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This summer I had the good fortune to visit two World Heritage sites in Australia with several of our members. Also this summer, fellow member Brennan Eberle, this year's recipient of the NOLS Partner Scholarship, hiked and camped in one of North America's World Heritage locations. World Heritage locations exist in many countries, but each one is considered to be the provenance of the world, of all of its citizens without regard to boundaries and territories. It's an important distinction and recognition, the idea that there are places of such unique historical, environmental, or cultural value that we should band together as a single community to preserve them. It recognizes that this is one planet we all inhabit, and that it is a single large ecosystem we share. As a community, we also all share the future, and we are counting on you as young scholar leaders to take us in the right direction.
During our first international adventure, I learned about the culture and history of Australia, including its indigenous people and about the unique flora and fauna that inhabit this tremendous and varied land. I also had the opportunity to spend time with the students that accompanied us. They shared suggestions and thoughts on issues of Society import and more, issues that they, as students and scholars are concerned about. I was also able to present each of them with a book that has given me great philosophical insight, the timeless classic "As a Man Thinketh," by James Allen. We learned from lectures, from the land, from common experiences, and most importantly, from seeing multiple perspectives on issues.
As an organization and as individuals we have grown over the past academic year. Your fellow members have achieved international status as scholars, performed thousands of hours of community service, won scholarships and awards, mastered difficult problems, overcome personal hurdles, and learned much. I am so proud to be your Chairman.
Over the past year, I have met many of you face to face at member events and you have met each other. At our Scholar's Day in Washington, D.C. it touched my heart to see so many bright, enthusiastic students and their families. We had a wonderful event in Los Angeles on the UCLA campus, and I had a productive meeting with our advisory board member Dr. Herbert Kroemer, Nobel Laureate in Physics and professor at UC Santa Barbara. He has invited us to hold an event on his campus, where both he and the Chancellor will address our students. (Save the date - it is March 3.) You have been communicating in the members' only area of the forums and getting to know one another through articles. It seems that each year we get to know each other better and better. Next year will be our most exciting ever and I am counting on you. Make a pledge to attend a member event, write an article, compete in an academic competition, solve one of our crossword puzzles, apply for the student council, in short, to be a more active member of the organization.
Finally, I would like to offer my congratulations to our newest Council members and look forward to hearing their thoughts and dreams.
Sincerely,
Claes Nobel
NSHSS Advisory Board Chair