[Editor’s Note:  This article is the first in a periodic series where Blue Lake alumni describe their experiences in their own words.  If you are interested in writing an article for this series, please contact the Editor at bower@bluelake.org.]

By Rachel Slough

Over my five years of affiliation with Blue Lake, I have found that each summer at camp inspires me to challenge the way I live and view the world.  After my first summer as a camper, I left a disciplined musician, ready to take on leadership roles.  My experiences with the International program, in various roles, have inspired me to question my identity as an American and to seek out ways, as stated in the mission statement of the International program "to promote peace and understanding."

When I played in the "All France" tour with the IYSO in 2002, the U.S. was in the midst of anti-French sentiment (remember "freedom fries" and "freedom toast"?).  My knowledge of French language and culture was limited, and try as I might, it was hard not to at least acknowledge the stereotypes of the French as snooty people with high culture and "funny" accents.  Friends who had studied in or visited France warned me that, especially since I couldn't speak French, my host families might not be overly warm or friendly.  Despite my eagerness and excitement about the tour, I couldn't shake feelings of nervousness after these teachings from the media and even my friends.  At the same time, though my sixteen-year-old brain couldn't fully grasp the effects of 9/11, I knew the world was no longer the safe place that I had once imagined, and I was fearful of what it meant to be an American in a foreign country.  When I got off the tour bus, met my first host family, and learned they had very limited English, my anxiety increased—momentarily.  I immediately found that, in spite of the language barrier, the families I stayed with were among the most friendly, generous, and warm-hearted people I have ever met.  I soon found that conversations where we passed a dictionary around the table and emphasized points with Charades-like gestures could be joyful and satisfying—and quite entertaining.  While living with these wonderful families and coming to understand their lives was a rewarding experience, sharing music—and feeling like I could offer something to these families—was certainly a highlight of my International experience.  In Villeneuve-Sur-Lot, we were hosted by the local youth orchestra.  This experience was valuable musically, but also enlightening as I discussed what it meant to be French/American with my host "sister."  Rather than leaving at just conversation, we played a concert together where our backgrounds and differences lost all importance:  we could still share in the joy of music.  I returned from tour with an increased awareness of the power of international exchange for understanding, appreciation for the amount of goodness in the world, and keen interest in furthering international relations however I could.

Working for Blue Lake's International program as a summer staff member proved one way to feed this interest.  As part of my job, I tried to persuade campers to consider the International program and to get as excited about it as I am.  I also worked with International campers and visiting International groups, a definite highlight of the job.  I was consistently humbled and inspired by these talented students for their courage to come to the United States and to immerse themselves in an English environment.  What guts these students have to leave home for a month to a country where no one speaks their language, and to adjust both to American life and to life at Blue Lake, which can be difficult for American students!  I left camp after my first summer on staff wanting to learn a foreign language so that I could provide more emotional and language support for these students and perhaps better understand their situation. I took a Spanish class as an elective the following fall, fell in love with the study of another language and cultures, and changed my major to Hispanic Studies.  My study of Spanish led me to a semester in Spain, where, again inspired by Blue Lake, I joined an orchestra.  Even though I spoke the language (to a degree, at least, and much better than my French!), I wanted to be part of the community, to feel like I was making a contribution, and to try to break down the ever persistent stereotypes and prejudice that I faced as a blond American woman in Spain.  While I was the "gringa rubia" (white blonde American) at the university, I found that my friends in symphony embraced me as a foreigner:  it did not matter where I came from or what I looked like when we tackled Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony together.  I made mistakes in the language and often misunderstood the conductor's rapid directions in Spanish about quarter-note articulation, but found that, just as I did in France on my IYSO tour, music had the immense power to promote international understanding.  Although I made many friends from all over the world while in Spain, I take great pride in saying that my closest friends are from that orchestra and that I was part of the community.

Although all of these experiences have been immensely rewarding, the state of our world demands the need for continued international awareness and understanding.  Blue Lake reminded me, thanks to staff mottos such as "because I knew you, I have been changed for good," (2005) and "If not me, who? If not now, when?" (2007), that we cannot hesitate if we see a need or the chance to make a positive difference for someone else.  In this spirit, I am soon leaving on a Fulbright grant to teach English and perform research on post-dictatorship libraries at a university in Chile.  [Editor’s note:  She left for Chile in March 2008.]  This program, while very different from my IYSO tour, shares a similar goal:  "to increase mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of other countries."  While working with university students, I hope to challenge any stereotypes they may have of the United States, and I also very much hope to be active in the musical community.  Much of the training and preparatory material that Fulbright sends reminds me that one of my main responsibilities is to be an ambassador and to remember the communities and people at home that I represent.  In that spirit, it is my honor to represent Blue Lake, which has shaped my life and instilled this desire to promote international understanding however I can, but that the arts can be a particularly effective means to accomplish this goal.