Campus Life
Residential Program
A Reflection By Charlie Xie
Black Student Alliance
Black Student Allianceis a platform for me to promote mutual appreciation between different cultures and to promote the beauty of blackness at my school. This experience is very important to me because it galvanizes me to learn about the humanities and to care about racial minorities. I joinedthe Black Student Alliance to find my own identity as a racial minority in America. My heart is saddened when I know that so many tensions are created by the unintentional racism, which I must say is not qualified by its innocent nature. But, I do see opportunities for people to collaborate and thrive together. By joining the Black Student Alliance, I show my peers and cohorts that the alliance is an inclusive entity that welcomes people of all stripes. By promoting cultural awareness, I uphold a more friendly environment for everyone.
Amateur Radio Club—ND8GA Gilmour Academy was awarded 8thplace in the nation for the October School Club Roundup.
In Amateur Radio Club, we establish connections with both domestic and international radio users. It is fun to communicate with people internationally and learn more about the world that we all live in. I joined Amateur Radio Club because of my interest in physics and mathematics. I wanted to learn about technologies that we so frequently use instead of taking them for granted. I learned how cell phones and the broadcast work and even the prospect of radio in the future. For instance, radio still plays a very significant role in national defense, emergencies or organizing grand activities. The Amateur Radio Club, aware of our mission to assist the community,
organized many sports events, hosting more than a thousand people. Amateur radio also helps me to speak very concisely and clearly in addition to learning Morse Code. To me, amateur radio is both a hobby and a skill that I can put into practice in case of emergency.
Model United Nations— Received Honorable Mention in Cleveland Council on World
Affairs
I admire the work of United Nations in inspiring international cooperation, and I love to participate as a delegate to conceive plans to solve crises and prevent human suffering. Although United Nations is not perfect and fails to exhibit leadership during numerous crises, United
Nations is still an international institution that does great deals for keeping peace on Earth. I joined Model UN in addition to speech and debate because I want to challenge myself and practice English as a foreigner in America. I do Big Question Debate and United States
Extemporaneous Speaking and was awarded twice for my outstanding performance. But, deep inside my heart, I prefer Model UN because it teaches me to cooperate with my peers and reach constructive consensus and compromises. In Model UN, you don’t necessarily win an argument, but you do win many friendships.
Make A Difference Club
We grow vegetables in nearby Benjamin Franklin Community Garden in order todonate food to the food bank. Last year, we, as a club, grew 1000 pounds of vegetables. It is fun to work in the field and meaningful to do something constructive for those in need. Also, we collect amenities and used clothing for the homeless during the winter. Sometimes, we also provide breakfasts for the poor at our school commons. I joined the Make A Difference Club because I want to make a difference through my efforts, however small. But, it is the droplets that form the ocean. It is the particles that make the cities. I believe that my efforts will make a difference if I persist and urge others to join me. One year ago, I wanted to extend the garden project to my school community. It was approved, and the garden is currently in construction. In the future, I wish to use the
garden for environmental science class for Upper School students and as a playground for Lower School children. I want to invite people to participate in the garden project to help the poor and underserved of Cleveland.
Student Council
My experience as a grade representative in the Student Council is very important to me. It represents my peers’ endorsement and demonstrates my ability as a concerned member of the community. I organized many fundraiser events for childhood cancer, including Kick-It, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. I participated in a Kick-It tournament and shaved my head to show compassion for the sick and determination to fight childhood cancer. I joined the Student Council to serve my peers, and I negotiate on their behalf. I am very proud to say that my peers are satisfied with my achievements in the Student Council, and my experiences help me to develop organization, negotiation and leadership skills, for which I am forever grateful.
