In this post we take a closer look at what our students in Stanford have been up to since they arrived on Tuesday.
Tuesday 10 th July – Arrivals Day
Claudia (from Spain) was first to arrive and board the bus set for Stanford, along with 30 new friends
from the Philippines and Brazil. Ali (Azerbaijan) and Tim (Switzerland) were already Stateside so
drove down to Campus to join their fellow International students. Last but not least, Charles (France)
and Mariam (Egypt) arrived into SFO and had the chance to meet their Stanford Pre-Collegiate
cohort at La Maison Française for the Welcome Dinner. Fighting through the jetlag and tiredness, all the students took part in House orientation at their new home for the next 2 weeks, 1047 Campus Drive. The enthusiastic and energetic counsellors introduced themselves and put on little games to help break the ice. After a brief overview of the Camp guidelines and schedule for the fortnight, the students headed off to bed for a good night’s
sleep, readying themselves for the new adventure that lay ahead.
At Stanford, the day begins at 7:30 with the most important meal of the day – breakfast in one of the
7 dining halls on Campus. The students were then lead off to their first class where they would meet
their course director, their teachers, and their project team for the Global Solutions module. The
students were asked to reflect on the different cultures within the room and share their stories
during a game of “Cross the Line” which brought to light that, despite the barriers (both
geographically and linguistically speaking) there was always a way to connect with everyone in the
room.
“Its’ really eye opening to know that despite our generation being quite unwilling to open
up and share things, we are all here from different cultures and already I’ve met many many people
who’ve shared a lot with me and in this group we are all ready share experiences and find out more
about each other” – Mariam, from Egypt
“It was a great exercise in Social Consciousness, we are all the same and have so much in
common, much more than we think” – Tim, from Switzerland
In the afternoon, the individual workshops kicked-off with topics of visual Storytelling, Business &
Entrepreneurship, Democracy, and Circular Economy waiting to be discussed. Mariam explored
Revenue, Value, and Business Opportunities using tech giants Facebook & Tesla, and Budget airlines
as working examples. Ali also engaged with the aviation theme, learning about supply and demand whilst
operating a (paper) aeroplane construction company.
After their workshops, the students all returned to 1047 to begin their GSP project where they will
be working in groups to create, develop, and manage their very own country, which they will then
present to the whole campus in the 2nd week. Two hours of creating a civilization proved hungry work,
and the happy campers headed off to the dining hall, which would also be the starting point for the
evening’s activity – Stanford Campus Tour. The Hoover Tower, Memorial Church, Selfies, Dinkelspiel
Auditorium, HP Buildings, Selfies, The Claw Fountain, and selfies on the agenda, the students saw a
select few of the highlights from the 12.7 squared miles of Stanford campus.
That left just enough time in the day for a campus meeting to establish the student guided Culture
for 1047, the roommate agreement, and fun game of human bingo!
More to follow – watch this space!
