I’m taking a lunch break with my laptop and just had to blog about the phone call I got yesterday afternoon. I was reading Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult (really good so far) before I left for work and Mom told me I had a phone call. Totally typical, right? Except on the other end of the line wasn’t Rita (who, by the way, is going to a community college so that’s why we can hang out) or Tabby or one of the girls from the rental counter or even Coach OH! (though she never calls). It was some girl from OWT.
OWT is this thing I found out about when I was starting high school. It stands for Our World Today and it’s a special program at Shoreline Private Boarding School. You work with people in all different grades and you go to a lot of conferences and foreign countries for “experiential learning”. I wanted to apply but it was at the same time I was REALLY starting to get serious about skating; I was going to junior worlds that year. And since to be in the middle/high school program you have to go to the boarding school, I didn’t apply. (It’s also really ridiculously expensive but if you get in – which is really hard – they can almost guarantee you a scholarship because so many foreign dignitaries and big companies sponsor it as they send their kids there.) Since it was a pilot program, their first graduates just left two years ago and there were only two of them. Last year they had 3 but this year they had 6 or 7 and decided to expand the program more, since the grads are attached to the program. They wanted to create somewhat of an alumni network and continue the program in some way at the grads’ colleges, so they developed OWT College Connections. Basically, its a way of ensuring the girls get to come back to Shoreline for mentoring through their OWT teachers and for events (apparently they all go to France for Christmas at the royal palace… are you KIDDING me?!). Also, since their core class is moving up in age and they are all really attached, and because the director eventually wants to step down and have someone else teach the class, this “class” (10th grade-junior in college) is set in stone and they will not be connected directly with any new entrants below the 10th grade level. Also, because the class wants to continue to foster community, they opened up the College Connections program (which I see as sort-of a sorority) to any student in a college that an OWT grad is attending. I think you can still apply if an OWT grad doesn’t go to your college but it’s harder to go in and they want to have an original OWT person there to keep the sorority feel. The CC program is also supposed to work as job networking and a support program. And you still get to go on trips with them.
I applied to the CC program since it was available for my college, Creighton. (I picked Creighton because Coach OH! has family in Omaha and was planning to move there to start her own skate club. I didn’t want a new coach and she said if I was going to college there she’d stay in ME with me until I went to college. How nice of her! Anyway, I also picked Crieghton because I really liked the atmosphere.) To get into OWT you have to have some special trait, and you also have to be really smart. It helps if you’re a princess or something, but there are girls from all walks of life in it (they have profiles of the members on their webpage). The same applies for CC.
Well today I got a call from a girl named Samantha. Literally, this is how the conversation went:
Me: Hello?
Samantha: Hi, I’m Samantha Parkington, and I’m the Class President of the Our World Today program at Shoreline Private Boarding School. I’m calling to tell you that our executive team has reviewed your application and we have accepted you into the College Connections program.
Me: Wait… is this a joke? You’re a student, right? Shouldn’t the teacher be calling?
Samantha: Oh, Miss B. is at a political rally, don’t even get me started. But I work with her for student government and she told me I could go ahead and call you and it would be more personal or something.
Me: Are you serious?
Samantha: (laughs) Yeah! Um, I know it’s kind of strange for you to hear me call you to say you’re accepted, but our program works differently so it’s not strange to me. I mean, two years ago two of my classmates sent a fake acceptance letter to a girl who wasn’t slated to be accepted yet and Miss B. didn’t kick her out or get mad. She said it showed initiative and if they wanted her in the class so badly, she should stay.
Me: Wow. That’s kind-of crazy.
Samantha: Well she was a little mad because it got her in trouble with the principal, but it’s a huge inside joke now. But um, now that you’re in, I’m going to send you the acceptance materials, well MB will, which will include a letter of introduction to the other new student joining our class. And, um, I’ll need to know if you’re going to show up to Paris this Christmas. And do you need a scholarship to get there?
Me: Yeah, um, a scholarship would be helpful, do I have to decide now?
Samantha: Well, my parents can get you a ticket basically for free, so it’s cool. We could even grab you on the way there. Or you can ask Marie, because she has a private plane, and it’s her house anyway.
Me: Marie, as in Marie Elizabeth Westoff, the Crown Princess of France?
Samantha: Um, yeah.
Me: Wow.
Samantha: I probably should tell you right now that I’m a Princess of Monaco.
Me: Uh…
Samantha: Marie and I are childhood friends.
Me: That’s crazy.
Samantha: (laughs) Yeah I guess. Don’t talk to her about being a princess though, she hates it. But, do you think you can come? It’s a huge tradition.
Me: I’d have to check with my coach…
Samantha: Oh, okay. It’d be best if you come to Paris because otherwise you’ll only meet me, Harper and Kit-Kat. We’re the ones at Creighton. Well, I’m a high school senior but Miss B. came here and she brought me with her and I’m trying to enroll next semester too, and then Miss B.’s sister is teaching the rest of the high school girls back home.
Me: Well, of course I want to go!
Samantha: Cool, just let me know. The whole thing with contacting me is complicated, because somebody could be wiretapping me right now. So I can’t give you a direct number yet, but you’ll get one. Sorry, I can’t really be more specific. And you can always just email Miss B. off the website and she’ll know it’s you.
Me: Okay. Do you think you could have her call me to confirm this?
Samantha: Yeah, no problem. Bye!
I still think it’s too good to be true. I mean, a princess? Really? Even though I know there are foreign dignitaries’ kids in the program, I didn’t think it meant princesses. I mean seriously. And a free plane ticket to Paris? I want to believe it; I thought the program sounded awesome and I know these are all aspects of it. But I haven’t gotten my acceptance packet or a call from “Miss B.” yet, so I am still being skeptical for my own protection.
