11TH GR SALT T

Photos by: Rh

Written by: B

It was the SALT Trip most eleventh graders did not envision. We were told that we’d need to donate our shoes by the end of this trip; we were told to bring sunscreen and N95 masks; and we were told that we were going to physically exhaust ourselves to achieve a superordinate goal of building a volleyball court for the Karen community.

Everybody unanimously agreed on the first day that we could have arrived at Ratchaburi way earlier: we left at 8 and arrived at 4 One of the highlights of the first day was knowing who we would room with, but the pinnacle of the first day, however, was conversing with Karen teenagers. Juniors had to interview two Karens on various topics such as their daily schedule, demographics, community map, and many more. “So similar, yet so different,” we would conclude our experience with the Karens. They have a life like us they play on their phone, go to school, and do household chores. But, Karens are not recognized by the law. Although multiple teams emphasized that citizenship is the core problem, we could only hope that it will one day be resolved by the government; the best that ICS students can do right now is provide facilities for community bonding.

Surprisingly, every night owl Junior rose before 7:30 on both days and was ready to work on the volleyball court. Energized by songs from Mr. George’s playlist and equipped with construction materials, we went to work immediately. Juniors unknowingly split into two groups, which are mixing and restocking The mixing team created and poured a thick solution of concrete. The restocking team carried baskets of rocks and sand into the construction site for the mixing team. This process continued for two days: we came, we saw, and we constructed.

After finishing the court, Juniors enjoyed the celebratory event the following night. We chanted and cheered for each teacher to compliment us on our hard work. The Class of 2024 also had a chance to say or announce their goodbyes to those that are pursuing a different educational path Apart from the overwhelmingly positive energy that we shared, the Class of 2024 discovered that we could accomplish all things with each other and I, as a member of this Class, firmly believe that this energy will extend all the way to the end of the senior year :-).