(Originally published in The Merger, October 2005)
What happens when you drop fourteen Kellogg students in the middle of a rural Jamaican town? A week of incredible learning and memories. KAOS ‘Life According to Jamaica’ 2005 gave us an opportunity to discover the culture, customs, and natural beauty of the island nation through the eyes of its own people.
As the lone service-based KAOS trip, ‘Life According to Jamaica’ was centered on the repair of a school for three to six-year old children in Petersfield, a town an hour away from the popular resort destinations of Montego Bay and Negril. We spent two full days and two half-days painting and cleaning to reverse the damage done to the school during Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The work was hard, particularly with the oppressive tropical heat, but the physical transformation we saw was spectacular: in a matter of days, a dirty cement shack became a respectable set of classrooms.
However, the trip was as much about the cultural education as it was the service. We stayed with several host families and attended neighborhood block parties and town meetings. We learned patois, the Jamaican dialect, and amused the locals with our misguided attempts at reciting their expressions and songs. We ate the finest homemade cuisine, such as ackee and saltfish, roasted breadfruit, and rum punch made with the finest local overproof rum. During our free time, our new friends taught us local games like dominoes, cricket, and a name game called rhythm selector. And we embarrassed ourselves trying to learn Jamaican cultural dances to the beats of their freshest reggae music.
In the midst of all of the fun and excitement of the Jamaican culture, we also experienced the serenity of the land. We explored caves, swam in fresh water lagoons, and dove off of bridges into roaring rivers. We lounged at the beach and in the warm Atlantic waters and cooled in the shade of cotton trees and endless fields of sugar cane.
Without a doubt, ‘Life According to Jamaica’ was an unforgettable week for all of us, not only because of the experiences that we shared, but also the connections that we made with the people of Petersfield and with each other. At least for a few days, we saw the realization of the Jamaican motto: out of many, one people. This hope will be a guiding force for the fourteen of us as we continue our lives at Kellogg.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Sunday, January 9, 2005
KAOS 2005: Back and Better Than Ever
(Originally published in The Merger, February 2007)
While our Kellogg experience has certainly been shaped by the craziness of CIM week, the outrageousness of activities at The Keg, and the endless hours at Jacobs, for many of us, our defining Kellogg experience was KAOS (or KOA/KSI for ‘05ers). It served as the jumping off point for a whole new life of sorts, as we transitioned out of our lives in the real world and into being a student once again.
KAOS 2004 provided the incoming ‘06ers with a rousing start to the new school year, despite the best efforts of Hurricane Frances to derail the festivities. From the ski slopes in Bariloche, Argentina to the icebergs in Iceland, and all of the Arubian beaches and Ibizan clubs in-between, memories were instantly created and new friendships were born. Although it would take a whole issue of Merger Chatter to discuss all of the really interesting stories that originated from ’04 trips, it is safe to say that these experiences served as the catalyst for an unprecedented KAOS 2005.
Next year, incoming first-years will have a record number of trips to choose from. Over 180 people, or one-third of the class of 2006, will be leading a trip. The KAOS Executive Committee selected trips based on the diversity of location and activities, quality of community service, and overall enthusiasm of the leadership team.
In the spirit of Kellogg, KAOS 2005 will have a decidedly international flavor to it. Mexico is the most common destination with four trips, and trips will be heading to ten different Latin American countries, as well as ten separate locations in the Caribbean.
Continuing the tradition of adventure, some of the trips to be offered include biking through the Scottish highlands, backpacking through the Swiss Alps, whitewater rafting along the Amazon River, sailing throughout the British Virgin Islands, and scuba diving in the Bahamas.
The class of ’06 clearly sought originality in creating trips this year, with many new destinations like the Greek Isles, Corsica, Brazil, and Curacao. Ironically, in an effort to be original, prospective leaders chose many of the same exotic locations, such as Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela (notice a theme here?). However, several memorable trips of the past will be revisited, including Costa Rica, Machu Picchu (Peru), and the Dominican Republic.
Students looking for an American experience will be able to choose from destinations among Alaska, San Juan Islands (Washington), and the Carolinas. And lest we forget the perennially most popular trip, the 2005 Mystery Trip will be truly special, as long as the secret location can remain under wraps.
In an attempt to revive the tradition of KSI, two service trips will also be offered. One trip will head to Jamaica to construct a school for a rural village, while another group will be living a true Western-style experience in Montana by restoring a federally-owned dude ranch.
If you’re a first-year that hasn’t committed to leading a trip, it’s not too late to sign up. We still have room for additional domestic trips, as well as a handful of select spots on existing international trips. Not sure if it’s worthwhile to be a leader? Ask the 160 second-years around you how memorable their experience was leading a KAOS 2004 trip.
Final trip itineraries for previously submitted trips are due to the KAOS Executive Committee on Monday, January 24. Key tasks to come for leaders will be marketing the trips to prospective students at DAK and in the brochure to be sent out in the months ahead, as well as securing first aid and CPR training.
KAOS 2005 will take place from Sunday, August 28 to Sunday, September 4.
Top 10 Things About Going on a KAOS Trip
10. Not having to disclose anything about your sordid past, at least until the last night.
9. Traveling to exotic locations you’d otherwise never go to on your own.
8. It’s cheaper than eating lunch at Kafe Kellogg.
7. The opportunity to serve and interact with local people and culture.
6. All of the “bonding” activities, both scheduled and, ahem, unscheduled.
5. Seeing the finest natural wonders the world has to offer.
4. Excellent preparation for late nights at The Deuce.
3. Trying out activities that would qualify you for Fear Factor.
2. Those wise, knowledgeable, and dare I say it, HOT second-year leaders.
And finally, the best thing about going on a KAOS trip:
1. Making a whole group of new friends you’ll keep not only during your time at Kellogg, but long after you have parted ways.
While our Kellogg experience has certainly been shaped by the craziness of CIM week, the outrageousness of activities at The Keg, and the endless hours at Jacobs, for many of us, our defining Kellogg experience was KAOS (or KOA/KSI for ‘05ers). It served as the jumping off point for a whole new life of sorts, as we transitioned out of our lives in the real world and into being a student once again.
KAOS 2004 provided the incoming ‘06ers with a rousing start to the new school year, despite the best efforts of Hurricane Frances to derail the festivities. From the ski slopes in Bariloche, Argentina to the icebergs in Iceland, and all of the Arubian beaches and Ibizan clubs in-between, memories were instantly created and new friendships were born. Although it would take a whole issue of Merger Chatter to discuss all of the really interesting stories that originated from ’04 trips, it is safe to say that these experiences served as the catalyst for an unprecedented KAOS 2005.
Next year, incoming first-years will have a record number of trips to choose from. Over 180 people, or one-third of the class of 2006, will be leading a trip. The KAOS Executive Committee selected trips based on the diversity of location and activities, quality of community service, and overall enthusiasm of the leadership team.
In the spirit of Kellogg, KAOS 2005 will have a decidedly international flavor to it. Mexico is the most common destination with four trips, and trips will be heading to ten different Latin American countries, as well as ten separate locations in the Caribbean.
Continuing the tradition of adventure, some of the trips to be offered include biking through the Scottish highlands, backpacking through the Swiss Alps, whitewater rafting along the Amazon River, sailing throughout the British Virgin Islands, and scuba diving in the Bahamas.
The class of ’06 clearly sought originality in creating trips this year, with many new destinations like the Greek Isles, Corsica, Brazil, and Curacao. Ironically, in an effort to be original, prospective leaders chose many of the same exotic locations, such as Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela (notice a theme here?). However, several memorable trips of the past will be revisited, including Costa Rica, Machu Picchu (Peru), and the Dominican Republic.
Students looking for an American experience will be able to choose from destinations among Alaska, San Juan Islands (Washington), and the Carolinas. And lest we forget the perennially most popular trip, the 2005 Mystery Trip will be truly special, as long as the secret location can remain under wraps.
In an attempt to revive the tradition of KSI, two service trips will also be offered. One trip will head to Jamaica to construct a school for a rural village, while another group will be living a true Western-style experience in Montana by restoring a federally-owned dude ranch.
If you’re a first-year that hasn’t committed to leading a trip, it’s not too late to sign up. We still have room for additional domestic trips, as well as a handful of select spots on existing international trips. Not sure if it’s worthwhile to be a leader? Ask the 160 second-years around you how memorable their experience was leading a KAOS 2004 trip.
Final trip itineraries for previously submitted trips are due to the KAOS Executive Committee on Monday, January 24. Key tasks to come for leaders will be marketing the trips to prospective students at DAK and in the brochure to be sent out in the months ahead, as well as securing first aid and CPR training.
KAOS 2005 will take place from Sunday, August 28 to Sunday, September 4.
Top 10 Things About Going on a KAOS Trip
10. Not having to disclose anything about your sordid past, at least until the last night.
9. Traveling to exotic locations you’d otherwise never go to on your own.
8. It’s cheaper than eating lunch at Kafe Kellogg.
7. The opportunity to serve and interact with local people and culture.
6. All of the “bonding” activities, both scheduled and, ahem, unscheduled.
5. Seeing the finest natural wonders the world has to offer.
4. Excellent preparation for late nights at The Deuce.
3. Trying out activities that would qualify you for Fear Factor.
2. Those wise, knowledgeable, and dare I say it, HOT second-year leaders.
And finally, the best thing about going on a KAOS trip:
1. Making a whole group of new friends you’ll keep not only during your time at Kellogg, but long after you have parted ways.
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