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Buzz United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
Let’s Buzz about it
Diversity is
Everywhere!
Gimnazija Mostar building where UWCiM is located
Dear Reader,
You are reading the first edition of Buzz,
hopefully the start of another great
tradition. We, the students of the United
World College in Mostar, have started this
student magazine to Buzz about the topics
we find important for the contemporary
society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the
world.
For the first edition we have chosen to
especially focus on the topic of diversity.
Diversity is everywhere around: in people,
countries, cultures, times and even in the
nature itself. However, we often do not
discover the beauty hidden in the variation
that comes from diversity of personalities
and opinions. In fact, we often reject
diversity as bad and discriminate against
the people who are unlike everybody
else, in attempt to create a uniform world
where everybody is the same.
We will give you our opinions, spread
a positive outlook and tell you some
personal stories that show diversity in the
light we see it. I hope you will enjoy our
texts!
Ivan Matej Kolobarić
Gay is (not) OK!
The position of gay people in the Balkans
In our everyday life, there are many
topics we label as “hot” and we gladly
take part in discussions about different
aspects of them. But, the one topic
that remains a contentious issue
and an everlasting taboo is certainly
homosexuality.
Do you remember the last time you
and your company came across this
inexhaustible topic. What was the
atmosphere like? Were you judging or
were you supportive of the matter. What
do you personally think of gay, lesbian
or bisexual people - are they odd or just
normal?
Many people across the World would
respond to these questions in a rather
negative manner. Many, unfortunately,
would even react violently if they
were to meet a LGBT (Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender) person. This
Homosexuality remains a contentious issue
negative sentiment is characteristic to
individuals belonging to every nation
– no exception – and it is sad to know
that one of the things that connects
different nationalities is a feeling fueled
by hatred.
Word Homophobia is a neologism
formed from Homo, which – in Latin –
stands for “man” and -phobia. What the
word –phobia implies is an irrational,
intense and persistent fear of certain
situations, activities, things, animals,
or people. Although this seems to
be suggesting that Homophobia is
an individualistic phobia, we must
note that that is a matter far more
complex. Through different events
that are occurring around the World,
homophobia has been established as
the leading societal problem and seems
to be addressed more often in the media
and in everyday situations.
“Homosexuality”, “gay”, “lesbian” are all terms that are rather unfamiliar -
unfamiliar in terms of ignorant attitude
Yet, one of the regions where “fear”
of LGBT population is probably most
accentuated is Balkan. “Homosexuality”,
“gay”, “lesbian” – these are all terms
that are rather unfamiliar – unfamiliar
in terms of ignorant attitude – to the
people of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and
Herzegovina where anti-gay activities are
very much present.
Serbia
More than 140 people injured!, Dozens
arrested in street fights in Belgrade!,
Belgrade destroyed – these are only
some of the headlines that could be seen
after October 10th 2010 – the day when
the Gay Pride was held in Belgrade, the
capital of Serbia.
As soon as the event was announced,
the Radicals and the Serbian Orthodox
Church – amongst others – raised their
voice against such an event calling it
immoral and its participants’ lifestyle
unnatural. A question posed by Episcope
Grigorije best reflects the general opinion
of the Serbian public regarding this
matter: “Is the world going mad? What is
all of this about?”
Although the Serbian Orthodox Church
vilified any kind of violence against
“individuals or groups of people who sin
against moral norms or even threaten
2
“We can do it
BBC stated in their report that this year’s
together”,
(Gay Pride
event was being seen as a test of how far
the country has come from the ultra-
parade in
Belgrade, 2010)
nationalism and violence of the 1990s
and on its path to EU membership.
the public moral values”, they have not
missed the chance of reminding the
Serbians that the official stand-point
remains to be against the Parade. In “Gay parade - shame of Belgrade!”
accordance with that, a crowd of 20 Who is to be ashamed?
000 – consisting of the representatives
of nationalistic organizations and even
families with children – gathered a day
before the event took place on a square
in Belgrade to protest proudly waving
their country’s flag and banners saying:
“Gay parade – shame on Belgrade!”
Nevertheless, some government officials
and the President himself gave full
support and announced their arrival to
the Parade, along with Vincent Degert
– representative of the European
Commission – who opened the event
saying that this is an important day since “Stop gays”, Belgrade
it shows that the society rejects violence.
However, one cannot avoid the question:
“Why were 5000 police-officers needed
to maintain peace and allow certain
individuals to enjoy their constitutional
and human rights?” Is the society actually
open for those who are different? Milena,
a lesbian activist from Serbia said: “It is
a shame for me to march, to stand for
what I am, and to have thousands of cops
protect me from hysteric nationalists!”
“
“We are waiting for you”, Belgrade
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Buzz United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
“Young people who do not act in line with gender steretypes canbe subjected to
severe bullying”
4

But, violence does not only
occur at Parades. Although the
gay scene is underground in all
Croatia of these countries, members of
the community are regularly
subjects of discrimination and
In Serbia’s neighboring country the harassment. There are very few
situation is a bit calmer. Nevertheless, it people in these countries who are
took nine years of struggle to accomplish openly gay or lesbian and who
that small, yet significant step. A couple practice their sexual orientation no
of months earlier than in Belgrade – in matter of the acceptance of their
June – the 9th Pride Parade was held in surroundings. In such conservative
the capital of Croatia – Zagreb – only 370 and religious nations that would be
kilometers away from Belgrade. There, an extremely hard thing to do since
security was also on maximum level, but homosexuality is still a taboo.
number of personnel was far smaller from
the number of officers that were mobilized
In recent years, many cases of
in Belgrade. There were large groups
students being bullied because
of people protesting, holding banners,
of their sexual orientation have
and insulting LGBT population that was
marching down the streets of Zagreb.
been recorded across the region. labeled as homosexual by their
The color of their shirt or pants is peers. On the other hand, girls who
often a sufficient reason for the are considered to be too boyish or
homophobes to exercise force who hold feminist views often face
over their peers who are suspected the likelihood of being labeled as
to be of a different orientation. lesbians.
But, it is not just LGBT people who
experience homophobic bullying;
all young people who do not act
in line with gender stereotypes can
be subjected to severe bullying.
For example, in most cultures boys
are stereotyped as sporty and
strong decision-makers, and girls
are expected to be emotional and
expressive. As a result, boys who
show their feelings or who are too
intimate with other boys are often

Most of the participants of the anti-gay

parade were young people – two minors
were arrested after they have attempted
in attacking the march. Although a
couple of people were arrested, and an
anti-gay parade with a large number
of participants was held, no serious
violation of law was registered. It seems
like the organizers were right when they
assumed that the Croatian public can
“swallow” this – after eight consequent
years of Pride events.
Nevertheless, the President of the
Republic of Croatia expressed his concern
about the level of intolerance that is still
present in that country’s society and
further added that this is a great step
that has been made. Vice-president of
the Government announced that he
will do everything in his power so those
who spread hatred and homophobia
are sanctioned. It has been announced
that this June Split – a city visited by
over a million tourists per year – will be
hosting its first Pride Parade. Dissent has
been expressed by Torcida – supporters
of Croatia’s second largest football club
t
Up: Pride parade in Brazil is peaceful. In balkans, however, police intervention is needed.
– Hajduk. Will there be more injured and
arrested people, or has Croatia become
tolerant enough - is up for us to see.
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
It is a distressing fact that in Sarajevo,
the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
the Pride Parade was never held and
there are no signs that it even might be
held in the near future. An event – Gay
Right Festival (not even a parade!) that
was supposed to be held in Sarajevo in
2008 was followed by riots of different
conservatives (especially Muslim
conservatives) who, besides shouting:
“Kill the gays!” attacked a number of
individuals, among them journalists
who were reporting on the event. The
organizers had to call everything off amid
fears of more violence, because the police
could not guarantee that the participants
will be safe. Will such an event ever take
place in the extremely conservative
Bosnian-Herzegovinian society – we
cannot know for sure. But, one thing is for
sure – tolerance rate for LGBT population
We are all people. However, the color of our shirt or pants is often a sufficient reason to excercise force on others
in this country is extremely low.
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Buzz United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
What can be done to
tackle homophobia?
Political leaders, police forces, health
services, broadcasters and employers
can all positively influence the way
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
people are treated. Schools, as well,
have an important part to play in
challenging homophobia. Homophobia
is fueled by lack of awareness, and
educating young people about LGBT
issues is fundamental to overcoming
widely accepted prejudice. Providing
information and support for LGBT
students, and taking assertive action
against homophobic bullying, are also
vital for creating an environment where
all students are supported. In a later
stage, when the students are adults, we
will have a society that does not hate,
but rather accepts and recognizes that
differences should be embraced rather
than casted out.
Why is being “gay” still considered to
be unnatural when there are so many
men and women who made significant
contribution to the mankind?
If we have “removed” individuals such
as Tracy Chapman, Angelina Jolie (a
bisexual), Alexander the Great, Hans
Christian Andersen, Nick Brown (British
Minister of Agriculture), James Dean,
Ellen Degeneres, Elton John, Janis
Joplin, Leonardo da Vinci, George
Michael, Sinead O’Connor, Cecil
Rhodes, Eleanor Roosevelt (a bisexual),
Portia de Rossi, Andy Warhol, Oscar
Wilde, Tennessee Williams, Virginia
Woolf and other hundreds of thousands
individuals whom we remember not
for their sexual orientation or what
were their private affairs. We remember
these people for their talents, works of
art, inventions or other contributions
to our civilization. Pronouncing these
men and women primitive, bestial or
anything of the sort would be a fault.
More and more LGBT people are
finding the courage to “get out of the
closet” and proudly express who they
are. That is certainly so because of
many celebrities who openly advocate
the rights of LGBT population and in
different ways through their activities
support the entire idea of being
who you are. Lady Gaga, the newly
proclaimed patroness of the gay, is
politically involved for the purpose of
relieving the position of LGBT people
in the U.S. Army. Her new album titled
“Born This Way” is mainly dedicated to
“As long as something is unknown to you, you will be scared of it”
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In a city of contrasts
When I first came to Mostar I had no these two guys, however we felt a the diverse cultures present at the
idea what to expect. I did not know strong connection towards them, United World College in Mostar, we give
about the looks of the city, about and when walking past each other, Mostar a new identity and help to build
the atmosphere or about anything a smile connected to the certainty of a tolerance towards diversity. Because
connected to diversity. the same thoughts came up: ‘Wow of our presence Mostar is probably one
look, seems like we are not actually of the most tolerant and open minded
Now after one and a half years I can the only people of color in this city’. cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
tell I know this city by heart. The knowing that it is more than an honor to
things that make it so interesting I am sure people throughout the know that we, as the UWC Mostar, are a
for me are situations where you find whole city seem to remember us, as catalyst to this change.
similarities or concrete differences we are different to many of them and
to your own culture. Me, having that only in terms of color. We would Have you ever stood next to the
grown up with the Ethiopian, use to catch people staring at us, Gymnasia building and heard both the
Ukrainian and German culture, however still trying to do it secretly. Muslim call for prayers and the church
makes me a very diverse person with ‘As long as something is unknown to bells at the same time? Is not this the
a very wide spectrum of acceptance you, you will be scared of it.’ Us being perfect example of diversity? Mostar is
towards cultures and traditions. in Mostar, I hope we took the scarcity a city of diversity and the only way to
of people and showed Mostar some enjoy this diversity is to learn from each
When walking through Mostar the of the diversity of the world, even if it other, to live with each other to form
first very striking fact is me being one was only in terms of skin color. harmony.
of the only people of colour in this
city. I remember last year when to It is incredible to be able to experience
African football players were invited Mostar, as a place, that, compared to Caroline Gobena
to play with the Zrinjski team. This my home country Germany, is still so
was very special to the city and also far behind in terms of development
to the people. We did not even know and tolererance. However through
that population.
Nevertheless, thousands of gays and
lesbians will continue hiding their
true preferences because they don’t
meet their society’s norms. I dare say –
these people are slaves of their nations’
public that does not accept individuals
who are different in any way – basing
such a shameful attitude solely on fear
and ignorance. Luckily, the situation is
changing. Although, the advancements
are coming rather slowly – they are
happening and that is the important
thing. Who knows, maybe one day we
might all be equal…
Marko Petric
Mostar - a church and a mosk together
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Buzz United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
“We learned to put all of those discrimination issues out of our messy table
into the drawer, hidden from our direct sight. Can we do better?”
8

Think Diversity - A Personal View Are we moving forward?

Diversity! If you don’t open up, you risk living in the fake world The wheels of history

1. The population of the world surpassed
6 Billion in 1999, it is projected that it will
reach 7 Billion in 2012.For comparison, the
world’s population only surpassed 1 Billion
in 1800, taking an additional 130 years to
reach 2.
2. Homosexual population is over
61,160,270
roughly 10% of the world
3.From all species of animals that inhibited
the Earth since its beginning today only
10% of those species is alive.
4. There are about 6900 known languages
worldwide.
5. About 50% of people in the whole world
never talked on a telephone.
6. The shortest war happend 1895 between
Zanzibar and Britain when Zanzibir
sourended after 38 min.
7. Libia is the only country in the world with
one colord flag. It`s flag is totally green.
8. Passanger shipp „Queen Elizabeth II“
moves only 4 cm for each liter of disel that
it burnes.
9. Madrid is the only capital city in the
Europe which is not placed on the river.
10. The shortest man in the world was tall
only 73,6 cm.
He was Chinese and his name was He
Pingping. He died this year and he was 22.
11.from 260 to 300 millions turkies is killed
and eaten in the USA per year. Of that,
44 mill. on Thanksgiving day and 22 on
Christmas and rest during the year
12. Venice is bilded on 118 litlle islands
connected with more than 200 bridges
Tonči Maleta
Diversity is all around us and it is right to ask the simple questions
Remember when you have encountered
the situation when people were being
laughed at for being too tall, too dark-
skinned, for having wrong faith or
orientation or for being foreigner?
The fact that these bullies are
almost never punished or caught
at the elementary schools makes
children conform and appreciate the
identicalness, because it is simply easier.
Then when you home and innocently
asked your parents or grandparents
about somebody “different” you ended
up smacked up or with an answer
that you are not allowed to ask such
questions. Sure you might have asked
for your weird neighbor having ten cats,
but what about something completely
tabooed for your society?
I guess that all of us are or at least
ever were in this stage and I have a
suggestion. Even if you are not a small
child, but if you are eager to know and
ask, then do it and do not hesitate. You
have many opportunities to find out
nowadays starting with internet and
ending up with the random people on
the streets or reading this magazine
about diversity without no bullying or
getting smacked up.
As Jostein Gaarder when we are small
we are all philosophers wondering how
diverse and amazing the World is. We are
philosophers who tend to ask eager to
know everything without no barriers
and this beautiful skill is just being
destroyed by prejudices, ignorance and
separation.
Long time ago I heard one dialogue;
one guy was saying that it is wrong
to be homosexual due to his religion.
Second one asked him but isn’t it said
that God created us? So why would God
created something bad? They did not
argue, they presented their points and
respected each other. This debate also
led to broadening their views and they
even said they feel smarter. They got the
points which each other said.
But it is not just about the big topic.
Diversity is all around us and it is right to
ask. Do people dress there the way we
do? Do they talk the way we do? Do they
look the way we do? Do they sit on the
chairs as we do? Firstly we have to talk
about these small “unimportant” things
if we want to get to the higher level,
because would you like to tackle big
questions then?
So... Start! It might not be that easy to
open up like this and ask and answer
honestly. But try it, do not try to feel
secure with the information you know,
you risk living in the fake world.
Petr Knor
People have gone through a lot in the
past – wars, public executions, slavery, etc.
In South Africa, apartheid meant splitting
of people according to the colour of their
skin. Who would say that in the USA,
there was a ‘Jewish quota’ that limited the
number of Jews that could attend specific
universities? Globally, in the past, gender
set what you could or couldn’t do, so
women in most parts of the world couldn’t
participate in the political processes or
attend medical universities and suffered
many other disadvantages compared to
men.
These are all examples of discrimination,
the past’s ultimate creator of inequality
among people. But this is history and it
shouldn’t repeat again. Because, when we
consider world and the humankind with
logic we make different assumptions that
we hold true as they simply make sense.
An important assumption lies in the old
Latin saying: Historia magistra vitae est,
meaning ‘History is the teacher of life’.
We expect the flow concerning human
actions to go like this:
Humans do something -> that doing ends
badly -> Humans do no more
This seems perfectly sensible since
humans are sensible creatures by nature,
right? Well-Wrong! This flow does not go
as smoothly as expected because there is a
fallacy in the third step, since a lot of times
instead of not repeating the action that
proved to be a wrong and mistaken, we,
the humankind, tend to do it again. When
you consider the past examples, it does not
seem like that. Today, there is no apartheid
in South Africa, the universities don’t
discriminate against different religions
and women and men are seen as almost
absolutely equal in opportunities in most
parts of the world. So where did the fallacy
come from? A common mistake of today’s
society is that the process of observing
the world is too rigid in its form and badly
focused. We think we have eradicated
most of the discriminatory problems of
the past and that they are now just history
we can reference to when we choose to
evaluate our world in present times. But
the thing is that we did not really manage
to solve those problems, they are still here,
but in a “slightly” different form.
Instead of making the troubles go away, we
just let them transform into a more indirect
form which we can tolerate or even not
notice. It is like when you’re cleaning the
house and you put all the mess that was
on your table into the drawer. You get a
feeling everything is ok, because you think
the mess has been cleaned, while the truth
is that you have just prevented it to rise as
an issue by putting it somewhere where it’s
not that visible. And when you look at us,
people, and try to analyze our behaviour
and interactions, you can see both severe
and subtle forms of discrimination. You can
see that in these days in some European
countries, Muslim women are not allowed
to wear burkas or you can notice that
actors with more (or in some cases normal)
weight are having more problems with
getting into the acting world.
In the drawer, hidden from the surface, they can develop and become xenophobia, weightism,
islamophobia and so much more
These examples don’t reveal even
the half of the picture. As people
become more aware and honest
about themselves, there are always
others that will discriminate them
because of their honesty or those
specific characteristics. Therefore, as
more homosexuals admitted their
preferences, homophobia will raise.
Also, as communication and knowledge
spread by the media increased, more
forms of discriminations became
familiar. Now with the media coverage
of almost everything new animosities
and phobias are created among
different nations, social groups and the
new discriminatory forms concerning
different issues have developed.
So what did we learn from our past filled
with discrimination? Well, we learned
to put the all those discrimination
issues out of our messy table into the
drawer, hidden from the surface, so
they can develop out of our direct sight
and become xenophobia, weightism,
islamophobia and so much more. Can
we do better?
Katarina Kosmina
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Buzz United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
Give adventure a chance!
Cheap Travelling
Possible!
is
“I know people who flew to London or Berlin for
less than 25 euros for a round trip”
We all want to see the world, meet
new cultures, encounter people, and
experience life in places more remote
and peaceful or more vivid and hectic
than our everyday environment. After all,
the ancient Greeks didn’t come up with
a word “homo movens” for no reason.
But we all also have another common
need which is to leave some cash in our
pockets to go back home after enjoying
all of this. Believe it or not it is possible to
have both at the same time, nowadays
more than ever before! Did you ever
think of travelling to Italy for a few days
and not spend more than 80 euro with
a flight that costs less than a ćevapi?; or
exploring the islands of Croatia in the
best way possible for the same amount
We all want to see the world
How many of these places did YOU visit?
of money you would pay for dinner in a
restaurant?
Hopefully the recent abolishment of
the visa regime for most of the regional
countries (unfortunately not yet for
Bosnia and Herzegovina) will finally
open a whole new world of travelling for
Balkan youth. Many attractive and tourist
destinations such as Prague, Istanbul,
Vienna, Budapest, and so many more are
now reachable and closer than never.
Good travelling does not have to mean
expansive travelling. The eagerness to
International Student Identity Card
On the trips like this is also good to have international student identity
card (the most popular is ISIC) which guarantees many discounts, not
only for the transportation but also for visiting museums and other
famous sights.
hit the road and a good planning make
everything possible! On the other hand
there are so many reasons for travelling
and so many benefits from travelling.
So many amazing places and people
waiting out there, most of us are not even
aware of, so many different events and
festivals but also many creative ways of
transportation that will allow all of us to
get back with a lot of good memories.
And the best thing is that those not
will be ruined by minuses on the bank
accounts or long-lasting empty pockets.
Good travelling does not have to mean expansive travelling. The eagerness to
hit the road and a good planning make everything possible!
How am I supposed to
get there?
As I already said, the most important thing
is to decide where you want to go and when.
This is extremely helpful when it comes to
trips to more distance destinations which
require transportation with air planes. And
finding the cheap flights is easy when you
know where to look for them. The pioneer
of cheep travelling, Irish Ryanair (with the
most spread network of reachable airports
all around Europe) now has a strong
market competition of other low cost
airlines including Germanwings (the best
way to travel to top destinations in the
Germany), British Easy Jet (offering cheep
flights all over UK), Polish Wizz Air and
many cheep national airlines including
Norwegian Airlines or Hungarian national
airline Malev, etc.
With those airlines, the sky is sure the limit.
They will be pleased to offer flights in less
than 10 Euros, yet expect having to pay for
any other service except sitting. The most
important thing when it comes to flying
with low cost companies is early booking.
In other words the earliest you book your
flight the cheaper thicket you get! The
process is quite simple and usually done
on-line with a credit card. I know people
who flight to London or Berlin for less
than 25 euros for a round trip- so it is really
worth to try new things on your PC.
But if you still very eager to explore
and afraid of flying or if you find on line
booking too complicated there are always
other options! If you choose to go around
Europe, buses might be even a cheaper
option, depend on the season of course.
The Balkan region is known by many direct
bus lines to many European cities. You have
to prepare yourself for a long ride but you
can be reassured that on these routs there
will be always enough breaks that allow
normal travelling, especially in our age!
Trains are also very popular means of
transportation and railway companies
10
usually offer big discounts for students.
The travelling by the famous Interrail is still Summer Festivals
representing a first big travelling experience
for many generations of European
youngsters. The tickets are offered by four
in the Balkans
European zones: United Kingdom, Central The Balkan offers so many different
and Western Europe (Belgium, Germany, entertainments events especially
France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, during the summer season. Some
Switzerland), North Europe Denmark,
Finland, Norway, Sweden), South Europe
of the most famous festivals such
as “Exit” festival in Novi Sad in
(Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain), East Serbia (8-11.07. 2010.) or growing
Europe (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, “InMusic” festival in Zagreb, Croatia
Romania, Slovenia, Czech Republic (22.-23.06.2010.). Banja Luka (Bosnia
and Turkey)and Balkans (Bosnia and and Herzegovina) is also hosting
Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovakia Demofest every year (24, 25, and
and Serbia) have very flexible terms of use. 26.06.2010.) also featuring at least
one famous band from the world’s
Spending time on night rail trips, rock scene. One of the biggest and
except being a way to save money on most famous music festivals in
accommodation can be enormous fun and Europe is also taking place in Sziget
adventure especially if you wake every day in Hungary (11-16. 08.2010.).
in the new capital city! Here’s example: All of these festivals have very well
There is a nightly train from Belgrade to
organized tent settlements for the
Sofia and on then next night further than
visitors which is also a perfect way to
to Istanbul. You can get a reasonable
save money on accommodation.
sleeping compartment and get a decent
For those more interested in other
night’s sleep (except for being awoken at
kinds of events, visiting Sarajevo
the Turkish border for passport control).
Film Festival- SFF (23. -31. July
However, the train is very slow. Buses run
2010), for example, could be a
that same route in at least 2-3 hours less
perfect opportunity to experience
time. So it really comes down to what you
adventure! Beside great movies from
value more - a comfortable night’s rest, or a
the region and the whole world,
quicker (and perhaps cheaper) bus?
the biggest regional film festival
The cheapest and most convenient mode offers great and unforgettable
entertainment programme including
of transport is really going to depend on
concerts of the most famous ethno-
the particular route you intend to travel.
For example, if you’re going into the music bands from the neighbouring
mountains of Serbia, buses will be your countries but also DJ parties for long
only real option. But tourist agencies are memory.
also adjusting their offers to regional
standards- last minute, giving info on train
bus discounts and much more. And the
other option is to search Internet where
you will also find many valuable insights
and info about the most interesting
places you should visit and the most
important about the cheep backpackers
hostels and good cheep restaurants with
the local specialties in each major tourist
destination. Exit Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia

Buzz
11
Accommodation
and Food
When it comes to accommodation the
cheapest option is staying in youth
hostels in the rooms with several beds.
Some hostels even offer breakfast within
really reasonable prices (from 8 to 20
euros depending on the destination,
hostel’s location and the categorization).
But every hostel has an option for storing
and preparing the food in the common
kitchen. The other good side of hostel
accommodation is also an opportunity
to meet and make friends with other
travellers with whom you might share a
room. The spirit of sharing and pleasant
and friendly atmosphere is the landmark
of the most youth hostels. The free
places in hostels can be found upon
arrival but it is much better to book the
accommodation in advance just to make
sure that you will have a place to sleep,
especially if you are visiting a certain
place in the time of the festival or in the
middle of tourist season in a very popular
costal destinations for example.
The food costs in the end consume most
of the travelling budget so it is important
to remember several practical advices. If
possible bring some food with you and
if you are travelling in the group split the
types of glossaries that you are carrying
with you. The food has to be long-lasting
such as different cans, crackers, pasta and
some other instant food that can be easily
cooked. But the traditional local food
also makes a large part of memorable
travel experience and the taste of local
specialties is the best way to evoke many
nice memories from every trip. Therefore
tasting local foods while you’re travelling
is something that you simply have to
do” The best way is to find a restaurants
United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
Tasting local foods while you’re travelling is something that you simply have to do
where most of the locals having their
meals. Those are usually easily recognized
by being crowded all the time especially
during the lunch break in other words
never completely empty.
Travelling in
Balkans
The Balkan region or south-eastern
Europe is one of the most exotic tourist
destinations of the world. Thousands
of tourists from all regions of the world
throng to this region. Why not starting
your vacation or short journey in your
own or neighbouring county? The
region offers variety of attractive sights
from natural beauties, cultural heritage
and attractive festivals especially in
You will meet fascinating people that will fast become your friends just from sharing
the experience with you, many internationals, new cultures and new adventures you
never thought could happen to you.
The good thing is also that the main
tourist destinations on Balkans also
offer hostel accommodation as well
as the tourist info points where you
can get all the information about
cultural and entertainment events
taking place at the time. Possibility
for arranging the day trips to the
nearby nature resort are also always
an option.
So Why Sould I
Travel?
Travelling had given so much to
me, I never thought I could manage
everything and it made me develop
independence, self-confident and
social skills.
Zagreb(right) and
Belgrade(down)
are great places
the summer period. Just think about to visit
Belgrade, Sarajevo, Mostar, Split,
Dubrovnik, Budva, Ohrid just to mention
few top destinations mentioned in all the
guidebooks for foreign tourists.
Getting to the major regional tourist
the destination is the best by bus but don’t
be surprised if you can’t get concrete
transport information for many routes
in this region. Many of the bus stations
will not always stick to the schedule, so
check out a few days before when does
your train/bus leaves in the station itself.
Believe me; you do not want to get stuck
in the middle of Split at 3 am waiting for a
bus that will get there only a day later. The
train routs connecting Balkan capitals are
also very good and possibility to travel by
personal car is also an option.
Travellers have a very unique way of
thinking and behaving. When you
travel, you become much more aware
of people around you, you might find
yourself helping a complete stranger,
or vice versa. You will meet fascinating
people that will fast become your
friends just from sharing the experience
with you, many internationals, new
cultures and new adventures you
never thought could happen to you.
All of this is not some weird fantasy or
a distant future; you can go out and do
it yourself. All you need is a backpack,
a map, some money and a good mood.
Good luck and Sretan Put!
Shaked Atia
12
Things To Have
Every good journey starts with careful
packing and when you think of that
good backpack is the first thing that
comes to young traveller’s mind.
Backpacks are very easy to handle
and very practical for putting many
useful things which need to be easily
reachable at any moment when you hit
the road. The other important thing is
that you can easily attach sleeping bag
to it. Sleeping bags are always good to
have on any not-so-detailed planned
trips. The thing that you also should
take care of is to have separate little
wallet for your documents and some
money because unfortunately there is
always a danger that you get robbed
on your trip. So this is to minimizett
possible damage and to be able to go
home with ID document. Believe me you
don’t want to end up in a nightmare of
processing lost passport in the embassy.
So the best option is to wear this all the
time on your neck or alternatively to
separate your documents and money
in several different pockets/wallets. The
pair of rally comfortable shoes for long
walks are also very helpful on any trip.
And of course make sure that you have
your passport with you before you hit
the road.
A good backpack is the first thing that
should come to your mind
 Buzz
13
What did you know about Bosnia and Herzegovina before
coming here?
Being away from home, living with
random people in a foreign country, we
can all agree that it needs much bravery
to make those steps in life. But we are
not talking about that kind of bravery
in this article. We talk about the bravery
and heroism of going to a country where
there is still civil war going on, where
you can step on the mines and witness
fights everywhere. Several international
students from the United World College
in Mostar were asked what they knew
or hear about Bosnia and Herzegovina
before coming here to continue their
education, and what kind of stories
they have been listening in their home
countries before they step a foot to B&H
soil. We ask them to present how B&H
look in the eyes of the countries they
come from and this a collection of their
answers.
“Before coming here I thought Bosnia
was some kind of third world country
like those in Africa, super poor and super
small. People in Germany even don’t
know where B&H is positioned. The image
is of the country is not so good in general.
Even my friends asked me – What do you
want there? Do you really have such bad
notes? Where is it actually? My teachers
also felt sorry for me.“ says Caroline from
Germany. “Is it in South America?” My
grandmother cried hard cause I’m going
to a war country.” explains Anita from
United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
there is still a civil war
going on?
What?!
Bosnia?
United Kingdom.
“A famous Spanish band * “ Bojkot “ *
recorded one of their albums in Mostar.
While recording they made a diary and
that’s how I learned about B&H. The
image I had was like people are still not
moving forward. The band told about
things like there’s lot of cold, conflicts and
things like that. Coming here I haven’t
imagined such a beautiful nature and
so many destroyed buildings in Mostar “
says Daniel from Spain.
That our country is still the most
associated with war and the happenings
from the 90’s, witness Pierre, UWCiM
student from Belgium. “It was impossible
for me to find any books about Bosnia
and Herzegovina and to learn something
more about the country before my arrival
arrival. When I would mention B&H
people would talk only about the civil
war and the genocide. “
“I heard that B&H is a beautiful country,
but I was told that the things will be very
hard for me as a Muslim and of course
that the country is not safe because the
ongoing war” says Samia from Lebanon.
Maybe the generations of people in B&H
could say the same for this country and
its capital Beirut but that is another topic.
Now you see, dear readers, while trying
to find out some funny stories about
misconceptions and prejudice I came
along with more sad comparisons than
those funny ones. In the eyes of the world
we are still fighting and our students
get guns to fight their way towards the
school, avoiding the mine fields every
morning.
On the other hand, talking with our
international students I found one true
fact that the world thinks about us and
that probably most people from Bosnia
and Herzegovina would agree:
“I was told that everybody drinks coffee
all the time but I couldn’t believe it until I
came here” concluded Nathaniel coming
from USA.
Haris Eminović
“everybody drinks coffee all the time”
“I haven’t imagined so many destroyed buildings
in Mostar”
“Speaking basic French and showing respect for the culture you are exploring will
open doors to friendly and polite French people”
Myths and truths
French People?
Think again
#1 - French women don’t
shave their armpits
FALSE
This might have been true in the past, but
nowadays when you go to the beach, the
probability of seeing a French woman
who needs to shave is zero. French
women are in actuality one of the most
impeccably groomed women in Europe
with a high sense of fashion. There are
always exceptions of course.
#2 - You need to speak
French if you want to visit
France
FALSE
From my personal experience, you can
get by without knowing French in big
cities such as Paris and Lyon. (Then again,
I mostly communicated with the younger
generation). However, if you are planning
to visit urban areas it is very useful for you
to know basic French, because French
people consider it to be rude if you
address them in English.
14
#3 - French People Stink
FALSE
Of course, one will encounter from
time to time someone who will make
you want to wash your nose with a
bar of soap, but in general, French
people have a quite acceptable
level of hygiene, and they shower at
least once a day on average. Just like
people in the U.S.A.
#4 - French people are
rude
FALSE
Although this is one of the most well-
known myths, the truth is that French
people are friendly and helpful. Sure,
there are some cultural differences
which might lead to this claim, but
what is rude in your country might
not be rude in another and vice versa.
Speaking basic French and showing
respect for the culture you are
exploring will open doors to friendly
and polite French people.
Milana Kuzmanović
 Buzz
15
Hiking to Diva Grabovica
A Wonderful
Adventure
On Thursday, when I was told that there
was a hike next Sunday, I was really happy
and anxious to join. It was going to be
my very first hike. I, Yener, have never
been used to hikes before in my country,
Turkey. I had been to walks before, many
walks around the places I lived but none
of them were long and needed effort, or
they didn’t need to be planned. I though
a hike would be something alike, thus,
making the biggest mistake a hiker can
make, I didn’t prepare a backpack.
At 7 am on Sunday morning, I quickly got
ready to go to the meeting point, which
was in front of our school, the Gymnazia
Building in Mostar. There were few people
when I arrived, more people got there in
time, then came our food for the hike, and
then came the bus. As we were getting in
the bus, I was looking for someone whose
backpack I can put my food into. One of
my dearest friends accepted to share her
backpack with me, we seated in our bus
where we met our coach.
Our coach was a professional hiker, as
we could guess before him telling, and
he was from the US. He told us about
himself, why he was in this country then
he started giving us some advice. One
advice I found interesting was to never
take breaks more than fifteen minutes.
Breaks more than fifteen minutes could
cool our body down, and as we were
climbing up, it could end up with us
getting cold.
Passing through many villages, tunnels
and farms the bus finally arrived at the
starting point of our hike. It was really hot
when we started to hike, and after fifteen
United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
I made the biggest mistake a hiker can make: I didn’t prepare a backpack
minutes I started feeling thirsty and tired
already. We walked to the mountain and
started walking upwards. We took two
breaks before our long break during
which we could drink water. There came
another interesting advice; that if the
muscles in our legs felt exhausted, we
had to eat a little.
The way to the first peak was like I could
never imagine. The only way one could
know that he is on the right track was
to follow the narrow and unclear path.
There were red signs every once in a while
pointing to the right direction. On both
sides of the path, were trees, mushrooms
and plants most of which I’ve never
seen before. Some plants, especially the
mushrooms with many different colors,
shapes, sizes and patterns were really
interesting. There also were times we
were walking near a cliff. It was scary
when I pushed stones with my foot by
accident down the cliff, I could hear them
“I’ve never imagined I could climb that much”
The scenery was very beautiful. I
would usually see such images myself
on wallpaper photos or newspapers,
I had never seen something that
big, that high and beautiful with
my own eyes. In front of our eyes
was the other part of the mountain,
another peak. Down the mountain
was the place we started, which we
couldn’t see due to the fog. We could
see the clear sky and sun, and we
could see trees and the bald parts
of the mountain. We had our lunch
there and rested for a while, took our
photos and started to walk again.
We set off for the second peak. On
this second walk, as some people
took more breaks than others, our
group was seperated into small
groups. There were no red signs to
indicate one’s on the right track. The
people in the very front of our line
took the wrong turn at some point,
which we woudn’t be able to notice
without the coach. I was luckily
falling all the way we climbed.
Walking upwards non-stop for more than
half an hour can be hard, harder if it’s
your first hike. However, as they say, with
friends and conversation time passes
quickly. It would get dark like inside a
tunnel, and it would be sunny and hot
like in the summer. After a while I lost
track of time, until, finally, we arrived at
the first peak.
walking somewhere in the middle of
the line at that time. We had to shout
together to call them back, which we,
of course, managed in no time.
The second peak was even better
than the first one. When I looked
down, I couldn’t believe that we
walked all that way up. And when
I looked up, I couldn’t believe that
we were only half the way up to the
very top of the mountain. There was
a hut in the second peak, and there
was a notebook which everybody
signed and commented on. We could
see white smoke coming out of our
mouths as we breathed out, our
bodies were cooling down. It was
colder. I thought I had a lot of fun until
then, once again, I was wrong.
Something more fun than going all
the way up to the peaks, the views
and the nature is going all the way
down. After the break, I though I had
no more energy to go on. It felt like
16
heaven when I realized I didn’t need any
energy to go down! We all ran the way
down, and it took only half an hour to
get to the bottom. On the way down,
we stopped at a giant tree which we
climbed on. At the end, with me, there
were sixteen people up the tree.
When we came back to the bus, we
could only feel one emotion: exhaustion.
Some of us, examplely Leila, a volunteer
teacher from Palestine, didn’t even
think we could make it in the middle.
However, on the way back, as we rested
and realized what we actually achieved,
the exhaustion turned into pride and
joy. Talking about myself, I’ve never
imagined I could climb that much, and
I probably wouldn’t if I was alone. For
those who has never been on a hike
before, it’s definitely something you
should try. It’s one of the best ways to
spend a day off, with the feeling of pride
at the end.
Yener Tuz
Buzz
17
Student-Teacher Relationship
Teachers influence our success in school
Teachers´ attitude towards the teaching of certain subject plays important role in
shaping students attitude towards that subject
When I was a child I was afraid to go
to school. Do you wonder why? Well
that was because we didn’t have good
relationship with our teacher and hence
the school was not our favourite place to
go in. We, children, didn´t like her at all
and sometimes we would give her weird
nicknames. I thought she is the scariest
teacher in world like everyone else in my
class. That was because she didn’t have
proper approach to us, small children
who just started to go to school. Teachers
characteristics, their experience and
behaviour in the classrooms not only that
contribute to our liking school but also to
the learning environment of the student
which will thus have influence on student
outcomes.
This teacher used to enter in our
classroom with bitter face and every
time there would be silence. While she
was lecturing she used to talk with slow,
indifferent voice and nobody listened to
United World College in Mostar Student Magazine | Issue 1| January 2011
her so performance of my classmates was
not that well. Therefore she would always
yell after the results of their tests because
she was convinced that the problem is
in us. This attitude of our teacher made
us dislike the school. But by the time I
realised that not every teacher is like my
first one.
In high school I had great experience with
my teachers. My favourite one was history
teacher and I am not sure if that was the
only reason but history was my favourite
subject. Whenever he started teaching
he would speak with gentle voice as if it
is a story or a fairytale and immediately
we would get a picture in front of our
eyes which helped us understand the
topic and certain events. Every single
student was looking forward being on his
lessons with lot of enthusiasm. That way
we learned a lot and it was enough just
to read it once at home and to be ready
for the test. Therefore everybody had
great outcomes and dreams about being
“Every teacher should try to be the student’s ideal and every student should
be willing to study and respect his teacher”
There are also other things which are
influenced by teachers. You will need
teachers’ written recommendations to
apply to a university or for a job after
high school. Teachers are often up to date
with events and they can inform us about
current possible local competitions,
activities, or contests. They also may know
about grants and scholarships. My friend
Marias teacher found out about a contest
for exchange program scholarships in
Brazil and Spain. Her teacher encouraged
and guided her, and her months and
months of work earned her a scholarship
as an exchange student. Now she is at
university and has great experiences and
memories from the period spent in Brazil.
Also students’ attitude towards certain
subject can be made or unmade by
teachers’ attitude, their disposition to
classroom environment, subject or
a history teacher or archaeologist.
Today as the researches showed great
demand and emphasis is laid on teachers
whose way of teaching is influencing
student liking that subject. Role of the
teacher as facilitator of learning and
contribution to students’ achievement is
enormous. Teachers´ attitude towards the
teaching of certain subject plays important
role in shaping students attitude towards
that subject, to want to learn it or not.
It is the teacher´s competence, ability
and resourcefulness to successfully
use the appropriate methods, ways of
expression and instructions to bring the
best from learners in terms of academic
achievements.
their goal is not only to educate young people,
but to be their another parent figure
18
students. Students positive attitude the lectures and students are really
can be enhanced by teachers making
the subject quite interesting, by their
content with the knowledge they get
which affects on their later outcomes
enthusiasm and helpful behaviour while in this school. This is the obvious
dealing with subject matter. Teachers example that teachers attitude affects
should lecture in the way that pupils students achievements in and attitude
listen, and never forget that their main towards subjects. Every teacher should
goal is not only to educate young people, try to be students’ ideal and every
but to be their another parent figure, student should have willing to study
which means they have to undetrstand and respect his/her teacher. Good
feelings of pupils, give them advice and relationship between teachers and
instructions related to both school and students is a key of good, successful
private life. education which will help us in our
future. They should give us support
From my personal experience during in period which is generally the most
this past couple of months I am free to difficult one - the period of growing
say that teachers in United World College up, when we gain knowledge and
in Mostar are really good example for make important decisions for rest of
other teachers. Not only teachers teach our life.
students but also they learn a lot from
them because they are set in very specific
Kristina Simeunović
community. They try their best to present
Impressum
Editor:
Ivan Matej Kolobarić
Editorial Team
Shaked Atia
Haris Eminović
Caroline Gobena
Petr Knor
Katarina Kosmina
Milana Kuzmanović
Tonči Maleta
Marko Petric
Kristina Simeunović
they should give suport in the period that is generally
the most diffucult one - the period of growing up Yener Tüz
Mentor:
Meri Musa
Design
Ivan Matej Kolobarić