Get Uncentered

Posted on November 4, 2014 by admin

This week I urged our Middle and Senior School students to become uncentered. Yes, uncentered. To be centred is about being balanced, to feel calm and at ease. I value the opportunity to be centred as much as the next person. However, in our lifelong quest to be balanced and focused, I believe that we also benefit from actively seeking opportunities to be uncentered.

It is subtle, but I asked our students to notice that the Round Square Associations of schools intentionally placed the name of its organization off-centre in its own logo. This is because one of the key objectives of membership in Round Square is to provide meaningful experiences that take adolescents out of their regular routines and challenge their values, norms and assumptions. This can be done through leadership conferences that explore the six RS IDEALS, and through international exchanges and service projects.

Two weeks ago I returned from Jordan along with Ms. Shadley and six grade 11 LCC students. The international Round Square conference included delegates from 52 schools. All of our students were active participants, very willing to be uncentered.

Just going to Jordan required a good dose of courage. According to our popular media, a trip to the Middle East – and specifically to the Muslim world –is alleged to be a dangerous decision that will inevitably lead to problems with terrorists, extremists and political instability. But that was certainly not our experience!

So, a few thoughts about Jordan… More than anything, it is known for its moderation and openness amongst Muslim states. It is dedicated to the promotion of tolerance, inclusiveness, peacekeeping, dialogue and global citizenship. The Jordanian Prime Minister told all student delegates from the 52 schools gathered that the country has a mission among all Arab states: to be a prototype and example of human commitment to respect and peace. Despite these lofty goals, its territory is small, as is its population – about 8 million – the same as Quebec. Jordan has a lot of strategic borders with countries such as Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and Israel. Nonetheless, Jordan has a stable political environment and a recent history marked by peace and minimal terrorist activity.

Jordan is a real leader in the region by its response to the recent civil strife in Syria just to the north. Jordan has accepted 1.4 million desperate political refugees from that war-torn country. Consider the impact if we did the same here in Quebec! Unbelievably, Jordan has not shut its borders. Despite the extraordinary financial cost of sheltering so many refugees, Jordan continues to welcome Syria’s war-weary because it believes deeply in its humanitarian responsibilities.

The host RS school, King’s Academy, is a relatively new school. Established in 2007 by Jordan’s King Abdullah, it is the Arab world’s first boarding school – and and the first high school to bring students from all around the world to Jordan to study.

There are many elements of being uncentered that I remember. Every morning, the 5 am call-to-prayer dominated the landscape, as did the call to-prayer- several times throughout the day.

But I was particularly struck by the intelligence and courage of a young female presenter whose life experience is radically at odds with everything our students know, value, and consider normal. Shabana Basij-Rasikh is a 23-year-old Afghani woman who attended a secret primary and secondary school in Afghanistan when the country was under the rule of the Taliban. Under that extremist group’s control, it was illegal for girls to attend school. Yet, Shabana’s parents actually risked death by dressing their daughter as a boy and sent her to a secret school because they valued learning so much.

Shabana’s story is a powerful one. She was successful in school and along the way managed to earn a scholarship to a top American university. She shared with us that despite her good fortune, she felt guilty to be so lucky because less than 1% of Afghan girls receive any post-secondary education or training outside of the home, and 90% of women remain illiterate. So she asked herself, what will I do with this privilege? What will I do with my education?

She told us that the most valued profession in her country is to become a doctor. However, she didn’t see this possibility as her personal passion. She considered becoming a lawyer, but dropped that too because she felt her eventual social impact would be limited. After considering how she would have the broadest impact on Afghan society, she decided to become a teacher – and she challenged our students on this point. She noted to the RS student delegates that 75 million girls in the world today are prevented from receiving an education by governments that actively limit the roles and progress of girls.

At age 23, Shabana has gone on to establish the first boarding school for girls in Afghanistan. SOLA – the School of Leadership in Afghanistan – now teaches 42 girls and wants to grow to 340 students, with girls coming on scholarship from each of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Already under Shabana’s dedication and leadership, more than 40 Afghan students have earned close to $10 million in scholarships to study at universities abroad.

I was very impressed by Shabana’s courage, her entrepreneurial skills and her devotion to the teaching, growth and development of young women in Afghanistan. She was very clear that she does not see her role as empowerment. Rather, she describes it “as simply creating space so that young, smart girls can grow into their confident selves”. Very impressive!

Reminding students that very few girls in her country even receive an education, Shabana sees knowledge, training and learning as precious. So she asked delegates to do their best to use their education wisely. Her core question was “How will you give your education a purpose? Is it just for you? Or can you help others help others to raise their voices?

I thank Shabana for those great questions. And the more our students have the courage to become uncentered as they grow older, the easier it will become to answer those questions for themselves. What will they do with their education? – Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

Round Square International Conference Jordan 2014: Student Reflections

Posted on October 29, 2014 by admin

It sometimes happens, though not at all frequently, that a setting is so extraordinary, foreign and exotic that it will steal the show and threaten to make one forget primary themes. Jordan is such a setting. It is a country so exciting that we could be forgiven for forgetting, for a little while, that the point is not really the country but the Conference itself and that a setting is merely background to highlight the main message. The Conference, then, is the highlight. Internationalism was a somewhat abstract concept for me; being a delegate at the Round Square conference in Jordan at the beginning of October became a lesson in applied internationalism. I learned that internationalism is so much more than just traveling thousands of miles to a foreign country. It is more than the pleasure of mingling with students of different nationalities. Internationalism is more than getting Facebook requests from students in South Korea, Dubai or Jordan. Internationalism means to discover that peace, universally desired, holds different meaning for different people and that there exists widely differing visions on how to achieve peace. It means arguing with students from 80 Round Square schools, but ultimately finding common ground in our belief in an education based on such pillars as democracy and leadership. It means getting a renewed hope in dialogues between countries, and an understanding that we are indeed part of a global village. – David Elbaz ’15

Travelling to Jordan for the Round Square Conference was an extremely eye opening experience. While it was incredible to see people ride donkeys and camels on the side of a busy highway, or walk through Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World the true eye opener was that for once us “North-Americans” felt like a small minority. On the first night of our conference, we heard a speech about the Palestine-Israel conflict that was very clearly pro-Palestine. Because of my background the speech made me feel slightly uncomfortable, and I quickly realized that there are so many different ways to view an issue and attaining peace isn’t as easy as I’d thought. From then on, we discussed many other prominent issues in the Middle East, such as Syrian Refugees, ISIS and the Israel vs. Hamas conflict. – Jessie Lackstein ’15

Al salamu alaikum, Peace be With You was the theme for this Conference. Guest Speaker Shabana Basij-Rasikh and her mission truly encompassed this theme. She was a notable guest speaker that had an amazing impact on us. At the age of six, the Taliban invaded her town restricting her from receiving any schooling. The consequences in Afghanistan for a woman to attend school or walk alone outside without male escort is death. Luckily in 2002, Shabana was given the opportunity to attend a proper high school in the USA. She then went on the Middlebury College as a student and went on to co-found the only boarding school for girls in Afghanistan. Shabana felt the responsibility to found a girl school in her own country as a way to give back after being given so much opportunity in her own life. She did not want to say that she was empowering the girls who attend her school as she see’s that word as condescending but simply educate them in hopes of a more prosperous future for the next female generation in Afghanistan. Today, SOLA, is free for the 42 Afghani girls who attend her school. – Nora Althani ’15

One story from this conference I’d like to share is that of one of the bravest men I’ve ever met, Sariah Samake, an 18 year old grade 10 student. While most of you may associate being older than your grade with failure, Sariah’s story is a little more complex. Living in Syria, he was kidnapped three times in three years: by Syrian rebels, the Syrian government, and ISIS. Each respective time, he had to endure unbearable psychological torture, yet he never compromised the truth, even under gunpoint, with death staring him in the face. To me, that’s what makes these trips worthwhile: the incredible people you meet. Whether it’s someone like Sariah who can tell life-changing stories firsthand, or simply someone who you talk to once, each individual offers a unique perspective of the world and society we live in, challenging our dogmatism and offering exposure to the amazing world around us. – Spencer Albert ’15

A ce point ci, mes camarades ont dit tout qui est profond. Cette conférence était la même chose pour moi, mais je veux parler de quelque chose différente ; Petra. Un poste de commerce d’antiquité, Petra était ciselé dans la pierre par les Nabateans Anciens. Notre randonnée nous à pris jusqu’au sommet d’une montagne déserte, et sur la piste nous avons vues des constructions qui ont donnés un nouveau sens au mot « Épique ». Après un vue spectaculaire en haut du montagne, nous avons retournés à l’Autobus par âne et chameau. Petra est une destination absolument fantastique et il faut y aller pour vraiment savourer Jordanie. – Maxim Makarov ’15

De la part de Jessie, Nora, Max, David, Spencer et moi, nous voudrions remercier Mme Shadley, M. Shannon et Mme Garber, qui nous a accompagnés pendant ce voyage extraordinaire et inoubliable. Sans eux, nous n’aurions jamais eu cette chance d’explorer la beauté inspirante du Moyen-Orient et d’apprendre la diversité des cultures et les défis qui viennent avec. De plus, nous avons beaucoup apprécié l’accueil chaleureux de tous les élèves de King’s Academy et un grand merci à tous les autres élèves autour du monde, qui ont participé à cette conférence mémorable. Al Salamu Alaikum. Peace be with you. Merci. – Sabrina Chan ’15

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Le Middle School Pride échange des idées avec d’autres écoles du Round Square

Posted on October 28, 2014 by admin

On Wednesday October 22, Jake Burnett, the Principal of the Middle School of Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria, BC, attended our Wednesday morning Middle School Pride meeting. Mr. Burnett spoke to us regarding collaboration between the two Middle School leadership groups. We have planned a Skype conference in the coming weeks.

Durant la réunion précédente, nous avons aussi réalisé une courte vidéo pour communiquer avec l’école Westminster en Australie. Nous voulons échanger nos idées d’activités organisées et comment améliorer l’environnement des étudiants au Middle School. – Anthony Fata ’18

Last week, Jake Burnett, the Principal of the Middle School of Glenlyon Norfolk School in Victoria, BC came to our Middle School Pride meeting. Even though he was slightly jetlagged, he was very enthusiastic and outgoing. He sat in on our meeting and gave us constructive feedback.

Ceci fut une très bonne idée puisque cela nous a permis de crée une nouvelle connection avec une autre école. Nous avons partagé des idées avec lui. Nous espérons faire une vidéoconférence sur Skype dans le futur. – Abby Shine ’17

Round Square: Nature’s Spa at the Dead Sea

Posted on October 14, 2014 by admin

With the beginning of the conference being absolutely packed with all kinds of speakers, bazaars, and other interesting Round Square activities, I can speak for all of us in saying we were tired and ready for a break. As well as this, we were in a new and incredibly beautiful country, but we had hardly seen anything outside the conference and bus rides! Needless to say, we were all looking forward to our expedition to the Dead Sea, technically a hyper saline lake, one of the saltiest water bodies in the world and a very popular travel destination.

So our immense international group set off to a hotel on the waterfront and went for a swim. We only had an hour there, but it was definitely worth our time. A popular saying around here is that the Dead Sea is the only sea you can’t drown in. While this is false, and there are an average of 26 incidents a year requiring lifeguard intervention on the other side of the lake, one can easily see how that is a plausible saying upon stepping into the water. Think of it like a full body liquid life vest; it’s impossible to sink, and you can very easily fall forward if you swim on your belly because your legs refuse to stay up.

Floating was a very relaxing experience for everyone, except when some of us were taught a painful lesson in osmosis upon realizing we had some small cuts that really burned. The water seemed to make our skin soft as well, but nothing compared to the Dead Sea mud. On the outskirts of the beach, people were flocking to a mud hole like warthogs in a BBC documentary. I myself partook in this, submerging myself in the pit and covering myself in the soft silt, which felt very nice. The only problem was that there was very little time to shower in the rather weak beach wash, and a loooooot of mud to be rid of. But in the end, everything was washed off and the group enjoyed complimentary resort meals before heading off, very happy to have experienced such a unique place that nature offered. – Max Makarov ’15 – Round Square International Conference,King’s Academy, Jordan

Round Square: A Trip of Realizations

Posted on October 14, 2014 by admin

In a week full of unimaginable highlights, our trip to Petra might have been the greatest highlight of all. After Shobak Castle, we traveled two thousand years back in time to Petra. I’m trying really hard not to feel uncharitably smug thinking of my siblings who are, at this very moment, getting ready to go to school. I am failing, because I know how lucky I am. Petra has got to be one of the places one must see before dying.

We are dazed by sleep, still dazzled by last night, when we had dinner at the Bedouin camp. The legendary Bedouin hospitality is not exaggerated. We ate traditional Bedouin fare and danced to Arab music in a setting straight out of the Aladdin of my childhood. All around us were mountains of sandy rock in which caves were nestled. A few of the caves were adorned with lights. In the light of dawn, it feels as if last night was a dream.

Today is Friday and our alarm clock is the call to prayers. The voices raised in unison to call Allah make us shiver with excitement. It is a call that has been heard for centuries, and in this particular setting it is thrilling.

Petra lies in a valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, and its geographical location alone sounds like an Arabian poem. Petra is a rose colored archeological city, surrounded by mountains. I say “rose coloured”, but it is not an accurate description. It is in turn orange and red and pink. It is, and really, this is not an hyperbole – spectacular. Petra was, over two thousand years ago a sprawling city with an enviable water supply system. It attracted caravans of rich merchants on camels from Egypt and Arabia. Two thousand years later, we are the one flocking to Petra, awed by the tombs and temples carved directly into the red stone. I have to say it: this is so cool.

It is impossible, when climbing 900 stairs to quiet the flutter in my stomach. This feels like the greatest of adventures. We enter a square, in a burst of sunlight. It is dazzling, both literally and figuratively. I must have seen the picture of Petra’s Treasury a thousand times before today, but it is now in front of me, for real, and the effect is surprisingly stunning. There are dozens of facades, kilometers of baths and temples and tombs, partly built, partly carved into the stone. We visit a monastery.

It is all fascinating, but it is the image of the dozens of children who hustle, desperately trying to make a few dollars from the over privileged tourists that I will take away with me to LCC. I will not forget them. This is a trip of realizations that will spur us to action. I will also take with me the image of Spencer, Maxim, Nora and Sabrina riding away on camels and donkeys. The rest of us tamely take the 900 stairs back down to reality. – David Elbaz ’15 – Round Square International Conference, King’s Academy, Jordan

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