2009-2010 Collegiate students and faculty travel 22,000 miles collectively in
5 countries, 3 different continents, South America, Asia and North America.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Muhammad Ali Center
"Hello Neighbor: Day of Dignity, Day of Compassion"
At the Muhammad Ali Center
Saturday, November 11
From 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (November 2, 2012) … The Muhammad Ali
Center and the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice at the University
of Louisville are partnering to hold a Free community celebration of
Louisville’s diversity and people-to-people connections. The Hello
Neighbor: Day of Dignity, Day of Compassion event will take place on
Saturday, November 10 from 11:00am-6:00pm at the Muhammad Ali Center and will
feature live entertainment, community and health resources, family activities,
international foods donated by local restaurants, and a film screening.
The newest addition to the lineup of activities is a film
entitled 11Eleven to be shown at 2:30pm. The makers of this
documentary sent requests for individuals in countries around the globe to
capture a moment in their lives on November 11, 2011 (11.11.11). Submissions
came from 179 countries and each one provides insight into the lives of our
neighbors around the world. 11Eleven is meant to illustrate the
striking similarities between people across nationalities and cultures while
planting a seed of compassion in each viewer. For more information on the film,
click here:http://www.11elevenproject.com/.
The “Day of Dignity” component of the event, sponsored by
the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of
Louisville (UofL) and Islamic Relief USA, is connected to the Muhammad Ali
Scholars’ community-based project with Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM).
Since October 1st, the UofL students have led “Operation Dignity,” an effort on
campus to collect household items to set up apartments for refugees resettling
in Louisville. The Ali Scholars are also working with KRM to pilot a
program sponsoring “free cases” or refugees who come as individuals.
Muhammad Ali Center exhibits are free and open to the
public from 11:00am-6:00pm on the day of the event. However, donations are
requested as the hope is for attendees to show their giving spirit to help
their neighbors in need. All items are appreciated but ones most needed are:
blankets, shower curtains, alarm clocks, can openers, and towels or wash
cloths. Donations will be collected and distributed by KRM to benefit refugees
in the Louisville area.
At 4:00 pm, entrants from the online Generation Ali Video
Contest will entertain guests with their creative talents, focused on the theme
of giving. Performers include the contest winner, “A Poet Nomad Ali,” and
several students from Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, KY. Videos sent in by
individuals around the nation and world will also be shown.
In addition to the Muhammad Ali Center, Hello Neighbor:
Day of Dignity, Day of Compassion is co-sponsored by the Muhammad Ali
Institute for Peace and Justice, Islamic Relief USA, and Kentucky Refugee
Ministries.
For more information about Hello Neighbor: Day of
Dignity, Day of Compassion, please visit www.alicenter.org.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Collegiate will travel to Guatemala and visit Lake Atitlan, famous for its natural beauty and colorful Mayan villages... the most beautiful lake in the world!
Volcán Atitlán and Volcán San Pedro
Lake
Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) is a larg lake in the Guatemalan Highlands
and this lake does not flow to the ocean. Atitlan is recognized to be the
deepest lake in Central America. The lake is shaped by deep
escarpments which surround it and by threevolcanoes on
its southern flank; Volcán Tolimán, Volcán Atitlán and Volcán San Pedro. Lake
Atitlan is further characterized by towns and villages of the Mayan people.
Lake Atitlán is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west-northwest of Antigua.
"At
the water" is the meaning of "Atitlan." It is a fusion of simple
Nahuatl words that belies the complexity of the entity it identifies. German
explorer Alexander von Humbolt is the earliest
prominent foreigner generally quoted as calling it "the most beautiful
lake in the world."
The
lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous caldera formed
in an eruption 84,000 years ago. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful
lakes in the world, and Aldous Huxley famously
wrote of it: "Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit
of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments
of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing."
The
lake basin supports extensive coffee growth and a variety of farm crops, most
notably corn. Other significant agricultural products include onions, beans,
squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, chile verde, strawberries, avocados and pitaya fruit.
The lake itself is rich in animal life which provides a significant food source
for the largely indigenous population.
From Wikipedia.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Antigua, Guatemala best place to retire south of the border
Guatemala Retirement: Better Than Costa Rica?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Collegiate @ Peru - Summer 2012
Reflection Paper
by Jaylen - 2013
by Jaylen - 2013
“No, no, no, my brain isn’t nor will it ever be a sponge. Sorry to disappoint you, Patrick.” The analogy comparing the human mind to a sponge isn’t a very good one; it suggests there is value in memorizing as a method to gain fluency. To blindly accept what is taught as truth without personal verification is to go through the motions of obtaining a foundation for life. One who does this becomes only semi-conscious to the world in which he or she lives. I present myself to you not boasting the achievements of an academic savant, but as a curious intellectual who places value on authentic education.
Intellectual curiosity requires you to be fearless. You must be willing to immerse yourself in a subject to understand it, which at times may seem scary. I was given the opportunity to do this during a recent trip to Peru.
The feeling of being unique in a community is a familiar one to me, for most of my educational career I have been one of few members of my race in my learning community. Even though I was isolated at school it did not prepare me for what I would experience while abroad. Initially the modern streets of Lima gave me a false sense of comfort as the towering buildings and the hustle and bustle of life in a city reminded me of New York, a place I visit on a regular basis. It wasn’t until we reached the ancient capital city of Cuzco, isolated by the mammoth snow capped mountains of the Andes that my differences were made more evident. It was no secret that Cuzco had been the Incan capital as the cultural environment had changed. The colorful wardrobe and customs on the once mighty Incan empire were prevalent in the streets, and I would get puzzling glares from natives for they had never seen someone of my complexion. They would stare, point, and laugh at me, as they avoided me as if I were a leper. But through this bit of adversity, I was still able to function in the community and understand Peruvian cultural practices through my understanding of the Spanish language. Once they realized I could communicate with them, they accepted me. The children, instead of fearing me, would give me hugs and tell me stories about their family and friends. I was even given the opportunity, while in one of their classrooms, to attempt to learn the native language of Quechua. My education, specifically my instruction in the Spanish language, allowed me to have an experience that I can cherish and for which I can be grateful.
Being intellectually curious is more than searching for answers and solving problems for the sake of a grade or performance evaluation, it is having an insatiable hunger that drives you unpretentiously toward the unknown as if it were your next breath. The diverse situations experienced in this journey toward enlightenment are what compose an authentic education. In this age of technology where information is so abundant and readily available, I feel compelled to weed out the superficialities of my education to inform myself about subjects that are meaningful to me.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Collegiate @ Guatemala, Summer 2010
Reflection Paper
by Hayley, 2011
I embarked on a life changing trip to Guatemala, with 16 classmates from Collegiate and Sra. Sharlin, Mrs. Bilderback and Mr. Davies. We arrived to Guatemala City on the fifth of June last summer. Immediately we traveled to our first destination Antigua Guatemala. Antigua is a colonial city, with streets built in a shape that resembles a grid. I shared a room with two of my classmates Amanda and Taylor. Although I had seen both of them often in passing, I wasn't aware that this trip would seal a lifelong friendship between not only us, but the group as a whole.
The first day, we met out tour guide "Tio" Chris, who showed us around the city. He pointed out places we should consider visiting or touring during our free time. We had plenty of freedom and time to visit whatever destination we wanted in Antigua. After lunch, my roommates and I were escorted to the house we would be staying. Our host was a sweet and kind woman named Esfalda. She prepared three meals for us every day. That night, after diner, our group agreed to meet at the central park, where we enjoyed ice cream and coffee at the local Café Barista. After learning something new about each person on the trip, we returned to our houses eager for the days ahead of us.
The next morning, on Monday, we woke early and boarded a bus for El Cedin (a preschool for economically marginal children in the area). We spent the next four mornings painting, building, and working hands on with the children. I will never forget their beautiful, happy faces. Directly after each working morning, we would return to our host families and enjoy an authentic Antigua lunch, and rest up for our one on one Spanish tutoring session in the afternoon.
I began this trip, uncomfortable with my Spanish abilities and terrified to speak Spanish with anyone. However, my tutor, Evelyn, was a young 26 year old who could easily relate to me. She discovered that my Spanish was best spoken during a game of Uno, and played with me for hours. After five lessons of speaking one on one for four hours, I not only became confident with my Spanish but also gained a friend. She taught me about their culture in Antigua and I shared many stories about the U.S. and what it was like to live here.
After a fun and productive week, we left Antigua on that Sunday and headed to Finca Santa Anita, an organic coffee farm run by ex-guerillas. There we were able to experience the lives of truly self-made men, and discovered how they were able to create a successful living off nothing but a plot of forested land. We packaged the toothbrushes and toothpaste we brought for the families, and then hiked down to a beautiful waterfall where we swam.
Our final destination was Lake Atitlan, to a little picturesque town named San Juan La Laguna. You couldn't dream of a more beautiful place! Volcanoes and mountains surrounded the serene area, and our eco-friendly hotel looked as if it was built right into the mountain. We shopped, swam, played volleyball, hiked, and drank coffee during our leisure time, and also managed to incorporate painting an entire school during our visit. Although Paris Hilton had visited the lake and did "charity work," our group made a lasting impression on the thankful students of that school. On our final day we had celebrations for Dane’s 18th birthday. We finished our visit to the lakes with an authentic Guatemalan meal, fireworks and a giant piñata, birthday cake, and dancing with the San Juan youth.
Although I regretted the final day that our group was together, I knew it was time to return home. Once I exited the plane, I recounted all the once in a lifetime experiences our group endured as well as the relationships we formed. To this day I can gladly say I can count on anyone from that trip if I were in need of their help, or to simply recall the trip that changed all of our lives.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Scholarships to travel abroad
| Dear Upper School students and parents, Studying abroad is one of the most eye-opening and life-changing experiences a person can have. The Department of State offers a number of scholarships for students to study in a variety of places to focus on topics such as diplomacy, democracy, religion, and language. Please see the attachments for more information on these scholarships and how to apply. It would be fantastic to have Collegiate students have the opportunity to travel abroad with one of these prestigious scholarships. The forms can be found on the bottom MyCollegiate page:
- Dept. of State Scholarships fro Studying Abroad 2012
- NSLI-Y One Pager |
Cross Cultural Summer Immersion
 |
| Collegiate Students, Summer 2012 |
Antigua, Guatemala
 |
| El Arco - Antigua, Guatemala |
Louisville Collegiate School is proud to announce the Cross Cultural Summer Immersion, a pioneer initiative of the Spanish Department. This is a unique way to expand our students’ education beyond the classroom, and experience a new culture, a new lifestyle, and a new way of thinking. This trip offers a distinctive experience for rising Juniors and Seniors, involving elements of cultural immersion, study of Spanish language, government, social services, art, family life, economics and everyday life in the host country. Participants travel in a group with a reflection leader to help guide the group through the joys and struggles of experiencing life outside the norm and to come to a better understanding of global solidarity.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Idea Festival - THRIVALS 5.0
 |
| Maurice Ashley, Kevin Olusola, Tori Murden McClure, Spencer West, Janelle Monae, Sarathbabu Elumalai, Mark Hogg |
Spanish 4 Students, Mrs. Estman, Mrs. Catlett and Sra. Sharlin attended the Idea Festival today. We listened to some amazing speakers share their quests, their heroic stories. They are human beings like all of us who have set out on an unknown journey, who had to overcome many obstacles and climb mountains along the way.
We all were inspired by these questors who dared to venture into the unknown, pushing limits and bounderies to emerge as heroes. Today's Thrivals were designed primarily for college and high school students, and for anyone interested in new ways of thinking! I know that each Collegiate student that attended Thrivals 5.0 took with them something valuable and they are ready to set the world on fire!
Thank you to Mr. Behr and to the ticket donor who made this experience possible.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Ica & Huacachina
I will never forget Huacachina, this tiny oasis surrounded by towering sand dunes that sits next to a picturesque and smelly lagoon which is featured on the back of Peru’s 50 Soles. Its super landscape is surrounded by high sandbanks, palm tree groves and age old Huarango trees (Carob tree).
On Tuesday morning I watched students, Sra. Ensenat and Mr. Behr climb the enormous sand dunes, some 400m above sea level and around 50km from the ocean. Before lunch, 3 of us went to Ica grocery shopping. We also visited a chocolate store of the famous and popular chocolatier “Helena” that manufactures and sells the best Chocolates, Tejas, and Chocotejas in Perú. I thought that I had bought enough Tejas and Chocotejas to have for dessert after dinner, well; you never know when you have to feed 27 teenagers.
In the afternoon we took a “relaxing” tour for the popular desert adventure. Three buggies picked us up at our hotel, and off we went to the desert! We rode the humongous sand dunes, up and down, right and left, slow – fast, fast – slow, over and over again. When I thought it was impossible to scream and laugh any longer, my lungs were about to explode, the sand buggies took us “sandboarding”! This sport has become popular on the sand dunes around Huacachina, an ideal area to take to the steep sandy slopes of the desert. No doubt that this was a sandy adventurous and fun fieldtrip over the driest region of Ica. As if this wasn’t enough, 17 students did it all over again an hour after we had gotten back to our beautiful hotel in Huacachina, this pleasant and sunny place with a friendly and curious population.
Dinner was a spectacular display of Peruvian cuisine. I don’t have the words to describe it, we all ate until we couldn’t move… or talk! A few minutes later we ate all the Tejas and Chocotejas from “Helena”. We went shopping at the little shops located around the lagoon, and we found beautiful arts and crafts from local artisans. Collegiate students had an opportunity to interact, chat and mingle with teenagers from a local high school. I was very proud of them! It was fantastic watching them interact, exchange ideas, bargain with merchants for lower prices in Spanish, with total easy and confidence. Spanish at Collegiate ROCKS!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Summer Trip to Peru
Louisville Airport
On June 26 Sra. Enseñat, Mr. Behr and I traveled to Peru with 27 Collegiate students for 2 weeks. We arrived in Lima at mid-night, and this was the beginning of
an epic adventure on a land of breath taking beauty. I should add that these 12 days were amazing, and this experience changed the life of many students, and mine. It all started when Mr. Behr, Head of Upper School, got “attacked”
by the Customs and Immigration “fruit dog”, a cute beagle. Sra. Ensenat placed
a banana in Mr. Behr’s bag and both of them were sent to “the room”. A Customs’
agent made Sra. Ensenat eat her banana, or else… while 27 exhausted and hungry teenager
and I waited outside Lima’s busy international airport wondering what had
happened to our fearless leaders. We
laughed at this minor miss-happening all the way to Miraflores. We arrived at our
hotel around 2:00 am (I vaguely remember the time) and we sent excited students
“quietly” to their rooms. Lights out at 2:30 am
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Move over, Costa Rica. When checking out places to retire south of the border, retirees are increasingly turning to Guatemala -- dubbed Land Of The Eternal Spring -- rather than Mexico, Costa Rica and other perennial favorites.
Here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/guatemala-retirement-better-than-costa-rica_n_1973454.html