Vol 11 December 2013
the Alumni Magazine of UWC South East Asia
Exploring social issues through animation Alumni profiles Reunion 2013 College updates
Our alumni community
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, Trinidad And Tobago, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe Does this map look different? In keeping with the UWC ethos, we are now using the Hobo-Dyer Projection for our maps which, as a cylindrical equal area projection, more accurately reflects the relative size of the continents. Thanks to the alumnus who brought this to our attention.
Alumni services Every student who leaves UWCSEA, regardless of how long they were here, is automatically a member of our alumni community. Some of the services that we offer include:
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OneºNorth The alumni magazine, first published in December 2007, is published twice per year. Please send your contributions and/or suggestions to: alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg.
locations throughout the year, planned by both UWCSEA and our alumni. Watch the alumni website for updates and details, and let us advertise your events! Alumni eBrief The Alumni eBrief newsletter is emailed to alumni throughout the year, containing brief news and information to keep you updated and informed.
UWCSEA alumni online community Our password-protected alumni website allows you to maintain your own profile, search for and contact other registered members, post photos and blogs, stay informed about news and events and more.
Mentor opportunities Volunteer to be listed in the mentor section of the alumni site if you are willing to be contacted by current students or other alumni for information or advice regarding your university or career; or visit the pages if you have questions of your own.
Reunions and get-togethers A reunion of the 40, 30, 20 and 10 year anniversary classes is held each August in Singapore. Other alumni are also welcome. Additional class reunions and alumni gatherings are held in various
Career services Check this section of the site for career opportunities or candidates, or post your own job opening or resumé. You can also set up alerts to be notified of new postings.
Volunteering opportunities for alumni Check the Volunteer page of the website for short to long term or virtual volunteer work opportunities in Southeast Asia working with organisations supported by UWCSEA. Old Interscols Order your old Interscol in soft copy format via the store on the website. Visits, tours and other requests We are happy to help in any way we can. If you are in Singapore and would like to drop in for a visit or a tour, we would be more than happy to show you around, any time. Send your requests to us at alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg or just drop in. Alumni website: http://alumni.uwcsea.edu.sg
Please keep in touch!
Contents Letter from the Head of College............................. 4
Second annual UWC Forum ...................................21
Note from the Alumni Office.................................. 5
UWCSEA alumnus wins Adventurer of the Year award Tim Jarvis (’84) has been awarded Australian Geographic Society’s Adventurer of the Year for 2013 ............................21
Alumni share skills with students ........................... 5 Cover story Exploring social issues through animation Sheila Sofian (’81) completes her live action/animated documentary film on wrongful conviction with 20,000 paintings-on-glass animations......... 6 CDT: Communication, Design and Taras Taras Wolf (’91), painter, sculptor, graphic designer, professional ballroom dancer, instructor and architect............. 8 Reunion 2013 Alumni from the classes of ’78, ’83, ’88, ’93 and 2003 celebrated their milestone anniversaries in August .... 10 Past reunions .............................................................12 A gap year lesson given and received Sophie Barbier (’12) takes a gap year in Beijing and Ladakh..................14 A sample of events and activities at UWCSEA....16 Never too old to have a gap year— Part I Karen Niedermeyer, current teacher of music, takes a year off..... 18
A passion for education Anastasia Kalona (’98) ............................................ 22 UWCSEA alum wins Norman Mailer Society recognition Maia Jenkins (’08) .................................................... 22 Driven to volunteer Kate Vickery (’06) .................................................... 23 Prejudice and misunderstanding Georgia Gray (’11) reports on discrimination against albinos in many parts of Africa .......................... 24 UN Night 2013 ......................................................... 27 East Campus update ............................................... 28 Dover and East Campus sport............................... 29 Voices of India Leon Etchells (’03) helps to empower the youth of India through innovative digital media .....30 UWCSEA Foundation update ................................ 32 A UWCSEA pioneer retires after 41 years ...........34 Upcoming reunions ................................................. 35
Cover photo: Sheila Sofian animating the last scene of her documentary, Truth has Fallen. Photo courtesy of Sheila Sofian
Editor Brenda Whately Design Nandita Gupta MICA (P) 034/03/2013
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OneºNorth is published by UWC South East Asia twice per year for alumni, staff and friends of UWCSEA. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited without written consent. Send your address change to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg and/or update your profile on the UWCSEA alumni website. We welcome your feedback. Send your comments to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg. Please send your articles and/or suggestions for articles, as well as your class notes, for the next issue to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg.
Letter from the Head of College The new academic year began with its characteristic flourish and across both campuses we have over 1,000 new students and 75 staff beginning their careers at UWCSEA. As the College continues to expand—we now have 5,300 students K–12—so does the UWC movement. In October, the UWC International Board granted Final Approval to two new colleges that will open in September 2014. One, UWC Robert Bosch, is in Freiberg, Germany and will cater for 200 students in G11–12. The other UWC at Dilijan, Armenia will accept a broader age range from G8–12 and at capacity will have 650 students. In addition, Preliminary Approval was granted to a project in Changshu, China, which is 100km northeast of Shanghai. The aspiration is that it will open in September 2015 and eventually have 520 students from G10–12. The increase in the number of colleges will undoubtedly enhance the movement’s ability to make an impact.
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Closer to home, the refurbishment of the Maths Block is nearing completion. The transformation of what was an old and rather tired looking building has been quite remarkable and will significantly enhance the facilities on the Dover Campus. It will be back in commission in January at which point we will commence the final part of the
Campus Master Plan, the construction of a 20,000sq.m building on the site of the old Library, High School Offices, Small Hall, Bus Bay classrooms and Languages Block. The anticipated completion date is December 2015. Whilst improving our facilities has been a key component of the College Strategic Plan, the central focus has as always been the ongoing development of the educational programme. Three years ago we took the decision to embark upon a programme to integrate technology into the students’ learning. Many schools invest heavily in the technology but neglect the softer side, the training and development of the staff. With the aid of the UWCSEA Foundation—and I am extremely grateful to those of you who have supported the Foundation—we were able to provide staff with the requisite training and development. The programme has been a huge success, and this was recognised by UWCSEA being selected as the inaugural winner of the School of the Year award organised by Pearson and 21st century Learning. Having been laggards, we were delighted to receive this acknowledgement that we are now one of the leaders in this field. Finally, after nine years at the College I informed the Board last year that I would be stepping down as Head of
College at the end of this academic year in July 2014 to become an educational consultant. The Board engaged Spencer Stuart, a well-known firm of recruitment consultants based in the USA, who conducted a worldwide search for my successor. After a very thorough process, the search concluded in June with the appointment of Chris Edwards, who is currently Head of Bromsgrove School in the UK. I had the privilege of working with Chris in Brazil. He is an outstanding individual and I know he will take the College on to new heights. I very much look forward to meeting you in person at one of the many events this year.
Julian Whiteley Head of College UWC South East Asia
Note from the Alumni Office
Alumni Alex Lee and Rob Hanley, Sona Drahonovska, Brenda and former teacher, Chris Hanley at Melbourne 2013 alumni gathering.
Alumni share skills with students
Another academic year is in full swing. There are a few changes around the Dover Campus as we continue into year three of the five-year building and refurbishment plan. The Maths Block is about to emerge from behind the hoarding that has surrounded it for the past year while it underwent much needed refurbishment. The barricades will then go up around the old original Languages Block, High School Office Block and Small Hall, which will be replaced over the next two years with a new block of classrooms, administrative offices and finally a front door to the College!
By Anita Chepchirchir Too UWCSEA Class of 2015
Although there are constant improvements to the site for the benefit of current and future students, you can rest assured that there is still a lot of the original campus to recognise when you come back to visit or attend your anniversary reunion. I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine. I can’t believe that it is the eleventh one already. It’s time to share the joy of producing it, so starting with the planning for Issue 12, a magazine committee will be formed to advise and assist for future issues. If you have any background in publications and would like to be part of the committee, please let me know. Have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year.
Brenda Whately Director of Alumni Relations UWC South East Asia alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg
The afternoon session started with bickering among participants similar to that of an ill-advised parliamentary session. We were led by Ora-orn Poocharoen, a Pearson UWC graduate, who took us through role-playing. We learnt how viewing the arguments of different departments allowed participants to come up with strategies that make it easy to use all the accessible resources to the nation’s best advantage. Seeing the situation from both sides of the lens gave us better insight. The day was a great success, thanks to the two amazing speakers as well as the enthusiastic IfP participants from both Dover and East Campus. The most awe inspiring part of the day was watching two former UWC graduates sharing what they love. The spirit of service, unity and compassion lives on!
“It was a much-needed glimpse into how the skills of IfP relate to the working world. I can see how the expertise I learnt will be of great value in my future careers.” Niamh O’Reilly, Ireland | UWCSEA Class of 2015
“The first clue that I was working with an incredibly motivated and capable team was when, at the start of the workshop, I asked how many had come here voluntarily so early on a Saturday morning. All hands went up! The second clue was not so much in the answers they had to questions I posed, but in the quality of the questions they were asking me. Makes me proud to be an alumnus of UWCSEA.” Ravi Sahi | UWCSEA Class of 1983
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Regards,
Initiative for Peace (IfP) training took place on Saturday 9 November, an incredible start for the anticipated conference in June 2014. Ravi Sahi, a former student of UWCSEA and now an accomplished Project Manager generously gave us his time and expertise to teach us the detailed lifecycle of a project from start to successful completion. Features such as scope of the plan, resource availability, flexibility of the project’s major deliverables and schedule were some of the aspects Ravi enlightened us about. We learnt the intricate skill of creating a Project Definition Document as a creative and logical way of critically analysing the feasibility of any project. These techniques are easily applicable daily.
Exploring social issues through animation By Brenda Whately
Sheila Sofian Class of 1981 UWCSEA 1975–1980
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“I hope the film makes a difference in the reform of the U.S. justice system.”
Sheila directing
“It is difficult to believe I am finally done after all these years. There were several times I was not sure I would ever be able to finish the film. It is an amazing experience, to finally be able to show it to the world.” These were Sheila’s words after attending the world premiere of her live action/animated documentary about wrongful conviction, Truth Has Fallen. The film that took her 10 years to complete, with 20,000 individual paintings-on-glass, examines the cases of three individuals convicted of murders they did not commit and sheds light on weaknesses in the United States’ justice system. In the late ’90s, Sheila came across an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, about James McCloskey who founded Centurion Ministries, an organisation that re-investigates cases of people who may have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. The article explained how he had been able to free Edward Baker who had been in prison for 25 years for a murder he did not commit. Sheila first interviewed McCloskey in 1997, and production of her film began in earnest in 2002 when she received the
Guggenheim Fellowship, which allowed her to travel across the US to interview the main characters and subject experts. Sheila says, “I hope the film makes a difference in the reform of the US justice system. I have already been told by several people who have seen it, that it has changed their opinion about the death penalty.” The world premiere of the film took place in early November 2013 at the Dok Leipzig Film Festival in Germany, the oldest documentary festival in the world and the only festival that honours animated documentaries. Truth Has Fallen was nominated there for the very first Animadoc Award. This was followed by its North American premiere, which took place at the Starz Denver Film Festival in mid-November. While in Germany for the premiere, Sheila took advantage of the opportunity to meet up with two of her former UWCSEA classmates, Kirsten Brockmüller-Martens and Sabine Schütz. It was especially memorable since she and Sabine had not seen each other for 32 years, since leaving UWCSEA. Sheila had moved to Virginia, USA after graduation, to attend Old Dominion University to study fine art and social science before transferring to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to
study film and animation. A year after completing her studies at RISD, she received the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, which allowed her to attend graduate school at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) where she was awarded an MFA in Experimental Animation.
Sheila created two Associate of Art degrees and three Certificates in Animation, which were all approved by the state of California. After graduating from CalArts, Sheila did freelance work for a while, which included animation for the feature film Closetland1 and a MTV station ID2. A year later she was heading the animation programme at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, which she did for five years. A US$50,000 Pew Fellowship allowed her to finish her film Survivors, an animated documentary on domestic violence. One of the requirements for the grant was that she live in Pennsylvania. Her husband however, had been hired as an animator on a television show in Los Angeles at the same time, so they lived that year apart. Sheila had met her husband David Fain, at RISD. David has worked as an animator and director for Nickelodeon, a writer on SpongeBob Squarepants, an animation supervisor at Cartoon Network and currently as an animatics editor at Hasbro, on the Transformers television series. He also makes short stop-motion animated films, the most recent of which, Choreography for Plastic Army Men,3 went viral last summer.
1
Sheila is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California (USC). To date, she has completed seven independent films: Truth has Fallen, her 60-minute live action/ animated documentary released this year; Waving the Flag, a four-minute computer animation about flag worship and patriotism; A Conversation with Haris, a six-minute painting-on-glass animation of a conversation with an 11 year old Bosnian immigrant to the US; Survivors, a 16-minute drawn animation documentary about domestic violence; Faith & Patience, a 5.5-minute drawn animation of a conversation with a four year old girl about her newborn sister; Secret Rage, a three-minute drawn animation film about a man tormented by feelings he cannot express in his daily life; and Mangia! a 5.5-minute paintingon-glass animation about an American student living with an Italian family, which won a Student Academy Award. In terms of future plans, she says, “I have a couple of ideas for my next film. One is to collaborate with my sister-in-law who has MS—to interview her and animate her experiences as a quadriplegic.”
“It is important to be passionate about the films I make, since they take such a long time to create.” When asked where her passion for social issues stems from, Sheila says, “At UWCSEA I studied sociology, taught by Charles Engmann. He had a great influence on me. My love of documentary filmmaking is related to my love of sociology and human rights issues. It is important to be passionate about the films I make, since they take such a long time to create.”
Sheila’s animation
For information about Sheila’s films, see: Truth Has Fallen©2013 http://www.truthhasfallenmovie. com Waving the Flag©2006 http://www.pbs.org/ independentlens/insideindies/ shortsfest/player. html?chosen=waving A Conversation with Haris©2001 http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hC3_kRToNWk Faith & Patience©1991 https://vimeo.com/45547675 Secret Rage©1990 https://vimeo.com/45532741 Mangia!©1985 https://vimeo.com/45531990 Excerpts of Sheila’s films can be found on YouTube.
Closetland (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101597/) | 2 MTV station ID (https://vimeo.com/46193020) | 3 Choreography for Plastic Army Men (https://vimeo.com/26645299)
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After joining David in LA, Sheila worked as a staff animator for a company producing animation for the Internet and subsequent to that became Chair of the animation programme at College of the Canyons (COC) where she remained for five years. There she created two
Associate of Art degrees and three Certificates in Animation, which were all approved by the state of California.
CDT
Communication, Design and Taras
By Brenda Whately
Taras Wolf Class of 1991 UWCSEA 1986–1989 Taras Panichpakdee, as he was known at UWCSEA, now Taras Wolf, is founder/ owner of Wolf Architects, based in Melbourne, Australia. Although his university degree and current career is in architecture, the years in between were spent in a number of different pursuits. He has been a painter, sculptor, graphic designer, professional ballroom dancer and instructor. Explaining the relationship between some of his career choices he says, “I love the idea that art, dance and architecture share a connection through using imagery to communicate a story to an audience.” Inspired by the movie Strictly Ballroom, Taras became a professional, competitive ballroom dancer and dance instructor for 15 years. Competing all over the world, he was ranked number one in Southeast Asia and seventh overall in Australia.
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“I began to understand the power that architecture could have on people’s lives and saw this as my way to make a positive difference.”
Taras has roots in both Southeast Asia and Australia. His father is Thai, his mother Australian. He spent his younger years in Thailand and three of his teenage years boarding at UWCSEA in Singapore. He attended university in Australia and lives there now with his wife and three children. Taras runs his own architecture firm, Wolf Architects out of Melbourne and has just opened a second office in Bangkok. He says, “Like myself, half Australian and half Thai, my practice now reflects my heritage.” After leaving UWCSEA in 1989, Taras returned to Bangkok where he completed his final High School years at ISB (International School of
Bangkok) and then moved to Australia to attend the University of Melbourne for architecture. Architecture was something he had been interested in since he was about seven years old. It began when he met an architect through his parents’ property and construction business, becoming inspired by all the drawings and equipment. He says, “I grew up in Thailand in the ’70s. There was no English spoken, no fast food and not much in the way of entertainment. So to amuse myself, I drew. I was intrigued by the fact that this architect could use drawings to communicate his ideas just as I did.” “At UWCSEA I took CDT (Communication, Design and Technology), taught by Peter Garrett and I loved it. I used that portfolio to help to get into the architecture programme at the University of Melbourne. I met up with Pete at our 20 year class reunion in 2011 and I felt like I had come full circle. The last time we met I was a mere student dreaming of being an architect and now I own my own architecture firm.” After graduating university with First Class Honours, Taras decided to spend some time pursuing his love of dance and he returned to Bangkok where he competed, taught and built a school of dance. Returning to Melbourne in 2000, he began to teach ballroom dancing at the University of Melbourne. It was there he met his wife who was studying medicine, through a friend in his dance class. Taras taught her to dance and eventually they were entering competitions together. After several years of concentrating on art and dance, Taras turned back to
“I love the idea that art, dance and architecture share a connection through using imagery to communicate a story to an audience.” architecture and in 2005 he opened his own firm. He says, “In an era of grave environmental concerns, I began to understand the power that architecture could have on people’s lives and saw this as my way to make a positive difference.” Taras has several architects working with him, depending on the projects he is involved in and he accepts and mentors student volunteers, work placements and interns so that they can see what the business of architecture is all about and develop some basic skills. He encourages and in fact insists that everyone in his office works not just on their computers but collaboratively on physical models as well as on pieces of art that are often, in true UWC fashion, then auctioned or sold for charity.
Taras says, “I design houses, not for the front page of magazines, but for the inside of magazines— houses that are built within a reasonable budget, that are achievable and appreciated by everyone, those who will live in it and those who will look at it. As architects we must remember that we don’t usually live in the designs we create. They need to appeal to everyone and connect to people who are not architects.”
Taras’ home has featured in many magazines, has been nominated for numerous awards and has appeared on ABC TV’s Dream Build series. Recently Wolf Architects has won a contract to build a seven-star hotel in Nai Yang Beach, Thailand. This, along with the new office and a waiting list of design projects in Australia, not to mention a family that includes three young children, means that Taras is going to remain a busy man for some time to come.
Taras can be reached through the alumni site and/or his website at http://wolfarchitects.com.au The ABC Dream Build Series 2 episode in which Taras’ house features can be viewed online.
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Along with his thriving business, Taras lectures at the University of Melbourne. He is convinced that by giving back through teaching, he is rewarded with more business. His wife calls it ‘karma.’ Thus, even though he doesn’t have a lot of available time, he continues to teach.
Taras’ self-designed home was recently honoured in the finals of the Melbourne Design Awards. The home was designed to be family-friendly with plenty of shared space, sustainable, open to nature with sliding glass walls and areas to house his eclectic collections. One of those collections is a set of silver Mercedes cars—models as well as the real thing. His favourite, a sporty silver convertible, is actually parked in the middle of his home office beside a display wall of models of different vintages of that same car, all painted silver. Two more vintage Mercedes that he restored himself, are parked in his garage. On another wall is a collection of Star Wars figurines from his childhood and in his music room is a collection of keyboards and music-related electronics. His own artwork hangs on the walls. Having been given a tour of his home, I can attest to how beautiful and well thought out it is.
REUNiON 2013 by Sona Drahonovska Alumni from the classes of ’78, ’83, ’88, ’93 and 2003 celebrated their milestone anniversaries over the weekend of 23–25 August 2013 in Singapore. Over 350 attendees from 23 countries took part in all or part of the alumni reunion weekend, making it one of the biggest alumni events held so far. The Class of 2003 was the largest single class group at a reunion weekend since they began six years ago, with over 100 members of the year group in attendance! All of the celebrating class year groups met on Friday evening at the Conrad Centennial hotel for a reception and dinner party. After a lion dance and welcome speeches, the Asian-themed buffet dinner was opened and an evening of lively reconnecting and catching up followed.
“Being able to attend the Reunion together with my family was a blast—so very emotional to find old and treasured friendships again.” Sandie Hanke | Class of 1988
On Saturday, the alumni and their families were invited back to Dover Campus for a BBQ luncheon at the Tent Plaza (old air-con fountain pool). Despite the previous nights’ festivities, the majority turned up and enjoyed tours of the campus provided by members of the Alumni Council, made up of current Grade 12 students.
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After the BBQ a surprisingly large number of the Class of 2003 alumni found enough strength for a game of footie, while others left to reconvene again with their individual class groups to enjoy the dinners, drinks and late night celebrations planned for them by their classmates. On Sunday many brunched at the Tanjong Beach Club, making it the third unofficial reunion venue. Hundreds of photos of the weekend are available on the alumni website. To have a look, please visit the event calendar, choose ‘Past events’ and find ‘Reunion 2013.’ The weekend was a great success—thanks to all alumni who were able to make it.
“The 2013 reunion was truly amazing! Loads of people made the effort to come back, and we had a great time and the opportunity to catch up with many friends. Looking forward to the next one!” Claudia Witt | Class of 2003
Emma Rossetti Tatam | Class of 1993
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“I loved every minute of the reunion—from seeing long lost faces for the first time in over 20 years at the dinner, to the trip down memory lane while touring the Dover Campus. I’m definitely going back for my 25 year reunion.”
Past reunions by Sona Drahonovska
Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur – May 2013 The fourth Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur alumni get-togethers took place in May. A group of 30 alumni used the opportunity to reconnect and mingle with former classmates at the Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur. The Jakarta gathering at Pad 28 was sponsored again this year by Time International, and we thank them once again for their continued support.
Bangkok – 6 June 2013 | Class of 1981: Penang Reunion – June 2013 A lovely smaller gathering was held in June at Kuppadeli in Bangkok. Thanks to Siwat Tongpatanakul for suggesting the venue and helping to make it a great event. A group of about 12 alumni from the Class of 1981, who have begun to meet up annually, chose Penang for this year’s gathering. They flew in from USA, UK, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Brunei and Malaysia. Last year their weekend was held in Bangkok.
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Singapore – 27 June 2013 Close to 60 alumni, many of them returning to Singapore for their university break, met at the June get-together at the Screening Room in Singapore. An optional movie screening followed the gathering. Many alumni enjoyed this opportunity to reconnect while in Singapore for the school holidays. The date is already set for a similar event next July.
Sydney – 25 September / Melbourne – 26 September 2013 Two alumni events were held in Australia ahead of a conference that some of the alumni team members were attending at the end of September. A cosy gathering of over 30 alumni took place in Sydney’s Martin Place Bar. Over 70 alumni attended the packed Melbourne get-together at the Long Room. Former students from a range of class years took part, starting at 1974 all the way to our newest cohort, Class of 2013! A brief video providing an update about the College was shown at these two events for the first time.
New Delhi – 13 September | Moscow – 21 September | Zurich – 11 October | Shanghai – 11 November 2013 Several former students were able to meet up with Jonathan Carter, Director of Admissions, and Gabriel Abad, Director of Boarding, East Campus, during their trips to Moscow and New Delhi in September, Zurich in October and Shanghai in November. Both Jonathan and Gabriel very much enjoyed meeting up with those who attended the gatherings. More small events tied to their travels will be taking place in December and January: Pune, Yangon and Seoul.
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The first Brisbane alumni get-together held in November attracted a great group of just under 20 alumni as well as former teachers Brian and Ethel Green. The attendees included Wendy Ward and Bernie Green who hadn’t seen each other for 30 years! Thanks to Melissa Brown Evans for suggesting the riverside venue and helping to organise the event.
A gap year lesson
given and received By Sophie Barbier Class of 2012 UWCSEA 2008–2012
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It should come as little surprise to most UWC alumni out there, that I begin to write this … on an airplane. This is no regular flight for me, however—it has that significance that comes with endings and beginnings. In this case, it is the end of my Gap Year. I am a recent UWCSEA graduate from the Class of 2012 and I have spent the past year in several countries, including four months in Beijing furthering my Mandarin and four months in Ladakh (Indian Himalayas), teaching English in a village at 3,500m altitude. I knew that I wanted to take a Gap Year for a long time before I graduated. To be able to take all those amazing opportunities I’d heard of and dreamt of taking: teaching in the Himalayas, learning a language, travelling across India … What I got out of my Gap Year was not only the chance to fulfil all of that, but also a glimpse at ‘real life,’ for ‘real people’ in the ‘real world.’ I feel that we ‘UWCers’ are quite privileged to be a relatively aware community when it comes to understanding how many people lead their lives in this world. This gave me the impression that I knew what it was like for all. I realised however, when I got to the place that would be my home for four months in the Himalayas, with freezing temperatures, no hot water and cracks
in the windows, that I needed to live this life to really know it; that even by living it myself for a short time, I would only get a mere glimpse at what it is genuinely like. Along with the harsh realities that I faced in the places I stayed, there was the culture shock, especially with regards to the Ladakhi community in the Indian Himalayas. While culture shock is an inevitable reaction to a new environment or culture, individual reactions to it differ. I feel that my reaction to this shock was hugely influenced by UWCSEA. The environment and education (in its holistic sense) of UWCSEA would almost predispose its members to respond positively to this kind of change.
As a school, it is a ‘sample’ of the world and it fostered in me an intense curiosity to experience other cultures in their original environments, helping me to adapt to such a difference much easier than I might have otherwise. Actually, such a fantastic, interesting experience can hardly be termed ‘shock,’ although hiding my feelings of disagreement regarding the harsh treatment of students and dealing with other differences in our values, was hardly as easy as simply adapting to the (delicious) food or the love of dance in Ladakhi culture. There is one experience that I was not prepared for, coming out of UWCSEA. While at school, I took for granted the fact that despite all the differences
between us, there are certain values that are shared by all. I have seen them in all the UWC students and staff that I have met. The crushing cynicism and materialism in much of the ‘real world’ therefore, are things that I have trouble accepting. While studying in Beijing, I expected that being surrounded by a young, multicultural community would involve the sort of idealism, respect for the environment, interest in the world, etc. that I was used to in UWCSEA, so I was disappointed to have to explain why I might be interested in supporting World Peace Day, for instance. When it came to teaching English to a more conservative audience, regardless of their age, I was very uncomfortable with the other teachers’ expectation that I should use corporal punishment and that children’s opinions were not encouraged. I therefore had to find a way of making myself respected as a teacher (without physical punishment, of course) and to create a balance between student creativity and didactic teaching. I have heard people speak of UWC almost as a ‘cult.’ This isn’t too far off, in the sense that it has equipped me with values and experiences that I believe in so strongly that even a lifechanging Gap Year haven’t altered … much. A year on, a combination of UWC foundations and ‘real world’ experience leave me with the fondest memories of UWCSEA, wanting more such experiences … and another Gap Year as soon as possible!
“It [UWCSEA] fostered in me an intense curiosity to experience other cultures in their original environments.”
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Events and activities at UWCSEA This is just a sample of some of the activities and events taking place at UWCSEA during the year. By Anita Chepchirchir Too, Debbie Li Sung Sang, Katherine Bancroft, Katrina Lee - all members of the Student Alumni Council, and Gia Bidani, ’09.
Grade 8 Film Festival The theme of change resonated throughout the Grade 8 Film Festival for Middle School students at Dover. With professional aid and insights from photographer Tom Soper, over 60 amazing short films were created on campus and in Singapore and the best were shown in the final festival.
The risk and optimism of comedy East Campus Middle School students performed the comedy, The Love of Three Oranges by Hillary Depiano. The amount of hard work and energy the students put into it paid off since the show was a complete sellout.
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Western Circuit Regatta results UWCSEA’s sailing team finished in fourth position on the final day of the Western Circuit Regatta. Overall they placed 11th out of 20 boats. In midSeptember, the Asia Pacific Student Cup was held at Marina Bay, where UWCSEA competed against university teams from across the region.
Primary School Food Festival
Peace Day
The annual Dover Primary School Food Festival took place in November. Guests and children wearing national costumes tasted delicious food from 24 countries. Money raised from tickets sales went towards Global Concerns projects.
Multiple events took place on and around 21 September to celebrate Peace Day. Over a hundred youths from a multitude of nationalities and backgrounds attended the studentorganised Peace One Day conference at Dover Campus. Students at East Campus celebrated by playing the ‘One Day, One Goal,’ football match.
Model United Nations of UWCSEA East East Campus successfully hosted its inaugural MUN conference from 27 to 29 September, drawing both local and overseas delegates. The delegates discussed various globally relevant and pressing issues on topics such as human rights and disarmament. The conference echoed the values of the UWC movement—educating individuals to take responsibility for shaping and creating a better world.
SEASAC Our boys and girls SEASAC teams travelled to compete in Thailand on the weekend of 1 to 3 November in football and volleyball.
Movember UWCSEA staff participated in Movember, growing moustaches to raise funds and awareness for men’s physical and mental health issues.
Photography exhibition: Modern Day Slavery UWCSEA was pleased to host from 4–22 November, the photographic exhibition focusing on modern day slavery first seen along Orchard Road. The photographs of Kay Chernush featured in the exhibition alongside stories of those who have been trafficked, were displayed in the High School Study Centre on Dover Campus.
Grade 8 Chiang Mai expedition The Outdoor Education programme is an integral part of the UWCSEA holistic education. Grade 8 students again this year stepped outside their comfort zone in October for a twoweek expedition to Chiang Mai, where they learnt about Thai culture in a week of classroom work and a week of adventure activities.
Alumni participate in practice interview session Twelve alumni and several parents helped out as interviewers at a practice interview session held for senior students at East Campus in late August. Students proceeded around the room to a series of interviewers, one after another, and brief evaluations were filled out each time. It was a great opportunity for students to improve their skills in preparation for university and internship interviews.
Breast cancer awareness Students and teachers raised awareness for breast cancer through a pink mufti day for Grade 9 to 12, and a head shave, bake sale and pin sale, 5 October. Five students had their hair shaved to raise money and to donate their hair for wigs. Several people from UWCSEA also participated in the Pink Ribbon Walk on Saturday, 28 September at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade to show their support.
UN Night
CultuRama On 29 November, the East Campus held its first ever CultuRama - a panorama of cultures event showcasing the diversity and creativity of High School students through dances and meals from different parts of the world.
Music Department The Music Department presented two free evening concerts on 15 and 16 November, Toccata and Fugue featuring the school’s many talented students in the Senior Orchestra, Percussion Ensembles, Concert Strings, Symphonic Band, Cantabile, Singers, Arioso, Camerata, Brass band and Jazz bands.
The annual UN Night was held at Dover Campus on 10 October. Featuring dances and food stalls entirely coordinated by High School students, the event was a great success, and as always, a highlight on the school calendar.
‘Visions of Vietnam’ Blue Dragon GC held a photo exhibition in November in the Kishore Mahbubani Library, displaying the works of children with disabilities supported by Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, and former street kid, now Blue Dragon social worker, Do Duy Vi. Grade 11 student Jim Lim was one of the featured photographers. The three collections presented works offering diverse but equally powerful perspectives of young people in Vietnam. The exhibition began with a chance to meet the photographers. Many of the photographs were part of a silent auction over the four days, proceeds going towards supporting Blue Dragon’s outreach programmes.
On A Night Like This
To read more about activities and events taking place at UWCSEA, see eDunia at www.uwcsea.edu.sg
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A group of talented students directed and starred in the production of On A Night Like This, 7 November. This is the last production to take place in the Small Hall.
Never too old to have a gap year By Karen Niedermeyer UWCSEA teacher of Music and TOK, since 1992 After 20 years at UWCSEA, it seemed like a good time to have a gap year. Due to the rigours of UWC life, the time to pack my backpack suddenly arrived without me having much of a plan. I had two lifetime ambitions—to visit the Galapagos and to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Anything else would be a bonus.
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At the last minute, I was invited to go on a Round Square International service project in Peru. I figured Peru was as good a place as any to start. After meeting 22 students from 11 different countries at the Lima airport, we headed off to the Sacred Valley to begin our project. The aim was to work with the local people, to build a greenhouse for growing vegetables in the harsh high altitude climate. It was hard work, not only due to the cold and the very basic conditions in which we lived, but also the altitude. One of the wonderful unplanned surprises along my journey was meeting up with former students. As they followed my journeys on my travel blog and Facebook, I received invitations to meet up. The first surprise was being contacted by Rob Hanley ’08. Having completed his degree in Environmental Geography, he was coming to Peru for
Above top: On the top of Huayna Picchu, looking down on Machu Picchu where Karen proudly shows off the Class of 2012 sweatshirt given to her by her IB Music class. Above bottom: The hand-built raft of the women of the American Embassy in Lima with Karen’s sign supporting her P.A.W. Global Concerns group, raising awareness for ACRES.
an internship. At the time, I was contemplating participating in the Great Amazon Raft Race, the longest raft race in the world. To my surprise Rob informed me he was on a team. I put my name on the race blog and the American Embassy in Lima contacted me to see if I wanted to join their women’s team. Students from the P.A.W. Global Concerns group had organised sponsorship to help raise funds for ACRES to build a sanctuary in Laos for bears rescued from the cruel bear bile trade, so my raft carried a large wooden sign that read ‘Rafting for Bears.’ It was a grueling race, fought by 36 teams from all over the world. I never thought it possible, but we rafted 190km in three days, on a self-built raft, starting at the origin of the Amazon and sleeping in tents on the banks along the way. Highlights, apart from multiple blisters and sunburn, were seeing pink dolphins and being welcomed by local children in their dugout canoes. Other highlights of my time in Peru include time spent with Markham College. I was invited to give some TOK talks and music workshops, I accompanied their Silver Duke of Edinburgh trek in the magnificent Huayhuash region and went on the Grade 8 house building trip in Chincha in addition to several other service trips.
Karen on the glacier of Vallanaraju in the Andes, heading to the peak at 5,668m.
Perhaps my biggest personal achievement in Peru was climbing my first mountain. Having done a lot of trekking at altitude, my guide persuaded me that I was fit and acclimatized enough to climb. Vallanaraju, whose twin peaks tower 5,668m over the town of Huaraz in the White Mountain range of the Andes. Not only had I never climbed a mountain before, I had never been on a glacier! It was too steep for donkeys so we had to carry all our gear, including ropes, tent and food. It was tough. The second day I practised ice climbing on the glacier before our summit ascent began at 2am. I almost gave up, but we made it to the summit and it was glorious! One very surreal moment occurred in Cusco, Peru. Rob Hanley, having completed his internship in the Amazon, happened to be staying in the same backpackers hostel and invited me to Paddy’s Irish Pub, the highest Irish pub in the world! In walked Caroline Pitt ’07 and Natalie de Boursac ’07. By sheer coincidence, unbeknownst to each other, Natalie and Caroline were in Cusco to do volunteer work in an orphanage and improve their Spanish. There were tears and hugs of happiness and deep sadness as we spoke about Natalie’s mother Evnur who had passed away just four months previously.
Karen, Rob Hanley ’08, Caroline Pitt ’07 and Natalie de Boursac ’07 in Paddy’s Irish Pub, Cusco.
Leaving Peru was tough but it was time to head off so I jumped on a bus to Ecuador. After 27 hours I arrived in Guayguil and booked a flight to San Cristóbal, the first island Charles Darwin visited in the Galapagos Archipelago. I spent four days exploring the island, walking amongst giant tortoises, watching diving blue-footed boobies, snorkeling with sharks at Kicker Rock and dodging grumpy seals on the boardwalk.
Frigate bird on the remote island of Genovesa in the Galapagos Archipelago.
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In Santa Cruz I visited a school for indigenous people and spent a day with Daniel Proaña, founder of ‘Un Cambio por la Vida en Galapagos’ where I learned about the problems facing the people of the Galapagos. Parents are raising children to live unsustainable lives.
A Kogi hut in the jungle near the Lost City, Colombia where the indigenous descendents of the Taironas continue to live a traditional lifestyle.
They drive them to concrete schools and live in concrete houses with no gardens. Children no longer know how to grow food, catch fish and many don’t even know how to ride a bike or swim. Quality of life is being lost. Sound familiar? Offered a last-minute bargain to visit the outer islands by catamaran, my next six days were amazing! Traveling during the night from one uninhabited island to another, we spent the days walking amongst mating and nesting rare birds, iguanas, lizards and seals and snorkeling amongst bull sharks, iridescent fish and darting penguins.
Students at the school for indigenous people in Santa Cruz.
From the Galapagos I headed to Colombia on the invitation of Ben, Maria, Camilla and Carolina who had been with us at UWCSEA as gap year students from the Anglo Colombiano School in Bogota. My two months here were full of adventures and memorable experiences. I traveled across the country and people invited me into their homes. I trekked 24km into the jungle to find the Lost City, sleeping in the same camp where nine years earlier, eight tourists were kidnapped by ELN guerillas. The whole region is truly breathtaking.
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From Colombia I travelled to Panama to see the canal and then to Costa Rica where I did some volunteer work at UWCCR and camped in the remote Corcovado National Park. Figuring it was about time to head to Africa if I was serious about climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, I left Central America, but that’s another story, to be continued …
Karen getting acquainted with the nightlife in the Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica, one of the world’s most biologically diverse places. This is an amblypigid (“Please don’t call it a spider!”).
Part II of Karen’s adventure and all of the alumni she met up with in the US on her way to Africa, will appear in the June 2014 issue of OneºNorth, The Alumni Magazine of UWCSEA.
Second annual UWC Forum The second annual UWC Forum was held in London, UK, 8 October 2013, organised by a group of UWC alumni with assistance from the UWC International office. The session began with an introduction by Manfred Schepers, Vice President and CFO, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a conversation with Peter Sands, alumnus of Pearson UWC and CEO of Standard Chartered. This was followed by two lively panel discussions, the first called Migration fostered peace and prosperity in the 20th century. Can it do the same in the 21st? and the other entitled Are traditional educational models still relevant, affordable and appropriate? The third panel consisted of a group of Atlantic College students who came from areas of current conflict. The student from Pakistan was a girl who had been with Malala and sustained injuries in October last year when a group of Taliban boarded their bus and shot them. Each of the students on the panel described the challenges they had encountered just to attend school in their home country, how they felt it was their basic right to do so and how they wish for changes that will make it easier and safer for students to attend school everywhere.
UWCSEA alumnus wins Adventurer of the Year award by Brenda Whately Earlier this year, Tim Jarvis (’84) successfully recreated Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic survival voyage of 1916. It included 800 nautical miles over the roughest seas in the world from Elephant Island to South Georgia and a subsequent climb over the South Georgia mountains. Tim and his six man crew used authentic period clothing and equipment and the small, keel-less boat used in the crossing was a replica of Shackleton’s boat the James Caird, not quite 23 feet in length. Tim has subsequently been awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Adventurer of the Year for 2013. Environmental scientist, author and explorer, Tim is a veteran of multiple polar expeditions, having been to Antarctica and the high Arctic on four previous occasions. His recreation of Sir Douglas Mawson’s ill-fated expedition of 1913 was made into an award winning documentary, Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica. His latest expedition has been documented in his third book, Shackleton’s Epic, Recreating the World’s Greatest Journey of Survival, and in a film called Shackleton, Death or Glory. OneºNorth December 2013 21
For more information about Tim, his expeditions and his thoughts about the effects of climate change in the polar regions, visit the Shackleton Epic website and see his most recent book and film.
A passion for
education By Brenda Whately
Anastasia Kalona Class of 1998 UWCSEA 1995–1998 Anastasia attended UWCSEA for three years, graduating from the IB programme in 1998. A boarder from Indonesia, she lived in Senior House, now called Nelson Mandela House, for all three years. After going on to complete a degree in Management at the University of Warwick Business School in the UK, Anastasia was inspired to see if she could combine her business education with her other area of interest—the nonprofit world. She says, “My involvement with the Ladakh project for Global Concerns at UWCSEA really initiated my interest in the field of education and the non-profit industry. I also feel that the
social service part of our IB curriculum really made me feel strongly about embarking on a career of service for children.” So she took a post-graduate degree in Education Studies that focused on young children’s development and inclusive education practices for children with special needs. After living in Indonesia for a few years after graduating, Anastasia moved to Washington DC and taught at the River School, an inclusive school in which many of the students had received cochlear implants for hearing difficulties. She says, “It was a great experience to work with children and the families of children who have had implants. The focus on enriching their language development and the importance of hearing and speech was extremely interesting.” When Avenues World School opened its doors in Manhattan last year, Anastasia moved to New York. She says, “I chose to teach there mostly because I felt that they had a similar mission to UWC. I also wanted to experience life in New York City.” Anastasia stayed in New York for a year. She says, “Now that I am back in DC I would like to explore other areas in education besides traditional schools. DC is filled with non-profit organisations and I am hoping to be more involved in
this arena as well as other educationrelated businesses.” Currently Anastasia is involved with the First Tee Foundation for Golf, an organisation that coaches and guides children in life skills and leadership through the game of golf. She is also part of the House of Angklung music group. She describes the Angklung as, “A traditional musical instrument made of bamboo, from West Java, Indonesia. We perform at cultural events, festivals, and by invitation.” She adds, “I have been extremely fortunate to always be connected to my own culture here through activities that are organised by the embassies, ministries and local expatriate communities that promote our culture through the arts.” When asked what her favourite memories of UWCSEA are, she cites her time as a boarder at Senior House and the meaningful, long-lasting friendships she made there. She says, “Several of my friends from my UWC years are here in the East Coast of the US. I would love to keep in touch with more. I was fortunate to have the experience of being at UWCSEA, and I am very excited and thrilled to see the launch of the UWCSEA Foundation. I hope that UWC’s vision and values are carried on for the generations of students to come.”
UWCSEA alum wins Norman Mailer Society recognition
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The Norman Mailer Society, together with GQ, celebrated in New York in October 2013, an eclectic collection of writers, including Maia Jenkins (UWCSEA Class of 2008) who was recognised for her piece, To the Weakness of Others. Jonathan Heaf, GQ Features Director, said of the winning entrant: “This year the judges were unanimous—Maia’s winning entry To The Weakness Of Others is an exceptional, luminous piece of writing showing not only a maturity beyond her 24 years but also a true talent for the art of observation. She fully deserves the recognition she received in New York and I for one can’t wait to read what she writes next. A unique find.” Congratulations to Maia Jenkins.
Driven to
volunteer Kate Vickery Class of 2006 UWCSEA 2004–2006 By Brenda Whately Kate completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology with Gender Studies specialism at the University of Warwick in 2009 and a masters degree in Community and Youth Work at Durham University in the UK in 2011. Along with her volunteer work as a Student Listening Counsellor at Warwick’s Nightline Student Support Service, Kate developed a keen interest in asylum issues and volunteered with refugees and asylum seekers in a women’s support group and a night shelter. She continued this interest in her postgraduate work placements in addition to setting up a Student’s Union Society called Durham Student Action for Refugees.
“We were not only required to do the volunteer work but also to take ownership of it.” Kate has also given her time to come back to UWCSEA to speak about UWC values to Middle School students and to support Grade 12 students in mock interview sessions. Kate cites her time at UWCSEA as one of the reasons she feels the desire to take part in volunteer work. She says, “The service element of the UWCSEA curriculum helped to shape me. We were not only required to do the volunteer work but also to take ownership of it, which helped to prepare us for university and life. We helped others, while at the same time we ended up helping ourselves through personal and professional development. I was also part of the Initiative for Peace (IfP) programme which I found inspirational and pivotal in my life.” Kate was responsible for helping to organise the youth-led Peace Conference and for working with fellow students and
staff to engage and inspire other people. She says, “It pushed me outside of my comfort zone and developed my oral presentation, negotiation and team work skills.” She says she enjoyed the experience and the ability to motivate young people to speak up for their rights. Through the IfP, she traveled to Li Po Chun, the UWC in Hong Kong where she helped to train students there in planning and executing their first IfP Conference. Kate is now starting to focus on a career move. From volunteer management and recruitment at aidha, she has recently shifted to focusing on student relations as Student Co-ordinator. Finding these positions interesting and fulfilling work, Kate says she is now thinking of steering her career towards HR and recruitment. We wish her all the best. Kate can be reached through the alumni website. For further information regarding aidha, please visit their website at: www.aidha.org
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Since her recent return to Singapore, Kate has not slowed her involvement in volunteer work. After hearing about the charitable organisation, aidha from a friend, Kate has taken on volunteer roles there in the areas of mentoring and management. The organisation was founded in 2006 to help foreign domestic workers in Singapore break the cycle of poverty by gaining important computer, communication, finance management and business skills. Kate says, “In nine-month courses held on Sundays, they learn computer skills and money management strategies to build up capital and to write business plans for future small businesses of their own. As a mentor I teach financial literacy and self-
development to groups of 15 women. The strength of these women is so inspiring. Often leaving behind children, they become sole breadwinners abroad. It is so rewarding to help them develop personally and professionally.” She adds, “Some of the women who have gone through the programme have opened up Internet cafes and small restaurant cafes or have bought land or a water buffalo to plough the land in their home country, providing their family members and community with sustainable income and jobs.”
Prejudice and misunderstanding
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By Georgia Gray Class of 2011 UWCSEA 2004–2011
“There was no amount of money, or food aid or malaria nets that could be thrown at the situation to assist.”
Albinos1 are discriminated upon in many parts of Africa, but in Tanzania the stigma has particularly horrific consequences. Witchdoctors purport that albinos are cursed, and as such their body parts can be used to create good luck. However nonsensical the logic, people with albinism are murdered by gangs associated with the witchdoctor and stripped of their ‘lucky’ bodily limbs. Often these people are not even killed immediately, they’re attacked in the dead of night, their arms or their legs may be hacked off and they are then left to die. The whole notion of it is completely barbaric, and the fact that such a practice can exist within our modern world seems a stretch of logic.
“People will kill albinos to make magic,” says Isaac Timothy, an albino activist in the gold-mining town of Geita, where belief in witchcraft is widespread. “When you bring [a witch doctor] a body part, such as an arm, a leg or a finger, the witch doctor will make a potion with it. A miner will pour it in the ground where he wants to find minerals or a fisherman will pour it in his canoe.”2 I’d been exposed to so much charitable practice at UWCSEA, and the sort of movements that can create great change within the lives of individuals and communities. Yet here I was, being confronted with a real life human rights issue that had little to do with lack of resources. There was no amount of money, or food aid or malaria nets that could be thrown at the situation to assist. The issue was the way in which a society perceived its outsiders.
I’d arrived without any of this foresight, travelling to Tanzania as part of my final year dissertation for Human Sciences at the University of Oxford. The dissertation has no particular parameters, but usually concerns some issue to humanity, biological, social or otherwise. Classically, most students choose to travel for the dissertation and stretch the university grants to their utmost limits. Climb in Peru to study the effect of altitude on populations? Trek off to Tanzania to save the albinos? Sounds great, we all needed a good field trip. And that’s the kind of innocence I approached it with, arriving in Dar es Salaam at 3am with a wad of A4 binders stacked in the bottom of my backpack. I’m not being flippant; of course I was serious about the cause and about the research. I just wasn’t prepared for just how serious the cause was.
It turned out that this wasn’t uncommon. Here I was, reeling at this story, when unbeknownst to me, our awareness event was about to reveal a dozen more of its kind. Children had been taken. Graves had been robbed. Young ones had seen their siblings murdered in their garden, left to bleed out from stubs where their arms had once been. Most had not suffered the mercy of death right away; rather the attackers had poured kerosene over
their wounds to act as a temporary coagulant to assure the quality of the limbs they were cutting off. The time I spent there, interviewing hundreds of albinos and their parents, was like being emotionally harpooned. The stories were utterly tragic and the response more so. Government response is limited at best. It is an accepted part of life.
“Hopefully the problem can be eradicated once and for all.” The way to alter this is through education. The charity I was aligned with, Asante Mariamu, is seeking to do this by educating communities on the biological causes of albinism and the normalcy of those that suffer from this genetic condition. The vast majority of people, whether they be healthcare providers, district commissioners or albinos themselves, had never heard a genetic explanation. As is customary around the world, when no explanation is provided, people create their own, through religion or witchcraft. The most frustrating thing about the multitude of issues associated with
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I got my first taste of reality no more than a day into the trip. We’d flown to the northern edges of Tanzania, before backtracking in a jeep for seven hours deep into the heart of the country. It was in the small town of Kibondo that I spoke to Reverend Bartholomew of Bishop Mpango School. I asked him
about any stories of attacks within the region. Had any albinos he knew been attacked? Yes of course he knew of attacks. Yes, the children in his school had been attacked. Yes, the people we were to meet the next day at an awareness event had been threatened countless times, were scared to leave their own homes and had hidden themselves or their family members for years. “Look at this woman,” he said. “This woman had one of her children taken and murdered, with the attackers threatening the life of her two non-albino children in exchange for her albino child.” She had to choose to sacrifice her albino child in order to save her other two children—a real life version of Sophie’s Choice.
albinos in Eastern and Southern Africa is that there is no reason for it to be an issue at all. We’re not waiting for a vaccine, or requiring a host of technical supplies. We don’t need a well network or to teach a community to read. All that’s needed is simple education. Albinism needs to be understood by the whole population for these individuals not to be perceived as a threat or a magic charm. Whilst we were there, we managed to talk to over a thousand people in
three major districts of the country. More of these visits can only have an exponentially positive effect on the rate of education of the country. We’re not fighting a losing battle here. This really is an issue that can improve each year, and hopefully the problem can be eradicated once and for all. How often do we encounter that possibility within our lifetime? For further information, visit the websites of charities working with albinos in Tanzania: Asante Mariamu, Standing Voice, Under the Same Sun.
Georgia Gray, Class of 2011
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Georgia attended UWCSEA from 2004 to 2011. In Grade 6 she went on the South Africa and Swaziland trip where she was first exposed to the issue of albinism whilst visiting an AIDS orphanage associated with Waterford UWC. There she saw a young boy with albinism completely socially excluded by his peers and the memory stuck with her, inspiring her university dissertation. She is currently in her final year at the University of Oxford studying Human Sciences and plans to further her interest in infectious disease transmission with a postgraduate degree in epidemiology. Georgia is also currently training to take part in the 2014 Commonwealth Games representing New Zealand in swimming. She plans to take a year out from a PhD to train full time before the 2016 Olympics.
Back row, left to right: Blandina, Translator; Doug DuBois, Asante Mariamu Board member; and Georgia.
1 [Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition occurring in both genders regardless of ethnicity, in all countries of the world. The condition results in a lack of pigmentation in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to sun exposure and bright light.] | 2[The quote is from an article in NPR by John Burnett, 30 Nov 2012.]
UN Night 2013 By Frazer Cairns Head of UWCSEA Dover Campus I have taught—according to a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation— about 14,000 lessons of science. Some of these were good, many (I like to think) were not bad, and a few were truly awful. Three lessons stand out in my mind as being exceptional and I remember them all distinctly as all three had nothing to do with the topic material I had walked into the room intending to teach. A chance comment by a student or a piece of news set us off on a digression and Hooke’s law (in one case) was thrown joyfully and profitably to one side. There is much to be said for positive digressions, particularly when the alternative is stretching small metal springs. I have also attended more than 600 assemblies and watched well over 100 major student productions. Much like my own lessons some of these productions have been excellent, many have been not bad and a few have been dire. One particular play at one of my previous schools, a version of Oscar
Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, saw the school chaplain, a frustrated actor if ever there was one, cast himself in the role of Algernon and the Head of Chemistry as Cecily. I suspect that when Wilde said that he regarded the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being, he wasn’t thinking about a short, red-faced man bellowing about how to eat muffins calmly while the audience sat there in stunned silence. It has become my benchmark for awfulness. Before I arrived at UWCSEA, therefore, I thought that I could be considered somewhat of a lay-expert on student productions. You don’t watch 100 plus plays (and here I am discounting a goodly number of Christmas nativities, music festivals, fashion shows and the like) and not know your ‘upstage’ from your ‘downstage’. However, in my first term here I was completely taken aback by the production of The Sound of Music and later that term, when I saw UN Night, what I had heard about the College suddenly started to make
sense. This was performance on a very different level. This year’s UN Night—my third—was again both an extraordinary explosion of student talent and a celebration of so many of the things that make the school special. It was made better by the fact that all of the work is choreographed by the students and that the performers had been rehearsing for weeks around their lessons and in the unlikeliest of places. It is difficult not to smile when you come out of a physics class and there are 30 young people dressed in wellingtons stamping out a gumboot dance in unison. The food as ever was magnificent, though perhaps my particular combination of satay, South African sausages, German potato salad and kimchee wasn’t the most balanced of groupings.
If you were not able to attend, a short video of the event can be viewed on the UWCSEA YouTube channel.
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George Walker, at one time the Director General of the International Baccalaureate Organisation, made the point often that international education had to be more than the five “Fs’ – food, festivals, famous people, fashion and flags. I agree absolutely that schools should be places in which students observe their peers, teachers, parents, and other adults discussing music from other parts of the world, reading authors from other countries, and eating food from different cultures on a regular basis, not once a year. However, to repeat the words of a student involved this year, I do think that, ‘it is cool that a very pale Norwegian guy can dance Bangra, everybody cheers, and nobody thinks it is at all unusual.’
East Campus update By James Dalziel Head of UWCSEA East Campus The East Campus continues to grow and develop into a mature and fully formed school. This academic year sees our very first cohort of Grade 12 students. Our High School student numbers increased from 382 to 659 with some 30 new teachers, leadership and support structures that will see it through to its full capacity of just over 1,000 by 2017.
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A campus wide UWCSEA ethos is being nurtured in a conscious, explicit, intentional and ongoing foregrounding of our mission, our UWCSEA learning profile and learning principles. Our curriculum actively addresses these in increasingly sophisticated ways, underpinned by the work of our Curriculum unit. Student leadership is evidenced across the school, with almost total student ownership over assemblies and the introduction of many activities and Global Concerns in response to student demand. The East CultuRama night, 29 November, was the first step towards a Dover Campus UN Night-like tradition. Our Grade 9, 10 and Foundation IB years featuring the IGCSE and FIB Programmes are beginning to become well established, with two of our own homegrown courses, Global Perspectives and Digital Perspectives providing scope for some experimentation. We were delighted with our first ever set of GCSE grades. Well above the world average, they equalled Dover’s third best results in their 40-year history. Needless to say, we are thrilled with the efforts of our staff and students.
As mentioned above, our first graduating class is poised to complete their International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in May 2014. All signs are positive, with academic results and interim checkpoints being met along the way. Our Service programmes are thriving across the campus. Service 101 workshops were held for all staff at the beginning of the year to instill a culture of successfully planning for, reflecting on and evaluating College and local service projects. Rapid student-led growth of Global Concerns groups has resulted in a focus on quality over quantity and ensuring that we are developing a sophisticated understanding of the role we can play in contributing to helping others. The Outdoor Education programme continues to grow as well. I do not believe that you will find a greater range and scope in any school worldwide. Our first ever Grade 11 Project Week, to 37 locations across SE Asia was successful and inspirational and carried on from the strong Dover tradition. Our most exciting news was our first ever, family trip to Cambodia in K2. Yes, you read that correctly, our Kindergarten classes went on an extended service project with their parents. It was a huge success. The East Campus activities programme continues to grow. Increasing numbers of activities are linking with Service groups and the ‘Clubs’ category is expanding largely due to student led initiatives. Leadership activities include the mainly student driven East Model United Nations (MUN) conference and Sports Council which have been very
active. There were over 600 activities on offer for our students throughout the first season. A very high percentage of students are involved in sports. We are hosting large tournaments and events regularly and we are a popular venue for visiting schools with growing success in our results. The East Campus facilities team has been busy with many improvement projects that are part of our ongoing focus on excellence. Acoustic improvements have been completed for most of the classrooms and canteen. I expect that our lunchtimes will have less of a rock concert feel with the changes that have been made to absorb the sound. The latest addition to our ongoing attempts to monitor our environmental impact is the development of a dashboard displaying our real-time consumption of water and cooling efficiency. I was staggered to learn that we consume over 6,000 litres of water per hour running our air conditioning system, and we are one of the most efficient buildings in the world! Finally, some of you may have already learned that our school has been awarded 21st Century Learning’s School of the Year award. Overall, the East Campus continues to move from strength to strength and we are pleased with the combination of growth in numbers, with the growth in understanding of what it means to be a UWC. Please do stop in and say hello if you have the time and would like to see what we are doing.
Dover Campus sport By Mike Staples Director of Activities UWCSEA Dover Sport at Dover Campus continues to be as strong as ever, with 130 teams competing at UWCSEA, in Singapore and around the region. Teams have taken part in a number of competitions so far this term, winning the SCC Rugby 7’s and Cunningham Cup rugby tournament and taking the runner
up position in football at an exciting SEASAC final. Other competitions since August have included SEASAC crosscountry and golf. There have been several international trips this term as well, including a touch competition in Brisbane, football in Perth, rugby in Sri Lanka and basketball, gymnastics and swimming in Bangkok.
taking us to the top of the league. The winners included the touch team, the rugby A and B teams, the cross-country boys’ and girls’ teams, the tennis boys’ team and the football boys’ team. We will be heading to further SEASAC competitions throughout this year, aiming to retain our title at the top of the league.
In the past academic year, seven of our teams won SEASAC championships,
East Campus sport By Hugh Richards Director of Activities UWCSEA East
the school and the sports programme is, developmentally. An exciting end to Season 1 saw boys’ and girls’ volleyball and girls’ football all in their respective finals of Div II. Girls’ volleyball was promoted to Div I next year after a tremendous final in front of a packed home crowd but our Div I boys’ football, after playing valiantly, were unfortunately dropped to Div II next year, after losing on penalties in their play-off.
In the first year of SEASAC membership, teams were fielded in every sport, including cross-country, football, volleyball, basketball, rugby, swimming, touch, tennis, badminton, softball and
SEASAC made the decision to trial a split into two Divisions during 201314 and the East Dragons sports teams are ranked just on either side of the divisional split, which reflects where
We look forward to hosting basketball in late January and competing strongly throughout the rest of the year. We would welcome any alumni support over at the eastern side of the island!
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The sports programme has accelerated rapidly in the three years since the UWCSEA East Campus opened in Tampines. Even though 2013/14 is the first year with a Grade 12 group in the school, the campus has had full representation from Junior School to High School in both local and regional competition since opening.
track and performed remarkably well, considering that there were no Grade 12 students at the time. The end of the sporting year saw the UWCSEA East Dragons ranked seventh out of the thirteen schools and achieving some remarkable successes. Winning girls’ swimming against such a strong set of swimming schools was the highlight of the sporting year with boys’ and girls’ cross-country and boys’ softball also ranked highly.
Voices of INDIA By Brenda Whately
Leon Etchells Class of 2003 UWCSEA 1996–2001
“In some cases they start out aggressively, but by the end they are listening and learning from each other.”
When Leon returned to UWCSEA in August to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his class year group at Reunion 2013, I heard about his project, Voices of India through which he aims to help empower the youth of India through innovative digital media. He and a friend began the project about a year ago. Over that time, the two have travelled India, working with NGOs run by Ashoka Fellows, teaching children filmmaking as a means to overcome social issues.
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He says, “We have been carrying out filmmaking workshops all around the country. We ask the children to discuss current social issues and then get them to write, plan and direct their own films based on one chosen issue. So far we’ve worked in 12 states of India with over 300 children and have helped the children produce 60 short films.”
Voices of India, Sholai
The organisations they work with select the children to be involved—up to 30 children per class, between the ages of 14 to 18. Their goal is to eventually train locals in the workshops in order to gain
a bigger outreach and allow them to target 1,500 children. Leon brings to the project a background in film from the University of the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. He first studied Advertising and Brand Management followed by a BA (Honours) in Arts and Media focusing on documentaries. His partner in the venture has a background in Social Education and Community Development. A typical workshop runs for one week, Monday to Friday. It involves a visit to the organisation on Monday to show a montage of films made around the world followed by a discussion about the film industry. The children are then invited to participate in a simple camera exercise that is edited and shown to them on the same day. On the next day, the children are asked to discuss the social issues that affect them and the changes they would like to see in their country. They are also shown newspapers and asked to find a topic around which they do a roleplay with one child acting as presenter and others acting out the story. On Wednesday they are taught some of the technical aspects of story preparation and storyboard, etc. In groups they then choose an issue and plan a film around
it, including costumes, location, etc. On Thursday they are given cameras and tripods and they make the films. With the help of Leon and his partner, the films are edited and then screened and discussed with the group on Friday. Leon says there is as much follow-up with the NGO as possible afterwards, but because of their limited resources, this is often not as much as they would wish for. They are hoping in future to work together with some of the NGOs to have the Children’s Film Society of India screen the films nationally and to have a competition, with scholarships awarded to the best film-makers. The project started with five cameras donated by Video Volunteers, an NGO based in India. They are currently
seeking sponsorship of their film project so that they can continue to grow it. One year in, Leon says, “I can see how it changes some of the kids. In some cases they start out aggressively, but by the end they are listening and learning from each other.” The team has recently raised about US$3,000 through crowd funding and private donations. They currently pay for their own expenses while running the workshops, but their dream is to make it a sustainable, longterm project for which they would be able to pay the expenses of themselves and their volunteers. Leon says, “I really believe I’m a product of UWC’s education in social issues, helping people and educating for peace. I always loved how we were taught about so many social and environmental issues from a young age, before they
were even popular in the media. I have a lot of respect for the ethos and the teachers at UWCSEA.” After leaving Singapore to return to England, Leon has continued to involve himself in social issues, including AIDS awareness, helping to organise a Peace Concert, teaching English on a volunteer basis in the Maldives and now his film project in India. Leon has many more plans for the future involving youth in India, including he says, “Campaigns against child labour, social humanities that we can implement in schools and more documentaries to expose some of the issues to an even wider audience.” For further information about Voices of India, please see their website at www.voicesofindia.org.
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UWCSEA Foundation update By Jonathan Parr and Jose Rivera
Lizanne and Robert A Milton UWCSEA Endowed Scholarship (Robert ’78/Lizanne ’83) Robert and Lizanne’s second endowed IB scholar, Anh, started at UWCSEA in August 2013. Born in Hanoi, Anh is supporting Peace for the Kids Global Concern, which helps Agent Orange victims in Vietnam. She also performed at the recent UN Night and helped to organise a food stall in order to raise money. Anh is looking forward to helping to organise the Initiative for Peace conferences as well. Anh sums up her experience so far:
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“I want to express my gratitude to you both for opening the door to this wonderful environment and these numerous incredible opportunities to develop myself. Here I have met people who amaze me with their hope, thoughts and deeds. Here I have met new good friends that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Here I am acquainted with a different way of living that I know I can gain a lot from, and as one of my teachers said to me, how many schools actually teach you how to be happy?”
Lee Hysan Foundation Scholarship
Class of 1978 funds first scholar from Bolivia
UWCSEA Foundation is very excited to announce the establishment of the Lee Hysan Foundation (LHF) Scholarship. LHF is a private family foundation established in Hong Kong in 1973. For 40 years, LHF has actively supported meaningful and impactful charity initiatives in Hong Kong.
The Class of 1978 who have funded a scholar for the past four years, have continued that tradition again this year with UWCSEA’s first Bolivian scholar.
The objective of the LHF Scholarship is to create long-term benefits to students of significant promise and potential from the ethnic minority community in Hong Kong. It provided 100% support for two students from Hong Kong who joined the Foundation IB programme this year and subsequently the full two year IB Diploma course at UWCSEA. Initially, support will be for these two scholars and subsequently two additional scholars will start in August 2014 and August 2015 and the scholarship scheme may continue beyond 2015. The goal for all parties involved is to establish and develop a long-term relationship, which has the ability to transform not only the lives of scholars but also those of their family, community and country.
Anh (in green t-shirt) with her Amazing Race team during orientation week.
Raquel comes from a small town in Bolivia where she lived with her mother and 10 year-old brother. Since arriving at UWCSEA, Raquel’s teachers and classmates have helped her to adjust to her new surroundings and although it has been only a few weeks, she has already formed great friendships and has grown in confidence and English language skills. The Class of ’78 alumni giving has made it possible for Raquel to attend UWCSEA and be given the chance to start building toward her dream of pursuing a career in Child Psychology and eventually opening an outreach centre for children in Bolivia. Many thanks to the Class of ’78.
Graduating Class gifts Since 2008 the Grade 12 students at UWCSEA have left a graduation gift to the College. The gifts so far include a garden, a playground slide, outdoor furniture, a waterfall wall, a wishing well and most recently a recreational lounge area for Facilities staff. The Class of 2012’s wishing well was unveiled earlier this year. The Class of 2013’s rest area for the Facilities staff who work tirelessly to maintain the campus, will be built in early 2014. The class gifts demonstrate the culture of giving that exists within the UWCSEA community. We hope to see many of our grads come back in future to see their gifts in action.
UWCSEA scholarship programme at a glance 2012/2013 South America – 11%
North and Central America – 13%
Alumni giving back to UWCSEA through the Annual Fund Recent figures from the Annual Fund indicate that the number of UWCSEA alumni giving to the Fund has risen steadily over the past three years. Participation is our key measure of alumni support. Last year the 2012/2013 Annual Fund raised over S$480,000 which has enabled us to invest in 21 different programmes and initiatives that will have an immediate impact on the learning experience of our students on both campuses. Some of those initiatives include the scholarship enrichment fund which awards grants to scholars, a new student reading workshop and self-esteem and confidence seminars for students. Support to the Annual Fund, no matter the size of the gift, enriches life at UWCSEA. Small gifts add up quickly to make a significant difference. Gifts from alumni demonstrate your involvement, passion and confidence in UWCSEA and strengthen our community. Help us to continue to enhance the transformational education of UWCSEA students.
Europe – 21%
Africa – 24% (10 different countries)
Percentage of scholars by continent
45%
55%
Male
Female
Scholars
70% 33 80 15% More scholars than 3 years ago
Scholars graduated in 2013
Scholars from 33 countries are supported by the UWCSEA Foundation
Planned increase in scholar numbers for 2014
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To make a gift, visit the online giving portal at uwcsea.edu.sg/supportus, or send a cheque to UWCSEA Foundation, 1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654. We also accept donations through Give 2 Asia and SG Gives.
Asia – 31% (6 different countries)
A UWCSEA pioneer retires after 41 years By Brenda Whately Kalimah Zainuri retired this year … almost. After a career of over 40 years with UWCSEA, she just couldn’t leave completely, so in a stroke of good luck for us, she has agreed to work part-time for a few more months, helping to catalogue the school’s photo archives. Who better to do this than someone who has been here almost from the time the school opened its doors in 1971? In fact Kalimah joined the school the following year, in 1972. She says, “I was privileged to be part of the pioneering years of the school. I have so many good memories of my 41 year journey here.” She has worked in the library almost exclusively throughout her career.
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She has seen a lot of change over the years. She has worked with ten librarians and has gone from typing index cards on a manual typewriter for card catalogue drawers, to computerized online library systems. She has seen the number of students at Dover grow from less than 1,000 to almost 3,000 and has witnessed changes in uniforms and buildings and most recently, the addition of the second campus. The change she liked best was the addition of the Primary School at Dover in the late ’90s. She says, “The school became merrier because of all the little ones. They chat with me and I learn about their culture and customs firsthand, when and why they are happy or sad, what they are doing in class. My favourite part of the job has been reading to them.”
Kalimah’s favourite memory of UWCSEA is the moving of the library in 1981 or ’82, from its original location in the room with the spiral staircase on the second floor of the Language Block, to the location where it has resided until just a year or so ago, in the High School Block directly across the way. She says, “Staff created a human chain down the stairs, across and into the new location with me at the end to direct the books back onto the shelves. The Head Master, David Watson rolled up his sleeves and was part of the chain along with many other teaching and admin staff. It was like a family working together.” A lot of alumni remember Kalimah and several have dropped into the library to visit her over the years. She is always excited to see or hear from former students. Kalimah has written some poetry in the past, winning first prize in the Malay newspaper, Berita Harian in 2007. She is currently translating the children’s book, I Will Love You Forever into Malay and she hopes one day to write an original children’s book, when she has the time. She says with tears in her eyes, “This is the best place to work—time passes so fast—I have never wanted to work anywhere else. I quote from Thomas Meehan, an American writer when I say I am lucky to have something that makes saying good bye so hard.” We wish Kalimah all the best and thank her for being here all these years, enriching the lives of so many students with her tireless patience and wonderful personality. She will be missed!
“I have so many good memories of my 41 year journey here.”
Yangon 16 January 2014
Seoul 20 January 2014
Upcoming reunions
Singapore 15 February 2014
Reunion 2014! Seventh annual reunion celebrating the 40, 35, 30, 25, 20 and 10 year anniversary classes 22-24 August 2014 The Classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994 and 2004 are invited to celebrate in Singapore in August 2014. Any other alumni who wish to join the reunion are welcome as well. As in previous years, all six classes are hosted at a Friday evening cocktail reception and Asian-themed buffet dinner party to kick off the weekend. On Saturday, a barbecue lunch is organised at the Dover Campus of UWCSEA. Revisit your memories and take a tour guided by current Grade 12 students. Saturday night and Sunday are left open for you to plan your own class year group activities. Join us for a weekend of fun, fond memories and reconnection with old friends and new.
Edinburgh 12 March 2014
London 14 March 2014
Reunion 2015! Eighth annual reunion celebrating the 40, 30, 20 and 10 year classes and the 25 and 35 year groups, if interested.
Amsterdam 15 March 2014
21-23 August 2015 The Classes of 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2005 are invited to celebrate in Singapore in August 2015. Any other alumni who wish to join the reunion are welcome as well. Registration for all events is via the UWCSEA alumni website: http://alumni. uwcsea.edu.sg/events.
Hong Kong 2 April 2014
Check the website for more details, to view the regularly updated attendee lists and/or to register for an event. You may also contact the alumni office at reunion@uwcsea.edu.sg for information and registration. We hope to see you at an upcoming event soon!
Singapore 3 July 2014
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If you are not registered on the UWCSEA alumni website with an up-to-date email address and location, please send us that information by email (alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg) so that we can keep you informed about alumni get-togethers in your location. Don’t miss out!
UWCSEA Dover 1207 Dover Road Singapore 139654 UWCSEA East 1 Tampines Street 73 Singapore 528704 www.uwcsea.edu.sg http://alumni.uwcsea.edu.sg alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg
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