Hello all,
This past week has been a busy one, even though we only had classes for 4 days instead of 5. Friday was an all-day Peace Conference day, where four outside speakers came to the college to discuss their involvement or research in peace missions and peaceful protests in areas experiencing conflict in the past 20 years. In between these lectures, students split up into small groups to discuss freedom within our political systems to gain influence and methods of peaceful protesting. I led a group discussion on the first topic and a workshop in the afternoon with a couple of friends from Hong Kong and China about using social media effectively to organize a protest. The workshop went quite well, and though I was very nervous beforehand, everything worked out and we had a great discussion. I even got some quotes from the guest lecturers to use for my Extended Essay!
Yes, first-years are still being constantly informed about our Extended Essays...some people are still deciding what subject they want to do their research in, but I have successfully gotten a supervisor and a topic, so I am feeling very good about that. My research question will be something along the lines of 'To what extent did the Blackhawk incident in Somalia lead to the US's decision to remain out of Rwanda in 1994?' My history teacher, Kate, will be my supervisor, and I was lucky to get her as my supervisor because multiple people wanted to do their EEs in history and unfortunately there were not enough spots for everyone.
We do have a newly formed Quidditch 'team' at AC---we are registered with the International Quidditch Association and duly named 'the Atlantic College Acromantulas.' There is a large Harry Potter fan base at AC, so I fit right in with that. Our first two practices have been lots of fun, even though it started to rain in the middle of today's practice, though that is to be expected since winter in Wales is not the prettiest of times!
In the upcoming week we will be preparing for another Friday Conference: the Model United Nations conference, which is sure to be exciting, especially as some students from our sister schools in Norway and the Netherlands will be coming to AC to participate as well. We will run a mini-scale version of the United Nations, which should be quite interesting....I don't know yet which group I will be working with (although I signed down for the Security Council, the Internaitonal Court of Justice, or the Human Rights Council), but more on that will come later. I think we all feel better prepared to run this simulation after having the Peace Conference, and we have gained a lot of historical context for some of the issues in the UN today. I hear from our second-years that there might even be crazy events such as terrorists bursting in to the conference and holding members hostage! We shall see how this all shakes out.
This term I have continued singing in the school choir, but I have also started participating in Football for Kids, an activity that involves teaching small children from the nearby area to play soccer. It has been great fun so far, and the kids are so cute! We have to play inside for now, since it is cold and wet most of the time, but as spring comes we will hopefully move to one of the gardens to play. I have also stayed with Dysparity and continued helping kids with learning difficulties practice math and reading on Saturday mornings. Dysparity has been rewarding for the past term, so I am glad to be a part of it.
There's a basic summary of life for the past couple weeks---hope you enjoyed it! Stay safe and happy for the next week!
Madi
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Return to AC and the start of second term
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
I just saw the date of my last blog post (posted in the last few days of November), and it feels like ages ago since that post. Since then I have finished my first term exams, completed my first term at Atlantic College, said goodbye to all of my great new friends, returned to Jacksonville for a wonderful month at home, and come back to AC to see those awesome people again! I was struck by how easy it has been to settle back into the natural rhythm of life, both at home and after returning to Wales.
The holiday break came at a much-needed time, and I was so happy to come home and spend Christmas with my family. I found that home was the same as it always was in the important ways, like the people there and how easy it was to slip into living in my house again. I was surprised by how quickly my sisters are growing up, especially Shannon, who looks more like a middle-school student every day. Katie too is ready for high school, I think, and they seem to have jumped into the next phase of their lives while I've been away. I'm glad I came back for at least part of that transition for them. Mom and Dad were great, and being home with parents was awesome....and not just because I didn't have to do my own laundry for a little while! I was lucky enough to see a lot of family over the break, especially my great-grandfather, who came down for Christmas. My friends, when they are not being crushed by the ever-intimidating Stanton Junior Year, were lots of fun and we all promised to keep in better touch than we did this term...we'll see.....
We first-years had a lot of stress laid on us the very first day of classes during assembly Monday morning. Every Monday the whole school gathers in the Bradenstoke Hall so that teachers, academic staff, and students can address the entire student body and make announcements, etc. Coincidentally, this assembly was our first introduction to our new principal, John Walmsley, who is taking over for our Acting Principal Paul Motte. He has had a lot of experience in boarding schools, and was previously the headmaster at another international school in Britain, so he is coming to us with a good deal of previous knowledge to work with. He lives in a black boxish house across from Morgannwg, and apparently he has a family and a dog living with him, so we just got some new neighbors! That was not the stressful part of assembly, luckily. The stress came when our Vice-Principal informed us that all of the first-years will begin work on their Extended Essays starting on Wednesday. The Extended Essay is a 4000-word requirement for the IB Diploma on virtually any topic. It is less intimidating than it sounds, but it still wasn't a welcome back-to-school present for us!
Now the first week has finished and it's business as usual on Monday....we were lucky and had a couple of beautiful days this weekend, which was a nice relief since it's been raining a lot since winter set in. Service on Thursday was really good, and I was glad to see the kids we had been working with last term. Students have started a couple of new activities this term, the most exciting being Quidditch, which my co-year Luke started. Apparently it has been a huge hit in American colleges in the northeast for the past few years, and we are bringing it to Britain for their....enjoyment.
Well, I guess I must continue searching for the right Extended Essay topic....it should be a good one because, as our second-years tell us, we'll be stuck with it until October!
I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and enjoying 2012!
Best Wishes,
Madi
I just saw the date of my last blog post (posted in the last few days of November), and it feels like ages ago since that post. Since then I have finished my first term exams, completed my first term at Atlantic College, said goodbye to all of my great new friends, returned to Jacksonville for a wonderful month at home, and come back to AC to see those awesome people again! I was struck by how easy it has been to settle back into the natural rhythm of life, both at home and after returning to Wales.
The holiday break came at a much-needed time, and I was so happy to come home and spend Christmas with my family. I found that home was the same as it always was in the important ways, like the people there and how easy it was to slip into living in my house again. I was surprised by how quickly my sisters are growing up, especially Shannon, who looks more like a middle-school student every day. Katie too is ready for high school, I think, and they seem to have jumped into the next phase of their lives while I've been away. I'm glad I came back for at least part of that transition for them. Mom and Dad were great, and being home with parents was awesome....and not just because I didn't have to do my own laundry for a little while! I was lucky enough to see a lot of family over the break, especially my great-grandfather, who came down for Christmas. My friends, when they are not being crushed by the ever-intimidating Stanton Junior Year, were lots of fun and we all promised to keep in better touch than we did this term...we'll see.....
We first-years had a lot of stress laid on us the very first day of classes during assembly Monday morning. Every Monday the whole school gathers in the Bradenstoke Hall so that teachers, academic staff, and students can address the entire student body and make announcements, etc. Coincidentally, this assembly was our first introduction to our new principal, John Walmsley, who is taking over for our Acting Principal Paul Motte. He has had a lot of experience in boarding schools, and was previously the headmaster at another international school in Britain, so he is coming to us with a good deal of previous knowledge to work with. He lives in a black boxish house across from Morgannwg, and apparently he has a family and a dog living with him, so we just got some new neighbors! That was not the stressful part of assembly, luckily. The stress came when our Vice-Principal informed us that all of the first-years will begin work on their Extended Essays starting on Wednesday. The Extended Essay is a 4000-word requirement for the IB Diploma on virtually any topic. It is less intimidating than it sounds, but it still wasn't a welcome back-to-school present for us!
Now the first week has finished and it's business as usual on Monday....we were lucky and had a couple of beautiful days this weekend, which was a nice relief since it's been raining a lot since winter set in. Service on Thursday was really good, and I was glad to see the kids we had been working with last term. Students have started a couple of new activities this term, the most exciting being Quidditch, which my co-year Luke started. Apparently it has been a huge hit in American colleges in the northeast for the past few years, and we are bringing it to Britain for their....enjoyment.
Well, I guess I must continue searching for the right Extended Essay topic....it should be a good one because, as our second-years tell us, we'll be stuck with it until October!
I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and enjoying 2012!
Best Wishes,
Madi
Sunday, November 27, 2011
I Should Really Just Title these with Dates: 26/11/11
Except I'm not even sure that this is the correct date. I've noticed that during some months, I find it very difficult to keep track of what the actual date is. February is one of those months, as is September, and November is as well. That problem is only exacerbated by the fact that it matters more what day of the week it is here, rather than the date, since if something is happening everyone sends out an email saying 'come to this activity on Tuesday at 19:00' or 'don't forget to sign down for a calendar by Friday' and things like this. If you took a slice out of the emails we get, you would have no idea when the emails were sent, until you came across Nick Lush's ten-day calendar reminding us of important things the school wants us to know about.
But anyway, this marks the beginning of the last real week of school! Our monthly grades are due by Friday, and the next week we only have 3 days of codes. Then we have a 'cleaning day' on Thursday, and we leave either that night or the next morning! I cannot believe my first term is coming to an end. It still feels like I just arrived, or just finished Induction, or just returned from half-term. I can't wait to be home, but I am shocked at how quickly I'm returning to Florida.
Christmas is in the air! You can see it, feel it, and sometimes even smell it if you go to Cardiff Street Market to see the roasted candy nuts being sold, along with lots of other holiday wares. Our houseparents have put up some great decorations in the house, including a table-sized Christmas tree with lights and some wreaths. There is a Christmas crafts fair on campus today, and I saw it advertised all the way in Cardiff, so I except quite a few people to show up. It is a strangely beautiful day, and since we've been getting a lot of rain lately, I'm sure the whole school will be out to soak up some sunshine.
Thanksgiving was a fun affair, as all of the Americans got together and made a dish to contribute to our own little celebration. About 30 of us crammed into the Globe Lounge in the castle, and there was a pile of delicious food and good company, which made for a lovely evening. I made Mom's green bean salad, which turned out very well, and the vegetarians were very happy to have it since they don't eat turkey.
I also got to talk to my family and some of my extended family, which I definitely enjoyed, especially since I won't see some of them this year at all.
Last week was the 'Culture of Consumerism' Focus Week. During focus weeks, codes and activities continue, but there are generally workshops or activities that you can attend that have to do with the topic of the focus week. My second-year, Luke, created this focus week because he is very interested in what he calls the 'pseudo-spiritual culture of consumerism' that has been created in the west. So there were lots of discussions and workshops about our current economic system and if and how it should be reformed or changed completely. I went to one of them, and I wish I had had time to go to more, because it was an incredibly interesting discussion, and no one took it personally or got mad with anyone else. That's something I love about living here. Last week I had a very intense debate with one of my co-years in Spanish (which made it much more difficult) about gun control in the USA. We were both pretty passionate, but in the end we respected each other's opinions and put it away after we left class. That's how discussions and arguments should be, and I'm lucky enough to have them every day.
Well, I'll be seeing some of you very soon---I can't wait!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and have a good week!
Madi
But anyway, this marks the beginning of the last real week of school! Our monthly grades are due by Friday, and the next week we only have 3 days of codes. Then we have a 'cleaning day' on Thursday, and we leave either that night or the next morning! I cannot believe my first term is coming to an end. It still feels like I just arrived, or just finished Induction, or just returned from half-term. I can't wait to be home, but I am shocked at how quickly I'm returning to Florida.
Christmas is in the air! You can see it, feel it, and sometimes even smell it if you go to Cardiff Street Market to see the roasted candy nuts being sold, along with lots of other holiday wares. Our houseparents have put up some great decorations in the house, including a table-sized Christmas tree with lights and some wreaths. There is a Christmas crafts fair on campus today, and I saw it advertised all the way in Cardiff, so I except quite a few people to show up. It is a strangely beautiful day, and since we've been getting a lot of rain lately, I'm sure the whole school will be out to soak up some sunshine.
Thanksgiving was a fun affair, as all of the Americans got together and made a dish to contribute to our own little celebration. About 30 of us crammed into the Globe Lounge in the castle, and there was a pile of delicious food and good company, which made for a lovely evening. I made Mom's green bean salad, which turned out very well, and the vegetarians were very happy to have it since they don't eat turkey.
I also got to talk to my family and some of my extended family, which I definitely enjoyed, especially since I won't see some of them this year at all.
Last week was the 'Culture of Consumerism' Focus Week. During focus weeks, codes and activities continue, but there are generally workshops or activities that you can attend that have to do with the topic of the focus week. My second-year, Luke, created this focus week because he is very interested in what he calls the 'pseudo-spiritual culture of consumerism' that has been created in the west. So there were lots of discussions and workshops about our current economic system and if and how it should be reformed or changed completely. I went to one of them, and I wish I had had time to go to more, because it was an incredibly interesting discussion, and no one took it personally or got mad with anyone else. That's something I love about living here. Last week I had a very intense debate with one of my co-years in Spanish (which made it much more difficult) about gun control in the USA. We were both pretty passionate, but in the end we respected each other's opinions and put it away after we left class. That's how discussions and arguments should be, and I'm lucky enough to have them every day.
Well, I'll be seeing some of you very soon---I can't wait!
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, and have a good week!
Madi
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Diploma Week 2: Critical Engagement
Hello everyone!
Sorry I missed the update last week---we were away in Oxford at Shared Planet Conference, which was basically a weekend full of sustainability and human rights initiatives. It was a really interesting experience, and I got to go with a lot of fun people. I took away some good ideas from the conference, especially for Made in 48, an activity that I am a part of at school that deals with workers' rights. However, parts of the conference were a little extreme for me, and many of the participants have been arrested in the UK for protesting and regularly choose protest as a way to express their displeasure with 'the system' in general. At a school like AC, where we work to find peaceful solutions to problems interculturally or within our own countries, protesting (particularly violent protesting) doesn't seem like the best option most of the time. I did attend one very interesting workshop on how to encourage sustainable food consumption by buying locally or setting up a student-run co-op, so maybe that will be an option for AC.
Gallivanting about Oxford was also fun. Ok, it wasn't really gallivanting, but we did explore up and down Cornmarket street, which is this lovely pedestrian road near the Town Hall, and we ate food that wasn't from the canteen and spent an inordinate amount of time at a bookstore like the nerds we are. Amy (UK), Luke (USA), and I split the cost of the fourth book of the Eragon series three ways so that we each only paid 3 pounds for it. Oxford is a beautiful place, and many of my American co-years fell completely in love with it and are absolutely convinced that they will go there for university.
One of the strangest things here in the UK is how dark it gets and how quickly the sun goes down in the winter. In the summer they get a lot of daylight, but in the winter---well, it's 3:30 right now and it is beginning to get pretty gray. It will be dark by 5. That makes running very difficult, and Heidi and I have had to cancel our Friday afternoon runs because by the time we get out of classes at 4:45 (Friday is a long day of codes) you can't see anything! I've been swimming with Kate and Paula instead, and we have found that morning swims not only wake you up for the day but also allow you to shower in the pool room with some actual hot water!
I had a really lovely dinner on Tuesday evening with Heidi, Heidi's mom (who came to visit and take a few of us out), Paula, Hans (from the Netherlands, he's a second-year in my house), and Chloe (France). We went to the pub and had some great conversation and good food. It was a bit of an impromptu arrangement, but those are the only ones that truly work at AC, because you don't have to look far to find someone who is up for whatever you are doing.
I'm looking forward to going home for the break and spending Christmas with family---the Christmas decorations have been up since before Halloween over here, and holidays are in the air. I can't wait to see everyone!
Ok, the actual purpose of this post was to talk about our current diploma period on Critical Engagement, but I might have to finish that in another post, partially because it is not over yet and partially because I have another workshop in 5 minutes! But I'll put everything in as quickly as I can.
This Diploma Period is designed to get us to think more about our own identities and the identity we have at AC as a community, and use this knowledge to interact positively with others here and outside of the college. We've spent the morning in theoretical sessions about topics like diversity and identity, trying to figure out where identity comes from and how much diversity can create conflict or resolutions. The afternoons are devoted to action workshops: for instance, I just came from a workshop on engaging in conflict where we tried to find a resolution to the new night rule everyone is upset about by identifying the needs the staff had when they imposed it and how we can work with those.
I know that's a spotty explanation, but I really have to go, so until I can post again, everyone have a great weekend!
Madi
Sorry I missed the update last week---we were away in Oxford at Shared Planet Conference, which was basically a weekend full of sustainability and human rights initiatives. It was a really interesting experience, and I got to go with a lot of fun people. I took away some good ideas from the conference, especially for Made in 48, an activity that I am a part of at school that deals with workers' rights. However, parts of the conference were a little extreme for me, and many of the participants have been arrested in the UK for protesting and regularly choose protest as a way to express their displeasure with 'the system' in general. At a school like AC, where we work to find peaceful solutions to problems interculturally or within our own countries, protesting (particularly violent protesting) doesn't seem like the best option most of the time. I did attend one very interesting workshop on how to encourage sustainable food consumption by buying locally or setting up a student-run co-op, so maybe that will be an option for AC.
Gallivanting about Oxford was also fun. Ok, it wasn't really gallivanting, but we did explore up and down Cornmarket street, which is this lovely pedestrian road near the Town Hall, and we ate food that wasn't from the canteen and spent an inordinate amount of time at a bookstore like the nerds we are. Amy (UK), Luke (USA), and I split the cost of the fourth book of the Eragon series three ways so that we each only paid 3 pounds for it. Oxford is a beautiful place, and many of my American co-years fell completely in love with it and are absolutely convinced that they will go there for university.
One of the strangest things here in the UK is how dark it gets and how quickly the sun goes down in the winter. In the summer they get a lot of daylight, but in the winter---well, it's 3:30 right now and it is beginning to get pretty gray. It will be dark by 5. That makes running very difficult, and Heidi and I have had to cancel our Friday afternoon runs because by the time we get out of classes at 4:45 (Friday is a long day of codes) you can't see anything! I've been swimming with Kate and Paula instead, and we have found that morning swims not only wake you up for the day but also allow you to shower in the pool room with some actual hot water!
I had a really lovely dinner on Tuesday evening with Heidi, Heidi's mom (who came to visit and take a few of us out), Paula, Hans (from the Netherlands, he's a second-year in my house), and Chloe (France). We went to the pub and had some great conversation and good food. It was a bit of an impromptu arrangement, but those are the only ones that truly work at AC, because you don't have to look far to find someone who is up for whatever you are doing.
I'm looking forward to going home for the break and spending Christmas with family---the Christmas decorations have been up since before Halloween over here, and holidays are in the air. I can't wait to see everyone!
Ok, the actual purpose of this post was to talk about our current diploma period on Critical Engagement, but I might have to finish that in another post, partially because it is not over yet and partially because I have another workshop in 5 minutes! But I'll put everything in as quickly as I can.
This Diploma Period is designed to get us to think more about our own identities and the identity we have at AC as a community, and use this knowledge to interact positively with others here and outside of the college. We've spent the morning in theoretical sessions about topics like diversity and identity, trying to figure out where identity comes from and how much diversity can create conflict or resolutions. The afternoons are devoted to action workshops: for instance, I just came from a workshop on engaging in conflict where we tried to find a resolution to the new night rule everyone is upset about by identifying the needs the staff had when they imposed it and how we can work with those.
I know that's a spotty explanation, but I really have to go, so until I can post again, everyone have a great weekend!
Madi
Monday, November 7, 2011
What Week Is It Now?
After a friendly prompt from my mother (thanks Mom), I have remembered to update my blog, albeit one day late.
Change is coming in our house and at AC. Some of it is welcome and some is less welcome, and since everyone has a pretty strong opinion, it's been discussed a lot in the past 24 hours since we were told what is happening.
We were told last night by our Student Council reps at House Meeting that academic teaching staff will begin receiving copies of the nightly reports with names of students who are staying up late either studying or socializing. The night reports go out every morning to houseparents and some other related staff detailing what happened in the house each night: who was in the quiet room working, until what time, who was using the dayroom after lights-out, etc. The teaching staff would only receive a list of students staying up late working or socializing, not any of the details involved, but nearly every student is very strongly against this new policy. I haven't actually met a student who is in favor of it, and it was clear at our house meeting that most of us find it really unfair. Whether intentionally or not, impressions of us will be made by the teachers, and as a student body we generally feel that our life outside of classes is our own and when we choose to study is our own affair. That's the overall sentiment. I don't have a major problem with the new policy, but I think it will cause a lot more stress than any positive benefits that would come out of teachers having this information.
On the good side, my friend Sara Al-Masri was elected to be our new House rep to Student Council, so she'll be inheriting this lovely issue. Also, we started Secret Santa within our house, so that will be very exciting!
One thing I'm looking forward to at the end of this week is Shared Planet Conference. About 60 of us are going to Oxford for the weekend to particpate in a two-day-long conference meant to bring different colleges and student populations together to plan and discuss initiatives at our respective campuses. It's basically a mixing bowl of ideas that we hope to later adapt to our own schools and implement later. Portions of it remind me of our Diploma Period, which was fantastic, so I am very excited.
We have another Diploma Period coming up next week at the end of the week....this one is entitled Critical Engagement. We haven't received many details yet, but the word from our second years is that it was a great time and really worthwhile.
We are in the process of planning an American Thanksgiving celebration---I'll be sorry not to spend the holiday with either the Baltimore family or the Jacksonville family branch, but AC Thanksgiving should be a fun bonding session with the American national group. Speaking of Baltimore, we just got word that they beat the Steelers in a final-8-seconds-touchdown yesterday....my seconod year Eliza and I were upset. I like the Ravens, but the Steelers are my team, so it was a bummer to see them get beat again. We can sometimes feel a little isolated from American daily life here, so it's good to get a glimpse once in a while.
There is a double-showering-birthday celebration for two of my lovely second years in Morgannwg tonight: Happy Birthday to Penelope and Vincent! I think they are both turning 20. It should be lots of fun!
That's all for now...please everyone enjoy their week!
Madi
Change is coming in our house and at AC. Some of it is welcome and some is less welcome, and since everyone has a pretty strong opinion, it's been discussed a lot in the past 24 hours since we were told what is happening.
We were told last night by our Student Council reps at House Meeting that academic teaching staff will begin receiving copies of the nightly reports with names of students who are staying up late either studying or socializing. The night reports go out every morning to houseparents and some other related staff detailing what happened in the house each night: who was in the quiet room working, until what time, who was using the dayroom after lights-out, etc. The teaching staff would only receive a list of students staying up late working or socializing, not any of the details involved, but nearly every student is very strongly against this new policy. I haven't actually met a student who is in favor of it, and it was clear at our house meeting that most of us find it really unfair. Whether intentionally or not, impressions of us will be made by the teachers, and as a student body we generally feel that our life outside of classes is our own and when we choose to study is our own affair. That's the overall sentiment. I don't have a major problem with the new policy, but I think it will cause a lot more stress than any positive benefits that would come out of teachers having this information.
On the good side, my friend Sara Al-Masri was elected to be our new House rep to Student Council, so she'll be inheriting this lovely issue. Also, we started Secret Santa within our house, so that will be very exciting!
One thing I'm looking forward to at the end of this week is Shared Planet Conference. About 60 of us are going to Oxford for the weekend to particpate in a two-day-long conference meant to bring different colleges and student populations together to plan and discuss initiatives at our respective campuses. It's basically a mixing bowl of ideas that we hope to later adapt to our own schools and implement later. Portions of it remind me of our Diploma Period, which was fantastic, so I am very excited.
We have another Diploma Period coming up next week at the end of the week....this one is entitled Critical Engagement. We haven't received many details yet, but the word from our second years is that it was a great time and really worthwhile.
We are in the process of planning an American Thanksgiving celebration---I'll be sorry not to spend the holiday with either the Baltimore family or the Jacksonville family branch, but AC Thanksgiving should be a fun bonding session with the American national group. Speaking of Baltimore, we just got word that they beat the Steelers in a final-8-seconds-touchdown yesterday....my seconod year Eliza and I were upset. I like the Ravens, but the Steelers are my team, so it was a bummer to see them get beat again. We can sometimes feel a little isolated from American daily life here, so it's good to get a glimpse once in a while.
There is a double-showering-birthday celebration for two of my lovely second years in Morgannwg tonight: Happy Birthday to Penelope and Vincent! I think they are both turning 20. It should be lots of fun!
That's all for now...please everyone enjoy their week!
Madi
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Post-Half-Term
I just realized that my previous post is titled 'Pre-Half-Term Week.' Glad to see I'm sprinkling in some originality with these names!
Half-term just finished and everyone is trickling back to the college in groups of 2 or 3...it was nice to sit outside the house catching up with a few people and greeting everyone who came by. My half term break was amazing---I got to see Dad and Katie and travel to Berlin with them. Berlin was a great city. It combined a very modern atmosphere and lots of contemporary buildings with a sincere acknowledgement of all of the city's history. There is still an old architectural influence on the city, but placed in the modern context it gives the feeling of being purposely preserved, as if the city is consciously saving its past because it is such a valuable history.
I enjoyed seeing all of the old-style buildings in Berlin----the Berlin Cathedral was particularly spectacular, located on 'Museum Island,' a treasure trove of great museums housed in beautiful edifices. If I get the chance to go back, I would love to take a closer look at some of those museums. We also went out to the Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1936 Olympic Games. That also had an air of being frozen in time for the benefit of future generations and foreigners like ourselves. Seeing the stadium reminded me of the 2012 Olympics which will be housed in London---the excitement is already stirring in Cardiff!
After Berlin we went back to Cardiff for a day, so I was able to show Dad and Katie around there. They took me back to school on Saturday and saw the castle. It was really quiet since there weren't many people around and those who stayed at school for half-term were mostly studying. Saying goodbye was not fun, but I know that only 6 weeks separate me from Winter Break---and if past experience is anything to judge by, that time will be quickly over!
Getting back to Morgannwg we found a bit of a surprise: one of the members of our house, Anne-Sofie, decided to leave the school and return to her home in Denmark. I did have a couple of conversations with her during which she seemed unhappy at the school---she seemed a little disillusioned by the college. In her mind, UWC is supposed to be a place where students come together to work for the ideals of the college, but the focus was more on partying or drinking. Though there is a strong drinking culture here, I don't find that it interferes too much with what we are trying to accomplish as a community. Then again, it depends a lot on the people you spend your time with, and while I have found a great group of friends here whose focus is on promoting intercultural understanding to change the world for the better, she may not have been as lucky. Anyway, a new girl named Chloe has come to Morgannwg. She is from France, and seems like she will fit into the house very nicely. So once again, we are almost full in Morgannwg, and full of some great people.
I'm feeling entirely ready for whatever is to come during the next 6 weeks of the semester. Seeing my family has been really refreshing, and getting a connection with home was incredible. However, I am glad to be back at AC with all of the wonderful friends I have made. Until next time, take care and everyone have a fun and safe Halloween!
Madi
Half-term just finished and everyone is trickling back to the college in groups of 2 or 3...it was nice to sit outside the house catching up with a few people and greeting everyone who came by. My half term break was amazing---I got to see Dad and Katie and travel to Berlin with them. Berlin was a great city. It combined a very modern atmosphere and lots of contemporary buildings with a sincere acknowledgement of all of the city's history. There is still an old architectural influence on the city, but placed in the modern context it gives the feeling of being purposely preserved, as if the city is consciously saving its past because it is such a valuable history.
I enjoyed seeing all of the old-style buildings in Berlin----the Berlin Cathedral was particularly spectacular, located on 'Museum Island,' a treasure trove of great museums housed in beautiful edifices. If I get the chance to go back, I would love to take a closer look at some of those museums. We also went out to the Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1936 Olympic Games. That also had an air of being frozen in time for the benefit of future generations and foreigners like ourselves. Seeing the stadium reminded me of the 2012 Olympics which will be housed in London---the excitement is already stirring in Cardiff!
After Berlin we went back to Cardiff for a day, so I was able to show Dad and Katie around there. They took me back to school on Saturday and saw the castle. It was really quiet since there weren't many people around and those who stayed at school for half-term were mostly studying. Saying goodbye was not fun, but I know that only 6 weeks separate me from Winter Break---and if past experience is anything to judge by, that time will be quickly over!
Getting back to Morgannwg we found a bit of a surprise: one of the members of our house, Anne-Sofie, decided to leave the school and return to her home in Denmark. I did have a couple of conversations with her during which she seemed unhappy at the school---she seemed a little disillusioned by the college. In her mind, UWC is supposed to be a place where students come together to work for the ideals of the college, but the focus was more on partying or drinking. Though there is a strong drinking culture here, I don't find that it interferes too much with what we are trying to accomplish as a community. Then again, it depends a lot on the people you spend your time with, and while I have found a great group of friends here whose focus is on promoting intercultural understanding to change the world for the better, she may not have been as lucky. Anyway, a new girl named Chloe has come to Morgannwg. She is from France, and seems like she will fit into the house very nicely. So once again, we are almost full in Morgannwg, and full of some great people.
I'm feeling entirely ready for whatever is to come during the next 6 weeks of the semester. Seeing my family has been really refreshing, and getting a connection with home was incredible. However, I am glad to be back at AC with all of the wonderful friends I have made. Until next time, take care and everyone have a fun and safe Halloween!
Madi
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Pre-halfterm Week
Hello everyone,
My apologies for missing my blog post last week---I do feel bad about this, and it's not much of an excuse, but the truth is last week I completely forgot and every time I thought about going to update it something started happening that delayed it even more! So I will let you all know what's been going on for the past two weeks.
A great way for me to remember what's been going on is to check my past emails from my school email account. The college has a pretty efficient system of communication where anyone can email anyone else in the school, or the groups of people to whom the email is relevant. So checking back through my emails, I can see what I and others have been up to---emails are sent out about everything from a first-year vs. second-year basketball game (which was a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders) to Gender and Sexuality Focus Week workshops to Lost-and-Found emails. There are quite a few of the latter, since everyone who loses something sends out a campus-wide email describing it and promising food for the person who locates it. Food is the preferred currency here....if you want to ask a favor, chocolate always helps it along!
This past week was Gender and Sexuality Focus Week, which was an awareness period about homosexuality and bisexuality within the college and in the rest of the world. Some people ran workshops with titles like 'What if your roommate is gay?' and had debates on issues like gay parent adoption. I went to that debate to listen to what was being said, but the debate ended up being completely overshadowed by the group discussion we had afterwards. Everyone participated, making it a strong exchange of different viewpoints, and I don't think anyone walked away offended because in general we all accept others' rights to their own opinions. That's something I love about this place: these initiatives work because we are ready to have an open dialogue with each other about any sort of topic. I'm looking forward to more focus weeks in the future!
Checking further back in my emails, I see that we had a Disney Marathon in Morgannwg last weekend---that basically consisted of showing multiple Disney films and people from other houses crowding into our dayroom to catch a glimpse back at our childhood. One interesting thing about watching Disney with international students: everyone knew the songs in their own languages! So while I was singing along in English, Coral might be joining in with the Spanish version while Paula added German, and someone else sang in French or Chinese or whatever. That was lots of fun.
I see from several extremely stressed 'lost' emails regarding missing USB drives that two weeks ago was the second-years' deadline for their Extended Essays, one of the IB requirements...it was a hectic week for them as they tried to pull it together, and missing USBs were a big issue.
Service has been going very well---we have been doing sessions for about a month now, and they are really rewarding to participate in. I'm leading my first session on Wednesday---that means that I will make a plan for what songs and activities we will be doing at the session, as well as taking charge of the session while we are there. Hopefully it will go well!
There's only one week of school left before our week-long half-term break....a wonderful feature of the British school system that I know we all appreciate. Dad and Katie are coming over, which I am very excited about, since I miss them and everyone else at home. Some people who live close are going home, but others are traveling around the UK or Europe during this time. Some are staying in the castle, but whatever anyone is doing it is sure to be a welcome break. One of my goals is to catch up on sleep---we have all acrued a heavy sleep debt whilst here!
Finally, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to Susu and Papa John...hope you guys have/had great birthdays! To everyone else at home, I miss you a lot and I hope you are all doing great.
Madi
My apologies for missing my blog post last week---I do feel bad about this, and it's not much of an excuse, but the truth is last week I completely forgot and every time I thought about going to update it something started happening that delayed it even more! So I will let you all know what's been going on for the past two weeks.
A great way for me to remember what's been going on is to check my past emails from my school email account. The college has a pretty efficient system of communication where anyone can email anyone else in the school, or the groups of people to whom the email is relevant. So checking back through my emails, I can see what I and others have been up to---emails are sent out about everything from a first-year vs. second-year basketball game (which was a fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders) to Gender and Sexuality Focus Week workshops to Lost-and-Found emails. There are quite a few of the latter, since everyone who loses something sends out a campus-wide email describing it and promising food for the person who locates it. Food is the preferred currency here....if you want to ask a favor, chocolate always helps it along!
This past week was Gender and Sexuality Focus Week, which was an awareness period about homosexuality and bisexuality within the college and in the rest of the world. Some people ran workshops with titles like 'What if your roommate is gay?' and had debates on issues like gay parent adoption. I went to that debate to listen to what was being said, but the debate ended up being completely overshadowed by the group discussion we had afterwards. Everyone participated, making it a strong exchange of different viewpoints, and I don't think anyone walked away offended because in general we all accept others' rights to their own opinions. That's something I love about this place: these initiatives work because we are ready to have an open dialogue with each other about any sort of topic. I'm looking forward to more focus weeks in the future!
Checking further back in my emails, I see that we had a Disney Marathon in Morgannwg last weekend---that basically consisted of showing multiple Disney films and people from other houses crowding into our dayroom to catch a glimpse back at our childhood. One interesting thing about watching Disney with international students: everyone knew the songs in their own languages! So while I was singing along in English, Coral might be joining in with the Spanish version while Paula added German, and someone else sang in French or Chinese or whatever. That was lots of fun.
I see from several extremely stressed 'lost' emails regarding missing USB drives that two weeks ago was the second-years' deadline for their Extended Essays, one of the IB requirements...it was a hectic week for them as they tried to pull it together, and missing USBs were a big issue.
Service has been going very well---we have been doing sessions for about a month now, and they are really rewarding to participate in. I'm leading my first session on Wednesday---that means that I will make a plan for what songs and activities we will be doing at the session, as well as taking charge of the session while we are there. Hopefully it will go well!
There's only one week of school left before our week-long half-term break....a wonderful feature of the British school system that I know we all appreciate. Dad and Katie are coming over, which I am very excited about, since I miss them and everyone else at home. Some people who live close are going home, but others are traveling around the UK or Europe during this time. Some are staying in the castle, but whatever anyone is doing it is sure to be a welcome break. One of my goals is to catch up on sleep---we have all acrued a heavy sleep debt whilst here!
Finally, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to Susu and Papa John...hope you guys have/had great birthdays! To everyone else at home, I miss you a lot and I hope you are all doing great.
Madi
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