UWC- USA NOVEMBER 2014

The Argument for Legalising

Drugs CHARLIE THOMPSON!

(CANADA ‘16)!—————————-!

The Oxford dictionary’s definition of the word drug is “a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.” According to this definition, every person who has ever found himself or herself in a Starbucks line on a Monday morning is a drug user. So is every human who has ever relaxed with a beer in his or her hand after a long day of work. These are not examples to suggest that replacing your morning cup of coffee with some heroin is advisable or similar, only to illustrate that there are certain

connotations and stigmas attached to the word Drug. When people hear the word, they do not normally think about coffee or alcohol.

Usually they imagine dark alleys, gloomy cities, and rundown apartments on the shady side of town. They think of people who had potential and drive, but went down the wrong path with the wrong people. They see subliminal pictures of a drug user twitching on a dirty floor, lying dead in a puddle of their own vomit. We are taught from a young age to feel and see these th ings — chi ldren in classrooms are told in a matter-of-fact way that these horror stories are an inevitability should they ever make the fatal mistake of becoming a drug user. They are bombarded with pictures of grotesque heroin addicts with frightening faces, and told that drugs melt holes in your brain. (continued on page 7)

CAMPUS NEWS

This week brings goodbyes to somebody who will be deeply missed on campus. !!!!WORLD NEWS

In this issue we look at the tense situation that exists between Israel and Palestine, on both the global and individual !!!!OPINION

This issue comes with a special feature that explores the arguments for the legalisation of drugs, be they economic, pragmatic or philosophical. As usual we also have our weekly piece of humour along with the prefect blend of advice and satire.

Photo Credit: england.nhs.uk! ]

UWC- USA NOVEMBER 2014

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A message from the Editors

!Hello readers, !This week has brought with it freezing temperatures and, for many people, their first experience with snow. Use the cold weather to stay in and curl up with a copy of the Literati. !Best, !!

ISABEL SKYE!(USA - WI ‘16)!

—————————-! The Editors !!

RUBY MCCAFFERTY !(USA - VT ’15)!

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LITERATI STAFF

THE EDITORS

Blake Anderson USA-KS

Ojaswee Rajbhandary Nepal ‘15

Charlie Thompson Canada ‘16

Sunniva Olsrud Punsvik (Norway/ Denmark ‘16)!

Izabella Pastrana USA-MO ’15

Sage de Brum Marshall Islands ’15

FACULTY SPONSOR

Parris Bushong

WRITERSRuby McCafferty USA-VT ‘15

Isabel Skye!

USA - WI ‘16

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Thank you for everything,

Matthew !

SUNNIVA OLSRUD PUNSVIK!(NORWAY/ DENMARK ‘16)!

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After many years at UWC-USA, Matthew Miller who managed the cafeteria ended his career here last Friday. For all his contribution to the community, we, faculty and students, wish Matthew the best of luck. Youssef has continued the job and one can feel the changes in the cafeteria. Even so, Matthew also had a huge impact on how the cafeteria is today. Without Matthew’s amazing job, patience, and concern for students and faculty, we would not have had the variety we have appreciated so far.

Matthew did a lot to make sure everyone on campus was satisfied and happy about his or her food and the schedule for food every day. Here are some words from faculty and students to Matthew:

“ W h e n I f i r s t g o t h e r e , [environmental systems] students rarely went out in the field because the long codes were not long enough to drive anywhere and do anything. To get students out for any longer, I needed to be able to take up their lunch code, and have lunch in the field. Matthew was incredibly helpful and worked with me to create awesome lunches that were delicious so that my students enjoyed our picnics. Without Matthew’s support, a lot of the work I have done with my students in the field would not have been possible. I will really miss him a lot.” – Ben Gillock.

“I worked with Matthew on a number of events, and what I always appreciated was his get-it-done attitude and his absolute flexibility when things changed, often at the last minute. He was reliable, congenial, and what I would call a “mensch,” which is Yiddish for “person of integrity and honor.” – Jennifer Rowland. “Matthew has been a huge supporter of the wilderness program, and has worked hard on so many occasions to make us really good food to take on the road . . .in fact, last year and this year he even offered to cook us several loaves of banana bread for breakfast at the Grand Canyon!” – Arianne Zwartjes “He is so friendly, kind, and always does the best for us. He is the faith and soul of the cafeteria.” – Alva Christo’15, Indonesia. “I think that Matthew did an amazing job of incorporating sustainability into the cafeteria.” – Sofie Nielsen’15, Denmark.

(continued on page 4)

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(continued from page 3)

“Thank you so much for everything Matthew! You are the first person who greeted me in my language; I was so surprised and happy. Sampai jumpa dan terimakasih banyak.” – Raudya Amalia’16, Indonesia.

Matthew did not only make the working environment around the cafeteria something extraordinary, he also contributed to the student’s wellbeing. Matthew, thank you so much for everything you have done. You were a hardworking and important member of this campus. Good luck from now on, we hope your time here is never forgotten. Again, on the behalf of students and faculty at UWC-USA: We all hope you will do well in Santa Fe, and we will miss you.

Clashes Continue Between Israel and

Palestine !

RUBY MCCAFFERTY !(USA - VT ’15)!

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This past summer brought increased tensions between Israel and Palestine: the kidnapping and killing of three Jewish boys, and the brutal murder of a Palestinian youth are amongst the triggers that rekindled an age-old conflict. The end of August brought ceasefires, some failed and some strong, that seemed to mark the end of this outbreak. However, the end is much farther than anyone anticipated, as recent events have only continued to fuel the fight.

Near the end of October, Israel closed the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem which is considered to be the third holiest site for Muslims worldwide. The closure came after the Israeli Defense Forces shot and killed Palestinian Muataz Hijazi because of suspected involvement in the attempted assassination of far-rightist Yehuda Glick. al-Aqsa is on the site referred to by Jews as Temple Mount, which is considered the holiest place in Judaism. In addition to the shutdown of the mosque, an Israeli soldier was stabbed near a train station in Tel Aviv on Monday.

While the death toll is continually rising, and countless people have fallen, unsung and unnoticed, it is public acts like these that perpetuate the conflict to the highest degree. Likewise, it is the portrayal of these events by varying media sources that continues to confuse the worldview of the violence. Some news sites refer to this incident as a “terror attack”, the New York Times proclaiming boldly “Palestinian Stabs Israeli Soldier Near Tel Aviv Train Station”, while other sources claim a “Palestinian Suspect” and use quotation marks to show their uncertainty towards the intention of “terror” in the incident.

135 United Nations member-countries are now listed as recognizing Palestine as an independent state, yet only two Western European nations are counted amongst these: Iceland and most recently Sweden. This is a significant majority of the world, yet the most economically and politically powerful nations are not a part of this number.

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Upon Sweden’s recognition of Palestine earlier this month, Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman made a comment stating that the situation between Israel and Palestine was “more complicated than self-assembly furniture at IKEA.” While slightly immature, this comment does begin to show why 135 recognitions of Palestine cannot simply make it a state.

A group of Palestinian youth broke through part of the separation wall, called the “apartheid wall” by many Palestinians, along the West Bank borderline on Sunday, nodding at the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Wall, condemned by the International Court of Justice and the International Committee of the Red Cross, originated in 2002. Like the Berlin Wall, it has become and international symbol of oppression. However, unlike the Berlin Wall, the fall of the wall separating Israel and Palestine would not necessarily mean the reunification of a nation, but might mean the reunification of people with their families, land, and history.

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Sources: !http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2014/11/turmoil-at-al-aqsa-mosque-201411615312604714.html !http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/11/palestinians-wall-apartheid-berlin-westbank-israel-20141198037736737.html !http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/07/map-the-countries-that-recognize-palestine-as-a-state/ !http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/world/middleeast/palestinian-stabs-israeli-soldier-at-tel-aviv-train-station.html?_r=0 !http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/30/israel-closure-al-aqsa-mosque-temple-mount-mahmoud-abbas-war

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Photo Credit: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/11/24/336430/israeli-settlers-storm-alaqsa-mosque/

UWC- USA NOVEMBER 2014

The F-words: Fashion, Feminism

and Faux Protest ISABEL SKYE!(USA - WI ‘16)!

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On Tuesday, September 30th 2014, Karl Lagerfeld, creative director and head fashion designer for French fashion house Chanel, sent down models on the runway head-to-toe in a new fabric, feminism. Carry signs saying such slogans as, ‘Make Fashion not War’ and ‘Men Should Get Pregnant Too’ while others shouted through Microphones, a faux protest meant to celebrate female power.

However, many are skeptical. Natasha Walker, respected author of the book “Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism” and founder of the organization Women for Refugee Women, is quoted with saying, “It is great to see more young women engaging with feminist ideas all the way from talking about them on social media to actually getting active, but real change requires huge social change, economics and political shifts. If people start thinking that feminism is suddenly fashionable, then the danger is that the next moment they will say it has fallen out of fashion.” This statement, while questioning, is the milder of the questioning around the display.

There are people in the media and fashion world who are questioning if it is even meant to t r u l y r e p r e s en t f em i n i s m a n d f em a l e empowerment at all. As Natasha Walker states, it could someday be an ideology that feminism is ‘cool’, well some believe that that time is already here and men such as Karl Lagerfeld knows this, and is using it to his advantage. That he is not encouraging and supporting the culture of feminism and equal rights, but appropriating it.

And appropriating it wrong. With the slogans of ‘Make Fashion Not War”, “Boys Should Get Pregnant Too,” “Ladies First,” etc. to be truly insulting. Some argue that it shows a complete misinterpretation of the ideals of feminism. A more sensationalized way that has a showman ship to it. That he may have even warped it out with the emphasis being on the creative, aesthetic aspect of the show, which when talking about a world issue, many interpret as insulting and misguided. If you are going to talk on a topic, then at least make sure that out of all else, you represent it well, especially if it focuses on the life and well-being of half the world community.

When it comes to the many controversial topics, feminism being a rather large one in this day and age, what should be emphasized is the discussion it creates. One perspective on the subject is the publicity that he brought to the world community by using a medium that majority of the world is very conscious of. Even if he talked on it in a misguided way, even if he didn’t care for the topic enough beyond its social power to actually try and represent it well, he is still creating conversation. Which, in a globalized world, is something virtually priceless. If one wants to create social reform within a society, that society must first know that it needs the reform.

(continued on page 7)

Photo Credit: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/sep/30/chanel-karl-lagerfeld-cheered-jeered-feminist-staement-fashion-catwalk!

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(continued from page 6)

Fashion is an art form, it is an entity that responds to the world around it, interprets it, and tries to relay it to the world. Fashion and clothing are things that have been around for thousands of years, they change with the world because they are something humans use to respond to the wo r l d . E v e n i f K a r l L a g e r f e l d ’s interpretation and representation of feminism isn’t necessarily healthy, or even if he is merely appropriating a popular culture in this

!Sources: !

Turnipseed, Stephan. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/10/16/fashion-treats-feminism-like-latest-designer-label/!

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/08/fashion-feminism-model

http://www.style.com/trends/fashion/2014/finding-feminism-in-fashion

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/feminist-fashion-designers-like-karl-lagerfeld-and-s t e l l a - m c c a r t n e y - s h o u l d - s t i c k - t o - t h e i r -dresses-9773528.html

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/30/chanel-karl-lagerfeld-feminism-paris-fashion-week

http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-620/h--/q-95/sys-i m a g e s / G u a r d i a n / P i x / p i c t u r e s /2014/10/2/1412274926910/The-demonstration-during--012.jpg

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(continued from page 1)

If a child were to ask specifically which drugs melt the holes in your brain, they would probably be told that it is the illegal ones.

However a fact that we have to face is that you cannot “fight” drug use in the traditional sense. An opinion that is growing in popularity is that we should let people do what they want when it comes to drugs — because throughout history they always have, and will probably continue to regardless of any laws. The war on drugs has been a massive failure in almost every way, and it’s time to reconsider our policies to fit the realities of the situation. This article looks at the new, non-traditional and quite radical view on the future of drug trade, and the economic, pragmatic and philosophical arguments for the complete or near complete legalization of drugs that are increasingly being considered by people.

!ECONOMICS

Days ago, in the culmination of what was likely years of work for thousands of people, the FBI seized the Silk Road 2.0 website. The Silk Road was a place where users could go and anonymously purchase drugs, using encryption and relatively untraceable Internet currencies to conceal their identities. It was the descendant of the original Silk Road website — which was also shut down by the FBI, but not before processing over a billion dollars in revenue.

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Anyone who regards this as a victory for justice must ignore the fact that there are many other websites with the same listings from the same vendors, and the millions of users (of whom only 6 were arrested) will simply migrate to the next site. The FBI has vowed that they will continue this perpetual and (in some people’s opinions) futile fight against drug use. The only thing the FBI succeeded in doing on Thursday was shutting down a market that took the violence and danger out of drug trade.

To date, the war on drugs has cost American taxpayers over a trillion dollars (roughly 50 billion dollars per year). This figure represents 6% of America’s GDP, or enough money to pay all of the teachers in America for 5 years. Despite the incredible amount of money spent, there is almost nothing to show for it. Drug use has remained near constant, and drugs have not become any more scarce or expensive, which was one of the stated goals when the campaign started under Richard Nixon in 1971.

On top of not succeeding, the war on drugs has actively harmed communities around the world. Instead of significantly reducing drug use, it creates a black market that criminal organizations can rely on for revenue that provides funding for other, more violent activities. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), a huge portion of the US illegal drug market is controlled directly by Mexican cartels. These are the same cartels that roam Mexican cities, killing anyone who gets in their way and inspiring terror in the general public. They are often deeply rooted in the government, and drug money no doubt contributes to the rampant corruption that exists. Some estimate that nearly 40% of cartel profits come from marijuana sales alone. The government declaring these substances illegal directly funds and fuels violence south of the border and all over the world.

It only took a few states legalizing marijuana for cartels to feel financial pain. In Colorado, the taxation of marijuana was so successful that citizens were returned tax money at the end of the year. The excess funding was used to increase school budgets and improve funding to crucial social programs, among other things. It is estimated that the taxation on sales of legal drugs would generate almost 50 billion dollars a year, on top of the savings of another 50 billion dollars that wouldn’t be spent on prohibition and incarceration, making for a total net gain of roughly 100 billion dollars per year.

On top of the money that has been wasted, there have been 1,435,047 drug related arrests in 2014. In addition to the staggering incarceration costs, that’s almost a one and a half million people who are not contributing via taxes or being productive in other ways. Between 2001 and 2010, there were 8.1 million people arrested for marijuana, and 88% of arrests were for simple possession. It is unlikely that these 8.1 million people were all hardened criminals — there were almost certainly loving mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters among them who have committed no other crimes, but find themselves in prison and unable to help their families.

There is evidence of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) being an extremely corrupt organization, and the prison–industrial complex has been one of the only obvious winners in the war on drugs. It has been suggested that the political ties that for profit prison companies currently enjoy in America is one of the reasons this country has been so slow to act on drug policy reform. American incarceration rates are at an all time high, and are also the highest of any country in the world. The privatization of the prison industry is one of the most questionable conflicts of interest that currently exist.

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PRAGMATIC

Schedule I is the harshest classification a drug can get. To get schedule I status, a substance must meet 3 criteria:

1. The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

2. The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United

States.

3. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Many of the drugs with this classification don’t belong there when you look at facts, yet they carry the most severe criminal punishments for possession. These are a just few of the very famous drugs that are objectively very safe and that possess medical benefits or promising medical possibilities: Cannabis, LSD, Psilocybin and MDMA. These are some of the very same drugs that children are so misinformed about in early education.

Marijuana is widely used as a non-addictive natural painkiller, and psychedelics and other consciousness altering drugs show promise for treating anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and many types of addiction. When LSD was first synthesized in the 1940’s, medical research on psychedelics took off. Research has now been largely stalled for decades, but studies using these drugs in other countries paint a brighter picture than their current bleak portrayal. Their classification as Schedule I is seen by some as dubious, as these drugs do not meet the criteria at the top of this section. They are not addictive, they can improve

lives, and they are very safe, especially when compared to alcohol and cigarettes. These s u b s t a n c e s a r e v i c t i m s o f c h r o n i c misinformation and propaganda, which can be easily cleared up by looking at nonbiased sources. The magazine Scientific American writes: “The DEA maintains that there is insufficient research to justify recategorization. This stance creates a catch22 by basing the decision on the need for more research, while simultaneously limiting the ability of scientists to conduct that research”

Many people argue that even if you do not personally consider these treatments valuable, there is certainly no harm in somebody else ingesting something that will give them a different perspective on life for 10 hours, and then return them to the normal world in fine physical health. Anything can be abused (including cheeseburgers), but in moderation there are many drugs that can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Even if you do not believe that they are beneficial, evidence suggests that many drugs are not detrimental to society in any way.

We are seeing the same failing in the war on drugs as were seen in the prohibition of alcohol, and a lot of crime would likely disappear overnight if drugs were widely available. Many issues that are attributed to drug use, like violence and cyclical poverty, are more easily attributable to the illegal nature of drugs rather than to the substances themselves. Drug laws are particularly predatory towards poor people, and can create a vicious cycle of arrests and poverty. Government regulation would ensure that substances are as pure and safe as possible, and there could be a system to guarantee that the more dangerous drugs are only sold to people who have taken a safety course and will not affect anybody else’s wellbeing.

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Countries that treat drug use and addiction as a medical issue rather than a criminal issue have seen great success. In Portugal, where drugs are decriminalized, there was no increase in the rate of drug use after legalization. It is reasonable to believe that the results would be the same in America. Harmless psychedelics can also be beneficial to society in unexpected ways — Francis Crick first realized the double helix structure of DNA while on LSD, and it is widely regarded as one of the most important breakthroughs in biology.

!PHILOSOPHICAL

Do you believe that there is anything inherently wrong or shameful about pursuing a different state of mind? Do you believe that a governmental body should have the power to tell you what you can and cannot put in your own body?

A growing opinion is that as long as you do not harm anyone else in your experimentation, the answer to both of those questions is no. Question why you believe the things you do, and ask others around you to do the same.

!Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs

http://www.vox.com/cards/warondrugsmarijuanacocaineheroinmeth/

warondrugsenforcementamerica

http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock

https://www.aclu.org/criminallawreform/

marijuanaarrestsnumbers

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/turnontuneingetbetterpsychedelicdrugsholdmedicalpromise/

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Ask Sir E Brum !

SAGE DE BRUM! (MARSHALL ISLANDS ’15)!

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!1. Who can I trust?

Hmm, aside from family and close friends?

- For details regarding any personal issues, you have counselors, resident tutors, resident assistants, and the chance to use a diary.

- Imaginary friends don’t tell any secrets. Not that I’m suggesting anything, just relaying what Boris, the invisible talking ferret, told me.

- Always trust people who like big butts, for they cannot lie.

2. Know any questions that I should ask my ToK teacher?

For the intellectually demanding contemplations, we must all turn to our deal internet friend, the Philosorapter.

- If the pen is mightier than the sword, why do actions speak louder than words?

- If talk is cheap, why are phone bills so expensive?

- If it’s 10 times better than the leading brand, why isn’t it the leading brand?

- If you watch an apple store get robbed, are you an iWitness?

- Is a fly without wings called a walk?

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3. What app do I waste time on?

Well, I’ll tell ya what to waste time on!

- Flappy Bird. Yes, that game. The game that we all play now, no longer to see who can outbore the other into a victory of another pipe triumph, but to show how we all made the choice to save a relic. You won’t find this on the app store anymore, but there are many copycats like it still in existence. For instance, Flapping Miley.

- Clash of Clans is one app that I am on right now. Playing secretly just to beat that one friend of mine who uses actual money to buy his way into clan dominance, this game app is one of how you spend your time. Out of 10, I give it a 5.5, which is still 5.5 more than I normally rate most of the apps I own.

- If you’re single and have an abundance of time on your hands as you plan out how to get that guy or girl of your dreams, then I hesitantly recommend the My Virtual Boyfriend or My Virtual Girlfriend app for you. It’s free for up until you start to get acquainted with your virtual significant other, then you would have to buy the app for an eye-squinting $0.99. Hint: once you do get an actual boyfriend or girlfriend, delete the app immediately. In a way, it’s kind of two-timing.

- There exist many pokedex apps, by the way, for you hardcore pokemon fans (me included; I have two pokedex apps installed).

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!Mild unrest. Disgruntled confusion. Societal upheaval.

Another age of complaints has reared its less-than-beautiful head and spewed its potent breath across the student population, allowing a mild rage to permeate the pores of several.

What is the cause of all this uproar?

Only cafeteria drama can engender such severe and dramatic responses. Well, that and rule changes and the International Baccalaureate Organization and, actually, a whole host of other things can cause similar reactions, but right now we are complaining about food.

With the departure of our beloved Matthew (we hope that you are doing well for yourself, big guy) and the instillation of Youssef (welcome!) as the new head of the school’s food services, the cafeteria has adopted a near myriad of various changes: green walls, fancy glass bottles for soy sauce and lemon juice, hot and cold soup options, just to name a few. These deviations from our previous norm, however, are decidedly not the fuel keeping the fire of discontent burning within the hearts of a number of people in the community. No, the source of disquiet is the apparent eradication of the ever controversial weekly event—Burger Tuesday.

People have complained and complained from time immemorial about how absolutely terrible and unhealthy and just plain bad Burger Tuesday is for us.

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But now that it is no longer a regular fixture in our schedules, another equally loud group of people on campus have taken it upon themselves to voice their fondness for the standard meal. I personally do not really care for Burger Tuesday either way—just bring back the brownies.

Are people overreacting? Are they lashing out in fear in the face of the new, much more colorful aesthetics in the cafeteria? Will all really be well soon enough? Only time will tell in this ongoing food feud. I suppose that as long as we have decent victuals, we will all live long enough to find out what happens next.

In the meantime, you can distract yourselves from these recent campus happenings by asking George to razzle and dazzle you with his downright epic oral storytelling skills. He opened for the musical group Lone Piñon—or, sorry, “Lone Pinion,” right, Tom?—last weekend and wowed everyone in the audience.

Alternatively, instead of getting angry about food, you could channel that energy into getting excited about CLAD! The next installment of our cultural show cycle is nearly upon us—and that, for sure, is almost as exciting as Burger Tuesday is dramatic.

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the FLIPside

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The Flipside