Student Exchange AUS: We are All the Same

Posted on April 29, 2010 by admin

It was my third week of school since the break, not to mention a very fun and meaningful one, not only for me, but also for everyone in Australia, and even New Zealand. Anzac Day was celebrated this week. It is a nice tradition held by Australians and New Zealanders to commemorate the fallen soldiers who fought for peace. It was meaningful for me because I was able to be part of the service, which was very similar to the one held by LCC to remember our friends and family who fought for world peace as well.

It was truly amazing to discover that the Australian army, although so far away from Canada, fought in the very same wars we did; the world wars, Vietnam and currently in Afghanistan. They lost countless brave soldiers, as we did. They may have kangaroos and koalas, while we have squirrels, but we are really all the same!

This week is my last full week of school; I hope to make the best of it. I will truly miss my new friends and family in Ballarat. –Nick Lighter ’12

Student Exchange SA: Exploring Cape Town

Posted on April 27, 2010 by admin

After a short two-hour flight, we arrived in Cape Town where we would spend five days touring the city and its surroundings.

The first day, we took the cable car up Table Mountain and had the chance to see amazing views of the city. From the lookout, we were able to see Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of Africa and even the new soccer stadium that is being used for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Tournament.

The following day, we drove along the coast of the Cape and stopped at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, one of the main working harbors of Cape Town, and wandered through the many shops and historic streets.

Next, we drove to Stellenbosch, the second oldest European settlement in the province after Cape Town. While we were there, we saw many vineyards, as Stellenbosch is the center of the South African wine industry and even the site of the first school in South Africa that accepted girls!

The next few days were spent exploring the rest of the city and parts of the Western Cape. —Emily Black

LCC Going Local

Posted on April 21, 2010 by admin

Given that what we eat has a large impact on the environment, the LCC Sustainability Committee is reviewing LCC’s food sources.

Thanks to the efforts of five graduating students from the Class of 2008, as well as our excellent chef Alain Thirion, we already have much of the data we need for this project. Make no mistake, in this day and age, it is challenging for a North American to figure out where their food comes from. We take it for granted that we can get fresh fruit in the middle of a Canadian winter. This luxury comes at a steep cost to the environment.

LCC is in the process of setting long-term sustainability goals, and we are attempting to create a balance between optimism for what can be achieved and realism for what may be expected. Ideally, we would like the vast majority of the food served at LCC to come from within 250 km of the school. This is not as difficult as it might seem. For example, Première Moison (bread) already gets all of its flour from Quebec. Much of the beef and chicken is from within the province as well.
Vegetables and fruits are another matter. They are one of the reasons we will likely not reach our 100% local food goal, at least until there are enough greenhouses supplying mid-winter fruit. Thus it is here that we face our key challenge.

To get a quick view of some locavore ideas, check out this link. –Chris Olive, Green team Faculty Liaison

Australia Week 3: Time Off in Sydney

Posted on April 14, 2010 by admin

Week three here in Australia …

After an early 5 o’clock wakeup and a short one and a half hour flight, we finally arrived in Sydney. We spent the first day touring the main harbor area, the world famous opera house and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The Bridge was massive and beautiful, while the Opera house simply took my breath away. It was the most beautiful piece of architecture I have ever seen.

The next day we went to the Darling Harbor area, known as the tourist area of Sydney. We saw the fish of Australia at the aquarium followed by a relaxing hour at the shops, picking up souvenirs for my family who are so far away in Montreal.

Next we went to the Sydney Tower where we participated in the Skywalk. The Skywalk is an outdoor experience with barely any railings, at 268 meters above Sydney sea level. For safety reasons we wore special wind resistant outfits and we were attached to the roof by thick cords. The sky was blue and cloudless and there was virtually no wind. The views from the top were absolutely astounding, highlighting the beauty of Sydney.

The following days we toured the streets, ate amazing food, and had a fantastic experience. School break is over and Monday it’s back to Ballarat Grammar School for three weeks of Australian 10th grade with all my new friends. –Nick Lighter ’12

EWWWWWWW Turns to COOOOOOOOOL!

Posted on April 8, 2010 by admin

Our dissection with the 10th graders was very fun! Now you might think, “EWWWWWW! I’m never ever going to touch that even with gloves!” But, once you pick up your tweezers and get into it, it’s really fun and you don’t want to stop.

I got to find all sorts of bones, like ribs and skulls. I even found a feather but didn’t even find a bird! It was also cool because you got to see what animal the owl had eaten. I had a rodent and a shrew in my pellet. When all that was done I got to bring it home and gross out my parents—Ryan Hawa ’16