July 23 - Last Day!

This day had to come eventually. If experiencing all the emotions of the past 24 hours wasn’t hard enough, I now have to relive them and attempt to sum them up in a single blog entry. Impossible? Pretty much. It seems like words can only trivialize the full extent of emotion that we all felt during our last hours together as a Shad community. However, I guess I’ll have to try:

Our final day started with the closing of our variety show curtains at 12 am. We did a quick clean up of the church hall before meeting back at the Cameron Room for our last surprise shad event. No one knew quite what was in store when our house leaders placed blindfolds on each of us, but we trustingly followed them through the streets of Dal to the secret location of our closing ceremonies. What happened in those next two hours was incredibly special. We cried, laughed, smiled and cried some more, and I can honestly say that I’ve never felt so close to so many people. The reality that we would soon be parting ways truly hit us when we left that room, with the first Shad set to leave in just under an hour. Back at Cameron, we frantically signed monthbooks and tried to say our last goodbyes as one by one our new friends headed for home…

So, what’s left to say? This month was like no other. Although I left the doors of Howe Hall with tears streaming down my face, I also left with many things that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I’ll keep with me the countless memories that we shared; the self-confidence I gained in our completely positive and supportive community; the invaluable teamwork skills that I learned; and, of course, my Canada (and Maine)-wide, 49 person support network.

Goodbye friends, I know we’ll be saying hello again soon.

Annie Pike, Shad Valley Dalhousie University 2010
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia

Vendredi le 23 juillet 2010

Après une très courte nuit de sommeil, je me suis levé tôt ce matin avec un pincement au cœur en pensant que c’était déjà la fin de cette merveilleuse aventure qu’est le programme Shad Valley. J’ai terminé de faire mes bagages et je me suis dirigé vers la salle commune pour dire une ultime fois bonjour à mes 47 nouveaux et merveilleux amis. Le tout premier jour du programme Shad @Mac 2010, notre directeur de programme, Kingsley Hurlington, nous a présenté les valeurs fondamentales de Shad Valley international en insistant sur celle de la communauté. À ce moment-là, je ne croyais pas qu’il était possible de devenir aussi proche d’autant de personnes.

Puis, à sept heures trente, est venu le temps de se dire à la prochaine. La voix pleine de sanglots et les yeux en larmes, j’ai dit à chaque Shad à quel point ils sont importants pour moi.

Lors du processus d’inscription au programme, les dirigeants de Shad Valley insistaient énormément sur le fait que Shad@Mac 2010 serait un mois déterminant dans notre vie. Pour être franc, j’étais un peu sceptique. Aujourd’hui je peux vous affirmer que le programme Shad Valley a enrichi ma vie sur le plan des connaissances, mais surtout sur le plan humain.

Je tiens à remercier du fond du cœur tous ceux qui, de près ou de loin, ont rendu possible le programme Shad@Mac 2010.

I want to thank all the Shad people who contributed in making my experience one of the best. I am proud that I completed the program and I am thankful to my pod who was always on my side ready to give a hand and truly supportive. Shad has changed me forever and I will always cherish the memories of this month spent at McMaster.

I will miss you all but I am sure we will see each other again very soon.

Jérôme Laflamme, Shad Valley McMaster University 2010
Hometown: Lévis, Quebec

July 23 2010 - Last Day!

Today didn’t actually begin. Yesterday continued. With no curfew, we stayed up all night, eating pizza, signing MUNTH books, and crying over departures that we hoped would never come. As 8:00 am rolled around, the last 15 of us stumbled down to breakfast to enjoy our final bagels and bowls of cereal. We chatted about our plans for August and prepared ourselves for the last few goodbyes. Little did we know, a large majority of us would soon be reunited as we waited for a seven-hour fog delay to Toronto. However, the sleep-deprived Shads all chose this time to snooze on the airport floor, knowing that nothing else needed to be said. We all knew we wouldn’t forget this unbelievable experience and the people who made it so incredible.

After all is said and done, I have one piece of advice for the Shads: don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Rachel Kirby, Shad Valley Memorial University of Newfoundland 2010
Hometown: Guelph, Ontario

July 23 - Day 27

What an unforgettable experience. When I arrived at the UNB campus, I did not think that 60 people could get so close in a month.

After all of the Open day festivities were over, we stayed up all night, and talked about the great experience that we all had. Unfortunately, at 5:00, the Shads of UNB started leaving. It was very emotional, and everyone was in tears. The first day of Shad, we talked about community, and how when one of us was missing, the whole group suffers. I definitely felt that empty space when people started leaving. At 7:30, another large group of people left for the airport, and everyone broke down in tears again.

People talk about events being life changing. I’ve only had a few. This was definitely one of them. I don’t think I realized it until early this morning, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the experiences that I had at Shad. The lectures, the labs, the meals, but most of all, the people. It’s the people that make the program, and with the best and the brightest from around Canada, there will always be a great bunch of teens at Shad.

When I think about who I spent the month of July with, I don’t think that there could have been a better group of people. I know that we’ll stay connected forever, and that this is not the end, but the beginning of a new experience. Shad Valley brought us closer together then anyone could have imagined.

Colin Hardy, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick 2010
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario

July 22 - Open Day!

So, I’ll see you at the airport in a few hours!
Sounds good.
But before I go, one last question…
Ok…
On a scale of 1 to 10 how was Shad?
11.

This response was not a mathematical error due to lack of sleep, but my honest evaluation of Shad. Before I get to the general stuff – a bit about what I’m supposed to be talking about – July 22^rd. The day continued from the night before as we all tried to get some last minute practising in for our Variety Show acts or put finishing touches on the monthbook. Eventually, most of us found our way to bed for a few hours of sleep before Open Day.

As with most days of Shad, we woke up tired and made our way to the cafe for breakfast. After saying the first of our goodbyes to probably the only fruitless cafe in existence, we went to get ready for our big day. The variety show committee went to go get set up and the rest of us dressed up for our big day; the girls looking gorgeous in dresses and skirts and the guys in dress pants doing what they do best – looking handsome.

We then walked across the beautiful UBC campus to explain our projects one last time to the Open Day guests and congratulate each other on jobs well done. Parents were greeted with hugs and the sight of them brought about the realization that we would all be leaving soon. This sparked a flurry of picture taking, which only ended when we were hurried out for lunch.

The food at lunch was amazing, and meeting the parents, Shad supporters and others who had made Shad so fantastic was equally amazing. There were closing speeches and recognition from one of our program directors and our valedictorians. Our valedictorians presented in verse, reminding us of our memories and jokes and summing up the experience.

Next, was the variety show with piano, vocal, zither, guitar, band and dance performances of everything from traditional music to recent hits. There was even a ‘comedy’ performance from the Handsome Men’s Club and a “Love You Tender” music video remake. As was demonstrated throughout the month, the talent amongst our group of 51 students was immense and another reflection of incredibleness of Shads.

After the variety show, we headed back to res for a different kind of closing ceremony. I want to keep the ceremony a surprise for next year’s Shad’s, so I won’t give away too many details, but I will say it demonstrated the connections we had all forged and left us all even more attached to each other.

We were then presented with our super cool Shad clothes and monthbooks and settled in for a long night. We signed each other’s monthbooks, trying to put our relationships and memories into words for the rest of the evening and forget that we would have to leave in the morning.

Shad was truly the experience of a life time – it taught me about life, myself and many other things. It helped me make friendships with people I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life and truly changed my life. As our valedictorians said:

It’s about the experiences we have and the people we meet,
It’s about the friendships we build and the times, oh so sweet!

As we stare into the stars at night and breathe the same air,
We will know that all of us stand under the same sky, even if unaware;

We feel warmth upon reflecting on all the great memories we had,
We realize that none of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for SHAD!

Julie Van de Valk, Shad Valley University of British Columbia 2010
Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario

July 22 - Open Day!

Well today was absolutely insane. The Program Assistants were not lying when they said that Open Day would be the longest day of Shad. Before today, I would never have believed that there could be a “Longest Day of Shad”. Every day here at Shad Valley Waterloo is so jam packed with activity that we wake up exhausted, go through the day exhausted and fall asleep exhausted. And you know what the best part is? We love every minute of it. Open Day turned out to be one of the most amazing days of Shad yet. What is Open Day you might ask? Well, we woke up to our customary 7 A.M. alarm, dozily fumbled through breakfast and then shuffled in to our first Whole Group Session of the day. But instead of the standard lecture from one of the faculty, we were presented with a schedule for the day. Man, I thought the “usual” Shad day was busy? This was RIDICULOUS. It seemed like we had a new thing to do every 15 minutes.

In true Shad form, we did not let this overwhelming schedule phase us. Instead, we pulled out our Waterloo Crew notebooks and calmly copied down the entire schedule. After that, we went to work. The next 13 hours (9:00 am to 10:00 pm) would consist of set up and cleanup, a tree planting ceremony, an awards lunch, Open Day, the banquet and finally Variety Night. Open Day was a chance for people from outside of Shad such as family members and representatives from RIM to come check out what Shad Valley is all about. We had all of our design projects on display as well as posters that described some of the lectures and workshops we participated in. The banquet consisted of some delicious food from the Conrad Grebel cafeteria. Variety Night was an incredible display of Shad Valley Waterloo talent. There was singing, piano, magic tricks and even a Korean pop dance performance.

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate the end of a journey that has brought together 48 amazing individuals and pushed us out of our comfort zones and into our growth zones. Shad Valley has been an absolutely incredible experience. It is sad to see this come to an end, but at the same time I know that I have learned so much and made so many great connections with so many people.

Bryson out.

Bryson McLachlan, Shad Valley University of Waterloo 2010
Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

July 21

24 days gone. 2 nights left. Nothing could compare to this unforgettable experience at UBC. Today marked another memorable time together at Crescent beach! We gathered in the common room at 0845 hours and boarded the yellow school bus with high hopes for a nice tan, good weather and fun under the sun. Our wishes were answered. While some lay on their beach towels to soak up the rays of sun, others played a game of soccer. The low tide provided us with ample space to run around and kick the ball. Unfortunately, I had a minor sprain of my left wrist during a game of FIFA World Cup back at rez the previous night so I was side-lined for the beach game. I occupied myself by collecting purple seashells and arranging them to spell “Shad Valley UBC”. Halfway through the first ‘l’, a Shad cut her right foot on a shell while attempting to gain possession of the soccer ball. Blood immediately spewed across the sand and the game was ‘cut’ short. She was swept up in a Shad’s arms and taken to the safety of a nearby log. The unconcerned lifeguard calmly sauntered over and placed gauze on the red mess. The Shad hobbled away from the incident with a poorly dressed wound and the guarantee of unlimited piggy-back rides for the remainder of the day. Lunch was enjoyed at a quaint Italian bistro followed by a sweet ice cream to satiate our hungry stomachs. At 1630 hours, we sadly ‘waved’ goodbye to Crescent beach and returned to Totem Park for Shad Speaks.

I presented my topic on optical illusions and how they can be perceived differently. Several Shads were interested in my closing YouTube video. It’s a palindromic sequence called Lost Generation. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA. Other Shads taught us about the rules of rugby, the controversy on underage drinking and the Hindu dance called Bharathanatyam.

We then headed off campus to the Celebration of Lights, an international competition of fireworks, on the Jericho beach. The United States proudly performed their colourful display for 30 minutes. We were delighted with the beautifully lit view of the Vancouver skyline and the feel of the sand in between our toes. The tired yet satisfied group came back to home base for a midnight snack of potato chips and organized ourselves for Variety Show and Open House. We are excited to showcase our work to our parents and friends. Signing off for today.

Alicia Leung, Shad Valley University of British Columbia 2010
Hometown: Stittsville, Ontario

Wednesday, July 21st 2010

It’s almost over.

The more I repeat it the less reality the statement can hold. Time reveals the concept that in less than 48 hours, spread across a nation and measurable as locations on a map, we will be dots hundreds of kilometres apart.

It’s hard to wrap our minds around that.

When my plane bursts through the clouds again Friday morning on my return to smoggy, stylish, rude, urban (and beloved) Toronto, it’s immeasurable how quickly the past month will seem as if it had bolted by.

Snapshots in words. The glimpse:

0845 - A scurried dash to breakfast. Sausages. Pancakes. Coffee .

0900 – A visit from the Registrar’s Office. Energetic Shad alum working as Dalhousie staff brings a sampling of university life to the seminar room

1000 – Friendly jostling relay race (complete with eggs and spoons) pits House groups against one another.

1200 – Usual buffet lunch in Howe Hall Dining Room. Old-fashioned hamburgers. Taco casserole. Grapeseed icecream.

1330 – Final meeting of Shad Valley House groups. Enter CuED Inc.’s lingering thoughts; the debrief of the House Cup competition closes under the sun with a group hug

1430 – Penultimate committee meeting. Different Shad groups struggle to bring together their different parts of our month’s final impression. Banquet. Monthbook. Open Day. Variety Show.

1630 – Free time to daydream for a short window of half an hour.

1700 – Dinner and a stolen bean salad.

1830 – A winner is chosen for the House Cup competition to represent Dalhousie at the Shad Cup. Intense voting. A split of 50/50 down the middle between two final projects

1900 – Packing time is allotted on the schedule. Staff must patrol the halls to curb the number of Shads sitting hopelessly on their beds staring listlessly at their cluttered floors of memories.

2000 – A secret event pulls back the veil to reveal swing dancing. Lessons given by the Dalhousie Swing Dance Society complete with jazz music and a live band.

2200 – Broomball, a game with sneakers on the hockey rink. Shads organize themselves into groups to play until after midnight on Dalhousie’s glossy ice.

0030 – Dazed walks back to the dorms in search of warm beds and slumber.

0100 – A goodnight and the dreamy collapse

Lucy Liu, Shad Valley Dalhousie University 2010
Hometown: Markham, Ontario

Le Moment Fatidique Approche

Le moment fatidique approche! Plus que deux jours avant la fin de notre formidable expérience à Shad Valley Queen’s 2010. Tous s’affairent aux derniers préparatifs de la journée porte ouverte, du banquet et du spectacle de variété qui se dérouleront demain. Je ne peux être qu’épaté par l’énergie et le dévouement dont font preuve mes compagnons. C’est incroyable ce que 48 personnes d’exception peuvent accomplir en mettant leurs talents individuels en commun!

Disons que ma matinée a été plutôt « académique ». En effet, nous avons eu la chance d’assister ce matin à des conférences tout à fait passionnantes données par deux professeurs invités. D’abord, Brian Amsden, docteur en génie chimique, nous a présenté ses sujets de recherche, notamment la reconstruction de tissus avec des cellules souches et les différents mécanismes biologiques associés au rejet des prothèses biomédicales. C’était captivant! Par la suite, Christoph Richter, docteur en biologie, nous a fait découvrir le monde irréel de l’acoustique sous-marine. Pendant près d’une heure trente, nous nous sommes laissés bercer par les sons mélodieux des chants nuptiaux des baleines, par les cris d’écholocation des dauphins et des cachalots et les doux chants des magnifiques bélugas surnommés « canaris des mers ».

De plus, cet après-midi, j’ai participé à un atelier portant sur les techniques de négociation employées dans le monde du business. Nous avons été plongés dans une mise en situation captivante développée par le professeur Norbert S. Jacker de l’université DePaul et qui est généralement soumise aux étudiants de l’école de droit d’Harvard. Je me suis imprégné à 110 % dans le rôle de gérant d’artiste que l’on m’a assigné. Malheureusement je me suis fait avoir comme un débutant!

Moreover, I just want to say that I have spent an awesome month here at Shad Queen’s. I have developed really strong friendships and learned a lot about myself. I certainly have grown throughout my journey here. I think that I have become a better person, more confident, curious, and eager to learn about everything. At Shad, you don’t just learn general knowledge, you learn about yourself.

Tonight was the Shad Valley Queen’s 2010 dance. It was one of my favourite moments. Let’s do a bit of simple maths. If you add good music + awesome PAs as DJ + a bunch of good friends, it can only equal FUN!!!!!!!

Finally, I will share a quote from Albert Camus, a French philosopher, which will summarize what the Shad adventure is about: Sharing and friendship

“Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

Goodnight everyone!!!

Louis Laflamme, Shad Valley Queen's University 2010
Hometown: Lévis, Québec

Wednesday July 21

Today instead of sleeping in to the last possible moment, I woke up at 5:40 to go on the 5K morning run; as I promised one of my fellow Shads that before the program ended, I would go on a morning run with her. As we stepped out into the cool morning air, we realized that we were the only Shads who were going on the run this morning. During the run, Kinsley Hurlington, one of our Program Directors, did “runosophy” with us. Runosophy is a thinking game in which you are given a complex scenario with two different possible outcomes, from which you must choose.

After breakfast we headed back to our residence, Hedden Hall, for the second last edition of ShadNews48. Following ShadNews48 we had our last pod meeting where we celebrated and discussed our personal and group successes throughout our DE project. We also put together our poster board display, which showcases the product we came up with for our DE project. Following this we had an enlightening lecture from Eileen Dahl about “stuff”. This lecture was very informative because she showed us that we should not ignore things and let them build up and because they will not go away, they will only become bigger. We then ate lunch at Bistro.

Next, we traveled to the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton to carry out our Shad Do. While there, Shads preformed many different musical pieces. This included “You Raise me Up” which was performed by a mass choir consisting of all of the Shads, including the staff. After that, we went to back Webster Falls to see the waterfall. On the second day of Shad Valley McMaster, we went for a hike to Webster Falls but unfortunately due to heavy rain the day before the path was washed out. We only spent about an hour there, however we took many group pictures under the blistering heat of the sun and the cooling mist of the falls.

After our last supper at Bistro we had a mass choir rehearsal to practice for our performance tomorrow on Open Day. This was followed by two hours of committee time in which we had to finish our poster board presentations, which are also for Open Day tomorrow. After this it was time to pack our belongings in preparation for our departure from Shad Valley McMaster on Friday. With only one full day of Shad left, I know that this has been a life changing experience and that I have met many incredible people who I will never forget.

Brooke Currie, Shad Valley McMaster University 2010
Hometown: Stratford, Prince Edward Island

July 20

It’s only now that the House Project has finally ended that we’re starting to realize how close to the end we truly are.

Amid sniffles and coughs, a sleep-deprived group of UBC Shads got up this morning to eat one of our last breakfasts in the cafeteria. Others, like myself, stayed in bed from a variety of illnesses –most likely caused by too many late nights.

After breakfast, we went through some of the remaining Shad Speaks. Among others, we learned a new language and how to make origami dragons.

Today we also had our very last rec. session. We played a campus-wide game of Assassin, an old favourite. Running through the campus we now knew so well – or at least better than before – brought back bittersweet memories of our first week at Shad. Even now, it’s hard to believe that we’ve been at Shad for three whole weeks. In a whirlwind of events that just seem to be one incredibly long day, we’ve gone from wary strangers to family.

Shads spent the evening in small groups, either slaving away on Monthbook or starting preparation for the Variety Show. Others just sat in circles, reminiscing about all the unbelievable things that have happened. The winner for the House Project was decided on, and amid many tears, valedictorians were picked as well.

Even as I write this, Shads around me are discussing ways to keep in touch, places to hold reunions, and holidays when everyone will be available. Although deep down we all know that no reunion will ever compare to the experience that is Shad, each one of us is determined to keep hold of the lifelong bonds we have made with one another.

Nina Chen, Shad Valley University of British Columbia 2010
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

IT’S NOT THE END JUST YET – Tuesday July 20, 2010

After the adrenaline rush of handing in the business plan at the very last minute, every single one of us vowed to get the presentation done early and be prepared. But, in the end, not many of us achieved that goal. Waking up at 6:00 in the morning to get together with my pod, I hurried to complete the project. I was so tired, but before I knew it, I was in business wear and up on stage tripping over my thoughts, not even understanding the gibberish flowing from my mouth. And before I knew it, the awards were announced, friends were hugging and laughing and cheering, and the DE project was over.

Even though the project was fun, I felt like I had been concentrating on it so much that the time with all my Shad friends had passed by without me noticing. And now, there are only two days left.

Tonight, each of us was assigned a box with our name on it and some cut-up construction paper. We were told that we would write messages on the paper to our friends, putting the notes in the boxes which would act like “Valentine’s Day boxes”, as one fellow Shad called it. When Kingsley, our program director, stated that we could only read them after we left Shad, all of us groaned. I have a feeling that when we read these, we’ll be looking back on amazing memories and the realization of just how indescribable Shad Valley McMaster 2010 is will hit us hard.

The night ended off with karaoke, with everyone singing away, completely relaxed and carefree.

Joanne Cheng, Shad Valley McMaster University 2010
Hometown: Barrie, Ontario

Conclusion of Sorts – Monday, July 19th, 2010

The alarm clock sounded, announcing the beginning of the final week here at Shad. This thought plagued the minds of everyone, making us wonder what life was going to be like post-Shad.

On a happier note, the morning started off with Ed, our Program Director, sharing his intriguing world of Mathematics. He couldn’t help but feel the love when we all burst into “Happy Birthday”. With algorithms and neural networks buzzing in our thoughts, we were shuffled into our first Whole Group Workshop where the challenge to design a Mini-Golf Course was presented. Each hole in the course represented an event during our Shad Valley experience. Guests from the different faculties of the University of Waterloo joined us for lunch, sharing their vast knowledge. The staff kept everyone in a state of anxiety during our Project Debrief. This was where the project representing Shad Waterloo in the Shad Cup was to be revealed. Dwight Bryant from TELUS was our guest speaker for the night. His stories came alive, especially those which spoke of leadership. Life at Shad is filled to the brim with opportunities to succeed and to unlock your full potential. Never let these opportunities fly away. Never be bored in life.

"Life is never boring, but some people chose to be bored. Boredom is a choice."
– Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Celine Ling, Shad Valley University of Waterloo 2010
Hometown: Markham, Ontario

Monday July 19

It's funny how fatigue can give you a heightened sense of awareness. Scrambling out of bed at four thirty in the morning, I actually felt this sort of calmness and clarity in me despite everything--- missing crucial hours of sleep, last minute finalizations of the DE project, being away from family and friends. I felt untouched by everyone else's woes and even by my own worries. As cheesy as this may sound, theres still no place I would rather be at than Shad.

The skies seemed to match everyones anticipation as it was gloomy and almost foreboding as we headed into the presentation building. Yes, today was Carleton Shad's final DE project presentation. The house teams assembled into their respective places and seats, each wishing each other good luck. Then, the announcements were made and the judges were finally introduced. The first house team got the ball rolling right away. Every team's innovativeness and commitment was made clear by the end of the presentations. We have been so preoccupied with the project for the past week; it almost feels strange thinking, "This is the culmination of all our hard work. This is us. This is it." Then I realized, it's because isn't. The DE project did account for a lot, but it wasn't the culmination of all of our hardwork, it wasn't us, it wasn't it. It was just the beginning.

Azalea Atienza, Shad Valley Carleton University 2010
Hometown: Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

July 19 - Save the Seniors

Project, project, project. Thats all its really been for the past while, and I guess in the end everyone agrees: «ça vaut la peine». After pulling an "all nighter" (during which most people left, and everyone eventually slept) to finish up the project, everyone was up early to get those final details in their presentations. Almost everyone was running on empty. I've never seen so many people stumbling around so quickly at that time of morning, but I guess thats what Shad is all about. After 4 hours of «finalisation» and a quick lunch, it was project time.

The presentations were great, amazing even. Considering that we had tried to solve major problems of aging in about 10 days, the ideas ranged from water filters to bed ramps to exotic retirement villages. Every group was drilled with questions that they had never expected, which wasn't a huge surprise to me. My group, just like every other practice presentation, didn't finish within the 15 minute time constraint so we ended up getting cut off without conclusion (again).

With presentations over (and Nic, our co-ordinator, telling us that we had all been set up for failure from the start of the project), there was mass cheering and hugging. Kind of like graduation or like finishing that last exam of high school. Everyone went back to residence, and I decided to bring out my soccer ball and soon I was up at the soccer field at PEPS (the campus sports complex) with 3 other guys. We all had to run back in order to get changed for the banquet.

The banquet quickly became a festival of random acts with food/drinks. As it turns out, coke and apple juice aren't that great together. The centrepiece of the table turned out have epsom salts in it (sadly, they wouldn't dissolve easily) and soon the small electric candle was buried amongst the salt to make a creepy glowing centrepiece. It also turns out that you can drink the small cream / milk cups that come with coffee if you put them in your mouth whole and bite down on them.

After the banquet was a dance party, of course. The 4th I believe, I wish we had more. At first, there were tables with everyone's picture on one page and each person wrote a memory / impression of that person (inside jokes all over the place). Dancing began slowly, but picked up with time. Like the last party, it didn't last nearly long enough. Back to reidence to "sleep" at about 11:30, although as it turned out everyone was tired for some reason (it's hard to believe, I thought everyone would sleep really well in the computer lab). With the nightfall, everyone rested their heads thinking of the last 3.5 weeks, and thinking of the next 3 days.

Ryan MacDonell, Shad Valley Université Laval 2010
Hometown: Belnan, Nova Scotia

Sunday, July 18, 2010: A Strange Day at Waterloo (but what else is new?)

Today at Shad Waterloo, it was unlike any other day. It was the one day where you could sleep in until noon without having a Program Assistant hunting you down to see if something horribly wrong had happened to you.

With the design projects done and the entire morning designated as free time, many of the Shads had spent the previous night staying up late celebrating and decided to take advantage of the late start of the day’s scheduled activities by emerging from their rooms a few hours later than usual. Personally, I got up early to go for a run before breakfast and then spent most of the morning lounging on the patio outside of our residence.

By the time lunch had rolled around, most of the Shads were up and about. Many of them turned it into a working lunch, putting the finishing touches on their posters for the workshops, which we presented right afterwards. There were workshops on business negotiations, marketing, circuits, magic, the mind, geometric sculptures (mine!) and water. The presentations were a great opportunity to show everyone what we’d been doing all week, with our colourful posters and dazzling visual displays.

Immediately following that, we moved into a session called “This Week and Beyond”, which meant “designing our futures”. We discussed everything from plans for university to job searching to etiquette in the classroom and workplace. Despite being a bit groggy, a lot of the Shads seemed to be really engaged in the discussion and gained plenty of practical information. After that, the PAs assembled onstage for their panel, answering questions about their experiences as university students. Somehow, the discussion began to revolve around doing dishes, but it was useful information all the same.

After a dinner of baked ham, we headed up a floor to the chapel for a presentation by guest speakers, and sisters, Debbe Crandall and Sarah Haney. For the first half of the presentation, Debbe talked about the Oak Ridges Moraine and various conservation efforts to preserve it. Halfway through, Debbe and Sarah switched places, with Sarah discussing protecting whale populations. Once the Shads’ questions had been asked and answered and the speakers had been thanked, we all went off on her preferred mode of reflection, whether that meant a quiet stroll around campus, group discussions or scribbling down thoughts in a journal.

Tomorrow is the birthday of someone very special at Shad Waterloo: our Program Director, Ed Jernigan! We celebrated his birthday a day early and as we munched on brownie cake, we were treated to a surprise performance from the Water Boys, the all male acapella group at UW, who left the crowd of Shads awestruck and screaming for an encore.

There is currently a massive thunderstorm outside right now, but I think I might head to bed early tonight (for once). Even though the design projects are over, the hard work and stress have only just begun. Over these next few days, we’ve got monthbooks and Open Day displays and Variety Night preparations to worry about—not to mention the fact that in less than a week, we’ll be forced to say goodbye to one another and spread ourselves across the country and beyond. It’s hard to believe that we only have a few short days until our Shad experience comes to an end.

At the beginning of the month, they talk about how time at Shad is non-linear and you don’t really get it, but as your time at Shad goes by, some days end up feeling like weeks and some go by in a blink of an eye. Right now, I can’t help but wish time would just slow down. One of the things Ed has said repeatedly over the past few weeks is that it is up to us to get the most out of our Shad experience and I guess the same is true of our final days at Shad: it’s up to us to make those last few days count. So rather than dwelling on the anxiety that’s been building up since the halfway point for me, I am determined to concentrate on living every last second here at Waterloo to its fullest extent and to end an unforgettable experience with an unforgettable week.

Caitlin Loo, Shad Valley University of Waterloo 2010
Hometown: North York, Ontario

July 18

“Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can be great.”- Mark Twain

This quote was brought to the groups’ attention today by a fellow Shad as he and his roommate presented their quick, but meaningful “thought of the day”. For the last 21 days I have ate, slept, and lived amongst a group of 47 great and talented people. People who have challenged, but never demeaned the small portion I had to offer to the overall Shad experience. Like Mark Twain said, these people have done nothing but encourage me to reach my full potential; to spread my wings and fly to heights I’d never have dreamed possible before.

Today we assembled in the lobby of McNeil to do a brief COUNT-OFF before heading off to the event we had all been waiting for with anticipation: The Shad Olympics. Dressed in our house colours we separated into our respected groups and did we ever let the games begin! First on the agenda was “Water You Doing?” This station involved numerous activities that showed one how to be soaked and yet how to drench your opponents even more. Of course, to the relentless cheers of the crowd, the strong and unbeatable House Five dominated the podium.

Next, Shads gathered to participate in the “Obstacle Illusion,” which consisted of a leapfrog/croquet/ crab walking/skipping/ backwards pylon weaving/ hula hooping course. Unfortunately, House Five fell to defeat at this station to the green backs of House Six. To redeem themselves, they caught water balloon after water balloon, to earn themselves the title of champs once again.

To the excitement of most, “Muggle Quidditch” came next. This is not only a popular pastime amongst those enlisted at Howarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, but for Shad students as well. So for the remainder of our Olympic events we could be seen chasing a human snitch around a green pitch, with beaters flinging soggy sponges here and there, and chasers running with the prized purple pool ball to the goal hoops. More often than not I, the seeker, found myself running endless circles around a tree with the intention of tagging a speedy snitch. The laughter that entailed this affair could only be described as a bonus to the general enthrals of the game.

As we wrapped up this final station the lovely program assistants here at Shad Queen’s had one final surprise for us. A shaving cream battle. Before long we were all sporting a t-shirt covered in this frothy, white substance. Not one Shad left the scene in their natural state, and several of us departed with new, distinguished hairstyles that were fashioned with shaving cream as well. Out of all the days that have passed in the last three weeks, this was by far my favourite. Today, the Shad spirit showed a little more than its face.

After supper, we held the annual Queen’s morality plays in the common room. With that we discovered that there are some talented actors/actresses living amongst us. We realised that many of us share the same morals, but have several that differ as well. The skits sent most of the audience into fits of laughter.

With a smile on everyone’s faces, we (except for those whose committees are nearing their deadlines) traipsed off to bed to re-energise for another full day at Shad.

Alas, we’re nearing the ending of this life altering chronicle. Looking back, it is impossible to distinguish where, and in which chapter we became a fully functional family. Nevertheless, this story carries word of a group of 47 kids from across the country, and one from Saudi Arabia, who have discovered the power of their interior drive, how far they can stretch, and how vast their dreams really are. Indeed the final chapter is not far off, but with it one can see that together they have helped each other realise their true greatness. A greatness that was once described by Mark Twain himself, and one that will be lived to its fullest in the hearts of this year’s Shad Queen’s for years to come. Thanks for making this month amazing guys. Goodnight.

Emily Smith, Shad Valley Queen's University
Hometown: Oromocto, New Brunswick

July 18

“Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”

The day started with a lecture from Sam Dube, the last lecture from this eccentric but highly intelligent man. As cheesy as it might sound, all the Shads were anticipating his lecture. However, today we were not treated to any of his intriguing questions of parallel universe or time traveling; we were taught instead, the 21 steps to goal achieving. The quote above was one of the many inspirational quotes thrown in the lecture. At the end of the lecture, the Shads felt a sense of direction and collective enlightenment.

But we were not able to dwell on the lecture for long, for the schedule at Shad did not allow for any free time. We quickly shifted to our next activities. Lunch, for me, was eating quickly, and spending the rest of lunch looking for my choir members for the variety show.

The House Game after lunch, it was revealed, was Amazing Race! The 60 Shads at Carleton were split into groups of 5, and were given riddles containing the location of the stations. Prizes, the main motivation in any competition, of course were promised to the winning team. My team developed a quasi-strategy that worked quite well. We were able to decipher all the location, not all by ourselves. We utilized the Carleton students and staff, we had to sing and dance to “Single Ladies” before the staff at the information desk would tell us the answer. It was a fun detour that we all laughed about for the rest of the race.

We finished the rest of the race with speed, confident that we would grab the big prize. But like every classic movie, the drama happened just as we were about to finish the race. We followed our second last clue, and arrived outside Mackenzie Building. We were sure this was the location, but there were no one in sight. No welcoming grey staff t-shirts, no crowds of other teams crowding to complete their tasks, there was absolutely no one.

The sense of anxiety and stress steadily rises as we looked everywhere in Mackenzie Building. As sweat starts to pour down from the heat of the afternoon sun, we decided to head back to MPR, the last station. Imagine our disappointment, learning that the program assistant left the station early. Although we could have finished first, we still finished fifth. And like another quote from the lecture, “in every adversity there lies a seed of equivalent or greater benefit.” Although we did not win the competition, my team were able to develop a stronger bond with each other (yes, even at this stage of Shad, we can always be closer), and we were able to learn from this experience. Tomorrow is the dreaded DE project presentation. Everyone is scrambling for computers; I wonder how many dreary faces I will see tomorrow morning.

Grace Gao, Shad Valley Carleton University 2010
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Saturday, July 17, 2010

First off, I would like to wish my dad a very happy birthday today...I’m sorry I had to miss it but I’m really glad that I’m at Shad.

Today was hectic. It was our first time ever really going off of campus. All 60 Shads plus PA’s and staff headed downtown to check out the local market and do some shopping. All of us, well equipped for our mission, headed outside the borders of our home and were explorers making a trek through uncharted waters. All the sights and sounds were so exciting to all of us who had been on campus for the past three weeks. The market was amazing. All the vendors and everything they were selling were spectacular. The crafts and pottery, the scented candles and delicious smelling food attracted almost everyone in Fredericton is seemed. Henna tattoos were also popular among the UNB Shads. It was cool to see all the different designs that everyone had when we left. Once we met as a group outside the market, we headed downtown for more shopping. First stop: Geek Chic. I felt bad for the sole employee working today. Sixty uber-intelligent teenagers with the best senses of humour piled into the store filled with Bazinga! mugs, G33K B33R, and “√-1 2³ ∑ (3.14) and it was good” shirts. I think we all could have stayed in there for days without getting bored. We then split up in groups to go around the other downtown shops to see what there was and do some bargain hunting. Some of the places that we went include a music store, a makeup store, a toy store and a craft store, a local park where we could watch the changing of the guard and a used book store called “The Owl’s Nest.” It was a beautiful day outside- sunny, but not too hot (unlike some other days), with a slight breeze. It was perfect.

On the other hand, CT design projects are due tomorrow and everyone is going crazy. Well, almost everyone. It seems that my group is unnaturally calm while everywhere around us are 52 teenagers worrying if they’re going to finish on time and fretting that their business and marketing plans won’t measure up. With everything that is going and everything we have to finish, Unwrapped Innovations is surprisingly calm. It’s great- we’re all relaxed and having fun, chatting and bouncing ideas off of each other and so much work is getting done. For the past week or so we were like the other groups are now- worried and stressed. We didn’t know what we were doing and whether or not we would be able to do it. Our project room was a dungeon keeping us prisoners. Now, however, our room is our oasis; it’s where we go to get away and we love it. We have so much fun working on our product now and we are so much more productive than we ever were when we were worrying all the time. Our Program Director, Ian, told all 60 of us one day that Shad is so unique because it lasts for four weeks as opposed to most programs that only last one. He explained that throughout these four weeks, all the Shads would go through four stages- Forming, storming, norming, and performing. During the past couple of days my group has definitely moved to the performing stage and have become a family. All the Shads are becoming a family. It’s truly amazing to see all the people and the ways that we have all changed because of each other. It has only been a month, only 21 days, but it feels like we haven’t even begun. Everything has gone by so fast, and before we know it it’s going to be over. But I guess it can’t be, because Shad is never over...Shad is forever.

Taylor Taccone, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick 2010
Hometown: Guelph, Ontario

Saturday July 17, 2010

This past month has been one of the hardest times of my life but also the most amazing times of my life. It has been a roller coaster of emotions. Our day began similar to every other day, but very different. The sky was blue, cloudless, and the air was thick with the Ontario heat. The sun rose as we walked across campus to Bistro for breakfast. After breakfast we had Shadnews48 that was run by the news committee. Today was a special day, it was Shad Olympics. Today my committee had the chance to show what we have been putting together for the entire month. Shad Olympics consisted of a relay race which included activities such as shoes in a bin, water balloon passing, and trivia. We also played Ultimate Frisbee, watermelon rugby, and soccer. To conclude the events we had everyone set up for a big picture. They didn’t know that the committee, with help from the PAs were filling up buckets of water in the background. As the pictures were being taken we snuck up from behind and soaked everyone with water. It was amazing. We ate lunch and had a lecture from one of our Program Assistants, Andrew Schmidt. The lecture was on the pros and cons of Stem Cell research. We had a heated debate on people for Embryonic Stem Research and people against it. I was against it and we ended up winning the debate and were awarded the privilege of not doing dishes. The rest of the day consisted of Pod time for our projects. The time literally diminished for our projects. My Pod really felt the stress and limited time of the project. It was the first time I really realized that we only have three more days until we are standing before the judges. Today was our last day to finish the Business plan as it is due Sunday evening. It feels we are so far from completing the project but I know it will all work out in the end. There is less than a week left of Shad, and I cannot believe how quickly the month went. It is amazing how every Shad felt that the first two weeks felt like a month and the last two weeks felt like a couple of days. I am going to take in every moment for the rest of the remaining days.

When I read previous blogs the majority of them said that this experience has changed their lives. I was very skeptical on the idea that twenty- seven days can change one's life. However I have come to realize that these are not just twenty-seven days. Through all the hardships and stress we have encountered we all have come together as a family and as a community. Unfortunately this month has been very hard on me as two of my family members have passed away. It was hard because I did not know what I was going to do, especially being so far away from my family. It was amazing how much love and support I received from everyone from Shad Valley McMaster. I felt like I had my family here to help me through this difficult time. So this was truly a life changing experience that is really… indescribable. I would like to dedicate this post to my Opa (Grandpa) who was so anxious to read my post but was one day short of reading it. He didn’t have to read it… he was with me the whole time.

Devin Buffalo, Shad Valley McMaster University 2010

Hometown: Wetaskiwin, Alberta

July 17 2010 - Back From PEI

It is 11:35 PM right now and we just arrived at our campus. I am in my dorm room right now and as tired as we are, when my roommate came in the room, he simply fell on his bed and went to sleep. It was a long ride from PEI along the Confederation Bridge, and thankfully, I managed to sleep a little bit on the bus so that I can write this blog and finish up our house group’s prototype that’s due tomorrow. Whew! Shad Valley should certainly be known for its tight schedules.

Needless to say, these two days at PEI have been an extraordinary experience. After we arrived in this beautiful province through a breezy ferry ride, we explored the Province House, known as the “Cradle of Confederation.” Many key meetings were held in this building and it played a key role in Canada’s Confederation. After we finished the tour, we went to explore the beautiful downtown Charlottetown, where its tasty Cows ice cream is devoured by happy tourists every day.

We then travelled to a campsite, where we set up our tents. We applied a whole lot of bug spray, but the mosquitoes didn’t seem to be scared of that. Though we didn’t have any alternative solutions against bug attacks, sleeping in the tents felt very good. This second camping trip was definitely a memorable, fun, but challenging experience, because a part of all this was about teamwork.

When I think of PEI, I think of Anne of Green Gables, the famous book written L. M. Montgomery. So what happened? We visited Green Gables on the next day! Located at Cavendish, we explored the famous house and took many exciting pictures. After that, we went to the Cavendish beach (the third beach that we went to so far this month!), where we had lots of fun swimming, playing with jellyfish (and enjoying their stings, haha), playing volleyball, and lying under the big blue sky.

Lastly, what else is PEI known for? Its seafood, of course! Thankfully, our brilliant PAs realized that I will not leave this place without having a full lobster meal. They took us to a huge seafood restaurant, where everyone got one lobster, and a bunch of all-you-can-eats, such as mussels, seafood chowder, and tasty desserts. The lobster was incredible, of course, and I, along with two other Shads, devoured six buckets of mussels. Unfortunately, we were far from beating the old record, where a Shad at Dalhousie managed to eat 5 buckets just by himself. The whole trip was so amazing that anyone who wants to know what it feels like really needs to be here and experience it themselves.
Deyu Wang, Shad Valley Dalhousie University 2010
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

Day 19 - Friday July 16

The shrill sound of my alarm clock forces me rudely from sleep. I sit up, dazed and disoriented. With slowly returning comprehension and excitement, I realize that this is the day. After two weeks of discussions, research and work, presentation day has finally arrived; our final project is due today.

After quickly grabbing a bite of breakfast from the cafe, my seven group members and I walk to where our project room is located. Two hours later, we emerge with our prototypes, along with the other groups and walk nervously over to the building at which we will be presenting. We hold our first ever “town hall” meeting in the auditorium and Barry Bisson, the international director of Shad Valley, joins us. After our meeting and discussion, we head back to our residence to change and grab lunch.

For the next hour pandemonium ensues. Every door is open as people rush in and out borrowing clothes and getting ready. Thirty minutes later I walk back to the auditorium with forty-seven students who have been miraculously transformed into polished business men and women. I watch nervously as the first two groups present their excellent products. When I finally stand up in front of my peers, I am both excited and nervous. Along with Simi and Eric, I know that I have the expectations of our five other hardworking group members resting upon me and upon our presentation. Before I know it though, the final presentation has finished and myself and 47 other Shads erupt in cheering.

We walked back to our residences for a quick change into slightly less formal clothes and then my eight group members, two program assistants, Sharon and Julian, and program director, Ian, walk to downtown Kingston to celebrate with Thai food at a restaurant called Mango. After a huge meal topped with a dessert from White Mountain Ice Cream, we returned to residence to play a card game that has become something of a tradition, “werewolves.” I think it may be at this moment, relaxing in a circle with forty-seven people that I realize that I have been very lucky to make forty-seven new friends; funny, smart, warm, amazing young adults with extraordinary futures ahead of them. I have been extremely lucky to have had the chance to spend the last nineteen days surrounded by these wonderful people, working with them, laughing with them, learning from them. I only wish that I had more than the eight short days that remain before I have to say good-bye…to my friends and to the fantastic experience that is Shad.

Fiona Emdin, Shad Valley Queen's University 2010
Hometown: Picton, Ontario

Friday July 16

There are certain things we just don’t believe in here at Shad MUN: namely, sleep and predictability. Every day so far has been a cocktail of surprises, and this Friday was no different!

My morning, as usual, began at the crack of dawn with an early tai chi class followed by delicious breakfast. Once back at residence I heard something of a commotion on the floor above us, but dismissed it as unimportant as I hurried to prepare for lectures. Soon enough I noticed something rather peculiar: The entire male half of our program had spontaneously coordinated a suit and tie day!

I feel some pity for the poor under-dressed lecturers who had to face three full rows of young men in business attire.
The lectures, as usual, were fascinating and diverse.
Seminars followed lunch, and what better way to revisit childhood than to frolic through the undergrowth chasing butterflies? Our introduction to entomology was incredible and eye-opening. Who knew there was such a complex insect world just outside our windows?

As today’s schedule seemed especially designed to give me flashback to my carefree days as a fourth grader, the workshop was followed by an intense game of four-square. I must admit that I had so far underestimated the competitive nature of Shads: I never imagined we could become so worked up over a friendly match.

Dinner, then a gruelling two hours of house time for us to work on our business plans.
Thankfully, our PAs know exactly how to end such a long day. We’re treated to game night! Cards, puzzles, and board games of every type are laid out and we enjoy a brief period of brain-laziness.

When we finally head to sleep we were relaxed and looking forward to another amazing day, especially since hiking and swimming have both been promised. But we don’t delude ourselves into believing we know exactly what to expect, because that’s just one of those things we don’t believe in at Shad MUN…

Julia De Benetti, Shad Valley Memorial University of Newfoundland 2010
Hometown: Greenfield Park, Quebec

July 16

Today started off just like any other day at Shad Valley McMaster University – highly unique.

We woke up cursing our own dogged persistence at 5:45am, ready for the 5K run that “invigorates” (or so our PD says) us every morning.

After the rough workout, we proceeded to have a quick 3-minute shower, only to hear the sound of bagpipes waking up our fellow comrades who decided to sleep in.

The giant basement “Ravine Room” next to the buggy Cootes Paradise valley is where we grudgingly trudged this morning for our daily philosophical lecture/pep talk from the one and only Kingsley Hurlington.

As we shuffled still half asleep to the “Bistro” for a hearty (only slightly repetitive) breakfast, we were informed that a visit to McMaster’s nuclear reactor had come upon us.

In the meantime, however, we were split into random groups representing each culture at Shad@Mac. While such groups included Korean, Native American, Indian and Saudi Arabian, my group represented all of “Europe.” In the end, we decided to do a silhouette ring representing the European skyline with a candle placed inside of it.

While unfortunately, due to uncontrollable reasons, we could not visit the nuclear reactor, Kingsley – our local geographic expert – decided to inform us of the incredible powers and applications of satellite remote sensing, and challenged us to determine different ways to scan the entire McMaster University campus from space.

In the afternoon, we had intensive pod work time, leading up to the submission of our business plan on this coming Sunday. We all got a little tense at certain points, but we managed to keep our cool and come together to work effectively as a group in the end.

After afternoon pod time, we proceeded to have dinner and go to our Shad “committees” to work on separate projects. My committee, Monthbook – a yearbook-style offline website that aims to document every inch of the Shad@Mac experience – was in its usual chaotic scramble to digest each new event and weave them into eloquent lines of binary.

After committee time, we arrived at our daily guerilla choir practice, again led by the now-famous Kingsley. Today, we began the grueling and slightly awkward stage of separating into sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. We are preparing a rousing rendition of “You Raise Me Up” to which everyone will almost certainly break down to on Open Day.

After all this, we crashed in our beds for the night…that is except me, as I am staying up huddled under my tiny crackling desk lamp past curfew writing this.

Although you may be thinking: why would anyone want to do such a program?

Aside from the amazing friendships and the discovery of what you are truly passionate for, the only answer I can tell you is…

You just have to experience it.

Andrew Webster, Shad Valley McMaster University 2010
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario�

July 16, 2010

This is like the second time (since the visit to Old Quebec) that I'm off campus. Woohoo! Two PA's, a Shad, and I went to Maxie's to buy groceries for the Multicultural Night tomorrow. I am so excited to cook tomorrow. Me and a team of ten Shads will cook dinner for tomorrow, consisting of a menu which includes a shrimp ring, nachos, pasta, spring rolls, pad thai, greek salad, poutine, fruit salad, and pavlova. We spent over three hundred dollars on groceries, and all within an hour. After we piled everything into the van, sweating inside the heat of the car, Daniel, the director of Shad Laval, asked where we wanted to eat lunch. Shawn, a PA, immediately said Anderson's. Olivia and I glanced at each other, with no idea what that place was. "You can only get it in Quebec, and they have poutine." Wow. Poutine. Quebec Poutine. I was convinced. As I entered the fast food restaurant, I was surprised at how clean everything was. There so much varieties of poutine. There was one with meatsauce, gravy, and sausages, and another one with chicken, peas, and cheese curds. I ordered the latter. Served in a small aluminium bowl, I was surprised at how filling it was.

We arrived back to the university so that Olivia and I could attend our seminars. Mine was on optics, so me and ten other Shads took a tour of a lab containing different lasers and lights. We had to wear hats, slippers, and a coat to prevent contaminating the place with dust. It was so cool!

During project time, our group just realized we only had 3 more days until our projects are due... there is so much to do! Stress is upon our shoulders, yet many people continue to go on Facebook (except me of course).

With that aside, I can't wait until I can cook for the Multicultural dinner tomorrow. I'm in charge of the desserts, and I will be making my favourite: Pavlovas. I could go on forever about how delicious pavlovas are, but that's not the point. It's about Shad.

There is exactly one more week left, and I must treasure these last moments, making the best out of it, before I fly back home.

Karyn Liu, Shad Valley Université Laval 2010

Hometown: Richmond, British Columbia

Day 18 - Thursday July 15

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do […] Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

I draw inspiration from this quote each day but I feel that these words of wisdom resonate no stronger than here in the Shad Valley program at UBC. I speak for all my fellow Shads when I say that I truly appreciate that so many opportunities have been presented to me - exciting, new things that I have never done before and other things that I have never dreamed of doing.

After breakfast in the Totem Park Cafeteria, we headed over to the Irving Barber Learning Center for an engaging workshop by Dr. Jon Nakame, the lab manager for UBC's Engineering Physics department. We were introduced to the wonders of electronic circuitry- breadboard, batteries, LEDs, motors, switches, accelerometers, capacitors, and much, much more. In pairs of two, we all tried our hand at constructing various circuits in increasing complexity. After, we made the short trek to the EngPhys Project Lab to witness UBC students in action. They are currently working on entries for a robotics competition. The theme changes year from year; this year requires competitors to put together a robot that races a rival robot around a winding race track. The catch is - there is a shortcut that eliminates the difficulty of several sharp curves but the robot must confront a ramp instead. After lunch, the Shads went to the Department of Forestry building for a lecture "Climate Project Canada, YesBC!" by guest speaker Judy Fanstein. We were interested to learn that she has just recently returned from a weekend training session with former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore where participants were trained to make presentations based on Gore's acclaimed documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". Half of her presentation was devoted to raising awareness of the cause and impact of climate change around the world. The second half was about the greenroots environmental leadership program that she founded herself - YesBC! (Youth for Environmental Stewardship). YesBC! also has received a grant from the Steve Nash Foundation with which they will purchase tree seedlings for participants. For rec, we all participated in "Shad Valley UBC Campus Chase 2010", which is inspired by the vastly popular television show: "The Amazing Race". Randomly paired with another Shad, we had to complete tasks at stations dispersed throughout the UBC campus. For the first task, we all had to collect 5 distinct items from a list. My team collected a maple leaf, a red pen, velcro, non-UBC lanyard, and a business card with an area code not in the Vancouver area. For the other tasks that were required to successfully complete the challenge, my partner and I did had to unscramble cryptic clues in order to find the next waypoint including the following:

This ain't no carnival, foo!

Don't be cheeky! There's no time to stop and smell the roses when there's a task at hand!

We quickly deciphered this clue and ran to the Rose Garden at the far end of campus. There my partner had to face-paint on me Nintendo’s Mario character to a PA's satisfaction. For the six tasks, my partner and I took a little over an hour to complete and to our pleasure; we came in the top 10 of the 25 team field. After dinner, we were given an hour for committee time and the rest of the time to work on the house project!

Our time at Shad Valley is winding down but I am ecstatic that I got to share my incredible experience here with 51 other talented and motivated Shads. Good luck with your house projects and good night!

Adam Hsieh, Shad Valley University of British Columbia 2010
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Thursday July 15

Here at Shad Waterloo, everyone woke up to an always delicious breakfast prepared by the Grebel kitchen and headed off to our morning lecture. Paul presented us a refreshing change to our normal lectures as we participated in an interactive design activity called a bricolage. A bricolage is the practice of assembling stuff-at-hand in order to create something new; in this case, we were to design a toy to entertain a 4 year old and a 6 year old in hopes of getting a 48' flat screen TV from the parents. This activity brought out the kid in all of us and gave an uplifting break from stressing about completing our design projects for tomorrow.

Next, I headed off to “Magic for Muggles” and learned some great card tricks, coin tricks and secrets of the pros. Our workshop group is getting ready to hopefully present some of these tricks in the workshop poster presentation and impress the rest of the Shads.

After lunch, we had another lecture by Rob and how he works integrating art into engineering design problems. With his company, Gorbet Designs Inc., he showed us the amazing solar energy sculpture which collects energy during the day and presents a light show which people can submit patterns for online. He talked about how he went through the design process and gave us an interesting perspective of how to apply the design in real life applications. Following the lecture, we had some project time. As the stress was building up for the big day tomorrow, we had a recreational activity to cool off some heat.

The staff kept us in suspense about what the recreational activity was until it was time. The big reveal showed that all 48 of us Shads will be playing a huge game of capture the flag! The territory spanned a quarter of the Waterloo campus and the competition grew between the “RED TEAM” and the “BLUE TEAM”. We played for a good hour under thunderstorm watch and as predicted, the thunder and lightening shut down the game. After letting loose and having some fun, we went back and focused on our design projects, frantically trying to finish and perfect everything for the project conference.

As I sit in our project room, working with my group hoping to sleep within the next few hours, we have pulled together as a team. This night has been the epitome of the Shad experience and possibly the hardest night of my life but one of the most memorable experiences ever.

Jeannie Xu, Shad Valley University of Waterloo 2010
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario