Round Square: A Trip of Realizations

Posted on October 14, 2014 by admin

In a week full of unimaginable highlights, our trip to Petra might have been the greatest highlight of all. After Shobak Castle, we traveled two thousand years back in time to Petra. I’m trying really hard not to feel uncharitably smug thinking of my siblings who are, at this very moment, getting ready to go to school. I am failing, because I know how lucky I am. Petra has got to be one of the places one must see before dying.

We are dazed by sleep, still dazzled by last night, when we had dinner at the Bedouin camp. The legendary Bedouin hospitality is not exaggerated. We ate traditional Bedouin fare and danced to Arab music in a setting straight out of the Aladdin of my childhood. All around us were mountains of sandy rock in which caves were nestled. A few of the caves were adorned with lights. In the light of dawn, it feels as if last night was a dream.

Today is Friday and our alarm clock is the call to prayers. The voices raised in unison to call Allah make us shiver with excitement. It is a call that has been heard for centuries, and in this particular setting it is thrilling.

Petra lies in a valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, and its geographical location alone sounds like an Arabian poem. Petra is a rose colored archeological city, surrounded by mountains. I say “rose coloured”, but it is not an accurate description. It is in turn orange and red and pink. It is, and really, this is not an hyperbole – spectacular. Petra was, over two thousand years ago a sprawling city with an enviable water supply system. It attracted caravans of rich merchants on camels from Egypt and Arabia. Two thousand years later, we are the one flocking to Petra, awed by the tombs and temples carved directly into the red stone. I have to say it: this is so cool.

It is impossible, when climbing 900 stairs to quiet the flutter in my stomach. This feels like the greatest of adventures. We enter a square, in a burst of sunlight. It is dazzling, both literally and figuratively. I must have seen the picture of Petra’s Treasury a thousand times before today, but it is now in front of me, for real, and the effect is surprisingly stunning. There are dozens of facades, kilometers of baths and temples and tombs, partly built, partly carved into the stone. We visit a monastery.

It is all fascinating, but it is the image of the dozens of children who hustle, desperately trying to make a few dollars from the over privileged tourists that I will take away with me to LCC. I will not forget them. This is a trip of realizations that will spur us to action. I will also take with me the image of Spencer, Maxim, Nora and Sabrina riding away on camels and donkeys. The rest of us tamely take the 900 stairs back down to reality. – David Elbaz ’15 – Round Square International Conference, King’s Academy, Jordan

PHOTOS

Round Square International Conference: Inspirational Encounter

Posted on October 10, 2014 by admin

On the first day of our Round Square International Conference at King’s Academy in Jordan, we were fortunate enough to hear the story of Shabana Basij-Rasikh. At the young age of 23, she has already founded both an organization called HELA, as well as a boarding school for Afghani girls, SOLA: School of Leadership Afghanistan.

Born in Afghanistan, the Taliban regime took over when she was only six years old. Coming from a family who valued education, she was dressed as a boy in order to be an escort for her older sister as they attended a secret school for girls. Her family knew the consequences of attending school and hiding her identity would be punishable by death. Luckily, she and her sister survived the Taliban reign and she attended her first public school in 2002.

Shabana was extremely angered that she was denied a proper education and was inspired to give the girls of Afghanistan the opportunity to go to school. During her time at Middlebury College, while studying international development and women’s studies, she co-founded the first tuition free all girls’ boarding school for young Afghani students. The first year they opened the school, there were four attendees and now there’s a total of 42. Their goal is to have at least one student from each of the 34 Afghani provinces.

The school is also involved in many initiatives such as a mentorship program. The students are paired with a mentor from a foreign country with whom they Skype and look up to as role models and consider friends. The school also takes part in a virtual classroom program in which the classes at SOLA Skype with a classroom of a foreign school.

The work that Shabana has done has inspired all of us, her selflessness and motivation to give Afghanistan girls an education is incredible. We plan to continue her efforts to raise awareness and funds for SOLA and motivate the LCC students to get involved.

Jessica Lackstein ’15 and Sabrina Chan ’15 – Round Square International Conference, King’s Academy, Jordan

To High School Graduates Everywhere: Never Give Up On Your Dreams

Posted on June 9, 2014 by admin

High school graduation is an exciting event for most teenagers in North America. It is the first major step into adulthood.

While graduation is a normal achievement in Western countries, I know that in other parts of the world, high school graduation is NOT a realizable goal.

High school in Iran was dangerous for me in the 1980’s. I was deprived of what I thought was my ‘right’ to continue my studies and my life was threatened just because I wanted to be able to express myself freely. I was only 15 years old when I was forced to follow the rules of the Ayatollah on what I was allowed to learn, which books I could read, what music I was allowed to listen to, and how to dress. The penalty of non-compliance ranged from arrest to execution. There were spies everywhere, even at school. Sadly, one of those spies turned out to be my best friend.

As a result, going to school was no longer an option, and living at home wasn’t safe. For over a year, I drifted between the houses of friends and relatives in other cities until I had no other place to go but home, where I lived in hiding for many more months. All of this at 17 years of age! I resolved never to give up hope. It was then that my parents had to decide if a lifetime of hiding and repression was the only way for us, or if smuggling us out of Iran, despite all kinds of dangers and possible death, would be a viable alternative.

I lived as a homeless refugee in Pakistan for eight long months, yearning to go to school without any hope of achieving this goal until I finally arrived in Montreal, Canada in 1983. I could barely speak any English and not a word of French. Despite the fact that I had no family in Canada to support me, and I had only myself to depend on to earn a living, I felt so rich because my dream of freedom was realized! I had crossed mountains, the desert and an ocean to be free to express myself. I wanted so desperately to go to school and to make a contribution to society that any obstacle I encountered was simply a reminder to try a little harder.

And I did it!

I am now a successful professional and a perpetual student. And, thirty four years later, my son is preparing to graduate from high school. It is such an exhilarating feeling to know that the class of 2014 has all the freedom to choose their future. This inspired me to document my life experiences, a task which has occupied the last five years of my life. To remind others not to take their freedom and education for granted, I wrote “Fleeing The Hijab, A Jewish Woman’s Escape From Iran”, in which I describe, in detail, the circumstances that forced me to flee and eventually led me to Canada.

Each graduating class should be aware that throughout history, even up to this very day, there are people like myself, who have put their lives in jeopardy in order to be able to express themselves freely and to obtain an education. Be proud of what you have achieved; acknowledge the people who faced adversity to make this possible for you.

Here is my message for new graduates: Follow your heart! Meet challenges head on! Remember how privileged you are to have the freedom to realize and fulfill your dreams. And don’t forget to carry the torch for those not as fortunate as you in other parts of the world, by working harder, by challenging yourself and by raising your standards to a higher level.

Hopefully, every child will someday soon be allowed to go to school, to continue his or her education, and fully realize his or her potential, as you students do today.

Never give up on your dreams. The sky is the limit.

—

Dr. Sima Goel is the author of Fleeing the Hijab, A Jewish Woman’s Escape from Iran, the true story of Sima’s life under oppression and her harrowing journey to freedom. (ISBN 9781771230506), published by General Store Publishing House, Renfrew ON.

Vidéoconférence avec le Sedna IV

Posted on June 5, 2014 by admin

Dans le cadre de l’année de la biodiversité, un groupe de scientifiques québécois est parti faire le tour du monde à bord d’un bateau à vocation scientifique. Vous pouvez trouvez plus d’information sur le voyage en cliquant sur ce lien: 1000 jours sur la planète. La classe de 8e année a eu l’opportunité de parler avec Émilie Walsh qui est la responsable de la communication sur le Sedna.

Voici quelques commentaires des élèves:

J’ai appris que, quand vous faites quelque choses que vous aimez, les problèmes qui vous arrivent ne sont pas si pire. – Abby Shine ’17

J’ai appris que nous pensons qu’il y a environ 30 millions espèces, nous n’en connaissons que 2 millions. – Adam Vandenbussche ’17

J’ai appris qu’en plus d’observer des espèces, les personnes sur le Sedna découvrent les cultures différentes des endroits qu’ils visitent. – Erika Kaperonis ’17

J’ai appris que la vie peut être difficile et que la vie est très différente que la vie des villes. – Max Topiol ’17

La conférence web avec Émilie Walsh m’a permet de connaitre de nouvelles cultures que certains d’autres pays possèdent. – Andrew Zhang ’17

J’ai appris que vivre sans votre famille pour très longtemps n’est pas si difficile si on fait des liens inséparables avec des amis. – Sam Freder ’17

Dans le chat vidéo, j’ai appris qu’il peut y avoir des conditions très difficiles lorsque vous êtes en mer, et que vous avez besoin d’apprendre comment faire face à ces conditions. – Ryan Garber ’17

J’ai appris que la vie sur un bateau n’est pas toujours facile, mais c’est une excellente expérience qui vaut toutes les conséquences qui l’accompagnent. – Alyssa Howard ’17

Vivre sur le Sedna est une expérience unique car ils ont la chance de parler à beaucoup d’explorateurs pour apprendre plus sur la biodiversité et apprendre sur différentes espèces d’animaux très rares. – Priscilla Johnson ’17

Émilie a eu plusieurs expériences très spéciales qu’elle a vécu comme son expérience où des hommes dansaient avec la musique diabolique et commençaient à se battre. Je pense que cela était très intéressant pour elle. – Thomas Lalonde ’17

J’ai appris qu’Il y a seulement 2 millions de espèce d’animaux connus mais que les scientifiques estiment qu’il y en a plus de 30 millions d’espèces qui ne sont pas encore découvertes. – Philippe Miller ’17

Émilie Walsh travaille TRÈS fort pour aider notre environnement et communiquer les nouvelles découvertes et la vie sur le Sedna est pas mal difficile. – Lucia Huang ’17

J’ai appris qu’avec la technologie sur un bateau on peut utiliser Skype pour parler avec sa famille, alors ce n’est pas si dure de vivre sur un bateau pendant si longtemps sans sa famille. – Adam Mahrouse ’17

Émilie à connu des chercheurs qui ont retrouvé 3 nouvelles espèces de poissons à l’Île de la Réunion quand le volcan à explosé. – Ben Rossy ’17

Émilie nous a décrit quelques anecdotes et ses adventures intéressants qui prouvent son esprit aventureux. – Alyssa Cohen ’17

La vie sur un bateau peut être difficile, mais les défis valent les expériences qu’on gagne. – Julia Leb ’17

J’ai appris qu’il ne mangeait pas beaucoup de poissons sur le bateau, ce qui m’a surpris. – Paul Virally ’17

J’ai appris que la vie sur le Sedna n’est pas tout à fait facile mais, que les gens à bord (comme Émilie) travaillent extrêmement fort et qu’ils adorent leur travail. – Sophie Rivest ’17

J’ai appris qu’ils mangent plus de poulet que de poisson sur le bateau. – Eli Samuel ’17

Mackay Centre Students Inspire

Posted on May 13, 2014 by admin

At the beginning of the year, Klara, Zoe, Alessandro, Vikki, Franky, Logan, Lyndsay and I went to Camp Massawippi for three days with Ms. Leiter to work with students from the Mackay Centre. We spent our time taking walks, watching movies and doing arts and crafts with them. We had an amazing time and formed bonds that will never be broken. By the time we came back to school, we already missed the kids so much that we decided to plan one last visit.

Last Wednesday, we finally went back to the Mackay Centre. We painted flowers with the students and made cards for Mother’s Day. We had a lot of fun with the kids and it was really great to see them again.

The Mackay students were so inspiring. They taught me to try and make the best of every situation. All of them had disabilities, yet they were some of the happiest children I’ve ever met. This whole experience has been amazing and I will never forget it. – Olivia Black ’13