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