Work and Play

The countdown is on: less than 5 more weeks of school before Christmas Break. Not that anyone is waiting around, of course: life has been far from boring lately for anyone. I'm enjoying the lively spirit that is tangible here with so many exciting events occurring--inside the school and out. Students are abuzz with school projects and parties, of course, but also with the recent election results (more than a few of us, myself included, stayed up almost the whole night) and their implication on the world. As for me, I'm just glad to be busy again.

Three other Heyworth girls and I challenged ourselves this week by entering a Battle of the Bands competition held by the Yearbook Committee-- Anna on piano, Zuzana on violin, Henni as a lead singer, and me, of course, on my cello. We ended up earning second overall out of eight to a talented band who had written their own songs, which we all considered fair. I always enjoy proving people wrong, so when some people rolled their eyes at seeing "classical" instruments on the stage instead of drums or electric guitars, I took great satisfaction in the look on their faces when we started playing songs by Rihanna and The Weeknd. It really was something I want to remember for a long time to come.

I also experienced Karaoke for the first time this weekend with other boarders in Form 5 and 6 (and yes, in case you're wondering, I did belt it out to Queen). Plus, I have to say it was hilarious being sober while everyone ended up making fools of themselves after more than a few beers. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of any of these events, yet, but I will surely share them when they are available. Until then, I certainly won't be waiting around like I was in my last post. Here are some of the projects that are picking up speed for me these next few weeks.

In an extended Modern Studies assignment, I have chosen to explore the topic of compulsory voting and the impact it would have on the United States. Do not misunderstand me in thinking that I consider compulsory voting systems beneficial by any means-- in fact, I am arguing that it would threaten the United States' political system. I won't go into depth about my political beliefs here, especially so close to the election where raw emotions are still high for everyone. But I am passionate about the fact that the election turnout was a 20-year low: only about 55%. How can we call ourselves a representative democracy if just over half of the voting population participates? It has certainly been interesting to study the impacts a mandatory voting system has on countries around the world-- Belgium, Australia, and Brazil, to name a few. I will say that voting could be much easier for American citizens (even after some attempts to make it so, like the Moter-Voter Act, weren't all that successful). Not everyone who doesn't vote is apathetic or disaffected from the system. So maybe, say, a day off work or automatic registration would make the government a little more legitimate.

The other long-term project on my mind at the time is my geographical survey on the environmental safety and quality of Stirling, Scotland. For those of you that aren't up to date on Scottish geography, Stirling is a city about half an hour away from Dollar, and a favorite place for boarders to escape from the school. I chose the location originally as an excuse to get more of Gregg's to-die-for mochas, sure, but after some additional research I was curious to know if the city's pedestrianized center had an effect on people's experience of the city. After all, human geography is much more interesting to me than physical geography (sorry, all you soil-lovers). I've finished collecting most of the data needed for the report, which included taking pedestrian and traffic counts, decibel measures, and surveying people on their perception of the city. The latter was definitely the most terrifying and the most interesting, and offered perspective on much more than environmental quality. Speaking to local Scottish citizens on a personal level was a valuable, enriching experience, and I overcame my social anxiety every time I approached a stranger. Sure, most people declined to answer, but some encounters were quite unexpected. One intimidating-looking man I was particularly scared to approach ended up being one of the sweetest, kindest people I talked to that day. It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised, isn't it?

After Culver's heavy emphasis on process grades and homework, a shift to assignments being worth 40% of the overall grade is undoubtedly stressful. But it gives me a reality check for how college life will be, not to mention an effective motivation to work as hard as I can. Plus, I get to focus more in depth than ever on a particular issue, a studying method which I personally prefer. Either way, I'm enjoying the subject material in my classes while having fun outside of school, and that's all that matters.  everything else will sort itself out in time.