According to annual tradition, IB Raszynska once again held the Interdisciplinary Forum. It took place on the 29th of November, 2013. This time around the event’s central theme revolved around “Space”. When asked about the reason for such a topic choice, Mikołaj Hudemowicz – the forum’s main organizer and IB1 student of Amelinium, replies:
M.H.: “Space as a topic, is usually associated only with physics. The aim of the forum was to expand said topic in different directions – to the humanities among others, and simultaneously, to encourage students to acquire knowledge that will not be taught to them in class. Space is a very interesting concept which, as Dr Ziołkowski’s and the student presentations have shown, holds a multitude of curious and unworldly things for us to explore and learn about.”
The event was opened with a lecture delivered by Polish astronomer and author of numerous scientific publications, Dr Krzysztof Ziołkowski.
M.H.: “Dr Ziołkowski had surprised us with an array of very interesting aspects concerning space. Moreover, from what I heard from other students, he had managed to pique their interest – which itself is a challenge. Within just one hour, we received a sensational account of space from a man, who studies and examines it for a living. Dr Ziołkowski revealed many images showing just how beautiful the universe really is. I’m glad, that we were given the opportunity to host him at our school.”
As the name suggests, the interdisciplinary factor makes the forum what it is – a place and time to combine all academic study to reach an all breadth outline of the year’s focus. Mikołaj Hudemowicz believes that the students coped well with the task, and showed good understanding of the topic.
M.H.: “I really liked the attitude of many groups to the topic. Many components were included – which we were expecting. I believe that the film presented by class Miednitza, proved just how differently and unconventionally the subject can be approached when showing one’s vision of space. During the entirety of the event, we saw connections to many various academic disciplines. For example, Hajlajf gave a historical lecture about the perceiving of space over the centuries. I believe; however, that the preparation of certain groups was insufficient, and ultimately, spoiled the whole of their work.”
Unlike last year, this year’s interdisciplinary forum was hosted in our school. Mikołaj Hudemowicz briefly touches on the matter of accommodation.
M.H.: “The décor was very good. Though it was simple, it left a good impression. The gym hall had been turned into a decent presentation hall. Similarly, the technical preparation was superb. The help of Maciej Nęcki proved valuable, under his watchful eye the presentations proceeded smoothly and without obstacles. While two minor mishaps did happen with the electricity, they were immediately resolved. As to the catering, I would like to thank the class of Hajlajf. Their dishes were well-liked and disappeared fast from the tables.”
The forum is, above all else, a chance to learn outside of typical curricular requirements. Though it is less important, some competition is encouraged during the event. All the presentations were assessed by the juries, out of which three were selected as deserving honorable mention. This year, it was granted to the following classes (from first to third place);
- Amelinium, for an interesting presentation of popular science content
- Miednitza, for demonstrating an atypical approach to the subject.
- All Rights Reserved, for a unique interaction with the audience.
The members of the jury were; teachers: Brian Williamson, Joanna Staniszkis-Czapska, Kasia Matusiak, and students: Zofia Idziak, Maria Strzelecka, Maciej Kozakoszczak.
M.H.: “All in all, the forum came out well. In my opinion, it was much better than last year. I hope that in the coming years the topic choices will become even more appealing, thus even more motivating for the students when it comes to working. What makes this experience interesting is our contribution, our own input. If we do not prepare ourselves, we cannot complain about the lack of preparedness of others.”
Thank you for the participation and to the winning classes, well done!
Adela Kapuścińska
