Ella Williams, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
There are many traditions in UWC Mostar, ranging from sports to themed weeks, to secret events, all with beautiful and hilarious memories attached to them. However, my personal favourite is definitely one that I believe to be common across many (if not all) the UWCs; pass downs. The idea is simple: second years pass down their things when they leave as memorabilia. This tradition incorporates many mini traditions, including things that have to be passed down through people from the same committee (people who applied to UWC through the same country), through roommates, and through people who share personality traits and so much more.
I love this tradition the most because it allows our students to really feel connected with the history and the generations that have come before us. Each item comes with a story of how it became a pass down that has slowly been embellished over the years, and has collected more and more stories and anecdotes as it has changed hands. I have some amazingly fond memories of sitting with my second years and asking about a strange item in their room and then talking and laughing for hours about the funny hat or road sign or glass bottle.
I remember in the middle of my first year, sitting in a new room and seeing a hat with a propeller on the top and asking what it was and what it was doing there. The conversation that followed had me in hysterics about the stories behind it. Since then, I've seen it on many occasions being worn to events, and every time I do see it, I think back to the stories I was told and the memories and joy this silly hat has made. It makes me wonder if any of my things will become as special as this hat or what stories I will tell when I pass my things down.
At the end of my first year, I sat with some of my closest friends talking about who we thought would get certain pass downs and why and who they would be passing their things down to. This is where the tradition becomes really special; the mixed feelings of adoration, sadness, joy, and premature longing, connects you to these people who were once strangers but are now family. These strange yet wonderful items will hang on our walls next year, allowing us to tell the stories that we were told and add new stories with new people who will also go from strangers to family. This rapid transition all the while embodied by our pass downs.
Next year when I look at my room, I will see all of the nice things, all of the funny things and all of the nostalgic things I have been given, and I will think about all the amazing people I met and the amazing things I did in my previous year. I look forward to building and sharing things with my firsties and eventually passing these memories on to them.
I love this tradition the most because it allows our students to really feel connected with the history and the generations that have come before us. Each item comes with a story of how it became a pass down that has slowly been embellished over the years, and has collected more and more stories and anecdotes as it has changed hands. I have some amazingly fond memories of sitting with my second years and asking about a strange item in their room and then talking and laughing for hours about the funny hat or road sign or glass bottle.
I remember in the middle of my first year, sitting in a new room and seeing a hat with a propeller on the top and asking what it was and what it was doing there. The conversation that followed had me in hysterics about the stories behind it. Since then, I've seen it on many occasions being worn to events, and every time I do see it, I think back to the stories I was told and the memories and joy this silly hat has made. It makes me wonder if any of my things will become as special as this hat or what stories I will tell when I pass my things down.
At the end of my first year, I sat with some of my closest friends talking about who we thought would get certain pass downs and why and who they would be passing their things down to. This is where the tradition becomes really special; the mixed feelings of adoration, sadness, joy, and premature longing, connects you to these people who were once strangers but are now family. These strange yet wonderful items will hang on our walls next year, allowing us to tell the stories that we were told and add new stories with new people who will also go from strangers to family. This rapid transition all the while embodied by our pass downs.
Next year when I look at my room, I will see all of the nice things, all of the funny things and all of the nostalgic things I have been given, and I will think about all the amazing people I met and the amazing things I did in my previous year. I look forward to building and sharing things with my firsties and eventually passing these memories on to them.
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