Here - UWC-USA

Literati Article Exchange: UWC Costa Rica
Whether we were relaxed watching movies or engaged in a game of basketball, our
main aim was always to remind these often-neglected kids that there was enough
cheer to go round… page 13
Alumni Story: Gert Danielsen Kid-
napped in Yemen
“As we speak, I am starting a new job with the
UN in Yemen, where I will be working on democratic
governance, human rights and gender equality”, our
sixteenth and seventeenth-year Gert Danielsen
(Norway ’96) wrote for Kaleidoscope only a year ago.
“I am calm and feel prepared”, he added just before
embarking on this journey as an expert for the UN De-
velopment Programme (UNDP). Continue to page 5
ISSUE # 13 | Spring of 2012 | February 2
Cracking the SAT
From an American standpoint, the SAT is like a
monster that lies in your path between high school
and college, and one that you must vanquish in order
to continue on your journey. Here at UWC, when
many of us are confronted with an extra year of
school that was not originally planned, many of us
have the luxury to push the SAT back, giving us at
least one semester more of lovely and standardized
test-less time. Continue to page 8

Message from the Editors
Editors:
Staff:
Sometimes, we tend to focus on a single thing that we
are mostly comfortable with or having fun with working. With
many events and opportunities happening at the same time,
we should always keep a certain amount of balance in our
schedule sheets. We, as students being exposed to this kind of
environment, know how difficult it is to juggle through different
interests that come along our way, and at some point we lose
track of one. Don’t panic and calm down to get your bearings
right, stand up again and learn from that mistake. It is not too
late to make changes, as long as you don’t repeat it again. In
this issue, it will be a collection of diverse topics and interest
that you may find as a reflection of what is our lifestyle at the
moment, full of stories, interests and focus that we all need to
Issue #13 Spring 2012
Staff
Francesca Annicchiarico
Jomar Pecson
Nico Grubert
Julius Hamilton, Inga Lam, Lara Norgaard, Laura
Baika, Himmi Cheruvu, Nicolas Montano, Simona
Boyadzhiyska, Patrick Drown, Tjizembua Tjikuzu,
Abraham Amador
Layout: Jomar Pecson
Photography: Nico Grubert, Contributors, Staff
Advisor: Parris Bushong
UWC-USA 2011-2012
Cover Photo Credit: Uchenna Anizoba (UWCCR- Nigeria
’12) & Zoe Meers (UWCCR- Australia ’13)
Table of Contents
Global Issues Section
February 2, 2012
read and tackle. From SAT’s to Himmi’s Saga and even to Costa
Rica, the UWC life continues and lives on but just remember to
keep a balance of everything, even though, at some point, it is
hard.
Just Read It.
Yours,
Editors in Chief,
Francesca, Jomar and Nico
+What is Happening around the World?
+Nigeria on Edge
+Alumni Story: Gert Danielsen Kidnapped in
Yemen
Campus Section
+The Himmi Saga Continues: Himmi Saves Prestige
(wait, what?)
+Suspicious Figures Sighted Around Campus
+Cracking the SAT
+Third Year Visit
+Notable Alumni
Features
+A Box and the End of “Normal World”
+Not Enough Sunshine Even Here in Tropics…
+Hitchhiking
2

What is Happening Around the World?
By Simona Boyadzhiyska—Bulgaria
� After the protests in the last two weeks, Romanians are talking about early elections
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
� A Greek priest was arrested after digging a two-meter-deep hole around the altar in a local church in search
for treasure
� The British police arrested four current and former members of the staff of Sun, one of the most popular
newspapers in the country, for paying police officers to obtain information
� The EU is about to spend 50 million EUR on a European history museum in Brussels; the House of European
History will be located in a 1930s building and will open in 2014
� The Dutch Muslim Party announced their intentions to participate in the next parliamentary elections; some
of the aims of the party include limitation of free speech, making Turkey a EU member, no tolerance for
drugs, and equal rights for men and women
� Around 300 people were arrested in the state of California after the Occupy Oakland protests
Nigeria on Edge
By Tjizembua Tjikuzu—Namibia
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suddenly
shifted his attitude toward the Islamist extremist group Boko
Haram, as violence spreads across northern Nigeria.
A week ago, Jonathan warned the group had infiltrated
the government and security forces and vowed (again) to stamp
it out. But in an interview with Reuters news agency Thursday
he said that if Boko Haram identified itself and stated clear demands
the government was ready for dialogue. He also acknowledged
that military action alone would not stop Boko Haram;
and northern Nigeria needed economic development.
But Nigeria-watchers think this apparent carrot may
have come too late. Boko Haram's purported leader, Abu Bakar
Shekau, responded in an audio message: "We're killing police
officers, we're killing soldiers and other government people who
are fighting Allah; and Christians who are killing Muslims and
talking badly about our Islamic religion."
Source: vesti.bg
Over the last month, Boko Haram has carried out multiple
bombings and shootings across the north; hundreds of people
have been killed. Its targets are frequently police and government
officials, but most of the casualties are civilians. On one
day last week, at least 180 people were killed in Nigeria's second
city, Kano
Who are the Boko Haram?
One Nigeria analyst describes the Kano attacks as a
"breathtaking show of force" by Boko Haram -- one that fits a
pattern of bolder and better coordinated attacks over the past
year.
Joe Bavier, a writer who is a frequent visitor to the region,
told CNN that the "federal government has completely lost
control of the north-east, despite deploying thousands of troops
and establishing a Joint Task Force." Now, he says, "it looks like
this insurgency has broken out of the north-east." And what's
3

not to alienate people there further."
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
worrying, he says, is that there's "not a whole lot of visible effort
from the federal government to calm things down."
Nigerian iReporters on uncertain present, and future
Philippe de Pontet, Africa analyst at the Eurasia
Group, says that Boko Haram's main aim appears to be humiliating
to Jonathan's government, tapping into an existing sense
of grievance among Muslims in the north. He and other analysts
say the government's heavy-handed response has played
into Boko Haram's hands. "The impulse is to hit back hard and
there are political pressures for a crackdown," de Pontet argues,
"but Jonathan is so weak in the north that he needs to be careful
Long the poorer part of Nigeria, the north lacks infrastructure such as reliable power. Since the end of military rule much of
the region has felt excluded from the system of patronage that fuels Nigerian politics. When he acceded to the presidency in April
last year, Jonathan broke the unofficial rotation of Christian and Muslim as head of state. (Source: CNN)
Sudoku
http://www.sudokucollection.com/sp/M052x.html
4

Alumni Story: GERT DANIELSEN
KIDNAPPED IN YEMEN
By Francesca Annicchiarico—Italy
(Continuation) Back then, little did Gert know about the price
that he was to pay for pursuing his passion for international relations.
Last Sunday, January the 15th, the 34-year-old UWC-
USA alumnus was kidnapped in the streets of the Yemenite
capital just south of the presidential palace. According to CNN,
tribal sources revealed that six
men who belong to the tribe
Obeyid Marib forced Gert into a
vehicle and drove him off to
Mareb, about 170 km north of
Sana’a. Apparently, the kidnappers
are demanding the release of
Ali Nasser Hareekdan, tribesman
arrested by the state police and
charged with killing Yemenite
soldiers. “The tribe has made
assurances regarding the safety of
the staff member who reportedly
remains in good health”, deputy
UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey
said shortly after his kidnapping.
A Norwegian broadcasting company also reported that the man
was allowed to speak to his family by phone while the United
Nations and the Norwegian Embassy in Saudi Arabia were negotiating
his release.
After eleven days in the hands of the Yemenite tribesmen, Gert
Danielsen was eventually freed last Thursday, January the 26th,
and he is currently in Norway for a short break before resuming
his duties in Middle-East. “I’m happy to be free again, and I
wish to thank all those who have worked hard for my release”,
he commented. According to the Norwegian foreign ministry,
UWC alumnus was treated relatively well by his kidnappers.
When he first arrived in Montezuma, Gert was convinced he
would have become a doctor, but his experience at UWC-USA
unfolded new unprecedented perspectives. “If you have been in
a room of red and orange for a lifetime, how do you know that
your passion really is blue, green, or yellow – colors you’ve
never seen or you’ve been told do not exist?” he wrote recalling
the two years spent in New Mexico, when his interest in interna-
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
tional relations became stronger and stronger. During his second
-year, Norwegian alumnus ambitiously asked his then English
teacher Anne Farrell to write him a reference for a job with the
UN. Ten years later, his teenage dream became true: in 2006,
Gert worked with the United Nations in South Africa, while now
he is a UN aid worker in Yemen.
Hearing about the nightmare Gert
Danielsen went through last
week, it is perhaps hard to imagine
him dancing Merengue for
CLAD – as he himself recalled in
the latest Kaleidoscope – participating
in Aleyda’s Spanish
classes, or hanging out with his
Latin friends, experiences that
probably contributed to his later
work with Latin American’s nonprofits.
It is hard to imagine him,
as Anne Farrell recalled, as “the
first student who refused to dissect
animals in Biology class”.
Risk-taking is not mentioned in
our mission statement, yet it is what “peace and a sustainable
future” are based upon. Now that effective talks successfully
brought this member of the UWC community back to his job,
Gert Danielsen’s story should make us think about where we
will let United World College to take us in life and what we will
bring with us along that path. As Anne wisely pointed out,
“Gert’s experience reminds me that UWC is never the end of
your achievement”.
SOURCES:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/15/world/meast/yemen-unrest/index.html
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/01/16/UN-aid-workerkidnapped-in-Yemen/UPI-63591326742777/
http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/news/un-in-contact-with-kidnapped-norwegianin-yemen_4152
http://www.uwc-usa.org/ftpimages/423/misc/misc_93315.pdf
http://www.gertdanielsen.org/whois_eng.asp
h t tp :/ / w w w. r eu t e r s . c o m / a r t i c le/ 2 0 1 2 /0 1 / 2 7 / u s - yem en - k i d n ap -
idUSTRE80Q1M320120127
5

The Himmi Saga Continues: Himmi
Saves Prestige (wait, what?)
By Lara Norgaard—USA
I have heard and seen a fair amount of unbelievable
things about my dear friend Himmi Cheruvu. I have heard that
she said the language spoken in Thailand begins with a “P,” I
have witnessed her asking if Canada could count for America in
order to be eligible for US summer programs.
And all of you have seen the random
(yet hilarious) nature of her newspaper
articles – indeed, Himmi is far from
predictable.
However, if there is one thing I
did not expect to hear this week, or ever
for that matter, it is that Himmi Cheruvu
saved Prestige Shongwe. While snowboarding.
Why do I find this so unbelievable,
you might ask? Well, it all began
with the first snowboarding weekend this
season, with an experience that made me
believe that if anyone needed saving
while snowboarding, it would most definitely
be Himmi rather than Prestige.
Before this season, Himmi had
been snowboarding all of four days, and
considered herself to be at an intermediate,
or even intermediate-advanced skill level. For all of you
who have never been snowboarding before, let me clue you in:
four days on a snowboard does not result in competence on intermediate
or advanced runs, it merely allows the snowboarder
to fall every five minutes instead of every 30 seconds
(Disclaimer: if you are considering a winter sport and don’t
want to spend the vast majority of your time sitting in a pile of
snow, try skiing. And yes, I am a skier. Did you notice?).
Despite this fact, Himmi claimed to be an intermediateadvanced
snowboarder. On the lift up to the first run, Himmi
seemed nervous, so her countrymate Sam asked her what was
wrong. Himmi’s answer was: “I don’t do so well on lifts…”
Slightly concerned, Sam got off the lift at the top, expecting
Himmi to shakily follow and possibly fall. But no, reality was
much more entertaining than any of our expectations.
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
When presented with a conflict or a challenging situation,
it is human nature to have a fight-or-flight response. What
seemed to happen in this case was a very interesting phenomenon:
combination of the two responses. Psychologists, take out
your notebooks because I have no idea
how to explain this one. Instead of taking
the “fight” route (in other words, getting
off of the chairlift and fighting the slippery
snow) or the “flight” response
(staying on the chairlift until the operator
stopped it), Himmi stayed on the chairlift
for a while and then decided it would be a
good idea to get off. The result: a faceplant
off of a chairlift. I have seldom seen
people laugh so hard.
So, do you, dear readers, understand
why Himmi saving Prestige seems
so absurd? Absurd it may be, but it happened.
Prestige fell while snowboarding
( b u t
h e y ,
w h a t
d o
y o u
expect, it’s snowboarding), and after tumbling
down the mountain a bit, rolled to a stop. Himmi heroically
came up to Prestige to check if he was okay. In what
seemed to be appropriate first-aid protocol, she asked Prestige to
turn his head away from the mountain where it was pressed into
the snow. But, instead of asking him if he could breathe, she
just looked at the view and said, “isn’t it beautiful?”
...with an experience that made me believe that if anyone
needed saving while snowboarding, it would most
definitely be Himmi rather than Prestige....
And that, UWC-USA, is how Himmi saved Prestige.
We love you Himmi.
Photo Credit: Ana Dougherty
6

Suspicious Figures Sighted
Around Campus
By Julius Hamilton—USA
Mysterious things have been going on this week. Last
Thursday, a well-dressed gentlemen was spotted on campus,
loitering in corners of rooms, sitting alone in the dining hall,
suspiciously going about with a small paper envelope.
According to speculation, this is a Turkish criminal
overlord and hitman contractor who goes by the name of Mr.
Yildirir. He is rumored to be one of the single most powerful
individuals in the North American underground crime world. He
runs extensive networks of petty criminals, assassins, politicians,
and other individuals of power. He uses his connections and his
power as invisible hands to adjust and manipulate the world as
he sees fit.
It has become apparent that, beginning Thursday, Mr.
Yildirir has been gathering the top hitmen from around the
world for an important job. His motives remain unclear, but
there have been several
sightings of violence
around campus. Many
well-known faces have
simply vanished. There
have been screams of
shock late in the night.
Many go about with a
suspicious walk and
eyes that dart about
rooms.
One source
has speculated that Mr.
Yildirir is using these
assassins in a cruel
game that for many of
them will be their last
job. The assassins are
each given a target and
told nothing more than
to eliminate this target. But it may be that Mr. Yildirir is in fact
assigning the assassins each other as targets, in a modern gladiator
battle of sorts. Already 50 of 60 assassins have been taken
out by one another. What will become of the last survivor, nobody
knows.
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
The assassins reportedly use methods of firearms, explosives,
injections, acid, poison, and target-activated traps. On
Friday I found that someone had climbed the wall outside my
room, removed the screen, and tied a rope to my bed. They are
extremely cunning and difficult to detect. One must be vigilant
at all times.
The outcome will unfold this coming week, and perhaps
some light will be shed on the secretive outbursts of violence.
Lock your door at night and never be unaccompanied.
These assassins are known to only strike if they can accomplish
their mission in top secrecy. As ordinary civilians we have no
chance against their lifelong training and natural skills in this art
form. We can only pray that soon they will achieve their goal or
wipe each other out. Until then, be safe.
...But it may be that Mr. Yildirir is in fact assigning the
assassins each other as targets, in a modern gladiator
battle of sorts....
Photo Credit: http://www.designboom.com
7

Cracking the SAT
By Nicolas Montano —USA
(Continuation) However, for some first years, that
lovely, carefree time is coming to a close, and we must come out
to face the realities of the next couple of years. I mean, take a
look at the M-Codes Scheduled for this month. Frankly, they are
depressing. College Planning, EE info…no thank you. At the
same time, we are starting our two semester-long TOK course,
and it is inevitable to experience Friday morning break without
jokes from second years about it. So, when I went to take the
SAT this Saturday, I was struck by how represen-
tative it was of what was happening in our
school.
Second years were taking the exam for
the last time, hoping to boost up their score just
in time for the final college apps. Meanwhile,
first years were trying to get an early start on the
same process. Emily Swartz (USA-Colorado ‘13) said, “I took it
this early to avoid taking it during 3rd semester (after watching
our second years) and so that I have time to take it again as
needed without it being as stressful.” That idea seemed to be a
unifying theme amongst firsties, as seeing our second years go
through third semester traumatized many of us.
However, I could not help but see that the grand majority
of first years taking the test were from the U.S. which led me
to my second conclusion, which was that for foreign students,
this test must be terrifying. For Americans, we virtually knew
about this test since kindergarten, it is something that we knew
we would all have to someday face, and we had a good 12 years
to come to terms with that. But for many, who heard about this
only until coming the UWC, the news must not be so pleasant.
Chinyere Brown (Trinidad ’13) said of the experience, “It’s
really different than our system, because there are certain rules
and preparation techniques I never knew about before.” This
confusion, mixed with having to grapple with vocabulary that
would make an English A tremble, makes for a displeasing time.
So, while the transition is going on between first and
second years, U.S. students are mainly making it for the first
round of exams. However, soon enough, most students will have
to deal with the atrocities associated with the College Board,
hopefully successfully.
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
...Second years were taking the exam for the last time, hoping to
boost up their score just in time for the final college apps. Meanwhile,
first years were trying to get an early start on the same
process...
Photo Credit: http://www.tjjournal.com
8

Issue #13 Spring 2012
Third-Year Visit
By Simona Boyadzhiyska—Bulgaria
We have already had several third years visit our campus,
and even more of them are coming in the next several
weeks to revert to their UWC days for a weekend. These visits,
however, are seen from three different perspectives by the first
years, the second years, and of course the actual visitors.
The most recent visit was last weekend by Artur Fass
(Estonia ‘11), one of the former editors of the Literati. As he
said in a conversation, to him the campus was both very familiar
and very different at the same time. Physical aspects of UWC
the were same – the dorms, the classrooms, the food, but the
feeling of being here was different. After being used to knowing
everyone in this school, now, there were a lot of new faces and
the atmosphere was different. As he mentioned, the feeling of
coming back as a visitor was very strange compared to being
here as a student. During your two years here, you always have
something to do and somewhere to be, whereas visiting the
school as a graduate, you can still go to classes, but you have no
obligations, you can simply hang out with your friends or meet
new people. It is like going back to your old life, he says, but not
fully, and he also adds, “In order to fully appreciate UWC, you
need to leave it.”
For the second years at school these visits are
good opportunities to see and spend time with old
friends, but as many say, when you stop to think about it,
it feels strange. Every year, the atmosphere around the
school is different from what it used to be in the previous
year, and each of us is used to seeing certain people in a
particular kind of atmosphere. Last year, we were the first
years and our second years were part of this experience. Now
that we are the second years in the school, it feels like we have a
very different role in this community and the presence of the
third years feels as if the past is coming back. As Kripa Dongol
(Nepal ‘12) said, “It was particularly strange when Aminata
[Senegal ‘11] visited, and there was a first year, a second year,
and a third year living in the same room for a while.”
From the first-year perspective, some say it is strange
but also very exciting. On the one hand, you see people you
have never seen but all your second years know – it is like going
back to the time before you were born. On the other hand, as
Faten Almukhtar (Bahrain ‘13) states, “It is great to meet the
February 2, 2012
people my second years have talked about and connect the
names to the actual people.”
In conclusion, as Artur says, third years visiting campus
is like using a time machine, and although it is exciting, it
also creates a strange feeling for many. Despite this, both first
and second years are looking forward to meeting another group
of third years coming to campus in the near future.
...In order to fully appreciate UWC, you need to leave it...
9

Issue #13 Spring 2012
Notable Alumni
By Nico Grubert —Germany
Do you ever go on Wikipedia and look at the Notable
Alumni list of schools and universities? I sure do. Quite often
actually, as there are many intriguing things to find out. First of
all when looking at the list of alumni of other schools, the list of
UWC-USA appears very slim. However, we have to consider
that our school is only about 30 years around and many of those
who graduated have a career yet to develop. Therefore, it is actually
incredible.
So, what is there to find out about UWC-USA? Well,
there was this prince once, right?! His name is Pavlos, Crown
Prince of Greece. And there are sure some teachers left who
remember him. Further, we all remember Sebastien de Halleux,
co-founder of Playfish who clearly fulfills important success
factors in terms of girls: rich and french-speaking. Not to forget
Lousewies van der Laan who is a dutch politican or the American
Journalist Philippe Wamba who died in Kenya while conducting
research. There are even others that might be known
among our students. Just as the band
“Miracles of Modern Science” having an
alumnus from our school or simply Matthews
Theau Mmopi who has recently been featured
on our website as a rhodes scholar.
However, who is going to be on that
list in only a few years? Eventually it could
be one of us. For me, there are promptly a
few names popping up in my head. Who
could not imagine Phia Senett becoming a
US-Senator or Hannah Freedman as an environmental
activist? Still, we cannot be sure
of that. What if Kripa Dongol would become
a famous Bollywood actress? The possibilities
are endless. Subsequently, we can never
be sure of what we will become, but it if always
fun to think about it. Therefore, let's go
on. When looking at the list of notable
alumni of the whole UWC movement, one can find the 2009
whistling champion, Luke Janssen. Who would have ever
thought of that? Or Zenani and Zindzi Mandela who were actually
taught by our one and only Alan Wicks. Others include even
many athletes and actresses (mainly Bollywood actresses), but
of course also CEOs, politicians, journalists, etc. The list is quite
February 2, 2012
long and wait until we are going to be in the places feasible to be
on that list. Who will it be? Watch out!
After all this, a last question is of utter importance:
does it matter to be on that list? Do we only become something
if we are able to provide the school a short little notice somewhere
saying proudly XX has attended our school. Well, I think
this is a question everyone has to answer for themselves. Sorry
for the little twist in the end.
...However, who is going to be on that list in only a
few years? Eventually it could be one of us...
Photo Credit: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
10

A Box and the End of
“Normal World”
By Abraham Amador—Mexico
The relationship between a box and the end of the “normal”
world:
By the end of the twentieth century everybody thought
that everything was normal, even really tiny stuff and the curious
people (physicists) wanted to take a look into the normality
of the small stuff. Everything was fine and going really smooth
even some of them started to simplify this normality only to
know that they started to study about ovens (disorder, radiation
and other crazy and funny stuff). That was the start of the end of
the old science.
This problem related to ovens was called the dark body
model. If we simplify the oven, we can take its simplest shape: a
body where the light comes in but stays inside. In other words a
closed place with a hole in it - a box: if you watch inside you
can be sure that there is light coming in but you cannot see anything.
However, Planck made it simpler than that and stated that
the box was only a interactions light-body (the body is the box).
After taking some hard physics math (Stefan-
Boltzmann and Rayleigh-Jeans), they realized that with these
assumptions, the result of a quantity called spectrum density
(how are the waves distributed) was correct. However, this was
only true in small frequencies (radio waves, normal light for
example). When ultra violet (really strong) light was coming in,
the spectrum density was going to infinite. It broke all logic
rules, the logic by itself was broken; Ehrenfest called it the ultraviolet
catastrophe.
However, Super-Max (Planck for close friends) just
figured out that the interactions could be taken only with some
specific quantities: ratios of a single number. When this idea
was applied to math, everything made sense- The interactions
(oscillations and spectrum) were only possible in ratios of a
number originally called with the great name of: Elemental
quantum of action. Despite being so great, the name was long;
hence, it was abbreviated as Planck’s constant (it never changed
since then) or with a simple h.
However, Super-Planck started to have problems because
his solution was not able to solve nothing else than the
interactions between the dark body and the light. However, Super-Einstein
figured out after some years what happened, and
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
accidentally created the basis of his worst nightmare: Quantum
Physics. Einstein discovered that the equations didn’t work out
with everything because the elemental Quantum of Action was
not only for interactions, every single thing in the universe can’t
be smaller than h. Everything in the universe is built by billions
of h bricks hence everything can be quantized.
Why is the quantum physics Einstein’s worst nightmare?
He simply perfected the science, which is the principal
enemy of the Relativity; this theory works just for massive
things with massive quantities of energy…quantum physics deal
with so small stuff that they can even measure everything in
quantities in quantum and mini bricks of h.
What’s the spectrum density?
I don’t want to put hard math in this article but I would
like to explain the equations involved first of all the density of
radiation depends on the frequency and temperature, which directly
gives us energy with classic, and quantum physics with
different equations. There are several articles or books about the
dark body model also Planck wrote about it on his Scientific
Biography where he explains how he figured out the great: Elemental
Quantum of Action.
11

By Inga Lam—Hong Kong
Issue #13 Spring 2012
Flip…Side
The Mayans say the world’s going to end in 2012; I say
the zombie apocalypse comes before that. If you’ve been walking
around campus lately, you might’ve noticed the numerous
pale-faced, sunken-eyed IB students - or should I say - living
undead, ambling up and down dreary-looking cement paths as
they drag their tired limbs out of their neglected beds (two hours
of sleep is nowhere near enough, the mattresses have spoken)
and make their way towards white-walled classrooms with
drooping heads and bloodshot eyes.
Have you ever heard of these things - or as Jakob
Sprenger likes to say - “thingys”, called IAs? Some call it internal
Assessments; others call it Infernal Atrocities. The assignment
in itself, its origin and purpose, is beautiful, we’re sure; but
the timing of the deadlines? Not so much. It’s like finally being
able to break out of the surface of the water for one big gulp of
air, then having another ginormous wave pulling you down - and
then there’s you desperately trying not to drown.
Imagine that feeling of having just finished your two
Chemistry IAs, experiencing that fantastic moment of
having heavenly joy erupting from within, causing
you to leap out of your chair, throw your arms in the
air and cry “I’m DON-“ - only to have this wondrously
victorious yet ephemeral episode interrupted
by the sighting of big, glaring, red words stating “MATH IA
DUE ON SAME DATE. ECON IA DUE TOMORROW” on the
faded, tattered, yellow post-it note stuck to the shelf of your
desk and BAM! You’re on your chair again, palms over your
face as you lament, “Y U NO SHOW MERCY TO ME, INFER-
NAL ATROCITIES!” (Note: If you caught the 9gag reference
there, that means you probably spend too much time procrastinating,
and the above situation has probably applied to you before.)
Then again, going back to this zombification phenomenon
mentioned in earlier paragraphs, while it applies to many,
this symptom can be seen most evidently in a particular species
known by the alias – MAADers, a group that has been known to
give 120% in everything they do. And by everything, they mean
everything.
Naturally, that’s impossible.
February 2, 2012
Even the seemingly unbeatable Kung Fu Panda could
only do two things perfectly at one time (eat and fight, or rather,
show off, that is) - and just look at those huge, blackish-purple
panda eyes etched on his face. Indeed, these MAAD mortals are
an ambitious bunch. From practicing in the most ridiculous of
places, to rehearsing until early hours in the morning, to immersing
into their own culture to a point where they’ve forgotten
how to speak properly in English - they’ve done it all; it’s a
dedication that would make Tom Lamberth proud.
I have nothing more to say.
Here’s to achieving inner peace, my friends.
Until then.
...Y U NO SHOW MERCY TO ME, INFERNAL
ATROCITIES!....
12

Not Enough Sunshine Even
Here in Tropics…
By Uchenna Anizoba (UWCCR- Nigeria ’12) & Zoe Meers (UWCCR- Australia ’13)
Through a variety of projects ranging from more relaxing
tasks such as nurturing sea turtles on neglected beaches to
more intense ones like helping post-conflict societies in El Salvador
with their recovery process, each year every student at
UWC-CR gets an opportunity to create if only, a little more sunshine
for others in the community.
A wide range of amazing opportunities exists to travel
throughout Central America with the aim of exposing every student
to one issue or another and in groups, finding ways to address
them. It is something that is looked forward to by students
since September and a week that you never forget. Here in
Costa Rica while our project week options are very limited due
to financial constraints, there is no doubt about the real impact
on the different communities which these projects have. Each
year with the profundity of the emotional ties formed among
team members as well as with the service communities they are
engaged with, several projects are recycled to allow for familiarity
and to see the development of seeds previously planted.
Our project week this year comes up in late February
and some of the options available to UWCCR students include
last year’s Shark and Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica, volunteering
in the International Children's Rainforest in Monteverde,
Costa Rica, assisting war-torn societies El Salvador and restoring
innocence to abused children at Medal Hogar de niñas Medalla
Milagrosa, Panama. There has since been the introduction of
new service opportunities such as living with and helping the
indigenous Bri Bri community of Bambu rainforest in Costa
Rica.
Sadly, one of the Project Weeks that did not make it to
this list this year was one that held some of the best moments for
the few second years chosen for the week last year. Our memorable
‘Proyecto de Semana’ experience last year in S.O.S Village,
Panama City could, despite all our rigorous efforts, not be
relived a second year coming (you can secretly be thankful we
simply won’t be able to recycle this article again next year!).
However, hopefully you will enjoy reading this short recount
and also gain some insight on what Service Week 2011 was like
in Aldeas S.O.S, Panama City.
When you first hear of Panama City, you can easily
picture it; with all its tall buildings and fascinating tourist sites,
Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
such that but for the conspicuous display of nature one could
easily mistake it for Vegas at night. A ten-minute drive up north
from all this glamour, lies the S.O.S village where we spent the
week... Truly a world of its own, waiting to share its immense
beauty with the rest of the world. The daylong bus ride that began
our six-day journey to begin our volunteer work was soon
forgotten in the smiles and excitement that we saw from those
kids when they saw that we were there just to be with them.
It was the longest yet shortest five and a half days of
my life. Long because our treasured memories from Panama
could easily last a lifetime and short because for all of us, the
week simply ended too soon.
Most of our mornings were spent teaching the kids
some beginner-level English and for the rest part of the day we
engaged them in several mental and physical activities, which
were mostly targeted at creating environmental awareness and
promoting peace. Whether we were relaxed watching movies or
engaged in a game of basketball, our main aim was always to
remind these often-neglected kids that there was enough cheer to
go round. With only ten people having to entertain fifty kids
between the ages 4-8, as one would expect most of our days
were extremely strenuous, but at the end of the day, we were all
happy knowing that the time well spent.
During our stay in the village, though we were there
mostly for the kids, we did whatever work needed to be done,
ranging from painting road signs to cooking meals We accomplished
many great things, but the greatest victory of all was
seeing the difference we had made in the lives of the kids and in
the entire village.
This year, as much as I wish to relive the enjoyable
experience I had at S.O.S Panama last year, I am very excited to
venture into something new. In a few weeks, Zoe and I will be
teaming up with about fifteen others to work in the Bambu rainforest
for about five days. In the UWC spirit of multiculturalism,
we hope to pick up some of the Bri Bri culture while living with
this indigenous community and come back to share it with the
rest of the UWCCR family. As challenging as the project
sounds, we sure hope it will be a rewarding experience for all!
13

By Laura Baika —Latvia
Issue #13 Spring 2012
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is one of the cheapest ways of traveling.
By tradition, hitchhiking is defined as soliciting a ride by standing
at the edge of a road, facing traffic, with one's thumb extended/upwards.
When hitchhiking, you can meet a lot of people
and make lots of friends. However, you can also become very
frustrated, or encounter danger on the way. Today's drivers are
more fearful of picking up hitchhikers than in the past. I love
this hobby and practiced it for years and have reached (almost)
every destination with it. It
doesn't matter if I just want to
go into the next city to party or
want to hitch all over a foreign
country. It fascinates me to get
in contact with very different
kind of people I otherwise
wouldn't be able to meet or people
I would be concerned to
meet. Hitchhiking helps me to
believe in the good of humans
when I begin to doubt. This is
easy for me when a stranger
drives 200 km, just not to drop
me of in the middle of the night.
First, what do you have to be ready for? Be prepared to walk all
day. It is not easy and you need to think that it is more of a
walking adventure with a chance of getting a ride more than
anything else. This is the most unanticipated problem of many
hitchhikers today. Buy a map of the area, so you can determine
whether a ride will actually bring you closer to your destination.
Make sure to carry enough food and drinks if you're going for a
long trip. Definitely, arrange sleeping places. For example a
Hospitality exchange host such as couchsurfing.org, a youth
hostel, or a squat are good places to start with. If you cannot
arrange a place, take a tent with you, rubberized German poncho,
and/or a warm sleeping bag. Remember, hitchhiking may
be illegal in some areas or on certain types of roads. In the end,
don’t forget to bring a black marker, a hat, a flashlight, a pocketknife,
sunscreen, etc... it is best to be prepared and these items
do not weigh much.
Second, the most important factor for getting a ride is the location.
You need to find a place where you can be seen early, and
February 2, 2012
where the driver can safely pull over. Check your map, or ask
around, to find a good spot. For long-distance traveling, never
get taken into the center of town! Get dropped off close to the
highway. The absolute best place to catch a good ride is on a
public highway on ramps, near a truck stop, but not on the truck
stop property itself, as those are good places to get thrown out of
for trespassing. Moreover, gas stations where many cars stop are
good. Further, avoid places where cars cannot stop legally, like
no-stopping zones, taxi
stands, etc. The only people
likely to give you a ride
from these places are the
police, and you may not
want to go where they want
to take you. Getting a ride
at night is very difficult.
You might have some luck
at a gas station, where people
can see you, but realistically
you are probably better
off camping out for the
night and starting off again
at first light.
Third, asking around doesn't hurt. If people notice you're
friendly or even speak their language you have a much higher
chance of getting a ride from them. Walk in the direction you
want to go, especially if nobody is stopping to pick you up. Nod
or wave thanks to all who at least give you eye contact and especially
those who give you gestures explaining why they cannot
take you. Wear bright clothing so that drivers can see you. A big
cardboard sign with an indication of where you want to go can
help. Short general directions like North, or West can be written
bigger - and seen from further away - than a longer city or town,
but a city is more useful for drivers. Avoid writing destinations
far away, this gives you a good excuse to get off if you feel uncomfortable
with the driver, you can always agree to go further
if the driver turns out to be going your way. Ask if you can be
dropped off at a good spot for getting more rides if your ride
isn't bringing you to your final destination, e.g. a gas station or a
toll place. When possible, try to agree about where to be
dropped off so you don't end up in a bad place.
14

Issue #13 Spring 2012
February 2, 2012
Last but not least, take care who you get a ride with. Some criminals prey on hitchhikers. If in doubt, turn down the ride.
If you're in doubt, ask the driver where they're going and tell them you're heading elsewhere. For safety, note the vehicle registration,
and its make, model, and color before you take a ride. If you have a telephone, text this information to a friend or if possible,
hitchhike with a friend. Choose a car with a single occupant or a couple rather than the last seat in a car full of people. Sit in the
front passenger seat, if you can. Rear doors often have child locks on them, meaning they cannot be opened from the inside. If you
must sit in the back, check the child lock is off before you close the door. Wear at least some of your valuables (i.e. passport, wallet,
money, I.D., bank and credit cards, etc.) under or in your clothes, rather than in your pack. Keep them in different places, so
that if you lose one item, you don't lose them all. It is a good idea to have your wallet plus two hiding places, an obvious one and a
not so obvious one.
Ten Commandments are:
Always be friendly: a nice conversation while traveling shortens the trip and motivates the driver to stop for the next hitchhiker
again.
Be patient: don't knock over reflector posts! (Sorry Flo ;-)
Act frankly: drivers get very furious, when they stop for one hitchhiker and two more jump out of the bush.
First come, first serve: if the favorite hitch spot should be busy you can either wait until your forerunner is away or you can place
yourself some meters behind him (never ever in front of him).
A smile on your face increases your chances to get a lift: don't be a bore and let the sunshine in your heart! Further some flowers
from the roadside in your hand can be heart-melting.
Look for a well lighted place when it's dark: if the hitchhiker is early and well to see more cars will stop and the drivers fear will be
decreased.
Choose a spot where cars can easily stop: bus stops, parking bays, motorway services, etc. are best. Besides, spots are recommended
where cars are slow.
The attendance of a woman works like an accelerator: let her hitch hike and stay in the background by yourself.
Ignore Provocations: even cops and fools are humans
Captions
What could
Jarl think?
Photo Credit: http://www.nztramping.com
Cut the box and drop
it to the designated
Literati box or to a
Literati staff. We are
going to pick the best
caption and publish it
in the next issue.
15