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Shaker Schools Students surrounding genocide survivor ~ Shaker students were honored to meet a survivor of the Cambodian genocide that took place under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-79. Out of 14,000 people who entered the torture center known as S-21 (shown behind them), this man is one of only seven who survived. That quote has always followed me. Over this past spring break, 11 brave Shaker Heights High School students, accompanied by my fellow social studies teacher Brian Berger and me, lived this philosophy while traveling and living in Cambodia. Traveling to Cambodia provided an understanding our students could never gain from the classroom alone. We traveled to experience life inside Cambodia, and to reflect on our own advantages of living in Shaker Heights. We traveled to be surprised, to be proven wrong, and to step outside of our comfort zone. We traveled because we call ourselves an internationally minded school, and we should know how the rest of the world lives. In our time there we explored the scars of the Cambodian genocide, climbed the stairs of Cambodia’s ancient and glorious past at the temple of Angkor Wat. We took long bus rides across the country that lasted just under nine hours for a distance just over 200 miles. We lived in a floating village for over four days, took bucket showers, and disconnected from the electronically connected world we inhabit. We fought the bugs and heat as we slept on the floor, six to nine in a room, inside mosquito nets, taking over the homes so graciously offered to us. We observed the lack of a stable education system as the 11 Shaker students taught English in classrooms that lacked the most basic teaching essentials, on a boat that was barely floating. We were uncomfortable, and yet this place quickly became a part of us. It is easy to focus on what Cambodia does not have: clean water, paved roads, little to no air conditioning in constant 99-degree heat, and a government free from corruption. But we left the country filled with an overwhelming love and admiration for what it does have: some of the most generous, authentic, and kind people we have ever met. Just minutes after arriving at our work site to help build a floating house for a multi-generational family, we were welcomed into their home. With little in common except for a wide smile on both sides, we played games with the little ones, translated stories, and formed inside jokes. In just two days we were able to see the fabric of what it means to be Cambodian. We learned about what Cambodians value, their simplicity of life, and their resourcefulness. At a morning trip to the crowded market, we learned how all food is grown locally and never wasted. This contrasted sharply with the bustling tourist industry just minutes away, featuring Las Vegas-style construction. We learned that a booming tourist industry does not trickle down as quickly or evenly as it should to all elements of society. Ultimately, we learned not to judge their progress and development by American standards. In so many ways, we gained more than we gave. While we might have greater wealth, in terms of sincerity and being genuine we learned a thing or two from our friends in “developing” Cambodia. 22 ShAKerONLINE.COM | SUMMER 2015 Students building a floating house ~ Service was an important component of the tour. Here, students help construct a house in a floating village for a family whose home had burned down. Despite their novice construction skills, “our hosts always made our efforts feel valued and our presence worthwhile,” says Ahrens. A World Away Lessons from Cambodia by Amanda Ahrens “Try to understand that there’s a world larger than the one you inhabit.” – Julie Orringer, How to Breathe Under Water


Summer_ShakerLife_2015
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