What are Larchmont’s Teens Up To This Summer?

by Charlotte Gardiner

(July 24, 2008) With the summer in full swing, Larchmont teenagers have taken a break from ten grueling months of school. While some may be relaxing, many are busy with jobs, internships, travel or summer study.

Families flock to the local clubs in Westchester. Kids have fun splashing around in the pool and searching for shells on the beach. Many teenagers have found employment at these clubs readily available. Positions working at the grill, as a camp counselor, or as a lifeguard are easy moneymakers for the teens around town. “It’s nice to work at a local club,” said Elise McNally, a recent graduate from Mamaroneck High School and a lifeguard at the Larchmont Yacht Club. “I know so many people who come to the beach and my job is great pay.”

Others are working at local day camps, like Flint Park. Erika Romagnoli, a rising senior at MHS, opted to leave Larchmont to get a job at Soundview Sports camp in Purchase, where she teaches kids soccer and lacrosse.

Internships are also popular among local high school students. Even though most teens do not receive a stipend, the work experience is beneficial and gives them a leg up on jobs for the following year. Peter Kaplan is working at the PACE University Environmental Law Clinic, which has several chapters in China.. On his first day, he translated Chinese text, using what he has learned in his MHS language class.

Lukas Ault has an internship at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. He is a member of the tech support group. He teaches kids how to use the interactive entertainment systems in their rooms. “It is a very rewarding experience to spend my week with kids who are sick and lonely in the hospital,” he said.

Another option for some students is an Original Science Research (OSR) project as part of the optional course at Mamaroneck High School. Students who enter the program are part of the class for three years. They choose a topic to study, design an experiment and find a mentor to help them analyze their subject. Paul Antonios and Alex Mendez, seniors at MHS, chose to work on their OSR projects over the summer. Antonios will be spending five weeks at Yale University. He will study with Dr. Leo Buss in the Medical Center, specifically in the immunology department. Mendez is returning to the New York Presbyterian Hospital, which is in association with Columbia University, to study with his mentor, Dr. Howard L. Kaufman. He will continue his work from last year, researching the effect of antibodies on patients with stage 4 melanoma cancer. Both boys will bring their research back to school in the fall to enhance their projects.

Other teens are lured by exotic programs to travel the globe. This summer, many local students have journeyed to Israel. They hope to learn about their heritage and explore the Jewish religion. Others have chosen to study abroad with a language program or embark on a community service excursion. Some have signed up for courses, such as video production and theatre performance, at American or foreign colleges. A program called Cherubs, offered at Northwestern University, attracts many local teens. Cherubs offers courses that include Coon-Hardy Debate, Speech, Journalism, Film and Video, Theatre Arts, and Championship Debate. These summer programs give many students an extra “lift” when applying to schools in the fall.

Sports consume much teen time – during the school year and the summer. The local playing fields, especially the new turf field in Flint Park, continue to host ambitious athletes. After winning at the state level in June, the Mamaroneck boys’ baseball team has not taken a break. Most players have joined summer teams and are traveling across the US, to Ohio and Georgia, to play in a myriad of tournaments. Other athletes are attending college camps in hopes of catching a coach’s eye. Ellen Williams and Cathleen Smith, standout members of the field hockey team at MHS, are part of a Hudson Valley team that will compete in Binghamton, NY, at the end of July.

Not all local teens are quite so busy. Some are basking in the pleasure of an empty schedule. Danny Foster struggled to find employment this summer. Originally from Chicago, he chose to take a week’s vacation in Illinois, impeding his attempts to find a job. “I have no desperately needed source of income and there is always the transcript where I will have to leave ‘work experience’ painfully blank,” he said. However, Foster has volunteered around town with local organizations. And, he added, sleeping until noon never seems to get old.

Charlotte Gardiner is a rising senior at Mamaroneck High School and will be an editor for The Globe.

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