July 11, 2010
The best way to start the week off after a week of labour-intensive designing and captivating lectures is to have an extra two hours of sleep. Today at Shad Waterloo, we Shads had the opportunity to relax and take in a bright and marvellous day on campus. Breakfast was extended until ten a.m. and as usual the food served at the Conrad Grebel University College was phenomenal.
Shortly following breakfast, the usual morning lecture held by the P.A.s was non-existent and we were given time to work on our design projects. The goal of the project is to develop a solution to a problem that was distributed to us Shads; this year, the theme of the problem regards seniors and how to improve the aging population’s lifestyle. The prototypes developed by the separate groups are getting assessed tomorrow. Yikes.
After a long and productive two hours, lunch was served; the food prepared for us today was probably one of the best lunches we have ever had, eggs Benedict. Lunch was short lived and all 48 of us assembled in a classroom to share the experiences and knowledge we gained from spending four days at different workshops with experts varying in fields such as neuroscience, virtual reality, community building, stained glass creation, biomedical testing, and even golfing. We then had community time, which is reserved time where you have an obligation to make use of that time. Though some of us used it to continue working on our prototypes, most of us gathered in the Common Room to watch the World Cup finals.
Once the clock read 8:30 p.m., we once again gathered to hear from the P.A. panel. They basically tell you about their lives as university students and today they spoke about the transition from high school into University. The main idea that came across from hearing them speak was to prioritize your life and do the things you are passionate about.
Dinner came along and many starving students made their way to the cafeteria and leaving with a stomach full of beef stew (vegetable stew for vegetarians). After dinner, there was more design time; time is really a big factor here a Shad. You might find yourself scrapping for another five minutes trying to get work done or to get to lectures on time, or time can be “a week here is a day, a month a week, and a year a month” (Ed Jernigan, Program Director for Shad Waterloo).
After a hectic, but unusually relaxed day, we Shads took a walk around Ring Road for a time of reflection. We all walked 20 seconds apart, about 30 paces behind each other, each thinking about their experience at Shad and how to improve the ride.
The day ended with a delightful snack of popsicles and to many of us, completed a very calm day. Many may be under the perception that Shad is centred on work, work, and more work, but it is quite the opposite. There is plenty of time to socialize and to develop new relationships; Shad is not just another nerd camp, it is a tremendous thrill ride.
Nestor Abarca, Shad Valley University of Waterloo 2010
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
