CAS Final Reflection

As the year comes to an end, it is sad to see my fellow classmates getting ready to leave and head on to University. Looking back at my CAS goals, I believe I have achieved many of my goals.

Creativity: This year, I have participated in the secondary production even though it was not obligatory. I have learned many things such as: where and which area I am good and comfortable in, Changing my body movement (language) was quite difficult for me but in the end I did very well the head of school said " I admire how you embody a character so well, I am very impressed". Also this time I wasn't the lead character and had to work with other cast members as a team like learning lines or repeating a scene that needed work . When we did scene knight I was performing as a Cuban gangster and had to swear. This was an issue because the local people did complain after the show. I have learned that it is important where you are and to who you are performing, one must learn about the culture and respect their beliefs before doing something so risque. I also develop a new skill, motivation and confidence. Doing this play i felt more at ease and relax then last year. It has become second nature for me.


Action: This year I did lose some weight. too much if i may say so. I was sick for a part of the year and could not do anything physical. This resulted in me not being able to join the basketball or track and field team. I did do a training program which is called Insanity ASYLUM. Two months of hard work I was in the best shape of my life so far. I learned that when working out or not, one must watch what he eats and be careful how much. My eating habits and lifestyle have changed for the better.

Service: I stayed committed and finished my IB Program doing Habitat for Humanity. At first I wanted to change and do something like Recycling or DAWG. It was hard to choose because I love being outside and working with my hands. Hence I stayed in habitat and learned skills that will be helpful for me in the future. I learned how to mix cement and dig a foundation. It was also great to interact with the community and be part of something more then school social life. This summer my brother will be joining me in Sri Lanka and we will go on builds for the fun of it. My brother also never had this experience, I will be his chaperon and show him things that i have learned. I cannot wait.

Update on Secondary Production

The play was fantastic. The auditorium was packed. It was a success. People came to complement me after the show and reviews from students were very positive. My performance was exactly what I wanted it to be. My character was a "Gangster" and teachers were contemplating how could actually be an Italian thug if I wanted too. It’s great to see how your acting comes across to other people. I can only thank my teacher and director Mr. Mather for his patience and understanding. I hope to be part of other plays in the future. Unfortunately this was my last at The Overseas School of Colombo. But this is not the last you will hear of me.

Update on Habitat Build for Seniors.

 

The Habitat build was successful. We engaged with the community and other construction workers in mixing cement and digging a foundation for the community hall. This will also be used a s a school for little children. In the picture below you can see the kids dressed up. They performed a dance for us as a thank you gift and gave us flowers. It was really nice to see how all the children and mothers of the community come together and put on a show for us. I enjoyed every minute of it.

The hard work and back pains the next day were all worth it.



SAISA Housing

This weekend is the SAISA tournament for track and field. It will be hosted at our school The Overseas School of Colombo. As I was on the Basket-ball team last year, Mr. Shipley trusts me and knows I will be suitable to host kids in my house because I’m a senior. I will be hosting three kids. Two of them are from American origins and the last is Swedish. I have hosted before (last year) but I only had two kids which wasn’t much trouble for we played together and had the same schedule. This year it will be quite different. I no longer am a part of the SAISA and driving them early in the morning will be a challenge. Although I am excited to see what they are like and how they act when overseas. It is something I am looking forward to and I am glad to help Mr. Shipley with housing issues. I am also happy that he trusts me. He gives me opportunities to talk in front of the whole school in assembly and be part of his "show". This is great experience for me and I hope more events will come up in the near future.

 

"Administrative Documents." Saisa-org. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2013.

Senior Habitat Build

For our last semester in OSC, our Habitat group decided to do a build with seniors only as we are leaving soon. The build will be on the 16th of march. It will be my third build and I am very exited for it may be our last. My goal when I go back to canada is to join this organisation if possible. Building and helping is two things I truly enjoy doing. I am looking forward to this experience and hopefully gain something from it.

Oscar Night

This year I am the host for the school's Oscar Night. It happened last weekend and was a success to what people have told me and the feedback I got from the teachers. Oscar Night is an event where the secondary school comes together and awards are given to students and teachers. (Example: Most bubbly and most likely to become a billionaire).

 For the event I worked with my co-host Imran to write a script and perform skits as well as an opening monologue which included me singing and running around the dance floor. It was my intension to make an impact and show my acting skills as this was an opportunity to broadcast my talent. Making jokes and persuading people to laugh and be willing to move and interact with me is something I truly enjoy.

 It last about 3 hours and was one of the best I've had in school. This event wasn’t only fun for me but also made me see that writing a script is something I am capable of doing. I found out that I can be quite creative. People said I was funny and that they really enjoyed the show. This is something I wouldn’t mind doing another time, even if I did write the script the morning of, I am sure it could have been phenomenal if I had more time.

This was a learning experience that I enjoy much more than sitting in class and taking notes. Being able to move and express myself gives me the freedom I've wanted my whole life. I now truly feel that I am part of this school and that my reputation is something great that I have gained through hard work and dedication.

Secondary Production 2013

This year we are doing a production with the new teacher Mr. Mather. He came to this school in January and is not knowledgeable of the IB and criteria. Although we are helping him learn he is also helping us with projects needed to be done. He is a great actor and a great personality. While struggling to teach ourselves, Mr. Mather is of great help.

For the Secondary production we are doing a play called “The Night of January 16th". It is a play about a murder and the whole play is done in the setting of a courtroom. My character is called Guts’ Regan. I am a thug gangster who is in love with the victim’s wife. It is an interesting role for I always wanted to act tough on stage. Also my character needs to be confident like the character "Fonzie" from the 70's hit show "Happy Days". This play is approximately 1 hour long.

In the next month or so, we will be having rehearsals every Monday as well as Saturday. At this moment I am working on memorizing my lines because I have a lot of monologues. This is a character I want to perfect because he has the same personality as me and I can easily relate to him.

The performance will be in March and I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.