Swanson

My name is Benjamin Andrew Schoenberg Swanson. Swanson is my last name (and I am happy to be called by it) and Andrew and Schoenberg are both middle names, although my permit, social security card, and birth certificate all have that wrong (my passport is correct).

Academically, I would like to expand my knowledge and do well on AP tests in the subjects for which those apply this year. I am also committed to maintaining a satisfactory GPA. As far as extracurriculars, I would like to improve and expand Young Dems and Y-Club while debating on a national level (fun fact-- the world's premier debate tournament takes place in Lexington, KY).

The best part of my summer was, hands down, the month I spent in Denali National Park, AK. I was building trails for the Park Service through the Student Conservation Association. A couple especially cool moments: smashing rock with a doublejack (sledgehammer), seeing my first wild wolf, and watching a male caribou with bot flies (insects that lay eggs in the noses of large mammals, causing intense discomfort) freak out.

My favorite kinds of art are sculpture and graffiti. I am irked by eurocentrism and neoimperialism. I am suspicious of neoliberalism and neoconservativism. I read lots and lots of news, but watch almost none. I really like dogs, partly because they don’t talk. I love being outside, especially kayaking and backpacking/hiking/camping. I went mountain biking for the first time this summer. I like climbing trees. I like trees in general. I prefer deciduous trees. I like tying knots and poking fun at boy scouts (for example, the knots they learn are limited and not particularly useful).

Geography and world affairs, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, geek me out. I follow them semi-obsessively and would really rather talk about African news than any other kind. To that end, two of my favorite websites are Al Jazeera and All Africa.

Here is a picture of me swinging a Pulaski with my crew (DENA 1). I still have the hard hat.