Twelve players of varying experience represented the College at the Masfjorden tournament over the Valentine’s Day Weekend. Sleeping in classrooms of the primary school where the games were played was part of it, as was chowing down with the other participants. When Pietro realised that there was a prize for the most ridiculous move of the tournament he had found his calling! We encountered mixed fortunes, collecting points from each other and also plundering the Fjeldstad family at every opportunity. Norwegians of all ages participated, and more than a few of us experienced the bitterness of defeat at the hands of kids barely out of diapers. Serious chess is a world apart, and it was an experience not to be quickly forgotten.

Second year student, and dedicated First-aider Bob Okello writes:

This year’s edition of the Annual First Aid Course was noteworthy for its high levels of energy  and enthusiasm. The three-day training course for our first years took place from Wednesday 28th to Friday 30th January under the keen leadership of the well-trained and dedicated group of second year students who collectively made up the First Aid team, under the close supervision of teacher David Robertson.

The mandatory ‘Tolv timer førstehjelp’ course that involved all the first year students and a number of staff members comprised of an introduction to basic First Aid, with several workshop modules on advanced First Aid skills, offering both theory and practice. The participants were put in groups of 10 to 12 members and each group was led by a member of the First Aid team.

The first day of the course had the participants being introduced to the various aspects of basic First Aid. This included sessions on how to assess the scene of an accident; how to assess an accident casualty and how to perform basic body checks.

During the second day of the course, the participants were led through a series of workshops in rotations. The workshops all focused on different and specific areas of First Aid some of which included the different kinds and applications of bandaging, treatment of soft tissue injuries, scalds and burns, bleeding, epilepsy, hypothermia and how to deal with breathing problems such as choking. The workshops were dramatised with real-life simulations. The day was very successful.

The last day of the course was exciting! The participants now had to test their newly-acquired skills and apply the knowledge they had learnt over the preceding days.  The participants sat a forty-minute written assessment to test their knowledge on the important theoretical aspects of the course. Their practical skills were then assessed with CPR and bandaging being the key assessment areas. Every group was then presented with a scenario in which they had to combine all their skills and knowledge to handle the situation at hand. The scenarios were scary, they were close to reality. It was tense.  There were simulated skiing accidents, laboratory fires, and out-of-control parties. The participants were then given a feedback on their individual and group performance in the scenario which marked the end of the ‘Tolv timer førstehjelp’ course.

With the Red Cross as an important part of our identity at UWC Red Cross Nordic, the annual first aid course is one of the ways in which our shared values and philosophy blend.

This year’s First Aid Course was a remarkable success. Rektor Richard Lamont applauded all those who contributed to making the course a smooth and successful one.