Eight days. That’s how long it’s been since I stepped into the Mcneil house to begin this transformative journey of mind, body, and soul. Each day has been full to the brim with experiences unique to the setting, new challenges, and relationships that will last a lifetime. Today was no exception as we started fresh on a new list of activities, after the relaxation of Sunday. It began early, as I was raised at 6:30am to the squeal of my roommate’s alarm clock. We had both decided to run in the mornings with a few of the other Shads, and so we took the time to wake up while inhaling the early Kingston air. After the customary speed shower and breakfast, we began the first part of our lecture/workshop on team chemistry and building. We were walked through different fashions of designing groups of individuals into strong, diverse, and functional teams that can accomplish much more than the sum of their parts. We also did an activity involving a maze, and as a team making it through, while memorizing the previous path. A quick lunch and we were back at it, continuing with other group growth projects, including blindfolded and no speech concepts. It was very informative and easily applicable to our current projects, where all our new found knowledge can be easily integrated into our group dynamics.
After this workshop finished, we reviewed our hotel projects, and received feedback from our instructors, before taking a nice break to play some soccer. After dinner, we created posters to present our main project, on a product/service for seniors. Our day ended with snack, games, and the customary game of “werewolf” that has become so popular. We know that the day ahead will bring new challenges, and in all honesty, we can’t wait!
Gabriel Lessard-Kragen, Shad Valley Queen’s University 2010
Hometown: Quadra Island, British Columbia
