BERLIN ROTARY SPONSORS WORLD AFFAIRS STUDENT

BERLIN ROTARY SPONSORS WORLD AFFAIRS STUDENT

While some high school students were at sports or music camp this summer, one students sponsored by the Berlin Rotary Club attended the World Affairs Seminar in Waukesha, Wisconsin learning to solve the global challenge of Sustainable Development.  The week-long Seminar at Carroll University was held June 18  through June 24. 

Crystal Mattice heard several nationally acclaimed speakers were featured, including Fred de Sam Lazaro of PBS and Sam  Robert Neuwirth, an author and investigative reporter.  Neuwirth’s articles on cities, politics and economic issues have appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, The Village Voice, New Yorker Magazine and Newsday among others.  Mattice received media training from Peter Sawyer of the Pulitzer Center, populating a blog site called WAS Non Stophttp://wasnonstop.wordpress.com .  Field trips provided an off-campus capstone event that included service learning projects and visits to organizations engaged in Sustainable Development activities.

The 2012 World Affairs Seminar topic will be “Global Communication 2.0: Technology’s Impact on International Understanding,” said World Affairs Executive Director Tom Plantenberg.  “This topic addresses the complex evolution of communication when enhanced by new technology.  What began with instant communications between individuals via cell phone and e-mail now affects entire social systems, economies and political events.   It promises to be one of the most engaging and dynamic Seminars in our 35 year history.”

World Affairs Executive Director Tom Plantenberg said over 27,000 young people from nearly 100 countries have attended since the Seminar was started in 1977.  Students must be between the ages of 16 and 18.  Berlin High School teacher Gary Knoke serves as the World Affairs Seminar liaison for the Berlin Rotary Club.