It’s a new year, a new decade and the beginning of LCC’s second century.
The past year was notable for a number of developments: the capacity of a Canadian minority government to maintain power, our ongoing war with insurgents in Afghanistan, the election of Obama in the USA, the global economic recession, the threat of the H1N1 flu, the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the effort to address climate change at the Copenhagen Conference in December, and the sudden death of celebrities like Michael Jackson.
We also all smiled when we first saw the YouTube video of the talented, but modest, British singer Susan Boyle on the British Idol show, and the Royal Bank of Canada just revealed that Canadians recently surveyed are also smiling and hopeful about the economy and life in general in 2010. Likewise, south of the border three out of four Americans surveyed have similar views for the coming year.
How about life at LCC? We have wrapped up a full century of achievement. We have matured into a modern coed school where young men and women work together and collaborate in a respectful manner. Students benefit from committed teachers and outstanding facilities and resources. We all have much to be thankful for.
But as a teenager, the adults at LCC understand not everything is easy, the pathway is not always self-evident or without hurdles. Nonetheless, it is important for our students to get involved, try new things, take risks, be creative, and evolve as young leaders. They should reach beyond their personal comfort zones, for in the process, they will grow, mature, learn and discover their hidden potential in all areas of school life.
Case in point: I commend our House Heads and all LCC students for embracing the spirit of Non Nobis Solum in December when they more than tripled the number of boxes of food gathered for the needy in Montreal compared to last year at this time – collecting an impressive 70 boxes. Great work – I am very proud of this initiative and the empathy demonstrated for others less fortunate than us. Bottle that same spirit, and let’s use it to feed the appetite of student initiatives for the balance of the school year.
The start of a new calendar year is a good time to be honest with yourself. Are you fully engaged? Can you do better in some courses? What new activity can you try? 2010 offers a host of possibilities for every student. Do your best – set reasonable goals, seek the help of the ample support available at LCC, be engaged, strive to improve, and 2010 will surely be memorable and productive. — Headmaster Christopher Shannon