The Power Of Lucerne's Beauty

The Powers Of Natural Beauty In Lucerne

“You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”    

-Jon Kabat-Zinn

     The beauty of a place can be powerful. Paragliding over the lakes of Lucerne Switzerland is when I fully realized the true power that the beauty of this place holds onto for those who have the privilege of seeing it. Soaring through the skies above the lakes, and seeing all the wonder below me, truly opened my eyes to the power of this natural beauty. 

little Known, Much To Learn

Discovering Who My Classmates Truly Are

“I am not what you see.
I am what time and effort and interaction slowly unveil.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich,

     When I returned to Fenn this year, I worried about how school would be without so many of my friends who left at the end of eighth grade.  While I still had some good friends at Fenn, our numbers were much smaller and the dynamics of the class had changed.  One reason I was looking forward to going to Camp Belknap was that I hoped to get know some of my other classmates better.  One person I feel I got to know better was Garrett.  I had always liked him before and had been on sports teams with him, I did not really know him beyond that.  After the trip, I feel that I got to know him much better and was really surprised to discover that he is really funny.  He could make a joke out of anything, and he was also very positive and upbeat in different situations.  Similarly, I was impressed to learn that another classmate, Bobby did rock climbing outside of school and was very skilled at it.  Watching him during our rock climbing activity was helpful to me as I climbed myself.  These are just two small examples of ways in which I got to know more about classmates at Camp Belknap.  I look forward to learning more about so many more classmates as the year unfolds.

Takeaways From Camp Belknap

Leadership, a smaller community, different scenery & different people

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
-Albert Einstein

     Hollering and laughter echoed from the crowd of ten energetic boys chanting “go no cinco, cinco we won’t” with ecstatic repetition. A bundle of cardboard, pool noodles, and duct tape made a valiant attempt to float through the shores of lake Winnipesaukee during the boat race on Fenn’s annual ninth grade fall trip. We cheer our brave pilot Daniel Edelman as he accelerated our boat swiftly through the cardboard-infested waters of Camp Belknap. The paddles vigorously dug through the waters, each stroke executed with precision.  As Daniel returned to the shore in one piece, our team encircled him as we clenched the first place prize. Even though we were a small group, together we had achieved something big. I learned the advantages of a small community; I discovered that a change of scenery can transform a person, and I realized you can always be a leader.

 A Powerful Community Of Stewards At Fenn 

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” ~Helen Keller.

      A community is built by the people who share a common goal, interest or identity. It can be a comprised of people who share a neighborhood, a town, a church or a school like Fenn. My classmates and I have found our place together as stewards both in the ninth grade at Fenn and the  school community as a whole.  With freshness of the new school year, I know we will grow together and strengthen our connections as a class. Our community is built on more than just the fact that we are all students here.  We work together as teammates on athletic fields, pushing ourselves to the limit,  We test out our ideas and skills on each other to grow and gain knowledge in the class room.  We build friendships with each other, gain mentors in our teachers and serve as role models for younger kids here.  All of these things help strengthen the bonds share in our Fenn community.  Each day, we meet in a familiar place that we all hold dear to our hearts.  as different as we all are, this simple ritual connects us as part of this community.