the literati issue 13

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A GUEST ARTICLE FROM LI PO CHUNHOW TO CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR IN 7

STEPS

1. Research Chinese New YearIt's a very significant holiday in Chinese culture and the festivities extend over a period of two weeks. The Chinese New Year is accompanied by a belief in good fortune, and there are many decorations around to herald the New Year.Chinese celebrators head to temples to pray for good luck d u r i n g t h e N e w Ye a r celebration period. There they burn incense sticks and can also have their fortunes told. If you are not of Chinese descent but would like to participate, attend a Chinese temple and take a tube of fortune sticks which can usually be found at the entrance to the temple. Ask a question, shake the tube and the number that falls out can be interpreted by one of the fortune tellers at the temple.

2. Clean yo' room, for reals • Put away dustpans and brooms so that the good luck won't be swept away after cleaning. • Keeping fresh and hygienic is also an important part of

celebrating; even a new haircut will do. • Be aware! Do not clean your home during the New Year, such as sweeping or wiping the windows. To do so is to "sweep away" the good luck you've just received for the New Year. Over the following 13 to 15 days, you're relieved of cleaning duties. It may be a little dirtier than usual but it is an important part of observing the tradition.

3. Decorate your roomT he co lo r that i s mos t recommended is red. Red is the color or symbol of good luck in Chinese culture. The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and wealth, as in Chinese the word for eight rhymes with fortune or wealth. • Take care not to overdo the decorations. Display a few good ones to bring life and fortune from their brightness and colorful nature. • Place flowers through the house, such as lotuses. Lotus flowers symbolize rebirth and new growth. •Place mandarins in bowls

throughout the house. (continued on page ___)

THIS WEEK

PAGE 3CAMPUS NEWSAfter an eventful two weeks, read interviews with various campus guests. Also, hear the news about what students think of dorm hoodies and trying out things like skiing that are completely new!

PAGE 7WORLD NEWSAside from reading a Chinese New Year article all the way from the UWC in Li Po Chun, get all the information about everything from Obama’s upcoming immigration policies to how internationals should understand all the football fuss around the Superbowl!

PAGE 10OPINIONHow bad is meat for you, actually? Is magic a form of performance art or just some tricks? Answer these questions and more starting on page 10.

UWC-USA FEBRUARY 2013

Anamika Jain

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A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Readers,

We apologize for the lack of a publication last week. Our typical momentum was lost due to not meeting for a week because of Martin Luther King day activities. Though the celebration of MLK day may have impeded some regular campus functions and some may have been doing tasks that left much to be desired, on a campus like ours, recognizing MLK is vital. Despite the CASes that our school has implemented in town, many of us still fall prey to the ubiquitous UWC bubble. It was refreshing for me for example to get involved with the Las Vegas Arts Council and

feel slightly more connected to Las Vegas. Also, Martin Luther King stood for, in many broad respects, the many aims UWC strives to accomplish and considering the ease in which you can forget the reasons why you first came to UWC, taking a day to observe these reasons should only be welcomed with open arms. Bearing in mind our connection to town and the time of reflection MLK day garners, perhaps we should have more MLK days.

Thanks for reading.

Until Next Time,Patrick on behalf of the Literati Editors


LITERATI STAFFEDITORS

Patrick Drown Lara NorgaardUSA-MA ’13 USA-CO ’13

WRITERS

Abraham Amador Bieke Bekker Alexandra HemmerMexico ’13 The Netherlands ’14 Singapore ’14

Edgar Jaramillo Adrian Jennings Shobhit KumarUSA-CA ’14 South Africa ’14 USA-MD ’14

Arissa Moreno Carlin RIng Emily VenturiRuiz USA-IA ’14 Italy ’14 Peru ’14

Valentin Caetano Hanta- FACULTY SPONSOR:Herrgesell Davis PARRIS BUSHONG Austria ’13 USA-VT ’14

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A great source of amusement for people at UWC-USA is seeing students having their first ever experience with something. Especially now it is winter, many opportunities for trying new things are arising. We asked for some stories.

Lylla (USA-LA ’14) just spent two Sundays in Taos to go skiing for the first time. “Although I was on my butt half of the time, it was one of the greatest days in my life. I loved the adrenaline rush the speed gave me. I wasn’t scared, until a certain Sardinian firstie dragged me up to the top of the mountain on the second day. We fell in front of the lift and halfway to the top I just screamed to the person in the next seat, ‘what is the best advice for not dying!’. We literally bumped in to two old people on our way down but luckily they were so nice as to help us on the rest of our way. Still, it was great!”

Ice skating is another sport that many people have not done before. Mboni (Tanzania/China ’14) tried it out in the winter break while staying in Colorado. “The first thing I thought was the idea of a frictionless world brought on years back in my former Physics class...imagination and the actual experience are indeed quite different. The slide triggered a feeling of such freedom and ease! It is as though I was reliving my toddlerhood as I awkwardly struggled with those 'baby-steps' (except it's on ice this time) ...with uttermost caution. I was full of delight and excitment for its novelty and, was glad to have tied it at the end of the tedious day. Looking forward to doing so again, hopefully abit more graceful next time...”

Life here shows us many new things . Personally, I have never before experienced a winter –or any season really- without rain. We all experience the wonder and shock even from that first time of anything.

As Alumni Weekend kicked off last Friday (Feb 1st, 2013), UWC-USA students were met with a fascinating group of notable alumni members who returned to share their experiences during and after their UWC-USA experience. Someone I had the chance to speak with was Leah Simmons-Davis who graduated with the class of 1997 along with our very own Arianne Zwartjes! Leah is currently a fire fighter in the beautiful state of California and was extremely enthusiastic about her return to campus as she reminisced about her own time here.


CAMPUS NEWSNEW THINGSBieke Bekker (The Netherlands ’14)

Photo credit: Bieke Bekker (The Netherlands ’14)

INTERVIEW WITH FIRE-FIGHTER LEAH

SIMMONS-DAVISAlexandra Hemmer (Singapore ’14)

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Alex: Are you originally from California?

Leah: No I’m actually originally from Wisconsin and that’s where I grew up.

Alex: Back in the 90s, when the Internet wasn’t as useful as it is today, how did you hear about UWC?

Leah: There was this woman who was an artist and had worked with Colin (Lanham – Art Teacher) at UWC-USA and she was a close family friend. When she came back to Wisconsin, she told me all about it and really encouraged me to apply here.

Alex: That’s great that you were able to find out. What is the biggest difference here at UWC-USA to you now, compared to back then in the 90s?

Leah: Well, the campus definitely looks different. We didn’t have the Field House, the Castle was completely shut-off from us and the dorms were gender-integrated, With boys on one floor and girls on the other. So being able to access the castle, For one, has been really exciting. Another difference would be the clubs, for Example, we didn’t have the African Chorus in my time.

Alex: Would you share about what life after UWC-USA was like for you?

Leah: When I left here, I had a boyfriend from the Netherlands and so I moved there And got a job working with little kids. After that, I moved to California and that’s Where I began my career as a firefighter.

Alex: Did you learn some Dutch while you were in the Netherlands? And what was it Like for you there?

Leah: Yes I actually did learn some Dutch. I had to because I was working there and also

Because little children can’t speak English at that point in their lives so I needed to Communicate with them. But living there was absolutely wonderful, I was just so In love with the country for what it was.

Alex: Lastly, was it hard for you to maintain contact with your classmates after UWC? Obviously now, with Facebook as a medium, keeping in touch has become too Easy. But what was it like back then?

Leah: Too be honest, I haven’t done the best job with keeping in touch, at least not as Great as I wanted to do when I left here. The alumni reunions were actually a Platform for old classmates to reunite and I was very excited about my 10-year Reunion but I ended up missing it because of my work, which I was so upset About.

Alex: Do you think that people are starting to reconnect now in recent years with the Establishment of Facebook?

Leah: Well, I wouldn’t know because I still don’t have Facebook! (Laughs)

Alex: Well thank you very much for your time. It was very nice to meet you.

Leah: It was very nice to meet you too! Take care!


Photo credit: Leah Simmons-Davis

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All the dorms now have their hoodies, and even though MB was far too cool to stoop down to the level of a walk-in, they’re all looking pretty good. None of the walk-ins exhibited quite the same level of strangeness as Denali’s, but they were all pretty well executed. Every hoodie is a different colour, they all have nice designs and each dorm is patriotically proud of them. Everyone thinks that their hoodie is the best, even if they admire some other dorm’s hoodie. I obviously think that Denali’s hoodie is the best, though perhaps Denali’s name could be a bit clearer since many people have trouble finding it (and along the way find the words “uber”, “stnet” and “tlkge”). I’d rather not comment on other dorms’ hoodies for fear of angering anybody.

Dorm hoodies are pretty darn cool though. Everyone gets really excited about them and look forward to getting them. The

organisation process can be horrible at times and very unorganised, but from getting the hoodie for the first time to doing the walk-in

(or not, in MB’s case) to wearing the hoodie for the first time, it’s rather fun. It’s quite nice to have your name (or nickname) on your back wherever you go. Makes it easier not to get lost.

I’m not sure when the tradition of dorm hoodies started at UWC-USA, but we had something similar at my old school. We’d get house shirts every year, though these generally turned out pretty badly. This wasn’t so much of a problem at a school with mandatory uniform; it’s a lot nicer to have a good-looking dorm hoodie here at UWC-USA, where you can pretty much wear anything you want within reason (a liberty that I think I, along with many other funky individuals, have exploited with rather beautiful results, particularly on Halloween’s day).

I’m getting off-topic though. Dorm hoodies are pretty cool. Can’t wait to see what dorms do next year.

DORM HOODIES

Adrian Jennings (South Africa ’14)

Photo Credit: Adrian Jennings (South Africa’14)

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What do you call a man who uses parallels from the Harry Potter series to make a difference in the world? Andrew Slack, the founder of the Harry Potter Alliance, works everyday to change the world from a storytelling perspective. We all gained some exposure to Andrew through workshops, dinner conversations, and even his grand speech at the Yule Ball, but I had the chance to sit down with Andrew and get a better perspective of both him and what he does everyday.

Andrew was first exposed to Harry Potter through word of mouth - children first urged him to read the series. Upon completing the first book, he reflected, “This book just changed my life.” In 2005, the Harry Potter Alliance was born and has since then achieved many feats. From sending Haiti five cargo planes with supplies to donating more than 87,000 books around the world, the HPA with the help of fans has made a di f ference in our world. Furthermore, Andrew is developing a new project named Imagine Better and using fan activism to community build. He wants to take a grassroots approach with this organization and allow fans to use social media for social change.

His story is one that we can all learn from. “I’ve been told my ideas are insane,” he says. Nonetheless, Andrew never let others’ opinions shape his dreams; instead, he continued and pursued what he believed in. Today, the Harry Potter Alliance has more than 85 chapters, (UWC-USA is a chapter in the works) a network of over one million people, and recently won a $250,000 grant in the Chase Bank Community Challenge.

The personal experiences of Andrew have allowed him to see the world differently. Inspired by a Rwandan woman named Sifa, Andrew learned directly of the genocide’s prevalence in the world. After this experience, he vowed to help end genocide in the world, which became a large goal of the HPA along with advocating LGBT equality and human rights movements. An interesting fact is that the two best things in college for Andrew were romantic relationships and Harry Potter. He reminisces of his years and told me that although in the past he dated women who loved Harry Potter, he now is open to both Harry Potter and non-Harry Potter fans. In fact, he has even turned some girls into Harry Potter fans by reading them Harry Potter every night!

His favorite Harry Potter character is Dumbledore. He would put himself in Gryffindor house. He advocates for everyone to use social media in order to make an impact. Andrew has had a great impact on the world partly because of his “craziness,” or non-conformity to usual methods. “Our world is crazy. We need crazy people to make it saner.”


A LIFE DEDICATED TO HARRY POTTER

Shobhit Kumar (USA-MD ’14)

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(continued from page 1) Mandarins with their leaves still intact are the fruits of happiness for the New Year. Keep their numbers even though, as uneven numbers bring unhappiness. When offering mandarins to others, always offer them in pairs. • Set out a tray of candies with eight different types of candies arranged along it.

4. Offer a sacrifice to the Kitchen God. This sacrifice could include foods such as fruits, for example. Good behavior should be used so that he will make a "good report when he goes back to Heaven." Many families have a large poster of him in their kitchen.

5. Have a traditional dinner on New Year's Eve. This is one of the most important parts of the holiday and the food eaten at this time of year has traditional meanings related to the Chinese New Year. Some Chinese choose not to eat meat on the first day of Chinese New Year because each New Year carries the name of an animal. The remaining days carry no such restrictions. Traditional dishes include fish, jai, chicken, law pak ko, lin guo (sticky rice cake), noodles and desserts. Dumplings play a special role in New Year food because of their shape, one which resembles the ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Some of the food meanings include: • Jiu, a traditional hard liquor, and daikon, the Chinese radish, carry the meaning of longevity. • Red chilies mean good luck. • Rice ensures harmony.

5. Dress for the occasion.Associated with joy, happiness, good luck, wealth and good fortune, red clothes will ensure that you're fully participating in the spirit of the celebrations. Gold is another suitable color; try combining the two for a very elegant look.

6. Interact with others in a positive manner. Chinese New Year is a time of happiness and good fortune and it's important to spread the goodwill. Avoid having any quarrels, fights, or negative attitudes during the New Year. These will bring you bad luck.When greeting other people during the New Year period, use greetings such as: Gung hay Fat Choy"/ "Gong Xi Fa Chai" – these mean "Happy New Year" in Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese respectively.

You may also choose to entertain yourselves with some rather interesting Chinese proverbs and quotes, translated directly: • Man who run behind car get exhausted. • Man who run in front of car get tired. • Man with one chopstick go hungry. • Man who scratch bottom should not bite fingernails. • Man who eat many prunes get good run for money. • War does not determine who is right, war determine who is left. • Wife who put husband in doghouse, soon find him in cat house. • Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night. • Man who drive like hell, bound to get there. • Man who stand on toilet is high on pot. • Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement. • Man who pass wind in church sit in own pew. • Crowded elevator smell different to midget.

7. Visit a parade. Parades are full of excitement, including firecrackers, activities, and dragon dancers. There are people who are disguised as dragons and lions; the dragon is revered in China rather than being viewed as a monster. Indeed, it could be said that the dragon almost symbolizes China itself.


WORLD NEWS

http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Loving-Kindness-Meditation-%28Metta%29

http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Loving-Kindness-Meditation-%28Metta%29

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This year comprehensive immigration reform is one of the most important political topics in the United States. We are currently living in a country with an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. Especially because we live in the border state of New Mexico, this is an issue that has the potential to change the lives of thousands in our state. On June 15th, 2012 the Obama administration and the Department of Homeland Security announced “Deferred Action” a plan which allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16, are currently age 30 or younger, and graduated from high school, college or served in the military the ability to apply to avoid deportation for two years and get a work permit. This plan is not permanent, and it appears that now both Republicans and Democrats are pushing to fix the immigration system.

On January 29th, 2012 Obama gave an address on immigration reform in Las Vegas, Nevada. The president emphasized that “the time has come for common sense, comprehensive immigration reform” and that “leaders from both parties are coming together to say now is the time to find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as the land of opportunity.” In his speech Obama outlined three major goals of a reformed immigration system: smarter and better enforcement of the borders and laws, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and improvements to the legal immigration system in particular so that families are not separated for years. The pathway to ci t izenship for

undocumented immigrants would include background checks, taxes, penalty fees, learning English, and then undocumented immigrants would be added to the queue behind immigrants seeking to come to the United States legally.

Not only is immigration reform necessary as a humanitarian and social issue, but Obama also spoke of the economic incentives of reforming the immigration system. He claimed that immigration reform will keep our “workforce young” and “keep our country on the cutting edge.” Obama stated, “one in four high tech s tar tups in America were founded by immigrants.” According to him, it is time to make sure every business in the United States “plays by the same set of rules” because having immigrants who came to the United States illegally is unfair to businesses without undocumented immigrants. Also, in fixing the l e g a l i m m i g r a t i o n s y s t e m , s t u d e n t s , entrepreneurs, and scientists who want to utilize their talents will be rewarded for coming to the United States, and will thus strengthen the country’s economy. Companies such as Intel and Instagram were started with the help of immigrants who studied in the United States and stayed here.

While Obama may be criticized from both the right and left for his policies it is incredibly important as a nation moving forward to criticize, revise, oppose and support policies on immigration reform until the country has a just system for all.

As UWC students, New Mexico is the ideal place to get involved with the issue of immigration. How can you get involved? Continue going to hearings. Stay in contact with the likes of César Chavez, who we had here at the Annual Conference. Cuauhtemoc Cruz


OBAMA ADDRESSES THE NATION ON

IMMIGRATION REFORM

Caetano Hanta-Davis (USA-VT ’14)

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Herrera (Mexico ’14) and I are working on bring representatives of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, a student immigrant organization at Highlands University) to campus to keep our community educated and realize the realities and flaws of the current immigration system in the United States.

One Sunday every year (most) Americans stop for an entire day. Nothing else is important, because the time for the Super Bowl has arrived. This year we saw the Baltimore Ravens (Maryland) facing the San Francisco 49ers, ready to close the long and exciting NFL season. The Super Bowl was hosted in New Orleans at the Super Dome, five years after the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina.

However, if you did not share the American excitement of watching dirty men smash into each other for hours upon end, here is a brief summary of what happened in order for you to prove that you actually live in the United States and not Mexico, allowing you to find an interesting topic for when conversations get dull.The night started off with the Sandy Hook Elementary School Choir singing “America is Beautiful”. Fans removed their hats and bowed their heads as the 26 children sang in memory of their fellow 26 students and faculty killed by a gunman in Newton (Connecticut) seven weeks ago, in one of the worst school massacres in U.S. history.

Just after, the game kicked off. The Ravens dominated the first half, leading 28 points to 6 early in the third quarter, with Jacoby Jones

scoring two of the most spectacular touchdowns seen in a Super Bowl. However, the game was not over. During the third quarter, a section of the lights at the Super Dome blacked out, unexpectedly stopping the game. Whilst creative advertisements jumped at the opportunity, the game was paused for thirty minutes whilst technicians repaired the lighting system. After the temporary pause and Beyoncé’s marvellous performance, the 49ers must have been greatly inspired because they came roaring back taking everyone by surprise, and scoring 17 consecutive points, bringing the score to a close 28 to 23. Despite the unexpected turn in events, the Ravens survived the ferocious comeback from the 49ers to win their second Super Bowl with 34 points against 31 (much to Shobhit’s delight).

Presidential campaign spots aside, American newspapers usually do not cover advertising. But if there was ever an occasion to do so, it's the morning after the Super Bowl. Much disappointment greeted the 2013 ads, due to the high expectations of the American public. The GoDaddy.com ads were as bad as they always are, and to award them the title of "worst Super Bowl commercial". Many newspaper article speant more times analizing the best and worst ads, rather than the game itself.

So these facts basically sums up this much-anticipated event. All you need to know is:Good football gameSexy BeyoncéEmbarrassing blackoutBad adsYou are set for a good American conversation during the upcoming year.


A SUPERBOWL GUIDE FOR UWCers

Emily Venturi (Italy ’14)

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“A medal does no good on a shelf. My character, personality, values, and passions are evidence enough of my Eagle Scout achievement. My medal is of much greater use in this way. I hope that my future son will enjoy all the benefits of scouting that I did, but I would not enroll my own children in the BSA as it currently stands. I renounce my Eagle Scout rank in hopes that, in doing so, the organization’s policy will change in time for my children to proudly wear their own scout uniforms.” -Sean Beckett, former Eagle Scout.

The passage above was taken from a letter, one of thousands of similar letters, in which former Eagle Scouts are writing to the Boy Scouts of America to renounce their rank and affiliation with the Boy Scouts. These men do so in ac t o f res i s tance to denounce the o rg a n i z a t i o n’s d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t homosexuals and it’s policy that prevents openly gay boys from joining scouting and openly gay men from serving as leaders in Boy Scout troops.

The protest was sparked last year after Ohio Cub Scout den leader Jennifer Tyrrell was forced to step down from her position in her son's Cub Scout pack because she is openly gay. Since then, the protest movement has picked up speed. On her TV talk-show, Ellen DeGeneres hosted a California Boy Scout who had been denied his rank of Eagle because he is gay. The movement may have reached a turning point this month when the Boy Scout National Council issued a

statement that they would bring up the issue at a regularly scheduled biannual meeting in February. Any change would be announced after that.

The rank of Eagle is a highly coveted and respected award. Current estimates say that about 5% of all boys who go into Scouting earn the rank of Eagle. To do so, one must complete hundreds of hours of service, serve in various positions of leadership, and organize a service project of significant magnitude within their community. As a result, colleges, employers, and even the military look very favorably upon the rank of Eagle and it is one of the few awards that you earn as a youth that you can put on resumes for the rest of your life.


OPINIONA SCOUT IS MORALLY

STRAIGHTEdagr Jaramillo (USA-CA ’14)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-Y6k3-BSUkM/S9kJzxSTsCI/AAAAAAAAFlY/MKzLShLDrBs/s1600/blog+widget+boy+scout.jpg







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For many boys, scouting is the most influential activity or program of their youth. For example in his letter of forfeiture, Beckett also wrote, “Scouting was, without a doubt, the most important institution of my childhood and young adult life. I joined the BSA as a five-year-old tiger cub in 1993 and remained active in the troop until my 18th birthday...The scout law guided my development from a child into a responsible adult, and continues to represent the character qualities that I value most in myself and others.”

Which is why it is so appalling that an organization that does so much good for young men by preaching good virtues and high moral standing is still so backwards on this issue. Not only is it archaic and discriminatory, but it goes directly against basic scouting ideals. To quote the 12th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook: “Ignorance, prejudice, and indifference are enemies of our country too. Do your part to defeat those threats by taking advantage of educational opportunities and defending the rights of others. (p.71)” Last April, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation started calls for the Scouts to end the ban. President Barack Obama -- the honorary head of the Scouts, as is every president -- also supports gay and lesbians in Girl and Boy Scouts, as does former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. (CNN) All three applauded the announcement as a step in a the right direction. However, The Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church) are among scouting's biggest backers. In 2011, Mormon-backed Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops accounted for more than 420,000 of all Scouts nationwide. (CNN) More than 200,000 Scouts were members of units affiliated with the Catholic Church.

As an Eagle Scout myself as of December, I can only hope that the Boy Scouts make the right decision come February.

Each February 4th is a significant date: World Cancer Day takes place as a reminder of all its victims and a way to promote a better quality life for patients and prevention. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and just in 2008 7.6 million deaths was cause of it (around 13% of total).

When we, as young individuals, consider all the efforts to fight cancer, we imaging the graphic warning labels printed on cigarette packets (only in some countries, not the US for example) which help, in some ways, to reduce tobacco addiction and its health risks, or the advancements in the research to cure cancer. I personally believe that this kind of warnings should be also placed on meat and dairy products. If we reflect about our daily diets in the caff (except from meatless Mondays, permanent vegetarians and vegans), our meals have an excessive amount of meat and dairy products. We are all aware (because of the repetitive speech of doctors and nutritionists) that vegetables improve our health; and that instead, meat and its derivatives increase the risk of a list of diseases (heart disease, obesity, and cancer as well). Even though we know this, we can consume unconsciously 3 or 4 burgers a day. Believe or not, eating meat is as dangerous as smoking.

According to the research of the World Health Organization, the dietary factors account for at least 30 percent of all cancer in Western countries and up to 20 per cent in developing


THE DANGER OF LOVING MEAT

Arissa Moreno Ruiz (Peru ’14)

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countries. The examples and scientific proves are infinite: processed meat (like bacon, sausage, ham and similar stuff) is strongly related to bowel cancer; countries with higher intake of animal fat have a higher incidence of breast cancer; men who eat cow meat at least 5 times a week have a higher risk of suffering from prostate cancer; and the list can go on and on…

What is the quick scientific explanation to relate meat and cancer risk? Meat contains “carcinogenic” elements that come from the processing or cooking time. Others say that meat and dairy products contribute to the production of hormones related to cancer.

For all those that complain about meatless Mondays, the facts are there: studies in different countries show that vegetarians are about 40 per cent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat lovers. The conclusion is clear: your fork, your knife and the decisions you make during breakfast, lunch or dinner time are powerful tools: picking a green salad instead of a good-looking and juicy beef can defend you against cancer. Do not remember to commemorate cancer just on the 4th of January, make your own journey against cancer on a daily basis.

When you read the word art, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It might be a painting you’ve seen, a line of music, or a particular dance move. For some, it is magic. I’m not talking about the mythological hullabaloo that is generally accepted to be imaginative poppycock. I’m referring to stage magic; of the magicians and their assistants commanding a room, making every law of nature seem to bend to their will, preforming fantastic acts of cunning, spectacle, and skill. This, for many

people is considered art. For others, though, it is believed that art should be a more highbrow thing. Art should be something to be aspired to, a masterful brushstroke or a perfectly struck note. This is nothing short of ridiculous.

Now, I’m certainly not one to say that everything that is called art deserves the title, but magic is not faking it. The ability to own a stage, to perform as magicians do, is an art form. Art is when you put something of yourself, something of your heart and soul, into what you do, and in that sense, art is self-expression whether it's painting or acting or music, or in this case magic. It is merely a means through which the artist can communicate something meaningful to others, even if that thing is as simple as believing in the impossible or learning to see behind the curtain. It is true that now a days, much of magic is lost in the technical side of it. Magic has been


ABRACADABRA

Carlin Ring (USA-IA ’14)

photo credit: www.kalona.lib.ia.us

http://www.kalona.lib.ia.us

http://www.kalona.lib.ia.us

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distilled into intellectual puzzles and the judgment of whether it’s good or not depends solely on if the rest of us can figure out how it’s done. In the same way that people marvel at how a painter puts colours on a canvas or how a soprano hits the high note, magic is an art that can be learned through much practice and preservation, but it is not something that needs to be laid out plain in front of people. In order for any of these art forms to be true art, there must be some degree of showmanship there. The audience comes to be entertained and to have their emotions played on and torn to shreds before being put back together, and magic, true magic, gives that to them. It is art when done well and it deserves to be recognized as such.

From the paraffin, the molotov bomb is one classic; named after Vyacheslav Molotov, a chairman in the Soviet Union, the name comes with the Finns in the Winter War against USSR. Molotov said they were not bombing the Finns but giving them food (ha!), then the Finns responded the attack throwing Molotov Cocktails at the Russian army. As they said: “A drink to eat with the food”.

Of course, Molotov hated the nickname of the bombs... And we can't give him all the credit for the inspiration. The first use of Molotov cocktails was in the spanish civil war (first in this century I'd dare to say). So they could be named Franco bombs as well (mostly because they were used under his orders).

For its easy use and easy manufacturing, it is the number one device used by people who

can't afford guns or bombs... and want to throw something at someone (let's leave it like that). So here we come with the question. What is it made for? It's purpose and use is not like the grenade (explosive), its use is not practical for tanks or buildings (unless it is to make it look cool). The main purpose for the Molotov bomb is also related to the reason of its legality; it's a device that spreads a fuel over a surface, sticks to it and burns it. Metal does not burn and plastic is fairly resistant to it... but skin isn't.

To give its Napalm-ish properties, people like to put some sawdust inside, some other times paraffin. The best container for it should be glass but it can be plastic. Empty from its original content, of course, but filled with both oil and a random fuel which in most of cases is gasoline, instead of a cap it is sealed with a piece of fabric. Then, light it and throw it at whoever you hate the most (just don't...).

Nowadays, it is mostly used as a psychological weapon. The victim of the attack might prefer to run away than being lit on fire. Also the name of any hand homemade destruction device might be called a Molotov bomb. So what is called a Molotov is as broad as the word ham in US. The usage of those are clearly illegal since the main victim is the government... and well, they make the laws, whether they are fair or not, but that's the start of another discussion.


FOOD AND DRINKS!Abraham Amador (Mexico ’13)

JUST READ IT. 14

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of life? Well, I haven't. It is Thursday and this is theFLIPSIDE. In case you didn't know last week this newspaper was on a break due to the Annual Conference and MLK day, a festivity that, once again, resembled all the values this schools stands for - such as forcing people to do service. Also when talking about values: Don't leave your room unlocked. There is no pun intended, it's just general life-advice. So what has happened in the last two weeks? Well, to start, the Yule Ball turned out to be a success - n o t s u r p r i s i n g l y w i t h a b u d g e t o f fi v e biliooooooooooooon dollars. We were able to observe lots of cute and fairly cute couples - Stephen and Chinyere? Seriously, what was that? Furthermore the Vogue editor in me noticed some, let's be polite, quite generous dress choices and Tom Oden masqueraded as Gandalf - the evil Jedi from Star Trek. The highlight of the evening however, without a doubt, was Andrew Slack. A man that was described in our weekly Friday Flash as someone who "wrote comedy for the bassist of Aerosmith", on the 10th January of 2011 was named "Greatest Person of the Day" by the Huffington Post* and currently serves on the Board of the "International Quidditch Association". Fired up by that, I went to one of his workshops and asked him if he does magic tricks. He said no and so I was not interested and left. Another thing that apparently happened was Alumni Weekend - or as it's now called Alumni Connect. Five carefully hand-picked Graduates showed

us that, indeed, there is a life after UWC. A life that when looking at these five guys will include attending an Ivy League School, or at least becoming a multi-millionaire. Talking about Kristian: Thank you for your money. Also when mentioning money, there is one thought that came into my mind: Why don't we take all the money from the Annual Conference, and use it to bring more Alumni here on a regular basis. I personally learned, and enjoyed myself more this weekend than during the conference. I also doubt any graduate would suggest to stop having borders... Finally, over the course of the last few weeks I have been made aware of by the surprisingly large amount of faculty members reading this column. While I'm honored by this additional readership on the one side, it is not fair on the other to leave out such a big group of potential victims. So for next time be ready to read everything about Josh's nightlife, Edith's plans to open up a French restaurant, Alexis' election campaign and Eyad's secret knitting club. Stay tuned, because that was it for today. Now it's time for me to go kick puppies and burn kittens.

Sincerely,

*A terrible online "News" Paper


the SIDEFLIPBY THE INFAMOUS AND CLASSY VALENTIN HERRGESELL

The IT-DepartmentA Cautionary Play in One Act

(The inside of an abandoned looking office, server racks in the background, cables on the floor)

First IT-Guy: Dude, we need to find a date to turn off the internet for nearly an entire day. Second IT-Guy: Right, and let's not do that on a day where people are mostly in class, busy with CAS and don't really have the time to use it. First IT-Guy: Exactly, we don't wanna do that. A day, like a Sunday, where people finally have spare time to get some work done would be way more appropriate. Second IT-Guy: Man, that's totally what I was going to say. A day when none of us are working is like the most perfect choice ever.First IT-Guy: Absolutely! So that in case someone is wondering why the Internet is still not working, we would be right there, at home with our families, only half an hour drive away. Second IT-Guy: Great, so it's Sunday, during the day?First IT-Guy: Naturally, we definitely don't wanna do it at night. Second IT-Guy: Agree, I mean we don't want to have any Megabytes escaping in the dark. Right?Third, Hispanic IT-Guy: Right.

(Curtains)

the literati issue 13

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