by Mistral Louw, Class of 2009 - 26 Jan 2009

On Tuesday afternoon we cut short our English class for a forum on the Mumbai attacks and our own country’s response to the terrorism after 9/11. Mr. Oelhaf had asked several students to research different related topics and present the information that they collected.

I had been surprised when I heard about the Mumbai attacks. At first I thought that it was just another one of the terrorist attacks that occur so often in India, but it began to become more real to me when I heard that one of the attacks had taken place at the Taj Hotel. I remember going there when I was ten with my mother and sisters, to use the fancy bathrooms, peek into the rooms, and pose for photos on the red velvet lounges by the pool.

We discussed how this attack in Mumbai was related to India’s and Pakistan’s controversy over Kashmir, the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, and our own invasion of Iraq. In all these instances Muslims have been made to feel threatened by other religions and cultures.

As the forum drew to a close, students clamored to give their opinions or ask questions of each other. Before leaving we decided to hold another forum soon so that we might continue learning about the larger world.

by Elizabeth Orenstein, Class of 2010 - 26 Jan 2009

As a student body we have been to almost as many countries as our school holds pupils. We are a school of travelers. Under the guidance of our language teachers, every student has the opportunity to a foreign country. By the time we turn eighteen we have studied at least one additional language and experienced cultures wildly different from ours. Others have been fortunate enough to live for extended periods of time in another country.

One of our sophomores, Sarita, spent the first six and a half years of her life in Colombia. She describes a magical place: “We lived in a house my parents built. The windows didn’t have any glass.” The flower gardens surrounding the house held hidden ponds and other mysteries. On the outskirts of Cali she played among ducks and geese, dogs and cats.

Eliot, a senior, spent his freshman year living in Hawai’i. He attended the Waldorf school there, where some classes were held outside. Under the Hawaiian sun he learned to surf with his friends and relax west coast style. Hawaii isn’t just coconut groves and beaches though. He recounts that his family lived just a few minutes from the city, where the second largest mall in the world hosts thousands every day.

These students might have been unique in their experiences, but every year at least one student has a three month exchange to either South America or Germany. They spend these months living daily life like every other person around them. Each returns changed, not for the better or worse, but with a mind a little bit broader than when they left.

by Eliot Stier, Class of 2009 - 26 Jan 2009

The end of the first trimester is a hectic time for high school seniors. For those of us who are applying to college, the weight of the applications falls on top of the tests, assignments, and projects that are all being piled on us right before the break.

The demand for individualism is high in college, so we need something to help us stand out. Despite many opposing assumptions, my experience at Waldorf schools has benefitted me immensely in the applications. When I finally completed my artistic high school portfolio, I was actually surprised and delighted to find how much I had done over the years.

SAT scores and GPA’s reflect some aspects of a student, but to make ourselves stand out and appear unique, it helps to have something like a portfolio to show our experiences and artistic skills.

I’ve also found that all the college admissions counselors I’ve spoken with during my interviews are familiar with Steiner schools and respect what they do. All of them said they appreciate the creativity that they see in Waldorf applicants.

So here’s a message to all students: Use your Waldorf experience to your advantage, and make a portfolio.

Without it I would just be just another student with good test scores, a good GPA, good teacher recommendations, and a few good ideas in my essays.

by Julian Stanton, Class of 2011 - 26 Jan 2009

As Dr. Sagarin opened a big cardboard box, pulled out stacks of beautifully printed greeting cards, and placed them onto the table, I remembered the complex process we students went through to make them.

It all started when Ms. Lombardi walked into the classroom and told us that we were going to make block prints. Piles of pictures – some post cards, some newspaper clippings, and some magazines cut outs were laid out on the tables. She told us to take one of the pictures and to draw it on large pieces of paper. When we finished drawing we traced in onto the back of the large sheet of paper, using a light box.

Carefully, we copied our drawing onto a large piece of wood by laying the paper over the wood and pressing along the edges of the drawing. This made an indented picture on the wood, which we darkened with a lead pencil. Then we began carving out the light parts of the drawing. When that was finished we used a special roller to roll thick ink onto the wood carving. The ink only went onto these places we did not carve. When we put paper on the wet ink, the picture was transferred onto the paper.

We sent the paper to be copied, shrunk, and copied onto a card-sized paper.
Cost is $10 for a box of ten cards plus envelopes. Contact the high school for more information: 413 528-8833.

Caren Kuster and Florian Mathias, two spunky German visiting students, came to our high school last fall. Both students had no idea what they were in for, but they came with open minds and creative spirits, wanting to make the best of it.

Florian Mathias, a tenth grader at a Waldorf high school in Munich, was hosted by Martin Summer. “It was cool to have him around,” says Martin. “We had a lot of fun together.”

Caren Kuster, a ninth grader at a public school near Munich, stayed with Ari Meyerowitz. Both Caren and Florian had strange, fun, and memorable times with their families that will remain with them forever.

Throughout their three-month stay they took classes in blacksmithing, creating block prints, drawing, and joined in our musical performances. They also learned about the history of art, the United States constitution, joined the scary challenges of a high ropes course, went kayaking, hiking, and took a jumpy trip to New York City. All of these activities were unusual, hilarious, and exciting, and most of them were new experiences for both the students.

In this long and colorful trimester, we all became close and good friends and will share these unforgettable experiences for a lifetime. We thank both of them for coming, and hope one day they can return to our high school.

by Teruko Kushi, Class of 2012 - 26 Jan 2009