Hana Sato, Grade 12
UWC Costa Rica
I love the traditions we have at UWC Costa Rica. They can seem subtle but they are significantly meaningful and memorable for each student that participated in it. To perceive the UWC spirit, cultural activities are essential; but these are not the only ones, we also have more academics related traditions or social activities that have become a pass-down event in our campus. There are some especially memorable activities I have experienced in UWC, such as the Asian dinners, students' birthday celebrations or even the MUN I attended during my first year; all these moments made my first year at UWC incredible and unforgettable.
Culture is key in UWC, sharing cultural practices with others is one of the most enriching features that can only be found at UWC. In our school, we have different regional families, which all have as one of the main bonding activities to perform regional dinners; every student belonging to these regions is going to cook some dishes that represent their culture and share it with others, in such a way that although coming from the same geographical region, it can be learned about the culinary differences or appreciate the similarities together. I personally love the Asian Dinners that we have; these are usually not a periodical event but we realize them once we start missing home and food. Even though I do not like cooking, for these dinners, I will always try to prepare at least one dish to share, maybe a simple Japanese food or a more basic worldwide recipe. And as I cook even without liking it, the majority of the students will do so saving some time from their hectic schedules, just to feel a bit closer to home. For these dinners, there is always a smell that makes us all feel homesick and a great number of students (the Asian Family is one of the biggest in UWC Costa Rica) lining up to try all the meals.
I truly believe that UWC Costa Rica is one of the most bonded schools within its student community. One of the little events I love is the secret kidnap birthday celebrations. In UWC Costa Rica, for someone's birthday, we kidnap them at 12am and give a little surprise birthday party. Usually, the kidnappers are the roommates or co-years, while the main organizers can be their closest friends. These activities are cute because the students take the time to organize and celebrate others' birthdays. For me, this is proof that the appreciation towards friends can never be changed by the amount of school assignments or projects to be organized.
My favorite school event during my first year was Modeling United Nations (MUN). It was my first time participating in a MUN but I totally loved it because of the people I shared the experience with in the same committee or because of the learnings I got. The first day of MUN, the ambience was very tense and stressed since no one did not fully understand its nature, but for the remaining two days, the members started getting used to the rules and enjoyed the event much more. This experiencia was very unique in my first semester and gave me the opportunity to gain new friendships.
UWC Costa Rica has very events and traditions. All of them are very heartwarming and meaningful for the school's values. Cultural, social and academical sharing are the most relevant purposes of UWC. I am looking forward to enjoying these events, and since I will become a second year, I hope I can be an organizer that can give a great experience for the future firsties.
Culture is key in UWC, sharing cultural practices with others is one of the most enriching features that can only be found at UWC. In our school, we have different regional families, which all have as one of the main bonding activities to perform regional dinners; every student belonging to these regions is going to cook some dishes that represent their culture and share it with others, in such a way that although coming from the same geographical region, it can be learned about the culinary differences or appreciate the similarities together. I personally love the Asian Dinners that we have; these are usually not a periodical event but we realize them once we start missing home and food. Even though I do not like cooking, for these dinners, I will always try to prepare at least one dish to share, maybe a simple Japanese food or a more basic worldwide recipe. And as I cook even without liking it, the majority of the students will do so saving some time from their hectic schedules, just to feel a bit closer to home. For these dinners, there is always a smell that makes us all feel homesick and a great number of students (the Asian Family is one of the biggest in UWC Costa Rica) lining up to try all the meals.
I truly believe that UWC Costa Rica is one of the most bonded schools within its student community. One of the little events I love is the secret kidnap birthday celebrations. In UWC Costa Rica, for someone's birthday, we kidnap them at 12am and give a little surprise birthday party. Usually, the kidnappers are the roommates or co-years, while the main organizers can be their closest friends. These activities are cute because the students take the time to organize and celebrate others' birthdays. For me, this is proof that the appreciation towards friends can never be changed by the amount of school assignments or projects to be organized.
My favorite school event during my first year was Modeling United Nations (MUN). It was my first time participating in a MUN but I totally loved it because of the people I shared the experience with in the same committee or because of the learnings I got. The first day of MUN, the ambience was very tense and stressed since no one did not fully understand its nature, but for the remaining two days, the members started getting used to the rules and enjoyed the event much more. This experiencia was very unique in my first semester and gave me the opportunity to gain new friendships.
UWC Costa Rica has very events and traditions. All of them are very heartwarming and meaningful for the school's values. Cultural, social and academical sharing are the most relevant purposes of UWC. I am looking forward to enjoying these events, and since I will become a second year, I hope I can be an organizer that can give a great experience for the future firsties.
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