Herlufsholm Skole, Næstved, Denmark 2018 - 11th – 17th March, 2018
Denmark is known to be the happiest country in the world, and these pictures of the Round Square delegates beaming broadly are evidence of the same. The 9 of them were always happy under the care of the host school Rep Ms. Ann Hansen and her Round Square team at the Herlufsholm Skole. Deeply rooted in the IDEALS of Round Square (namely Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service), the week’s activities were varied; yet, they successfully linked the lives of 86 students from 9 schools from all corners of the world!
Day 1:
After a journey of no less than 17 hours by plane, train and taxi, they were “warmly” greeted by a temperature of 3 degrees, centuries-old buildings and a lot of merry faces. They were given time to freshen up and settle down in their respective dormitories before engaging in a session of ice breakers. Once they had become more familiar with each other, the students worked on their co-operation and teamwork in ‘The Battle In The Gym’, which is a fun spin-off on capture-the-flag. Exhausted from a long day of travelling and meeting new people, they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
Day 2:
It was only the second day and the delegates had a packed schedule! In his inspirational speech at the opening ceremony, keynote speaker Vincent F Hendricks introduced all the delegates to the theme of the conference- “Where Do We Go?- With What We Know”, and briefed them on “How To Spot Fake News”. Next, they put on their hiking shoes and went on adventure walks near the cliff on Møns Klint, followed by fossil-hunting on the beach. At the Møns Klint museum, they learnt about the history and geography of the beautiful cliff and the origin of its fossils. They headed back to Herlufsholm, where they watched a movie while feasting on bowlfuls of candy. Perfect end to the perfect day!
Day 3:
Tuesday, the 13th of March, was dedicated to a visit to Copenhagen, the beautiful capital city of Denmark. The students’ visit to the parliament made them aware of Danish democracy, after which they gaped in awe at the jewels in the Royal Treasury. A boat tour of the beautiful city made them fall in love with Danish culture, which is famous for its old houses and cafés. Lastly, the barazza groups ate at a restaurant that served spareribs, also a Danish specialty!
Day 4:
After a quick breakfast, all delegates posed for a conference photo, and were then divided into small groups for the journalism workshop. After hours of working on multimedia pieces, with short breaks in between, they produced articles and videos to be proud of. They truly cherished the journalism-related skills taught to them, and it felt even better to put them into practice! Then, they played an exciting tournament of Ultimate Frisbee. Although they had never played the sport before, and their fingers were frozen by the end of it, the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves! Finally, they enacted the skit that they had been rehearsing for months prior to the conference, at the Cultural Mix; their efforts, and those of the teachers at school, were rewarded by a standing ovation and the loudest cheer!
Day 5:
It was a snowy day; the coldest one thus far. The delegates braved the chilly weather and set out for the High Ropes adventure at Gavno, where they leapt about in the highest branches of the tallest trees (supported by harnesses the whole time, of course). Next, they walked by the unique street art in Naestved, a quaint town near Herlufsholm. After a scenic walk back to the school, they got dressed and went to the disco, where they danced and mingled with everyone, having the time of their lives.
Day 6:
It took too much extra effort to roll out of bed in the morning, for the fact that they were leaving weighed them all down. With sad smiles plastered on their faces and fond memories embedded in their hearts, the 9 of them said their ‘au revoir’s and left the place that had become almost as dear as home.
Not only did they get closer to each other, but the students also made new friends of all nationalities and cultures, bonded with them over the little things they had in common, as well as all their differences. In the short time period of six days, they learnt to tolerate, co-operate and share ideas with the world without hesitation. All in all, this was the experience of a lifetime, and they are all fortunate to have made the most of it.
Reflections:
It was an experience like no other! Staying in a dorm with 15 other girls and participating in activities with people from all over the world allowed me to make new friends- friends that I will always stay in touch with! Just walking around the Herlufsholm campus every day for a week was an absolute treat! The highlight of my trip was exploring Danish culture in Næstved and Copenhagen, where the street art and old buildings stood out and fascinated all of us. We all shouldered the responsibility that came with representing our school and hope we have done DAIS proud. - Prisha Mangat
Over the 5 days of this Round Square Conference, I was able to interact and stay with students my age from across the globe and learn about their culture which I think was the most enjoyable part for me. From visiting Copenhagen to publishing an article which was displayed later that evening; from the adventure activities to the inspiring opening speeches. All the above made me realise how culturally diverse everyone at the conference was. However, the few surprising similarities allowed me to make new, life-long friends and create memories that would last with me forever. Over one the best weeks of my life, I truly discovered "where I wanted to go...with what I knew." - Ayushi Gianchandani
The five days at Herlufsholm school, Copenhagen was one the best trips I've ever had. During this duration of five days we bonded with people from all around the world. We will keep in touch with these people for a long time. All the activities like walking by the beach and the high ropes course were everlasting memories that will stay with us forever. It was an extremely enjoyable opportunity and we performed knowing that we were representing our school and wanted people from all around the world to speak of our school highly. - Krish Thakur
What an experience! The Round Square conference held in Herlufsholm school in Denmark gave me a unique opportunity of interacting with people from across the globe. It was truly enriching to talk to them about their way of life and perspective on the topics we spoke about. Our visit to the city and several adventure activities like a high ropes course and hiking along the shore made the trip more special. I learnt a lot from this trip about other cultures and enjoyed sharing our culture with students from all around the globe. It was an honour to represent our school for this Round Square conference. - Aditya Sundesha
This Round Square trip to Herlufsholm school in Denmark has been one of the best trips I have been on so far and I had an amazing time during those 5 days. I had the opportunity to meet people from across the globe and learn their culture and way of life which was insightful as well as a great opportunity to make friends. The program was a mix of adventure and education which ranged from hiking and biking to journalism workshops and informative speeches. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to share our culture with so many others while representing our school at the same time. It is an experience that I will never be able to forget. - Teisha Jalan
We represented our school at the Round Square conference at Herlufsholm School in Denmark. Over the course of the 5 day Round Square conference we interacted with people from several schools all around the world. The blend of cultures instilled a feeling of oneness amongst everyone. I stayed in a dorm with 17 other boys and within five days we made friends and memories that will remain with us for life. The numerous workshops and outdoor activities only strengthened the bond between the diverse cultures. Our visits to Mons Klint, Copenhagen and Næstved were educational and we learnt a lot about the local culture and history of Denmark. Overall it was a great conference, I wish it was longer. I would like to thank the school for giving us this wonderful opportunity. I hope we were able to live up to your expectations. - Krish Bajaj
Our 5 day Round Square Conference to the Herlufsholm school in Denmark was an experience unlike any other. We were given the opportunity to interact with people from over 10 different countries, hence I was able to make lifelong friends. Sharing a dorm with girls I have never met before helped me learn more about the diverse cultures around the world as well as showcase our Indian culture. The inspiring speeches and the journalist workshop was combined with adventure activities such as hiking and a high ropes course making the trip even more memorable. The tour of the beautiful city of Copenhagen and the visit to the middle age town of Nævsted stood out for me. I am grateful for this opportunity and I hope we have made our school proud. - Shubhika Munot
I am beyond grateful for being given the opportunity to visit Copanhagen, Denmark for a Round Square Conference. The campus of Herlusholm Skole was breath-taking, and we even got to experience snowfall! As if hiking, playing Ultimate Frisbee and Capture the Flag, and taking part in a Journalism workshop was not fun enough; doing it with warm and friendly students from different parts of the world truly made this an unforgettable experience. Sharing a dorm with twenty girls my age helped me learn about other cultures and embrace and be confident of my own! My favourite activity was performing at the Cultural night as we got to display all the hard work we had put in previously, while also learning a lot about other countries geographical, political, historical and social conditions. The entire trip proved to be a perfect learning experience, under the kind care of Miss Bajaj. - Saachi Jain
Delegate students: Krish Thakur, Aditya Sundesha, Krish Bajaj, Saachi Jain, Shubhika Munot, Prisha Mangat, Teisha Jalan and Ayushi Gianchandani.
Teacher-in-charge: Ms. Sonali Bajaj