Living the New Three Rs!

At Western New England College, we are purposeful about instilling and reinforcing in our students the value and importance of responsibility, resilience, and resourcefulness -- the new three Rs -- in their everyday lives . . . and I am happy to report that the students are demonstrating these characteristics in spades!

No one has been late to seminar, appointments, or bus departures, and there have been no lame excuses for assignments left undone. And everyone has assumed a heightened vigilance for each other's safety and security.

In light of several hardships that in another context would have launched a boatload of complaints, there has been nary a complaint about the frigid temperatures (both in the stadiums and in our sleeping rooms), the lack of towels for washing/showering until the second day after our arrival, and the restrictive internet access, among other setbacks. Our crew has shown remarkable resilience in bouncing back from these and other challenges they faced along the way.

In bargaining over price for their many souvenir acquisitions, the students displayed a keen resourcefulness in knowing how to play the game. One example: the same set of coasters that I bought for 100 rand, two students got for 60 rand, and another student paid 50 rand! They also figured out how to attract the attention of the cameras and TV crews by their signs, personalities, and colorful dress, which got them interviews on "The Daily Show" and by Al-Jazeerah! But the best example would have to be the ingenious use of their identification cards that mirrored official FIFA accreditations to obtain close-in access to the soccer venues!