Newsletter 1 - UWC Maastricht

Ernst Verduin, an Auschwitz survivor, had come to our school to tell us about his experience of the Holocaust. What
struck me personally was that he repeatedly stressed a single idea while telling his amazing story: over and over he told
us that people said “We didn’t know what was happening! How were we supposed to know?” Mr. Verduin was very
clear that he himself knew what was happening at the concentration camps and at such a very young age. Then I
thought to myself: “Well, if people knew what was happening and they knew about the horror of it all, why didn’t
anybody say anything?!” Then I thought that perhaps people didn’t want to know. To the many people who kept silent,
it was too horrible, too appalling to be true in their minds. They didn’t want to face the fact that such horror would
really be happening in their own country, during their lifetimes. I am sure to admit that if I had been in their shoes, I
wouldn’t have wanted it to be true either. I wouldn’t have wanted to admit that the people around me were that
corrupt and brutal. It still is no excuse for not speaking up, but when I put it into context, it really made me think hard
about it. I am so grateful for Mr. Verduin’s time that he spent sharing his experience with us, and I don’t think I’ll ever
see the Holocaust situation in the same way again. Carrie Sawyer Y10
Western Europe and Northern American Cultural Week
In November, we celebrated Western Europe and Northern
America Culture Week. The week started with Belgium,
Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland. During
break, all participating students joined in an introductory flag
parade. The students then danced a traditional Wiener Waltz in
the Atrium. Students were also invited to join one of the six
workshops held by different members of our group ranging from
listening to a Grimms Brothers’ fairy tale with a soothing digital
fire in the background, an exploration of German "Sturm und
Drang" literature, to celebrating Sinterklaas in the Netherlands.
Seline Hofer Y13
Day Two celebrated the Mediterranean and started off somewhat disorganised, as expected of a group led by Italians,
Spanish and French. Nevertheless, we were able to perform the dance and some of us even managed to look like we
were having fun while we did it. During lunch we showed a video depicting the stereotypes of our region and staged a
stereotypical daytime TV melodrama, written and performed by ourselves: everyone fell in and out of love so many
times it was impossible to keep up and someone was, naturally, left behind pregnant and alone. On food day, of course,
our area was swarmed with hungry students salivating for paella, pizza, pasta, quiche and crêpes. Aphra Murray Y12
First things first: no, we do not wear Viking helmets, we do not plunder the English, nor do we occupy their lands for
centuries, and we most certainly do not worship the pagan Gods of Thunder, War, Snow, and, importantly, Rainbows. To
counter such stereotypes, propagated in mediocre Hollywood action films on Norse mythology, the Scandinavian group
chose to embrace its heritage rather than hide it. Consequently, one was met by a Viking ship with matching hats during
breaks and a presentation on 10 Reasons why Scandinavians should Rule the World, culminating in a memorable
performance as AᗺBA on the night of the grand WENA Culture Week party. Nikolaj Ramsdal Nielsen Y12
The Irish had our time on the 3 rd day of Culture Week. Together with our neighbors – the UK – and the Vikings we hoped
to give our peers a glimpse of what things are like in our respective countries. We performed some traditional Irish
dances, gave a very traditional pub-quiz, and acted out a small drama skit. Along with these activities, we ran workshops
on different topics relative to our cultures, including ‘British Composers’, ‘Irish Mythology’, ‘Why Scandinavians Should
Rule the World’ and ‘Ireland’s Road to Independence’. Ash Doyle Y13