Guillermo, an outstanding student

He agreed to be interviewed in English over the phone and was willing to tell us more about his life out of school. Guillermo, now 18, has a very interesting life and with a cheerful laugh he agrees to answer my questions.

Guillermo Fuensalida Ramos ’08 took the IB diploma which makes his studies of Law at UNT easier, where he’s still in his first year. He is a full time student who cares about his family and who usually finds the fun part of life easier than others.

In his free time he reads books, especially the classics -at the moment he’s reading Madame Bovary written by one of his favorite authors Gustav Flaubert-, but he doesn’t watch too much TV because of his studies. Whenever he can, he hangs out at Villeco and goes to the movies with Solana, his girlfriend. He likes to have fun with his friends at home or parties. He also drives so he has an independent life and it’s easier for him to get around.

Of his time at CSP he will never forget sitting for the International Baccalaureate exam and being surrounded by friends and classmates every day. In fact, he remembers when his class decided to present a teacher’s parody in which they all had to dress up as each character and act some specific quality that their teachers had.

It is clear that Guillermo loves acting and likes to share his good sense of humor with friends. We will never forget his performance as a singer, up on the stage, when he acted in High School Musical with other students and also when he sang, ‘What’s going on’, with a classmate for School Week in front of a cheering crowd.

By Julieta Serrano

Remember the good times, remember school.

Incense smell is in the air as we enter Valentina Becker’s studio at her home. She is working on a book cover design at her computer, but accepts the interview in good spirit. As the school topic is brought up, her eyes get nostalgic and she has to think in order to remember, as if it were something that happened long ago.

Valentina graduated in 2007 when many things were changing at Saint Patrick School. To mention one, she took part of the first group of students that sat for the A2 English level of the IB. 2007 was also the year of a school musical and she says: “I really enjoyed meeting new people and having fun at Saint Patrick’s High School Musical rehearsals”.

Valentina is also a skilled writer who began working with the school blog in which she worked as chief-editor, which inspired her to create her own (http://valebecker90.blogspot.com) that has now over 20,000 hits from around the world.

Now, her life is very different, far away from what happened at school. She’ s studying Graphic Design at UNSTA and most of her time during the week is spent on designs and drawings. However, she enjoys playing softball -she plays for UNSTA’ s Varsity Team- and spending time with her family which consists of her parents Raul (51) and Claudia (46), and her brothers Germán (16) and Tomás (9).

Until we finished the intervew, she was still with that nostalgic look in her eyes,
like remembering something that is long gone, and is not coming back. A life full of
effort and work is awaiting in the future, and Valentina is ready to go for it.

After School

She received me in her room which was bit untidy as she was feeling a little sick, but she was studying anyway. She graduated in 2007 and she is now in her second year of Medicine. She is María Fernanda Neme.

I asked her what she did right after finishing high school, and without thinking, she told me that she had started studying for the entrance examination for medicine school, which went well. She also told me that she was devoting all her time to studying, she added she would have a lot of time to work in the future.

I asked for an anecdote she remembers from her time in high school. She sat down and thought for a little time, and then smiling told me of a time, after reading the book Animal Farm with Charlie, they did a mock trial to decide if Napoleon the pig was guilty or not. Still grinning she said there were three, and she was one of them; there were the witnesses, the accused, the defense, and the jury. At the end they decided to sentence Napoleon the pig.

Remembering her time at high school, when she was not the best student, and now studying medicine, proves that Fernanda is a mature woman who thinks devoting time to studying can take you anywhere, without taking the fun times out.

The best time of our lives

Who wouldn’t miss the most fun time in life after so much mischief with your friends! High school would probably be a curse for some people, but not for Maximo Alvarez ’07. Now two years after graduating he would like to go back in time and be at school again.

Currently majoring in Business Administration at UNSTA, Maximo Alvarez is really busy and says university is really hard. He is still organizing himself, but he is always remembering his life at school and everything that happened there, one of his great anecdotes was when they didn’t go to class and the preceptores had to act as detectives to find him and his friends.
Although his life has changed unbelievably he still goes out with his friends and plays rugby at Cardenales Rugby Club.Everyone calls him with different nicknames as Maso, Cheto and Machi. He also plays the guitar and likes to listen to some rock bands such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles very loud.

High school is a part of life that no one would ever forget because of the freedom, the friendly atmosphere, the little work you have and the less responsibility compared to university. Just be glad for what you have right now and don’t complain about it, because there is always something worse; as Maximo said:” enjoy this wonderful time at High School, you’ll never live something like that, i would love to go back in time to be there again”

By Julieta Muratore

WHAT A CHANGE!!

Now he feels a lot of pressure upon him. Thanks to university he doesn’t have much free time and he only sees his friends on weekends. So was High School really bad? Ask Nicolas Padros '07 and you’ll understand why it was definitely not!

Nowadays he’s a busy guy as an industrial engineering major at UNSTA who likes to hang out with his friends and listen to Blink 182. But Travis Barker and his band don’t help much in his daily life; apart from all the work and studies he has to do, in his mind, Nicolas keeps excellent memories of his life at school and he remembers them with a big nostalgic smile on his face.

According to Nicolas, life at Saint Patrick School was awesome! His favourite subject, “Formacion Moral”; his worst subject…English, ironic right? Having so many hours of English at school, he hated it, and he still does; but he remembers all his suffering during Charlie’s lessons, the lessons he went to, because until he got caught he used to sleep behind the farthest tree just to avoid English! When Ricky comes to his mind he can’t stop laughing, “He was my favourite teacher! We had so much fun in his classes” he says, and now he’s a little worried because Ricky is retiring soon. Nicolas thinks that he deserves a huuuuuuge party.

This boy’s life has drastically changed; university is not as simple as it is thought to be. So what he most misses of school is the chance to see his friends everyday, to have fun with them and the few responsibilities and work to do. He now believes that resenting high school would probably be the worst thing to do and he advises us to enjoy this stage in life because it’s unique; there’s no better time.

St. Patrick's Ceremony 2008

The cloudy day seemed just right for this year's ceremony in which the school celebrates our students' success in international examinations. Several students from the Class of 2007 were back and after the religious service led by Father Gomez Aranda and a speech by Prof. Jane Yocca, the certificates and diplomas of IB, FCE and CAE were given to the Class of 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Poesía

Comparto con ustedes este hermoso poema que me leyeron alguna vez...

Presten atención al título, que es lo que le da sentido y gracia!

LOPE DE VEGA

Soneto de repente

Un soneto me manda hacer Violante,

que en mi vida me he visto en tal aprieto;

catorce versos dicen que es soneto,

burla burlando van los tres delante.
·

Yo pensé que no hallara consonante,

y estoy a la mitad de otro cuarteto;

mas si me veo en el primer terceto,

no hay cosa en los cuartetos que espante.
·

Por el primer terceto voy entrando,

y aun parece que entré con pie derecho,

pues fin con este verso le voy dando.
·

Ya estoy en el segundo, y aun sospecho

que estoy los trece versos acabando:

contad si son catorce, y está hecho.

"Los titanes de la poesía universal" - pág 493

.

Dedicado a Laurita Carracedo, para que considere como una opción su análisis en clase! Un beso enorme Lauri!!!

Foto Bariloche 07

(click en la foto para agrandar)

Bariloche

PROMOCIÓN 2007

Dale vida a tus sueños - Mario Benedetti

Dale vida a los sueños que alimentan el alma, no los confundas nunca con realidades vanas. Y aunque tu mente sienta necesidad humana, de conseguir las metas y de escalar montañas, nunca rompas tus sueños, porque matas el alma. Dale vida a tus sueños aunque te llamen loco, no los dejes que mueran de hatío, poco a poco, no les rompas las alas, que son de fantasía, y déjalos que vuelen contigo en compañía. Dale vida a tus sueños y, con ellos volando, tocarás las estrellas y el viento, susurrando, te contará secretos que para tí ha guardado y sentirás el cuerpo con caricias, bañado, del alma que despierta para estar a tu lado. Dale vida a los sueños que tienes escondidos, descubrirás que puedes vivir estos momentos con los ojos abiertos y los miedos dormidos; con los ojos cerrados y los sueños despierto.

Mario Benedetti

...Mis Vacaciones...

Despues de desaparecer de este medio nos vemos de nuevo reunidos aquí !.....

jajaa! Se extrañaba delirar por aca.

Les cuento que mis vacaciones fueron muy divertidas y aventureras. Anduve visitando amistades en Australia con mi familia, y con ellos nos fuimos una semana a Nueva Zelanda donde conocí lugares hermosos e hice cosas como: Bungy jumping, simulador de caída libre, un columpio de 43mts de altura, rafting y anduvimos por cuevas. La verdad que muy emocionante y divertidísimo! Les recomiendo hacerlo!
Ya de vuelta por Tuculandia esperando que comience mi carrera que es Diseño Industrial en San Pablo-T, y hasta ese enotnces un tanto aburrida.

Bueno les deseo lo mejor a la Promo ’08, diviértanse y disfruten, y a las promos por venir lo mismo! Mientras tanto cooperen con los más grandes y aprendan muchooo! Jajajaja

Exitos!
(Valentina Marún '07)

"La Vida"

No abandones las ansias de hacer de tu vida algo extraordinario.
No dejes de creer que las palabras y las poesías sí pueden cambiar el mundo.
Pase lo que pase nuestra esencia está intacta.
Somos seres llenos de pasión.
La vida es desierto y es oasis.Nos derriba, nos lastima, nos enseña, nos convierte en protagonistas de nuestra propia historia.
Aunque el viento sople en contra, la poderosa obra continúa: tu puedes aportar una estrófa.
No dejes nunca de soñar, porque solo en sueños puede ser libre el hombre.
Valora la belleza de las cosas simples.
Disfruta del pánico que te provoca tener la vida por delante.
Vívela intensamente, sin mediocridad.
Piensa que en tí está el futuro y encara la tarea con orgullo y sin miedo.
No permitas que la vida te pase a tí sin que la vivas.

"El Tiempo" by Tabaré Cardozo

El tiempo me enseñó que con los años se aprende menos de lo que se ignora.
El tiempo me enseño que los amigos se cuentan con los dedos de una mano.
Por eso debe ser que no los cuento para pensar que tengo mil hermanos.
Porque no tengo nada que me sobre, por eso es que yo digo que soy rico.Porque prefiero ser un tipo pobre, a ser alguna vez un pobre tipo.
El tiempo me enseñó que las banderas son palos con jírones que flamean y el mapa es un papel que se reparten los reyes mientras los hombres pelean.
El tiempo me enseñó que la miseria es culpa de los hombres miserables.
El tiempo me enseñó que desconfiara de lo que el tiempo mismo me ha enseñado.
Por eso, a veces, tengo la esperanza de que el tiempo pueda estar equivocado....

Simplemente VOS *

Saltaban corazones maltratados por todo el ancho del río marrón

Las nubes lo envolvían como el tiempo nos atrapa y nos vive.

Y observábamos una que otra mirada que nos causaba gracia

Sin saberlo nos reíamos y llorábamos porque simplemente creemos que todo lo sabemos.

Nada cambiará porque el sol y la luna jamás lo hacen

Y fieles a ellos seguiremos nuestros rumbos como siempre lo hemos hecho.

Puede que la impaciencia y la histeria hormonal acaben con mi cabeza

Pero no quiere decir que mi corazón no palpite junto a las notas de esta canción

Que se repite indefinidamente dictándome versos acústicos y misteriosos.

Te sonrió y te miro estudiándote como matemática exacta

Queriendo deducir la razón por la cual apareces en este límite que anuda mi garganta y enceguece mi visión con lágrimas de sal y licor.

Y nunca me enseñaron a hablar poéticamente como los grandes maestros

Ni a meditar como los sabios orientales - Pues con eso aprendí a convivir.

Aquí me encuentro, con los defectos que moldean mi figura intentando no caer en la tentación.

En aquella tentación que me llama a las barreras de la auto-flagelación.

Hechos en el cielo y en la tierra crecimos siempre proyectando misiones

Pero nunca comprendimos que, tal vez, la misión éramos nosotros.

Y cuento los minutos de celular y los besos que nunca te regalé

Las palabras que escribo y las frases que no digo.

Callo las vergüenzas que no escondo y hablo melodías sin sentido.

Y te miro una vez más para continuar estudiando lo que en tu corazón está y lo que tus ojos reflejan ser.

. . . Después de algunOs meses . *

La verdad que entrar al blog después de una ausencia prolongada importante de mi parte me recuerda a viejos tiempos que en más de una ocasión resultaron hermosos y especiales mientras que en otros momentos algo bastante pesado y aburrido. Ahora viéndolo a la "distancia" me trae a la memoria simplemente todo lo que me enseñó, la inspiración que solía tener y todo aquello que me han enseñado mis compañeros (Vale lo sabés todo) y mi gran profesor Charly (si supieras que la palabra intensidad ya forma parte de mi cotidianeidad te morirías de la risa)! Gracias BLOG!!!
No pasó tanto tiempo pero para mí resulta ya una eternidad. Me siento una egresada de la década de los 90 totalmente metida en la vida universitaria (aunque todavía ni siquiera empece, pero forma parte de mi intensidad). ¿En qué ando? Organizando mi mudanza para partir a la hermosa provincia de Santa Fé, específicamente Rosario. Ya inscripta en Lincenciatura en Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad Nacional de Rosario (fui la segunda en inscribirme jeje). Estoy partiendo definitivamente a fines de febrero. ¿Qué siento? Miedo en algunos momentos, felicidad en otros, incertidumbre constantemente (eso no cambia) y MUCHO entusiasmo: Vivir sola, la Facu, nuevos amigos, nueva Parroquia, nuevo TODO (hasta yo nueva).
A veces pienso que sería mucho más fácil quedarme en Tucumán estudiando Cs Políticas en la UNSTA o en San Pablo T pero a la conclusión que llego es que más allá de cuantos miedos tenga o conformismos me atén la vocación es mucho más fuerte. Esa vocación de querer escalar y llegar a lo más alto posible.. Pasión y adoración por la carrera que elegí.. Eso lo vale mucho más que cualquier otro sentimiento. No sé cuán dificil será pero lo que si sé es que es el verdadero camino hacia la felicidad que yo deseo alcanzar.

Y por los que quieran saber y los que no también: OBTUVE MI DIPLOMA DE IB !!! sisi, soy feliiz! (:

(Florencia 'Piru' Tinnirello '07)

Mi nuevo comienzo, después del colegio

Hola a todos! Estas son algunas de las fotos de mis vacaciones en Punta del Este, de enero de 2008.
Les cuento que este año empiezo con la carrera de Diseño Gráfico en la UNSTA, así que el que quiera saber algo del tema, a medida que avance en mi primer año, les puedo ir contando. Les dejo acá mi blog y mi mail es valebecker90@hotmail.com por cualquier cosa, y si quieren darse una vuelta por mi blog, están invitados.
Saludos para todos.

Valentina Becker '07

IB Work

The impact of technology on our daily life

by Antonieta Majorel '07

Technology has become part of our daily life and its presence is increasing with every new and fantastic service or device launched in the market. We have become so used to it that it has changed some traditions. The question is: does technology have a positive or negative impact on our daily life?

Nowadays, technology is experiencing great development in entertainment, such as multiplayer games, videogames, MP3s and even MP4s. These gadgets offer a variety of ways of having fun, on your own or with someone else. The negative point is that they are frequently used alone, which increases the tendency of isolation. People live immersed in their own universe, without paying attention to what surrounds them. As a consequence, face-to-face relationships are affected. However, with the Internet, e-mail and some online games, another form of global communication has emerged. We can be in touch with people from Italy, China and Guatemala simultaneously, or read the recent news published in South Africa, Prague or Vancouver. This favors cultural exchange, which makes people more open-minded and accepting of differences. Besides, MP3s and MP4s aren’t only used for entertainment but also for the storage of information, like pen-drives. This is a very practical use. The downside is that statistics show a tendency of getting deaf earlier if you listen to extremely loud music frequently.

Another aspect of technology is that it has changed the traditional concept of work. With e-mail, some jobs allow working at home, without going to the office. Research has confirmed that this new method is more productive than the traditional one. However, they also found that working at home leads to devoting more hours to work. This idea is related to the loss of privacy due to the fact that modern workers are always on call. With mobile phones and the Internet we are always available for any kind of message, either from family or work. The dilemma with technology is that we don’t know how to organize our time, i.e. when to work and when to relax. In fact, technology isn’t the problem; the difficulty is that we don’t set our schedule properly. Still, our life quality has decreased because we have become stressed-out workaholics. What's more, our work quality has also diminished because as technology allows us to do many activities at the same time, we don’t concentrate much on each and that affects our performance.

In conclusion, despite having negative consequences on account of its wrong use – deafness owing to loud music, isolation, extra hours working at home, being always on call - technology itself is a key tool that helps us to simplify and improve our life. A great variety of new devices and services promote cultural exchange, boost entertainment and give benefits to workers. So, the impact is largely more positive than negative.

REFERENCE

“60 minutes” February 2, 2006. Report by Lesley Stahl. “Technology, like wireless Internet, the Blackberry and even wired bathrooms are helping Americans work longer hours. Forget 9 to 5 – for some it’s now 5 to 9”.

Presentación de blog (video)

Este es el video con el que presentamos el blog del colegio en la Fiesta de la Familia 2007!



By Vale Becker

Stem Cell Research

The use of stem cells is the new advance in science and they are produced by embryos, which are destroyed in order to take these cells. They can replace every type of cell in our body and this is how scientists assure that most diseases can be cured. Biologically, this discovery is wonderful; even paralyzed people will be able to walk again by replacing the damaged cells in the spinal chord. But there is controversy on the issue: is it morally or ethically right to kill embryos?

Undoubtedly it is a great discovery and many lives can be saved, but at the same time there is a moral issue involved. Apart from paralysis in the spinal chord, there are other diseases that can be cured, such as diabetes, Alzheimer and heart problems. That is why, for a sick person the use of stem cells is a great advance in science; they know what it feels to be sick, and it is for sure that they want to be treated. But beyond those great and remarkable results, embryos are potential individuals. And if we kill what is likely to become a person in order to save another life, we are depriving someone’s right to live.

As far as I’m concerned, stem cells are, for sure, an incredible success in science, which shows that we are really improving health treatment. But the fact that embryos have to be destroyed is worth considering. We can’t just discard them because we are trying to save another person, or doing research. This issue is closely related to the controversy over abortion or euthanasia, so I think that it will be as difficult to solve as those issues are. When human life plays a role in the matter, we have to be careful with the choices we make. So, if you are alive, you have the right to live, why should you kill a life that is just beginning?

In my opinion, the research with stem cells that need to sacrifice the embryo shouldn’t be done. The only way I approve the research is with the stem cells that can be taken from the umbilical chord when the baby is born. They are not as efficient as the ones in the embryo, but taking them doesn’t steal the possibility of a person to develop.

References:

- 60 Minutes. Report by Ed Bradley. Feb. 26, 2006

“Dr. Hans Keirstead believes that embryonic stem cells are a medical milestones seen only every 100 years, and he hopes to conduct clinical trials on humans.”

Valentina Becker

Blog del Proyecto de Recolección Selectiva de RSU

¿Quieren saber más sobre el Proyecto de Recolección Selectiva de Residuos Sólidos Urbanos para Tafí del Valle que estamos llevando a cabo los chicos de 3º de poli en el colegio?

Los invitamos a visitar nuestro blog del proyecto.

Exposición de IB de Arte

Están todos invitados a la muestra de los trabajos de las alumnas que rindieron Bachillerato de Arte el viernes pasado. Es en el salón de actos del jardín del colegio y va a estar hasta el miércoles siguiente, 10 de octubre. Pueden asistir hasta las 19 hs el lunes y el martes. Los esperamos!!

Alumnas que exponen:
Flor Tinnirello
Lauri Yanotti
Anto Majorel
Vale Becker