Kelly and the Greater Good

By the time you read this, the Culture Week of 2011 has come to an end. It’s something RA organizes every year, to celebrate the diversity we have here and to connect with the other people in Middelburg. The money that is raised by the activities goes to charity – this year it goes to the Roparun team from Vlissingen.

The week kicked off with a concert in Schuttershof and offered beautiful, fragile guitar songs as well as sixties-inspired music that you just had to dance to. Not to mention RA’s own Roosettes – their version of Lean on Me gave me goosebumps! A few days later, I attended a Taizé meeting, even though I am not Christian. For that reason, not every aspect of it appealed to me, but it had its moments. Also, this week is about trying different things, right?

Right. The craziest thing I did this week was not a part of the Culture Week, but another project that raises money for Roparun. A group organized workshops in… poledancing! Two friends and I signed up, trying to cover our nerves by making lots of bad jokes. Let me tell you, it is one heck of a work-out! Once you get the hang of it, it’s great to just spin and spin and spin, but before that… Not only is it exhausting for pretty much every muscle in your body, if you hit the pole with the wrong part of your leg or foot you get huge bruises. It’s been a few days but my right leg still hurts like hell whenever it touches anything (that includes my pants). Walking has never been less fun but hey, sometimes you gotta sacrifice yourself! As painful as my days might be, at least I can fall asleep peacefully, knowing that I’m making the world a better place - one bruise at a time.

Kelly Meulenberg (class of 2012) studies Arts & Humanities, focusing on Literary Studies and Theater & Media Studies. She is also a writer and filmmaker. Other passions include music, food and traveling.