Mostarian Current
Student Journalism Is Making A Comeback
IN THIS ISSUE
Doyoufeelyourbody? Howoftendoyoufeel freeinyourbody?
“Thinkofyourbodyasamapfolding and unfolding on beat, mixing centuries of cultural and unconventional movements to sound, while the spirits of the past speak stories continuedonpage1
A bit too MUCH
You loved your life a bit too much So much that every single day You wished I wasn’t there Cause I remember all those times continued on page 5
Sahel’s Coup d'état
There have been over 10 coup attempts in the different countries in the Sahel region since 2020, out of which 6 are considered successful coups The countries with successful coups are Chad, Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria This has caused a line of coups to be formed... continued on page 3
How an Unlikely Collaboration Became My Favorite Album
In 2014, Piñata landed as a masterful collaboration between two unlikely forces: Freddie Gibbs, the gangsterrap torchbearer from Gary, Indiana, and Madlib, hip-hop’s avant-garde producer-extraordinaire continued on page 2
Dear Readers,
The Mostarian Current editors are proud to announce the third printed edition of UWC Mostar’s student-led newspaper that is now in your hands. This term, we're bringing you an insight into the UWC Mostar life, through students' reflections and narratives, as well as opinions on global issues, and film, book, and song recommendations by Book Club and Newspaper CAS We hope that this edition will act as a creative concluding note to this eventful, yet wonderful term while encouraging all readers to keep their inventive spirit active Enjoy!
-Anna C and Daniella
SUBMISSIONS:
On UWC Day
To travel is to choose The sole decision of a place to visit constitutes an exercise of perfect discrimination, the apprehension of a single destination being a deliberate choice to ignore the nuances and ridges of all other fields one could know: as Autumn Break approaches, hundreds of friend-forming Split experiences continued on page 7
and your personality ... on page 6
Rand, Enlightenment and Ethics on page 10
by Anais Comics
Beyond UWC Mostar: Alumni insights on
Life After Graduation
As we all know, UWC Mostar is a well-known school in the United World Colleges movement The school brings together students from many different backgrounds, helping us grow and positively impact the world continued on page 4
The night of the executed poets
When has our sound become a memory? When the language that sounded in millions of hearts and minds, my language, that was able to describe love and passion, truth and pain, when did it become silent? continued on page 9
Winter Season
around the world
As autumn fades, jackets grow thicker, faces disappear beneath beanies and scarves, and twinkling lights brighten dark evenings Winter has arrived in Mostar, bringing with it one of the most festive seasons of the year, filled with diverse holidays from many cultures, celebrated by the students in our community
To start, various Christian communities celebrate Advent, which begins four Sundays before Christmas Day and ends on Christmas Eve It focuses on the arrival of Jesus on Earth and is often observed by lighting a candle every Sunday leading up to Christmas
Moreover, Tibetan communities celebrate Nobel Peace Prize Day on December 10th, commemorating the day His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama received the award in 1989 This day is marked with poetry, songs, and watching the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech
Soon after, on December 13th, Nordic countries celebrate St Lucia’s Day (or St Lucy’s Day) in honour of St Lucia, a Christian martyr The day is celebrated with feasts and a Lucia parade where women dress in white clothing with red sashes, and one girl, representing Lucia, leads the parade wearing a crown of candles The parade marches to the centre of town, where poetry is recited, and traditional songs are sung
Furthermore, Jewish people worldwide celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev in late November or December The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem It is celebrated by lighting a menorah for eight nights, until all the candles are lit Families celebrate by lighting menorahs, singing traditional songs, playing dreidel, and enjoying festive foods like latkes and sufganiyot
Perhaps the biggest Christian holiday is Christmas, which is celebrated with feasts, gift-giving, festive decorations, and religious services, although the specific day varies across cultures Some European Christians celebrate on December 24th, or Christmas Eve, while others, particularly Western Christians, observe it on December 25th, and Orthodox Christians celebrate weeks later, on January 7th
Beyond religious holidays, New Year’s Day and Eve bring people together to mark the start of the Gregorian calendar year by counting down to midnight, launching fireworks, and celebrating with loved ones Similarly, Chinese New Year, celebrated based on the lunar calendar, typically falls in late January or February and is celebrated with firecrackers, vibrant red decorations, which symbolise good luck and fortune, and feasts of traditional foods such as dumplings and spring rolls
Do you feel your body? How often do you feel free in your body?
“Think of your body as a map folding and unfolding on beat, mixing centuries of cultural and unconventional movements to sound, while the spirits of the past speak stories through each emotional step every limb disconnected, ever reaching for more ” - that's the way Ejoe Wilson, one of the best-known house dancers, reflects his meaning of dance
Is dance just a movement? - I don't think so How can a mere bunch of movements touch a spectator’s soul that much, that for a second nothing really exists except for a human’s glance and another human’s body following the rhythm of the music?
How can you enjoy your dance, and create something catchy when you have such a small area of your body you can move? I felt trapped, I was convinced that without this rule I would be able to dance freely, I would feel free
Well, forget about the restrictions now Dance
I closed my eyes, started listening to the music, and I felt lost What should I start with, how can I use my freedom? I returned to the restriction I had, and I started exploring Exploring my neck, how can I connect it to my head to make motion flow from one part of my body to another? There is so much you can explore about how your body can move and what feelings it will give you That was the moment I realized that freedom of movement starts with a single step
“When I dance alone I’m not worried about someone else’s rhythm I’m learning how to move with myself And then when I dance with someone, I can share what moves I’ve learned ” - Aja Monet
I love how dance starts as a selfexploration, but then, it’s always about interacting Even when you dance aloneyou interact with music, with gravitation, with the floor But when you interact with another person through the dance, the most beautiful dialogues can be born Because it’s impossible to hide anything; your body can’t lie, so when you trust it, you become you completely
In conclusion, whether you celebrate a specific holiday or not, winter is the perfect season to surround yourself with loved ones, eat delicious food, wear cosy warm clothes, and enjoy the festive spirit
byAya
For me dance is the way to speak without using words, you don’t have to give a name to your feelings, you can just close your eyes, let the music inside, and become something more than just your consciousness. The only part of you that is always here - is your body, while your mind is occupied with the past, future and all the shit that’s happening in the world and your life, your body's here inhaling and exhaling every second That’s what happens when you dance: you become one with your body, you are here That’s the first thing dance has taught me, the second one: “The real freedom you find in restrictions”
The first exercise my dance teacher gave me was a frame, he gave me a restriction like: “Dance only with your neck” or “chest” or “feet” I couldn’t understand that
When I asked my mum about what dance is for her, at first she couldn’t answer me for a long time and then she just started crying
That is the most intimate thing I have, and it feels like people have never been able to understand that
She's been a ballet dancer for more than thirty years now, and I think she was the first person who showed me dance as a great art In other arts, the person is one who creates, but in dance, he becomes the art itself
We live in a time of an absolute disconnection from our bodies, and with life itself Maybe when life gets tough again, just try to find five minutes, turn on your favorite music, and start moving Explore, jump, shake, and be crazy, but give yourself just a few minutes
to feel free in your body again by Ari
Cozy Piñata byFreddieGibbs&Madlib
HowanUnlikelyCollaborationBecameMyFavoriteAlbum
In 2014, Piñata landed as a masterful collaboration between two unlikely forces: Freddie Gibbs, the gangster-rap torchbearer from Gary, Indiana, and Madlib, hip-hop’s avant-garde producerextraordinaire It shouldn’t have worked andyet,itdid,gloriously Theirpartnership, much like Piñata itself, is a paradoxical marriage of grit and dreamlike surrealism, reality and fantasy a testament to the power of disunity crafted with precision Over ten years after Madvillainy, Madlib's universally acclaimed masterpiece with MF DOOM, Piñata redefined album collaborations and the space of the rap underground, cementing its place as arguably the quintessential hip-hop project of its era From the very first riffs and screams of "Scarface," Piñata weaves autobiographical storytelling with cinematicgrandeur Itisa“gangster
blaxploitationfilmonwax,”with every dark faucet of Gibbs’s life explored with unadulterated honesty
Madlib's samples don’t just set a backdrop; they speak in a language of their own, layered with hidden messages and stories that echo the themes Gibbs explores in his verses The instrumental backdrop pulls you in a kaleidoscope of dusty soul, jazz, and funk samples,eachcracklingwithlife like an old record pulled from a forgotten crate But these aren’t just loops; they’re narratives Take “Shame,” for example, where the soul sample is not merely an aesthetic choice but a commentary on the song’s themes of regret and moral conflict Or “Deeper,” where the yearning strings reflect the melancholyofunrequitedlove
and betrayal Madlib has always been a producer’s producer, and his sonic tapestry carries its weight and demands you pay attention, like an elder passing down wisdom, made even more powerful by Freddie’s effortless storytelling anchoring it instarkreality
“Thuggin’” is as much a declaration of survival as it is a confession At the same time “Broken” unpacks his strained relationship with his father, laying bare the emotionalscarsofabandonmentandregret that shaped him These aren’t just songs; they’re confessions, and listening to them feels like being trusted with someone’s deepesttruths
Listening feels like wandering through a hazy, sepia-toned dream where the past and present blur together, where triumph andtragedycoexist
This leaves the album with an ache that’s hard to describe a sense of longing for something lost, or perhaps never fully realized.
The collaboration works not because of harmony but because of its stark and unapologeticcontrasts WhereMFDOOM’s
a coolness that defies the erratic beat It’s a moment that underscores Gibbs’ adaptability and Madlib’s brilliance in pushingboundaries
What elevates Piñata even further are the deeper themes hidden within its layers The album grapples with the contradictions of human nature how we can be both noble and flawed, both victims and perpetrators It’s an exploration of what it means to be real, in every sense of theword
Madlib’s samples serve as messages in their own right, layering deeper meaning onto Gibbs’ already vivid storytelling. They carry the weight of history, amplifying the album’s themes of legacy and morality On “Knicks” and “Lakers” the fusion of jazz andhip-hopreflectsasoundandacultural lineage of hip-hop’s two most iconic cities These aren’t just beats they’re echoes of stories that came before, underscoring the universality of Gibbs’ own narrative.
Even the logistics of Piñata’s creation reflect its mystique The two artists recorded entirely apart, their exchanges limited to shared beat tapes and remote writing sessions Yet, the album collapses the distance between Gary and Los Angeles,creatingavivid,
This is where the brilliance of Piñata lies: it is neither purely grounded nor purely ethereal And then there’s Gibbs a rapper whose voice carries both the sharp edge of survival and the soft undercurrent of vulnerability Where many gangsta rappers romanticize street life with bravado or caricature, Gibbs documents it with unflinching honesty, warts and all He dives deep into failed relationships, time in prison, and struggles with identity while Madlib's production infuses every moment with a dreamlike haze Madlib’s craft is dense and multilayered, recalling Donuts or Since I Left You, where each beat serves as a canvas for an intricate collage of samples Yet, Gibbs’ presence ensures these tracks remain raw and unflinching, his rough delivery slicing through Madlib’s smoky loopswithbrutalhonesty
Tracks like “Thuggin’” and “Broken” aren’t just tales of crime and consequence; they’re meditationsonguilt,ambition,andidentity
poetic, dadaist wordplay on Madvillainy felt like a cartoonish super-villainy monologue, Gibbs’ verses hit like HBO crime dramas after hours Tracks like "Real" (a scathing and deeply personal diss to Young Jeezy, whose label Freddie was signed to earlier in his career) and "Uno" showcase his potent venom over a grimy boom-bap backdrop
And yet, there’s levity here too Gibbs sings an off-key a capella rendition of TLC's "Waterfalls" during the outro of "Robes," while "Harold’s" humorously turns a fastfood order into a soulful, city-rooted anthem This interplay of wit, weight, and wistfulness captures Piñata’s genius: it never takes itself too seriously while never pullingitspunches.
This cornucopia of contrasts is part of why Piñata became the soundtrack to my life for a while There’s a catharsis in hearing Gibbs pour his soul into these songs, a reminder that pain and beauty often coexist
A track like "High," featuring Danny Brown, exemplifies the album's intricate duality and contrast Brown, known for his eccentricity, steps into Madlib’s textured world,whileGibbshandlesthechaoswith
Piñata by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Album Cover
timeless universe where the specific becomes universal Tracks like “Shame” and “Uno” feel like conversations between the two artists one speaking in samples, theotherinverses
It’s proof that two seemingly different artists Madlib, the eccentric crate-digger, and Gibbs, the gritty street poet can come togethertocreatesomethingtranscendent
Ten years on, Piñata stands as more than a homage to Madvillainy it is a spiritual successorthatcarvesitsownpath IfMadlib and DOOM were two reclusive geniuses in perfect sync, Madlib, the eccentric cratedigger, and Gibbs, the streetwise poet, are a gloriously dysfunctional odd couple, each challenging and elevating the other to heightstheycouldn’treachalone
Piñata is not just an album; it’s an experience One that, even after countless listens, feels like peeling back the layers of an endless street saga scored by jazz riffs and gunshots Freddie Gibbs and Madlib have given us more than music they’ve deliveredalegacy by Mirza
Golden Brown The stranglers Genre: New wave
Sweater Weather the Neighbourhood Genre: Alternative rock
Sparks Coldplay Genre: Softrock
Apocalypse Cigarrettes After Sex Genre: Slowcore To Whom it May Concern Rodriguez Genre: Folk rock
Sahel’s Coup d'état
There have been over 10 coup attempts in the different countries in the Sahel region since 2020, out of which 6 are considered successful coups The countries with successful coups are Chad, Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria This has caused a line of coups to be formed which has been called the Coup Belt This coup epidemic or coup calamity - as it has also been called - has caused the countries unstable and on the brink of disarray Furthermore, Burkina Faso has become the new epicenter of terrorism and is at the top of the global terrorism index with thousands of people being killed due to terrorism
Each of these countries used to be, and still could be considered economic and political colonies of France France has deployed many troops and diplomats in these regions as they are a key resource which contributed to France becoming a superpower The French soldiers were deployed with the objective to exterminate the radical Islamist groups like ISIS, and Al Qaeda and protect the key economic interests of France Nevertheless, after each of the coups, the French soldiers and diplomats were replaced by Russian ones from the Wagner Group in the newly branded Africa Crop Due to these events, Africa has been considered the new frontline between the West and Russia
The countries of the Sahel region had been colonies of France since the early nineteenth century These colonies were mainly exploited for their “Resources” As anticolonial sentiment was spreading during the mid-nineteenth century, a demand for independence was increasing France began to introduce reforms to improve its control over its colonies after World War 2 The CFA (Colonies françaises d'Afrique: French colonies of Africa) franc was introduced around this time, to maintain control and bounce back the French economy after the war This currency was to be used in every colony of France and was equivalent to 2 French francs This made it so that trade between France and its colonies was frictionless but not with any other country This crippled the trade of the French colonies with anyone other than the French The colonies could also import items from France much cheaper than anywhere else but this meant they were dependent on France which meant it could get resources from these countries as cheaply as possible
In 1956 Félix Houphouët-Boigny (the first president of Ivory Coast) used his influence within the French government to win the passage of the Loi Cadre (Framework law) which gave responsibility for all domestic matters like education, budgeting and administration to the individual territories within the French union, while still recommending to follow the CFA system Guinea was the only country to reject this law and declare its own independence separate to this law, which the French did not take lightly, and before leaving the French made sure to sabotage infrastructure and remove administration and experts which was all an effort to thwart Guinea’s chances to make a comeback For example, when Guinea tried to create its currency, France flooded the country with fake currency to destroy its economy Later on, Guinea did recover through the help of Ghana and its success made other French colonies record their position and demand independence When France switched its currency to the euro, it changed the CFA to be proportional to the euro instead of to the franc
Even though independence was to the French colonies, France made sure it could still easily take any resource it wanted, like Uranium from Niger, or oil from Gabon France ensured to keep puppet rulers in each of the countries For example, in Gabon, where the Bongo family was kept in power France paid up to 50 million euros to Gabon which would ultimately reach the Bongo family and made sure it did not interfere with France oil business in Gabon which was getting oil for dirt cheap prices France made sure, by sending troops, money and diplomatic support, so that the puppet leaders would not be overthrown. France's measures to stop rebellions were less violent than before and were more subtle and less focused on violence and focused more on indoctrinating the population on liking France and its puppet rulers
France's exploitation of these countries had created an anti-french sentiment to arise which was only made worse by the failure to quell the ever-growing Islamic extremist groups France had sent over 3000 troops and an estimated a billion euros per year was spent on this operation per year from 2016 to 2022 and its failure only led to these extremist groups to grow even further This failure and the growing anti-French sentiment led to many countries not trusting France which was a major reason for the revolutions All of this was being watched by the Wagner mercenary group and consequently, they had decided to send their analyst and soldiers to Africa The Wagner group successfully recaptured the villages and gave the land back to the people which created a sense of trust in them Since they had no relations with colonization they didn’t already have a degraded image with the people, like what France had. They traded their protection of the regions for open access resources with the countries which became increasingly more important to Russia after the start of the Ukraine war Later on, the Wager group was merged with the new African corp which was now administered directly under Russia’s Ministry of Defense Russia now makes sure that French sentiment is even more negative so it can profit as much as possible Russia's now new dominance over Africa has only heightened tensions throughout the world and even to this day the coup region is a highly contested region that no one can easily predict and yet it’s a region that should be understood so that if something similar happens it doesn’t do to this extent
by Utkrista
Recipes by Anais
One-pot Orzo with aubergine and bell pepper (alternative title: Sick-of-canteen-need-something-easy-and-cheap-orzo)
Instructions:
Upon coming here and cooking this dish for the first time, people were, for the main part, quite confused about orzo Also known under the (original) name of kritharaki (Greece) or risoni (Italy), this type of pasta looks almost exactly like rice, but is made with wheat semolina The good thing about my recipe is that you can find orzo/kritharaki in your local dm shop (it´s not even expensive!) and that, if you ´ re really desperate, you can substitute it with rice The vegetables needed are also some of the cheapest here in BiH and combined with the fact that it needs only very little time to cook, it´s really the perfect dish for a UWC student
Ingredients:
150g orzo
1 large aubergine
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
Sweet paprika Oil
Salt & pepper to taste Water
Optional: Curry spice mix & 200g chickpeas
Lightly toast the spices Add a bit of oil and the chopped onion and stir until the onion is soft Chop up the bell pepper and garlic, add them to the pot and let that cook while you cut the aubergine Add the aubergine to the pot along with the chickpeas, covering everything with about 250ml of water (doesn´t have to be exact), let everything simmer for 5 minutes and then add your orzo Cook until it is al dente, around 12 minutes, but that depends on your orzo And then all that´s left to do is to tuck in and enjoy
Tarte Tatin
Making mistakes in life is often annoying, I know But sometimes, great things can come from a little blunder, such as this delightful and simple to make caramelised apple tart The story goes that, in a great hurry, hotel-keeper Stéphanie Tatin forgot to put the dough at the bottom while making a tart, placing the apples in the cake tin first Either not noticing or not caring enough, she covered the apples with the dough and, once baked, turned the tart upside-down Her delicious recipe soon spread through all of France, conquering everyone ´ s hearts and taste buds
Ingredients:
Tart crust
250g all-purpose flour
125g butter
80g sugar
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Filling
1kg apples
50g butter
100g sugar
Mix the flour, butter and salt and add the eggs to your crumbly mixture Knead until a smooth dough is formed and put it in the fridge Preheat your oven to 210°C Peel your apples and cut them into eighths (or smaller if you prefer) Lay them out in your tart tin, making sure they are as tightly together as possible Then comes the caramel: Melt the butter and sugar in a pan and wait until the sugar starts to caramelise You´re looking for a golden colour - be careful since it can burn very quickly Pour the caramel over the apples and cover with your rolled-out dough Bake for about 25 minutes and enjoy!
BeyondUWCMostar:AlumniinsightsonLifeAfterGraduation
As we all know, UWC Mostar is a well-known school in the United World Colleges movement The school brings together students from many different backgrounds, helping us grow and positively impact the world Our school was founded in 2006 and its main goal, as every other UWC school, is to focus on building global citizenship and increasing the understanding between different cultures It’s kind of crazy to think that there used to be other students as well before us Many generations of students have come before many of us even set foot on this land, and they have all been a part of the same UWC Mostar community as we are now Even today, they have carried the school's values of peace, sustainability, and personal growth into their careers and communities So how much can UWC truly impact a person? I guess we have to hear from our alumni!
Kristian Olsen (uwcim ‘17): I always share that moving to Bosnia and attending UWC Mostar was the most monumental and life-altering decision I made It forced me to step out of my comfort zone moving across the world, where I was constantly forced to take risks, and challenges, and push myself around a diverse cohort of incredibly gifted people If I hadn't made that choice to go to UWC, I never would have taken a gap year, never would have thought of studying outside my home country (The US), and never would have moved abroad again for work
The UWC network is one of the strongest networks to be a part of and I personally have felt the benefits firsthand! I moved to London knowing no one in the city, so I put a post in the UWC Alumni Facebook group and found out I had a few fellow alumni living in the city who offered to grab coffee/dinner/etc In my first year, I even lived with two other UWC grads that I met on the Facebook group, and now I currently live with one of my first years who is also living and working in London
All of that to say I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had to attend UWC Mostar, even if it is with little rose-tinted glasses reflecting on my time (the longer apart I am the more I forget about the stresses of IB and the drama of high school) but I can say without a doubt it changed the trajectory of my life for the better
Matea Dugandžić (uwcim ‘18): As a graduate of UWC Mostar I can say that it is truly a door-opening opportunity to learn and grow as a person. For me, being a part of the UWC Mostar community was the first time I ever experienced a shift in the trajectory of my life It opened doors to new perspectives and great opportunities, like the chance to study in America for university The richness of experiences at UWC Mostar was something I hadn’t anticipated; it wasn't just about academics, but about growing as a person, seeing the world through different lenses, and embracing change The IB program prepared me in ways I never could have imagined It equipped me with skills that were extremely useful when it came to my university years and it honestly also prepared me a lot for the overall future
UWC is not just a school from which you graduate It changes the way you view the world and your place in it A piece of advice I would like to give to every UWC student is not to let the present overwhelm you too much UWC taught me to avoid being consumed by obligations and to step back and see the bigger picture of my life Before UWC, I used to have pretty narrow views on life and was sometimes maybe even too much set on my opinions But over time, I learned to question things, to be open to new ideas, and to appreciate that nothing should ever be taken for granted
Toni Čerkez (uwcim ‘13): On a personal level, UWC Mostar was groundbreaking for me I discovered myself in many new ways and UWC Mostar also opened my eyes to other things such as my own ideas and aspirations, how my voice matters, and that being active in a community is not a bad thing, but rather the opposite
I come from the first post-war generation in the city (meaning that I have no memory of the war as such and was born during the war, that is exactly a year before the war ended), so growing up in Mostar was a lot different than it is now UWC showed me my hometown from a totally different perspective, which I have retained to this day Mostar to me emerged not as a dysfunctional and hateful city, which unfortunately had been the dominant international and domestic narrative on the city back then, but as a culturally awake and progressive place that encourages many people to come, learn, and build solidarity across communities I retain this perspective to this day
UWC Mostar challenged me on many levels that I have benefited from throughout my life Navigating certain things was really tough at times, for example navigating queerness in Mostar/BH/Balkans, racial justice, and mental health support. This is a work in progress to this day. So, I stand 100% in solidarity with all the students who do not feel represented and call on them to talk about it They matter and this is not just about Mostar but also about them developing their own voice for the future
UWC Mostar in many ways, like everything else in life, is what you make of it What I made out of it for myself is a continuing story of friendship, community, and struggle Struggle with UWC itself, struggle with complacency in everyday life, struggle with destructive and exploitative individual, social and political narratives and dynamics, struggle on thinking about 'who deserves' a better future - which matters in this really polarizing day and age It has given me the tools to think for myself, but also to think of others While this might not be obvious to many while they are in UWC - you are of course preoccupied with coursework, life in Mostar, first experiences in many aspects of your lives - it becomes obvious as you grow
And grow you will
by Jenina
mornings
comics by Utkrista
A bit too MUCH
(Inspired
by “Bass boat” by Zach Bryan")
You loved your life a bit too much
So much that every single day
You wished I wasn’t there
Cause I remember all those times
a B in English that made you cry
But I forgot I promise all those times
The grip is so stern my hair would fall
The pain still rings in my bones
So you stay up late in the kitchen dime
Half up, half down, almost lying
Therefore I am your daughter mom, I dread my life a bit too much
I pine for pain even after your own touch
I find trouble even when things are alright
I dread my life a bit too much
Staying up late, near the kitchen stove
Burning my hand just to feel so
Cause I was raised by a woman who was hardly impressed
Even after my long flight to the West
You hated yourself a bit too much
And I carry that shit real deep in my chest
I tried my best I promise mom
But I can’t heal what I didn’t raise
But Mama, I love you a bit too much
I dread my life because I know the years
Those pass and distance doesn’t make it shorter
Because I fear that losing you would mean to be unloved
Your love is buried deep inside, Where bones can’t reach or even hide
And if you go, I stay unloved
How can a heart beat when its bones are gone?
When the moments of rare unconditional love Vicariously staring at you through the night Non-excitant, painfully so
Staying up late, sleeping through the shower’s glow
Mom, he told me I deserve to be loved I didn’t tell you though Because the fact he knew Would make you mad
Because it is all in the past, right?
Cause your daughter is a self-sabotaging machine that’s why
She paints every single nail on her hand, except the thumb I used to make fun of that “How can you forget to paint it? It is so unpainted, in your face ” Yesterday, I painted all of my nails red except my thumb; it was naked, pale and unnoticed My hands looked like yours
She stands in front of the mirror exploring every single insecurity she ever had, turning to me while the words flow out of her mouth “You know my face is so asymmetrical, so ugly, no wonder no one loves me” I stare at you, reassuring you that you are not in fact ugly, you are more than perfect, while unknowingly neurons in my brain concrete a foundation of insecure self-sabotaging, fragile human being The love so immense for you, makes me want to be just like you, Mother, while almost automatically establishing it in me, the fact that I am too, ugly because everyone keeps telling me I look just like you
Now I stand in the bathroom staring at my face, everything is as usual, everything is as wrong as always I stare at my face in all of the reflective surfaces, just to make sure I still look like you, that I still carry you in me That ugliness is still in me When the compliment flows towards me, I reject it It must be a joke I comment on my appearance in the midst of the conversation, out of nowhere, just to make sure my friend reassures me that I am not, in fact ugly That the asymmetry isn’t noticeable Just like you would ask your child time after time to make yourself feel better, to feel loved, noticed because deep down that child in you was never loved But the funny thing is, I keep asking because I want them to tell me I am ugly, that I am imperfect, I want to be shamed and deep down unloved because I always want to be just like you, I want what I always was used to Through the very tips of my unpainted fingers to the very ends of my fakely curled hair, I am you, I become you, or rather I never was myself
So I avoid the mirrors like a plague and my reflection is not mine at all. I try so hard to end it, mom. But figuring out which part of myself I hate the least takes up all of my daytime
“You say you hate yourself, but doesn't it just make you feel better about yourself? It is so funny huh, you poor thing, how the ego of yours is so cunning, you are an egocentric bitch that’s who you are ” My brain is cruel but I am used to it, I made it into you
I take showers just like her at the crack of dawn because that's when my ugliest thoughts seem to be sleeping and I am free of the shackles of my consciousness So there I sit in the glow of the night, painting my nails because it reminds me so much of you I wake up to stare at my hands just to realize that my thumb like yours is free of burgundy, so empty, an outlier And I don’t blame you anymore, because I am just like you
by Yasmina
UWC and your personality...
Ever wondered what your UWC personality was?! Here’s a little personality test just for you!
Question 1: When I pass another person on the way to Velic, what do I do?
I either give them the nod or say cao with a big smile!!
I have time to kill, I initiate a conversation!
I have class in 10 minutes! I do not want to be late!
Question 2: Oh no! All the laundry machines in my residence are filledup! What should I do?
I don’t care, I put the wet laundry on top of the machine and start mine I’ve got no time to lose It’s Ok! I’ll come back later!
I send a message to the residential gc to tell them their laundry is finished!
Question 3: Well damn, someone stole my chips!? But I had my name on it?
I send a very threatening message in the residential gc and demand their return!
Buy the same chips, laxatives and the rest is history Well damn It’s ok, they probably needed it more than I did!
Question 4: Shit! I’m 15 minutes late, what do I do?
I start running, I can’t get another absence! Elmir loves me! He’ll mark me present when I get there Late? What’s that?
Question 5: I really need to study for a test coming up Where do I go?
I go to either Velic with friends or I’ll go to the Santic common room It's nice having people around to help me!
I go to the Vinyl cat room or maybe Fabrika! That would be nice!
My desk has everything I need I study alone
Question 6: Damn, I’m really sick this morning What should I do?
Well too bad I'll call in sick, I’ll stay in my room and take care of myself I can't make others sick too!!
Hell yeah! I’ll call in sick! Then I’ll go hangout with friends. I have an assessment today I can't miss school!!!
Question 7: This Friday's Old Man's theme is really difficult What do I do?
It’s alright, I’ll cook something up at the last minute Hell yeah! We ball! I’ll ask my roommate(s) for some clothes!
I've had a long week! I think I’m going to bake and watch a movie tonight
Question 8: I got a 4 on one of my SL classes! How do I feel?
Oh well I’ll do better next time Hell yeah! That's my best grade yet!!
That’s That’s impossible
Question 9: Jam session is coming up! What do I do?
I’ll cheer on my friends who are performing and enjoy the night
Oooh yeah!! I’ll sing this Portuguese song I found on Tik Tok!! I’m either going to perform the greatest thing UWCiM has ever seen or I’ve got to study
Question 10: My EE first draft is due tomorrow How am I feeling?
I’ve got 2000 words it’s my first draft anyways I’ve got 100 words, enough caffeine in my body to kill a horse and a dream…
I finished it during the summer, I’m chilling!
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On UWC Day
To travel is to choose The sole decision of a place to visit constitutes an exercise of perfect discrimination, the apprehension of a single destination being a deliberate choice to ignore the nuances and ridges of all other fields one could know: as Autumn Break approaches, hundreds of friend-forming Split experiences will be left behind for story-writing Budapest trips or rakijainfused Sarajevo adventures And, yet, we love to travel. There is nothing wrong about it, is there? For sure not In a school where the overall travel destinations of all its students most likely amounts to most of the countries in the world, reprobating travel would not only be a direct attack to the student body but also a deep critique of the sole idea of our school However, the one day dedicated to embracing the values and ideas that bring together every single one of us seems like little more than that
UWC Day, with its countless flags and its ever rumbling noise, is the spotlight of the year Perhaps not in a metaphorical sense, but most definitely in a literal one: as per the Cambridge dictionary, a spotlight is “a lamp whose beam can be directed, or a circle of light produced by such a lamp” To put something in the spotlight is like choosing a travel destination: an exercise of ignoring the rest of the realities and details of the scenario, another instance of the small discrimination acts we need to do in order to carry on with our lives
And discrimination, per se, does not involve any negative connotations When I choose to put pesto instead of ajvar on my toast, I am discriminating: after all, it is nothing but the practice of judging the quality of something based on similar things, to see the difference Yet, the set of judgments and expectations that lead to one’s discriminatory choices has to be carefully chosen, plier-treated in order for it not to turn into the unfair discrimination that turns into pure mistreatment When I choose to travel to Istanbul instead of going to Amsterdam, I am making a choice based on a set of resources, realities and preferences that lead to a mostly fair decision -for myself However, when we all collectively choose to reduce the mere essence of our national identities to flags and food, are we really being fair to our own identities and our collective essence as a school?
Through the way that UWC Day currently works, as a flag-infused food feast, our national identities are not only recognized but also exacerbated In the UWC Mostar Facts and Figures booklet available in the school’s website, there is a quote by Goran Batić that states that the school produces “citizens aware of the traps of the predominant nationalistic discourses in the country and across the globe”
By standing in front of our flags, proudly wearing them as some sort of Roman wreath, we are not
aware but, instead, victims of nationalisticdiscourses UWC Day, in its atmosphere of union and fraternity, does nothing but put a veil under a dead bride. With every nationalistic hand sign thrown at flags crafted way before we were born, carrying meanings we can hardly grasp, we laugh at the very foundational ideas that are meant to make UWC Mostar the fabulous place it is meant to be.
If I was to base my impressions of the world on attending the 80 Minutes around the World event, I would not even understand the purpose of having something like a United World College. If every country is ajar with food and a haven of dance and happiness, why would I even travel for hours and hours to be in another one? Why unite our world at all, if we are doing so great by ourselves?
A summatory argument might be used to answer this question: we are so great by ourselves that we are even greater together Following this argumentative line, the problems that arise with the idea of a united world are small next to the potential they bear. This is easily refuted by the essential failure of initiatives that are meant to bring people and nations together: yes, the fact that there is not a single UWC Day that goes without a flag dispute is an instance of it, but the abandonment ziggurats of every UN building are also a sad proof of it
A reason why we should step forward and stop the idea of international integration as putting two flags next to each other Imagining that the best we can do as a representation of the United World is to dance, eat and take pictures is reducing the years and years of history of this school to a questionable version of the infamous European Union barcode flag, but it is also an amazing sign of how much we can do right now
First and foremost, we should stop ignoring the elephant in the room: politics The opening paragraph of the very first document that led to the founding of UWC Mostar states that “The College will be a deeply political initiative”, and we seem to be drifting further and further away from an acknowledgement of it Imagining international integration as a lot of dances is a political statement against a true implementation of it: if we all present our own, by ourselves, we are arguing against integration
If being Latino, local, American or any other of the multitude of labels we seem to carry on our foreheads defines our engagement with the day that is meant to embrace the idea of our school, we are reducing the possibility of integration to a simple presentation Not even a dialogue, just a joint statement And, in reality, history shows that integration is an unpleasant process For true integration to occur in the lightest of ways, at least years of dialogue need to take place: even within the European Union, for example, bitter disagreements are the order of the day in any of its organisms
Yet,
work in spite of disagreements, but thanks to its public acknowledgement and proper channelling of them For UWC Day to work, we have to stop smiling at flags and start questioning them: we have to zoom into each one of the stars that are in them and ask ourselves why they are there When we look at foods, we have to ask ourselves why they are the way they are The continuum of national identities and cultures is all about nuances, about the sharp edges of what we call ours and what we call theirs
Asking ourselves why carrots are orange, why are Kebabs German or why do Colombians and Venezuelans call slightly different foods the same only to argue about who it belongs to does stir arguments, but it also allows us for an increased understanding of why our school is the way it is Understanding Mostar, if such a mission can be achieved, is a rocky road
And rocky roads cannot be just ignored If one is to drive through them, we have to be mindful of the state of our tires and make sure that we are ready to go down and replace them if anything happens If UWC Day is a solely pleasant experience, something is going wrong Trying to make it so is what drives conflict
Yes, we are different Some of us want to travel to Dubrovnik, some of us want to go to Belgrade and some of us will just fly back home: that creates a sense of us and a sense of them, but it does not mean we have to abide by those labels as a guiding principle I am Venezuelan, so my national identity is deeply connected to colonialism, but this does not mean I will cry at every single mention of a Spanish flag because, oh well, I am also Portuguese And my best friend is Brazilian
We are not our countries, our dances or our food Arguing for an idea of UWC Day that is based on individuality as the sole source of shared identity is ignoring the fact that our differences are not what brings us together and that we are not ambassadors of the places we come from I am more than a Venezuelan flag or an Arepa filled with cheese from Travnik
UWC is more than flags standing together and foodstuffs being actively stolen It’s more about arguing and then hugging, about recognizing how much we can hate each other and actively choosing not to do so
by Elías
FILM RECOMMENDATIONS...
Quentin Tarantino’s explosive debut is a tense, gripping crime drama about a heist gone wrong. The movie that introduced to world to Quentin Tarantino might just be his best It is an explosive and tense crime drama about a heist gone wrong. Characteristic sharp dialogue and over-the-top violence, as well as a now staple non-linear narrative, Reservoir Dogs redefined independent filmmaking and is a bonafide modern classic
Another beautiful illustration of Miyazaki’s love and obsession for aircraft The story of a young man with a passion for aviation and the skies, unable to become a pilot because of his eyesight, he decides to become an aeronautical engineer. Making a career by designing weapons of war for the Japanese air force Even if he designs planes for the army, Jiro’s only interest is to create the perfect aircraft
Downtown 81
An underrated cult classic that captures the vivid, gritty, raw, and chaotic energy of 1980s New York, all through the eyes of the revolutionary Jean-Michel Basquiat Blending fiction and reality, the film is the perfect ode to a long-gone art scene at the heartbeat of the world’s most major city, all while telling the story of one of its most influential artists
The quintessential Bond movie, Casino Royale is a caustic and intense reimagining of 007 The film’s pacing is perfect, as it blends action and emotion effortlessly Daniel Craig does an incredible job of portraying the legendary character. The grit and groundedness breathe fresh air into the franchise while keeping all of the iconic old Bond tropes alive Casino Royale is in my opinion the franchise’s finest and a modern action masterpiece
Fargo
Directed by the Coen brothers and based in The Jewel of the Red River Valley, Fargo A film that follows two thugs and a broke car salesman play-out their elaborately planned money extortion scheme What was supposed to be a quiet, quick and simple job just got real bad real quick when the white winter snow of Minnesota turned blood red The mix of humour and chilling brutality makes this 90s crime film refreshing and frankly unexpected
A film centered on the decisive Battle of Guadalcanal, where U S Marines faced fierce Japanese defenders on the strategic island Amid brutal jungle combat, soldiers walk a thin line between man and monster, fighting not only the enemy but also an internal war to preserve their morality and humanity
byMirza&Pierre
The Thin Red Line
Reservoir Dogs
The Wind Rises
Casino Royale
The night of the executed poets
They were killed because they had voice
When has our sound become a memory? When the language that sounded in millions of hearts and minds, my language, that was able to describe love and passion, truth and pain, when did it become silent?
Were we ever free?
That is the question I have been asking myself for years Was my country ever free? Was my nation ever free?
The night from the 29th to the 30th of October is just another example of my people being killed because they had a voice, their own voice, that bravely sounded against the system, a voice that never has its right to exist
In 1937, on the October night, more than a hundred Belarusian poets, writers and scientists - the elite of the Belarusian nation itself - were shot by Soviet authorities The reason was simple - they did not bend under Stalin’s regime
Along with this, on August 1, 1937, tens of thousands of manuscripts of unpublished works of those figures that did not pass the censorship were burned in the courtyard of the Minsk prison
In the last research, among more than 9 million Belarusians, only 51 % marked Belarusian as their native language, but nowadays only 15 % of the nation speaks Belarusian in everyday life Who’s fault is that? History, government, or our own?
Sometimes I ask myself, why has it happened the way it has? When was the moment the Belarusian nation started dying? And then I think, what if it was just murdered, murdered with all the repressions, restrictions and our own disrespect? Disrespect to our own culture and language, the fact that we keep forgetting those who died to save our identity
“Infinite Storm”
A new storm has started, -
The shadows are arriving upon Belarusian swamps
The life itself - where death and funeral,
Where cross and the grave - the infinite round dance
My native land! Your sun is uprising!
You see, the cloud is split by ray
Can you hear the shout: “ - To the Freedom, the Freedom!”
The night is dying Here comes the day!
But storm is not calming Oh infinite storm!
With a whirlwind you sweep to the better our way; You ruin slavery, dishonour and darkness,
You give the weak joy and the strong get dismayed!
All mixed up People, fires and screams
Lead rain is washing beginning of spring
The nation already believes it’ll be Great, Believes magic dreams will be real!
It was created by fearless waves, It’s the child of the infinite storm
And with the storm, it’s rushing to the unknown place,
To find there: Sun! Freedom! And World!
1921, Mihas Charot
Mihas Charot wrote his last poem on the prison’s wall where he ended up after inhumane torture, sentenced to death by the court as a “participant in a counter-revolutionary organization”, and like a hundred other Belarusians, he spent his last days there
This story is not only about the Belarusians who died on the night of October 29th, it's about all the things that have died that night with them, including my own inner right to call myself a Belarusian My culture is dying with every new day, and now it's not only the regime's fault, it's the responsibility of every Belarusian, who let themselves forget
I’m not sure if my language will ever be as alive as it was
The poem “Infinite Storm” was written by a famous Belarusian poet - Mihas Charot in 1921, sixteen years before he was killed by Ari
But it was alive once Maybe it’s still living
And they still live, as long - as we remember
Ayn Rand, Enlightenment, and Ethics
Throughout history, enlightenment has been defined and interpreted in various ways, often accompanied by a range of metaphors While some have praised it for its profound contributions to human progress, critics like Foucault have highlighted its darker implications In my opinion, enlightenment is a complex phenomenon that cannot be entirely categorized as good or bad Its dual nature can be likened to Jekyll and Hyde: it is responsible for humanity's most significant advancements, but also for some of its most catastrophic events, such as World War II and violations stemming from methodologies like Ayn Rand's This essay will focus on the moral implications of enlightenment, contrasting Rousseau's philosophy with Ayn Rand's approach While both might seem rooted in Enlightenment principles, their moral methodologies are starkly different I will argue against Rand's "rational egoism" while advocating for a more ethical perspective rooted in Rousseau’s philosophy
Using the metaphor of Jekyll and Hyde, we see enlightenment's duality Scientific innovation and rationality can be seen as the "Jekyll" side, contributing positively to human life Conversely, extremes like wars, discrimination, and oppression are its "Hyde" aspect To fully understand this duality, we must revisit Immanuel Kant, a pivotal Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on autonomy (e g , sapere aude!) and moral imperatives significantly influenced later thinkers, including Ayn Rand Kant's moral philosophy emphasizes not performing actions one wouldn’t want to be done to oneself This concept centers on individual rationality and universal moral laws, which are vital in enlightenment thought However, Ayn Rand’s "rational egoism" deviates from this, focusing on self-interest as the highest moral good, a perspective I find dangerous While Kant's
categorical imperative assumes universal agreement on moral truths through rationality, it overlooks the diversity of individual experiences and the potential for conflict between differing moral realities
For example, consider the rise of political correctness, which highlights the limitations of universal rationality. Political correctness emerged when certain groups felt offended by behaviors or discourses, even when those accused of causing offense had no such intent. Within Rand's framework, actions are deemed moral if they align with the individual's self-interest and rational reasoning, regardless of their impact on others. This illustrates a flaw in both Kantian and Randian approaches: they assume rationality leads to universal moral truths, ignoring the complexities of human differences Foucault and Schmitt critique this assumption, with Schmitt’s concept of "decisionism" illustrating how power can distort rationality into oppressive ideologies When reasoning becomes the sole criterion for legitimacy, as in Rand's philosophy, it risks justifying harmful actions, leading to surveillance and authoritarianism, as Foucault suggests This is evident in 20th-century political regimes where rational decisions became tools of oppression
Rand's idea that the self's happiness is the only moral goal disregards the social purpose of morality: to regulate and harmonize society Moral principles aim to prevent chaos by fostering mutual respect and consideration Rand’s philosophy, focused solely on self-interest, inherently creates conflicts Consider sadomasochists: their actions, justified by Rand’s criteria, highlight the contradictions in her moral framework By prioritizing self-interest, Rand's ideas risk enabling harmful behaviors under the guise of rationality
Friday Night Takeaways: an addiction and my experience with canteen food frustration
“Spoon night! NOOO: kill me now!!!” - we leave and go get a kebab If not, we skip a meal and order or get takeaway pizza later If not, we just don’t eat for the day and wait until Old Man’s Fairly aware of the risks, we may find ourselves sitting in front of Coco Loco chewing a tasteless Corny bar, or lying on the common room couch eating chips while scrolling through our phones
It’s Friday night, maybe a happy night, maybe a night smelling like cigarettes, maybe a kiss cam night or a night of “offensive jokes” We go to sleep later thinking about breakfast the next morning Wondering, in fact, “Why?” “Why did I come here of all places from all across the globe?” or “Why did I think my teachers would be great when favoritism couldn’t be more explicit?” “Why did I believe in a promise of ‘change-makers’ if there is no budget, if I can’t donate blood, if my IAs are just too time-consuming for me to actually promote any idea?” And don’t restrict the blame to the IB or “the system”: other students (me included) also put us down, act meanly, create competition or live in such disbelief - “From Vinyl hot chocolate to Vinyl hot chocolate,” as my roommate would say - that everything we had dreamt before seems like a lie When I am participative, it may be because I held a microphone for a second to talk about my own business When I am successful, it is because I escaped a gossip drama for one more week and managed to uphold a grade If I fail, today was like yesterday - and it will continue to be
byÇağan
History shows how speculative language, like Rand's, can be misinterpreted or exploited, as with Nietzsche’s misappropriation in justifying atrocities Rand's rhetoric, though rooted in enlightenment ideals, lacks the ethical foundation necessary for constructive societal application
Rousseau, another Enlightenment thinker, offers a more balanced moral framework through his concept of the "social contract " This idea emphasizes collective moral principles that respect individual rights while fostering communal harmony Unlike Rand's self-centered approach, Rousseau advocates for considering others' needs and interests, aligning with Levinas's "ethics of others " This perspective promotes a more peaceful and morally substantive society by finding common ground among diverse individuals Ultimately, true enlightenment lies not in the pursuit of selfinterest at all costs but in building ethical frameworks that balance individual and collective well-being
Yet, in all of UWC’s frustrations, there must be something to take away We are brought here with immense dreams and expectations In many ways, this experience empowers us, gives us opportunities and knowledge But in so many other ones it annihilates our most profound assurances and motivations, it destroys what we had romanticized the most and leaves us clueless Even though this could just be a reality-check, a showcase of the challenges that the planet presents, the resilience practice we needed (?), I just trust that there must be a lesson (or, at least, a few) to take away from this disappointment Something that I may not quite grasp when I just spent 10 KM on Glovo because I was hungry Friday night, though in the most faithful of ways I will live through another week to see what there is to takeaway
Sonia once told me it’s fine, that we will “understand one day” It is up to us to believe in her
And after all, chicken and potatoes are bad, mouthless, disappointing - however much we may appreciate the canteen ladies The residences stink and the kebab we want to buy is expensive (and may come with a letter of concern)
by Gabriel
BOOK CLUB RECOMMENDS...
Winter break calls for cozy evenings, festivity and frosty mornings While the world outside might be caught up in seasonal chaos, it is a perfect excuse to slow down and indulge in a little escapism Our Book Club has handpicked the perfect winter reads to keep you company and embrace the quiet magic
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Gawain Poet
Caught between honour, and how do we reconcile our ideals with our human flaws? This is the central tension in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a spellbinding tale of chivalry, temptation, and the messy realities of honour The story begins at a New Year’s feast in King Arthur’s court when a towering, green-skinned knight bursts in with an unsettling challenge: any knight may strike him with his axe but must receive an equal blow in return one year later What follows is not simply a tale of heroism, but a profound exploration of human frailty The Gawain Poet’s lyrical, alliterative verse creates a world of vivid imagery icy forests, dazzling feasts, and the mysterious, ever-green figure of the knight himself Beneath its romantic veneer lies a meditation on honour, shame, and the delicate balance between societal ideals and personal survival Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is both a captivating adventure and a humbling reminder that even the bravest heroes are bound by their humanity It inspired David Lowery's 2021 film The Green Knight (starring Dev Patel), a visually stunning and imaginative retelling of the story
Whether you are a fan of Arthurian legends or a lover of poetic nuance, this tale offers a timeless reflection on the complexity of integrity.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Giving Tree is a thought-provoking story about generosity, selflessness, and the complexities of relationships It follows a tree that gives everything it has to a boy over the course of his life, asking for nothing in return Through simple yet powerful illustrations and language, the book raises questions about the balance between giving and taking, and the impact of our choices on those around us It is a great read for all ages, sparking conversations about empathy, gratitude, and how we interact with the world and the people (or trees) we care about
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
“Little Women” is a timeless classic that continues to hold its relevance even today as a heartwarming story with relatable characters Set during the Civil War, it follows the lives of the four March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they navigate the challenges of growing up, while also trying to fulfill the societal expectations put on them as young women. The novel shows Alcott's richly developed characters and their individual journeys in exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness The warm, familial atmosphere, especially in the scenes where the sisters spend Christmas together, offers the cozy, nostalgic feeling of winter Whether you are reading it for the first time or revisiting it, “Little Women” remains a beautifully uplifting book and a perfect choice for a winter read
Cold enough for snow by Jessica Au
“We were all essentially nothing, just a series of sensations and desires, none of it lasting ”
Subtle and meditative, Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au is a tender exploration of memory, identity, and the quiet complexities of motherdaughter relationships The plot is deceptive: Set amidst a fleeting journey through Japan, the novella follows an unnamed narrator and her mother as they navigate temples, museums, and restaurants, their interactions suffused with unspoken emotion and generational distance
Through spare, luminous prose, Au deftly examines the nature of connection how we seek it, miss it, or find it in unexpected places With themes of impermanence and cultural dislocation, the novel reads like a whispered conversation, leaving space for reflection long after the final page For those who cherish introspection and beauty in the every day, Cold Enough for Snow is a contemplative gem, perfect for a quiet, rainy afternoon
The beauty of racism
Growing up, I was always aware that I was “different ” Studying in a school where I was one of two black students out of a student body of 3000, and living in a country that wasn’t yet accustomed to people outside of Asia, I was constantly reminded of how “exotic” I was Unfortunately, this alienation and subtle racism paired with my human need to find belonging caused me to always try to prove myself Prove that I was smart, that I was funny, that I was interesting, that I was worth their time despite my flaw
This could easily be seen as some sort of evil, horrible, traumatic experience and way of growing up, but I see it as a way of learning to be more myself
Here in Mostar, I was called a “nigger” for the first time in my life I was walking back to Polonia with a friend and passed the park, and it shocked me so much that at first I hadn’t even realised what they said until my friend said something Since then, I have had slurs yelled at me at least 100 times, but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way Knowing that a large population of people would hate me and yell at me regardless of how I looked walking out of my residence that day, taught me to express myself fully I would wear the most embarrassing outfits for Old Man’s or the most elegant dress for Winter Gala, but it wouldn’t make a difference, I was still just a “nigger”
I’ve truly learned to embrace and love all the intersections of myself and my identity Loving myself came easier knowing that it came from myself and the knowledge that some people will hate me and be completely uninterested in me regardless of how hard I may try It also made me reflect on who exactly I was trying to appease to, if their opinions even mattered to me in the first place and why I felt the need to do so
Basically, racism made me love myself even more
by Nell
On the 16th of November, the three candidates for our new Head of College visited Mostar to take part in the selection of our school’s future skipper Elías (Venezuela, ‘25) went around the city as a tourguide for them, showing the present of their to-be future In the meantime, Gabriel (Brazil, ‘25) was wasting the highly valued Polonia wi-fi to read internet-found reports of past school years As we met later that day for another slow Saturday evening, we realized that the vision behind those two investigations was, actually, the same. Indeed, they meet right behind Gimnazija, singing Sex on Fire against the Herzegovinian bura in front of the entire Leadership Team after running for 12 hours, two days before a Math test
As good as this fantasy seems, we sometimes struggle to believe it actually happened (see Gabriel’s article on the 2nd issue of the Mostarian Current) The dream of Mostar as a fairy tale is never an exaggeration, but the same tale can be told in many ways Because Mostar is, after all
a tale of two cities That there are two post offices, two bus stations, etc that you shouldn’t go out in the evening if there’s a football game in Mostar, that bread can be Bosnian: “hljeb” and Croatian: “kruh”
Elena Garadja (Russia, ‘08)
When these lines were first written, there was no 12 Hour Race, Gimnazija’s backyard was still full of shrapnel and Sex on Fire had just been recorded a month before And, yet, UWCiM was already there –legend says Emil Špago had already started supervising Project Weeks Now, looking back 16 years after the first class from UWCiM graduated, we realize that tales can be written and rewritten while still telling the same story As we look to the future, we wonder if some Latin Americans from the class of 2038 will read these words and think about us in the same way we got surprised about the fact that ten years ago there were no Latinos at all in the school
Funnily enough, we would be shocked by anything that would have been possible back then Bringing a person from Paraguay here could have been a full project week It could have been Reading back and touring the future, our vision of Mostar falls in the gap between what has and what could be made out of it In order to avoid getting nostalgia drunk (we’re not in Old Man’s right here), we propose a
What Mostar could be: a look at some facts and figures from 2008
On the picture: Gimnazija in May 2006, around the time when UWC Mostar started operations. Source: UWC Mostar’s 2007-2008 report.
little dive into the fun facts and nuances of what the class of 2008 may have to tell us
By the time they graduated, that first class of only 88 students from 23 countries had already established some of our best-known traditions Reading the 2008 report, no mention of Old Man’s, the shot challenge or climbing the old bank is made, but Paul Reagan (the first Headteacher) already declared his love for a local and an international student’s speech in Kosača at the end of their journeys “The tale of two cities” was, in fact, part of Elena Garadja’s –the then grad speaker– ode to our “profound understanding of cultural and international issues who have the experience of international communication ” For what seemed to have just started, the confidence to have completed “two years of international education” and successfully become masters of “an increasingly globalized world” was outstanding “We are making history,” Jasmina Hodžić (BiH, ‘08) spoke as the student from BiH
As much as the yappy talk stays the same, something doesn’t quite seem to match with our perspective from today We are not only talking about the fact that they had a “Radio CAS” instead of our podcast or their need for an “IT workshop Service CAS” It is, rather, a renovation that goes way beyond the makeover the Gimnazija got in 2009 While central traditions such as the halfmarathon or Bald4aCause were yet to be created, UWCiM’s ambition for “changing the world” goes beyond a name: after all, we would consider rebellious anyone who would come up with a Project Week visiting Kosovo “right after its independence from Serbia” And they had it back in 2008
My dear classmates, we must abandon the idea of ‘changing the world’ without recognizing what that actually means. Though it sounds promising, in setting such grand expectations for taking action, we discourage ourselves from doing so in fear of an unsuccessful attempt or not doing enough when all eyes are watching
Zaid Al-Ississ (Jordan/Palestine, ‘24)
As the years pass by and UWC Mostar starts moving away from its history, however, the sense of what is there to be changed appears to become blurry Somehow, as Gimnazija is painted, people no longer have to sleep in the kitchen like they did in Sušac –
conditions have improved so much that only dogs sleep in the Polonia kitchen At the same time, no pinpointed target exists and our notion of “success” is no longer so clear As our idealism strikes itself against the Old Bridge on a rainy day, it slowly slips into skepticism
The common idea that all “students of the UWCs are open-minded” doesn’t seem to be upheld With every generation, we keep writing beautiful speeches and creating beautiful stories. But, eventually, all the love stories forged in the “little bridge”, unforgettable trips during Autumn Break and ethnic prejudice-breaking roommate friendships start accumulating to an extent where, simply, idealism becomes a pure delusion - as we now know it.
Perhaps, a victim of its own success –or of having grown tired of its lack of it– , the complete romanticization of UWC Mostar that we noticed on the report seems to be slowly dying What was beautifully told in 2008 is, in the latest report from 2023, a dump of statistics with only two students mentioned (Alessio Quadu ‘24 and Ishak Sikira ‘24) The only stories there, by the way, are the bibliographies of all college board members The settling down of UWCiM appears to equal the evolution into just another international school, no longer gullible to believe that it can make any change Do we have to live in this delusion? That’s a question we are still to answer, but it seems paradoxical that the only physically boundless UWC would limit itself like that
Even if all pop-rock songs have been sung and Herzegovinian winds will anyways come next year, perhaps trying to figure what it could have been and attempting to get there is our only way to push this project forward The project of the “United World College of Eastern Europe in Mostar/Sarajevo”, as the first document ever mentioning this dream, once named us
Note: we recommend that you read the reports yourself You can find them by googling “Annual Report UWC Mostar 2007/2008” and “UWC Mostar Facts and Figures”
by Elías and Gabriel the best couple that never was, according to the 2023-2024 yearbook
