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UWC is

It’s hard to define what UWC means or explain what UWC is to a non-UWCer because the experience differs for each student here and most times, they just don’t get it! However, I think Olaf van der Veen ‘16, Netherlands,did a good job at giving an idea of what UWC is:

UWC is going barefoot around campus

UWC is hugging someone for a minute even though you barely know them just because you both love hugging

UWC is being scared of someone because they’re so passionate about something at the start of the year

UWC is being passionate about it yourself by the end of it

UWC is learning to appreciate silence and sunrise

UWC is giving a castle tour and having a special memory associated with every room you enter

UWC is that temptation of pushing the button on the emergency poles

UWC is learning basic conversation skills in ten different languages

UWC is having late-night conversations with your roomie while you’re both in you own beds

UWC is the inner panic of taking a nap and waking up later than you should

UWC is being able to sing all throughout campus without fear of being judged

UWC is the half-fascinated-half-‘why-the-heck-is-that-a-thing’ feeling you get when you learn something quirky about someone else’s culture

UWC is recognizing someone’s laughter from a mile away

UWC is going blind for a day, but being able to see for the rest of the year

UWC is seeing your own tiredness when you see that ToK essay you wrote yesterday at three

UWC is coming as a citizen of your country, but leaving as a citizen of the world

UWC is us.

- Olaf van der Veen, UWC USA Netherlands ‘16

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UWC is magical. I am going to miss this place.

Chinemerem Nwosu, Nigeria ‘15

#lastblogpostoftheyear #uwcusamediateam

UWC-USA Checklist

With the graduation coming up, everyone is trying to finishing up their last days without regrets. Therefore, I gathered some different things people are doing in the end of their experience, and created a checklist for future reference.

1. Join a talk about capitalism.

This is not that difficult to do because UWC-USA students have this extreme talent to take any question into an ethical discussion that 99% involves capitalism. Join a dayroom conversation or complain about how the kettle does not work, and you would probably end with a heated discussion about the political systems in the world.

2. Hermit’s peak hike.

Hermit’s peak is the highest peak in the New Mexico region, and has an extraordinary view of the Great Plain of southwest. As wilderness has always been the special thing of UWC-USA, students have a wilderness requirement to fulfill. Many of them chose to go on the Hermit’s peak, because of the view as well as the great company.

3. Music Jam session in Dwan light sanctuary.

Dawn light sanctuary might not be the perfect place for acoustic, but the atmosphere it creates in the sanctuary goes perfect with the near-end jamming. Last year before the midnight buses carried people away from this place, I went to such a session. It really struck my soul.

4. Sunrise Hot Springs

The Hot Springs near the campus has always been a public attraction. And everyone knows that bathing in the hot spring is the best when the surroundings are cold. Since snow has receded from New Mexico, which is actually questionable, the perfect time to go is before the sun comes up. Enjoy the warmth in the hot spring and wait for the first sunshine to shine on the silhouettes of the trees.

5. Jogging to Storrie Lake.

Storrie Lake is part of the private property of the wilderness reserve region, so you can not really go near it, even though the view is amazing. Yet the trail to Storrie Lake is quite an experience and view itself. Feeling the breeze along the trail, and trying to escape the aggressive dogs along side is really a good way to bond with your running mates.

6. Bike to town and back.

7. Visit the historical forth floor in the castle at the end of the year with Tom Oden.

8. Write a Tweed session in the round room of the castle and reflect your experience.

9. Perform at Bluemoon Cafe

Etc..

So many things left to do, yet such limited time we’ve got. I hope this checklist will serve all the remaining days well.

Photo and blog by Jianing Tu ‘15, China

It’s that time of the year again: the IB is here

Seeing people around campus with tired faces and darkened eyes has become a pretty common sight around here. Long days of studying have taken over the campus activity this week since we are only a couple of days away from the start of the IB.

As a UWC-USA student, there are many great and entertaining activities that you get to experience during your two years; however, the IB is not one of them. During the next three weeks, all of us will have to take an average of 12 exams (two papers per subject) and study everything that we have covered in the past two years of our life (yay!). However, the experience can be exciting for some students, since the IB provides a prime opportunity to learn everything that you might not have learnt these two past years. It is definitely a challenging time for many students here, specially for the ones applying to college in Europe, since their IB results will determine their college acceptances.

It is a little bit challenging to balance the amount of time that you spend studying with the amount of time that you spend with your friends, as it is our last month together in school. But, you can always take a well-deserved five-minute break and just chill in the field, as I’m doing right now. The good news is that everything will be over in three weeks, and the rest of the time will be free for us to create our last memories here, in Montezuma.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE IB!

Tomás Sandoval Zamorano ‘15, Chile

UWC Film Night

On April 28th, 2015, a new tradition climbed onto the annual event calendar: the first Film Night took place at UWC-USA. Even though the event was put on by the students of UWC-USA’s Filmmaking activity, the night involved many others of the international UWC community. It was a very enjoyable gathering, and appropriate for the time we live in.

Nowadays, film is a widely used medium to entertain, to inform, and to connect. Of course, this includes television and cinema. But as the access to the Internet transcends the access to televisions, film on social media and online networks becomes more and more popular. And UWCers are definitely part of this trend. To share, to communicate, and to show real interest are ideals.

The students in the Filmmaking activity on campus selected 10 films from UWC-USA, one from UWCSEA (in Singapore), one from Atlantic College (in Wales), one from Mahindra College (in India), and one from Pearson College (in Canada). Those 14 films formed a wide variety, including documentary, digital storytelling, fiction, animation, and claymation. It was a compilation with lots of creativity.

At the UWC Film Night, we connected with filmmakers from all UWCs. Now students at other locations have taken similar initiatives. We are very curious about next year’s edition.

This year’s program:

1.Dear Me - Directed by Stella Serger, 2015, UWCUSA, Germany

2. Biculturalism - Directed by Dominique Teoh, UWCAC

3. Mexican Border - Directed by Bar Sapir, 2014, UWCUSA, Israel

4. Las Narices - Directed by Norma Ruiz and Floor Fiers, 2015, UWCUSA, Mexico/The Netherlands

5. Speak up, please! - Storytelling by Chavonne Bowen, 2015, UWCUSA, Barbados

6. Nature - Directed by Naré Harutyunyan, 2015, UWCUSA, Armenia

7. Dirt and Hope - Directed by Andrés Montiel, Lam Quynh Vo and Alvaro Guerra, MUWCI

8. Storytelling by Heather Hong, UWCUSA, Singapore. Directed by Naré Harutyunyan, 2015, UWCUSA, Armenia

9. Sleepless - Directed by Lynn Murphy, UWCSEA

10. Snow Art - Directed by Naré Harutyunyan, 2015, UWC-USA, Armenia

11. Codfish - Storytelling by Dahjuanna Jones, UWCUSA, USA-MI

12. Favourite Spots - Directed by Floor Fiers and Naré Harutyunyan, 2014, UWCUSA, The Netherlands/Armenia

13. Numbers - Directed by Camille Ross-Williams, UWC Pearson

Organizers: Norma Ruiz (Mexico ‘16), Eliza-Theodora Tuta (Romania ‘16), Naré Harutyunyan (Armenia ‘16) and Floor Fiers (the Netherlands ‘15)

On Saturday, the first-year theatre students put together an amazing version of “Romeo and Juliet.” It is “slightly” different than the original one as they added some UWC taste to it. The show combined different theatre forms from all over the world, like Chinese opera, interactive theatre, contemporary theatre, and clowning, and made them all blend in the classical Romeo an Juliet. Check these photos out!

Photo - Jianing Tu ‘15, China 15

30 days left......

What? Only 30 days? It seems like I came here a month ago. I still remember how excited and scared I was at the same time. I still remember how I said goodbye to my family at airport with a fake smile, when in reality I want to cry. I remember the night when I arrived to this wonderful campus and saw my roommate. My first tour of campus, first wilderness experience, for the first time meeting my get-away family, first Southwest Studies and Project week, first radio show... So many first times. New experiences, understanding myself better, learning how to survive without family near you, becoming more mature, because you’re understanding that you are the one who need to take care of yourself.

I have changed a lot. In last 8 months I changed more that in past couple of years. Now when I look back I can understand from where those changes come from.

I had so many positive experiences, but at the same time I faced a lot of hardships, too. Being homesick for first weeks, having hard time with classes, long nights when you need to study for exams, sometimes feeling hopeless, feeling that you are missing so much from back home...

At the same time it’s so hard for me to think about graduation, about leaving this place. It seems so unreal that in 35 days my plane will land in Yerevan and I will see my family, friends, people whom I love again. I feel so happy, but sad at the same time. Some of us won’t come back for next year (2nd years), and this place won’t be the same without them. At the same time we will meet out first-years, which is so exciting.

Here you learn from your own experience that nothing is forever. You need to say goodbye to some people in order to move forward. I strongly believe that May 24 isn’t the end, it’s a new beginning. Our second years will go to universities or take a gap year and travel around the world, use what they have learned here in real life. For my class it’s a time when we will feel responsible for our firsties, will have even more sleepless nights in order to be able to go to our dream universities or for doing well on our IBs :)

Life is so interesting and intense here. You can find friends for life. You have unlimited opportunities and limited time. Every conversation can become the one which will change your life. I just want to say thank you to every single person here for making this place what it is. Thanks for shaping memories together and for important life lessons. Thank you UWC-USA!

Here are some throwback photos :)

Stella Tangiyan, Armenia ‘16

April 24 1915

For many people, April 24, 1915, doesn’t mean anything, but for my small country with population of 2.5 million people and with a diaspora in all over the world with more than 10 million people, this is the darkest date in our history.

I’m from Armenia and I’m talking about Armenian genocide. Genocide, a term which is a reason for so many discussions, newspaper articles and disagreements between countries ... The Armenian genocide is counted as a first one in 20th century. Tirst one, but not the last one...

This is a date when we remember more than 1.5 million deaths. To be more accurate, we remember those people every day. It’s hard to find a family which isn’t affected by this. Death of more than 1.5 million innocent men, women and children...

My blog doesn’t mean to blame anyone for this horrible event. It’s an attempt to make the world to know about the Armenian genocide and learn lessons from it. When Hitler decided to invade Poland, he said that who, after all, remembers about Armenian genocide. It was an excuse for him. It’s not only the part of Armenian history, it’s a part of world history. Without recognizing our past the same mistakes would be done again.

What about Armenia? We survived, we developed, we became stronger, we lost big part of our lands, but we kept our culture, religion, and identity. Armenia is a wonderful country with kind, friendly, strong, smart people, wonderful nature and architecture, we are survivors of genocide and world will continue to listen and learn about Armenia.

R.I.P. 1.5 million innocent people

Stella Tangiyan ‘16, Armenia

Ready, set, theater!

With the oncoming end of the school year, many activities fill the calendars of every student on campus, with varied events such as the soccer world cup and the last official day of classes.

However, this year, the first year students’ theater class promises to be the absolute leader when it comes to on-campus productions. According to Lubna Sherieff ‘16, Australia, one of the student directors of the play, this version of Romeo and Juliet will be anything except your normal theatrical event. The 16 students, led by theater teacher Aaron Kagan, have been working for countless hours for the past couple of months in order to bring a Broadway-worthy production to campus.

Students have developed this project from the ground up, working in small groups directed by a single point person. Everything from costumes and make-up to the sets that will be used on that night have been created by the class. The play will have 20 scenes, each of them directed by one of the first-year students in the class. The play will be about 2 1/2 hours long, which will be more than enough to show all the talent of these young actors and actresses. The show promises to combine a mixture of the inherent classical nature of this play with the modern an international nature of the young directors.

So, write it down in your calendar and set a reminder in your phones people, Kluge Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Saturday is the place to be in order to enjoy a great piece of work of our first years!

Tomás Sandoval Zamorano ‘15, Chile

Her

Most of them all, her. Yes, most of them all.

Chinemerem Nwosu –Cheeny, my roommate during my first-year here from Nigeria. This girl is going to be the one I will miss the most. I just realized how close the end is, and how much I don’t want it to come.

That might seem stupid, but I never thought of graduation and her leaving before this night. I’ve been ignoring this fact for too long, until tonight. It’s such a pain to think about this now, but, her presence with me this whole year was such a pleasure and a remarkable thing that I will be forever grateful for it.

She taught me a lot, just by watching her.

I kept watching her working for nights and nights on each and every subject since day one. I was wondering how she could do this. How could anyone have such strength and ability? Is that even possible? I was so impressed. What made me much more impressed is the fact that she is so popular in school and still has amazing friends who care a lot about her. Even though she used to stay so far away to study, but also knew how to balance between her best friends, her family, and the IB.

Watching this for a whole year was just amazing, impressive! And inspiring. She taught me how to become stronger, and much more independent during my first time here away from my home. She also taught me how to follow my own dreams even if they seem impossible, and how to say NO to the distractions that surround me and YES to working hard for my goals and future.

She has been always the one I can trust and rely on. My RA, my big sister, and my model. I remember how many times I just ran to her, to tell her how frustrated or tired I was.

Tired of the IB, of the people, and even of this perfect place that we live in. You always pass through times like that here and that happens, but you get over it and fall in love with everything more than you used to before. I have always chosen her to go to because I know that she is one who helps and who listens, and I was never mistaken. She never let me down.

Getting to know such a person was something I will always cherish and be proud of.

Roomie, if you’re reading this then I just want to say that “I love and admire you, a lot, enjoy DUKE and your dreams coming true, YOU DESERVE IT. And I will never forget all you taught me, I’ll never forget you.”

Writing about her and about how much I cherish her and how proud I am to live with her needs years and years of infinite writing. And that would never be the end.

Roomie, you’re my model. 04-22-2015 Dana Awwad ‘16, Palestine

When it’s time to go.

My mind keeps telling me that I arrived to this beautiful castle only a couple of days ago; however, my phone’s calendar does not lie, it’s been almost 2 years. Part of being a UWC-USA student is recognizing when things come to an end and when it’s necessary to say goodbye. My class (2015) is slowly learning that our time here is about to end and that all of the great experiences and conversations that we’ve had will be part of the past in just a few weeks. However, with the realization that we are leaving comes the exciting thought of what the future has prepared for us. Many of us will go to college in the U.S next year, and some others will travel around the world in order to have first-hand experience with all the amazing cultures and languages that we’ve enjoyed for the past 2 years. However, in order to leave, we have to graduate first. Graduation can be a pretty sad and intense day for many, as the thought of not seeing our friends every morning makes us drop a tear when it crosses our teenage minds. However, I’m convinced that graduation is only the beginning of something better. We’ve been here for two years, learning about the most amazing cultures and ways in which we can influence the world around us. Graduation will be the day that will finally set us free into the world, in order to use what we have learned in the sunny slopes of New Mexico. However, graduation is still far way for second-years at UWC-USA (who are known for taking care of things the night before their due date). Our priority right know is to spend as much time as possible with our friends. So, I will stop writing for now so that I can go and have dinner with some of the coolest people on earth. I will keep you posted on the developing story of our last month here, at UWC-USA.

Tomas Sandoval Zamorano ‘15, Chile

A Letter to the Upcoming UWC-USA Class of 2017

To my lovely Zero Years (those of you who will be attending UWC-USA next year),

1. It’s okay to be freaking out right now. I know I was. It is weird and although we’d all like to shake our parents off and grab at our UWC freedom, it’s scary not having your mom to listen to your problems and having someone to cook you a home-cooked meal. After a while you will develop a new family here at UWC-USA, but for now, try to appreciate yours as much as possible.

2. UWC-USA is a great opportunity and it is easy to take advantage of this. I know that there are times I only find myself complaining about the issues at school, but it is a privilege and an honor to be chosen to attend this school. Don’t forget the reason why you applied and keep that drive in your mind as you enter your first couple of months here.

3. Think about ways you would like to get involved at UWC-USA. There are so many opportunities available here and, even more importantly, there is a lot of support for students trying to branch out and build new projects. If you have some idea in your mind that you have wanted to work on but haven’t had the resources to do so, get ready because if you come prepared, you may be able to make this dream project come true here. Take advantage of these resources because they may be difficult to come by later in life.

4. When you find yourself thinking about the end of this experience, which you definitely will, remember that for every second you worry about the feeling you will get when it’s over, you are wasting a moment that you could be remembering later in life. Live your life to the fullest while you are here, and when it ends, you will be ready to part with UWC-USA at peace.

You guys are taking over a place which I will always consider home, so treat it well, and show us soon-to-be alumni that the UWC Spirit will never be lost. I wish you all the very best with your experience.

Olganuku Khaminwa - Joseph ‘15, USA-MA

Change

Change they say Change they believe But will that obvious change get us off our seats They adopt the world’s challenges Without solving their own Do go to your backyard and mow your bushy lawn Your people cry from their undying hunger But you run to the next continent claiming to solve their banter If you do want change Change in the whole world Then my fellow humans Do look in yourselves It takes one breath to change the air It may not be big But it is a difference One tiny move That’s all it takes To make a change in our world today

Sarah Yeboah ‘15, Ghana

Two Versions of the Same Reality

I was clueless about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before coming to UWC-USA. Absolutely clueless. But what happens when you’re thrown into a community with people from all over the world? You become more aware of the world you live in primarily because you live with the world.

My second year at UWC-USA, I was fortunate to have a Palestinian roommate, Dana. She’s one of the most vibrant and fearless people I have ever met and I admire her for that. I also became very good friends with my co-year from Israel, Yarin, with whom I have had the best and craziest adventures with and that hold a significant part of my UWC experience. Palestinian roommate, Israeli best friend: This was a match made in heaven!

One day, we all sat on my bed and talked and somehow the conversation led to the war between Israel and Gaza that happened over the summer last year. I was curious and wanted to know more, so I asked how the war started. The response from each of them was completely astonishing! Their responses were different, though I expected otherwise because I imagined that living in the same place, they would have similar stories to share. But instead, for each of them, how the war started was a different story. They saw and heard the same thing differently, as a Palestinian and as an Israeli.

I was left to think and ponder about how fascinating it is that we can see the same thing but interpret it differently. How we can have several versions of the same reality. It made me realize that no interpretation is right or wrong. Interpretation varies and is made to suit us and our stories. It also made me realize that though we may be in the same place and experience the same thing, we see it differently because our realities can be different too.

Chinemerem Nwosu ‘15, Nigeria

Graduation

Time has passed so fast. I never thought that this year was going to end--at least by anytime soon. Maybe because I really enjoyed it and got to learn and experience a lot of things I never thought of before coming here.

Almost 33 days left, who can believe that I have been here for more than eight months now? I was a first-year student a couple of days ago! What happened? I still remember and hear the voices of our second-years when we first arrived to the school, how excited they were, and how happy we were too.

I also still feel the pain I had in my feet during my first wilderness expedition but also still feel the fresh air filling my lungs when we finished setting up our tents at that beautiful camp site.

I still remember the pictures we took during our welcoming ceremony, and the first time I met my roommate. It was a great feeling of warmth and excitement to be able to share this whole year with her. Those memories were the most meaningful ones I've ever had during my time here and the ones I will always carry in my heart too. But, in less than 33 days, is it all going to be over? Is it the end? We will all be crying our eyes out, saying goodbyes and best wishes to a lot of great people we thought that we will never say goodbye to.

Some of them are going to come back and complete the rest of this story with us, but others will have just finished theirs. And they are now ready -- ready for the new beginnings that waiting for them, the new places, and a lot of experiences.

I have no idea how it is going to be here after the second-years leave, and I don’t want to think about it either. Thirty-three days means we still have time to share. I wish them all the best, just like every other first-year who got to know and interact with them. Graduation, I am so not ready for you to come. Just....don’t. Please?

Dana Awwad ‘16, Palestine 04-21-2015 To be continued.

Talking about Vaginas

Coming from a conservative culture where speaking openly about sex was a complete taboo, I never imagined that I would stand in front of an audience and talk about vaginas. Yes, The Vagina Monologues took place at UWC-USA and it was awesome, particularly because I got to take part in it. The Vagina Monologues is made up of a varying number of monologues that deal with an aspect of the feminine experience, touching on matters such as sex, love, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm, or simply as a physical aspect of the body. A recurring theme throughout the piece is the vagina as a tool of female empowerment, and the ultimate embodiment of individuality.

I watched The Vagina Monologues last year and was completely blown away by how much I could relate to certain monologues and the empathy I had because of others. I decided to participate this year, performing two monologues I absolutely loved because they spoke volumes about self-awareness and speaking out in abusive relationships. I know well that performing The Vagina Monologues will be frowned upon and probably misunderstood back in my country, but by participating in it and encouraging people to find out more about it, I hope that changes and people, especially women, learn to be more comfortable talking about issues that affect them. Speaking of the vagina, sex, love, etc., should never be awkward for anyone and I feel that acknowledging that is the first step to solving many problems related to individuality and feminism.

The Vagina Monologues 2015 (with Floor Fiers Netherlands ‘15) Photo credit: Yarin Reindorp, Israel ‘15

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vagina_Monologues

Chinemerem Nwosu15, Nigeria

Looking Back

As the year comes to a close, I have had the chance to reflect on my last year at UWC-USA and my last year of high school. It is so strange to look back to orientation. Although I don’t remember it perfectly, I remember the feeling when I first saw the Castle. I remember the way I moved from workshop to workshop in the first few weeks, still in a slight daze, still repeating to myself “this is it, isn't it?”

Over the course of these past two years, I have gone to the Grand Canyon, seen elk fighting, taught theater to middle-schoolers, learned more about the world than I ever thought I would know, learned how to film, how to dance (sort of), and had the most experience-based schooling experience of a lifetime. I am going to miss the community and the feeling of walking into the bathroom in the morning and seeing all my floormates getting ready for class. I will miss knowing that my best friends are only a couple steps away and that everything I could possibly need is right at my fingertips.

If I regret one thing, it is not taking advantage of every single opportunity UWC-USA has to offer. Almost every weekend there are multiple events offered. To be honest, it wouldn’t be possible to go to everything, but I wish I had gone to one more lecture or done another community service project. UWC-USA forces its students to choose and although that is part of life, sometimes it is hard to look back and see all the things I missed out on because I chose to study that one weekend.

I've been thinking a lot about the future recently and what my next steps will be. I’m not completely sure what I want to do in the next years, but I know that UWC-USA has helped me shape the ideas I will hold for the rest of my life. UWC-USA has taught me to value varied perspectives, creative thinking, and an adventurous lifestyle. With these ideas in mind, I believe that whatever I go on to pursue, it will be positive and enriching and that is the greatest goal I have at the moment.

Olganuku Khaminwa - Joseph ‘15, USA-MA

The Vagina Monologues

A week ago, UWC-USA had the privilege of viewing The Vagina Monologues performed by students for the second consecutive year. The Vagina Monologues is a series of monologues and dialogues about different issues and stories women have about vaginas. The piece was crafted through a series of interviews and then compiled by Eve Ensler. It was originally performed in 1996. Although I didn't act in the UWC-USA version, I worked as a director for the performance and helped mold the show as a whole. It was amazing to be involved in the process this year. There were so many great actors and the pieces really spoke to our international audience.

At UWC-USA, it is easy to see the varied levels of comfort with the openness of such topics. Some of the students come from very conservative culture and I know many people involved in The Vagina Monologues had to consider this when creating the show. In the end it was decided that The Vagina Monologues needed to be done in a raw way so that all the messages that the monologues hold would come across properly.

My mom asked me after the show why I had wanted to be involved in something like this, especially at my age. Why did I feel the need to preach about such topics in high school? I think this is an important question that needs answering. Personally, I believe that The Vagina Monologues is a play that helps women everywhere reclaim a part of their womanhood that is often labeled as taboo when it should be just as respected and loved as any other aspect of womanhood. Having a show dedicated to the idea that we should in fact be discussing all things related to the vagina just helps reinforce female empowerment and I believe the younger we realize this, the more confident and prideful we can be in future situations.

The students and faculty both received the show very well, which makes me confident that what The Vagina Monologues say is important and needs to be heard. I hope that this performance can continue to be hosted each year and that each new generation of UWCers can be inspired by it in whatever way they feel is applicable.

Olganuku Khaminwa - Joseph ‘15, USA-MA

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