Invisible Children Inspire

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

A surreal mood had set into the Velan Gym during assembly last Tuesday. Not a voice could be heard, not a single chair was squeaking and no feet were being shuffled. Only the constant breathing of 700 mesmerized students was heard. It was visible that the entire audience was stunned from the presentation by the organization featured in assembly, Invisible Children. From the very first minute of the presentation all the way till the very last second, a state of reflection seemed to have fallen over every student and staff member. The gruesome images, heartbreaking stories, and shocking facts about the war and child soldier abuse in Central Africa left the entire Lower Canada College community speechless but inspired. Though most of us sat there shocked throughout the entire 60 minutes, we were inspired to take a stand and help fight the cause. A Frontline Campaign was created within the LCC community to make a change and use the power we have to support others in need. —Yvonne Hercun ’12

Schools on Board: Phytoplankton and the Arctic Ecosystem

Posted on October 3, 2011 by admin

October 1, 2011

Today, we learned about phytoplankton, which is important because it is responsible for most of the primary production in the Arctic ecosystem. Scientists want to know if the Arctic Ocean will be emitting or absorbing CO2 in the future due to climate change.

It’s starting to feel like we will be leaving the ship really soon. We started discussing a farewell presentation for the scientists and crew. The helicopter pilot also started giving safety briefings to prepare us for getting off the ship.

Even though we are leaving soon, we are still doing exciting activities. The chief engineer gave us a tour of the engine room this afternoon. It was very loud and smelled like diesel, but it was cool to see the inner workings of the ship. What I found interesting was the fact that the heat from the engines is used to boil seawater in order to obtain freshwater for the ship. —Karen Butt ’12

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Bringing Awareness to Invisible Children

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

This week’s Middle/Senior School assembly reflected LCC’s strong commitment to global awareness. We had an eye-opening visit and video presentation from the group “Invisible Children.” It is a non-profit organization based in California that is working to diminish the tragedy of child-soldiers as victims in northern Uganda and the Congo.

Using video to educate, this organization encourages students to pursue social justice and change. They reminded LCC students that they possess a great capacity to affect change in those two African countries and many other settings where injustice and poverty reign. Students were invited to respond to events in the world and take personal responsibility to improve the quality of life for youth living in conflict and post-conflict regions.

Youth empowering youth is powerful. I was impressed by the energy in the assembly and the desire for our students to take initiative. At the end of the presentation, 500 students rose to their feet in a raucous standing ovation—engaged and inspired. Ask our students what they gained from the presentation and how they plan to respond. —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Kangaroos and Much More to Come

Posted on September 19, 2011 by admin

My first 6 days in Australia have been a completely different experience than anything I could have expected. Upon arriving here in Melbourne, Australia, after a full 24 hours of traveling, I’ve been flooded with a new lifestyle that cannot be replicated anywhere in North America, let alone Montreal!

My first night here was when I saw my first kangaroo. We were driving in the car around the countryside area of Melbourne when within 5 minutes we saw a whole group of kangaroos. There were at least 20 of them, and I was able to take some great photos, but seeing them jump around on the field was amazing.

Since the day after I arrived here, I’ve been attending Ivanhoe Grammar School‘s Plenty Campus, one of two campuses that are run by the school. Here, I’ve taken classes similar to those at LCC but the atmosphere is completely different. The school has multiple small buildings around a central courtyard where all the lockers are. It’s very different than LCC’s campus which can all be accessed indoors. The people at Ivanhoe, and also everywhere else I go, are very nice which adds to the amazing feel of Australia.

The weather has been great, but because it’s spring here, the nights are cold. Today, however, is the hottest day since last summer, reaching almost 30 degrees!

In my first six days, I already feel like I’ve experienced enough to last the next five weeks, but I know that there is much more to come. In a week, Ivanhoe takes a two week spring break and I plan on going camping with the wonderful family that I’m staying with. I’ll also explore the city of Melbourne and maybe go to the beach once or twice in those two weeks.

I’m very excited for what Australia has to offer and hope to see and experience as much as I can over the rest of my exchange period. I’d like to thank Ms. Shadley and everyone at Round Square and Ivanhoe for making this exchange happen!—Jeffrey Morris ’13

Learning by Experience in Thailand

Posted on September 7, 2011 by admin

On August 21 I found myself in a new part of the world. I kept telling myself, “I am in Thailand. I am in Thailand,” but somehow it never fully hit me that I am on the other side of the world without anyone I know or can to whom I can go.

As I travelled to The Regent’s School I kept certain Thai rules in mind that I had read in a guide: never touch peoples’ heads, no revealing clothing (shoulders & high thighs) and NEVER say anything disrespectful about the King His Majesty or the Queen. At first, these rules seemed pointless to me because these types of behaviours were never a problem at home, but I knew that here I would have to adapt for the next six weeks.

After an hour-long drive from Bangkok airport to Pattaya, I arrived at the school. After leaving my bags in my large three-person (at the time) empty room, I went for a small tour of the beautiful red brick campus with two new boarders from Lithuania. The thing that has stayed with me was the humidity in the air. What I did not know then was that the next day scorching heat would also be part of the daily weather here in Thailand.
Like most youths, I can dismiss the advice of my elders, so when I was told on that August night that the “pesky tiny gnat-like flies” bite and leave nasty marks, I had the uncomfortable pleasure of seeing what they did to me the next day. Any mosquito bite would have been ten-times better than the marks that these almost invisible flies had left!

The next day, things started to become more promising as I had my first hot meal (which was delicious) and went swimming with all of the girls in the boarding house. Little did I know that when I returned from the pool, my roommate would be waiting for me. Antaya and I got along the minute we saw each other.

Everything, so far, is great here! I’ve met many new friends, experienced a whole new way of living and learned to be even more independent. There are still a lot of things to be done here such as elephant trekking and visiting “Community Partners.” It is just the beginning of the trip and I already worry about when it will end. —Olga Jablonski ’13