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Applied Scholastics Applied Scholastics Applied Scholastics Applied Scholastics Applied Scholastics "Teaching" an article by L. Ron Hubbard
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Latest NewsApplied Scholastics Students Salute World LeadersDoes Iraq
have weapons of mass destruction? Is it right to fight a war to find out?
How would war affect the economy? These were but a few of the questions ricocheting through the public forum when the Security Council of the United Nations met in New York to hear the report of the UN's Chief Weapons Inspector, Hans Blix. Weighted with the knowledge that criticism would likely meet whatever decision they made, the members of the council were somber as they ended their meeting and entered a UN dining room. Imagine the surprise of being hit by the applause of seventeen savvy high school students. To backtrack, the students attend the Delphian School in Oregon, an Applied Scholastics school, and they were in New York on a ten-day field trip to learn more about business and international affairs. The trip began with stops in Chicago and Boston, where the students visited Leo Burnett USA, one of the world's largest advertising firms, and Fidelity Investments, one of the largest investment management organizations. Arriving in New York, the students made a series of visits to the site of the World Trade Center tragedy. Beyond sheer emotional impact, the students learned how the attacks damaged the economy and influenced the local community. After meeting these businessmen and listening to their personal stories, said student Perri Ling, "9-11 is now very real to me, and something I will remember for the rest of my life." In a blur of activity, they went on to tour five separate businesses and investment firms, in addition to walking the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in the middle of a furious trading day, a privilege even VIPs are commonly unable to avail themselves of. So how did a group of high school students go where society's elite could not? Call it charisma or call it a genuine interest in the love of discovery and learning; but whatever it is, the students carried an intangible quality that opened doors for them throughout the entirety of the trip. Witness their next stop: ABC's Good Morning America. Though the students began the morning in the cold and the wet, holding signs promoting their school (which were televised several times during the show), they ended the day inside the studio with Diane Sawyer, who enthusiastically welcomed them. Yet the climax of the trip came when the students arrived at the headquarters of the United Nations. Awaiting a tour of the building that had to be arranged months in advance due to strict security relations, the students dined in the UN Delegates Dining Room. As they ate gourmet food in the company of international diplomats, the teacher leading the trip had only one stipulation: no dessert until you meet two people. In talking to representatives from countries as diverse as Egypt and Mexico, the students discovered that none other than the UN Security Council was meeting in the adjacent room, and that they would be passing through the room they were in. The students forgot about dessert and the coming tour and begged to stay for a glimpse of the council members. After an agonizing hour's wait, the first staff filed into the room. Many more minutes passed before US Secretary of State Colin Powell finally entered to meet the applause of the students. And after a still longer passage of time, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan entered the room. The students again applauded, and Mr. Annan, taken aback, approached them to find out more about them.
He asked them why they were there and if they were following the work of the Security Council. And when they answered yes, he only had one more question: And you will use what you are learning to make the world a better place to live? The students promised they would. And that's not an empty promise: previous Delphian School graduates have included teachers, educators, doctors, chiropractors, artists, actors, musicians and administrators seeking to improve conditions in society; many alumni have dedicated their lives to helping others by working for charitable organizations. With that many young people focused on making a difference around the globe, don't be surprised to see a world of improvement in short order. More news: - Giving Children a Brighter Future |
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