on the team that finished second overall.


After the Games ended we spent the weekend with our host families exploring Atlanta. Different families did different things, including visiting the Coca Cola factory, a trampoline park, an escape room, going on a four mile hike by the river and attending an NBA basketball game. On the last day, we visited the Georgia Aquarium and the Centre for Civil and Human Rights. Both of these places were very interesting and educational.


The Colonial Games taught me how to work well in a team, plan strategically, negotiate and barter with other people as well as how to think on my feet. Staying with the host family was a new experience for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Atlanta and cannot wait for the students to come to Bermuda in June to take part in BHS’s STEAM Week activities.


UNIS-UN Conference,


New York, NY In March, seven IB1 students had an amazing experience when they traveled to New York to attend the UNIS-UN Conference titled, “Ripple Effect: The Water Crisis”. The UNIS-UN Conference is the largest student-run conference held in the United Nations General assembly, with over 500 students attending from five continents. The 2019 conference examined the role of water in relation to sustainability and geopolitics, and looked at how growing demand, climate change and increasing pollution are affecting water security. “Overall, I learned so much from this conference,” says Cerra Simmons ’20. “The speakers and the workshops brought our attention to the widespread impact that the lack of water can bring.”


Natalie Calderon ’20 said she also learned a tremendous amount from the workshops and speakers at the conference and that just being in such an important place further enhanced the value of the experience: “Being able to sit in the UN General Assembly, where some of the world’s most influential people have spoken and many important decisions have been


20 Torchbearer Spring 2018


“I was extremely moved by her images and I agree with her sentiment that ‘positive is empowering’.”


made, was surreal. I will truly never forget it.” Reflecting on the messages of the various speakers, Natalie shared her thoughts on the knowledge and insight she gained at the conference.


“Galila Gray spoke on the first day and she represented the non profit ‘Charity Water’. This is an organisation that helps to fund sustainable projects in countries where water deficit and water quality are already issues. I found her speech to be empowering and it opened my eyes to a new method of sustainability. I like that they use their funds to help pre-existing charities because it allows for a community to hold on to their independence and integrity.


Seth M. Siegel, an author and activist, said that the water crisis has been giving us warning signs for decades now. He also stated that there is still time, and he is adamant that if we can spread awareness and band together, there is still hope of preventing what will otherwise be a global catastrophe. I left this presentation feeling enlightened and proud to have been part of the conversation. I hope in the years to come more will join the fight and help this cause. I also enjoyed listening to Zaria Forman. She is an activist for climate change, and she spreads her message through art. She uses chalk pastels to create massive pieces that realistically illustrate the locations that will be affected by climate change. I was extremely moved by her images and I agree with her sentiment that “positive is empowering”. She focuses her attention on the beauty of nature in hopes that it will allow people to realise what is at stake if we continue our materialistic and consumerist lifestyles. I found her presentation to be the most impactful, and I hope that one day I can make a change in the world doing what I love just like her.”


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