Final Project

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Life Against Life: Final Project

2011-03-28T11:25:00.001-04:00

Life Against Life: Final Project

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Gridlock: Final Project

2011-03-28T10:05:00.000-04:00

Global Voices: Final Project

2011-03-28T10:01:00.000-04:00

The Global Voices had so much media & data they couldn't fit it into just one presentation! First check out their video 'What would you change...'

Next check out the data they collected during the trip.

This video is a nice summary of their program.

And their presentation wraps it all together.

Final 2010-2011 Slideshow

2011-03-25T09:05:00.002-04:00

New Media Two: Individual Impression

2011-03-24T21:54:00.002-04:00

Everyone learned many new things and had new experiences during the JUA. Below you will find a brief description of everyone’s favorite part.

Jake Kiley-
My favorite part of the trip was listening to the presentation that was put on by Mr. York’s brother about 1band 1brand. It was interesting to hear about a unique idea that one of our teachers had a part in.

Conner Redman-
My favorite part of JUA was touring the House OF Blues. Learning the history and the many famous people that have stepped foot inside the building really inspired me.

Ava Donovan-
My favorite part of the trip was touring the House of Blues. It was interesting learning about what happens behind the scenes. I also enjoyed learning about how to promote things and what the right and wrong way to do it are. Peace and love <3

Matty Fay-
My favorite part of the trip was seeing the Phantom Flex camera demonstration. Even though I didn’t understand most of the terminology, watching the footage that they took around Cambridge in slow motion was epic.

Brad Vance-
My favorite part of this JUA experience was learning about the organization 1band 1brand, which focused on the promotion of new and upcoming artists. It was a major influential experience for anyone with an aspiration for a music career.

Kat Windels-
My favorite part of the New Media JUA group was informing people about 1band 1brand, it was something that I feel will give a lot to not only the artists and designers but also the community. Giving people the information about this organization will help broaden horizons and expand the knowledge and awareness of others to media.

Cullen MacAndrew-
My Favorite part of the JUA experience was visiting The House Of Blues. From the recycled wood from hurricane Katrina used for the portraits to the Indian tapestry used as wallpaper, The House of Blues was filled with history, along with hosting some of the most popular modern day artists, it was an experience of a lifetime.

Connor Gallopo-
My favorite part of JUA was visiting The House Of Blues. This was a great experience, and really inspired me. The artists that have played there are true legends, and the way they represented them was incredible. This trip was a great way to widen my understanding of the music industry.

Chris Pingree-
My favorite part of JUA was when we got to go to the House of Blues and get a fantastic tour. This was my favorite part because I got to see the number one place to hold a concert in the world. Another thing is that they had an amazing set up for music and lighting. I am so glad that NHS holds this for the juniors every year because it really helped with college. Thanks.

New Media Two: Day Two Recap

2011-03-24T21:44:00.004-04:00

After breakfast this morning we walked a mile and half to Rule Boston Camera to see a demonstration of the high-speed capturing camera called the Phantom Flex. It records at speeds over 2500fps(really really fast).

Here's a cool video the studio showed us made with the Phantom Flex.

After that, we took a tour of the Berkelee School of Music. The tour was interesting for many people who have a strong love for music. Berkelee is located in the center of Boston making it a unique campus and different from other colleges. We saw where they practice and perform many different types of music.

We walked to Newbury St. to grab a quick lunch and do some street promoting for 1band 1brand. We passed out and promoted 1band 1brand by handing out tokens with their logos on it, and spoke to the public about what they're all about. We found out that promoting isn't an easy task. We learned that there are right and wrong things to do when promoting. One big one is that you don't want to make it seem like your just looking for money. In order to attract people you need to think outside the box. One thing that 1band 1brand does great was instead of having regular business cards they put their logo on a wooden token as a different way to stand out.

Finally, we went on a tour of the House of Blues with Bob Dougherty, the Foundation room sales manager. The House Of Blues is the number one music venue in the world. The original House Of Blues was built in 1995 in Harvard Square and was then moved to the current venue next to Fenway Park. While we were visiting we learned a lot about the history of the venue, the original artwork throughout the venue and why it is so popular today. A lot the world’s greatest artists have performed there. Overall we learned that the venue is all about music, how it originated, what its meaning is, and what it means to the world.

New Media Two: Day One Recap

2011-03-24T17:49:00.004-04:00

We arrived at the hotel in Boston, and dropped off our bags to go explore Cambridge. We found an ally way with graffiti covering the wall (even some from Banksy), some unique local coffee shops, and spotted some interesting people. After wandering around for a while, we went over to the MIT student center to eat. We next went back to the hotel to get ready for our 1band 1brand meeting in the hotel’s conference center. The meeting was with our group leader’s (Tyler York) brother, Kyle York, who is a driving force behind the newly created 1band 1brand.

http://www.1band1brand.com/ 1band 1 brand is a website promoting upcoming independent artists and clothing brands. They send out weekly updates completely free to subscribers, through email and newsletters. Kyle York spoke to us a lot about new and interesting ways to market products, and how we can get involved with the business side of the arts.

After the meeting we proceeded to Quincy Market to get something for dinner. There were a large variety of great tasting foods to choose from. After eating the group walked around and checked out the little shops that were in the market area. After leaving Quincy Market, we headed to the T station so we could catch a ride into the campus of Berklee, which is a world-renowned music school. At Berklee we watched a concert in the Red Room at the 939 café. There were three bands playing at the show, and all of which were upcoming underground artists. The café was mostly filled with Berkelee locals, and showed us more of the independent music scene. Some of us left after the second band, and the rest headed back during the third act to get in bed before lights out at 11.

To check out any of the bands we saw at café 939, you can go to their websites listed below:

Tiff Jimber
http://www.tiffjimber.com/

The Winter Sounds
http://www.thewintersounds.com/

Allison Weiss
http://allisonweiss.tumblr.com/site/

New Media 1: 1band 1brand... the give back

2011-03-24T17:20:00.001-04:00

For the "give-back" portion of our trip we wanted to help support both "1band 1brand" and the independent artists that is supports. Our goal was to give out 50 of their "wooden nickel" logo tokens out to people on the street while educating them about "1band 1brand". We learned that it was much harder than we thought to talk with people and get them to take it. We learned that you had to work really hard and target specific audiences. The people who gave all their tokens away talked to a lot of different people.

New Media 1: 1band 1brand

2011-03-24T17:18:00.001-04:00

The 'New Media' group met with Kyle York, a young businessman who, along with three others, launched a new company called "1Band 1Brand." "1Band 1Brand" is a company that shares and provides exposure for new and up and coming musical artists and fashion brands. Subscribers to the company (www.1band1brand.com) are introduced to one band or music artist and one fashion brand each week. In order to spread the word about these artists, the company offers discounts and deals on one particular brand and free downloadable songs of one specific band every week. These offers last only one weeks time until the next band and brand are introduced the following week. Although the artists may not make a profit by providing the public with free music and fashion, "1Band 1Band" is an opportunity that gives them free exposure and a chance to spread their name.

At the meeting with one of the owners of the company, "1Band 1Brand," we learned that in order to start a business/company, you need to have funds and/or a day job when you first start out. We learned that it is more easier now than ever to start a business because of the use of internet and social media networks. Since this is a newly launched company, the founders/owners of "1Band 1Brand" have yet to make a profit with this idea. In order for a company like this to make it big, you have to work your way up from the bottom and eventually it will become a well known name. With a new company or idea, you have to give it time and wait for the public to become interested in it on their own. If you force it on them, they will be pushed away and become uninterested in the idea.

We learned that there are multiple people and professions involved in producing a successful company. Each different field needs to work together and rely on each other in order to create one overall product. A lot goes into the production of the company "1Band 1Brand," other than just music and fashion. Label design, network design, financial development, advertisement, and many other fields of work have to collaborate in order for this company to exist. Each field relies on each other for business opportunities that utilize their particular skill.

The speaker expressed to us that it is important for us as juniors in high school to start now by becoming involved with what we are interested in before we go to college. We should make a plan as to what we want to accomplish in our life and work our way up to it by participating in unpaid internships and becoming exposed to the field at our age.

http://www.1band1brand.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERRHDKfvFt8

New Media 1: House of Blues

2011-03-24T16:44:00.002-04:00

House of Blues

The tour around the House of Blues was the best experience during JUA for me. I was always interested in music, and being on a tour of a popular venue was like a dream come true. My first impression of the house however, was the color blue (yeah, I wasn’t impressed.) Later when we walked around and saw the music hall, the restaurant and the backstage area I found out that the House of Blues is full of hidden meanings that are expressed in paintings and different artworks that are all over the house. For example; Famous musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton and many more have their portraits in the house. There is a section where musicians faces have been sculpted into the wall and illuminated with a blue light, and it is called the "god-wall"! In the main music hall almost every religion is represented symbolically above the stage, all signs in the House of Blues are made out of recycled wood that was collected after the hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and all this just shows how much thought and love was put into the House of Blues. It is not only a music venue, but also a museum. It has a philanthropic organization that brings art and music lessons to schools. It supports the local economy by attracting a lot of people. It is very versatile, but the coolest thing about the House of Blues is the backstage area. It is decorated in Indian wedding dress cloth, Persian carpets and a lot of Hindu artifacts give the area a really cool groove. This area is where the backstage politics happen. Managers, artists and agents get together here to plan the next concerts or salaries, include or exclude bands from venues, and celebrate their success!

We learned how artists get to perform in venues, and how much they get paid for performing, and that connections mean everything. This experience definitely influenced me to pursue a career in the music business!

Merck

2011-03-24T16:31:00.003-04:00

This afternoon we went to Merck, a drug research and development company. This is a 26 billion dollar company that specializes in all different kinds of drugs. It is one of two vaccine companies in the world. The company and more specifically, a group of chemists and biologists have been working on the AIDS epidemic since it first surfaced. They use three steps in order to make sure a drug is acceptable and safe. First, they administer it in tiny amounts to the target group to see if there are any negatives such as side effects. Second, the drug is given to a smaller target group in larger doses to see if it cures the illness. Lastly, it is given to a large population of the target group to get statistics and make sure it is safe. We toured the chemistry labs and the biology labs. Merck is a fascinating company that everyone in our group enjoyed, it was a great experience.

New Media 1: Cafe 939

2011-03-24T16:27:00.003-04:00

On the first night, we went to Berklee's Cafe 939, where they hold concerts in the "Red Room". Artist Tiff Jimber and the Band "The Winter Sounds" played for us, we enjoyed the wonderful music and the environment.

We learn a lot from the experience, that the opportunity to perform is important and people have to strive for it. Successful musicians star with small event, they play not only at school but also at these Cafes and bars, so they get more known. They really put themselves out there and sell CDs, create themselves as products.

We observed that the symbiotic relationship really helps artist to be successful, such as connecting music with fashion design and marketing, so that it interests a larger grope of people, and the band would get famous faster. This is one of the most important way for artists to achieve their dreams.

It's Not a Game, It's a Franchise: Fenway Tour

2011-03-24T16:27:00.001-04:00

After lunch with Chris Collins, we walked up the hill and across the bridge to the famous Fenway Park. We were lucky enough to have an exclusive tour of Fenway Park. We went as far as the seats on top of the green monster to as low as the antique wooden chairs looking out across the field. The seats were the oldest seats still being used in the MLB. Our tour guide was great and shared with us Fenway facts and how next year it will be 100 years old and will be considered a historical landmark, and they can not do any more major renovations to it without going through a lot of paperwork.

I have never been to Fenway Park ever, and to see it from many angles that I may never get to see was very cool! After, they brought us up to the Owner's Suite overlooking the ballpark, so I was very appreciative of being in a place I knew not many people have been and I will probably never ever be back to, unless I one day own the Boston Red Sox :)

After the tour of Fenway Park we met with Mr. Prettyman, an employee for the Red Sox Foundation, to discuss the Red Sox baseball franchise and its involvements with others. Mr. Prettyman spoke to us about how much the Red Sox are involved in the Boston and New England communities through multiple scholarship programs, fundraisers, and promotional events.

After speaking about give-back programs that the Red Sox run, Mr. Prettyman talked to us about the size of the organization. The Red Sox are not just the baseball team that everyone knows but instead are also the owners for multiple smaller organizations like the Liverpool Soccer team and a large NASCAR team as well as many other organizations. This really opened our eyes about how influential this organization is not only in New England but across the nation and globe.

New Media 1: The Phantom Flex

2011-03-24T16:22:00.001-04:00

We visited Rule: Boston Camera, which sells and rents camera and film equipment. At this studio/facility, they have the latest technology, and the most expensive. Rule's newest product for film was the Phantom Flex, which was a high-speed camera, which took 2,500 frames per second. This camera went for about 135,000 dollars and was capable of great film development. The films are slow motion clips of mostly filler scenes are interesting to all audiences because it did not have a specific interest except for cool and interesting clips. This camera shows what technology has in store for the future, and it gives us assurance that technology is improving and will develop to meet our needs to the fullest. Technology moves fast, and we are just experiencing everything the new technologies give us. Watch an example here.

It's Not a Game, It's a Franchise: Lunch with Chris Collins '86

2011-03-24T16:13:00.001-04:00

For lunch on Wednesday afternoon, we went to UNO’s next to Fenway to meet Chris Collins. Chris Collins graduated from New Hampton School in 1986 and is currently a sportscaster with NECN. He gave the varsity football team a motivational speech before the Tilton game and the final championship game. He played football and baseball at New Hampton and eventually went on to play baseball at Temple University, which is a D-1 school.

We thought it would be a good insight to talk to him about being in our shoes at New Hampton and we all have the dream to play a sport in college, some in D-1. We asked him many questions: How he got to where he is now, his perspectives on playing D-1 sports, what stories he liked the most to cover as a sportscaster, and if he thought the spirit of the game has been lost from high school to college to pro? He did agree that is D-1 sports can be like your full-time job and to really pick a college for more than just sports in case you do get injured while you are there. He did think that playing in college did give him many opportunities for job openings in the future and many connections to people which helped him land his job today.

It's Not a Game, It's a Franchise: A Visit with the Boston Blazers

2011-03-24T15:46:00.001-04:00

Our visit with the Boston Blazer’s President/GM Doug Reffue was one of our most memorable and informative meetings. We learned how much work goes into starting a franchise. The Blazers are a team that have only existed for three years and are attempting become a part of Boston sports culture. The league that the Blazers are in is the NLL (National Lacrosse League), which is also in its beginning stages having only been around for 25 years. Because of the league's lack of money and its popularity the teams are not allowed to pay their players more than 32,000 dollars due to the salary cap. This creates many issues for the Blazers that not many other professional teams have to deal with. For instance, the Blazers have to pay attention to where their players live because of the cost of plane tickets back and forth out of Boston. The Blazers tend to want more players from around the Boston area to help cut costs. You can follow the Bosotn Blazers on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bostonblazers.

Global Voices: Interviews!!

2011-03-24T15:38:00.005-04:00

The street interviews went well. Both groups were very active and persistent in their work. Although the questions were broad, we noticed this after the fifth person said " Wow that's a really broad question", we were still able to get some awesome responses. At first we wanted to target middle aged adults and college students, but getting kicked out of Harvard didnt help us. So we just generally looked for anyone willing to get interviewed. By the way, the group members forgot to mention that the interviewers were going to get video recorded, so several people ran away as they noticed us approaching them.

Race, Law, and Justice

2011-03-24T15:35:00.003-04:00

Hard Time
We watched a series from National Geographic Channel called Hard Time. The series is a documentary about the life of correctional officers and inmates. The show demonstrated how people who wanted to become correctional officers through a vigorous training program. The show also showed the life style of prisoners. The episode we watched followed a prisoner who had just arrived at a prison and what happened right when you arrived.

Race, Law, and Justice

2011-03-24T15:31:00.002-04:00

We visited Boston University and met with five third year law students who are getting ready to take the bar exam this summer. We asked the questions about law school and why they wanted to become lawyers. We talked about the criminal justice system and if it was actually flawed or not.

Our visit with the BU law students was very interesting and informing. -Kim

We all visited the law students at BU and learned many interesting things, such as the difference between a public defendant and a prosecutor! -Kyra

The BU students were enthusiastic to describe what their future occupations demand. The overall meaning of law was defined through more specifically prosecution, defense, and justice as a whole. Many different scenarios were drawn frown to explain fully what a lawyer's job is. -Maddy

The BU students were very open to share their thoughts on their positions in law. It was interesting to hear what they had to say and what their opinions were.
-Sarah

The experience was unreal.
-Moe

The students were open and it was easy communication.
-----------Tristan

Talking with the students at BU was a great experience and I learned a lot of things that many people might not n
Know... Your innocent until proven guilty
--Brookes

I learned a lot of new things that will come in handy later in life....Liam

Talked with law students from BU and learned more about criminal justice system in the USA. It was an interesting conversation.
Katrina

I gained a lot of advice from talking with the law students, it really put the whole Idea of racial profiling and unfair justice into prospective.
Jake

Concluding Women in Pro Sports

2011-03-24T15:18:00.002-04:00

We have completed our research in Boston. Our group had many eventful and enlightening meetings. From our opening tour at BU with coach Derosher, to lunch with sports caster Chris Collins, to the Bruins game, concluding with an eye-opening meeting with Boston Blade's manager Paul Hendrickson. Throughout the trip our group was left with an overwhelming sense of respect for these individuals who approach their professions with an impressive work ethic. We feel lucky that all of these people took the time to meet with us, because they underscored the work that lies ahead of all female athletes. From our trip, our group became increasingly aware of the lack of publicity for women's professional leagues in the United States and the detrimental effects it has on fledgeling leagues such as the Boston Blade's. We were also able to deduce that the general public's respect for female athletics is significantly decreased due to lack of media coverage. It is now the job of all female athletes to prove to all of the doubting that female's work with extreme intensity equal to men, to achieve high caliber levels of play. Not only was this message proclaimed clearly from the professionals we met with, but also was demonstrated in the random public survey we conducted. As we spoke with people on the subway, in Faniel Hall, and throughout the city of Boston, we discovered that men's athletics are overwhelmingly more preferable to watch. Of course, this is not unexpected, but what we did find surprising were the explanations we received as to why. Interestingly, not everyone was quick to say the watched the men's game "because the men's game is more exciting." Some people spoke about the inaccessibility of viewing women's athletics. This led us to believe that there is hope for cultivating a fan base for women's athletics and increasing respect for female athletes across the nation. In reflection, female athletes should approach the challenge of increasing the popularity of their sports with excitement, because it is an opportunity rather than a burden.

Life Against Life had a great trip to Boston

2011-03-24T15:13:00.002-04:00

Now back in school, students are reflecting on their trip to Boston. We did so much and learned a lot. We were only in Boston for 2 days but it felt much longer. We are now putting together a final project that will share what we did on our trip, what we learned, and the meaning behind what we are researching. We are very gracious that we got to visit MIT and Harvard, which is shown in the picture. We are also appreciative that we got to meet with Linda Thayer from Mass. Citizens for Life, Professor Joe Zhou at Harvard, and Professor Tracy Young-Pearse at Harvard Medical School. Our other picture shows our group with Professor Tracy Young-Pearse. Our final project will be a PowerPoint presentation, and will also have video of interviews with each of the students talking about their perspective on this issue as well as their experience.

JUA Meeting with Boston Blade's Manager

2011-03-24T15:02:00.005-04:00

Our JUA group met with Boston Blade's manager Paul Hendrickson. He answered all of our questions and gave us an idea on how we can give back. We are now in the process of sending a letter to numerous magazines and publications in an attempt to get the Boston Blade's the media attention we feel they deserve.

Global Voices: News

2011-03-24T14:45:00.005-04:00

Tuesday morning our group went to a newspaper stand to pick up a few different newspapers from different parts of the world. Our goal was to see the differences of what they were focusing on. Because different people in our group speak many different languages we were able to get newspapers in Italian, French, Spanish, English and Arabic although no one in the group speaks Arabic we were still able to compare cover stories and pictures. What we found was that most Newspapers covered either Japan (English French and British) or Libya (Italian and Arabic). We concluded that because stories like Japan and Libya are current and important, most newspapers were covering their stories. However the Arabic newspaper focused more on Libya which is part of the Arab world.

Science of Shopping

2011-03-24T10:08:00.000-04:00

To the Science of Shopping group:
Matt Moulton, Connor Slover, Trang Minh Le, Louis Zhu, Sydney Frazier, Cookie Burrus, Mack Willingham, Ethan Shinn, Dave McGrath, Mike Hutchinson, Claudia Mart Llado and Nick Wright - a huge thanks for being enthusiastic, engaged and responsible. You represented New Hampton School in the best ways and I appreciate all of your work. I will see all of you at 2:30 today in Memorial Hall Classroom to complete a stellar final project.

Mr. Mundahl thanks for all of your work to make this JUA experience such an amazing one!
Mr. Buck

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy

2011-03-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

This morning we visited the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. The college has around 3,500 students all focused on obtaining degrees in various aspects surrounding medicine. This college makes it possible to get your degree, and then achieve a master’s degree the year after. It is composed of 40 % men and 60% women. The college is situated in the medical district of Boston and is part of the Colleges of Fenway. Some opinions on the college were how nice the dorms were, how fast you can get a masters degree, and the direct entry approach. The college has a six-year doctorate program for students wishing to pursue a doctorate in pharmacy. When applying to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, it is possible to directly enter this six-year program rather than have to compete against your peers in your sophomore year of college. In the doctorate program students are required to take classes in ethics and to work through real life scenarios so they are prepared to deal with difficult situations in the real world. Some of these include identifying when medications may interact and how to monitor the frequency and type of prescription a person is getting. By teaching the students this it helps to reduce the potential of people getting extra medication to sell. What surprised us was the bathroom situation in one of the dorms, there was one gender bathroom on each floor, but each floor was co-ed. You ended up having to go up or down a level in order to use the restroom. Overall, this was a very nice college visit and we learned a lot.

Women in Pro Sports

2011-03-23T17:26:00.002-04:00

Today we met with the General Manager for the Boston Blades, Paul Hendrickson, the Boston Blades is the professional women;s hockey team that plays out of Boston and play in the CWHL (Canadian Women's Hockey League). He gave us a real insight to what was being done in order for the league to be more well-known everywhere. He told us that they were trying every way possible to get people to know that there was a professionals women team. He described the difficulties such as the lack of money, the lack of support, and the general public. With him we discussed ways that we could also help to get the support and to let people know that olympians are still playing. For Mr. Hendrickson he told us that their goal is to provide another chance for women to continue in sports after college and eventually pay them. He also told us that he hopes the the CWHL will keep increasing in fan base, players and teams.

Later on, the group went around subway and interviewed people. We asked them whether or not they watch men or women's sport and why they do. We also asked them how the men's game differs from the women's and what they think should be done in order for the women's sports to grow. Many people said that they watched men's sports because they were a lot faster paced and that the intensity level is a lot higher. Many also said that they would rather watch men's because there was a lot more action.

Justice & Law: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 (9:00-12:00am)

2011-03-23T17:13:00.005-04:00

Our group visited the Suffolk County Jail where we were toured throughout the first, second, and third floor of the six story building holding 1,200 inmates in 12 separate units. The building's purpose is to maintain and detain solely men who have been accused of a crime and are waiting to defend themselves in trial. Known as a maximum level jail, the Suffolk County Jail provides a temporary home to males of all levels of criminal offenses. Something quite memorable was the jail-mate's ability to secretly chisel out shanks (prison weapons) out of nearly anything, including sporks, toothbrushes, outlet covers, and even soap. In such a lifestyle, sandwiches include two slices of bread with bologna and a possible lockdown of 23 hours per day. In conclusion, we unanimously agreed that prison life is not much of a life at all.

Justice & Law: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 (2:30-3:30)

2011-03-23T17:13:00.002-04:00

Our group met with a public defender to discuss the statistics dealing with prison, crime, and race. Joshua, the defendant, informed us with some alarming facts such as that crime has actually decreased these past thirty years in spite of the nation's 8X increase of media coverage on crime. Race became an interesting topic, apparently many more non-caucasian individuals are accused, pulled over, etc, than Caucasians simply because of their race. In saying that, the Caucasians pulled over are more likely to have actually committed a crime. The next question was then, of course, what causes this inequality? The education, poverty, unemployment, and even racial issues in this country has for formed what the prisons look like in today's society.

Life Against Life spent their day at Harvard-Cambridge and Harvard Medical School in Boston

2011-03-23T16:25:00.002-04:00

Today was the second day of Junior Urban Adventure. We as a group, ‘Life against Life’, went to Harvard University and met one of the stem cell researchers, Joe Zhou. He explained to us precisely what he has been doing relating to stem cell research, specifically, regeneration; actually, he said that stem cell research is the part of regeneration research because the way stem cell research is applied is rooted from regeneration. He mentioned salamanders as an example when explaining about regeneration; when the gut of salamander was cut off, it did not die but regenerated the organ. This was interesting because, one day, as the regeneration research is improved, such specialized regenerating stem cell will be applied to a human’s specific organ.

After lunch, we traveled to Harvard Medical School in Boston. We met with professor Tracy, and Christina, two doctors researching IPS on how to use adult stem cells on Alzheimer’s disease. Fist, Dr. Tracy showed us a power point presenting the research of stem cells in an overview and the contrasts between a healthy brain and a brain infected with the Alzheimer’s disease. After, we looked at an electron microscope and saw the projections of the images on a computer screen. Christina described to us what the images were showing. We asked Dr. Tracy what her point of view on embryonic stem cell research was and she said that she wasn’t against embryonic stem cell research, but that they don’t use it for Alzheimer’s disease. We learned that there are two sides to every argument.

Science of Shopping Day 2

2011-03-23T15:07:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, the Science of Shopping group had an interview with Elyse Slayton at TJX, the overseeing company which runs off-price retailers such as TJ Max, Homegoods, and Marshall’s. She spoke with us about some common misconceptions about the companies: the products they sell are not cheaper because they have been manufactured badly or are defective, but instead because their manufacturers simply made too many for its retail stores. TJX then saves the companies the cost of these items by buying them at a lower price, and in turn, selling them to the consumer at a lower price.

This system presents an interesting problem for the advertising section of TJX. Companies like, say, Polo Ralph Lauren, will spend an entire ad campaign to justify the price of their products. While TJX advertises how they could sell these products at a fraction of the cost, the consumer would realize the large profit margin of these manufacturers. For this reason, Marshall’s, Homegoods and TJ Max are not allowed to state directly the products they have in stock, and instead must focus their ads on the process of TJX’s aquisitions, and allow consumer to draw their own conclusions.

But does this process work? Do the people who shop at a place like Marshalls understand how their products are available at such low prices? In order to find out, our group conducted a survey and questionnaire outside the Marshalls on Boylston Street. We wanted to conduct the survey inside of the store, but were turned down, as the manager thought that it would distract or annoy shoppers. We’re working on compiling our results, and they’ll be presented in our group’s final project.

Working in this amazing public library is fun...

Global Voices: Interview with Prof. Stone

2011-03-23T14:53:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday afternoon we took a trip to the sociology department of Boston University. After a bit of waiting, we went upstairs to find the office of Professor John Stone, head of the sociology department at BU. We filed into his office and took our seats as he prepared to speak to us. The interview started with a couple of questions from our group members. After a few questions we quickly learned Prof. Stone's passion; examining international migrations. He did his doctoral research in South Africa examining how the racist atmosphere effected the new white immigrants. He found that they would either become racist very quickly or deny the atmosphere and hate their environment. He helped our group by answering our questions about things such as: sample size, interview questions, the effectiveness of ESL and at what age someone stops being affected by their new environments.

Gridlock: Whose Fault is it?

2011-03-23T13:31:00.002-04:00

As we have circled around Boston asking questions about people's political interests and views, we have gotten some pretty interesting answers. For the most part, everyone we have spoken with is an active voter. The reason these people vote is because they believe it is important to keeping democracy alive in the United States. Most of the people that we have interviewed are against making it mandatory for everyone to vote, however, believe that it would be great if everyone who was eligible did vote. Some people believe it would be bad for everyone to vote because not everyone is educated on the issues. Therefore, officials would not necessarily be elected because they appeal to the majority, but maybe have just got lucky because the people who didn't know, voted for them! This was very interesting because as voter turnout seems to get smaller and smaller over the past few elections, only a small percentage of the whole are choosing our leaders. Most people seem to think this is okay. Since the people who tend to vote are the ones who care the most, they are making educated decisions that seem to be most beneficial for our future. We changed gears a little and wanted to know more about Campaign Finance and what people think about raising money for elections.

Most people seem to think that candidates are limited to those who have money. Since there are restrictions on the amount of money a person can donate, the candidates who are not rich are at a disadvantage. Furthermore, we pondered with the idea that money is speech, and if you can't have your own advertisements and commercials, the only way to help express your opinion is to support a candidate through a donation. If this is true and money is speech, then do campaign restrictions on the donation of money violate your first amendment rights, freedom of speech? This question seemed to confuse some people but as a group we decided that restrictions on donations limit the support one can provide a candidate, restricts information that may be given in areas that normally isn't, and puts poorer candidates at a disadvantage.

We also concluded that most people are not very fond of our current government. For instance, it was said that people don't run for office to make the country or their state a better place, but simply for he benefits of being a government employee. Furthermore, it seemed like our current gridlock in government is all the Republicans fault. Most people believe they are unwilling to negotiate with the Democrats and don't want to work for the people but only for the benefit of themselves. We agreed as a group that these response may have to do with the fact that we are interviewing in a very liberal state and very liberal area. However, it is no secret that people are not satisfied with our current government, but why?

Most people seemed to want to complain about the government. Saying things like, everyone is corrupt, everyone is greedy, the economy is bad, healthcare stinks, but no one had specific or detailed reason why all of these things are true. Therefore, we decided that the image the media paints for the public is usually as far as it goes. People don't take the time to find out why these things are bad, they just think they know they are bad. Without educating oneself and wanting to know why certain aspects of government struggle, our country will never be able to make informed decisions. That is all for now, more to come later!

Science of shopping-Jua

2011-03-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

Today, our group visited NATIXIS Global Associates. NATIXIS is a Mutual Fund distribution cooperation that runs worldwide; they are basically a wholesale seller of investments. Between funds and revenues they operate a budget of approximately $900 Billion per year. We spoke with Dan Lynch, Senior Vice President of Distribution; Chris Hunter, Vice President of the Boston branch; Susannah Wardly, and Leslie Walstrom, both Senior Vice Presidents of Marketing, International and Domestic, respectively.

With regards to the science of shopping, they all spoke to the methods by which they convince potential buyers to utilize their firm. A personal touch is a huge factor in this sort of marketing, and everyone at Natixis aspires to know their clients as more than a name on a computer screen. After asking us all about our hobbies, Dan Lynch singled out Dave McGrath as an example: he liked to snowboard. "I would talk all about carving through deep powder, and holding an edge through the trees, and the feeling of the snow on my face," he said "and next thing you know, you would walk out with a mutual fund."

They went on to describe the difference between a factual and an emotional appeal to buyers. While most serious investors focus more heavily on the raw data of a fund's success, the emotional image of the firm still plays a huge role. This effect has, according to Chris Hunter, magnified with the economic downturn: buyers in this market want to invest in a company they feel projects an image of reliability, especially in such turbulent times.

Later that day, we headed to TJX Companies, which operates TJ Max, Homegoods, Marshalls, and several other "off-price" retail centers, in order to examine the effect of advertising to a more tangible product.

Is Twitter the Blog Killer?

2011-03-23T11:04:00.006-04:00

We've been using a blog for the JUA since 2006 when the term 'social media' didn't exist, Web 2.0 was a major buzz-word and there was this brand new site invading college campuses. At that time students producing content for the web was a pretty novel concept.

Of course now students regularly produce all kinds of content. In my media class, for example, finding a student who doesn't have a YouTube account is rare.

That being said I wonder if the concept of blogging is waning? Are new technologies taking over the space? Here on the JUA we are always trying to keep ahead of the curve so I pulled up some analytics data to see how this year compared to last. Although we are creating just as much content on the site, our blog viewership is down year-to-date:

click to see full size

Note that today's data is obviously incomplete so we may see a bump there.

On the other hand we have seen a massive up tick in student and staff Twitter use with hundreds of tweets demonstrating excellent use of tags, photos, mentions and brand interaction. I find this not only fascinating, but also hilarious because just last year all of my students had one of the following three responses when I told them we were going to use Twitter:

A) Huh? Twitter? What's that?
B) I don't get it
C) I thought Twitter was for old people

So what do you think this means - is blogging on the way out? What should we do next year? let us know in the comments!

Greater Boston Food Bank

2011-03-23T08:57:00.004-04:00

This afternoon we volunteered at The Greater Boston Food Bank. This place serves most of Massachusetts shelters with food and supplies that families need in order to survive. We volunteered with 35 other people from Dunkin Donuts, Inuit, and Ohio State. We sorted around 11,722 pounds of food, in total creating over 7,222 meals. Chip quotes,” There is no better feeling than helping feed the hungry in the great city of Boston.” We separated food into different categories, such as pasta sauce, soaps, papers, and beans, to help streamline the process for shelters this food is given to. It was a fun environment; music was playing and all of the volunteers had a great attitude. This was a great way to give back and be able to help so many people.

Hello House

2011-03-23T08:55:00.002-04:00

This morning we went to the Hello House, an all men substance abuse rehabilitation center in the heart of Boston. The men there are there willingly, mainly between 20-50 years old. The program is based around the 12 steps of the AA (alcoholics anonymous) program. Whitey, the main counselor at the program, he is a recovering alcoholic who bases his program around overcoming alcoholism. Some points that really hit home with our group were the 12 steps and how detailed they were, Whitey and his story, the process of the program, and how ranged the ages of the men there were. The program has a pretty high success rate, most of the men who go through this program come out sober and with more knowledge of their addiction. The program made sure that the patients could live on their own, by making them find jobs, teaching them relapse preventions, and taking care of the house. The workers at the Hello House were determined to help the patients, even if they relapsed over and over again “We don’t give up on them” said Whitey.

Inside the JUA: The Science of Shopping

2011-03-23T01:19:00.001-04:00

What is the JUA all about? This short video walks you through what a typical day on the JUA might be like on the Science of Shopping group!

Many thanks to Mack who made this video during the free time block!

Women's Inequality in Athletics

2011-03-22T22:42:00.002-04:00

Our group is focused on investigating the differences in opportunities for men and women in athletics. Today our group went to Boston University to meet with Coach Deroucher and discuss what resources the college provides the athletics, and also compare resources between men and women. What we found out that the university treats both sides equally yet they can't really compensate for the difference in fan base and public interest in the sport and for that reason their facilities are different. Coach Deroucher emphasized the positive impact that Title 9 had on the university and role in women's athletics. He said that today Boston University has reached higher standard of equality in women's sport because of Title 9. Coach Deroucher had a very good perspective for us, since he coached both mens and women's and gave us an insight to how they were different and similar.

Later on in the day we met with New Hampton Alumni and former Temple Baseball player Chris Collins. Mr. Collins is now a prominent New England sports caster. We used Mr.Collins knowledge to help us understand why women's sport are not as highly televised as mens sports. From what he said we gathered that traditions playa role in fan base and the public is more perceptive to watching mens sports because of the higher intensity level. He left us with a challenge as female athletes to better our own sports by increasing our own intensity through hard work and perseverance.

To finish off the day, the group went to the Bruins vs Devils game. Surprisingly for a Tuesday night the game was packed. We went off with face paint bruins shirts and everyone made it on the jumbotron. The Bruins ended up winning 4-1. The Game was filled with energy and excitement and by the end none of us had any voice left.

A Sporting Day: It's Not a Game, It's a Franchise

2011-03-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

Our group was looking at how sports and society comes to together and questioned the benefits we gain from sports. We will look at college, pro, and high school club teams. First we gathered in the lobby of the hotel to go over the plans of the day, decided our questions, and we were ready to go. We traveled on the T to South Station to grab a bite to eat. South Station looked like smaller version of New York’s Grand Central Station. It was cool to see with all the different shops, places to eat, and a huge board with changing train times and arrivals.

After that, we walked to Metro Lacrosse’s office in Seaport to volunteer our time with all the new equipment that got shipped to them today. Metro Lacrosse is a non-profit organization that provides free equipment to kids around the Boston area who participate in their lacrosse program. One group screwed on brand new heads to new shafts, organized cones and body pads, and counted and organized helmets. It was great to help out this company as most of them are volunteers and do it for the love of the kids.

Then, we took the T again to go Northeastern University. There we met Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Pat Duquette, who gave us a tour of the athletic facility and gave us a great inside view of a coach’s perspective on recruiting. He also answered the question of how he recruits. He said that coaches recruit different but for them, they look for the overall person who has a good attitude that can help their team to succeed along with their great talent. It was a good comparison from a non-profit organization and a high big D-1 college where they help develop young athletes for the love of the game and they could possibly send them to a college where the game could possible turn into a “job." It was interesting to see the different opinions of people of whether or not they thought the real spirit and love of the game has been lost. And for the most part, they thought it has not but it isn’t for everyone to play at a D-1 level because it basically turns into your job.

Lastly, we walked across campus to the office of Sports in Society and met with the Executive Director Dan Lebowitz. He was a former body builder and had a great insight on how he worked for what he had and worked his way up to where he is today from a poor background and being disabled as a youth. The goal of the company is to use sports as a means to create social change. He also works with the MIAA to teach a curriculum of sports leadership to 50 high school athletes to later have them teach the middle school kids about anti-bullying and good leadership skills. He feels strongly about showing good qualities through role models in sports and praises those athletes in their Athletic Hall of Fame. He gave us great insight on our future college careers and words that we will always remember.

MIT was great and Korean food was tasty!

2011-03-22T21:21:00.002-04:00

After getting lunch, the Life against Life group was able to meet with Linda from Mass. Citizens for Life at the hotel. It was a very informative meeting and was great to get a perspective on stem cells from an organization that is pro-life. After our meeting we quickly walked to MIT to take a tour of the campus. We were able to check out some of the academic buildings as well as some of the athletic facilities on campus. The tour took about an hour and a half. For dinner, our group ate at the Koreana Restaurant, a Korean BBQ restaurant where they cooked in front of us. It was a cool experience. Afterwards, we went to Fanuel Hall to get some ice cream and do some shopping. Tomorrow we look forward to spending the day at Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

Shifting Gears

2011-03-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

Now that it's evening we'll see groups shifting gears from learn mode to reflect mode. You'll see more blog posts shortly as groups reflect on the day and post.

Also folks will shortly be heading out for dinner and fun activities in their group. Lots of smiling kids and great stories of experiences today.

Are we informed?

2011-03-22T14:41:00.002-04:00

The major issues presented were government spending and campaign findings. The group goal was to find out if people were educated on the issues. We wanted to know if the government is in a gridlock due to major issues such as, the polarized views of the Democrats and the republicans, government spending in the 2011 fiscal year. Today we interviewed people in Boston and presented them with questions to see different points of view on the topic. We will visit the State House to find more information about these issues.

New Media Two: First Impressions

2011-03-22T13:15:00.004-04:00

Mr. York's New Media group is excited for what is coming ahead in the next two days. After arriving in Boston, we explored the area around the hotel. After checking out some street art and local cafes, we settled down for lunch on the MIT campus. We're all looking forward to learning more about the new creation, One brand One band, and later in the night we will check out a show in the Berkelee campus area.

Overall we're looking forward to a exciting few days! We'll check back in soon with our impressions of the upcoming events.

Our First Meeting for Life Against Life

2011-03-22T12:07:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately, we were not able to meet with our speaker from Mass. Citizens for Life, but we worked as a group and researched their website. Some interesting points we found are there are four kinds of stem cells: embryonic, germ, adult, and umbilical cord cells. People who are Christians generally only oppose research with embryonic stem cells. Mass. Citizens for Life is the largest group in the state and have pushed multiple laws through the state and country legislative system. One of these laws include females under the age of 18 being required to get a parental consent for abortion. Lastly, Mass. Citizens for Life favors research with adult stem cells because they have the ability to copy into mature cells whereas embryonic do not.

On our minds

2011-03-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

As the students head out into the city they probably have many things on their minds. Thoughts right now are ranging from questions about their topic, the first speaker they will be meeting with & maybe where they will stop for lunch!

So now is a good chance to ask you, dear blog reader, what is on the top of your mind? What questions do you have about the JUA? What kind of content would you like to see?

Let us know what you are thinking about by clicking on the 'comment' button below!

Justice & Law: Monday Night

2011-03-22T05:52:00.002-04:00

We are all geared up and ready for an exciting first day in Boston. We will be meeting law students from Boston University starting tomorrow afternoon, followed by a tour of the Suffolk County Jail on Wednesday and an interview with a public defender.

First Night with group.

2011-03-21T21:46:00.000-04:00

We are still at NHS, this is our first serious meeting as a group, we are missing three students. Tonight we decided that we are all going to get out of our comfort zones on this trip and have a GREAT time. We have a great group and are excited for the trip. We are going on two exciting visits tomorrow and are all prepared with our jobs for the day tomorrow. Although 7am is going to be an early morning our excitement of the days ahead learning about the science of shopping will get us going in the morning. We are ready to go!

New Media

2011-03-21T19:33:00.000-04:00

Do you need to have millions of dollars and connections in LA to make a hit series anymore? In a world of file sharing how do young musicians make any money? New media has brought new opportunities and new problems for creative artists.

In our Junior Urban Adventure we will meet with Kyle York of 1band 1brand, a business that supports and connects independent artists. We will talk with independent artists and visit Café 939, a venue for artists operated by Berklee College of Music. We will visit Rule and participate in a hands-on Learning Lab using the Phantom Flex, a revolutionary high-speed digital camera. A college tour of Berklee or Emerson, and a “give-back” to the independent artist community will round out our trip.

Global Perspectives

2011-03-21T18:51:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow our group is heading to Boston to investigate how a person's worldview is shaped by their background and heritage. In addition to conducting interviews with visitors and residents of Boston we will also be meeting with Professor Stone of Boston University, visiting Chinatown, investigating different cultures at the Museum of Fine Arts, and collecting newspapers from around the globe.

In the 21st century it is more important than ever for citizens to have a global perspective when thinking about how their actions and the actions of their governments can influence people around the world. Tomorrow will be another step along the journey towards greater cultural awareness.

Weather related issues on 3/21

2011-03-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

Hi folks - as you know there is a bit of bad weather right now in New Hampton that is causing some travel delays. Here is where we stand overall:

We are still planning an 8:30pm meeting in the Master Classroom tonight
We are still planning to board buses tomorrow by 7:30am behind the gym (see the full schedule to the right for more details)

If you are a boarding student returning to campus tonight and you are running late please do your best to stay safe and make it to the meeting tonight. It's okay to arrive late, just come over to the Master Classroom once you get back to campus.

If you are a day student and you are unable to make it to the meeting tonight due to hazardous travel conditions please see below.

Please make arrangements to be on campus at 7:00am Tuesday so you can check in with your group leader and board your assigned bus by 7:30am
Please review the packing list in the student resources section to make sure you have everything you need
We will not be able to check in to the hotel immediately upon our arrival, please be prepared wearing what you need to wear and with everything you need for the day in a separate bag from your suitcase, your suitcase will be stored in a secure location until we are ready to check in
Please review the Code of Conduct. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in swift action for you and possibly also your roommates in the hotel

If you are a day student wishing to stay the night on campus you may do so with the permission of the dorm head.

Any student who will be unable to make it to the meeting tonight (or who will be late) should also contact their group leader to make sure they will be prepared for tomorrow.

Many thanks - and please stay safe! We look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Are You Ready!?

2011-03-20T19:54:00.001-04:00

Welcome back everyone - here at the JUA we're very excited that the moment has finally arrived when we are about to head to Boston with you for the 2010-2011 Junior Urban Adventure!

Groups have already started blogging about where they are going and what they will be doing and you will be able to stay tuned here for all the latest and greatest throughout the program. Most groups will be posting 2-3 times a day during the trip!

If you would like to follow along with the program even closer you can search the tag #NHSJUA on Twitter or just check out the feed over on the right sidebar. I expect groups to be tweeting dozens of times a day, so that will be a fun way to keep up to date.

The JUA is our urban experiential learning project and we think it's a pretty compelling way to learn and experience interesting subjects together. If you need a quick overview of the program this is probably a good place to start.

Welcome back - and here we go!

Business of Sports

2011-03-16T13:40:00.001-04:00

As countless fans of the National Football League wait for an outcome in discussions between the Players Association and owners (see story in New Yorker), it is an ideal time for a group of New Hampton School students to consider the state of sports given the amount of money that is at stake. Whether it is the NFL or the NCAA (watch ESPN Outside the Lines on the exploitation of college athletes), there are countless stories in the news that force us to confront this question:

"Has the spirit of athletics been lost with the corporate takeover of professional sports, the mercenary philosophy of big-time college athletics, the exorbitant price of taking a family to a game, the fanaticism of the media and the behavior of fans as well as athletes."

Yes, the behavior of fans. Read in this ESPN story about the lawyer wrapped up in the scandal at Ohio State and take a moment to consider the intersection of sports, money, and delusional behavior. So we're in the final stages of planning for our migration to Boston for a visit to Fenway Park and the offices of the Boston Red Sox, Northeastern University's Sport in Society Foundation, Metro Lacrosse, the Boston Blazers Indoor Lacrosse team, and a meet-up with CSN New England sports personality Chris Collins, a 1986 graduate of New Hampton School.

Stem Cell Research in Boston

2011-03-04T16:07:00.002-05:00

On this JUA trip, our group Life against Life, is going to investigate both sides of the hot topic of stem cell research. To do so we have set up meetings with Harvard Medical professors at their Stem Cell Institute, as well as setting up a meeting with a pro life educator, and finally visiting MIT’s medical research facilities. We are looking forward to learning the whole story, the pros and cons of stem cell research and, how in the near future someone we know, or how we could be saved by the research that is going on right now. We are also excited about touring MIT and Harvard.

Is it equal?

2011-03-04T12:20:00.003-05:00

On June 23, 1972, Congress passed Title IX, a ground breaking decision which outlawed discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal funding. Now, in 2011, has this monumental act of congress changed the game for women? Currently, how are women perceived in athletics? Are there physical limitations involved, could we do a better job offering equal opportunities from a developmental perspective, or is it even possible to sustain professional athletics for women? On March 22nd, Erin Moran, Anna Menke, Mariele Chambers, Jenny Currie, Liz Elcock, Taylor Huyck, Katie Koenig, Nicole Magee, and Jackie Mazur will head down to the Sports Hub of the nation to attempt to answer these questions and many more! The visit will include stops to Boston University, the Boston Bruins, and the Boston Blades of the CWHL. Keep following for more updates!

This Pill Will Make You Feel Better

2011-03-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

Modern medicine has transformed health in the world: we live longer and more productive lives. Yet even as medicines have improved our lives they have shown us the dark side of human nature. Prescription drug abuse, illegal drug use and crime are all closely related. This group will examine the technologies that lead to the production of new medicines and also explore issues related to their misuse. Our group members are Jay Baek, Raymond Boly, AnneMarie Fana, Tanner Klock, Scott Miller, Steph Myers, Chip Nolan and Danya Gordin. We will be touring Merck and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy just to name a few places!

Twitter 101

2011-03-03T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hi folks, we are going to be using Twitter during the JUA to invite parents, teachers and friends to join us as we go about our program in Boston. We will even be able to see what other groups are doing while we are out and about.

To view our Twitter stream you don't even need to have an account! I've embedded the feed for #NHSJUA over on the right sidebar there.

If you want to tweet along with us you will need a Twitter account and a cell phone with a text message plan. Please note that although Twitter doesn't cost anything standard text messaging rates do apply. Don't join in on Twitter if you don't have an unlimited (or very large) text messaging plan on your phone!

To get started check out this tutorial video and let me know if you have any questions:

A good tweet is short (140 characters or less), honest but appropriate, thoughtful and avoids slang and text message speak. For example, "omg lol that was crazy" isn't a great tweet while, "About to visit with the Business School at Harvard!" is a fantastic!

Science of Shopping

2011-03-03T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Science of Shopping group is off to a good start. Roles have been assigned and students should be emailing our senior leader, Connor Slover, 3 essential questions before friday. We have an appointment on March 22nd at Natixis Global Investments on Boylston street to talk about marketing. We are waiting to hear from the Head of Marketing at Marshals for a meeting on teh 23rd. Everyone is looking forward to a well deserved break!

Group Meetings This Week

2011-02-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

Hi folks - there are several JUA group meetings this week. Here's what we'll be up to:

Class Meeting Tuesday, March 1

Review purpose of the JUA
Review your planned agenda
Group work: Formulate guiding questions, consider final project
To Do: What should you do during free time?
To Check: Did everyone sign up for a roommate?

Adviser Meeting Thursday, March 3

Review dates of JUA
Review packing list
Review code of conduct, safety & assessment guidelines
Group work: Research and prepare for interviews, decide on group roles
To Do: Make first blog post
To Check: Any travel issues we don’t already know about?

Also look for first blog posts from groups this week!

Topic Areas

2011-02-08T11:06:00.006-05:00

Check out the topics we think we will be studying this year. Ideas are still coming in so I'll post updates here as I get them.

Women in Pro Sports (NEW)
Mr. Churchill
Why aren’t there more female pro sports teams? Are we as a society biased against the female athlete? This group will explore the issue of female pro sports, girls athletic programs, and the business that is pro-athletics. Students interested in women’s sports, gender fairness and combating sexism might be interested in this group.

Global Voices (NEW)
Mr. Fisk
Americans (even open minded and worldly Americans) see the world from a certain point of view. This point of view is rooted in western values, christian beliefs, the English language, and dominant economic and cultural perspectives. But the world is a vastly more diverse place. This group will explore our cultural biases, dig deep into several different cultural traditions and reflect how our history informs our world view. Students interested in other cultures and languages or students who just like to meet new people and talk about new ideas might be interested in this group.

The Science of Shopping (Revised Description)
Mr. Buck
Did you know that marketers position the shopping season’s most hyped toys at child eye level on store shelves? Did you know that budget shortfalls in many districts are forcing schools to allow marketing inside classrooms? If the price is $89.00 isn't that the same thing as $90? This group will explore the power of marketing to affect how and what we buy and what (or who) is really being sold. Students interested in marketing, business and media awareness might be interested in this group.

Life Against Life
Ms. Kang
What if you were told a life saving treatment was available for you or someone in your family but Federal law prevented the treatment from being developed? Stem cell research is a controversial debate: should humans ‘play God’ when determining who lives and doesn’t live? If stem cells can cure cancer and other diseases why aren’t we exploring this treatment to the fullest? Students interested in careers in medicine, science or who enjoy discussing ethics might be interested in this group.

Gridlock?
Mr. Kozens
Every day in the news we hear stories about how our government is polarized, gridlocked and unable to take care of ‘Main Street’ but are these stories really true, or is this just more political rhetoric? This group will explore the political system in the United States from the Democrats to the Republicans and even the Tea Party. Students who are interested in politics, careers in government or who want to better understand how the American democracy works might be interested in this group.

It’s not a Game it’s a Franchise
Mr. McCulloch
Pro sports is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with the top players making millions of dollars a game. How has the media attention, high financial stakes and focus on star players changed the games we love? Aren’t sports about trying your best and playing fair no matter if you win or loose? This group will explore how big business has changed athletics, what it does to individual players and what we can do about it. Students who are interested in careers in sports management, business or enjoy sports might be interested in this group.

This Pill Will Help You Feel Better
Ms. Lane
Modern medicine has transformed health in the world: we live longer and more productive lives. Yet even as medicines have improved our lives they have shown us the dark side of human nature. Prescription drug abuse, illegal drug use and crime are all closely related. This group will examine the technologies that lead to the production of new medicines and also explore issues related to their misuse. Students interested in careers in medicine, science or who care about reversing the issue of drug abuse might be interested in this group.

Race, Justice and Law
Ms. Frame
Why do young black men make up a much greater proportion of people in prison than any other demographic? Is the justice system in the United States biased against minorities? This group will explore the system of justice in America and explore issues of fairness and racial profiling. Students interested in careers in law, government or who are interested in social justice might find this group interesting.

New Media
Mr. York & Ms. Wilson
Do you need to have millions of dollars and connections in LA to make a hit series any more? In a world of file sharing how do young musicians make any money? New media has brought new opportunities and new problems for creative artists. This group will explore the artists, labels and venues seeking to capitalize on the new media landscape. Students interested in careers in music, film, or new media might be interested in this group.

JUA 10-11 Theme Announced

2011-01-25T12:45:00.004-05:00

Inspiring students to take action to ‘reverse’ an issue that the feel strongly about, that’s JUA 2010. The JUA has three parts: learn about an issue, do something about it, and share your experience with others. This is social-media based, urban experiential learning: students will be blogging and tweeting as they go, working to create good in the world.

NHS Junior Urban Adventure

2010-04-05T14:07:00.012-04:00

It was a pleasure to help with the JUA this year. Everyone came together and made a very positive experience come to life for students and staff. I cannot believe it is over. Here is a video to remind us what the JUA is all about.

Enjoy,

Taylor Huntley
Intern of Experiential Learning

Curiosity in Action: Look, Connect, Create

2010-03-26T11:49:00.004-04:00

When I was in school I was told (over and over), "Although this isn't important now, it will be very useful later in life." I found this extremely frustrating: weren't there practical applications of what I was learning, wasn't there an audience for my work?

That experience directly informed what the Junior Urban Adventure (JUA) has become. Our juniors engage in Boston on real work and grapple with real ideas. They don't work on a text book, or grapple with the Internet - they interact with professionals in their field of study and the audience for their thoughts and ideas is as broad as the entire world.

We had an amazing trip this year. We examined a broad diversity of topics from Sustainable Architecture to New Media and Business Ethics to Street Art. Our students met Livingston Taylor (by complete coincidence) and a VP at Citi Group (completely on purpose), and interacted with many other passionate professionals, educators, NHS alums and friends of the school.

Each student had a very different response to the Junior Urban Adventure, but for all the students there were common threads that ran through the experience. We looked at real topics, issues and ideas that matter. We learned to draw connections between these ideas to people, other ideas and fields of study. Each student helped create something new in the world based on their response to what they saw and the connections they made. That was the theme of the JUA this year: Curiosity in Action: Look, Connect & Create.

I'm not sure if our students will ever need to blog, tweet, make movies, ride the T, or navigate Cambridge again, but the concepts behind Look, Connect & Create are one part of a new literacy that will serve our students well today, tomorrow and for many years to come.

What did you think of the JUA? Were you a parent following along, a student on the trip or a teacher leader? Let us know about what you think about the trip and the ideas behind it in the comments.

Racial Profiling: Final Project

2010-03-25T21:49:00.002-04:00

The Racial Profiling group examined this broad issue first by exploring their own personal biases. In the presentation below the group begins by sharing stereotypes that might apply to themselves.

After reflecting on personal bias, the group found they were more prepared to look deeper and reflect more meaningfully on the broader issues.

Racial Profiling

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Sustainable Architechture: Final Project

2010-03-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

Language & Culture: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:50:00.001-04:00

JUA: Language & Culture

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Street Art: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:46:00.003-04:00

Junior Urban Adventure: Street Art

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Business Ethics: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:40:00.003-04:00

JUA: Business Ethics

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Engineering our Future: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:40:00.001-04:00

JUA: Enginering

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Aspects of Identity: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:39:00.001-04:00

JUA: Aspects of Identity

View more presentations from Hans Mundahl.

Music & Business: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:24:00.001-04:00

Justice & Law: Final Project

2010-03-25T20:20:00.003-04:00

Racial Profiling street interviews

2010-03-25T15:52:00.000-04:00

Today, March 24, 2010 the Racial Profiling group for JUA conducted street interviews to learn real people's opinions on racial profiling. The group separated into groups of two, came up with a set of question and went out to find some willing candidates for interviews. We learned that most of the people we interviewed did have a good grasp of what racial profiling was. The group questioned a combination of majority and minority groups and gathered several different opinions on how it should or should not be used. Many of the results collected from majority groups appeared to be one sided, and did not recognize the inconveniences and controversy that racial profiling caused for minority groups, and almost all of the minority groups felt that racial profiling was a violation of civil rights and seemed to make a negative connotation with the idea of racial profiling. There were however several members of a majority group who believed that racial profiling was a violation of civil rights, and was immoral, and on
the flip side there were also some members of minority groups who felt that racial profiling could be necessary for safety and crime prevention. I think that what we can gather from these interviews is that racial profiling is not a concrete issue, and that it is also an extremely relevant issue.

Harvard Law

2010-03-25T15:51:00.001-04:00

Going to Harvard was an exceptional experience. As the racial profiling group, we visited a law professor whohelped us answer the questions necessary for a more descriptive answer to thisdifficult topic. Our group went into this venue not exactly knowing what toexpect. To our surprise, this experience was incredibly informative. Theprocess began with the Harvard Law professor explaining to the group recentcases, with the past few decades, on racial profiling. These cases intriguedthe group’s interests to a point it was quite difficult to quiet us down. As anindividual would make a valid point, another person would follow promptly withanother, and another, and another. It was clear by this point that ourconversations as a group were coming full circle. These complex cases includedsituations where individuals were judged or incriminated based on little morethan race. For example, in one case two Mexican men were pulled over at aborder solely because the officers profiled them as Mexicans. The case went tothe Supreme Court and was seen as discriminatory and was throw out. Anothercase was presented where at an official checkpoint at the Canadian border itbecame legal for officers to either let individuals pass through or pull aside“suspectful” characters. Many questions then arose, is it right for officers toracial profile at an official checkpoint? Can racial profiling be justified asa means of protection? Do some situations such as plane rides require a greaterdegree of racial profiling? These were only a few of the questions that beganto predominately arise as our conversation progressed. Our group discoveredthat there is no concrete answer to racial profiling. Though it may be helpfulin certain situations, it is not a practical means of finding criminals.Meeting with this Harvard Law Professor was a great experience and he helped usdiscover that finding an answer to such a harsh topic is virtually impossible.

Tuesday Morning session

2010-03-25T15:50:00.001-04:00

The first morning was hectic with loading/unloading the bus, finding your baggage, and meeting as a group. Our first official meeting was at 1, and we had arrived roughly at 10, so our group decided to stay back in order to organize our thoughts. We began with sitting all together in a circle on the rug. Sitting in a circle symbolized everyone being on the same level. First we gathered each person’s view of what they thought "racial profiling" was. After hearing each persons answer we gathered that racial profiling is actions or accusations against a person based solely off race. Everybody in the group had mixed views on how they felt towards the issue. Is it bad to racially profile people? Is it a safety precaution? Is racial profiling similar to stereotyping? Is it affective? We also discussed how we were going to confront these questions.

The group came up with a short, yet extremely compelling activity. We all placed each other into stereotypical categories based off of what we saw at first glance. The answers were revealed at the end. Many people expected to be placed into their categories, but there were several people who were completely shocked at the image they gave off to people who did not know them. Some people took it personally however it was only to get a complete understanding of our major issue. For the exercise, we all wrote down all 13 group members name. We then sat off by ourselves and wrote an adjective that described the individual as if we were to see them on the street. This was difficult because most of us knew each other. Most of these adjectives were wrong, however it gave us an outside view of ourselves and the way people portrayed us. After all adjectives were read out loud, we each went around in a circle and aid one true adjective and one false adjective, explaining why we understood that people had portrayed us that way. We also explained what people did not know about us, understanding that everyone has a story to tell which creates his or her background, and it is difficult to know that story just from looking at someone. This activity speaks to the fact that perhaps judging a book by its cover is not an affective form of judgment or accusation. Hopefully as the trip goes on we will learn a lot more!

Music and Business, Day 3

2010-03-25T15:45:00.005-04:00

For the final day of Music and Business, we're meeting up to reflect upon our time in Boston. We've all learned a lot in the past three days, getting a behind- the-scenes look at the music industry and what it takes to be successful. We met several people who talked to us about the music industry, and through this we learned their opinions about selling out in the music industry, as well as how new technologies are affecting it. We also learned what they do in the music industry and what job opportunities are available. Morgan Millardo, a Senior at U-Mass Lowell who is working towards a degree in music business and aspires to work in synchronization, talked at great length about the fine line between selling out for better and for worse. At Sidehatch Entertainment, a local promotional company, further emphasized what we learned from Morgan. Zak Baskin, a current freshman and bassist at Berklee College of Music, gave us a tour of the campus, and coincidentally we met Livingston Taylor, who made his opinion of how the industry should work; Happiness and passion should come first, then money. Leon Janikian, a professor of music business at Northeastern College who has been involved in the music industry for almost fifty years, taught us that there are tons of opportunities to work in the industry, but it certainly does not come easily. Overall, we learned how much dedication, time, and commitment it takes to really make it in the music industry. The trip was very successful as we gathered a significant amount of relevant information and addressed some current issues that pertain to us as students.

Visiting the Boston Police Department...

2010-03-25T15:33:00.000-04:00

Today we met with a Boston Police Department Superintendant, William Evans. Captain Evans is currently head of all uniformed police officers in the city of Boston, ranging from the gang unit to special events such as Red Sox games. Captain Evans began speaking to our group about racial profiling in general as it relates to the Boston Police Department. In the past, being accused of racial profiling was a real issue for the Boston Police, as they have many stereotypes that associate them with being racist. In 2000, laws were passed that required officers to document details about all encounters with violation stops. The goal of this was to track and prevent instances of racial profiling. For example, if a white police officer pulls over a black driver, he must have a valid reason that he is able to document, rather then just pull over the person because they are black and the officer may be racist. In addition, the forms the officers need to fill out include a box that identifies the person’s race and why they were stopped. By collecting this information, Captain Evans, and the Boston Police Department overall, is able to track more accurately trends and also have solid evidence to combat perhaps false accusations.

In addition to speaking with us about how the Boston Police prevents racial profiling, Captain Evans also talked with us about examples or towns where racial profiling might exist more frequently, such as wealthy, predominantly white neighborhoods without a diverse police force. We learned from Captain Evans that a police force should accurately represent the diversity of the community that they work in to prevent racial profile from happening or people assuming it will.

In addition to talking about profiling, we also were fortunate enough to tour the department headquarters as a whole. We were able to see the CSI labs, which we were all excited to see if it was just like tv or not! We also got to take a closer look at the Real Time Crime labs, and got a first hand look at a 9-1-1 call in progress.

Language and Culture: Tufts University

2010-03-25T15:03:00.005-04:00

To hear some specific opinions and experiences, we made an appointment with an international student named Ngoni at Tufts University. He had an extraordinary cultural background. He’s from Zimbabwe, which was a British colony, so he had experienced a mixture of the African, British, and American cultures.

We asked several question about his experiences at Tufts and America. Even though he has only been in America for seven months, he explained what he felt. First, we asked if adapting the American culture was easy. He answered that because Zimbabwe is under British culture, he can speak English fluently and he believed that this is what helps him most in adapting to the American culture. Also, we asked if being friends with Americans is easy. He replied that since the other international students are also out of their comfort zone, it is easier to be friends with the international students than the Americans, but he is just starting to become friends with more and more American students. In the end, he gave us his opinion that language is a crucial part and the only way to interact with others.

Language and Culture: Chinatown

2010-03-25T14:56:00.004-04:00

After lunch in Quincy Market, we headed to Chinatown. We had no idea where Chinatown was until Kevin asked a tour guide of its location. After a ten-minute walk, we arrived in Chinatown. The first thing we noticed as we entered through the gates of Chinatown was that it was very different from the outside. The people walking the streets of Chinatown were of various ethnicities, but most of them seemed to be of Asian descent. We found out that many of them are American-born Chinese and had learned to speak both the English and Chinese languages. There were also many people who had been born in China and had come to the U.S. later in their life. Most of the people in Chinatown who were Chinese-born had come from the southern part of China, so they were more familiar with dialects from their hometown.

We went to a small restaurant to have a snack. We tried out some curry fish balls. It was very tasty as well as very spicy. Most of the foods they had were not the kinds of foods you would find in your average “American” Chinese restaurant. We asked if we could have a short interview with the owner of the restaurant, and she eagerly accepted. She had come from Hong Kong, and had come to the United States at age seventeen. She spoke very good English as well as enough Mandarin to hold a conversation for an extended period of time, but her first language was Cantonese. She told us that she usually spoke with the guests in English because she is unable to tell whether the guests are American or Chinese, even though most of them are Asian. She also mentioned that English is very important for Chinese people to learn in order to live and work in the United States.

We left the restaurant and headed back to the Le Meridian Hotel in Cambridge, spirits high and stomachs satisfied and filled with spicy, delicious curry fish balls.

Engineering "Certified Building Tour"

2010-03-25T14:30:00.006-04:00

At 2 pm yesterday, we had a meeting for a tour through the "Epicenter" a house which is owned by the group "Artists for Humanity" and it is a warehouse. The Epicenter is the only LEED (Leadership and Environmental Design) Platinum certified building in Boston. The tour guide, showed us the advances of the house compared to a normal house.The walls aren't made up of stone, they are made of metal, wood and foam. The walls had an extra layer of foam, which keeps the metal warm in the winter and cold in the summer.The metal support didn't touch the walls, so the layer of air wouldn't let heat transfer. For designing of the inside, they used old recycled car windows for guard rail.
The house doesn't has a air condition, they use a innovating but simple system to maintain the building in the perfect conditions. From 2am to 6am they create an airflow by opening both sides of the building, here is where the insulated walls play their role.
The cooling system is not the only thing that gave this building the platinum certificate. On the roof we can find 159 solar panels, that take care of more than 50% of the energy used per day. Engineers placed these panels 3 feet of the roof, in order for them to work at the 100%.
We also learned that they count with a water recollection system.The roof is slightly bend towards the center where a pipe goes all the way to the basement, to fill up a cistern and allows the owners to use this water, for cleaning, bathrooms and even in their art.
Another major saving for the building is the light. They use as much natural light as they can by implementing many big windows. But the house has just windows on the south and north side.

New Media:Wrap up and final work

2010-03-25T13:34:00.004-04:00

This afternoon New Media will be joining forces and preparing their final project in the art studio at 2:30. After having some time to reflect and discuss about the experience I wanted to share some of the things that I have come away with and also learned about myself and some students who I had not known before this trip.

The group consisted of Natalie Jansen, our senior leader, and five juniors: Mack Willingham, Grant Ballou, Will Campbell, Mike Sanders and Lauren Myers. Together we learned about navigating our way around Boston on a tight schedule, agreeing on when and where to eat, how to blog, tweet and conduct ourselves in professional meetings, ask questions that were tough, and most importantly learned how all of us think about technology and the ever changing world of media. Through the use of iphones, itouches, laptops, cameras and video recorders we were able to experience, record and gather necessary information that would answer our questions.

Students became more aware of what the college process would be like and the possibilities that lie ahead. I enjoyed working with this group of students tremendously and appreciated their effort, attention and commitment to the program. It was an experience that allowed me to meet some students who I had not known prior to the trip and have come away with a appreciation for how they all think differently and how together we were able to accomplish a great deal in such a short time.

As a group we would like to thank Mr. Mundahl for organizing JUA this year and value his time and passion for the program. In addition, we need to thank Mrs. Willingham for all of her efforts behind the scene in directing us to some great people in Boston who made the trip so unique.

Thanks for making JUA so terrific New Media!

-Mr. Buck

New Media: Final Project

2010-03-25T12:08:00.000-04:00

Music and Business Day 2

2010-03-24T17:23:00.003-04:00

Last night we went to the Berklee School of Music to see a performance of musical arrangements organized by students. The show was great, and the performers were all very talented. After the show, at around 10:00 we went back to the hotel and got ready for bed.

This morning we woke at about 7:45 and met up in the hotel lobby to head out. First, we ate breakfast at a local diner, and then we gathered our thoughts and ideas that we would ask the people at Sidehatch Entertainment about. The people there were very friendly, and we learned a lot about promotional and independent effort to support the given artists. After meeting with the employees, we went to the Prudential Center to hang out while waited for our next meeting.

Our next stop was at Berklee School of Music where a New Hampton alumni, Zack Baskin, joined us for lunch and then took us on a tour of the school. We got to see the guitar department and the theory and harmony department. While the school was definitely beautiful and offers many opportunities, one major highlight was definitely meeting Livingston Taylor, the brother of the famous James Taylor.

After this, we headed over to Northeastern to meet with Professor Leon Janikian, who teaches classes on music industry. We had the opportunity to sit in on his class today, but unfortunately we had to leave early to make it back to the hotel. Today was great! We all had fun, and learned a great amount.

Street Art: OUR Art

2010-03-24T16:40:00.002-04:00

Moose Man: Designed by Connor and created on The Wall by Connor and Allie.

The Wall is in Central Square, Cambridge. Any artist may create in this location, and its layers of color and concept are dynamic and constantly evolving. We did ask permission of the owner of the property prior to our artist endeavors.

Follow the Wind by Hanson

New Media: Day Two

2010-03-24T16:24:00.002-04:00

Our day began early this morning, meeting at 8:30 and eating at a local bakery. We then ventured to the Institute of Contemporary Art, where we met Joe Doullette and Rosanna Flouty, specialists in New Media. They gave a presentation ICA's youth program and how social networking sites have changed various industries. We got a brief tour of the layout of their various galleries. Among these exhibits was the Veterans Project. The artist had recorded tales told by war vetereans and combined this audio with different images to create an interesting effect. Behind these works was a dark and seemingly empty room. Windows were projected onto the walls. As we stood and observed, we were moved by the powerful simulation of a war zone. All that could be seen were glimpses of the sky beyond the dusty windows and the occasional object outside of the glass. The audio began with voices from a small village - children laughing and playing, a man singing. A helicopter is seen landing nearby. This idyllic scene is quickly shattered by gunshots and explosions that shatter the windows. The scene ends with two women heard wailing in agony. We were tremendously moved by this startlingly realistic portrayal of a war scene. We then saw the Mediatheque: a room overlooking Boston Harbor. The Mediatheque is ICA's database and library for its visitors. We spent the remainder of our time looking through the remaining exhibits. After finding a light lunch, we made a short trip to the MIT Media Center. Overall, the day was busy but fulfilling.

Justice and Law Day 2

2010-03-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

today we explored other aspects of the judicial system, from where the prosecutions were made, the courthouse to where the incarcerations were made. we went to the John Adams Courthouse where we got a tour and talked to an experienced judge. also we took a very eye opening tour at the Suffolk County Jail where people were awaiting their trials or serving less than two and a half years in prison. we also got to speak to an inmate, who shared his inspiring story of his transformation within and out of prison. he was doing work hours in the prison which in turn could potentially let him get half the sentence he received. all and all we had a very adventurous day.

i really learned what life in prison was like and how different people accept their sentences and serve them.-sarah

i really learned how a person can be so effected by drugs and gang violence but at the same time, their life can turn around completely when something tragic happens to their family like in the case of Raymond Johnson.

today i learned the story of Ray Johnson. I really enjoyed listening to the way he grew up and how the decisions he made lead to his life in jail. I was so upset to hear about how his children died and how it changed his life. I learned how a person can become so effected by drugs and violence and how it can ruin your life, and how one moment can turn your life upside down.

Today we went to the coart house and sat in some important judges chairs and met with judge who told us stories about past trials

today we when to see the jail and sow how really perison is and then we when to see on my dads great friend at the cout house.

Today we went to the Suffock County Jail. At first it was a little intense but everyone got used to it and ended up learning a lot. We talked to an inmate who told his story, and a lot of people began to feel sorry for the inmates instead of being scared of them. We met a judge as well. -Dot

Today I got to learn the story of Raymond Johnson. Everyone enjoyed listening to his story which changed everyones perspectives on the inmates. -jenna

The visit to the Suffolk County Jail today made a big impression on the group. It was both surprising and eye opening. The story we heard from the inmate, Raymond Johnson, showed us a positive turn around that can result from tragedy. The visit to the court taught us more about the logistics of the judicial system and was very informative. - Dara

the story that raymond johnson was very eye opening. i felt bad for him that he was in jail for so long but also, i feel like he learned alot from being there. he said that when he gets out, he is going to try to shape up his life and get back on the good side of his children so that he can have a good relationship with them again. - alana

Business Ethics Recap

2010-03-24T15:23:00.010-04:00

During our urban adventure through the lifestyle and ethics of the modern business man, I have expanded my horizons and knowledge of my future plans. We met with Billy a very successful businessman that shared some vital tips with us. He told us that your ethics determines your reputation. "You can give a man a haircut over and over again, but you can only scalp him once"

-Alex Lederman

Today we truly discovered the identity of a business man's life, it's no cake walk. Waking up at 6 A.M to get fully dressed in a suit, then to grab breakfast on the go, and finally to sit on a train with hundreds of people is beyond frustrating. Billy let us know exactly how it is 80-100 hour work weeks, lunch at your desk, late nights at the office, all really makes you think is the money and power worth the stress and frustration? JUA has really opened my eyes to something I once thought was all glory and fun, to something that can be described in one's eyes as hell.

-John Humphrey

Throughout the JUA trip I found a lot of things that helped me with my business knowledge. I learned that being a businessman is not easy at all having to wake up at 6 A.M and having breakfast knowing that you not going to eat for a long time. Also learned that with being a businessman that you may have times where it can go totally bad but not to just quit and walk a way because if you just keep going and working hard that you can have a good streak and then from that point on the rest is up to you and what you decide to do. Overall it was a great trip that helped me learn more about being a businessman and business in general.

-Stephen Topercer

I came into this JUA trip not knowing what to expect but also with an opened mind. Woke up bright and early, grabbed a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, then headed off to work. We learned all about what it like to really like to be in the business. It gave us a real outlook on what it takes to become successful.

-Anthony Bicchieri

Overall, I would say that the JUA trip was very insightful. There were a lot of chances for learning. When we talked with one of the Citigroup Executives, he gave us lots of helpful advice. He proved that you don't have to go to a big fancy school to be successful. he is a prime example that if you put the time in early, then everything in life gets easier as you get older. Right out of college he was working all the time, and did not party with his friends. Because of his hard work and dedication he is very successful and can work whenever he wants to. This is something that I want to do out of college to make my life easier.

-Nick Enxing

This trip i feel i can take a lot of the skills i've learned from this trip and use it in my future every day life. The lifestyle of the man we interviewed has a very stress filled life style, but in the end sure enough the hard work and stress pays off. Also seeing this i do not see my self handling stocks yet at allllllll but i do hope to be able to someday.

-Joe Leary

JUA gave me bunch of questions that I need to answer for my future. During trip I was thinking every time. What is business? Why do people want to work on business? What do they do? Where am I and Where have they been? What do I need? Meeting business man of Citi group helped us to solve those questions, and also dragged me to new eras. It was interesting trip with great group.

-YeoJun Song

Dear school i love, this trip gave me a great idea of what being a business man is all about. i learned about what goes on in the world of stocks and what it takes it make it in the real world. We got up early and started our day down at Citi. We kept blogs of our process. This experience was something we all needed, and we all got something out of it. Lako

This trip called Junior Urban Adventure gave me life lessons and a special experience. Our group met a famous business guy named Billy who works for Citi-Bank. All he basically told us was that we needed to find a passion on something for our future to be successful. This trip was very exciting and very special to me. I thank NewHampton School for giving me an opportunity to learn more about what business is. peter lee

I love New Hampton and this place. I had SOOOO much fun with Mr. Kozens. He did a great job with being our leader. Mr. Mundal did a tremendous job with the trip, and I'm disappointed we will depart tonight. Although the exhibit yesterday was a great experience, I feel that todays was especially beneficial in terms of what the trip was about. Billy from Citi gave us a great idea of what it truly takes to be a a successful businessman and gave us a powerful example of how following your moral ethics, although not always the way to make the most money, is always the right thing to do. Business today is extremely influenced by ethics. I had a great time and hope next years group has just as much fun. Alex M

Sustainable Architecture Day 2

2010-03-24T15:23:00.009-04:00

Nate Barry
While getting multiple perspectives today, our group learned of the intricate relationship between architecture, social approval, and economic circumstances. At HMFH Architects, whose clients are mostly schools and urban/government funded, the architects presented three kinds of projects dealing with solving the problem of universal housing. Several conceptual drawings sparked the thinking of our group.

At Northeastern University, Director of the School of Architecture George Thrush thoroughly explained his pre-fab housing ideas and what major contributions they could make in our world that is so economically fragile.

Luke Tallarida
I learned a lot about the logistics of becoming an architect. It took one person that we met at HMFH Architects 9 years to get his masters. I learned that architecture includes both math and psychology. I consider those two subjects opposite one another. I thought it was interesting how the two come together in designing architecture.

Sustainability is about not being wasteful. Sustainability is saving money and saving the earth. Sometimes in architecture you can do both and sometimes you can't. A good architect does all he can for his client and what the client wants is to save money. In essence, an architect's job is to be sustainable.

Mike McBournie
Today we met with a larger architectural firm, with 40 employees. Mat-Lab had only four. They design schools, mostly, and are a real supporter of reusing existing buildings, making for better living space, and trying to think socially into the future.

We later met with the head of the architecture school at Northeastern. George Thrush gave us a lot of information about modified pre-fab housing and modular processes. He talked about how they can be pieced together and brought in different parts to their sites, rather than transported as one big unit.

Cameron Fields
After checking out of the hotel this morning we headed to HMFH Architects to learn about a big architectural business. They had a lot of great information for us on how they work. Next we headed to Northeastern and learned about new kinds of buildings that change the way current housing manufacturing works for the better, and greener. It was very interesting, and a good day.

All these architects were very concerned about being green. They all made it easy to understand how these houses can affect our lives and make it more affordable in today's economy.

Theoren Aube
Today we headed into the city of Boston to meet our second architect group. This was a firm that built very environmentally friendly housing and schools. They were very hospitable and the hour-long meeting went very well. I feel as though our group took away a lot of important information.

After lunch in Northeastern's student center, we met with George Thrush who is hosting a conference called "Home Work: contemporary housing delivery systems." He explained how ideas of prefab housing, such as trailers, are outdated and that prefab modular building will solve so many housing problems. We were also lucky enough to have a student give us a tour of the studios where students were hard at work.

Street Art - Day 2

2010-03-24T15:16:00.002-04:00

We started day 2 with gathering materials for our planned contribution to the wall, which involved Allie, Connor, and Hansen going to the post office and hardware store. There, they gathered cardboard, spraypaint, and cutting materials to put together the stencil Allie and Connor designed - a man with moose antlers.

After scoping out the right colors and the perfect spot, Allie and Connor got to work with taping the stencil they cut out, and Hansen, Kyd and Park worked on their own Chinese stencil that translated to "follow wind". While the spraypainting was going on, other members of the group interviewed passerbys on the Boston streets about their own thoughts on street art - what makes it art and what makes it vandalism? When both groups of artists working on the wall were finished, they were filled with a sense of success with their image/message on the wall.

Following the experiential learning block, we managed to find our way (not without error) to the designated meeting spot to interview John Ewing and Christopher Robbins about their public art. They were very insightful and inventive, with constant ideas to aesthetically enhance the society of Boston, and Allie lead the interview with strong questions.

Now we're working on our final project, a compilation of our videos and photos along with our thoughts, all combined into one powerpoint. Wish us luck...

Person on the Street Interviews

2010-03-24T13:16:00.003-04:00

There are four learning blocks that each group will experience during the JUA. Some groups do more than this, but this is the big picture plan:

Two meetings with professionals in the field of study exploring the topic from two different points of view
One meeting that will address opportunities for further career or study in this area
One experiential learning block

You've already heard about some of these learning blocks. For example, when the Engineering our Future group connected with Engineers Without Borders or when the Justice & Law group visits Narcotics Anonymous those are examples of meetings that explore topics from a point of view.

Opportunities for further study so far include visits to MIT or Emerson among many others.

But that's not what I want to talk about in this post! In addition to all this learning there is also a great deal of doing (which we've talked about before). That's what we call the experiential learning block - and a popular activity for this learning block is the Person on the Street Interview in which groups (working safely in pairs in a well defined area) collect data from passersby about their topic. To do this well students need to prepare, research, practice and collect data carefully in order to draw meaningful conclusions. Now that's what I call learning by doing!

Here is a video prepared by the New Media group that gives us a look at what this looks like.

384% More Engaged

2010-03-24T11:40:00.004-04:00

I'll just get it out there: I love data. I love having an idea, trying it out, and then seeing how it works. It's great when something seems like a success, but it's even better to be able to back up that feeling with the data.

Blue line above indicates blog visits this year.

This year the big idea was changing the way we blog: combining all our work together in one place rather than diluting it on multiple blogs, and adding the Twitter stream.

According to our blog traffic data we are seeing a +384% increase in blog traffic year over year. That means our students are blogging more, and more parents, faculty, students and friends are joining us on line! Commenting on posts is also way up: another indication of engagement.

Thanks for joining us! A special shout out to everyone from California (highest traffic area in the US outside of New Hampshire). Hi Valencia, LA, Tahoe and everyone else from the Golden State.

What has drawn you to the blog? What have you liked so far about the student work? Give us a shout out in the comments.

It's Experiential!

2010-03-24T11:00:00.005-04:00

An important part of the JUA is doing what we are learning about. Investigation, curiosity, wonder... these are active processes.

All of our groups will be actively investigating their topic, but only one group will be leaving a trace behind of our stay in Boston.

The group Street Art: Artists or Vandals? will be adding artwork to The Wall.
Here are some pictures of their preparations, stay tuned for more from this group - and all the groups who are not just learning... but also doing!
Are you an artist? Have you seen The Wall or even contributed to it? Do you consider street art graffiti or artwork? Let us know in the comments!

Update: The group has finished one of their creations, check it out!

Interview with Engineers Without Borders

2010-03-24T10:35:00.003-04:00

Today we got to have a Question and answer session with two representatives from Engineering Without Borders (EWB). One of them was a current sophomore at MIT, and the other was a former student at MIT graduating in 2008. Javier, the MIT graduate, majored in Mechanical Engineering, and Steven, the current student, is majoring in Biological Engineering. We started off getting an introduction from them about the projects they have been working on recently. Javier has been working on improving home appliances and making them more energy efficient, and is also the secretary from the Boston Chapter of EWB. Steven had been working on a solar panel and well restoration project in Uganda. We asked them various questions about their experiences as engineers and about their college experiences in general. We learned a lot about engineering and the different fields and educations that are available to people pursuing engineering. We then said goodbye and are going to make our way towards a tour of a LEED certified building in South Boston.