During the recent term break, a group of Westlake Girls High School students and teachers spent two weeks in Vietnam on a Social Science trip to learn about the culture, geography and history of Vietnam with a focus on the Vietnam/ American war and its aftermath.
Although predominantly a Social Science trip, there was also a focus on the nation’s economy and its cultural mores. Some students also take Fabric technology and this was incorporated into the itinerary – with a stop-over at a silkworm farm and fabric and tailoring outlets. Students were encouraged to examine the issues around environmental sustainability particularly in the Mekong Delta where fisheries are concentrated and the levels of plastic waste are reaching toxic proportions.
Jett McCarroll (Year 12 Snake Whisperer) and Jess Gans (Year 13 Intrepid Explorer) produced this report:
Senior students and accompanying teachers from WGHS departed Auckland airport on the last day of Term 2 heading for Vietnam and the trip of a lifetime!
Travelling from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City, we experienced an incredible taste of Vietnamese culture. After a 10-hour flight and stop-over in Singapore and an added three hours flying time to Hanoi, we arrived in Vietnam to a balmy 30°C (which paled in comparison to the 35°C we experienced as we travelled south to Hue). Our designated tour guides, Jon and Rohan, met us and we spent the first day settling in and exploring the sights and sounds of the capital’s streets.
Day 2 was where we really got down to business, visiting and learning about places such as the Hỏa Lò Prison (the Hanoi Hilton), the Temple of Literature and National University, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and the Ho Chi Minh Complex. We also took an electric car ride around West Lake, which was one of the highlights of the trip. To finish off our busy day we attended a traditional Vietnamese water puppet show which was interesting to say the least!
Another outstanding feature of this trip was the cruise to Cat Ba Island through Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay is a must see if you are visiting Vietnam. The views are breath-taking and Cat Ba Island is only one of nearly 2,000 islands in the bay.
Hue, the ancient Imperial capital, and Hoi An - in days of old a Portuguese trading post - were definitely favourites, as they offered the first real chance to shop, and shop we did - after visiting numerous landmarks, such as the DMZ border between North and South Vietnam, as well as the Vinh Moc tunnels.
Travelling through Hai Van Pass and stopping off in Da Nang to look at the Cham Museum was also a highlight as it housed many ancient relics and sculptures that were centuries old. Hoi An is a stunning place, with an abundance of French influenced architecture, as well as canals that cut through the main town. Strewn with multi-coloured lanterns the township was packed with both Vietnamese and tourists shopping at the bustling night markets. It was here that we attended The Red Bridge Cooking School after a short boat ride down river.
Hoi An and most food markets have a rather unsettling effect on stomachs as we passed by an array of weird and wonderful foodstuffs of the like we had never seen before. This was by far one of the best experiences we had on the trip and where we were introduced to Hoi An pancakes which were possibly the best thing we ate throughout the entire tour of Vietnam! The next day we took a leisurely bike ride to the Tra Que Village and then spent the rest of the day swimming.
From Hoi An we visited our last stop - Ho Chi Minh City. It is a modern city and a shopping mecca where honed our bartering skills, visited museums and a local orphanage - one of the most significant places we visited throughout the trip. We realised just how lucky we are and how much we have in terms of material possessions and family life in comparison to the children there.
A cruise down the Mekong and a night in a gorgeous homestay on the Delta was also a highlight of the trip, as we were treated to amazing food and facilities and a traditional cultural performance by a troupe of talented locals. One of our last stops on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City was to a place that made handmade snacks such as coconut candy, popped rice and some very exotic snake wine! We were lucky(?) enough to be able to hold real snakes - which wasn't our favourite part of the trip!
After arriving back in Ho Chi Minh City we spent the last day shopping to exert all of our efforts in spending the rest of our Vietnamese dong and trying to fit our purchases in our suitcases.
After an amazing trip we were all happy to be home, having experienced a fortnight of sun, swimming, ancient culture, history, and a million scooters and motorbikes.
Bringing fashion to life!
There was some outstanding competition at Westlake’s first student-run Fashion Awards, with the winning dress made from newspaper, chicken wire – and live succulents!
Year 13 student Michelle du Plessis had the idea of bringing a new competition to the school that encourages students to bring their creativity and love for fashion together. “The planning of the project began in Term 1 with the help of Mandy McClenaghan, Rowan Melville and Che Symons all taking care of different aspects of the organisation,” says Michelle.
“The competition was open to all students, and it was great to see a number of competitors who had sewn for the first time!”
There were two categories in the competition, “Evening Wear” glam, and “Trash to Fashion” promoting sustainability. A total of 18 designers entered 11 outfits.
The winners were:
Supreme winners - Ella Brewer and Cara Clark-Howard
Evening wear winners - Gabby Nolan and Elaina Munnik
Evening wear runners-up - Clarisse Esguerra, Vianne Syyap, Aaliyah Luna, Cheska Resulta and Irene Chen
Trash to Fashion winner - Weaam Bassiouni
Trash to Fashion runners-up - Maia Young and Ella Butler
The supreme winners, Ella Brewer and Cara Clark-Howard, are both Year 10 students who presented a dress made from newspaper and chicken wire. “We then attached moss, bark, corks and succulents from my garden,” says Ella. “The top is made from old leather which we sewed from scratch.”
“We were inspired by the forests and greenery of New Zealand,” says Cara. “We wanted to do something bold – something that not many people would think about doing.” Ella agrees. “We wanted to make a garment that was different so we thought a living dress would look quite amazing. Cara and I both wanted to include our hobbies and talents while making use of resources we had sitting around at home. What inspired us most was being together and having fun making something for a competition.”
Working in their own time to complete the outfit, it took approximately 36 hours to create – including deliberation over how to secure the moss to the dress. Chicken wire proved the winner.
“We are planning to enter more competitions with our outfit,” says Cara. “But we need to make sure we keep it wet and alive. I don’t think dying moss would be a great look!”
Head Prefect chosen for UN Youth Delegation
WGHS Head Prefect Izzy Sheild is one of 22 high-achieving students selected from throughout the country as part of the UN Youth New Zealand Global Development Tour 2019.
In January, four volunteer Directors will take the students on a month-long study tour of Europe and New York to learn about the Sustainable Development Goals in action. The Delegation will meet with policy-makers, NGOs, and other international agencies and institutions critical in the formation and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are the cornerstone of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Delegation will also have the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the prestigious Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition, one of the premier conferences in the North American high school ‘circuit’.
"I heard about the UN Youth Global Development Tour through WGHS 2017 Deputy Head Prefect Zoe Noble’s experience of being a delegate for this year’s 2018 excursion," says Izzy. "After speaking to her about what an incredible experience she had and all of the wisdom and knowledge she and the delegates were exposed to, I decided it was something I wanted to strive for."
Izzy says the opportunity to gain behind-the-scenes insight into the UN was too good of an opportunity to turn down. "It was quite a process," she says. "Initially there was a written application with CV, references and other documents. Then I was selected for a Skype interview with the team of Directors who will organise the trip. I was pretty nervous for this interview, but once it got underway I completely forgot why I was nervous in the first place!"
In the UK over the school holidays to perform at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, she heard via email that she'd been selected while in London. "It was incredibly humbling to be selected as one of only 22 delegates from New Zealand," she says. "I feel extremely privileged to be given this opportunity. I am especially excited about travelling to Paris and interacting with the International Federation of Human Rights, as I believe their agenda is pivotal to ensuring equality, which I am extremely passionate about. But for now I have the challenge of raising sponsorship and grants to contribute to the $8,000 cost of the trip!"
When she returns to New Zealand in February, Izzy is planning on university study. "I'm going to study for a BA/LLB conjoint degree majoring in International Relations," she says. "I have chosen this pathway as it is my ambition to work for the United Nations following my degree, as an advocate for human rights, equality for all, and an end to conflict and war. I am a passionate and determined humanitarian and I feel that I have so much to offer the world. I am beyond excited for the future!"
