Vol 10 June 2013
The Alumni Magazine of UWC South East Asia
Overland from Singapore
to Wales, 35 years ago
Alumni profiles
Graduation 2013
Campus updates
Reunions
Every student who leaves UWCSEA,
regardless of how long they were here, is
automatically a member of the UWCSEA
alumni community. Some of the services
that we offer alumni include:
OneºNorth
The alumni magazine of UWC South East
Asia, first published in December 2007,
is published twice per year. Please send
your contributions and/or suggestions to:
alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg.
UWCSEA alumni online community
Our password-protected alumni website
located at http://alumni.uwcsea.edu.sg
allows you to maintain your own profile,
search for and contact other registered
members, post photos and blogs, stay
informed about news and events, etc.
Friends of UWCSEA online community
The ‘Friends of UWCSEA’ password-
protected website located at
http://friends.uwcsea.edu.sg allows
parents of former students to stay
in touch with each other and with
the College.
Reunions and get-togethers
A reunion of the 40, 30, 25, 20 and 10
year anniversary classes will be held each
August in Singapore. Other alumni are also
welcome. Additional class reunions and
alumni gatherings take place in various
locations throughout the year, planned by
both UWCSEA and its alumni. Watch the
alumni website for updates and details,
and let us advertise your events!
Alumni eBrief
The Alumni eBrief is a newsletter emailed
to alumni throughout the year, containing
brief news and information to keep you
updated and informed.
Dunia
The College magazine is published
three times during the academic year,
containing College news and reports of
events and activities.
Mentor opportunities
Volunteer to be listed in the mentor section
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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.
Career services
Check this section of the site for career
opportunities or candidates, or post
your own job opening or resumé. You
can even set up alerts to be notified of
new postings.
Gap year-type opportunities for alumni
Check the Volunteer page of the website
for short to long term 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 always happy to help in any
way we can. Send your requests to us
at alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg. 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 anytime.
Please keep in touch!
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Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Indies, Zimbabwe
OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY
Alumni services
OneºNorth June 2013 3
Events and activities at UWCSEA ......... 20
UWCSEA statistics ................................... 22
House Calls
Mark Nowaczynski ’77
treating seniors in their
own homes..................................................24
Conscious capitalism
Shradha Agarwal ’04................................ 26
Kids win life-changing scholarship .........27
My gap year in India
Michaela Vebrova ’11
Not a spoiled sausage! ............................ 28
Become involved
UWCSEA’s Centre for
International Education...........................30
Careers Fair ................................................30
UWCSEA Foundation update .................31
Teo Eng Seng living and breathing art
Former UWCSEA
art teacher/Head of Art
1971–1996.................................................. 32
Reunion 2012 ............................................34
Recent reunions ........................................ 36
Long-serving teachers leaving ...............38
Upcoming reunions ..................inside back
Letter from the Head of College ..............4
Note from the Alumni Office ...................5
Shelby Davis inspires ..................................5
Cover story
Overland from UWCSEA
to Atlantic College
Amazing 16,000km road trip
exactly 35 years ago; five
students and a staff member
drove an old Land Rover
from Singapore to Wales .....6
Graduation 2013
Another 324 students
become young alumni..............................10
Mr. Rambo, I presume …
Sebastian Brack ’94 reflects
on being a delegate of the ICRC..............12
The Budden Initiative
A sponsored
student project ..........................................14
Campus updates .......................................15
From beneficiary to benefactor
Linda de Flavis
interviews Mike Ogutu ’08 .....................16
Coming of age
Louise Okatch ’14.......................................19
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.
Cover photo: A river crossing on the Overland trip from UWCSEA to Atlantic College.
Photo courtesy of Tony Dilley
Contents
Editor
Brenda Whately
Design
Gregory Parker
MICA (P) 034/03/2013
4 OneºNorth June 2013
whilst that threat has receded, the
tensions that exist within and across
national boundaries, among and between
peoples, are ever present.
When I have the opportunity to spend
time with our students I am always
inspired by their optimism, and it
leaves me optimistic that they are
developing the skills and qualities
necessary to lead by personal example
and courageous action to tackle the
issues the world is facing.
There is no doubt in my mind Hahn would
have been immensely proud of what we
are doing here at UWCSEA.
Julian Whiteley
Head of College
UWC South East Asia
Letter from the Head of College
In September 2012, we celebrated the
50th Anniversary of the founding of the
UWC movement.
When Atlantic College opened its doors
on 19 September 1962, it was hailed by
the Times of London as “the most exciting
experiment in education since the Second
World War.” The concept was innovative,
and whilst international schools existed,
never before had anyone sought to
so deliberately bring young people
together from so many different nations
to be educated. The aspiration was to
promote intercultural understanding; the
inspiration was Kurt Hahn.
Hahn was by all accounts an
extraordinary man, a man of ideas, a man
of words and a man of action. People
who met him were not only struck by
his intellect but also his compassion.
He had an intuitive feel for what an
education should be about. He believed
strongly in the notion that it was about
personal development—a preparation
for life, not just university; he believed
in the importance of students taking
responsibility for themselves and their
actions; and he was adamant that service
to one’s fellow beings should be central
to that education. It is clear beyond any
possible doubt that active service to
those in need of help does, both in deed
and reality, constitute a common bond
between people, nations and cultures.
Hahn was an entrepreneur, a man ahead
of his times, a visionary. As well as being
instrumental in the development of
UWC, he founded the Outward Bound
Movement and the Duke of Edinburgh
Award Scheme, which later morphed into
the National Youth Achievement Award.
The Round Square movement, of which
there are now over 100 schools, was one
of his initiatives and the structure of the
IB Diploma Programme including the
requirement to study a range of subjects
(although science was not offered),
CAS and the Extended Essay evolved
from the curriculum at Atlantic College.
His legacy is huge.
So what of the future? Hahn could not
possibly have imagined the world we live
in today and the impact of technology
in creating globalization. The need, and
I do mean need, for schools of a similar
ilk to UWCSEA is more pressing today
than it has ever been before. The UWC
movement was founded at a time when
the world was faced with the very real
possibility of a nuclear holocaust and
OneºNorth June 2013 5
This is our tenth issue of the alumni
magazine! It’s been a full year since the
last issue, and the time has gone by very
quickly. We now have 324 new alumni
from the Class of 2013.
Note from the
Alumni Office
Photos of the graduation day ceremony
have been included in these pages as well
as photos of Reunion 2012 and alumni get-
togethers that have taken place around
the world since then. Further photos
can be viewed on the event calendar of
the alumni site. This issue again features
updates about the College along with a
number of interesting profiles and articles
by and about some of your fellow alumni.
One of these articles describes a road
trip taken 35 years ago by five graduating
students and a teacher who drove from
UWCSEA in Singapore to UWC Atlantic
in Wales! Please read on—I hope you will
enjoy the stories that follow.
There are a number of teachers retiring this
year, each having taught for a significant
number of years at UWCSEA. They will be
missed. We wish them all the best.
If you have any contributions or
suggestions for the next issue of the
alumni magazine, or for the alumni
programme, please do let us know.
On behalf of Sona, Siti and myself, Alumni
Relations wishes you all the best!
Regards,
Brenda Whately
Director of Alumni Relations
UWC South East Asia
alumni@uwcsea.edu.sg
Brenda and Sona with Niru at the New York alumni
gathering May 2013
By Wyclife Onyango Omondi
UWCSEA 2011-2013
Class of 2013
On 21 February, Shelby Davis,
philanthropist and founder of the
Davis UWC Scholars Program visited
UWCSEA with his wife Gale.
Grade 12 student, Wyclife Onyango
Omondi shares his experience of the visit:
The much-anticipated Shelby Davis
visit coincided with Mother Language
Day. Dressed in our fabulous cultural
costumes, a group of UWCSEA Dover
students and staff welcomed Shelby
Davis and his wife, Gale Davis, with a
lunch at the Nelson Mandela Library.
I was greatly inspired by his story. His first
encounter with the UWC movement was
when he met two boys—one Israeli, one
Palestinian—discussing their countries’
conflict at UWC-USA. This was his
inspiration to embark on an exciting but
challenging journey—the Davis UWC
Scholars Program.
At the student presentation after the
lunch, Mr. Davis stood up and held the
attention of all in the room with his
first words, “There are three types of
people in the world: those who make
things happen, those who watch things
happen and those who wonder what
happened. I invest in you because you
make things happen.”
Mr. Davis is a great leader and mentor
to our community. Not only a generous
donor who has helped many of us to
achieve quality education regardless of
our backgrounds, he is also a role model
to students, reminding us of the power of
determination in helping us make positive
changes to our communities.
Over 12 years, 233 UWCSEA students
have received scholarships to US
universities through the programme.
Since its establishment in 2000, 4,843
scholars from 147 countries have been
provided with scholarships to 90 different
US universities and colleges.
Visit www.davisuwcscholars.org to
learn more, and visit the eDunia on
the UWCSEA main website to watch
a video of Shelby Davis explaining his
commitment to the programme.
Shelby Davis inspires
6 OneºNorth June 2013
By Brenda Whately
At the end of the 1978 academic year
exactly 35 years ago, an amazing two-
month, 16,000km road trip took place.
After many months of planning, four new
UWCSEA graduates, a young UWCSEA
alumnus and a teacher drove a second-
hand Land Rover from Singapore to
Atlantic College in Wales, through
many countries that would not be
possible to travel through today. The
teacher was Head of Biology at the time,
Tony Dilley. The alumnus was Giorgio
Conti, Italian and the four new graduates
were Paul Cummins, Australian, Hans
Kleppa, Norwegian, Nicolai Foong,
Malaysian at the time and Monica Lugato,
another Italian. Unfortunately, the
students who originally proposed the idea
ended up being unable to participate for
various reasons.
Starting out on 30 June, the group drove
across the causeway from Singapore to
Johore Bahru, up to Kuala Lumpur and
into Penang, Malaysia. From there they
took a ferry to Madras (now Chennai),
India, because at the time it was not
possible to go through Burma (now
Myanmar). They drove from there to
Bangalore, Goa, Bombay (now Mumbai),
north to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and on
to Delhi where they picked up visas that
would allow them to continue their trip.
From there they crossed into Pakistan
and Afghanistan. From Islamabad they
travelled to Peshawar, Kabul, Kandahar,
Herat and then on to Tehran, Iran. They
proceeded on through Ankara and
Istanbul, Turkey; Athens, Greece; Rome,
Italy; Geneva, Switzerland; Paris, France
and London, England, finally arriving in
Wales on the first of September.
from UWCSEA to Atlantic College
Overland
OneºNorth June 2013 7
Although they arrived on schedule,
there were many unforeseen difficulties
along the way, involving delays due to
bureaucracy and mechanical problems
with the vehicle, attempted thefts,
constant changes in diet and a few
serious health issues. They were six adults
cramped into an old Land Rover, two
in front and four in the back. Despite
the inevitable problems, meeting the
people, observing the culture and seeing
the scenery in many parts of Asia that
became unsafe for travellers soon
afterwards and remains that way today
due to politics and war, it was an amazing
experience for five young UWCSEA
alumni and one teacher.
The following article is based mainly on
Tony Dilley’s article The Overlanders that
appeared in the UWCSEA Mengembara
magazine of September 1979 along with
some recent updates.
On the very first day of the trip, the
group encountered problems entering
Malaysia because they didn’t have the
correct paperwork for the Land Rover.
After a delay of 24 hours, the trip finally
began again, stopping on the way to
Penang to pick up new tires that had
been donated to them. Four days later,
on the fourth of July, the Land Rover was
loaded onto a ferry heading to India.
For four days they steamed across the
Indian Ocean in third class, eating curry
for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Monica
says, “It was very tough indeed.” Nicolai
managed to entertain himself with a
grand piano that they found ludicrously
out of place on the old ship. Arriving in
what was then Madras, they met up with
another 24-hour delay at Customs. It
was here that they first undertook repairs
to the fuel pump, a problem that would
plague them for most of the remainder of
the trip until it was eventually identified
and solved by the group themselves after
countless mechanics along the way had
failed to do so.
One of the official aims of the trip
was to spread the word about the
UWC movement. To aid in this goal,
the sides of the Land Rover had been
painted with ‘United World College of
South East Asia’ and the group met up
with representatives from some of the
National Committees along the way. A
further goal of the trip was to provide
a challenging and unique educational
experience that included fundraising,
planning, organising, as well as lessons
in teamwork and group welfare. It would
also introduce the students first-hand to
a huge area of the world that they might
not otherwise see.
When the group landed in Madras, the
dirt and the street beggars were their first
introduction to the extreme poverty of
so many in that area. From Madras, they
travelled through agricultural country
where they found that life appeared to go
on as it had for thousands of years, the
people working to provide just enough
food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof
over their heads. Up into the hills the
air got colder, and it rained to the point
where the group couldn’t get dry in the
cramped quarters of the Land Rover.
In Bombay they saw big city life, in
Bangalore they admired the interesting
architecture and in Goa they experienced
a place completely unlike the rest of
India. After driving through the night
to reach Agra and see the Taj Mahal,
looking forward to some rest when they
arrived, they were discouraged to find
that the road they were travelling came
to an abrupt end at a river over which the
bridge had been washed out by torrential
flooding. They camped there that night
along with crowds of other people, cars,
cows and chickens until a temporary
ferry arrived in the morning to take them
across to the other side. At this point, it
was the 18th of July. By the 20th they
were in Delhi, collecting visas for the rest
of the trip.
Having to skip Kashmir because of
the delays in the schedule, they drove
through the Punjab into Pakistan
8 OneºNorth June 2013
where they found not just the scenery
to be incredible but also the friendliness
of the people—with endless cups of
tea and conversations about the group,
the trip and UWC. Tony wrote, “It was
an interesting exercise in communication
for although we had a variety of
languages within the group, Urdu
wasn’t one of them.”
From there, it was into the Khyber
Pass and Afghanistan on the heels of a
revolution. The scenery of the Khyber
Pass was spectacular. They saw numerous
nomad settlements surrounded by
donkeys and camels, and it was here that
they were ambushed by children in search
of cigarettes and had to avoid a flight of
rocks when they didn’t comply. In Kabul,
they found the people very friendly and
felt that they made many friends there.
Although there was an ever-present
threat of violence with soldiers and tanks
in the city along with a curfew, Tony says,
“Everyone enjoyed Afghanistan.” They
crossed the Kandahar desert next and
entered the outskirts of Herat, pushing
the Land Rover. Hans says, “We had
run out of fuel because the fuel station
marked on the map in the extremely hot
Kandahar desert had been closed down!
We bought a few litres from a boy by the
roadside and were then able to drive into
town.” After another day’s delay while
Customs performed a thorough drug
search, they crossed the border the next
morning into Iran.
In Iran, they found that while people in
the desert lived in fortressed villages, in
the towns, especially Tehran, everything
was modern and busy. On the 10th
of August, they crossed into Turkey to
another change in diet as well as scenery;
from mountains and desert to lush
greenery. Crossing the Bosphorus into
Istanbul and European Turkey had proved
to feel like a home-coming of sorts
with its more familiar European culture.
Although Istanbul was a highlight, they
were soon headed into Greece due to the
tight schedule. It was now 19 August.
They had to hurry through Greece,
stopping in Thessalonika for the fourth
fuel pump of the trip and in Athens to
pick up Paul who had left the group a
little earlier to meet his parents who
were holidaying there. Paul’s trip after
leaving the vehicle to head to Athens,
was an adventure in itself—but that’s
another story!
It was here that the group found and fixed
their recurring mechanical problem.
From there it was another ship to Bari,
Italy and a short drive to Rome where
they received a huge welcome from the
Conti and Lugato families and a donation
from the Italian National Committee.
Paul unfortunately had to leave the
group and end his journey here due to
severe illness.
On the way to Trieste, which was the
proposed home for what was to be
the new UWC of the Adriatic, they ran
into different mechanical problems
and never quite made it. They did
however subsequently make it to
Geneva, Paris and London where they
had a champagne reception at UWC’s
London House. The next day, on the 1st
of September, they arrived at Atlantic
College, right on schedule. One of the
biggest disappointments of the trip was
that there was almost no one there to
greet them after such a long and arduous
journey, but they were happy to have
made it nonetheless, with no doubt a
great sense of accomplishment and a
wealth of memories from an unbelievably
amazing experience.
To read Tony Dilley’s full Mengembara
article, The Overlanders, or the 1978
Harlequin newspaper article, and/
or to view more photos of the trip,
compliments of Nicolai Foong,
Giorgio Conti and Tony Dilley,
visit the following URL: http://alumni.
uwcsea.edu.sg/?page=Overland_trip
“… a challenging and
unique educational
experience.”
OneºNorth June 2013 9
Here is a brief update about the
participants of the trip and a comment
from each as they were asked to reflect on
their incredible experience 35 years on.
Monica Lugato (UWCSEA 1976–1978),
Italian scholar. Monica is a Professor of
International Law at the School of Law,
and Coordinator of the International
Program in Law at Lumsa University,
Rome, having achieved her PhD at the
University of Rome La Sapienza.
“The trip was a most amazing and
enriching experience in all respects—
what we saw, the people we met, the
day-by-day getting along of the group,
the constant challenge of being in
unknown places, facing unknown
languages and cultures. It had a deep
impact on the shaping of my personality,
my vision of life, my personal heritage—
who I am. The interesting thing is that I
have just come to realise that recently.”
Nicolai Foong (UWCSEA 1971–1978)
studied economics at Stanford and
medicine at the University of Chicago and
UCLA in California. He is an obstetrician/
gynaecologist in California with two
private practices. In addition, he has also
been the pro bono medical director of
the Los Angeles Chinatown Free Clinic
since 1998. Nicolai further volunteers
his time each year to travel with a group
of doctors to other parts of the world to
lecture at local hospitals.
About the trip, Nic says, “I volunteered to
go because I was always an avid traveller,
and did not want to miss an opportunity
of a lifetime—which it was. I am so glad
that I made the trip.
It was a life-changing experience. It
allowed me the rare opportunity to learn
about the life and cultures of countries
that are no longer safely available to
young tourists; places like Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Iran. The trip instilled in me
an everlasting interest in global affairs.
I can only hope that in this new, turbulent
world, my two sons will be able to have
a wonderful experience similar to the
one I had.”
Paul Cummins (UWCSEA 1976–1978),
Australian scholar. Paul went on to obtain
a B.Ec.(Hons) at Australian National
University (ANU) and worked for 25
years in the banking industry. His last role
was to set up and run the compliance
department for the Bank of China in
Australia. Interestingly, his job on the trip
was to look after the group’s finances!
Since retiring, Paul has continued to do
consultancy work. He has been together
with his partner, Kevin, for over 20 years.
Paul says, “We were incredibly lucky
to do the trip when we did—before
Afghanistan was invaded by the Russians
in 1980 and before the Shah of Iran was
toppled in 1979. Either of these events
would have made our passage difficult,
if not impossible. The thing that stays in
my mind most is traversing the Khyber
Pass, something you would be unable to
safely do today. It was the most rugged
but breathtakingly beautiful landscape
I have ever seen. It was the sort of trip
that you would only think of when
you are 18 and indestructible. It was a
fantastic experience.”
Hans Kleppa (UWCSEA 1977–1979)
pursued pilot training in the Royal
Norwegian Air Force. He currently
works on the ground for Scandinavian
Airlines Systems (SAS) and has his
own consultancy, Kleppa and Co, that
recently project-managed Scandinavia’s
largest marina expansion project. With
a number of patents to his name, he was
a driving force in the development of
a new IT system for check-in and gate/
boarding control systems for SAS. Hans
lives with his girlfriend outside Oslo and
volunteers as a Common Law judge in
the Appeals courts.
About the trip, Hans says, “It is incredible
how people across different countries
seem kind and generous, regardless of
their often modest or poor lot in life.
Poverty was often rampant and often it
was sad to see how religion and tradition
both ‘usefully guide’ and ‘uselessly
repress’ so many poor people. However,
to personally ‘smell,’ experience and see
up close, everyday lives that we otherwise
fly over at 30,000 feet, was awesome.
And the biggest lesson learned? Basic
education, more respect for the needs of
the poor and a much better spread of the
world’s wealth with healthy capitalism
bridled by healthy socialism, seem so
important for greater world congeniality.”
Giorgio Conti (UWCSEA 1972–1974)
was one of the first Italian scholarship
students at UWCSEA. After leaving, he
pursued European Studies at Lancaster
University and is now CEO of Eurolib Srl,
an Italian services company that works
primarily with scientific research centres,
hospitals, schools and universities. He
has been involved with Libya over the
years, most recently there to help with
the repair of the hospitals, supplying
equipment and technicians.
Giorgio says, “I was invited on the
Overland trip while I was the alumni
representative on the International Board
of Directors. I accepted whole-heartedly
this opportunity. It gave me more reason
to try and get a feeling of a region of the
world that I had never visited. I cannot
but be grateful to UWCSEA for the
experiences it gave me which have helped
in my work, especially in countries such as
Nigeria and Libya.”
Tony Dilley taught biology at UWCSEA
from 1976 to 1981 and was Head of
Biology at the time of the Overland trip.
After the trip, he returned to Singapore
and in 1981 married and returned to the
UK. He read for a further degree at Balliol
College, Oxford and set up an Oxford-
based educational trekking company
taking trips to the Western Himalayas.
After being Science Department Chair at
Jakarta International School from ’84 to
’91 he returned again to the UK where he
is now retired and writing.
Recalling the experience of 35 years
ago he says, “I was recruited at the last
minute when the school required that
a teacher accompany the group. This is
the 35th anniversary of the first serious
adventure undertaken by any UWC! The
trip turned out to be more difficult than
ever expected. Had we known then … !”
And where are they now?
10 OneºNorth June 2013
Graduation 2013
On Saturday, 25 May, we celebrated
the achievements of the Class of 2013.
Three hundred and twenty-four students
graduated from UWCSEA’s Dover Campus
this year with 62 nationalities represented,
our most diverse group of graduates yet.
We were delighted to welcome Heron
Holloway as our guest speaker. Heron
was a boarder at UWCSEA from 1993 to
2000, subsequently going on to achieve
an undergraduate degree in Sociology and
Anthropology and a Master’s degree in
International Relations. She has worked at
the British Red Cross, was twice seconded
to the International Federation of the Red
Cross and currently works for Habitat for
Humanity, improving media relations and
disaster communications activity across
Asia Pacific.
Heron’s two main messages to the
graduates were one, the reassurance that
everything will be okay and two, to make
the decision to not just be a global citizen
but an active global citizen.
Heron was followed by the student
speaker, Kris Ferrin, a former member of
the Alumni Council, who gave an inspiring
message about enduring friendships and
the need to remain connected.
This was a more than special graduation
ceremony as it was the last one to be
presided over by Di Smart, the Principal
of High School. After more than 20 years,
Di will be leaving UWCSEA this year. The
graduates expressed their respect and
love for Di with big hugs as they walked
across the stage to accept their diplomas
and a standing ovation after her warm
and inspirational closing speech.
For more reunion photos, see the event
calendar/past events on the alumni site:
http://alumni.uwcsea.edu.sg
OneºNorth June 2013 11
12 OneºNorth June 2013
Mr. Rambo, I presume ...
By Sebastian Brack
UWCSEA 1991–1994
Class of 1994
In the 2005 satire Thank you for smoking,
Nick Naylor, a cynical spokesman for the
tobacco industry, is asked by a journalist
why he does it. Besides paying down his
mortgage, he answers that he likes the
challenge, and adds, “If I wanted an easy
job, I would go work for the Red Cross.”
Having been a delegate of the
International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) in a number of crises and conflicts
in the Near East, Sub-Saharan Africa and
South Asia, I would have to disagree with
Nick Naylor’s assessment. Over my nine-
year career with the organisation, I was
shot at, kidnapped, caught malaria and
hauled over the coals by a government
minister. Of the many adjectives I would
use to describe my former job, easy would
not be one of them.
Why on Earth would someone willingly
expose himself to such dangers? I too
would sometimes ask myself that logical
question. I remember distinctly when I
ceased to be able to find a convincing
answer. It was in Côte d’Ivoire in 2011.
I was in the first humanitarian convoy of
relief into Abobo, a neighbourhood of the
capital which had just seen fighting as the
rebels closed in on President Gbagbo’s
regime. Driving past corpses and
negotiating our way through checkpoints
manned by armed and dangerously
unpredictable feral youth, I decided
I had had enough of this lifestyle.
The ICRC is a unique organisation.
Founded 150 years ago, it is one of the
oldest humanitarian organisations in
the world, specialised in protecting and
assisting the victims of armed conflicts
and ‘other situations of violence.’ It is the
guardian of the Geneva Conventions, the
backbone of International Humanitarian
Law (IHL), on which its work is predicated.
Much as one is wont to rewrite the past
to fit into a convenient self-flattering
narrative, I have to admit that altruism
was not the main reason I joined the
ICRC. As my Oxford contemporaries
entered the ranks of banking and
consulting in London, I knew I wanted a
more adventurous life.
My stint at UWCSEA no doubt influenced
me, but so did my childhood readings
of Tintin and Corto Maltese! The idea of
going to exotic locations, in the midst of
war, to bring relief to innocent victims
was wildly romantic to me. It suited me
down to the ground. Or so I thought.
My first head of delegation took a
different view. He had asked Geneva for
an old hand, who ideally spoke Arabic,
for what was then one of the toughest
assignments in the Occupied Territories:
Jenin during the Second Intifada. It was
a hotbed of militancy, and there were
regular Israeli military raids.
The only Arabic word I knew was kebab
and, while I fancied myself as something
of an expert on conflict, having studied
international relations and diplomacy,
I quickly realised that my knowledge
Sebastian visiting Bedouin in the Jordan Valley
after their camp had been raised by the Israeli
army. He was there to get the details and
deliver some emergency assistance.
was entirely theoretical. The Diplomatic
Academy of Vienna had taught me about
the Napoleonic wars, the Congress of
Vienna and how to dance the Waltz,
not how to handle angry armed men
at a check-point. My boss almost sent
me back to Geneva forthwith, but he
was short of delegates, and I had been
considered a promising recruit at the
ICRC’s training school, so he gave me
a chance.
I initially thought he had done me a
favour, but after several sleepless nights
cowing in the ‘safe room’ of our house,
the sound of jets and helicopter gunships
overhead, I was not so sure anymore.
What aid we could afford the victims of
the fighting, in the form of tarpaulins,
buckets, food and the like, seemed pretty
derisory set against the wreckage of
people’s houses or the corpses of their
loved ones. What’s more, we had to
work with unsavoury local powerbrokers
who were constantly trying to manipulate
our assistance and interventions for their
own ends.
Our ‘humanitarian diplomacy’ with
the people involved in the fighting on
both sides on behalf of the victims and
international humanitarian law proved
equally frustrating. We were well
received, served litres of tasty coffee
and sickly-sweet tea but, ultimately, we
were powerless to change matters. In the
Occupied Territories, I quickly understood
the limits of ‘humanitarian action.’
As mission followed mission, and
I changed continents, those basic
limitations did not change. Everywhere I
worked, I was acutely conscious that we
were bit players in a much larger political
game on which we had little purchase.
That is not to say we did not make a
difference. On the contrary, we saved
countless lives, gave the many prisoners
we visited protection, hope and medicine
they would not otherwise have had, and
maybe even prevented some atrocities.
But it was a far cry from the heroic
humanitarian role I had imagined. We
did good, but we could not do better.
Trying to convince soldiers and rebels,
many of whom were suspected of war
crimes, to respect the laws of war led to
some of the most surreal situations of
my life. I will never forget one particular
talk I gave to some (heavily armed)
rebel commanders at their camp in the
middle of the Congolese jungle. After
I had explained the practical benefits
of respecting the Geneva Conventions,
one of them, who went by the name
of Rambo (sic.), asked me what was
the penalty foreseen in the Geneva
Conventions for killing an ICRC delegate.
After a few uncomfortable seconds
spent calculating whether I could reach
my jeep before they shot me, the group
burst out laughing. Who says warmongers
don’t have a sense of humour? We later
drank home-made palm wine together
from the same (foul) jerry-can to seal
our ‘friendship.’
The biggest reward of those many years
‘in the field’ was certainly the human
experience. I don’t know how many
people’s lives I actually ‘saved,’ but I
certainly learnt more about the world,
about life and about myself than I had
ever imagined when I joined the ICRC. I
had applied for a job; I got a life-changing
formative experience. I had set out to
change the world, but of course it was the
world that changed me.
War, and the suffering that comes
with it, brings out both the best and the
worst in people. It is in those extreme
conditions that our humanity is put to
the test. I discovered that people are
never black or white, but infinite shades
of grey, and that you can always find
common ground, even with warlords
and “terrorists”. At the end of the day,
people almost always think they are
decent human beings. They always
have (or invent) some rationale for their
actions, as heinous as they may be. But
that means that if you have understood
their narrative, you can often get them to
support your humanitarian endeavour.
I also learned that a country without
a state or the rule of law leads to
Hobbesian conditions where man
becomes a wolf for man. But I also came
to question the ability of outsiders to
help create that state. I have become
convinced that “development” has to
be an endogenous process. Foreigners
can help (or sometimes jeopardise) the
process, but it is up to those countries
themselves to fashion their own future.
Brenda asked me to conclude with a tip
for current students and young alumni
wondering what to do with their lives. If
you want a challenging life experience,
don’t listen to Nick Naylor: go work for
the ICRC.
Sebastian Brack with Kofi Annan and President
Francois Hollande, May 2013.
Sebastian left the ICRC early last year
to run a French electoral campaign.
His candidate won, and now sits in the
French Parliament, but instead of moving
to Paris, he went to work for Kofi Annan,
joining the small team that assists him
in conflict prevention and mediation.
He is based in Geneva.
“It is in those extreme
conditions that our humanity
is put to the test.”
14 OneºNorth June 2013
By Jonathan Parr
really well thought out and articulated
proposals, but we liked the fact that this
idea would tackle environmental issues
and potentially bring about a permanent
change in waste management that had
the potential to impact a large part of the
UWCSEA community.”
In January 2013, the group behind the
winning proposal set about putting their
plans into place and began working with
the Facilities team on Dover Campus
to source the ideal location and make
the necessary preparation for their
composting facility. Keen to make
the best use of resources available,
they scoured the Mathematics Block
refurbishment site for suitable rubble,
also known as ‘hardcore’ and collected
old bits of wood that would eventually
form the base of their vegetable planter
boxes. Giving up their Saturdays and
after-school time, the ‘hands-on’
group were determined to build a
community area that mattered and
would leave a lasting legacy for the
whole College community.
On 26 February, with the composting
bins built and ready for service, the
group began collecting vegetable and
fruit peelings from the school caterer,
Sodexo, and 50kg of peelings later, the
composting programme was born.
With stage one completed, the group
then set about preparing their first
planter box. Having been inspired by the
Community Garden on East Campus, the
box will feature chilli, basil and mint and
be open to the whole community to make
use of in exchange for a small donation.
When asked why the group chose to focus
on composting, William Sandlund (Billy)
explained, “We saw the Budden Initiative
as a fantastic opportunity to put what
we have learned at UWCSEA into action
and begin addressing a real concern—
the amount of waste we produce.
We are passionate about protecting
the environment and promoting
sustainability. This project allows us to
educate others about where food comes
from and make much better use of the
waste we produce so that it reaps benefits
for our community.”
Alexander Smit (Xander) agrees,
“It was our chance to be the change we
want to see in the world and, thanks
to the Budden Initiative, we are making
a difference. We hope this will be the
start of something special and, over
time, transform students’ attitudes to
food waste.”
Andy and Mei Budden have been
delighted with the progress of the
composting programme and that their
initiative received such an enthusiastic
response from the students. Andy says,
“Mei and I are firm believers in the
UWCSEA mission, and we also love
the diversity in the College community.
Our aim with the Initiative is simply
to demonstrate what can be achieved
when a diverse group of students
comes together to share a common
purpose that can enrich the broader
UWCSEA community.”
Looking to the future, the group will be
spreading the word about their project
and building more planter boxes. Based
on the response they have received so far
and the connections they have made with
environmental Global Concern groups,
they are confident that composting will
be here to stay at Dover.
The Budden Initiative
Set up by Andy and Mei Budden, current
parents and long-time supporters of
UWCSEA, the Budden Initiative is a
programme that sponsors senior student-
led projects that put UWCSEA’s mission
and ethos into practice and make a
difference to the College and/or the wider
community.
Having received proposals that ranged
from addressing sanitation issues in a
slum in India and using art to connect
Singaporean and Malaysian communities,
to promoting children’s literacy issues
in Sri Lanka, the Buddens selected a
composting programme for the Dover
Campus as the first project to benefit
from their funding.
Put together by six Grade 11 students, the
idea to build a composting area within the
school grounds struck a chord with Andy
Budden. He explained, “We had some
OneºNorth June 2013 15
Physical upgrades
at Dover Campus
By Frazer Cairns
Head of Dover Campus
Dover has seen a considerable amount
of change over the past few years. If you
come on campus, the most noticeable
change that will greet you will be the new
Middle School block. This has provided
the campus with additional much-needed
classrooms as well as a multipurpose hall,
a purpose-built gymnastics gymnasium
and a base for the Middle School. The
humanities block has been refurbished
(discovering once more the arched
ceilings of the original design) and, since
December, work has also been going on
to refurbish the old mathematics block.
It is not always clear what you will find
when you strip out a building but, perhaps
in fitting with what was a British Army
school building, all fixtures and fittings
in the maths block seem to be from the
UK. In fact, the building was happily
using most of the original underlying
infrastructure—the electrical main
board and wiring, for example, were
manufactured using Bakelite in 1958 (and
still very compliant to modern code).
Perhaps most surprisingly, the two main
air conditioning units still running the
whole block were found to be made by a
company called Andrews Air-conditioning
in Stockport (a town in the north of
England), which went out of business in
1963. Until a few weeks ago, the units
were still running using their original parts
including the original belt driven motor!
The bricks in the building’s construction
are stamped with ‘Alexandra,’ which
shows that they were sourced locally
from the Alexandra brickworks in Pasir
Panjang. The brick works closed in the
early 1970s and became the current PSA
warehouse. However, when in operation,
the bricks were made from a combination
of Jurong clay and material extracted
from the hills of Pasir Panjang.
Update from
East Campus
By James Dalziel
Head of East Campus
Greetings from the UWCSEA East
Campus in Tampines. As many of you
may be aware, we have a current student
body of almost 2,000 students ranging
from Kindergarten through Grade 11.
In the 2013/2014 academic year, we
will be celebrating our first cohort of
160 graduates from our IB Diploma
programme. Over the following two
years, we will expand to full capacity
and see our student numbers grow
to over 2,500 students and over 300
teaching staff. As you well know, success
is not about numbers, it is about the
unique learning that goes on within the
UWCs and the long term impact that
has on our lives. While we are pleased
with the interest in our campus and
subsequent growth, we are most proud
of our East Campus community of
students, teachers and parents, and their
commitment to the mission and values
of the UWC movement.
Thank you to those of you who have
visited the campus for an event or just
dropped in to say hello and walk around.
Please know that you are always welcome.
An old security coordination room
was found behind the old college
shop, still with posters and emergency
contact numbers (and a few familiar
names) from the 1990s on the wall.
An old Head’s office door was found
upstairs leading to what was a computer
lab (though thankfully there was no sign
of an old Head).
We will be salvaging some of the bricks
and also the large slabs of hardwood that
made up the staircase railings and hopefully
we will find a way to incorporate them
back into the campus. The ‘fins’ on the
outside of the building are being retained
to try to keep a similar architectural look to
the building. Inside, however, will be very
different with interactive whiteboards in
each classroom and ‘operable walls’ that
will allow two classrooms to be joined
together into one multipurpose space for
exhibitions or lectures.
If you are interested in seeing the
improvements in action please do feel
free to contact us and we will arrange a
tour of the building.
16 OneºNorth June 2013
By Linda de Flavis
Mike Ogutu
UWCSEA 2006–2008
Class of 2008
Have you ever wondered whether
National Committee scholarships really
benefit the scholars’ communities?
Mike Ogutu is living proof of the
difference they can make. Now a Senior
Associate at a Boston-based financial
securities firm, Mike has travelled far
from his roots in rural Kenya. As a boy,
walking 14 kilometers each day to an
under-resourced school with poor results,
Mike longed for a better education. His
grades had qualified him for the best
government school in his district, but he
had to settle for the cheapest, at $125 a
year. “And even then, I was turned away
when I couldn’t pay—sometimes missing
weeks of school until my parents could
scrape together the money and I was
allowed to return.”
Despite the obstacles, Mike’s dreams
came true when he set a school record in
his national exams and won a scholarship
to UWCSEA that transformed his life.
He went on to study Economics at
Middlebury, an elite liberal arts college
in Vermont, thanks to the generosity of
Shelby Davis (the American philanthropist
whose UWC-Davis Scholars Program has
already sponsored more than 4,200 UWC
graduates at 94 US universities).
But the story of transformation is not
merely personal. Inspired by Shelby Davis’
principle of ‘Learn, earn and return,’
Mike, at 24, is a philanthropist in his own
right, launching the Ungana Scholarship
programme to enable impoverished
students from his district to attend
school. The fund currently supports
25 scholars, with a special commitment
to girls.
I caught up with Mike recently and asked
him about Ungana and his experiences
that led up to its founding:
How did Ungana begin?
It began informally in my first year at
Middlebury, as a way of giving back.
People in my community had been so
generous to me, chipping in the little they
had to help with school fees whenever
my parents ran out of money. From
UWCSEA onwards, the world opened up
to me and so many people believed in and
encouraged me. I went to university on
a full scholarship. I’m indebted to all the
people who helped me go through my
own education.
At Middlebury, I worked several campus
jobs to raise $250 so I could sponsor
two scholars. In my final year, buoyed
up by the stronger performances of
the students I’d sponsored, I decided to
help many more and let the world know
that there is great potential in students
from rural areas. They are smart, creative
and potential leaders in various fields.
They simply lack $125 to be in school
learning uninterruptedly.
I like being resourceful to people who
are less fortunate, and I believe that
the students I sponsor will be great one
day. It’s just a matter of giving them the
opportunity and they’ll be the leaders our
societies need. UWCSEA also developed
my innate desire to give back, through
service and Global Concerns. I’m a living
witness and testimony, having been a
beneficiary and now a benefactor, to how
small changes can change the world.
Tell us about your home
life prior to UWCSEA
I was born and raised in rural Kenya. I
relied on a small portable radio for news
and used to listen to the BBC—at least,
when I had batteries. Getting hold of daily
newspapers was not something I could
even imagine, so we had little exposure to
the world outside, even in school. We had
no electricity and relied on small lanterns
to do our homework at night. On days
when there was no paraffin, there was no
studying.
Why were your parents so supportive
of your educational goals?
My Dad is a Grade 5 drop out. I don’t
know my Mum’s level of education. She
dropped out even earlier and never talks
about it. As ‘failures,’ my parents always
wanted their children to get the best
education in Kenya. They did their very
best to make this possible. Mum got up
at 3am every morning to wake me and
make sure I studied before starting the
long morning walk. She also prepared
breakfast so I would have energy for the
long day and journey home.
From beneficiary to benefactor
OneºNorth June 2013 17
What were some of the challenges
you faced at your school in Kenya?
We lacked the resources that other
schools enjoyed—books, lab equipment,
even teachers. Learning was a struggle.
Some teachers were really good but
others would show up only 10 minutes
before the end of class. In my final year,
our Biology class had not even finished
the previous year’s syllabus. I took it as a
challenge and taught my fellow students
the concepts we needed to know.
How did you learn about
the UWC scholarships?
My friend heard about the scholarship
competition on the radio and encouraged
me to try it out. I had never heard of
UWCSEA or even Singapore back then. I
applied with my national exam results—
you needed at least an A- aggregate
grade—and was called for an interview.
I found myself competing with people
from high-performing national schools
that had exposure to such opportunities.
The competition was very stiff and, on
top of that, there were so many stressful
challenges involved in travelling to the
interview day, that I have never quite
stopped wondering how it turned out in
my favour!
I believe you also faced some
challenges in joining us at UWCSEA?
Yes, many challenges! When I boarded an
Emirates Airbus in Nairobi, the first flight
of my entire life, I didn’t even know where
Singapore was. I’d spent the previous
month going back and forth every two
days to try and collect my passport from
the Immigration Office in Kisumu. The
officers wanted a bribe but I don’t do
that, so I just kept showing up.
While I was still chasing a passport to fly
to Singapore, school had already started.
My family didn’t want me to go away so it
was a lone battle for me. Finally I went to
the Nairobi Immigration Office, and the
Kenya UWC chairperson contacted some
people there. I got my passport and flew
out the next day. By then it was three
weeks into the semester at UWCSEA.
Weren’t you tempted to give in
and bribe the immigration official?
After all, you were already three
weeks late for school …
I believe in personal integrity. I change
what’s bad and try the best I can to
prevent any escalation of a vice. No
matter the situation I am in, I choose to
not do bad to get to a better place.
What was it like flying for the first
time, alone, to a foreign country?
I didn’t enjoy it. I was tired. I just kept
telling myself whenever I get there,
I’ll be happy. I reached Changi around
9pm but there was nobody to meet me,
due to a communication glitch. I even
wondered if UWCSEA had written me off
by then! Since I had only $10 and a small
suitcase, I decided to stay at the airport
until 6am. In the morning I took a taxi to
Senior House. The first person I met was
a cleaner who lent me my cab fare and
called the boarding house director for me.
That cleaner’s kindness is one reason I
want to come back to Singapore!
She may not recognise you as the
shy boy she helped that day! Tell us
about your career—how does it help
you with your NGO work?
I’m in the Professional Development
Program at State Street Corporation.
I deal with figures, learn about the
regulations, investment opportunities
and market trends every day at work.
With this, I’ve learned to appreciate and
account for every penny that donors
or I contribute to the NGO. From the
knowledge I’ve gathered at work, I’ve
also learnt how to present our NGO
financials to our supporters and Board
of Advisors. It gives me ideas about
business opportunities we could one day
pursue as an NGO for its sustainability.
All this has ensured transparency and
easy management.
How much has your NGO grown?
We’ve already sponsored several very
smart, creative students, who possessed
leadership qualities but lacked funds.
Some are orphans. They’ve continued
to outperform other students, which we
attribute to being able to spend more
time in school studying. We just selected
23 more students for the 2013 academic
year. We work with local schools and have
volunteers in our Independent Committee
who vet applications and choose the
most deserving candidates.
“I’m a living witness and
testimony, having been
a beneficiary and now a
benefactor, to how small
changes can change the world.”
18 OneºNorth June 2013
What are the biggest
challenges you face?
Raising money is always a challenge,
and in most cases I have used personal
savings to fund the project. We hope to
overcome this challenge since we’re now
a registered legal entity and can appeal
for donations. Volunteers on the ground
can be a headache; things may not get
done on time. We have so far solved
this by incorporating the Independent
Committee, comprising mainly the
teachers, within the six schools we
sponsor. This committee mentors our
students in addition to selecting the
new scholars.
Which of your experiences helped
you to realise the practical and
visionary aspects of your NGO?
I learned management and networking
skills while I was student manager for the
calling programme at Middlebury. I also
drew on the expertise of people like Thea
and Anthony Skillicorn, Peter Dalgliesh,
Charles McCormick (President Emeritus
of Save the Children), and the Middlebury
Center of Social Entrepreneurs which
guides aspiring social entrepreneurs in
their quest.
My Initiative for Peace experience at
UWCSEA and my professional experience
at State Street helped shape my vision
in sustainability issues. I also believe in
empowering students and getting them
involved in the project so as to create
more opportunities for others. My team
and I are discussing potential business
opportunities that would make the
project self-sustaining in future.
What are your long-term
goals for Ungana?
We need to create more awareness.
Then many generous people can join
us in creating opportunities. We also
need funding for the immediate projects
(the scholarship programme, setting
up regional arms of the project). Our
target is to continue sponsoring at least
20 students every year and to add more
schools in rural areas. As our students
graduate from High School, we are under
pressure to help them continue their
education … so I am in touch with a
couple of learning institutions in the US,
and will be reaching out to others like the
African Leadership Academy, the Nobel
Foundation, etc.
Longer term, I want to expand this project
to cover all the rural areas in Kenya and
even reach out to students in other
African countries who need help. We
have the brains and great potential, but
if we don’t elicit these in the world, we
are probably doomed. I want to start a
student academy and make it a learning
hub for older people as well (such as
my parents, who wish they could speak
English). Some of the technical skills we
are looking into include masonry, nursing,
soft-skill engineering, social work, as
well as providing an environment where
international curricula (IB, IGCSE) could
be taught.
What advice would you
give a UWCSEA student
hoping to start an NGO?
If something in society is not done in the
way you think it should be, don’t wait.
Just assume that nobody will correct
the anomaly other than yourself, and
the sooner you start the better, as you’ll
learn a lot in the process and become
empowered. Be the change you want for
the world.
Thanks Mike, it’s inspiring to know
that we can all be philanthropists to
somebody somewhere, even if we haven’t
made our fortunes yet!
For more information, see
www.unganascholars.org
OneºNorth June 2013 19
By Louise Okatch
UWCSEA 2012–2014
Class of 2014
In many societies around the globe
there are a variety of passage rites that
children are expected to go through in
order to cement their new identities as
adults. These rites are often undertaken
roughly around the age of 16 and could be
anything from the removal of lower teeth
as is in my community, to the shooting
of game by sons to prove their manhood.
My Project Week experience served the
same purpose for me because I came out
with a renewed and reinforced sense of
awareness of the world around me and
consequently, my responsibilities to it.
Each of my group members was of a
different nationality, hence none of us
had the comfort of shared customs.
Neither did we visit our home countries,
hence the idea of comfort was not one
we anticipated right from the start.
We chose to participate in the Bayani
Challenge which is an annual building
challenge in the Philippines organised
by Gawad Kalinga. The idea that I even
attempted to mix cement or think of
myself as a builder is one people cannot
believe, because I generally tend to
stay away from activities that demand
physical involvement. That is what
made this experience so unique, it was
something I had never in my wildest
dreams thought I would do.
Each team that registered for the
challenge had to stay on site and was
tasked to finish a house by the end of
the week. Staying on site did not sound
quite as scary until we were faced with a
half finished house and no beds to sleep
in; just the cold floor and bare walls for
comfort. However, it is sobering to be
in such an environment because it is
someone else’s existence each and every
day, and they do not have the luxury to
run back to the warmth of a boarding
house. I believe it resonated even
more strongly for me because for the
first time since I came from Kenya,
I felt a sense of home in the environment
around me. There was a certain
inexplicable warmth that flooded my
heart, with the willingness of a people
to rise above their current circumstance
and strive for a better future; an attribute
that could be traced in their smiles and
felt in their hugs.
The community rallied around us in such
a special way that many times it forced
us to rethink our definition of poverty.
Their inability to furnish our stay with
fancy meals did not matter one bit. One
of the media crew that interviewed us as
we worked, later stopped by our ‘house’
bearing a parcel of pandesal, a local
bread. That is what made the Filipinos
so special to me—the readiness to give
and the gratitude that someone else
had given their time to come to partner
with them. As we laid the bricks that
week, it was not just bricks we laid. The
bricks embodied the trust, patience and
perseverance of a people with hope for
the future.
The trip forced me to search deep within
and finally call myself an adult, not
because of age but because of the change
in my heart.
I thank UWCSEA immensely for the
platform to do such fulfilling projects
that have rightfully so changed my point
of view.
I feel these words embody my experience
as a whole and I believe that of my group
as well:
Coming of age
A UWCSEA Project
Week experience
SOMEDAY
Someday on this side of heaven
the rainbow will stay one minute
longer to keep the next storm even
further away,
Someday whence my heart will beat
twice, once for me to survive and
twice for me to ensure someone
else’s survival,
Someday I will not long to be fire
proof but to be the firefighter so
that my fulfilment will not be
from staying safe from the fire
but from pulling out one last soul
that needs saving,
Someday I’ll have two palms more to
find my handkerchief, lend it to the
widow and wipe my own tears for the
sorrow of one denied the love of a
father by too untimely a death,
Someday I look up and see an
abundance of stars because it will
be a sign that even nature thinks the
future is one of promise and hope,
Someday I’ll look inward, search
my heart and find that I had all these
all along.
20 OneºNorth June 2013
Reading Rocks
The annual Book Week events on our
campuses celebrate reading through
fun and educational activities. This
year’s Book Week brought the entire
community together in new ways
as parents and older students were
involved in sharing the joy of reading
and celebrating their mother languages.
G2 trip to zoo
The Outdoor Education programme
is a powerful part of the UWCSEA
educational experience. The Grade 2
overnight trip to the zoo reflects a
progression in the programme, moving
students from the classroom to a new
location.
Events and activities at UWCSEA
This is just a sample of some of the activities and events taking place at UWCSEA during the year. Thanks to Hector, Devora and
Rose, Grade 11 students and members of the Alumni Council, for pulling out some of the highlights from the College calendar.
By Hector Poveda Morales,
Devora Khafi and Rose Benjamin
Middle School masterpieces
The visual art programme in Middle
School seeks to develop students’
abilities both practically and
aesthetically. These projects that
combine art history, theory and
practice are producing remarkable
works and provide skills and techniques
in the creation of art.
SEASAC Arts Convention
In February, 17 UWCSEA East
students attended the 2013 SEASAC
Arts Convention at the Canadian
International School of Hong Kong.
Students participated in workshop
sessions facilitated by teaching
professionals in the arts including
music, drama, dance and visual arts.
Opus 2013
The annual Opus concert at the
Esplanade Concert Hall involved
months of practice and planning
in order to provide an unparalleled
opportunity for students to perform in
a world class venue. This year’s Opus
saw many students on stage not for the
first time but for the third, fourth and
even fifth time.
Professional development
fosters cross-campus
collaboration
East Campus hosted the first
UWCSEA cross-campus teacher
professional development day,
8 February. Both campuses were
closed to students. Discussions covered
current initiatives such as iLearn and
the K-12 learning programme.
Game changers
Minecraft is a combination of
frustration, excitement and pure
adrenaline. Through games, students
explore and refine problem-solving and
decision-making skills through logical
thinking, sequencing and strategy-
making. Minecraft promotes critical
thinking, problem solving, creation
and innovation.