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CULTURAMA 2023 has been the most remarkable experience to showcase  cultural roots and connect with people from diverse cultural background.It has been very exciting to teach and learn from other people the way of things in different cultural context. The complex beauty of customs and values all together combined and showcased through music and dance has made this dance showcase the most scenic journey ever.Creating open mindedness, new curious questions about different cultures and new long lasting relationships made through one bond of joy and enjoyment of music and dance.One sentence to describe this journey would be "You never know until you hear the music, and you can't really hear the music unless you move"
Take me back to the night we danced

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Finding oneself in a short amount of time can be both overwhelming and exciting.ISTA TAPS has been a journey to unleash our innermost selves and,  letting out our thoughts for the world to hear.It has been about pushing out of our comfort zones and taking that risk, to, letting others see us in our most true self which has made this camp even more exquisite.As one of the trainees told us it is about getting out of the shallows and pushing out to the deep waters only to see that the destination is indeed beautiful.Being introduced to the world of theatre by people who have been in the industry for a long time and have made remarkable changes made one specific lesson in our lives;"Theatre is actually being true to ourselves and getting out of our comfort zone".One amazing thing is it was a first everything, first monkey, clown nose and everything. Connections and bonds were made in a few hours spent together, which made it harder for us to part.But we all want to remember being there at Dulwich college saying hello and goodbye with everything in between.

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ACTIVITY:BASKETBALL: BE A PART;MAKE A BASKET

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ACTIVITY:BASKETBALL: BE A PART;MAKE A BASKET

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Basketball has been among my most favourable interests in sports activities.Due to lack of facilities and time management, I could not do it back in my past school. So, when the opportunity to go in and learn came, I seized it. Basketball taught me many things and has given me among of the most remarkable experiences I will have at the start of my UWCSEA journey. If anything, basketball made me feel like I was home, my teammates were so welcoming and so encouraging.Every practice I had made it feel more like connecting to family, hence I always looked up to those morning trainings. My coaches were so patient with me, not knowing much about what was happening on the court.If I could ever describe the experience and lesson  I learnt in basketball in these past few months, it would be in one sentence,"BE A PART ;MAKE A BASKET.

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Home is where I dress up.When I can wear clothes, it makes me feel whole, elegant and has so much history of the great things done by my people. It is moving with confidence and purpose, knowing the action of walking by and standing tall and firm, history is a very important and intriguing part of history. There is always something about the head being held up high in a cultural costume.There is always a feeling of importance and significance to the world. Makes you remember to stand for your people and make a difference. Seeing other people walking by in their costumes is always "Can we slow down time? I need to adore this". A wonderful creation; even though nothing might be said; the clothes tell the story. They carry battle scars to remind us of victory. One that always makes a statement is it is all of us , a community standing strong and together we make a difference, fly and "slay (>-<)"

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Wellness Buddy

I have always wanted to do something involving mental health and wellbeing. I have done my shared part for the strings I could pull; in most cases it just ended with online webinars and mental wellbeing book summaries. The wellness buddy program has been an opportunity to learn more about mental health and wellbeing and put everything I have learnt in action. Very much thankful for the training I have had in season 1, which helped me gain insight from people who have experience with the programme and moreover add professional information to it.I am excited to be there for other people and help them find peace of mind through various ways and just being someone who can offer that extra help in stressful situations and hopefully lessen the burden to helping them move forward into the next step of their life with more ease and courage. In simple words I can say I am here so you can vent and talk.

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What exactly is a picturesque journey?Well, I may argue that the journey I went through throughout the production of War of the Worlds is it.Meeting a slew of new individuals and getting to know them as fellow cast members, learning to trust them, and developing deep bonds with them has been incredible. Creating something surreal that makes the audience feel like they are a part of it. Furthermore, I had the incredible opportunity to meet and work with successful theatre practitioners. It opened my eyes and showed me how theatre might be used after high school. This instilled a strong desire to perform and create.I'm looking forward to appearing in many more plays and musicals.

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MUNOFS 2023

Standing on that stage and extending my first ever POI was a step into a new world for me.I enjoy being here because it gives me the feeling of standing among brilliant minds who devote their time to attempting to solve the problems that face our community, extending my ideas and discussing better solutions. I just know that this experience I'm gaining now will be a weapon to protect my community in the near future, and I couldn't be more proud of it.

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I have to admit that being on this stairs and capturing this photo signified the end of an incredible adventure that began in the second quarter of my UWCSEA journey. I learned a lot of new things while spending time with my colleagues, including how to listen, how to work as a team, how to be accountable for my actions, how to work hard, how to be disciplined, and, most importantly, how to respect and support one another.This often involved calling each other out when we did something wrong and thanking and encouraging each other when we did something good.One thing I've learned is that as a team member, everyone is essential and everything you do counts, so think twice for the team and yourself first.

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We have flied so far not to enjoy the view 

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Taking part in this tournament was one of the most difficult decisions I had to make.But I have to admit that it was worthwhile, and I appreciated the experience. As a student who grew up in an academic environment where STEM were the only courses regarded better, I never had the opportunity to explore and experience the excitement that being in the business sector represented.While it was difficult to balance schoolwork and competition demands, I enjoyed the obstacles and how, with the aid of my teammates, I overcame them. As my first business competition, I want to utilize it as a springboard for many others that I will enter in the future.

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A journey to change involves learning and growing

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MUN was not something I expected to fall in love with after my little participation in politics and international peacekeeping.MUN forced me to step outside of my comfort zone, allowing me to recognize that the society we live in is not as ideal as I would have claimed a year earlier.Right now, I know what the world needs: committed young leaders who will lead change-making projects to improve the lives of our fellow community members and conserve the environment for future generations, as previous generations have done.I'm excited to learn more about politics and be involved in creating a better future.

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The crash between contemporary lifestyle  and ancient trauma 

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The Love of the Nightingale was a tough piece to devise and perform, to say the least.But it pushed and challenged me to be a better director and actor.I recall when we agreed on the casting, and I was unsure about the weight of the part I would play.Niobe is a stereotypical elderly lady who lives in the past and holds traditional ideas about life.She is rather tough on the young ladies she serves since, in today's world, young females are trying to be independent and powerful; yet, when this is combined with Niobe's historical trauma, she ends up shattering the young lady owing to her ancient ideas.However, in the end, the quest for justice triumphs, and the little girl exacts revenge for her abuse.I enjoyed this work since it provided me with a challenging experience and allowed me to see life through a new perspective.

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Writing essays was once my strongest trait or at least I thought so since I only participated in competitions at my school where most often I ended up being the champion.From that I loved to write and aspired to attend even more larger essay competitions henceforth when I was presented with the opportunity to participate in the Harvard Crimson Essay Competition I didn't hesitate even a second to join in. It was an experience that exposed me to more challenging prompts and techniques.I got to dig deeper in the world of creative writing and learn a lot more.I am very excited to continue on this path and learn more and more about writing

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Learning is a journey I like do like to explore 

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Attending the Singapore Business Conference enlightened up my viewpoints. My interest in the business world was piqued by speeches and workshops given by powerful individuals from well-known international corporations. I also learned new things from their experiences. It was also a really enjoyable and unforgettable experience to collaborate with various people from different schools on how to tackle different case studies. In addition, the fact that it was entirely student-run inspired me to take an active role in conference organization going forward.

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Since our sport is not particularly popular at my school, we had issues with attendance.But out of it, we got a small team that was easy to get along with and forge a close team relationship.All in all, I had a great time interacting with students from various grades and developing a strong team dynamic. In addition to wanting to learn much more, I am excited to play netball next year.

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Midway through my CAS journey, I’ve experienced significant personal growth. Participating in activities like Model United Nations (MUN) has been particularly eye-opening and resonates with the UWC mission of "making education a force to unite nations." Through MUN, I’ve gained essential life skills such as public speaking and advocacy.

In terms of service, I encountered some challenges while working with local organizations, but these experiences taught me valuable lessons in optimism and teamwork. I’ve made it a point to reflect at least once a month on the sessions I've participated in, and it’s always a rewarding experience. These reflections allow me to appreciate my growth and set new goals I aspire to achieve throughout my CAS journey at UWC.

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Being new to CAS, I faced several challenges in selecting the activities and service opportunities I wanted to pursue. I took the time to talk to those around me and explore different options before committing to a few activities for the season. I aimed to choose experiences that aligned with my passions and interests, as well as my curiosities. For instance, basketball was an exciting option for me, as it wasn't offered back home.

Looking ahead, I anticipate challenges in adapting to a new schedule and routine that differs significantly from my more academically focused life back home. Nevertheless, I am eager to learn about different cultures, spend time with my new friends, and navigate the new curriculum.

Through CAS, I plan to keep evidence of my experiences and reflect on my personal growth by taking pictures and writing about the activities I engage in.

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#49, Noen Hom Program - Wild Planet - Thailand

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Culturama 2024

The experience I had this year was the perfect definition of "Home away from home " This dance being my last Culturama dance in UWC meant so much to me and I am glad through it I was able to learn more about Timor Leste a country that I didn't even know existed before UWC. I got to participate in the dance with a lot of people from different backgrounds and learn about how their cultures are similar or different from mine.

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"These words I would like to tell you but you are not here " La Ma 

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The Cape Letters is the first production where I performed as the main character. On top of that, my role as a character was complex because of the themes and emotions she portrayed, ranging from loneliness, trauma from the war, and the impending tension to find her husband who went to war but neither came back nor a word about his death. I appreciate working on this production with my fellow cast members and the director. I got a better understanding of Bolivia and also how war affects women, specifically because we are mostly taught about men only.

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After learning basketball for the first time in Singapore through the pre-season sessions, I was able to get a chance to try out for the school team. Fortunately, I got in to play for Dragons B Team. The experience of playing with the team taught me many things, like learning through loss, the true definition of success, and how a team becomes like a family.

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This year I had an amazing opportunity together with my fellow wellness buddies to go and share about the work we do as wellness buddies and also different approaches that people can ask "R U OK ?" to other people as part of the movement of R U OK day. Moreover, outside the assemblies, I also got a wellness buddy and collaborated with them to help them make new friends and manage school stress. Overall I am grateful for my experience and that I could finally share what I learnt during training last year.

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For the first time, I was able to share poetry that I have written with a big audience. Spoken word this year for me was like stepping into a spotlight I never knew I needed to let my voice be heard. The theme of Culturama '24 Heritage My spoken word poetry talked exactly about how our heritage is what makes us proud in our cultures and how we should keep holding on to that for the next generations.

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OOver the past year in Grade 11, I had the opportunity to participate in a service event organized in collaboration with local organizations, where we played floorball with Special Olympians. I am truly grateful for the time I spent with them, as I learned a great deal. Primarily, I gained skills in playing floorball and learned how to address societal misconceptions about the Special Olympics. Additionally, I made new friends and had a lot of fun.

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My journey with CAS has been truly remarkable. When I first arrived at UWC, I had no prior CAS experience, so I made it a point to engage in as many activities that piqued my interest as possible. In hindsight, my most memorable experiences at UWC have all been tied to CAS, such as playing basketball and participating in the student theatre festival.

CAS has also deepened my connection to the UWC mission of making "education a force for peacebuilding." Through my involvement in various activities, I engaged in action for peacebuilding and developed practical skills like advocacy and negotiation. Embracing sustainability has become a fundamental part of my daily life, and I've established habits that I know will stay with me as I move forward.

Of course, there were challenges along the way, particularly in managing my time in a new environment filled with so many opportunities. Balancing CAS responsibilities with my academic commitments was a significant hurdle, but over time, I learned to navigate this balance. This experience has been invaluable, equipping me with the skills to prioritize work-life balance as I transition to the next stage of my life.

Looking ahead, I believe that CAS has broadened my understanding of diversity and cultural knowledge, which will be instrumental as I explore and learn about new cultures in the future.