Extra-Academic Programs

Yoga began over 5000 years ago in India. In Sanskrit ‘yoga’ means ‘union’ and aims to unite the body, the mind and the soul.

The objective of the yoga and meditation PBL was to explore yoga and especially the meditation aspect of it. We focussed on breathing exercises, meditation and asanas which are good for stress relief, increased ability to concentrate and relaxation – things we students at RCNUWC desperately need.

After practicing some of the common asanas, different breathing techniques and meditation, it was time for the students to design their own programmes which they instructed to the rest of the group. It was interesting to find out that many of the commonly done exercises from other sports are derived from yoga. Yoga is more about your lifestyle and about being in control of one’s body and not let the body take control over the mind.

The PBL was a wonderful experience. We now plan to establish a weekly yoga activity to decrease the stress level of the students and help everyone to have a healthy lifestyle at RCNUWC.

Reported by Silja, Natalia, Ersin, Thobile, Yaomingxin & Julie

“Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony

side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord, why don’t we?” Paul McCartney / Michael Jackson

The focus of our PBL is to learn various techniques of how to use keyboards for accompanying songs together with some basic music theory. In the first days, after all of us had been taught on how to read different chord notations, we started practicing some simple pop songs. For the next few days, we continued trying out more complicated chords and practicing new songs which were suggested by our fellow students. Our first aim was to hit the right chord but after that, we added different melodies to the songs, from romantic ballad to lively disco. Our small concert has shown how much we have learned just in 5 days and how much fun we had together. All of us have not only gained more skills and knowledge with the keyboard but also had an unforgettable wonderful time with music. We would like to thank our dearest teacher, Kåre Sandvik for his instruction, effort and enthusiasm.

The purpose of this PBL was primarily to prepare for the upcoming “Global Concerns” conference on the environment in Bergen the 30th of October, during the “Bergen International Week” from 24 – 31 October. The four participating students worked at the United Nations Association of Norway West’s office in Bergen, which is co-hosting the conference together with Red Cross Nordic United World College. The work the students did at the office, under the supervision of Kai Grieg, Arne Øi and Marianne Hveding, included making “prepare packages” for the Bergen students, visiting the venue Salem to make arrangements, discussing the execution of the conference with the UN staff and doing basic errands for the UN office in relation to the International Week in Bergen. Although the PBL was highly informative in learning about all the background work needed in order to organize such a conference, the students also greatly enjoyed a taste of civilization and “city life” in Bergen.

To me the Chess PBL this year went surprisingly well. Even though we weren’t many in the group we managed to keep a very nice atmosphere that lasted till the end. People were very committed to everything that was going on.  I was very pleased seeing how excited everyone was about solving puzzles together and how interested they were in improving other skills in the game.

In the first day we first mentioned what our expectations were for this PBL and I am sure that very most of them were reached. Besides practicing with puzzle solving and analyzing different concepts of chess we also enjoyed playing against each other and we had many exciting matches going on this week. I am incredibly impressed of how every single person improved during this PBL.

The last day we spent on presentations each one of us had prepared about topics such as history of chess, the best players of all time and taking a look at their ways of playing, about how chess as a sport is spreading all over the world and how young talents get discovered all the time.

All in all I couldn’t wish for a better PBL week.

-Student

Being a huge and diverse country, with a history spanning more than 5000 years, India has lot to offer to the field of culture. Hence it was a tough decision to choose the relevant aspects of Indian culture from its varied cultural heritage, especially when the group consisted of students from Western Sahara to Panama and Italy to South Africa. Ultimately the group chose folk dances, festivals, devotional music, art & architecture, Indian CURRY, and of course BOLLYWOOD!!!! There was some enthusiasm about Cricket as well (the latest entrant to Indian culture going by its almost insane popularity!), but the not-so-friendly rains made it impossible (though we did learn the basic rules of the game from class presentation). Every student was involved in some research activity pertaining to a specific aspect of Indian culture. The information was then shared within the group via a presentation and group discussions.

Every day we began with listening to holy chants and devotional songs dedicated to Lord Ganesha, followed by an individual presentation on the chosen topic of the day. It was followed by group discussions to deepen our understanding. Students showed a keen interest in the classical Indian dance form called Kathakali. They were intrigued by the elaborate facial makeup required for the dance and decided to try it out on them.

The charm of Bollywood was brought alive by screening of the greatest blockbuster of all times – SHOLAY. Another Bollywood hit, BAGHBAAN, had the group almost in tears and THE SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE gave them some insight into slum life in India. The group even choreographed a Bollywood dance sequence to demonstrate their fascination.

But undoubtedly, the favourite proved to be the Indian curry and the chai. Students not only got an opportunity to eat Indian food, but also learn the basic recipes. Rolling chapattis was totally new experience for them. The fragrance of Indian spices (though a little hot for some) is something that the group will not forget for a long time to come.