Middle School Student Enjoys Community Service

This year I have decided to join the Community Service Council for middle school. I have loved influencing the younger kids to help out whenever they can and during the process they realize how much fun it really is. We have the occasional council meeting where we talk about upcoming projects. We become really aware of what’s really going on in the world. But when we aren’t having council meetings, we are in classrooms with the fifth, sixth, and seventh graders wrapping Christmas gifts or putting together food bags, etc. One really memorable moment this year was when Rev. Guchienda came and talked to us during chapel about the lack of clean water in his home town in Kenya. He brought a bottle of water full with the water his town was able to get and everyone was shocked at how dirty it was. That was the week we decided to give up bottle water and donate all the money we would’ve spent to build a well for his community.

~Middle School Student

Sewanee Writing Workshop

I was apprehensive going into Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference. Mr. Randall’s intensive class and three years of journalism had prepped me for my nonfiction workshop, and I’d had a blast at Kenyon Young Writers’ Workshop last summer. But as I walked into my first 9 a.m. class and exchanged awkward smiles with my eleven classmates, I couldn’t shake the fear that I would be the worst writer there.

That dread intensified when our buoyant teacher, a wiry 30-something going on 18 who insisted we call her Marjorie, announced that in our second week we’d write and rewrite and submit to critique a single pièce de résistance—a polished product we could take away with pride.

"Don’t worry about it yet," Marjorie said, perching on her green-Conversed toes for emphasis. She scrawled Describe your birth on the whiteboard and said, "Get writing." Paradise.

I wasn’t the worst writer. Better yet, I learned to emulate the styles of my most talented classmates: a young Mr. Randall lookalike from Kansas, a hip New Yorker, a quiet girl from Nashville whose final project stunned me. By the last day, when all of us gathered to dance the hokey pokey with Marjorie and swear to swap writing via Facebook, I had not only produced a decent piece myself but also made sound friends with a good eye for editing. I headed home with a folder fat with their work, a camera full of lush green Tennessee, and a notebook scribbled with my own prose. "Keep writing," I made the others promise, and we’ve been sharing our latest since.

~Aspiring Writer, class of 2010

microLENDING #4

Around the holidays when we are reminded of how thankful we should be
(regardless of economic stressors), the International Society wants to
recap and provide a few updates on what's going on with the microLENDING
program.

First, the International Society is focusing on lending to women who are going to reinvest in their families and improve their economic and social situations (but check out the profiles for the men to whom we've lent).
One stunning statistic from www.girleffect.org is that women will reinvest 90% of their incomes in their families, while men will reinvest only
30-40%. Pair this data with the fact that for every development dollar
spent, women recieve less than 2 cents.

Second, we're trying to broaden the idea that Africa and India are not the
only places that require aid to include other developing countries. By
lending to individuals in Peru, Tajikistan, the Phillipines, Paraguay, and
Samoa, we will help women and children worldwide.

Third, we've lent again! Please see below for the new profiles of the
people we've helped! Also take a look at the payback rates!

For more information regarding helping young women worldwide and the
effects of microlending, please see a copy of Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl
WuDunn's Half the Sky. It presents some horrifying biographies that are
important for all of us to read and consider during this holiday season.

Thank you for supporting this program and check back after Christmas break
for more updates. And here's a fun fact for you: The International Society
is always asked, "what does 'KIVA' mean?" Well, after a bit of
research, one of the Society members discovered that "kiva"
refers to a heart or fireplace. So think about that implication as you
hang stockings with your family this Christmas.

Profiles (the first couple are repeats from previous blogs):

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=139988
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=132873
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=140202
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=142935
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=154107
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=148955

~The International Society

Journalism: An Inside Look at Paste-Up

When I tell non-staffers that being on the newspaper staff is like playing a sport, they roll their eyes at me. They think that I’m crazy. But when I say it under my breath during Friday night paste-up, the person at the computer next to me wholeheartedly agrees.

So before everyone reads and laughs at my apparently blasphemous statement, let me explain:

Paste-up is when the entire staff of the Eagle Edition gathers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights to layout the newspaper (the juniors and seniors also come in on Saturday all day and sometimes Sunday). This ritual happens once about every six weeks and is steeped with tradition, caffeine, and stress.

Senior editors bustle around trying to make sure that Adobe InDesign isn’t crashing and that sophomores are focusing on their work. Mrs. Meier is grading pages in her office, trying to drown out the teen-aged voices yelling about who has page four open and if someone has read their story. The lucky ones who are finished with their pages, hang outside of the room, cramming their faces with goldfish, hoping that an editor doesn’t notice that they have nothing else to do.
It’s sheer chaos.

But if we don’t act like a team, – helping each other out, encouraging people when their page gets a bad critique – the scene will remain sheer chaos and the paper will be bad. It would be as if the football team went to the championship game without having held one practice.

So if you are reading this – hopefully you’ve changed your mind about the non-sports comment – now wondering who would give up their weekend to do this to themselves, I beg of you to think again; that is not my point in documenting the innermost workings of the staff. Because paste-up is more than stress. It’s a time where we can stop worrying about that Calculus test and focus on picas and junk food and being a journalistic team.

And we all love every minute of it.


Journalism student, class of 2010

Cheerleading

I came to ESD as a freshmen. And let me tell you, it was terrifying. Not only was the huge campus intimidating, so were the people. Everyone was beautiful, smart, poised. Everything I thought I wasn’t. Everyone smiled and laughed, talked and giggled. And they all seemed perfect.

Despite the terror building up in my stomach, I forced myself to go to cheerleading tryouts. It was something I was good at. But despite my confidence in myself, I clenched my fists and ground my teeth as I walked into the auditorium to see thirty perfect girls. But when I walked in, I received no weird looks, no dirty whispers. Everyone smiled welcomingly and three or four girls who looked my age ran up to me.

“You must be Tauri,” one of them said. “We saw your name on the sign-up list and didn’t recognize it. So that must be you! We’re so glad you came.”

I was shocked. But in a good way. A way that relaxed my hands and jaw enough to smile and stick my hand out to shake hers. But she was having none of that. She grabbed my outstretched hand and pulled me into a hug.

“I’m Natalie. And welcome to ESD. Come meet the other freshmen. We are all so nervous.”

Those seven other freshmen girls, now young women, are my family. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Cheerleader, class of 2010

microLENDING #3

ESD’s State of the World Day Series brings speakers and activities to ESD to increase cultural appreciation. This year, The Center for Global Citizenship focused on the mechanics of microlending and how this process can alter the lives of people in an increasingly interconnected world. This year’s speaker series succeeded not only in strengthening student’s understanding of microlending, but also in broadening their perceptions of how impoverished nations work with one another.

Our keynote speakers included Mr. Ralph Black, Mr. Peter Mugga, Dr. Celestine Musekura, and Ms. Sierra Visher. Mr. Black is a representative to Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). He spoke with ESD seniors in the morning as part of the Dedman Lecture Series that annually brings speakers to present to the senior class. Mr. Mugga is a Ugandan student in the US on a scholarship from Save the Children. He plans to return to Uganda upon receiving his degree to start a record label company to recognize young, emerging Ugandan artists. Dr. Celestine Musekura is founder of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (ALARM-inc). These three speakers discussed tribal reconciliation, the role of women in government and society, and other issues student questions raised. Ms. Sierra Visher, a representative from Kiva.org (the organization through whom ESD lends), explained where money goes once the microloan has been sent.

~The International Society

Postcards from College: Southern Nazarene University

Hey Everyone! As I sit to write this, I am taking a break from studying for my Bib Lit test before I go to chapel. Sound familiar? Although I’m no longer at ESD, in many ways my college experience is very similar. I attend chapel twice a week and I also have a family group that I belong to which functions very similar to an advisory. My school curriculum includes biblical based classes like Biblical Literature and Christian Thought. Though some things reflect the ESD lifestyle, my college life is also very different. I have an amazing roommate who is from Oklahoma City—she has been showing me the ropes around here! Basketball is amazing; all of the girls are fun and the coaches are great. We have our first scrimmage in two days and our first game next week. Everything is happening so fast I am just so excited to get started! I have made so many friends already it is wonderful. Here at Southern Nazarene University, studying abroad is a major deal which everyone is encouraged to do, and we have many foreign exchange students on campus from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Meeting new people from different cultures has really opened my eyes to the whole world that is out there waiting to be explored! Well I have to run now, but I am glad I could give you a little insight to my new life here at college and I hope everyone is doing well!

-ESD Graduate 2009, Southern Nazarene University Freshman

MicroLENDING #2

The International Society at ESD raised $518.00 in September, passing our goal of $500.00! The next big challenge was to decide what to do with that money (and trying to get a group of high school students to agree on what to do with that much money is a HUGE challenge)! But last week, we finally decided to lend through Kiva, a well-established organization through which the school can track the changes in the lives of the individuals to whom we lent. We chose three women, Zumrat from Tajikistan, Angelica from Peru, and Enid from Uganda. All had almost enough money to finish fundraising, but not quite all they needed to expand their businesses. Visit the links below to see their profiles. If you don’t speak Spanish, find an ESD Spanish student to translate Angelica’s for you. It’s good practice for them. We will update you via this blog regarding their progress, so keep checking back!
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=140202& te=ty
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=139988& te=ty
http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=132873& te=ty

Foreign Exchange Student at ESD!

I’ve been doing really good these days. I’ve made a lot of friends and we went to the state fair together. I watch the football game every Friday. My friends and I even have a little tradition together, having dinner every Friday before the game.

I got a 90 on my first history test. I enjoy reading the history materials which help me understand better about the foundations and development of this nation. Learning history helps me know more about America and also gives me a new idea of thinking.

I also joined some really interesting clubs. Model U.N., Diversity, Breakfast, Community Service, and Environmental Awareness. I’ve done so many things that I’ve never experienced before. It’s such a great opportunity for me to embrace challenges, to grow, and to learn about another culture and in the same time to share mine.

My host family is great! They look me to Austin for Labor Day weekend, cook different and special meals for me to try, and make me feel part of the family. We are now planning our trip to Chicago during Thanksgiving. I am really excited about it.

Everything is awesome here. The teachers, friends and families are so nice. They help me a lot in my study and in my new life. I really love it here!

Shan (Foreign exchange student from China to ESD, September, 2009)

Postcards from College: Vanderbilt #2

I walked on to the campus and looked at the hundreds of kids flooding in and out of buildings, their lives packed up in little cardboard boxes. It was the start of my life in Nashville, Tennessee. Admittedly, I was terrified.

Busting through the gates of ESD and tackling the world seemed simple when I was sitting in senior hall looking out the window. In fact, it was all I could think about. After thirteen years and every positive experience I could think of, it was time to go.

But arriving in Nashville was a different experience. The reality started to set in. Parents out of town for a weekend: glorious. Parents out of town for the rest of your life: a little scary.

But when you start your classes and start to meet people, you realize this is what you have been preparing for all along. All those late nights of history papers and wolf run projects have been building up towards your college classes. All those club fairs and community service projects have been teaching you how to take the initiative and handle your own life.

It’s strange when the place you sleep isn’t your home, but when you get settled and buildings start to look familiar, college provides you the chance to truly discover yourself outside of the context of your family and friends.

In high school, I knew myself as I was around people I had spent the first 18 years of my life with; but at Vanderbilt, far from home, I’m trying to figure out who I am as a person, relying on myself for motivation, inspiration, and laundry.

ESD Graduate, Vanderbilt Freshman #2, 2009

Postcards from College: Vanderbilt #1

Greetings from College!

I always valued ESD’s community and incredible education while I was in high school. But now that I am a freshman at Vanderbilt, I have never been more grateful for my ESD experience. Coming into college, it was incredibly comforting to know that there were around a dozen ESD graduates sharing the campus with me. Regardless of the fact that I may not have known everyone of them well in high school, I knew there would be some familiar faces. But the fellow alumni have gone out of their way to make sure that I, in addition to the other ESD freshmen, have had a smooth transition into college life. The community definitely did not end after I was handed my diploma. Another thing I have taken away from ESD is a priceless education. I had no idea how well prepared I would be for the college workload. I have been able to be a contributor in every one of my classes by using skills and knowledge I attained throughout my years at ESD. From the community that lives on, to what I have taken from the classroom, I now have a whole new perspective on my ESD experience. I would not trade it for anything.

ESD graduate, Vanderbilt freshman #1, 2009

pictured: two former Eagles before a Vanderbilt tailgate

microLENDING #1: The Launch

Today was the formal launch of the ESD microLENDING Project. The International Society, a group of ten students, presented the program’s goals to the student body and outlined three basic elements of this up-and-coming lending process.

1) What is microLENDING? It is a way for people in developed nations to lend a small amount of money through an organization like Kiva or Hope International to a community in a developing country. The community then uses that money to build businesses, invest in schools, build hospitals, employ the unemployed, and develop a myriad of other aspects essential to a successful and coherent community. The investors are then repaid, with interest, so that investors can either lend again or pull out of the cycle.

2) What are the effects? MicroLENDING provides hope for economic growth in some of the most marginalized communities in the world. Cambodia, the Congo, Zimbabwe, Cuba, and others benefit from this program. For more information, see the New York Times article written by Nicholas Kristof at (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?-r=3&em).

3) How is ESD involved? A group of ESD students is organizing a program to involve the student body in the mechanics of microLENDING. We will invest in a community so that they can build businesses, invest in trade and abuse education, provide better health care for their children, and generally change the lives of everyone living in the community.We are having our first fundraiser this month and hope to raise about $500. With that money, we will lend, bring in speakers, purchase computer software, collect books and invest in the general education about microLENDING for everyone from Lower School students to graduating seniors.

International Society Member, Class of 2010

Art Summer Program at UCLA

ESD is a small school, meaning that everyone knows everyone else. Each student is like a little celebrity—we’re all known for what we do best, whether it’s a sport, art, choir, theater, community service, writing, student council or other outside activities. For me, that special talent is art.

Like every art student at ESD, I dedicate a 45-minute class period to art each semester. But along with this commitment, my classmates and I do more than that—we work on small projects over the weekend and after school, attend Art Club meetings, or participate in summer programs. This summer, I flew to UCLA to attend a two-week painting program taught by a college professor. Each day I would wake up at seven o’clock, get breakfast at Hedrick Hall cafeteria, and participate in a nine hour day of art. Along with studio time, we participated in group critiques, attended artist lectures, went on field trips to local museums, and set up a final art show at the end of the session. I came home exhausted, but with new work for my portfolio, experience painting in different styles, some fantastic friends, and three hours of college credit!

Clearly, we ESD art “celebrities” work tirelessly in the name of art. But, in return, our artwork is viewed by many as it hangs in school hallways, is reproduced on the ESD website, in the ESD literary magazine and newspaper. But most importantly, at the end of senior year we get to host an AP Art show where we display our final portfolio to friends and family—an evening that makes us really feel like stars.

AP Artist, Class of 2010

From Shovels to Starlight.

You could say my summer was one of extremes. I went from shovels to starlight, and it all started with trash. I have been going to Camp Balcones Springs for the past eleven summers. This July, I was finally old enough to participate in the Work Crew program that camp offers for incoming seniors. I never thought I would say this, but I fell in love with trash—or at least the idea behind it. The program is all about community service: cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the camp’s refuse. It was nice to have fun camp friends to do it with!I used to be terrified of trashcans. Walking up to that brooding gray trash bin, I would quickly chunk my trash in before it snapped my fingers shut. But after the Work Crew program, I gathered a new appreciation for those who prepare, clean, and most importantly, handle trash. It’s hard to believe how much fun I had handling those grimy, queso –covered trash bins in the Texas heat, and hard to believe how much I learned.

When Work Crew was over, I dove quickly from the depths of the dirt to the Hollywood Hills. I was lucky enough to spend the entire month of August pursuing my dreams of acting in Los Angeles! I got the opportunity to meet with over thirty different people in the industry—taking classes, gathering ideas, going to workshops and making connections! My entire film-acting class was out there together auditioning by day and enjoying L.A. by night—not to mention plenty of beach time! It was truly an amazing summer filled with wonderful opportunities.

L.A. Actress, Class of 2010

Summer Lacrosse

I have played lacrosse since about the sixth grade and absolutely love the game. Over the years I have had many opportunities to play on various travel teams and have gotten to play in tournaments all around the country from California to New York. Most recently, this summer I was able to go on three lacrosse trips: one to Long Island, New York, another to Baltimore, Maryland and one in Vail, Colorado. Each trip gave me the chance to play with people that love the game as much as I do. Without the ESD lacrosse program, I really don’t think that I would be as good as I am now and I know I wouldn’t love the game as much as I do now. ESD’s community has made it possible for me to practice with my teammates throughout the year because many of my friends here play lacrosse and we are always hanging out and playing on the ESD team as well as on travel teams all over the country.

Lacrosse Player, Class of 2011

Bharatanatyam Arangetram

I have been dancing for twelve years and training for the past year all for this one day. The most important and memorable day of my life was June 28, 2009, because I had my Bharatanatyam Arangetram. I have graduated from Bharatanaytam, Indian Classical Dance, and now have a degree. After performing, I can teach students who want to learn this graceful form of art. An Arangetram is a debut performance of Indian Classical Dance. It is a solo performance where the dancer is dancing by herself to show the accomplishment she has achieved. The dancer performs solely for God, but also invites family and friends to witness her success.
This summer was not about chilling or going out with friends. The whole month of June, I was practicing four hours a day—I barely went out of the house, except to practice. It was a lot of fun dancing on stage in front of the 300 people who all came to support me. Dancing is one of my talents and hobbies. I could dance for hours each day and, at the end of the day, I would still love it. This fall, I plan to teach other students what I have learned and also learn some new dances.

Dancer, Class of 2010

Volleyball Nationals

This summer, I participat-ed in the Junior Olympic National Volleyball Tourname-nt. This competition features hundreds of club teams from around the country, all competing in Miami, this year’s location. Before the competition began on July 1, my teammates and I practiced frequently and played in several local and national tournaments. By July, we were ready and excited. We played many close matches, many of them taking five games. We were able to beat some very good teams, however, we lost a critical match against one of our Texas rivals and eventually came in 9th place. All of my teammates and I were very happy with the results and very tired!
Typically, I play volleyball all summer, but this year, after an unusual and pleasant month break, I was back on the court, now playing with my school friends. Tryouts ended and I made the team along with nine other awesome girls. We have already had some impressive wins including Midland Lee and Parish! Hopefully this year we will be able to win SPC Division I, as we have in the past!

Junior Olympic Athlete, Class of 2010

Summer in Colorado

We woke up early Wednesday morning to the sound of our alarm clock, a disruption to the peaceful rhythm of Gore Creek that ran right past our bedroom window. Today was our first day of fly-fishing. Ever.
We stepped into the cold Colorado River. Our waders shivered and our boots filled with water, yet we could not feel a thing—quite a peculiar sensation. Our rods in tow, we lined up on the edge of the river and the guides demonstrated how to cast. An hour later we were on our five-boat float.
In an attempt to catch a fish, I climbed out of the boat and cast my line upstream. Yes! I felt a tug and clumsily jerked the rod and the fishless fly flew over my head and into a tree. I proceeded to cast again, this time with more luck. I had caught my first fish, a squirming, smooth Brown Trout.
The rest of the day was cold and raining, yet beautiful. The surrounding mountains were a rich shade of green and the snow-capped mountains towered in the distance. I caught four more fish, we navigated three rapids, and we ate a delicious meal at picnic tables in the middle of a green clearing.
Thursday morning, our alarm sounded again, but this time it signaled our journey to the airport. As we sat on the airplane, we looked through images of us holding our Brown Trout and attempting to look like seasoned fisherman. My friend asked, “Are you ready for the Subject Tests on Saturday? How much are you going to study? I frowned.

Fly Fisher, Class of 2010

Volleyball Preseason

Being an athlete, life can just be different sometimes. Every now and then, you might miss a party because of a game that was too far away. You tend to put a lot of time into your sport and your crazy schedule reflects it! Often, your life can start to shape around soccer practices, golf games, and softball tournaments. Your team becomes a family and you really love what you get to play.
But the time when being an athlete sticks out to me the most is definitely summer. I wake up the first Monday of June and sit at the kitchen table eating my breakfast and tying my shoes while I know perfectly well that the rest of my family is still sleeping and that half my friends won’t wake up until after lunch. I drive to school, walk up to the weight room, and have Coach Stringer check my name off the list for one of my fifteen required volleyball lifts. While it may be a pain to drag myself out of bed in the summer, when August 1st rolls around and volleyball preseason kicks into gear, I have never regretted those workouts.
With the grueling August heat just outside of the gym’s air-conditioned windows, one might mistake volleyball as the “easy” sport. Do not be tricked. We work hard, we run hard, we drill hard, and we play hard. But when it is all said and done, my teammates are my friends on the court, in the rivalry game against Hockaday, at our sleepovers, and at our pool parties. I love this sport, I love this family, and I love that the time I put into it is definitely worthwhile.

Volleyball Athlete, Class of 2010.

Baseball Buddies

This summer I helped arrange a baseball camp for special needs kids. Many ESD student athletes were eager to help, and the camp was a blast for all of the campers as well as the volunteers. Each ESD student was partnered with a camper and worked with them on throwing, running the bases, hitting and catching. Over the week, they became best friends! I organized the camp during the school year, and at times it got a little stressful to keep up with all of the details, but the reward was more than I could have asked for. Seeing the campers smiling and making friends with the volunteers was an amazing experience. We capped off the week with a World Series game in which the kids all got to play the field and bat. The camp was a tremendous success, giving everyone a fun way to reach out to the community, and giving the kids a chance to play a sport they might otherwise have missed out on.

Baseball Buddy Volunteer, Class of 2010