Courage

Courage. Courage in each precise movement on stage. Courage in auditioning for a performance. Courage in exposing yourself for the sake of your House. This year’s House Arts theme was one exemplified not only in the passionate performances skillfully delivered by each House, but more so in every student’s efforts and attitude towards House Arts.

Most students have unknowingly embarked on this pursuit for courage even before the actual House Arts event. Chances are that your days before House Arts were brimming with practice sessions, from after prep until room check. That guarantees you sprinting back to your room drained from the hectic activities of the day, yet still oddly satisfied.

For me, the endeavour of ‘courage’ began during the auditions for Mandela House Poetry. With only 8 places and a throng of willing applicants, I was genuinely convinced I would not get in. Still, I ‘rose’ to the challenge (a running motif in Mandela’s House Arts) and pushed myself to tackle the audition to the best of my ability. My ‘courage’ paid off and I was given the privilege to perform for Mandela House. The following days were, of course, filled with one practice session after another, albeit everyone involved in House Arts was too. What kept me driven was the sheer motivation and support my fellow Mandelians and especially my House Poetry group tirelessly showered on me. The energy we displayed in each practice, the exhilaration we experienced when we had a ‘perfect practice’, the support we received from not just those in our houses but those in other houses as well. This truly revealed to me the spirit of Concord College – a tirelessly motivated yet unapologetically compassionate community.

As said in the wise words of Vincent Yung, “Imagine you’re winning the Grammys, Oscars and Tonys all at once. Every action, every word, make it over the top.” In essence, reflecting Concords ethos ‘To be more than you are’. Which to me has never been more apparent than at this year’s House Arts.

Rachel – 6.1