While in Oxford I stayed with Will Allen, an Alma Alum from 2009, who is finishing his masters in Internatinal Devlopment from there. Together we went to the opening speech and dinner. The speaker was none other than the president of the ICC who talked mostly about his hopes and confidence in the future of the ICC. Then as we were walking to the dinner a very short old man walked up to Will and asked how he was going to save the world. They had a brief conversation about the importance of our generation before we sat down for dinner. Later we find out that this 92 year old man is the last judge froom the Nuremburg trials still alive.
During dinner I was seated next to an extreamly engaging Scotish man named Robbie. Robbie had been apart of the UK deligation to Kampala and told some good stories about how the agreement on how the crime of agression came into being. However this is not the first time I had met Robbie. I first met him with Elizabeth Wayne at Duke Law's ICC conference this past fall. Robbie was impressed that an undergrad program like Alma was so involved in international law. It was at the end of the meal when that he made a comment that really made me think. After learning that Will was also an Alma alum he said, "People from Alma seem to have friends all over the world. It's nice to have a place to stay no mater where you go." He's right. Next year I will have some of my Alma friends living in France, the UK, Korea, South Africa, Spain, Peru and Indonesia amongst others. I have friends that I've meet during my p-globals in Thailand, Uganda, and the Netherlands. I really will have frinds in the 4 corners of the world who would be happy to have me visit. I have made some amazing contacts and forged strong bonds these past 4 years. This conference in Oxford is just one example.
-Chelsea Clark
Awww Chels! It's great to know that the trip to Oxford was so fun! The power of Alma really is amazing sometimes isn't it?
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