The Senselessness of Locking Horns

Posted on April 6, 2011 by admin

There’s an old adage that “temper is what gets most of us into trouble, but it is pride which keeps us there.” This can be an issue at school where students are in close quarters and face the daily challenge of balancing demands from parents, teachers, friends and acquaintances.

We can learn something about the combination of unbridled temper and pride from an old monastery in a place called Bebenhausen, Germany. Hanging on the wall are two large pairs of deer horns. What’s unique is that the horns are tightly interlocked and permanently stuck together. The horns were found in that position many years ago. Apparently two mature bucks had been fighting for territorial superiority and, in their jousting, their horns became jammed together. Ultimately, they died in a fighting position. Unable to find a way to cooperate they were literally stuck, yet disabled.

These locked horns form a valuable symbol for the the many relationships found in today’s homes, schools, arenas, city traffic jams, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, like those two bucks in Germany, far too many people become entrenched in their positions on emotional topics and angrily oppose those who confront them. In the process, they find ways to figuratively “lock horns,” and the more they insult or abuse one another, the horns lock together tighter.

So if you’re at odds with someone today, go to that person, bury your false pride and find a way to reconcile and make amends. You may be surprised to find that the other person wants reconciliation as much as you do.

Let’s face it, reconciliation and compromise are not easy. Our students need to learn that life is about a series of compromises. No one is always right and we cannot always get our own way. The more we embed an understanding of that into our daily lives, the more successful we will be. –-Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Asleep at the Ballot Box

Posted on March 30, 2011 by admin

The Muslim states of North Africa have undergone a fair amount of turmoil in the past two months—people clamoring for a political voice in largely one-party states. This began with significant protests in February in Tunisia. It swiftly moved to Egypt and what some are calling the “Twitter Revolution” , which led to the resignation of long-serving President Mubarak.

In most of North Africa’s kingdoms or one-party states, the Arab world is experiencing what the Economist magazine last week described on its cover as “The Awakening” —a thrust toward democratic principles and rights, and a desire, especially by young people, to have their voices and opinions heard. It’s amazing to see how powerful the yearning is in so many countries for democratic rights and the acceptance of diverse political voices. The “awakening:” it’s an interesting label for this phenomenon.

Here in Canada, we all possess the hard-won rights of a democracy. This includes the rule of law, a host of freedoms, the right to disagree with our government and even to protest peacefully when we want to take a particular position on a particular topic.

Last Saturday our federal parliament was dissolved and our political parties are now on the campaign trail from coast to coast to coast, with an election day slated for Monday, May 2— just a few weeks from now. However, with all our rights and freedoms— and an electoral process that allows us to do battle in the political arena rather than solve problems with the end of a gun— large segments of our population seem disengaged from the political process.

Too often, political issues have become someone else’s concern. In fact, when it comes to voting in Canada, voter turnout has dropped consistently since the mid 1980s, from about 75% of eligible voters participating in national elections to just above 60% in the last election. Unfortunately, the youngest sector (18-24 year-olds) seems to be the least engaged in the political process. Just above 40% bothered to go to the ballot box in Canada during the last election, close to 20% below the national average.

So blood is spilling in Arab states in north Africa over the right to participate in the political process and here in Canada we are paying less and less attention to the political process. What a sad paradox. I guess we don’t need to be concerned. Someone else will run our democracy! No need to accept the responsibilities that come with our democratic rights!

I think we should call the Economist magazine and ask who really needs an awakening, the countries of North Africa or perhaps it’s us, the sleep walking citizens of Canada. I suggest we all wake up. I asked our senior students this week to pay attention to the issues in this election campaign. They need to become familiar with our political processes as many of them will be voting next time. We will all be better off if they connect with their local communities, their Canada. —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

The World At Lunch

Posted on March 25, 2011 by admin

One of my most powerful memories from my grade seven year at LCC was an event planned by Grad Pride called, “The World at Lunch.” We had been told that instead of having our 5th and 6th period classes we would be going to the Velan Gym for a special event. Upon entering the gym, my hand was marked with a red dot and I was told to sit down at a table at the back of the room. A few other students from different grade levels soon accompanied me—around 12 students. Roughly four or five times as many students were marked with blue dots and told to sit at separate tables along the sides of the gym. The majority of the students sat on the floor in the middle of the gym. The sounds of periodic snapping could be heard, approximately every three seconds. Among the crowd could be heard a distinct sense of confusion and wonder to the meaning of such an odd procedure. We were soon told that the select students sitting at my table, represented first world countries and that we would be served a three-course meal. The blue tables represented second world countries and they would be eating pizza. As for the rest of the students, they inevitable represented the majority of the human population; the third world countries, and they would be served rice and dyed water. It was only later that we discovered that the periodic snapping that rang in our ears was the representation of a single child dying due to lack of food, resources, care and money.

It was only a fluke that I had been chosen to sit at the first world countries’ table. I couldn’t fathom the reasoning behind it. Why me? Why had I been chosen? Why was it fair that I lived a life of surplus in Canada and not others? Listening to the guest speakers, hearing devastating facts, and being tormented by that ever-lingering series of snaps, a single question rang in my mind: what could I do to help? The money that would be gathered from the upcoming free dress would be designated to helping children living in poverty. Even knowing that the school was making an effort to help such a great cause, I somehow felt personally connected, I felt like I wanted to do more than donate the mere $2 and move on. For that free dress I had gathered over $100 to donate to the organization. It seemed as if I was not the only person who was touched by this assembly and many students decided to bring more than the required minimum. Perhaps it was a sense of guilt that compelled us to bring more. However, I would like to think that a sense of widespread community was felt that day.

The Grad Pride of grade 11 chose to hold a “World At Lunch” this year that took place on Friday, March 25, 2011. We felt that it was our responsibility, being the last year that would have experienced the initial “World At Lunch,” to share with the rest of the school the event that, for many of us, allowed us to truly feel a sense of global identity and responsibility. One of the major values that LCC tries to pass onto its students is the sense that, due their luck in having been born in such a great country, it is their responsibility not to turn their back on the majority of the people in the world that find it hard to live day-by-day with the money and food that they have. It is our responsibility as a prosperous community, to look out into a world where people struggle to get by and realize that we have the potential to, in some way, improve their standard of living. It would be unrealistic to think that this single event would drastically have any major impact on child poverty or human rights, however the point of this event isn’t to make a single change. The reason behind the event is to allow students to begin wondering about their role to play in a world that they are just beginning to discover.—Noah Schouela ’11

Service Learning

Posted on February 24, 2011 by admin

It was a great opportunity to spend some time with students last week at the NDG Food Depot. It is a short distance from LCC in the heart of NDG. We have worked in partnership with the food bank for several years, raising funds and sending student volunteers. This past December our senior students impressively brought food here for the food bank in large quantities: more than 100 large boxes, compared to only 35 only two years ago. This is an impressive outreach for families in need prior to the onset of winter.

In the past couple of years demand at the food depot has increased. So who are the individuals and families in need? Along with a group of Middle School students from the Round Square Conference we hosted, I learned that we are often misguided by our assumptions/biases about those who are in need. The homeless who sometimes beg on our street corners are not the primary customers of our local food bank. The regular clientele is actually somewhat surprising. There are a host of categories: recent immigrants who are having a tough time adapting to Quebec culture and language requirements, refugees from all over the world who have desperately fled countries that are politically dangerous, the elderly on small incomes, the disabled, unemployed, and the working poor.

In fact, before the students helped to sort and pack food into single baskets, the people at the food bank had our students complete a very effective exercise to learn more about the food bank’s regular clientele. In teams, the students reviewed the small incomes of various categories of clients and were asked to make choices about how they would budget their money if they were to find themselves in the same circumstances. This meant looking at a chart of costs for essentials: apartment rental, food, heating, basic transport and other expenses. The students attempted to budget, and interestingly, not one group was able to get by on the small monthly incomes that reflect the real incomes for many people in our community, but not the visible homeless who struggle on our streets. Most striking perhaps for all of the students was the realization that if you have a full time job at minimum wage in Montreal ($ 9.50/hr.), your total income per month after tax and other deductions is below $1,400/month—which is considered to be below the poverty line. In doing their calculations, students realized that even those working people are trapped in a cycle of poverty where they cannot afford nutritious food—and what we might consider as basics. Phone, Internet, computer, and TV were not part of their budgets as they are unaffordable.

Why are so many people become dependent on handouts twice a month from the NDG Food Depot. They are the old, the lonely, the disabled and minimum income earners with children who cannot get by on what they earn, even though they do their best and have full-time employment

We cannot live in a bubble here at LCC. Within in our local community there are many needs, and we have the energy, disposition and capacity to help assist in many ways. Also, as students there is much to be gained by being exposed to the difficult challenges faced by so many in our city. What can our students learn from the resilience of others? What are the social challenges of hunger, housing shortages, youth disconnected at school? These are the realities you see when you are at the NDG Food Depot or one of the other 40 agencies our students are currently involved with through active service learning. There is much to be gained from this curriculum of life and extending a welcoming hand in service of others. “Non Nobis Solum” —it was the founding ethos of our school. I believe we need to recommit to it today as an essential educational principle to help students develop as aware, capable and involved citizens.

Service learning is surely about opening eyes, and it is perhaps one of the most important pillars of our curriculum at LCC. I hope our extended school community will fully embrace the opportunities that service learning offers. —Chris Shannon, Headmaster

Spirit Week Comes Alive

Posted on February 2, 2011 by admin

Welcome to the dead of winter. As Canadians we are used to the demands of this season – short days, storms, biting cold weather. As a reputed Canadian writer once expressed, we Canadians are the “People of the shield;” we are defined by our harsh natural environment and the demands it places on us day-to-day. In short, we live in a difficult climate, but we know how to adapt, and part of adapting is appreciating the best of winter.

Welcome also to Spirit Week. For years we have held a Spirit Week in the middle of winter so we can come together and have some fun despite the cold weather and short days. Interestingly, this short academic term is actually particularly busy outside of the classroom in terms of co-curricular activities. In fact, winter is actually the busiest athletic tournament season of the year, with many evening and weekend competitions for both boys and girls. Last weekend I attended several basketball and hockey games at LCC and some at local high schools. For all the teams it was a busy and successful weekend. Congratulations to players and coaches, and best of luck as teams wrap up their seasons in coming days.

In addition to athletics, student debaters have had a great success at local and university tournaments and the annual Montreal Robotics competition is coming up. There have been several creative One-Act Plays in grade 9, and the Middle School play, School Daze is coming up soon. We are also preparing to host 90 delegates from February 13-18 for the 2011 Young Round Square Conferences for schools from North and South America. All of these are wonderful vehicles for learning and engagement.

So here we are in the middle of Sprit Week, a special chance to have some fun, to promote broad student involvement and hone school pride. But it seems to me that LCC spirit and school pride are not only on show during this single week – a strong school spirit is alive and well throughout the year. Impressive! Go LCC go! Enjoy a great Spirit Week! —Chris Shannon, Headmaster