Academic Team Update - 3/30/10

I have not been able to attend Academic Team for the past few weeks, so it was great to finally be back at lunch today. It was especially nice because we resumed the Knowledge Master questions (the Great Auk guy) on the computer, instead of the random Trivial Pursuit questions. The Knowledge Master questions are a lot more challenging and are certainly better preparation for our final competition. I was very happy to return to Academic Team, especially to these questions. Luckily my knowledge in geography hadn't gone away, and instead had been augmented, especially from my trip to New York City for Model United Nations. For instance, I was able to answer a question about the Islamic Republic of Mauritania because I had aligned with that nation during the conference.

I also realized that I do have some skills in math and science, despite being seemingly ignorant in these fields. I was able to successfully answer a question about how long it would take a bunch of people to mow a lawn when they all collaborated, while everyone else seemed dumbfounded. I also answered a biology question. It made me feel very happy, but certainly not cocky, as I recognize we all randomly can answer questions even if they don't pertain to our areas of expertise.

It was nice to be with the team again, and we all seemed to work well together. With other math problems, we discussed the method and answer amongst ourselves before giving one. We conferred before nearly every response and, as a result of our teamwork and skill, achieved our highest score yet of 319 points.

CAS Software Testing - 3/25/10

So while continuing to explore the ManageBAC system, I noticed one thing that got me very frustrated. I had just written my massive reflection for MUN, but then when I went to enter it in the proper section under activities, there were all these question sections that I was supposed to fill out. I was very confused, to say the least, especially as it seemed that these questions were the ones that were necessary for the activity proposal, not for final reflection. Therefore, I sent the following at the top of one of the question boxes:

• "OK Mr. Hyer, I just went to this reflection section to post my MUN reflection, and found these weird questions, and was appalled. These should have been in the activity proposal, not the reflection! Anyways, I'm not answering these individually after I have typed up an actual reflection for MUN, which addresses each of these questions but with broader detail and in a proper, reflective, format."

I hope I figure out what exactly the purpose for this is. As of now, I still prefer this blog system, as I feel the ManageBac is overly complex, and I feel that I can be more organized on blogger. Perhaps I'm just not accustomed to the new software yet.

Tennis - 3/24/10

Today at tennis practice, we began competing for a spot in the varsity team by participating in ladder matches. Of course, I was very nervous for this, as I wanted to have a good showing and have a chance of actually acquiring playing time. However, I decided to be realistic, because there are many great tennis players on the team and I am entirely a novice. I knew that I had a slim chance of getting into the top 9 not because I was a horrible tennis player, but because there were experienced veterans who would almost definitely claim the ranks.

I didn't let this phase me, and I decided to play for fun. My doubles partner was Luke, whom I played with in some of the earlier practices and seemed to have a skill level similar to mine. I decided to give it my all in this match, and have my main goal be to simply hit well and get the ball over the net. Out first match was very difficult, as one of our two opponents was clearly very experienced. We played well and I made sure not to let his skill intimidate me. When he served or hit, I knew that it would be difficult to receive, but I still did the best I could in returning all of his shots. In the end, Luke and I lost 8-5, but we played very well, and came back from a 7-2 deficit early on to win 3 games straight.

We decided to pursue a second match to prove to the coach that we were in it to give our best effort and that we were truly committed to improving and perhaps eventually getting a spot in the top 9. Luke and I worked very well together in this next match. Learning from our mistakes in the previous match, we made sure to call the shots and tell the other person when we planned on returning the hit. We worked very well, and it became clear that the only reason we lost points was because of lack of skill, not because of lack of effort or communication. Luke and I also seemed to be very enthusiastic about doing well, and addressed all of our remarks to one another in a hortatory manner. I was proud with how well we played in this match, as we won 8-2, proving to the coach and to ourselves that we would never quit.

Tennis - 3/21/10

After my first practice last Tuesday, I haven't been able to attend the training sessions because of a conflicting commitment with the Model United Nations trip to New York City. Therefore, I decided upon my return on Sunday that I would play tennis with my friend Tory, who is a member of the girl's tennis team. I hoped that her experience would be good instruction for me, as I had been struggling to master the game. I also wanted to show my commitment to the sport; I was even playing the game outside of the mandatory practices.

As I played with her, I could see my skills improving. I recognized that I am very good at forehand shots, and that my backhand, while getting better, was still severely lacking. Playing an actual match with her helped me understand the rules of the game better as well. What I need to work on now is staying focused and not yet worrying about power or superb skill shots, but instead finesse and getting the basics down. I played well but I need to make sure I am hitting correctly and always getting the ball over the net. My serves need work as well, seeing as I seemed to double-fault for nearly every other point. I was proud of my effort, though, and managed to tie Tory, 5 games to 5.

Model UN Reflection

Model United Nations was a great experience for me to undertake, and I had so much fun doing it that I didn't even remember that it served for CAS. I had been interested for years in joining the group, but I never had the guts to try something so unfamiliar to me. I have always known that I've wanted to study international relations, and so this year, as college and CAS are two new burdens, I decided that MUN would be perfect for me. Like some of my other CAS activities, MUN was something truly foreign to me, and I had no idea what exactly would be the requirements of this group. I was still excited about it and decided to devote myself wholeheartedly to this endeavor because it could be incredibly beneficial for my future. My main goal was to gain a further understanding of international relations and how the United Nations functions. While Sturgis does offer an incredible education, we at times lack a good current events instruction, and so MUN was a good chance for me to learn important global issues. Everything we discussed was a matter of international importance, ranging from odious debt to genocide to de-mining to the Caucasus situation. Besides my desire to gain a broader knowledge of our world, I wanted to learn how to work collaboratively with people I had just met to solve important problems. I think that both of my goals were achieved, as I certainly learned a lot about international issues and I was able to work with many others to form a resolution that I fully supported and that passed.

Model United Nations was a huge challenge for me to undertake. From the beginning, I realized that there would be many difficult responsibilities for me to assume. I had to write first a country paper, which required great research, and then a position paper, which required even more intense research and lengthy analysis. It was almost like taking another class, but it was certainly worth it, as I learned all about Macedonia and important international issues. Needless to say, I developed many new skills in writing United Nations-style position papers and learning how to debate important topics, which I was able to apply to the committee session where I also had to learn the entire procedure of MUN. It was strenuous and difficult, but I fully enjoyed it.

The actual Model United Nations trip to the conference in New York City for four days was a fantastic experience. I loved learning how to do moderated and unmoderated caucuses, express my views, and ally with the people who had similar opinions. I really became more comfortable with my voice, as I spoke six times during moderated caucuses and felt that I truly understood the problems with odious debt. I did realize however that I needed to work on not only speaking reiterated rhetoric, but being an innovative public speaker with revolutionary ideas. I loved the unmoderated caucuses, where we pooled our ideas and worked together for a common resolution to an international crisis. It was so interesting to hear the varying points-of-view from different countries, and it was challenging to listen to somebody's speech and then consider the ethical implications of their proposal, thus making a personal deduction that was supposed to be for the benefit of everyone.

Model United Nations was truly incredible and I can't wait to do it again next year with even more tenacity. I learned so much about our world and its issues, and it was a great outlet of creativity through something I love, international relations. It even seemed to do service to the world, even if the resolutions really had no effect on the decisions of actual UN delegates. I am so proud that I met my goals and stayed committed to MUN, even when times were difficult.

Model UN, Days 3-4 - 3/19 and 3/20/10

The meeting sessions on Friday were not nearly as fun or intense as Thursday's, but I still enjoyed myself and was able to contribute a bit to the debate. After the working papers were drafted, the delegates battled back and forth in moderated caucus to extol their production and denounce others. It was a bit vicious, but it gave me a great perspective of how United Nations actually works and how difficult it must be to pass resolutions. Most people picked on little things like grammar and meaning, but those who had written the working paper pledged to edit it and make it perfect. Working papers bounced back and forth and to be honest, it was rather confusing. I decided to lay low for the most part, and let the countries with larger sway work to fix what had been written and merge with other working papers and ideas. It made me happy to see papers merging together, because it showed collaboration and solidarity in the resolution for odious debt and its effects. I hope next year I will have gained more skills in Model United Nations and will be able to be a stronger advocate for a paper. However, I did speak the following quote, which I felt was very important and needed to be reiterated:

• debates over whether or not a debt is odious absolutely CAN NOT be resolved solely by a debtor or a creditor state, for fear of bias or false claims, but instead by a third-party that is not involved in any way with the contraction of the debt, and has no prior dispositions.

After I stated my piece, I waited until ideas condensed and resolutions passed. The working paper I supported, 1.3, transformed into resolution 1.1. Another working paper passed and became 1.2, and now these two things were our responsibility to debate. I was vehemently opposed to 1.2, as it gave too much power to creditor nations and completely disregarded the desire of smaller debtor nations like Macedonia.

I actually became very irked while listening to the rhetoric of the delegation of the USA, which firmly supported resolution 1.2. I listened to the delegate speak of propositions that were completely unethical and wrong. So I was forced to consider the ethical implications of my decisions; not only would it be terrible to agree with the resolution, but following the US blindly, like so many other nations did simply because it was a superpower, would demonstrate severe ignorance on my part. In response, I decided to construct a diatribe against their opinions and claims:

• The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia would like to know why it is necessary for a debtor nation to repay at least some of their debt after it has been declared odious. This seems to be a total delusion, as it defeats the purpose of defining a debt as odious in the first place. Nations, if they have indeed contracted what is defined as odious debt, should only be forced to repay parts of it if they are economically stable and wish to do so. It is a matter of national sovereignty. The USA also seems to have tainted ideas about national sovereignty, as it claims loan sanctions to be something that should only be enacted if desired by the state, while it believes that transparency should be enforced. Finally, FYR Macedonia would like to denounce the notion of debtor nations having no say in the declaration of odious debt. Macedonia does agree that debtor nations may declare all debts to be odious, but is it not inversely true that creditor nations may indefinitely laugh at the thought of any debts being odious? This echoes the need for an unbiased third party to resolve such matters.

Then we worked on amendments to the resolutions. By this point, everyone seemed to have forgotten about 1.2 and was only focused on fine-tuning resolution 1.1. to make it perfect. I was happy that my hard work and collaboration with others had met such success. I was confused by the amendments, so I had very little to do with them, and decided to let things happen on their own. It then came to the committee vote, in which resolution 1.1 passed, and 1.2 failed. I was so pleased by the success, and all of my commitment and perseverance had really paid off. And when put to the test in the plenary session today, it passed once again. I was so pleased that my endeavor and collaboration had actually been effective, and I can't wait to return even more powerful next year.

Model UN, Day 2 - 3/18/10

Today, the two committee sessions were a lot more intense than the brief one we had last night. Everyone was ready to go, sharing ideas with great zeal as they had become more comfortable with the rules, the room, and their fellow delegates. I felt a lot more confident in my abilities as well, having conquered public speech last night. I definitely felt that I had improved in understanding the ideas thrown about in committee, creating inferences, and then making a speech. However, I did realize that one area for growth was that I needed to formulate more of my own ideas, instead of recycling and enhancing those of others.

We resumed debate in committee session over issues to be addressed in the working papers for a resolution on odious debt. From doing the research from the position paper, Amy and I knew that FYR Macedonia was mostly a debtor state and that had also incurred odious debt from the former Yugoslavia. We deduced a vague outline of key points that we wanted to be included in the resolution, which is as follows:

• Definition: supports the Sack doctrine of 1927, but would like to expand it to include regime successions, and would be interested in exploring the effect of transparency on the capacity of loans
• Proposal: a third-party organization in which debtor nations and creditor nations collaborate to determine whether or not a debt is odious
• Resolution: if a debt is declared odious, the debtor nation should repay as much as possible without damaging their nations economic infrastructure
• Prevention: the third-party resolution could work on promoting transparency, and perhaps be given the power to discourage loans when thought to be malignant.

We mentioned our ideas during a moderated caucus and waited to hear what others had to say so that we could possibly make some alliances and get a working paper going. I will mention now that we did support working paper endeavors, but never actively participated in writing them due to our novice status. We did, however, observe and gain skills that we hope to put to use at next year's conference.

During an unmoderated caucus, we joined with the plans of Algeria and Argentina, who at first seemed to have very similar ideas to ourselves. We liked the ideas they had to offer, but soon realized that they were not very receptive to any sort of collaboration and that they were very set in their ways. For instance, we approached them with our feelings on transparency, and the promptly rejected our ideas in a rather insolent manner. Amy and I felt that it was ethically wrong to renounce the importance of transparency, as creditor states should always know who they are loaning to before the transaction is completed. Even if this diminishes the number of loans, it can be detrimental in the accumulation of odious debt if left otherwise unattended.

Therefore, at the next unmoderated caucus, we decided to ally with Mexico and Mauritania, who were the head honchos of an increasingly large group of mostly poorer debtor states like ourselves. We liked what they had to say, and they were very receptive to our ideas and happy to work collaboratively with us and our plans. I demonstrated my support of their ideas and the integration of mine in the following speech in a moderated caucus:

• The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia strongly encourages smaller states like ourselves to support the plan laid out by Mexico, Mauritania, Ecuador, and Italy. This plan takes regime succession into account in a broad definition of odious debt, and seeks solutions that are case-to-case. It also encourages loan sanctions as a means of preventing odious debt from being incurred. FYR Macedonia also finds it ridiculous that only creditors should solve the issue of odious debt, for if debtor nations have incurred an odious debt, it is because of a FORMER corrupt regime.

So after my speech, moderated caucuses continued. I spoke a total of four times during these two committee sessions, and I was proud of my contribution even if it wasn't too great. I need to continue to work on developing more of my own ideas, and next year, now that I know what I'm doing, I'll come back ready to debate and write position papers.

During the next unmoderated caucus, Amy and I sought sponsors and signatories for our working paper. We presented the key points, which follow:

• definition of odious debt, including a revision to add regime change in the case of corruption, because this as well is incurred against the will of the people;
• committee to discuss the legitimacy of loans;
• a third-party organization that is not involved with the contraction of the debt, must not be the debtors and creditors that were involved;
• if a debt is determined to be odious, the amount that is cancelled will be decided case-to-case
• disaster debt should NOT be included as odious debt.

Our campaign was rather successful, and our working paper passed. Another four were passed that we did not contribute to, and so ended the committee sessions for today. Tomorrow we will discuss them, debate them, fix them, draft resolutions, make amendments, and finally vote.

Model UN, Day 1 - 3/17/10

Well, it finally arrived! The trip that has had me excited and nervous for weeks. I knew that it would be loads of fun going to New York City with my fellow classmates, and I was certainly anxious to revisit the incredible city, but the focus of my thoughts has been entirely on the Model United Nations procedure. Going into this, I really had NO idea what to expect. Writing one position paper and rehearsing one debate was really of little effect, and before today I felt that I had entirely inaccurate knowledge about the purpose and the method of Model United Nations. Needless to say, I spent the bus ride down there today reading and re-reading my position paper, being very meticulous and hoping that it might give me some hint as to what I would be doing. I realized, however, that I could only draw inferences from my own soon-to-be experiences in Model United Nations, not from studying or from the advice of others.

As I went into my first of five committee sessions, this one being about two and a half hours long, I was alarmingly nervous. Amy and I were representing the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia for the Legal Committee and both of us had prepared extensively, but we were newcomers and truly had no idea what to expect. We decided to just figure out what was going on before we tried to participate, so as not to make fools out of ourselves. This really was a huge new challenge for me to undertake. I have had no prior experience in debate or international relations, just a mild interest, and now I was being thrown into this cavernous room with people I didn't know, with my only help being a girl who had as little experience as I did. Needless to say, it was very nerve-wracking.

Anyways, we got the session underway, and Amy and I were quick to understand the basic procedure. We learned the order of events, we learned about the speaker's list, and we found out how a moderated and unmoderated caucus worked. We were forced to develop this skills as quickly as possible, so that we might be able to contribute to the committee session. It was certainly very intense, and there were some moments of confusion. However, we began to understand bit by bit, and once we developed these skills of debate, we were able to comprehend what exactly was about to occur in Legal Committee.

The first issue was to decide if we were going to resolve Topic A or Topic B. Even though we had five committee sessions totaling about 20 hours, this was really only time to solve one entirely. The choice was between Topic A, the legal aspects of odious debt, and Topic B, genocide and international law. Both are issues with incredible global importance, as genocide harmfully affects millions of people and odious debt causes many poor nations to suffer economic woes. Our job was to first pick one and then debate points-of-view on the topic, finally finding definitions, laws, and resolutions. The process of picking which topic was actually rather painful. I thought it would be obvious that Topic B should be chosen. I felt that I couldn't bear the negative implications of choosing to debate odious debt first, for if this were the real United Nations, I couldn't imagine valuing money over people's lives. Even though I had studied Topic A, I knew it was wrong to vote for it to be pursued. Not only did genocide kill millions of people, but it was also responsible for odious debt. You should always rid a problem by dealing with the cause, so due to my ethical perception of the situation I was appalled when the majority of the committee chose Topic A, the legal aspects of odious debt.

There was nothing I could do about the decision except for to deal with it and debate it. I had researched the topic of odious debt, so I did feel comfortable addressing some issues. After the first unmoderated caucus, in which we can freely talk with other delegates, I addressed some points that I wanted to make sure were included in the resolution. I really only reiterated some common ideas, but I felt accomplished in that I spoke during a moderated caucus. This was really a great start to my Model United Nations trip, and after today I have gained some confidence in my voice and my opinions.

Tennis - 3/16/10

Today was my first official day of tennis practice. I was incredibly nervous, as I have not played a serious match of tennis for years. I still remember the basics of the sport, but I know that I am incredibly rusty, and that I have the potential for being ridiculed on the court. I just hope that I am able to relearn the sport and gain back a moderate level of skill that I had when I was younger. This will certainly be a new challenge for me to undertake, but I am eager to broaden my horizons in sports, as I have only been focused on soccer for so long and realize the need for something new in my athletic life.

Anyways, today at practice it was uniform for everyone, as all we really did was gear up for the upcoming season by reviewing the very basics of tennis. We split up into large groups and shared the three courts that we had. I felt that I was doing OK, as I could usually hit the ball over the net. However, I still knew very little, and if a shot didn't come perfectly to me, I had a great amount of difficulty in receiving it. I definitely need to work on finesse and power. I understand the concept and I can aim decently, but everything else is very rough around the edges.

We then worked with the coach on forehands, backhands, and serving. First, he hit balls to us over the net and we had to receive them as forehand or backhand depending on where they hit the court. I did very well with the forehands, and I can sense that I am improving in that aspect. I hit all of my forehand shots over the net, and with a fair amount of power. My backhands, however, were terrible. I can't muster up the power to always get them over the net as I am unsure of the method. I always hit them with the wrong part of the racket and it seems an altogether foreign concept for me. I know I need to improve my backhands.

Serving was a new skill that I developed. I barely remembered the technique, but I was surprisingly successful in accuracy and precision. My aim was great for an essential first-timer. I was proud of my progress so far, but I know that I still need to work on the power of my serves, as well as many other aspects of my tennis playing so that I might be able to compete.

CAS Software Testing - 3/15/10

So I have spent time fiddling around with the new CAS apparatus, and I still have mixed feelings about it. I will reiterate that I am very upset that you can't work on posts as a draft without publishing, which I find irksome and invasive of my private thoughts and planning. This is my main complaint, and until I find a way to combat it I will probably do double posting in this blog because I fear the power of this ManageBAC system. Rather ugglesome.

Anyways, besides this nuisance, I have had trouble making my calendar of events. I figured out how to post events to my group or activities page, but I can't figure out how to add others to my personal calendar. This could be very useful because I can work on planning things and stay more organized in general. I do like the ability of students to edit groups and add messages and events and such, but I would really enjoy another facet of that to extend to individual planning. I do applaud the groups and events and activity control though, and I plan to use it extensively for my activities, especially Spanish Club.

Model UN Update - 3/10/10

Well, we are exactly a week away from the Model United Nations conference! Needless to say, I am incredibly nervous. The whole process is exciting, but I really have no idea what to expect. I have listened to the advice of the alumni but I still can't picture in my mind exactly what to expect, which scares me a little. It's difficult for me to go into something that is so foreign to me, but I am confident in my ability to learn and adapt. I just hope that my preparations have been sufficient and that I will actually be able to participate in some way during the sessions of debate.

However, my nerves were not allayed when I realized today that I had missed a meeting for Model United Nations. I had never been informed of it, so I didn't feel irresponsible, but I still felt under-prepared. There was apparently a practice debate as well, which would have helped me in gaining some experience and speaking in caucuses. I know that this conference will be a huge challenge for me, as I have never done anything like this before. I'm excited and scared and nervous, but most importantly, I'm ready!

CAS Software Testing - 3/9/10

Here is the beginning of my blogging about blogging, for CAS. I'm a bit confused on how to approach this activity, so I suppose the best way is just to let ideas flow.

I have spent the last few days trying to decipher this new CAS software, and I have very mixed feelings about it. There are parts about it that I like, and parts about it that I really don't enjoy. I do like how you can join groups for each of your CAS activities, and that in the proposal you can select more than two learning outcomes. I think the website does a good job organizing the CAS activities on the DP Manager page, and I am curious as to how the software will help us with our Extended Essays and such. I do like the idea of everything being in one spot, but it also worries me because if the software were to fail, ALL of our work would be gone. Disaster.

The one thing I really don't like is the proposal form. I don't know how many hours I will accumulate in an activity, I don't know my supervisor's phone number, and I don't know the exact start and end dates. I also dislike the fact that we don't have the four sections where we have to put in thought to our proposal, mentioning goals we set and ways the activity will benefit people. My other complaint would be that we can't change the date on the journals, which is a pain because I like to know when the entry was written, not posted. Besides these unpleasant facets, the program is interesting, and it is good for me to be developing new skills.

I suppose as of now, I'm scared to make the transition to something new. It's difficult for me to switch methods halfway through the year. I mean, if something is working just fine, why bother changing it? As for now I'll be dual-blogging, keeping up the journals on the software and on my blogger account. Maybe I'll begin to wean myself off of the blog.

Tennis - 3/9/10

Today after school was the pre-season meeting for tennis. There was nothing really CAS-worthy about the meeting, but it made me realize that this activity is fast-approaching and that not only should I get in shape, but I should set some goals for myself as well.

I recognize that tennis will be a challenge for me because I have not practiced it for a very long time. I took tennis lessons a while ago and I play occasionally, but I have never played competitively or on a team. This makes me a bit nervous because I know that my skills won't be up to par. However, I hope that I can be accepting of my inadequacy. Usually it is difficult for me to do something when I don't know if I'll be successful in doing it, so this will certainly challenge my ego. I hope that doing tennis will teach me that it doesn't matter who is the best at something, as long as all your efforts are put into the task at hand.

Besides that main goal, I simply hope to be able to revive old skills in tennis and develop new ones as well. I know the very basics of the sport, but beyond that lies a new territory for me to explore. I hope to gain knowledge in the tricks and strategies of tennis, and at least become a decent player. It's disappointing knowing that I'll probably spent the season as a bench-warmer, but I won't let that damper my efforts. If I can succeed at something almost entirely foreign to me, then I feel prepared for many obstacles that I will encounter in life.

Biology Peer Tutoring - 3/9/10

During biology class this morning, Ms. Kehoe made some accusations that I had not been dedicated to this activity and that I spent too much time distracted by girls while I was tutoring. I was stunned by these grossly inaccurate perceptions. I have stayed after the most out of anyone, and I am always willing to help someone when they need it. Even the other tutors agreed with me and seemed shocked by her claims. However, I will not let this phase me, and instead I took this opportunity to consider the ethical implications of my actions. Perhaps my leisurely method of tutoring was rubbing Ms. Kehoe the wrong way, so I will make sure from now on that I am completely dedicated to the student that I am helping. Besides that, I don't know what else to do except stay after as many days as possible to demonstrate my commitment.

After school today I had a tennis meeting, so I was only able to help tutoring for about 20 minutes. Marliee and I helped only one student who had stayed after for help, but I think we were very effective tutors. We worked together very well to figure out the answer to the problems, and once we knew exactly what we were doing we explained it to the student without simply feeding him the precise response. I was very pleased with the collaboration of the three of us and the tutoring went quickly and easily. This was also a great opportunity for me to develop new skills as I was able not only to review the new topic of respiration, but also delve deeper into certain equations and theories so as to achieve a greater understanding of them. I am so glad that I chose to do this CAS activity because I am able to do service in which I help others, better myself, and even learn about biology.

Academic Team Update - 3/9/10

Academic Team today was rather routine, but I did take a few good lessons out of it. Mr. Scott continued asking us Trivial Pursuit questions, which by this point the team seems to have mastered. I hope we can soon move on to more advanced questions so that we might be better prepared for the test in April or whenever it is. These Trivial Pursuit questions do help me to boost my confidence as they allow me to further recognize my strength in geography. During this lunch meeting, I also became aware of the power of my intuition, as I was able to deduce the answer to a question about the mouth of the Ganges by simply going with my gut based on the knowledge I had of the Indian-Indochina region.

This meeting also seemed to promote collaboration among the team. I have difficulty fitting in with the group because they are such a tight-knit group of friends, and I have had some issues with Marliee especially in the past. However, this meeting was marked by team unity and my patching things up with Marliee. We worked well together to get the answers to questions and congratulated each other when we got them right. I also felt more comfortable laughing and joking if someone gave a silly answer, and I didn't feel threatened when I was kindly mocked for bogus answers. Marliee and I also seemed to bond over her improvement in geography, as she was able to answer a question about the capital of Bulgaria at the same time I did, promoting team unity by means of her pleasure in achieving a geographic knowledge comparable to mine and the simultaneous response.

Spanish Club Update - 3/6/10

The Spanish Club has successfully realized its first activity, thanks to my planning and initiative! It's just great to see your research and organization actually pay off, even if it's something as simple as getting three people to go to a local event. Anyways, yesterday Miranda and I went to the International Day at Cape Cod Community College, which I blogged about in an earlier post. I was a bit too ambitious with plans for a trip to Boston, which fell through due to lack of time for preparation, but I was lucky to stumble across this event that took place right down the street! I'm just very happy that despite the small size of this club, we have actually been able to take advantage of one of the few manifestations of Spanish culture on this peninsula.

The International Day, being just that, had exhibitions from loads of different countries. There were only two Spanish-speaking countries represented, as I recall: Mexico and Peru. The Mexican room was rather pathetic, but the Peru booth was great. I love Peru, it is one of my favorite countries, and they have a rich culture and people. The people at the booth were speaking Spanish with each other, but Miranda and I were too nervous to practice our skills with them. Instead we eavesdropped a bit and explored some papers and trinkets on the Peru table. It made me fall even more in love with the country.

Then we watched a Peruvian performance in the auditorium. I felt the entire day was a great example of leaning outcome 6, issues of global importance. Learning about the countries and cultures of the world is essential for a broad and complete education. I tried to focus my attention on Peru. The Peruvian delegation did a power point highlighting the geography and traditions of Peru and even some of the countries around them (ex. the floaty islands in Bolivia). Some performers did dances and it was just great to see such a passionate manifestation of Peruvian culture. I must travel there someday.

This International Day also gave me inspiration to create a school-wide Spanish Day or Peruvian Day. Because of the small size of the Spanish Club, this would be difficult right now, but I hope that we can recruit some people and by next year I can plan and realize this event.