Truth be Told

Posted on February 12, 2013 by admin

Remember the story of Pinocchio: the little boy whose nose grew longer whenever he lied? Or the antics of Jim Carey in the ‘90s classic film “Liar Liar,” where he plays Fletcher Reede, a fast-talking lawyer who has built his career on a bed of lies? After Reede’s son makes a birthday wish that his dad stop lying, Jim Carey is suddenly only able to tell the truth and his world is turned upside down. Or perhaps you’re a fan of the current hit TV Drama, “Suits?” Acknowledged for its fashion flair, it focuses on the legal partnership between flashy lawyer Harvey—and and his legal assistant Mike—who professes to be a Harvard law grad but never even attended any law school. Mike’s just really smart. So the two tolerate the “big lie” for convenience sake.

Another film focused on the drama around lies is “Autumn in New York” starring Wynonna Ryder and Richard Gere. Ryder’s character has an uncanny ability to sense when someone’s lying (sort of like parents and teachers). For them it’s not magic, it comes with practice. My mother used to say she saw it in our eyes and all over our faces whenever any of the five boys in our family even tried to stretch the truth, never mind offer up an outlandish false tale. I’m sure our students have similar relationships with parents at home.

I mention this today because no matter what our students are studying in school, each is essentially always seeking the truth, for in truth there is deeper understanding. What’s the correct answer to a problem? What’s the right thing to do, morally? In schools we are driven by the pursuit of truth.

Unfortunately, in our quest for the truth, we all lie. The world demands that we lie to sometimes to protect a friend–and probably most often to protect ourselves.

However, growing up it is natural for children to be “offside” and learn from it. So little white lies are common to avoid getting caught after breaking a minor rule. Kids are experts at making situations murky and testing boundaries. It’s a time-tested strategy of generations of children and teenagers.

Philosophers have long-debated the notion of the so-called “just lie.” For example, consider all the brave souls who hid Jews from the Nazi Storm Troopers during the Holocaust of the 1930’s. These are serious situations of compassion or personal safety in the face of evil that require dishonesty to achieve a truly just goal.

Sometimes we all tell little “white lies” or we bend the truth. A close friend shows up in a truly unfortunate new outfit declaring how much she loves it. You may likely quietly agree, not wanting to hurt her feelings. This kind of thing is not considered sinful or outrageous by anyone.

But how about clear omissions or blatant concealment to cover oneself or boost personal image or reputation? How far can the truth be bent before it’s too far? If children or teens get away with it, do they repeat it? Do they start to believe your own lies?

Unfortunately, we actually have a lot of examples of straight out lying presented to us in society on a regular basis.

The Quebec Charbonneau Commission looking into corruption and payoffs in Montreal has unearthed some very unseemly practices regarding contracts for work in our city—and there has been lots of media coverage about this deceit since the fall.

Also, the sad story of Lance Armstrong is a classic current example of a once-respected role model who has fallen from grace for lying and cheating. I was a big Armstrong fan years ago. I loved his book Not About the Bike, about overcoming cancer and the resiliency of the human spirit. However, just a few weeks ago he was exposed for his years of doping while on the cycling circuit. Even when he appeared on TV with Oprah to fess up publically, he succumbed to blaming others. His rationale that “everyone else was doing it” was a lame excuse. But it’s simply not an acceptable excuse. As a result of his lies, Armstrong has lost all of his seven Tour de France championship titles, along with millions of dollars in lucrative endorsements. Moreover, Armstrong’s “Live Strong Foundation” for cancer research has taken quite a knock. Most notably though, his situation is not primarily about the money. Armstrong has lost his integrity. Until his final breath and beyond, he will forever be labeled a deceitful liar.

Writer Eric Hoffer reminds us “when we lie, we lie loudest to ourselves” – about everything from what we spend and eat, to rationalizing our actions, however unattractive or unacceptable to others. For anyone who gets caught in that cycle, how many of your own lies do they start to believe?

The fact is that honesty and trust are the bedrock of strong relationships, whether in one’s family, here at school, among friends, the workplace, and the larger community.

We all depend on trust and honesty to build a sense of integrity over time. Without integrity and trust, the laws of the jungle would dominate.

To Lance Armstrong, to corrupt public officials on the take at city hall, and to students of LCC, I send a reminder: corruption and dishonesty corrodes. Like rust itself, corrosion destroys institutions, people and human relationships.

Yes, sometimes the untruth – the “white lie” – is morally acceptable. But don’t forget that it is honesty and integrity that binds us together. All human relations depend on the expectation that as a rule, we tell the truth and can have confidence in this as a constant When it comes to the so-called “big lie,” it will always corrode and destroy in a big way.

Let’s do our utmost to set examples by doing our best to seek the truth and defend honesty and integrity as core values at LCC. – Christopher Shannon, Headmaster

South Africa Exchange: Tasting a Different Culture

Posted on February 11, 2013 by admin

So far, I have nothing bad to say about SA. I have made tons of friends, I love the food and I can’t complain about the weather. It’s been warm and sunny for the most part. We’ve had a couple of thunderstorms, but nothing compared to the 45cm of snow we got back home!

Coming from Canada, I had really no idea what to expect concerning food. My mom tried to convince me they would feed me monkey brains! Nice try! My mom’s perception of SA was very different from what it truly is. … Anyways, the food is quite different from Canada’s, but very good. I’ve eaten ox tail, which is sweet, and much better than I thought it would be. I also noticed that South Africans eat pumpkin a lot more than we do. I’ve eaten pumpkin fritters, which are sweet, crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside. I’ve also been watching Master Chef Australia, so I have bee thinking about food A LOT!!! Another thing we don’t eat is boerewors. It’s a typical South African sausage normally used for braais (barbecues). But, the best thing here is the fruit. I’ve had strawberry juice, papaya, prickly pears and other fruits we get. At first, I was quite scared I’d starve because I am one of the most picky eaters you will meet. My mom has tried to get me to eat so many different things, but it’s never worked. I have probably tried more foods here than in the past five years of my life! –Andrea Naday ’15

Grade 6: Reflections on the Holocaust

Posted on February 7, 2013 by admin

LCC grade 6 students touch upon the causes of the Second World War and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Here is a sampling of reflections from some of our students about their recent visit to the Montreal Holocaust Center and their visit with Mrs. Ann Levy, a Holocaust survivor. Some students also sketched an artifact that they saw at the museum.

Explain a new thing that you learned during your visit to the Holocaust Center.

I learned that in labor camps inmates were not allowed to have pencil and paper. If someone was caught with these items they would be confiscated and the person would be severely punished. In spite of these rules the inmates still made a remembrance book for another inmate’s birthday. – Thomas N. ’18

I learned a little bit more about book burning. I thought Nazis only burned books written by Jews. They burned books written by handicapped people. There were tons of books burned that were from Helen Keller who was blind. I also learned they burned the books at a university. – Matthew L. ’18

During the visit I learned a lot of other things but there was one that really interested me. It was letters shaped in a heart. They were for birthday letters to send. When they did this they took a lot of risks doing this and the risks were probably deadly. – Victoria L. ’18

I also learned about the kinder transport, it brought many refugee Jewish children from Germany to Great Britain between 1938 and 1940. – Carolyn S. ’18

One of the things that I learned during my visit to the Holocaust Center was that there were many survivors who came to Canada. Most of these immigrants donated artifacts from the Holocaust to the museum. For example, a girl named Fatima donated a small book that had an “F” embroidered on it that she got for her birthday. In the book her friends from the concentration camp that she was sent to, wrote a message for her. – Anthony ’18

What do you think you’ll remember most about Mrs. Levy’s presentation?

I remember that she had to leave her parents and never saw them again. I think this will stay in my mind because I could [not] imagine never seeing my parents again. I will also remember this because it happened to a lot of children and I can just imagine their horrified faces. – Sophia A. ’18

I think that what I will remember the most is that at such a young age her parents were taken away from her and no child should go through that. And she did not have a permanent home. – George ’18

Sketches

Stefania D. ’18: Hearts of Auschwitz – A book made by friends of Stefania on the occasion of her 20^th birthday while at Auschwitz

George S. ’18: Man’s jacket worn in the concentration camp

Catherine R. ’18: Urn of ashes

South Africa: Subtle Differences

Posted on February 7, 2013 by admin

Grade 9 student Andrea Naday ’15 is on a student exchange in South Africa, attending St. Stithians Girls School. Here are some reflections on her experience to date:

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I find it very interesting how South Africans speak the same language as us but use different terms and expressions. For example, if a person was annoyed by someone, they’d say “she’s such a rash.” They also say “shame” a lot. If I said someone was sad, they’d say “shame.” They also have an accent similar to someone British. But, South Africans don’t think they sound British at all. When I was talking to Carmen about it, she realized how she was speaking, and how some things they say don’t make sense. For example, South Africans say “tomato” as someone British would say it, but “potato” as we say it (i.e., they pronounce the “a” differently).

Another major difference I noticed was the currency. South African currency is called Rand, but about 8.5 Rand would equal $1. So, you can’t buy much with R10. Basically, anytime you would go out you spend around R150-R1000. It is weird to be spending R350 on some souvenirs: 350 sounds like a big number! So I always have to divide everything by 8 to figure out the approximate value in dollars! But, I have been able to adjust.

Cars are different too. The driver is on the right side of the car, and South Africans drive on the left side of the road. At first, I thought it was very weird, but I have gotten used to it.

Duke of Ed Silver Trip: Long-Lasting Memories

Posted on February 6, 2013 by admin

Note: This blog was written some time ago and was never published. The content remains relevant. Enjoy!

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Friday, November 2 kicked off the Duke of Edinburgh Silver trip at Camp Nominingue for 15 grade ten students and three accompanying staff. Though there were a few bumps along the way (literally, considering two bags fell off the bus and went missing on the way up) altogether it was an unforgettable experience. The two and a half hour bus ride up to the camp gave us a great opportunity to bond with the people we were to be spending four days and three nights in the woods with. Other than the cold weather forecast, the fact that we were to sleep in tents and prepare our own meals, we had no idea what to expect.

When we first arrived, we were faced with a giant field in the middle of the woods which was where we were to camp out. We got our bags and tents and began to assemble our living spaces in our groups of two or three. We had a great meal of pasta and salad sitting around our first fire that we made with a little difficulty. Our first activity of the trip consisted of a long walk in the dark around the Camp Nominingue grounds. We ended our night by individually listing the high and low point of our day. Despite shivering in our sleeping bags at night and waking up to frost around our tents, it was a great way to start off the trip.

The two full days that followed were filled with multiple activities that kept us entertained throughout the day. Alongside three course meals that were prepared by each tent group, hot chocolate and snacks, we were ready to go on our excursions. Our second day adventure consisted of an hour and a half long hike through the woods. We came across a bear skeleton, a carnivorous plant and walked on marshland. That night we ate pirogies and enjoyed another walk across the campground.

Our third day activity was a canoe ride along the lake to another island where we hiked up to a peak with an absolutely phenomenal view. We ate lunch on the island and spent most of our day singing songs on the boat and getting a great bicep and triceps workout along the way. That night, we ate and preformed our entertaining skits for the talent show we had been “preparing for” since the very beginning. We finished our night off with another walk in the woods, but this time, in single file and in complete silence. At the end of the walk, we lay dispersed throughout another open field and watch the stars above us. The walk overall didn’t go exactly as planned with a few kids getting lost along the way, but when we were all reunited we shared a long laugh and more hot chocolate.

We participated in many smaller activities throughout the trip such as building lean-tos, splitting wood, making fires, and a few team management activities on the last day.

By the fourth and final day, we were all excited to take a warm shower and be home to our families, but at the same time, sad to be leaving. We left our campground with long-lasting memories and a better appreciation of our privileged lives. I highly recommend all students in younger grades take a bigger interest in the Duke of Ed program and definitely partake on the Silver trip.

Thank you very much to Mrs. Wall, Mr. Weiland and M. Maurice for making this “dreaded” trip fun-filled and enjoyable. – Vikki Van Ryswyk ‘14