In early January, Nida and Ana Campo were handed the leadership for Bald for a Cause 2025 Through many Vinyl meetings, Gen-Z CAS discussed how to make this event live up to the hype, divided into several teams, we each had our tasks Ana and Nida worked tirelessly between talking with Iva, Novi Pogled, CAS members, gathering donations and finding a bank account to put them in, and making decorations From January to March, I don’t think they were calm
Before Bald for a Cause, Bald for What Cause was held where Novi Pogled came to the Velic attic to explain what the monetary donations were for The four women who came were all breast cancer survivors who dedicated their lives to helping other women catch breast cancer early, find treatment, and give support and advice Our donations go towards mammograms, care baskets, treatment, and a plethora of services
On Saturday, March 22nd, while some people ran 21k or slept until 10, Gen-Z CAS members set up the Velic garden for Bald For a Cause Alive with pink and white, chocolate chip cookie stands, stickers of famous baldies, everyone limped in around 2 Gathering at the front, we all waited for Ana Campo to signal the event starting, and after an emotional speech, students started to sit down
Then, the event got crazy with people sitting down one after another, hair flying off everywhere into foils to be donated, and people even began shaving their own heads Friends embraced, held hands, and cried while supporting each other through this emotionally overwhelming task of cutting off something so special and unique to give away
There is a mutual agreement that this is the one place where you can go bald and not feel exposed, which is why so many take the opportunity A palooza of emotions and hair, this unquestionably unique event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that helps us know ourselves better and support local causes for cancer
When I came to Mostar, I did not expect a lot of things – but I knew there would be sunny and cloudy days
Sunny days We have a lot of those back home: indeed, they are the rule Even if I did not learn, first-hand, how to appreciate them from the tropical weather of Los Teques, enough nights figuring out who Ivo Andrić was had already warned me to enjoy the shining sunlight of the first day of March And, as I looked out of the window of my room, I saw myself in a sunny Mostar Running around, meeting new people, and improving my English pronunciation
To imagine a sunny day as a valuable good was, to say the least, hard What difference does it make if I wake up at 6:00 or at 7:00 a m ? Right when I was Mostar-bound, I had thought waking up at 6:30 a m sounded like the perfect plan A quick shower in my Pellegrino room, a stroll around the city to prepare for the half marathon and a nutritious breakfast would be my daily routine. There was no reason for it not to be.
Mostar sounded perfect. In its sunlit glory, the Old Bridge was supposed to be the backdrop for the two years in which I would begin to change the world From outside, the windows of Gimnazija looked gorgeous enough to make every class seem like a movie Mostar, itself, seemed like a movie
And, as we all know, good movies need to have their rainy moments. I was lucky enough to be warned beforehand of Mostar’s rainy propensity, so soon after getting accepted I started collecting different sorts of rain coats The blue foldable zip-up was supposed to stay in my backpack, while the grey one was meant for school and the Champion one with the weird texture would be only for sports
In my personal pre-arrival Mostar, the rainy days were like cut-scenes meant to happen exclusively whenever it was time to get my hands dirty with the hard work of changing the world A sunny day would be perfect to go enthusiastically participate in some Service CAS, while the rain should allow for cozy reflection-writing sessions It was so perfect
Until I came here Sunny Mostar and cloudy Mostar were not perfect gears of a worldchanging engine, but rather a daily game of Russian roulette determining the mood of every canteen conversation I had no clue the weather could be so terribly influential in our daily lives And, as such, I went by with an entire first year of blaming mood shifts on the capricious hand of the Balkan Weather gods
The first time is always the trial run The second one, not so much Especially when, in UWC, each year is a whole 50% of the experience When the rains started to come in October, I was now prepared for the mood swings that would come with the reduced sunlight It had been a long time since I stopped waking up at 6:30 a m , but I was prepared to face further difficulties in my now-standard 7:30 a m rush to school: despite my early Pellegrinian wishes, a year in Šantić got me used to always being almost late
1418 av. Des Pins
There’s a doorway in my life that isn’t really mine Once it’s found, people step through it without knocking Some wipe their feet, some don’t I just stand in the hallway, wondering who they came to see Was it me they came for? Was it my name? My family? They rarely ever knock Asking about the furniture, the noise upstairs, our guests are like police or something They speak as if I’m part of the decor, a conversation starter They often don’t mean any harm, curiosity got the best of them, but their questions linger, like stains on the carpet that won't scrub away Every surprise visit leaves its trace, a reminder that I’m not a person in their eyes, but part of a mysterious story to spy and pry on
My home wasn’t a home, it was more of an old fort or a castle lost in time Passerbyers come through its front gates like archaeologists, scouring for answers They’d stand on the sidewalk, eyes glued to its walls, snapping pictures as if my life were some relic on display My fort wasn’t a refuge, it was a spectacle They peered through the cracks, piecing an image of something they had never seen before They were never looking for the person behind the door; they chased an illusion framed by their own curiosity, like treasure hunters pillaging for gold
They don’t always stay outside Sometimes their dying curiosity and obsession trail me home like a shadow I’ve been followed, not just once, not just in passing, but all the way to my front door, as if crossing that threshold might finally confirm the myth they’ve built They wait, patient and uninvited, just to say they saw us, just to get close enough to ask a question that’s never really for me, but for the version of me they think they know It’s not always a look through the letterbox, sometimes it’s a voice calling out to me as I leave my front yard The door may close, but the idea of us lingers outside, pacing the sidewalk, waiting for another chance
However, it was different this time In October 2023, I thought cloudy days would be a matter of outfit changes: October 2024, on the other hand, did not catch me off-guard All my raincoats had gotten stolen by mistake before, so I was not prepared to face the rain Yet, this winter was different
As the last sunny days went away, so did every dream I had of a sunny world-changing Mostar From the misguided organization of the Opening Ceremony so its venue was changed six (!) times the same day to Polonia falling apart for an entire year without any response, this year’s four seasons were different
It was, after all, not a matter of the weather When I came to Mostar, I knew there would be sunny and cloudy days I did not know, however, how far we would stray from idealism
I thought practicing daily for the half-marathon would be the rule: I did not know our school would tolerate cheating on the day of the final race I thought my raincoats would protect me from the rain: I did not know I would have to protect them from laundry-room thieves I thought it would all be different
When I came to Mostar, I knew it would be great I just did not think there would be so many cloudy days regardless of whether the sun was shining or not
By Elías
By Pierre
Comics-byUtkrista “IAs”
The Soulquarians and their impact on music
The collective soon expanded to include Erykah Badu, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, Bilal, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and bassist Pino Palladino, among others The name “Soulquarians” came from several founding members sharing the Aquarius zodiac sign and the obvious influence soul has had on their music The Soulquarians were a groundbreaking collective of musicians, producers, and artists who came together in the late 1990s and early 2000s The core founding members were the Roots’ Questlove, neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo, “greatest producer of all time” J Dilla, and keyboardist James Poyser
In the late ’90s, mainstream hip-hop and R&B were dominated by glossy production, commercial radio hits, and a focus on materialism The Soulquarians served as a counter-cultural push against, seeking a return to organic musicianship, raw emotion, and experimental sounds
Their roots trace back to the Native Tongues Posse, with members like Q-Tip, Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli already known for pushing boundaries in hip-hop The 1995 Source Awards served as a catalyst for Questlove and D’Angelo to connect, as Quest was actively trying to get out of the boiling tensions between the West and East Coast present at the event, when he randomly got handed a tape with some D'Angelo demos on it This led to them collaborating on music later on, which would, with time, draw more and more people to their sessions
Before the Soulquarians, most of the future members were already shaping music in their own right Questlove and The Roots were redefining hip-hop with a live backdrop on albums like Do You Want More?!!!??! D’Angelo and Erykah were already acclaimed stars of the fledgling neo-soul subgenre J Dilla was making waves in Detroit with Slum Village, while also producing for A Tribe Called Quest, whose leader Q-Tip would also join The Soulquarians, and Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli had already been respected conscious hip-hop artists
Electric Lady Studios in New York became the Soulquarians’ home base Built by Jimi Hendrix, the studio was steeped in musical history and spiritual energy The collective saw it as a sacred space- Questlove called it “blessed by the spirits”-and it became almost a church for marathon jam sessions, spontaneous collaborations, and creative freedom The studio’s analog warmth and storied walls made it the perfect canvas for their experimental, soulful sound
The vibe at Electric Lady was legendary Multiple sessions ran simultaneously: D’Angelo might be in Studio A, Common in Studio B, and Erykah Badu or Mos Def in Studio C Artists floated in and out of each other’s sessions, ideas bouncing around like electricity
The atmosphere was loose, communal, and deeply inspired- incense burning, vintage gear humming, and musicians chasing the perfect take until sunrise Imperfection was celebrated; “mistakes” often became the magic that defined their sound You can almost hear the all-nighters, weed crumbs, and grit in the individual music
The Soulquarians’ run from 1999 to 2000 produced some of the most influential albums of the era First came Things Fall Apart by The Roots, which is regarded as one of the all-time great hip hop albums, offering sharp social commentary and a blend of jazz, soul, and live band performance Next up is the legendary Voodoo by D’Angelo, which is easily one of the greatest albums of all time, absolutely dripping with groove, raw emotion, and spirituality
Then came Erykah Badu’s landmark project Mama’s Gun, which is a deeply personal album that explores heartbreak, love, and womanhood Common’s Like Water for Chocolate completes the quartet, being a quintessential backpack rap album with soulful production and poetic lyricism The entire feeling around this string of projects felt different, as you could feel the fingerprints of all the group members on the individual projects The music was very experimental but still rooted in the tradition of icons and inspirations like Prince, Gil Scott, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, George Clinton, etc The Soulquarians managed to push neo-soul and hip hop forward and inspire artists for decades to come They even managed moderate mainstream success, from You Got Me winning a Grammy to Untitled (How Does It Feel)’s iconic music video, but they never betrayed their artistry
Despite their creative highs, the Soulquarians’ time together was short-lived Egos, label pressures, and the sheer chaos of so many strong personalities eventually led to their quiet dissolution by the early 2000s The death of J Dilla in 2006 was a devastating blow to all the members, and it affected their standalone careers, let alone any collaborative project Still, each member’s legacy is massive, as the sheer amount of classics, not even counting the main 4 albums I've mentioned, is dumbfounding and truly speaks for the collective's influence
The Soulquarians’ music feels timeless because it was made with real instruments, real emotion, and a spirit of fearless experimentation Unlike much of today’s algorithm-driven, digital music, their work was messy, human, and alive You can hear their influence in modern acts like Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, and Anderson Paak But nothing quite captures that Electric Lady, the sense that you’re hearing a group of friends, geniuses, and rebels rewriting the rules in real time The Soulquarians weren’t just a moment in music; they were a movement, and their spirit still echoes today
By Mirza
Garfield inspired
A Soul in Between
“I just feel like I can connect to the soil because I can connect to my roots ”
How much do our roots determine us?
I feel something in my blood that ties me together like a thin thread - my thoughts, my words, my feelings Something that makes me - me But what does it mean in the current world to be a Belarusian? I don’t have an answer, but I do know something I am not able to describe with words I was born in Belarus, I was raised in Belarus, surrounded by my people, by Belarusians - it seems to be so easy But the only language I heard my whole childhood wasn't Belarusian I still ask myself this question - am I allowed to call myself Belarusian?
“I’m Austrian and French, but I’ve always asked myself - am I allowed to say that I'm French? I do have French nationality. In Austria, I do say that I’m Austrian, and my mother is French, but I’m not one hundred percent Austrian I feel like I’ve missed so much from a French upbringing, but I'm also not entirely Austrian The life I lived at home in Austria was quite French, while my Austrian friends were doing certain things I was doing differently, they did not live what I was living and I did not live what they were living ”
France and Austria are similar, just as they are very different It’s shaped by the values of their specific cultures, traditions: “...holidays, routines. France lost its tradition, like it tried to wipe them out, to have control they had to either press the people or take away their culture It’s what I observed - for example, national clothing, the thing that is very important for Austrians“
“ The upbringing in these countries is also very different: “In France, parents are more important In Austria - it is children ” So, how does it feel to be raised by a French mother and an Austrian father? How does it feel to try to fit in with the Austrian community where you live but not lose your other part - the French part? How does it feel to have roots that grow deeply into the soil of two different countries?
Sometimes, I feel like only after leaving the geographical borders of my country, I found the real Belarus for the first time. I found it in another person, on the pages of Belarusian literature, in my language being freely spoken and written by me And for the first time, I felt like I truly belonged It wasn't about the place on a map, it’s the Belarus that lives inside me, just as it lives inside many of my people
“I think it’s mostly the people I belong with and certain places. I would not mind if they sold the house in Austria, if I can still go to the lake near it, or the sea in Brittany, where my grandparents used to take me.
When we hike with the family, and I just sit and smell the plants and I hear the wind - I know I belong there.”
I feel like belonging is way more than just a concept, it’s something very personal, maybe even intimate and very different
“Because South Africa, it's such a colorful country with so many different people You can still feel like you belong even if you're not part of the dominant ethnic group”
Do you feel completely South African?
“Yes, I do. Because I don't belong anywhere except where I was born I don't belong to Lithuania because I’m Jewish, nor Israel, because I’m anti-apartheid, antioppression, and against the genocide of Palestinian identities But in South Africa, I feel like I can connect to everything because I have nothing, as my identity is the minority”
Being born in South Africa with parents having a complete South-African identity, but having a ethnic nationality with roots going deeply inside another country kilometers away A country with another language you don’t know, another culture that is not close to you, the country you haven’t even been to
“I was raised just as a South African Jew But sometimes I think maybe if I go to Lithuania, I will find some part of me I can't find in South Africa I wish to immerse myself in that culture and see if it resonates with me, see if I feel home ”
Is the language we speak just a way to convey information, or is it something way more? A voice, art, resistance, music, spirit, home?
“In Hungarian, it's much more personal, much more in detail, it's such a literal language. It's like flowers”
“I was born in Hungary, raised in Hungary. We always spoke Hungarian with my mum, but then I moved to Germany and started learning the language. At one point, my German was better than my Hungarian When we moved back to Hungary, our family changed Suddenly, everyone at home was speaking Hungarian - it took my German part away from me ”
“I started dancing, which influenced my personality I met my best friend there - a typical Hungarian person. This friendship connected me more to Hungarian culture She taught me so much about the countryside, things that nobody else could have taught me the way she did.”
What does it mean to be a soul in between? Not knowing who exactly you are or where exactly you belong? But is it actually your nationality that says who you are, or a place on a map that we call home? It’s easier, of course it’s easier to explain yourself by the country you come from or the language you speak, but to accept the complicity of human soul, the complicity of your own soul that is way more than determinations created by people to make everything and everyone easier I know one thing - my country definitely made me who I am Because it taught me the value of freedom, the beauty of bravery, and the warmth of grandpa’s hands, which I'll keep with me forever
Who are you?
“I’m Anaïs Marie Antonia Leschanz I am compassionate, honest, and open. They are very important to me because I'm still not perfect at those things I am a musician, and I love learning. It's just easy to categorize people based on where they are from, but I am me because of my values and how my environment shaped me ”
“Well, I'm Jaz I was born in Cape Town I love arts and dance, particularly ballet My soul is bright, I search for harmony, and I care about my body physically and inside I love to explore environmentally and within myself I never really thought of what my purpose is, but just being me and living the life I love - that is my purpose, and that is what I search for ”
“Who am I? It is one of the hardest questions to answer, as our perception of ourselves always changes. I guess I’m Elza, and that’s it. My current self always differs from my previous self, and I can’t identify as the person I used to be since that’s not the current me. When someone tells me that I have changed, or that I’m not like I used to be, I say that it’s true, because I had to leave behind what had passed So that’s why I'm just Elza ”
“I feel like these two parts of me have a symbiotic relationship, I don't think there’s a big conflict between them It feels like I'm combining them rather than being in between.”
By Ari
Poetry CAS presents... PoemsbyLouandEser
An epic tale from emperor's cup, Don't you worry! Tea cheers us up!
One day, we'll remember, come what may
A fallen leaf rests in the brew, They asked, "How is it?" The emperor knew, "YUP!" he said, "it's love in disguise, From a bush? A leaf? Oh, what a surprise!"
An epic tale from emperor's cup, Don't you worry! Tea cheers us up!
One day, we'll remember, come what may
Shen Yung, the most blessed devotee, A true lover, a disciple of tea!
I wonder, how far will this legend flow? Perhaps to Darjeeling? Maybe yes, maybe no But one thing is certain the emperor will go
An epic tale from emperor's cup, Don't you worry! Tea cheers us up!
One day, we'll remember, come what may
1606 is the year of the real revolution Factory for more tea! The best solution With the harmony brought by afternoon tea Britain is born, the greatest lord of the sea!
An epic tale from emperor's cup, Don't you worry! Tea cheers us up!
One day, we'll remember, come what may Milks, honeys, and sugars, prepare for the fight! In England, the Balkans, and the Middle East's light! You’ll blend with the teas, then fade from sight, Oh, the quirky tea trends of today’s delight!
An epic tale from emperor's cup, Don't you worry! Tea cheers us up!
One day, we'll remember, come what may
-Lilfy (It was tea time that day)
By Eser
Train of breath
1 right at the top of my chest, the kind you're not supposed to take when your body craves more air rhythmic in sync to your tongue
Careful so I don't blow
Your hand away from me
My breath with yours (like a blurred watercolour painting)
2 haltingly, like I wanted to stop forever
My body wouldn't let me
Abrupt and fast, (like an attempt of an escape under the blanket of a bed that is not mine)
3 deep and excited as I got off the bus in anticipation perhaps too deep my chest crushed by the heat but my breath so important (like the step into a new life)
4 heavy, (as if my lungs could laugh and cry)
As I read the letters and the city grew smaller
The pressure on my ears increased and I left one breath behind
5 No one, not a breeze
Only darkness
Stumbling and falling when I saw her like this
Like a lion's heart (that no longer beats)
6 Loud, high, free
And there are so many of those No worries, just the Berlin air as I walk hand in hand with the night (Somehow less now)
7 sharp a draft that opens wounds the air a weapon to supply me with words Which will never express it as intended All the more harm
But long before that:
8 suddenly and audibly, (Painful perhaps)
Above all, healthy?
Who knows but mother a beginning
and so it goes on, whether I like it or not
One after the other, usually unnoticed, one of them creeps away And immediately afterwards, the next
Each of them like a snippet of my existence
By Lou
THRILLER MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS...
Directed by David Fincher, this dark and disturbing film follows two detectives, David Mills (Brad Pitt) and William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), who are called to investigate a series of gruesome murders What begins as an investigation quickly turns into a terrifying hunt, as they uncover the disturbing pattern behind the killings Each victim is murdered in a way that represents one of the seven deadly sins
Primal Fear (1996)
This film follows Martin Vail (Richard Gere), a high-profile defense attorney, who takes on the case of Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a young altar boy who is accused of murdering an archbishop Aaron’s defense is based on his claim that he has a dissociative identity disorder, which caused him to commit the crime without having any awareness of it As Vail digs deeper into the case, he uncovers secrets about Aaron’s past and begins to question the true nature of his mental state
Directed by Chloe Okuno, Watcher follows an American woman named Julia (Maika Monroe), who moves to Bucharest with her fiancé As she struggles with the language barrier in the unfamiliar city, she soon becomes convinced that she’s being watched by a figure in the apartment across the street As her fear grows, Julia’s sense of reality begins to blur, and she questions whether she’s truly being stalked, or if it’s all in her head
Ballerina is a South Korean action-thriller about Jang Ok-ju, a former elite bodyguard, who seeks revenge after the suicide of her best friend, Choi Min-hee Min-hee had been exploited by a sex trafficker, who filmed and blackmailed her Devastated and driven by a promise she made, Ok-ju hunts down those responsible Through intense confrontations and calculated violence, she dismantles the trafficking ring, ultimately bringing justice to her friend and peace to herself
Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, is a psychological thriller that follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man suffering from short-term memory loss after a traumatic incident in which his wife was murdered The film follows Leonard's mission for vengeance as he struggles to remember any details, relying on notes and tattoos to track down his wife’s killer, all while struggling with his inability to form new memories
And Then There Were None (1945)
Ten strangers are invited to spend the weekend on an island by a mysterious person named U N Owen The guests soon realize that none of them are there by chance As they settle in, they discover that they are being accused of crimes they’ve committed in the past One by one, they start to die under suspicious circumstances The survivors must figure out who among them is the murderer before it's too late
By ‘Jenina
Seven (1995)
Watcher (2022)
Memento (2000)
Ballerina (2023)
Advice for firsties, Farewells for second years
I'll always look up to all of you that took even a single moment to make a bunch of lost firsties feel even 1% more at home. Thank you for everything <3
Dear second years, You guys did it! For the past two chapters of your academic/UWC life you ' ve spent it here. You made it! You did it! Through all the lows and highs, I truly wish all of you the best on the next chapter of your life because it was once said, "Respice Prospice means to look back, to look forward - to take what is worthy from the past and build the future."
STUDY!!!! I thought I would be fine enjoying myself now I have a few days left until exams start and realise I still have a lot to do!
Every day try to build up your attitude based on your ethical norms and don’t let anyone easily violate it.
Don't ever forget to experience! You are here to enjoy, to make friends and learn about them. No IB score can outshine that.
