Disclaimer

     I was recently made aware that my blog does not exactly reflect the experience of every other UWCer out there. At least two different individuals informed me that coming here was not quite what they'd expected after having read my blog.
     Therefore, this is my Official Disclaimer. If you are a potential UWC student, please know that I can only report my own experience; I cannot generalize the entire experience as any other individual might encounter it. And for any current UWCer, especially here at USA, I apologize if you feel I have not accurately illustrated what you consider this experience to be.
   
      But I think this is part of the beauty of UWC. We all come from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different ways of thinking. And we all go through the IB and CAS, but what each of us takes from this adventure is very unique and often very personal.
     Today I and three of my co-years sat through a CAS interview, a discussion about the challenges and lessons we've encountered through our leadership CASs. It was extremely interesting. On the one hand, we all admitted to facing some struggles working cohesively with our respective groups, and even more so with the people in the community (particularly middle school kids... let's jut admit that it's an awkward phase in everyone's life), but each of us also had individual stories to relate and had learned and come across various ideas. I was reminded how impressive it is that, being given similar experiences, we all take something different away.
     On the greater scale, our lives are just like this. Every person we meet, every place we visit, or even something like every radio commercial that we hear, each changes our life in some small way and creates an infinity of incidents that expand into millions and millions of possible lives. It's difficult to wrap your head around, and beautiful, and incredible.
     Alright, alright, I won't get too philosophical or profound; it's just a thought that's been on my mind lately.

     In other news, UWC continues to be ever surprising. Last weekend we had two performance events: Halloween Cafe (an informal set performed by any willing students) and our first Castle Concert of the year. Both were full of incredibly talented performers; I never fail to be completely blown away by my peers. We also had some hilarious pass-down performances in the cafe (my personal favorite was the Backstreet Boys). One of the best elements of these performance situations is the atmosphere- there is so much love and support and joy surrounding the talent and creativity demonstrated, and it makes the community feeling so much nicer.
If you'd like to see the Castle Concert, click HERE. It's quite good.

Other than that, we're forging on with Third Semester. There's still a lot of work and life is busy as always, but as the semester moves forward, I'm definitely looking forward to the Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, and hopefully some snow before that. Fingers crossed!

The Other Reason

     There are a few different answers a UWC student might give you if you ask them "why UWC?". Many of us came here because we are interested in international politics or business, some say UWC gives you a boost for college applications, other wanted to study abroad, etc. But, regardless of why we initially came here, there is one reason we all love UWC so much: the people.
     Living on a closed campus with 250 people can be difficult sometimes. We're still normal human beings, we still have conflicts, and, especially as teenagers, we sometimes get a little hard to handle. But for the most part, I'd bet you could ask anyone on campus and they'll tell you they've made lifelong friends here. Living together 24/7 (or 25/8!) means that we see each other in all of our stages, the good ones- happy, excited, proud- but also the not so good ones- sick, tired, post-workout, sleepy. It means that we know each other very well. When someone looks out of sorts, we notice, and we're there to support that person.
     Recently I've been reflecting on my friendships here. This year started out a little roughly. It was much more difficult than I expected to return to a place so full of memories, but empty of half of the people who had made it so special. Top that with 100 new indiviudals, with two very strong, but dynamically different class personalities, and there were a lot of people, including me, feeling a little lost.
     Swamped with work and big decisions, I've found myself spending much of my time alone, sitting in my room working. It's important, yes, but also exhausting. Luckily, I can honestly say that I am surrounded by incredible friends who have shared both the highs and lows, and with whom I continue to laugh and make memories. I am so grateful to have such a strong class full of classmates who are interesting, talented, caring, fun, and who, together, make up such a great group.
     But there's another group of people who I should also mention and who I've recently come to appreciate a little more. Our first years. Quite honestly, guys, y'all were a handful in the beginning. I mean that in the most loving way, of course. We didn't expect for you to be so self-sufficient and cogent, and I think that threw us off a bit. Also, in case you hadn't noticed, you have some very... "big" characters in your class who initially overshadowed the diversity. But lately I've had the chance to get to know many of you, and I am so glad I have. You guys have a lot to offer, besides being just really great individuals, and I look forward to spending more time talking with you, or playing silly games in the castle, or working together in CAS.

     Oh, really quickly, one more thing from the first years. I guess I knew people were reading my blog, but I figured it was mostly my family and friends, or random strangers who accidentally stumbled across the webpage and didn't really read it. I was apparently wrong. Twice this year, first years approached me and told me they'd been reading my blog before they came to UWC. Turns out they were both surprised to meet me as one thought I'd graduated and the other wasn't completely sure I was a real person (or at least that's what I understood). C and O, you girls made me happy to know I'm actually being read and I'm glad that you're here and that I get to know you.

     Alright, what do you say, enough mushy friend stuff? OK. Basically, I'm just really grateful for the friendships I have- thank you :)

END

     Among all the college applications, CASs, IB assignments, and homework, it's been easy, at least for me, to forget the point of UWC. But last night, thanks to a lot of work from a bunch of Europeans, I'm happy to say I was reminded.
     I've explained cultural days before, so you've heard about NAD and CLAD. This time, it was END- European National Day. The evening started off with a lovely dinner, themed "Opera", including Spanish gazpacho, Hungarian goulash, German schnitzel, Polish pierogi, French crepes, and Italian tiramisu. Altogether the food and entertainment were magnificent. Following dinner, everyone moved to the auditorium for the show.
     I have to say, going into the END experience, I was skeptical. Biased, having led NAD, and beside the fact that I am actually European and was part of the show, I wasn't expecting anything too outstanding. But with hearty congratulations, I have to admit that I was very, very wrong. The show was really impressive. With a good mix of humor, depth, and variety, I think everyone left the auditorium feeling both more educated about European culture, as well as reflective. Check out the link below to see the performances (and see if you can spot me in the Language Tree skit and Jumpstyle, the dance with lights).
     Though the party- themed "apres-ski"- was hindered by technical issues, the evening overall was really fun and impressive. It reminded me of the bigger picture: why I'm here, where I want to go, and of all of the incredibly intelligent, talented people with whom I get to share this experience.
     With college application deadlines drawing near, I look forward to having a bit more free time to make the most of my UWC opportunities and return to learning about the world from its citizens.

http://new.livestream.com/uwc-usa/events/2474306

Second Year Survival Week

Third Semester is supposed to be busy. And everyone knows it. There are college applications, essays, supplements, interviews, SATs, Extended Essay, Internal Assessments, Leadership, and, of course, regular classes. It's very busy, sometimes overwhelming, but, overall, doable. 

This week is called Second Year Survival Week. Last year, as first years, we experienced this time as Southwest Studies- a time for all first years to embark on various trips around the Southwest. In the meantime, the second years stay on campus and "survive" all the work. 

Although it sounds like a lot, I'm personally enjoying this week. It's nice to have some quiet time to get all of my work together and reflect on the future, as well as have some fun with co-years (game nights in the auditorium are... interesting? hilarious? either way a great stress reliever)

I won't write too much, and I apologize for not having posted recently, but there's lots of work to be done. I'll come back soon with something a little more exciting and UWC-y. Until then, happy Survival Week!

Aren't we in a Drought?

New Mexico is dry. Like very dry. Like last year the city came to our school to give a presentation about conserving water because we're in a Stage 2 drought. We're big on water conservation, we have shower timers, and our field is watered with recycled sewage water (so don't play in the sprinklers).

But if you've been paying attention to the news this past week, you might know that New Mexico is experiencing extreme rain and flood conditions, something that hasn't been seen here in over fifty years. Our school sits above a river (more of a small stream most of the year) that has now flooded and completely closed down any access into or out of the school. Some are joking that we now have a moat for our castle.

On a serious note, the huge surge of water has actually caused quite a bit of damage. One of the farms next to the school lost all of their animals and I was told some people were evacuated from the area.

As we're cut off, no one can get on campus. Though we were all kind of worried about this at first, it's turned out to be kind of nice. The kitchen isn't staffed, so teachers are being asked to help cook, and the 6 dorms are rotating through cleaning duties. It has actually created a very nice sense of community, and, unexpectedly, we've had awesome food. I, one of our RTs from Palestine, cooked dinner last night and it was incredible; definitely the best caf food we've had.

So, if you're a parent, don't worry, your child is safe and very well fed! We're riding out the storm, hoping it won't rain any more, and waiting for the sun to come back. On the bright side, maybe we're finally out of the drought stages, yeah?

The UWC Conversation

The "UWC Conversation" is something each of us hears about when we come to UWC, something we all look forward to, and are a little intimidated by. You can't plan one of these and you never know when a UWC Conversation might pop up or with whom you'll be talking. Actually, you probably won't even know you've had one until after it's finished.

I've only had two of these kinds of chats before, but today I, very, very unexpectedly had a third. At lunch my Extended Essay (EE) advisor called me over to talk about my rough draft. I'm writing about American involvement in the creation and initial success of the United Nations. In the last couple of months I'd gotten kind of bored with the topic but working and talking with J reminded me why I was originally so excited about it. We talked through some of the points of my thesis and my paper, the framing, structure, just general essay stuff. It was very helpful and definitely got me back on track, but it was after we had finished that we really got into the global implications of the ideas I'm discussing.

As I was collecting my things J asked:

"Do you think the United Nations is a model for a global government?"

Whoa. Ummm, ok..."No."

"Why not?"

Challenging me on every statement and thought, J and I worked through the implications, the problems, and the reality of the global political playing field. Is a global government possible? Would countries even agree to such an organization? Something like the UN but with power; are you suggesting arming the United Nations? What about the immense social and cultural differences? What about countries who want to be on our level, or have our "standard"? What about the environment, how do we deal with that? What about no country wanting to be submissive to any other organization? And how do we, as two individuals in the middle of the United States even go about suggesting, let alone being able to act, on such ideas?

Somewhere in the middle I said something like:

"Gosh, I can't even begin to think of everything involved in such a complex idea."

"Yeah, but you are a Second Year at the United World College."

Oh yeah. No pressure or anything, but those are the kinds of questions I'm being taught to consider, the kind of problems I should be striving to solve.

In a way this conversation was a reality check. Sure, my classes and EE and activities here matter, but why am I ultimately here? Where am I headed?

These are the questions I, as a Second Year, should be keeping in mind. What differences can I make in the future?

Needless to say it was a very enlightening afternoon. You know, the usual, sitting in the Dining Hall of a castle in the mountains of New Mexico, solving world issues, just another day at UWC. 

The Gravity of the Situation

One more Ukraine post!

Alright. Before I begin, I just want to give you fair warning: this post is serious. While the previous Ukraine blogs have been funny (or maybe not, maybe I actually have no comedic skills and no one thought my puns and lines were as funny as I did...) I want to make a point with this post and its a fairly serious topic. Ok, ready? I did warn you. Let's go. 

One of the most surprising elements of our Ukraine trip was witnessing the corruption that riddles the nation. As a child I didn't catch on to anything going on around me, or maybe I was sheltered from it, but coming back this time, I was absolutely shocked by just how deeply and tightly the fingers of The System reach. There are major examples, but mostly, on a day to day basis, its the little things that make the difference. 

Ok wait, before I go on, I want to just put it out there that I feel this experience is important for me to retell. You, as the reader, might not care, in which case I totally give you permission to stop reading now, or you might disagree, maybe you know better. But in the event that someone reads this, what I observed, someone who can make a difference somehow, even maybe far in the future, then this post will have mattered. Or maybe its just important to draw a little awareness to a world issue. Ok then. 

The mafia is real. It's not just history, or a game played in summer camp cabins, neither is it confined to Latin and South America as I'd thought (forgive me if this stereotype offends anyone). And its big. It controls everything. Small businesses are shut down if they refuse to "contribute" to the "state". Government officials are... "connected". The richest parts of the city are beautiful and clean and sharply contrast the poorest neighborhoods.  

One of the sharpest shocks was that the mafia is in every organization, including law enforcement. Especially law enforcement. Drivers can be pulled over for anything (or rather, nothing), or even for violating a sign that is illegally positioned. Ok, fine, enforce driving laws, sure that sounds great. But most policemen give the people the option to bribe them immediately, instead of paying the fine. And most people do, because they think they're getting the cheaper option, when, often, if they argued their case they might be able to get off, as the offense was imaginary. 

The corruption reaches even to children. Students do not earn grades, they pay for them. No joke. And it comes from the teacher. A family friend of ours recounted having to decide whether to submit to such corruption, to allow her child a chance to get the grade she deserved, or to oppose the system but cost her daughter her academic record. It's insanity. How can the society hope to improve and evolve past this primitive system when they teach even their children such manners?

Seeing veterans standing on the street begging for a penny from the people they fought for, children worried about their future because they don't want to be part of the system that is inescapable, and family members working to provide for themselves but stay undetected so as not to have to share their "wealth".

It was... very educational. This post is just a very brief glimpse into what we saw or what what I understood. It's difficult to share it accurately. But don't think it's a miserable place; people are happy and do what they can to live how they want to live. But still there's a lot of work that needs to take place, a lot of growth that could help the people so much. Reminds me of why I'm at UWC. I just hope that one day, as cheesy as this souds, each child can earn their grades and have dreams for the future.