The dreaded day of departure had finally arrived; the 29th of July, also known as waterworks day. Most of us at Laval stayed up the whole night. After the amazing performances at the Open Day celebration the day before, we headed back to residence to spend our last night together. I went up to my room to pack my luggage. It was about 12:05 AM as my roommate and I simply dumped our clothes into our suitcases in a hurry. Soon there was a knock on our door and Valeria stood in the doorway with my monthbook. We rushed down to the dance room in the basement where most of the Shads were on the floor signing each others' monthbooks. It was an overwhelming experience having almost 50 people in one room scribbling their thoughts/feelings and yelling "IM DONE! DOES ANYONE HAVE ANOTHER MONTHBOOK!" What's more depressing was the fact that mostly slow songs were being played on the speakers. After a while some Shads simply could not take it anymore and had to go to bed. Others went to the laundry room to do laundry, while some went to the recreation room to play ping pong and sign monthbooks there. After writing in half of the books I was exhausted and did not want to write anymore. It was like writing an essay for most of us procrastinating Shads; up past midnight, drinking coffee too keep our drooping eyes wide open, the difference was that we wanted to write and had many emotions to share. My message to each person was unique because each of these wonderful people moved me in a special way. Before we knew it, the time was 6:00 AM and the first 2 people had to leave. Hugs all around, tears falling down; it was an emotional time for all. Soon after, some Shads called a cab and left because they could not deal with the emotions. I missed their departure as I went up to check if I had packed everything. I came downstairs and discovered that my cab which was supposed to arrive at 8 was rescheduled to pick me up at 9. I walked around trying to comfort those who were crying and I lied on the couch and took a short nap. I was suddenly woken up by Bryan (a program assistant) who asked for my keys and meal card and told me that the cab had arrived. I was dazed and thought that I was dreaming. I could not believe my Shad journey had actually come to an end as I hugged the sobbing Shads at the door. I was in the cab with Meagan, Midori and Judy, and as we drove in somewhat of a silence I realized that it was truly over, I was not dreaming. I had to accept that we would all never be in the same place at the same time ever again. It was time for me to pop my Shad bubble and enter back into the real world. We checked in at the airport, caught our flight and soon we were on our way back to Toronto. I was greeted at the airport by my parents whom I dearly love for sending me to Shad. I am extremely glad that I got to spend my month of July at Laval University with some of the most incredible youth in Canada. Thank you all at Laval (especially the staff) for enriching my Shad Valley experience and making it one of the most memorable months of my life. I miss you all already and wish you guys the best if luck in whatever you choose to pursue. Remember it is not good bye for us at Laval, it is au revoir (until we meet again).
Mervyn Mendonca, Shad Valley Université Laval'11
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Friday, July 29, 2011
July 29 - Day 27
We've all been gone from campus barely 5 hours as of my writing this, and I still don't think it's really set in yet. Today really started at 11:00pm last night with the end of our Variety Show. We all ran back to our rooms to pack everything within an hour. Needless to say, much panic ensued, and when that dust settled, we had to clean up after all of the Open Day stuff, from posters to signs to chairs and more.
We then went on a silent walk to reflect on our month and all that had happened to us, sharing what we thought being at Shad meant to each of us. Afterwards we all came back to the residence, where we sat down, got our monthbooks and proceeded to spend the rest of the night/morning signing everyone's autograph pages. Finally we stumbled outside and watched the sunrise over the St. John river.
Throughout this entire experience, we had been clinging on to every last shred of sleep we could get, and yet on this last day we gave all of that up for a few more hours with each other. And it was totally worth it!
I want to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to all the P.A.s for their hard work in making sure that we didn't miss a minute of the Shad experience. I also want to extend a massive thank you to our Program Directors, Ian Fogarty and Dhirendra Shukla, for all the hard work they put in to designing the spectacular program we've had this month, finding us all those incredible lecturers and creating a fun-filled, if stressful, schedule for us every day.
As we look back on the month we've had here at UNB -- building robots, designing Rube Goldberg machines, learning the ins and outs of the stock market, working tirelessly on our CT projects, and learning about exploding dinosaurs -- I can't help but think about the importance of what we've all been through here. Everything you do in life changes what happens to you, changes the course your life will take, and though it's usually something small like turning left or turning right at a crossroads, sometimes it's something bigger. Shad was an absolutely massive change, and to have been a part of this experience, and to have it change us the way it did, words could never do justice to what this whole month has meant to us, now and into the future. We started this month as 58 high-schoolers -- confused, bewildered, and a little nervous -- but we leave here as 58 Shads, and that's something that I wouldn't change for the world.
Alex Perelgut, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick '11
Hometown: Etobicoke, ON
We then went on a silent walk to reflect on our month and all that had happened to us, sharing what we thought being at Shad meant to each of us. Afterwards we all came back to the residence, where we sat down, got our monthbooks and proceeded to spend the rest of the night/morning signing everyone's autograph pages. Finally we stumbled outside and watched the sunrise over the St. John river.
Throughout this entire experience, we had been clinging on to every last shred of sleep we could get, and yet on this last day we gave all of that up for a few more hours with each other. And it was totally worth it!
I want to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to all the P.A.s for their hard work in making sure that we didn't miss a minute of the Shad experience. I also want to extend a massive thank you to our Program Directors, Ian Fogarty and Dhirendra Shukla, for all the hard work they put in to designing the spectacular program we've had this month, finding us all those incredible lecturers and creating a fun-filled, if stressful, schedule for us every day.
As we look back on the month we've had here at UNB -- building robots, designing Rube Goldberg machines, learning the ins and outs of the stock market, working tirelessly on our CT projects, and learning about exploding dinosaurs -- I can't help but think about the importance of what we've all been through here. Everything you do in life changes what happens to you, changes the course your life will take, and though it's usually something small like turning left or turning right at a crossroads, sometimes it's something bigger. Shad was an absolutely massive change, and to have been a part of this experience, and to have it change us the way it did, words could never do justice to what this whole month has meant to us, now and into the future. We started this month as 58 high-schoolers -- confused, bewildered, and a little nervous -- but we leave here as 58 Shads, and that's something that I wouldn't change for the world.
Alex Perelgut, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick '11
Hometown: Etobicoke, ON
July 29 - Day 27
The last day of Shad Valley Lakehead 2011 didn't ever begin. The preceding day continued until the moment the first two Shads to depart left at 5 am. The moment the Lakehead Shads were separated represented, for me, the end of Shad Valley. That is why I choose to write, this ''last day'' of Shad Valley, about a few special memories made and lessons learned this month.
There was perhaps no moment that I enjoyed most at Shad Valley than the moment my team exited the Shad Cup presentation room. The moment was one of pure relief and of pride.
There was something special, something touching about seeing the friends we had been with through the highs and lows of the experience don their finest attire and deliver business presentations with professionalism. It made me take a step back and realize that, wow, my fellow Shads were an impressive bunch! They were inspiring individuals that I could learn from and that I had in fact already learned from.
My fellow Shads helped me handle an issue I had been struggling with recently, as a new university student. A first year of university marked by stellar results, but even more so by sleep deprivation and frustration left me wondering if my weaknesses -a limited supply of energy and overwhelming test anxiety- would keep me from achieving my goals. I attributed my success during the year to motivation and zeal for what I do. However, it seemed to me that if I didn't keep running a never-ending marathon, I would ruin everything. It worried me that perhaps at some point motivation wouldn't be enough. I wondered if I should accept that my mere humanity would warrant my eventual failure.
Shad Valley taught me that even the most amazing star students -the concert musicians, the teen serial entrepreneurs, the kids who take all at math competitions- were just as human as I was. In the writing of the Shad Cup business plan, my Shad Cup Group had many ups and downs, but we nevertheless were able to write a business plan that garnered us the ''Best Business Plan'' award. My Shad Cup Group was made stronger by overcoming difficulties. Through the Shad Valley experience, I realized that I had legitimate strengths and that the weaknesses I had wouldn't hinder my success. Rather, weaknesses might help me become better. Taking a water break in the middle of the marathon would benefit me. This is just one of the lessons I have learned at Shad Valley.
I know that I will continue learning from my experiences as a Shad, even though my plane pierced through the clouds hovering over Thunder Bay, Ontario this afternoon. A month wasn't long enough to absorb all the new life experiences that I was exposed to at Shad Valley. Shad Valley has already changed the way I edit a paper (Perfection! The Shad Cup judges will see this.), give a high-5 (Watch the elbow!), and feel about pulling all-nighters (I can do it!). However, it will change so much more as time goes on. How could it not, when I have felt my perspective on life itself slowly evolving all month long into something more clear and more reassuring? When the people I have met at Shad are promising life-long friends? I feel that I will look back on Shad in future years, not just as one of the most memorable summers of my life, but also as the beginning of a new era in my life.
Shad was an action-packed socializing marathon that I would live forever if I could, but I am ready to go home now and dive back into the real world. I am ready to kick-start my post-Shad life.
Aurelie Pare, Shad Valley Lakehead'11
Hometown: Moncton, NB
There was perhaps no moment that I enjoyed most at Shad Valley than the moment my team exited the Shad Cup presentation room. The moment was one of pure relief and of pride.
There was something special, something touching about seeing the friends we had been with through the highs and lows of the experience don their finest attire and deliver business presentations with professionalism. It made me take a step back and realize that, wow, my fellow Shads were an impressive bunch! They were inspiring individuals that I could learn from and that I had in fact already learned from.
My fellow Shads helped me handle an issue I had been struggling with recently, as a new university student. A first year of university marked by stellar results, but even more so by sleep deprivation and frustration left me wondering if my weaknesses -a limited supply of energy and overwhelming test anxiety- would keep me from achieving my goals. I attributed my success during the year to motivation and zeal for what I do. However, it seemed to me that if I didn't keep running a never-ending marathon, I would ruin everything. It worried me that perhaps at some point motivation wouldn't be enough. I wondered if I should accept that my mere humanity would warrant my eventual failure.
Shad Valley taught me that even the most amazing star students -the concert musicians, the teen serial entrepreneurs, the kids who take all at math competitions- were just as human as I was. In the writing of the Shad Cup business plan, my Shad Cup Group had many ups and downs, but we nevertheless were able to write a business plan that garnered us the ''Best Business Plan'' award. My Shad Cup Group was made stronger by overcoming difficulties. Through the Shad Valley experience, I realized that I had legitimate strengths and that the weaknesses I had wouldn't hinder my success. Rather, weaknesses might help me become better. Taking a water break in the middle of the marathon would benefit me. This is just one of the lessons I have learned at Shad Valley.
I know that I will continue learning from my experiences as a Shad, even though my plane pierced through the clouds hovering over Thunder Bay, Ontario this afternoon. A month wasn't long enough to absorb all the new life experiences that I was exposed to at Shad Valley. Shad Valley has already changed the way I edit a paper (Perfection! The Shad Cup judges will see this.), give a high-5 (Watch the elbow!), and feel about pulling all-nighters (I can do it!). However, it will change so much more as time goes on. How could it not, when I have felt my perspective on life itself slowly evolving all month long into something more clear and more reassuring? When the people I have met at Shad are promising life-long friends? I feel that I will look back on Shad in future years, not just as one of the most memorable summers of my life, but also as the beginning of a new era in my life.
Shad was an action-packed socializing marathon that I would live forever if I could, but I am ready to go home now and dive back into the real world. I am ready to kick-start my post-Shad life.
Aurelie Pare, Shad Valley Lakehead'11
Hometown: Moncton, NB
Thursday, July 28, 2011
July 28 - Day 26
For the past few weeks, I've set my alarm to six AM so I can give myself an hour to sleep in, and then eventually roll out of bed at seven-thirty, get ready in about ten minutes and race down to breakfast. Today I actually woke up at six and laid awake in bed for about an hour, just thinking about the day ahead. Today was the second last day of Shad Valley, our Open Day, and really the finale to the wonderful four weeks we've had together before tomorrow morning, which is absolutely sure to be a steady flow of tears from the moment we wake up to the moment we get on the plane.
Open day was mentioned more than any other event over the duration of the program, and with good reason -this is the day that our parents, our lecturers, professors, and even complete strangers, will come to see exactly what Shad Valley is all about. I think Shads across the country were all meticulously preparing CT boards, posters and variety show acts, but at Shad Valley UNB our program directors decided to give us total carte blanche for the reception, banquet and variety show. It seemed like such an opportunity at first to be able to organize our own open day, but I can tell you that it quickly became, for lack of better description, a gong show. Last night encompassed a very bumpy dress rehearsal filled with cracking up mid-act by the performers (I did it too, so no judgment), the program having to be redesigned about four times and an absolute cacophony of about five or six computers all blasting music for people to practice to. Suffice to say, it didn't look like today was going to go too well, especially as my three fellow MCs and I had barely started on a script that was supposed to cover from five all the way to eleven PM.
This morning was a whirlwind of last-minute practicing, running around for gluesticks to finish posters and, of course, delicious pancakes for our last breakfast at meal hall. After a quick lunch and chaos in the girls' hall as we all rushed to get ready (as overweight as we all were on our baggage, apparently we still had to borrow things off other people), Open Day kicked off at one PM with everyone milling around the CT projects, Rube Goldberg machines, lecture posters and a giant world map that marked where each and every Shad had been born. It was so fun to get to see everyone's parents being led around and the guests going from booth to booth, and of course there was an incredible sense of accomplishment looking back on all that we've done over the past month.
The reception and banquet started after a short walk to the student union building, and I have to say that I think for a last-minute patch job, us MCs did the Shads justice. With only a few minor hiccups, the banquet ran pretty smoothly with some sentimental PA thank-yous, a few amazing guest speakers, scrumptious chocolate cake and a general air of excitement and accomplishment. The 'Shad Valley graduation ceremony' was particularly momentous for us Shads; it simultaneously represented a month of hard work and growth but at the same time marked the end of an unbelievable experience.
Our variety show was the perfect way to end open day. Everyone changed into their white-on-purple Shad UNB t-shirts and we saw an amazing three hours of singing, dancing, speeches and instrumental performances, punctuated by bad MC jokes and culminating in a whole-group rendition of "Time of Your Life", which I know will make me cry the next time I hear it. There have been so many memories made in the short four weeks we've been here, so many lessons learned and so many great friendships forged. It's actually July 30th as I'm finishing this, which doesn't say much about my punctuality, but the last twelve hours of Shad Valley definitely took precedence. I feel so privileged to have been a part of this community, and I know it doesn't end here. The Shad legacy will continue on for years to come, and the bonds between everyone will only strengthen over time.
Yuting Pan, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick'11
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Open day was mentioned more than any other event over the duration of the program, and with good reason -this is the day that our parents, our lecturers, professors, and even complete strangers, will come to see exactly what Shad Valley is all about. I think Shads across the country were all meticulously preparing CT boards, posters and variety show acts, but at Shad Valley UNB our program directors decided to give us total carte blanche for the reception, banquet and variety show. It seemed like such an opportunity at first to be able to organize our own open day, but I can tell you that it quickly became, for lack of better description, a gong show. Last night encompassed a very bumpy dress rehearsal filled with cracking up mid-act by the performers (I did it too, so no judgment), the program having to be redesigned about four times and an absolute cacophony of about five or six computers all blasting music for people to practice to. Suffice to say, it didn't look like today was going to go too well, especially as my three fellow MCs and I had barely started on a script that was supposed to cover from five all the way to eleven PM.
This morning was a whirlwind of last-minute practicing, running around for gluesticks to finish posters and, of course, delicious pancakes for our last breakfast at meal hall. After a quick lunch and chaos in the girls' hall as we all rushed to get ready (as overweight as we all were on our baggage, apparently we still had to borrow things off other people), Open Day kicked off at one PM with everyone milling around the CT projects, Rube Goldberg machines, lecture posters and a giant world map that marked where each and every Shad had been born. It was so fun to get to see everyone's parents being led around and the guests going from booth to booth, and of course there was an incredible sense of accomplishment looking back on all that we've done over the past month.
The reception and banquet started after a short walk to the student union building, and I have to say that I think for a last-minute patch job, us MCs did the Shads justice. With only a few minor hiccups, the banquet ran pretty smoothly with some sentimental PA thank-yous, a few amazing guest speakers, scrumptious chocolate cake and a general air of excitement and accomplishment. The 'Shad Valley graduation ceremony' was particularly momentous for us Shads; it simultaneously represented a month of hard work and growth but at the same time marked the end of an unbelievable experience.
Our variety show was the perfect way to end open day. Everyone changed into their white-on-purple Shad UNB t-shirts and we saw an amazing three hours of singing, dancing, speeches and instrumental performances, punctuated by bad MC jokes and culminating in a whole-group rendition of "Time of Your Life", which I know will make me cry the next time I hear it. There have been so many memories made in the short four weeks we've been here, so many lessons learned and so many great friendships forged. It's actually July 30th as I'm finishing this, which doesn't say much about my punctuality, but the last twelve hours of Shad Valley definitely took precedence. I feel so privileged to have been a part of this community, and I know it doesn't end here. The Shad legacy will continue on for years to come, and the bonds between everyone will only strengthen over time.
Yuting Pan, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick'11
Hometown: Calgary, AB
July 28 - Day 26
The day’s events began with Open day, where all of us prepared and presented all the different aspects of Shad Carleton program to the parents, the general public, and the media. I was personally in charge of the booth for late night and lectures so I got to really tell the visitors about all the fun we had at the different late nights and all the interesting things we learned at the lectures.
Later that night was the closing banquet and the variety show. The banquet had delicious food and was really special because the staff, some of our family members, along with important speakers and Shad Valley supporters were there. What was even more special was the variety show afterwards. All of us got to showcase our talent to everyone, including our parents, for the last time. At the end we all got up there to sing our Shad song and had a large sentimental group hug afterwards. By the time we all packed up and exited the banquet hall, we were all tearing up.
What I didn’t expect were the events that happened after the banquet. We got our Shadwear (sweaters) and took a long walk over to a clearing where we had our closing ceremony. After that we headed over to Dunton towers where we had another one of those emotional sharing sessions. Everyone was pouring their heart about how they have changed and how Shad helped them.
Looking back, these events really reminded me about how much all of us Shads bonded, changed and learned over the course of the program. Shad Valley was amazing, or should I say, Shadmazing, and I will never forget it nor let go of the friendships I’ve made this summer.
Sharon Chen, Shad Valley Carleton University'11
Hometown: Scarborough, ON
Later that night was the closing banquet and the variety show. The banquet had delicious food and was really special because the staff, some of our family members, along with important speakers and Shad Valley supporters were there. What was even more special was the variety show afterwards. All of us got to showcase our talent to everyone, including our parents, for the last time. At the end we all got up there to sing our Shad song and had a large sentimental group hug afterwards. By the time we all packed up and exited the banquet hall, we were all tearing up.
What I didn’t expect were the events that happened after the banquet. We got our Shadwear (sweaters) and took a long walk over to a clearing where we had our closing ceremony. After that we headed over to Dunton towers where we had another one of those emotional sharing sessions. Everyone was pouring their heart about how they have changed and how Shad helped them.
Looking back, these events really reminded me about how much all of us Shads bonded, changed and learned over the course of the program. Shad Valley was amazing, or should I say, Shadmazing, and I will never forget it nor let go of the friendships I’ve made this summer.
Sharon Chen, Shad Valley Carleton University'11
Hometown: Scarborough, ON
July 28 - Day 26
As we woke today, trying to sort out realities with dreams, we come to the sudden realization that this is last day that we will be together as one. Although we would much rather it is a figment of our imagination, what is real can’t be denied, no matter how hard we may try. Yet discussion of the date and its significance was still a taboo at breakfast tables.
The day then started picking up. Setting up for open day, then frantically changing into appropriate attire… Running up and down the ten flights of stairs we have all become so familiar with… By the time the banquet finished, everyone was ready to just relax. But of course, as always, we had to book it back to Hedden Hall to get ready for the next event.
The variety show was held in the prestigious convocation hall, where we danced, juggled, sang, and everything in between. From the confused faces of parents when Shads break out laughing, it does seem like we have more than a few inside jokes among us. Time flashed by as memories of Shad also flashed before my eyes: each challenge, each event, each dorky moment, and each astounding realization.
It was only after the finale of the variety show, (I think it’s the shock of the fact that we had finished the last of our responsibilities) that tears flowed. These tears were genuine. These tears were heartfelt. These tears were a result of our futile attempts to halt the progression of time.
Once upon a time, we walked in complete silence to sacrifice something towards the community. Today, we marched down the same path. But this time, instead of individuals walking towards the same destination, we grabbed hold of each other and formed chains. We walked together. Our footsteps in sync. No one talked. Yet we communicated.
For a whole month everyone has put in effort to create this community. Now, we had to place it on the chopping block with our own hands. No one’s willing, and no one’s glad. But what needs to be done has to be done. Everything beautiful must eventually come to an end so we can look back at it in awe. But then again, “end” is not the adjective for Shad @ Mac 2011. Rather, it is a stage. I will never forget the lessons I’ve learned here. I will never forget the incredible individuals who have taught me in ways they might not even be aware. Thank you, I love you all.
Alisha Chen, Shad Valley McMaster ‘11
Hometown: Calgary, AB
The day then started picking up. Setting up for open day, then frantically changing into appropriate attire… Running up and down the ten flights of stairs we have all become so familiar with… By the time the banquet finished, everyone was ready to just relax. But of course, as always, we had to book it back to Hedden Hall to get ready for the next event.
The variety show was held in the prestigious convocation hall, where we danced, juggled, sang, and everything in between. From the confused faces of parents when Shads break out laughing, it does seem like we have more than a few inside jokes among us. Time flashed by as memories of Shad also flashed before my eyes: each challenge, each event, each dorky moment, and each astounding realization.
It was only after the finale of the variety show, (I think it’s the shock of the fact that we had finished the last of our responsibilities) that tears flowed. These tears were genuine. These tears were heartfelt. These tears were a result of our futile attempts to halt the progression of time.
Once upon a time, we walked in complete silence to sacrifice something towards the community. Today, we marched down the same path. But this time, instead of individuals walking towards the same destination, we grabbed hold of each other and formed chains. We walked together. Our footsteps in sync. No one talked. Yet we communicated.
For a whole month everyone has put in effort to create this community. Now, we had to place it on the chopping block with our own hands. No one’s willing, and no one’s glad. But what needs to be done has to be done. Everything beautiful must eventually come to an end so we can look back at it in awe. But then again, “end” is not the adjective for Shad @ Mac 2011. Rather, it is a stage. I will never forget the lessons I’ve learned here. I will never forget the incredible individuals who have taught me in ways they might not even be aware. Thank you, I love you all.
Alisha Chen, Shad Valley McMaster ‘11
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27 - Day 25
In the morning, we walked together to the campus' sport complex for a surprise physical activity: a football-bootcamp where we all endured three hours of various physically demanding activities and a touch football game. Lunch went by at lightning speed after the morning of constantly running around.
Before we knew it, it was nighttime and it was time for our final conference. This conference was unlike all the the other, more academic ones this month -- all the staff members shared an intimate piece of their lives that they felt had really shaped them. It felt like it lead all members in that room to another plane of interpretation on their lives, relationships with each other and inevitably, brought everyone closer together. The intimacy between everyone advanced as all the Shads stood in a line, holding one piece of long string that we had to grasp onto as we travelled to the next building (where our group activity would be held).
As we made our way slowly to the Kruger building, I'm positive we appeared to be a cult since everyone had their Shad Laval t-shirts or sweaters with the hood on. Upon arrival, we all received electrical-look-alike candles (rather than using actual candles = good risk management), and sat in a tight circle. The moment was truly magical as everyone shared their dreams and promises for the future.
Today is the second last day of creating beautiful memories with these 49 wonderful Shads. However, today with all it's diverse activities, undoubtedly was the perfect way to end the final 'program' day.
Jade Choy, Shad Valley Laval '11
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Before we knew it, it was nighttime and it was time for our final conference. This conference was unlike all the the other, more academic ones this month -- all the staff members shared an intimate piece of their lives that they felt had really shaped them. It felt like it lead all members in that room to another plane of interpretation on their lives, relationships with each other and inevitably, brought everyone closer together. The intimacy between everyone advanced as all the Shads stood in a line, holding one piece of long string that we had to grasp onto as we travelled to the next building (where our group activity would be held).
As we made our way slowly to the Kruger building, I'm positive we appeared to be a cult since everyone had their Shad Laval t-shirts or sweaters with the hood on. Upon arrival, we all received electrical-look-alike candles (rather than using actual candles = good risk management), and sat in a tight circle. The moment was truly magical as everyone shared their dreams and promises for the future.
Today is the second last day of creating beautiful memories with these 49 wonderful Shads. However, today with all it's diverse activities, undoubtedly was the perfect way to end the final 'program' day.
Jade Choy, Shad Valley Laval '11
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
July 27 - Day 25
Today at Shad MUN we awoke to a hot breakfast sponsored by Memorial University Student Recruiting. After the exciting events of the previous night (when our presentations took place and our winning team was announced) this day was meant to be as relaxing as possible, in reward for all of our hard work over the last month.
After listening to the many distinct advantages of going to university at MUN, and receiving information from Dr. Lye about the upcoming Shad Cup, we were given a special surprise – a guided bus tour of St. John’s. The bus tour took us all over St. John’s, and a personal favourite attraction was the Bowring Park Duck Pond. After the bus tour we were given free time to eat dinner and explore downtown St. John’s.
After our last stressful committee sessions in preparation for Open Day, the Banquet and the Variety Show tomorrow, we were told to gather a pen and paper, wear closed-toed shoes, and head over to the Science Building for a final enlightening lecture. Alas, there was one final surprise! Instead of the informative lecture we had all been told to prepare for, we were shown a video created by the staff that showcased how we had spent our time here at Shad MUN over the last month. As we laughed and smiled at photos and videos of our fellow Shads and staff, we were left with a feeling of resignation and sadness – this month is nearly over and it is almost time to say goodbye. Its something no one is looking forward to doing on Friday. I know I speak for everyone at Shad MUN when I say that I have met people I will never forget and have created friendships I hope will never be broken.
Imran Moledina, Shad Valley MUN ‘11
Hometown: Toronto, ON
After listening to the many distinct advantages of going to university at MUN, and receiving information from Dr. Lye about the upcoming Shad Cup, we were given a special surprise – a guided bus tour of St. John’s. The bus tour took us all over St. John’s, and a personal favourite attraction was the Bowring Park Duck Pond. After the bus tour we were given free time to eat dinner and explore downtown St. John’s.
After our last stressful committee sessions in preparation for Open Day, the Banquet and the Variety Show tomorrow, we were told to gather a pen and paper, wear closed-toed shoes, and head over to the Science Building for a final enlightening lecture. Alas, there was one final surprise! Instead of the informative lecture we had all been told to prepare for, we were shown a video created by the staff that showcased how we had spent our time here at Shad MUN over the last month. As we laughed and smiled at photos and videos of our fellow Shads and staff, we were left with a feeling of resignation and sadness – this month is nearly over and it is almost time to say goodbye. Its something no one is looking forward to doing on Friday. I know I speak for everyone at Shad MUN when I say that I have met people I will never forget and have created friendships I hope will never be broken.
Imran Moledina, Shad Valley MUN ‘11
Hometown: Toronto, ON
July 27 - Day 25
As Shad winds down to an end, all of us here at Shad UNB are realizing how our lives have been changed by this program. The people here are so candid and so sincere; these are the people I will identify with for the rest of my life. Perhaps this is the reason why it’ll be so hard to leave. I’m feeling flutters every time I think about having to say goodbye. Tomorrow will be our Open Day. It’ll be bittersweet, a great wrap-up for the program, but also a curtain call for us Shads here at UNB.
We spent the beginning of the day preparing for Open Day and the Variety Show that everyone is so pumped (but also nervous) about. From choreographing dance routines to playing piano to singing songs, all of these outgoing Shads want to be in as many performances as possible (we’re filling more than 3 hours of programming).
We had a great time touring the new Currie Centre here at UNB, a new 65 million dollar sports facility. It was really eye-opening to see all that this great university has to offer. UNB has exceeded my expectations many times over; I’m now thinking that this is the perfect place for me.
We spent the rest of the day running the dress rehearsal for our Open Day. There were some great performances, and I’m so proud of all my family members here at Shad UNB. It’s getting harder and harder to even look at these faces, because some of the most unique, genuine people I have ever met are going to be gone. I’m personally so glad that everybody’s making the last day so memorable. I’m hoping that the last night will be as awesome as the rest of the month!
Ching Ye – Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
We spent the beginning of the day preparing for Open Day and the Variety Show that everyone is so pumped (but also nervous) about. From choreographing dance routines to playing piano to singing songs, all of these outgoing Shads want to be in as many performances as possible (we’re filling more than 3 hours of programming).
We had a great time touring the new Currie Centre here at UNB, a new 65 million dollar sports facility. It was really eye-opening to see all that this great university has to offer. UNB has exceeded my expectations many times over; I’m now thinking that this is the perfect place for me.
We spent the rest of the day running the dress rehearsal for our Open Day. There were some great performances, and I’m so proud of all my family members here at Shad UNB. It’s getting harder and harder to even look at these faces, because some of the most unique, genuine people I have ever met are going to be gone. I’m personally so glad that everybody’s making the last day so memorable. I’m hoping that the last night will be as awesome as the rest of the month!
Ching Ye – Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
July 26 - Day 24
Wow. What an amazing day.
Today was phenomenal in so many ways. First off, it was a special day for me because it was my 17th birthday. Second, today was the day we decided which CT Project to send to Shad Cup on behalf of UNB. Finally, today was the day of the UNB Shad's personal celebration banquet.
The morning started out rather busy. We were all scrambling to get organized as there were so many things to do! We had to begin planning for Open Day, the monthbook was announced to be due Wednesday morning, we had to prepare presentation boards for our CT Projects - we had much to get done and very little time to do them. I was working to get the monthbook pages assigned to different people, as well as begin designing my own, so it was rather hectic.
After lunch at the McConnell dining hall, we had time to work on our Rube Goldberg projects. My group worked very hard to think of innovative ways to use the 6 simple machines, but we still have much to do, and the contest is tomorrow!
Later, the most exciting part of the day (in my opinion) came. We set up our CT presentation boards in the DKT lounge, and everyone walked around to read about each project. All the projects were amazing! Because of this, it was very hard to only choose one project to send to the Shad Cup. In the end, my group's company, Gandalf, was chosen! I was overjoyed. We worked really hard on this project. This was better than any birthday present I could have asked for!
Next, we headed to the SUB for our banquet. We had a nice meal, as well as some great speeches and a hilarious skit by the PAs. I was also given a beautiful birthday card fashioned after the crystalline structure of a ruby (July's birthstone).
Then, we walked over to Tilly for an amusing lecture about scientific facts and why dinosaurs became extinct. Finally, we headed back to Joy Kidd to do a fun and tasty chemistry lab - making ice cream! We stood outside in the crisp summer air, shaking bags of ice, salt, milk, cream and sugar. Homemade ice cream is definitely delicious!
Now, I'm sitting here full of ice cream and birthday cake. Today was no doubt an amazing day, and I'm sure that tomorrow will be amazing (and busy) as well. It's hard to believe that this month is almost over, and I hope to make the most out of the rest of it!
Christalle Chow, Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Richmond, BC
Today was phenomenal in so many ways. First off, it was a special day for me because it was my 17th birthday. Second, today was the day we decided which CT Project to send to Shad Cup on behalf of UNB. Finally, today was the day of the UNB Shad's personal celebration banquet.
The morning started out rather busy. We were all scrambling to get organized as there were so many things to do! We had to begin planning for Open Day, the monthbook was announced to be due Wednesday morning, we had to prepare presentation boards for our CT Projects - we had much to get done and very little time to do them. I was working to get the monthbook pages assigned to different people, as well as begin designing my own, so it was rather hectic.
After lunch at the McConnell dining hall, we had time to work on our Rube Goldberg projects. My group worked very hard to think of innovative ways to use the 6 simple machines, but we still have much to do, and the contest is tomorrow!
Later, the most exciting part of the day (in my opinion) came. We set up our CT presentation boards in the DKT lounge, and everyone walked around to read about each project. All the projects were amazing! Because of this, it was very hard to only choose one project to send to the Shad Cup. In the end, my group's company, Gandalf, was chosen! I was overjoyed. We worked really hard on this project. This was better than any birthday present I could have asked for!
Next, we headed to the SUB for our banquet. We had a nice meal, as well as some great speeches and a hilarious skit by the PAs. I was also given a beautiful birthday card fashioned after the crystalline structure of a ruby (July's birthstone).
Then, we walked over to Tilly for an amusing lecture about scientific facts and why dinosaurs became extinct. Finally, we headed back to Joy Kidd to do a fun and tasty chemistry lab - making ice cream! We stood outside in the crisp summer air, shaking bags of ice, salt, milk, cream and sugar. Homemade ice cream is definitely delicious!
Now, I'm sitting here full of ice cream and birthday cake. Today was no doubt an amazing day, and I'm sure that tomorrow will be amazing (and busy) as well. It's hard to believe that this month is almost over, and I hope to make the most out of the rest of it!
Christalle Chow, Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Richmond, BC
July 26 - Day 24
Cavemen, shower, fist-pumping.
As usual, we hopped onto the bus without a clue about the destination. We had no idea we would be traveling to another province, we never saw the faintest sign of a thunderstorm, neither did we see ourselves as 52 cavemen. A surprise they call it and a surprise it was: Carleton Shads traveled to Parc Gatineau, Quebec and did some serious caving.
The park was absolutely beautiful; so beautiful that it made our five kilometers hike feel like four. Though it took us twice as long to slither our way through the cave than expected, I am proud to announce that there were neither screams nor injuries. The twenty minutes of downpour that shortly followed, on the other hand, brought out the evil within us: the shameless fights over umbrellas and rain jackets are better kept unmentioned.
The afternoon featured an insightful chat with Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley International, and two amazing lectures by David Sinclair and Krish Suranthiran on neutrinos and the possibilities of life.
At the end of another day full of laughter and cheers, the Red House managed to put together a surprise birthday dance party for John and Jason in a matter of hours. In the words of a questionable artist, it was fun fun fun fun, and I can speak for all of us when I say we don’t want this week to end.
Elsie Piao, Shad Valley Carleton '11
Hometown: Burnaby, BC
As usual, we hopped onto the bus without a clue about the destination. We had no idea we would be traveling to another province, we never saw the faintest sign of a thunderstorm, neither did we see ourselves as 52 cavemen. A surprise they call it and a surprise it was: Carleton Shads traveled to Parc Gatineau, Quebec and did some serious caving.
The park was absolutely beautiful; so beautiful that it made our five kilometers hike feel like four. Though it took us twice as long to slither our way through the cave than expected, I am proud to announce that there were neither screams nor injuries. The twenty minutes of downpour that shortly followed, on the other hand, brought out the evil within us: the shameless fights over umbrellas and rain jackets are better kept unmentioned.
The afternoon featured an insightful chat with Barry Bisson, President of Shad Valley International, and two amazing lectures by David Sinclair and Krish Suranthiran on neutrinos and the possibilities of life.
At the end of another day full of laughter and cheers, the Red House managed to put together a surprise birthday dance party for John and Jason in a matter of hours. In the words of a questionable artist, it was fun fun fun fun, and I can speak for all of us when I say we don’t want this week to end.
Elsie Piao, Shad Valley Carleton '11
Hometown: Burnaby, BC
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 25 - Day 23
For some, it was the last day of stressing over our projects, and we frantically spent our morning refining our business plans. My team finished its business plan a full half hour before presentations, but considered ourselves lucky that we hadn't changed our product 4 hours before the deadline like another team had. We skipped lunch and ate leftover muffins and apples so that we could get everything done. Presentations went exceptionally well...when the last group had gone we all stood up and cheered.
We had until 5pm to dress for the banquet, but most of us were too tired to consider wearing a dress and heels, or a tie. Me? I took a nap.
Dinner was exquisite. After a month of eating cafeteria food, the gourmet dishes were amazing. Although I personally would have loved to fall into my dorm bed and sleep a full 9 hours, most Shads were excited for the dance party that we had at Boudoir after the banquet. A last song turned into 2, then 3 last songs, before we got to finally make up the millions of hours of lost sleep.
None of us could believe that the project that we had worked all month to complete was finally done. Tomorrow we'll vote on a project and a team to go on to the Shad Cup.
Laura Stepney, Shad Valley Laval '11
Hometown: Langley, BC
We had until 5pm to dress for the banquet, but most of us were too tired to consider wearing a dress and heels, or a tie. Me? I took a nap.
Dinner was exquisite. After a month of eating cafeteria food, the gourmet dishes were amazing. Although I personally would have loved to fall into my dorm bed and sleep a full 9 hours, most Shads were excited for the dance party that we had at Boudoir after the banquet. A last song turned into 2, then 3 last songs, before we got to finally make up the millions of hours of lost sleep.
None of us could believe that the project that we had worked all month to complete was finally done. Tomorrow we'll vote on a project and a team to go on to the Shad Cup.
Laura Stepney, Shad Valley Laval '11
Hometown: Langley, BC
July 25 - Day 23
After several weeks of brainstorming, planning, typing up business plans, and getting through with some rare disputes, it has finally come to presentation day. Recalling these past couple days… Shad life has been frantic!
We have been working very hard on our CT projects; while some groups have been more productive with their time than others, some spent theirs to “group bond” (snacking on chips, cookies, sunflower seeds). There were definitely a wide range of stress levels last night, finalizing the presentations and getting ready for today’s presentations.
The presentations today were amazing! We were all formally dressed and looked like legit entrepreneurs! The judges gave us lots of useful comments and critiques, which are sure to be useful for our presentations on Open Day and even into our potential business careers up ahead!
After the presentations, we went to visit a BioMed Clinic and learned about prosthetic limbs. The walk-through was very interesting and was very relevant to this year’s Shad theme of helping children with disabilities to break barriers.
Later on, we did our Money Master finance presentations; because all the Shads were cramped in a tiny room, we really bonded well when the judges were walking around, examining and judging our presentations. Oh! and last but not least, for our late night tonight, we had movie night; all the Shads sat together and got cozy to catch up on the first part of the last Harry Potter movie.
All the Shads are currently downstairs still enjoying the movie, probably exhausted by now, but we cannot wait for another activity-packed schedule tomorrow!
Jennifer Chew, Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Port Moody, BC
We have been working very hard on our CT projects; while some groups have been more productive with their time than others, some spent theirs to “group bond” (snacking on chips, cookies, sunflower seeds). There were definitely a wide range of stress levels last night, finalizing the presentations and getting ready for today’s presentations.The presentations today were amazing! We were all formally dressed and looked like legit entrepreneurs! The judges gave us lots of useful comments and critiques, which are sure to be useful for our presentations on Open Day and even into our potential business careers up ahead!
After the presentations, we went to visit a BioMed Clinic and learned about prosthetic limbs. The walk-through was very interesting and was very relevant to this year’s Shad theme of helping children with disabilities to break barriers.
Later on, we did our Money Master finance presentations; because all the Shads were cramped in a tiny room, we really bonded well when the judges were walking around, examining and judging our presentations. Oh! and last but not least, for our late night tonight, we had movie night; all the Shads sat together and got cozy to catch up on the first part of the last Harry Potter movie.
All the Shads are currently downstairs still enjoying the movie, probably exhausted by now, but we cannot wait for another activity-packed schedule tomorrow!
Jennifer Chew, Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Port Moody, BC
July 25 - Day 23
After an amazing trip to Ottawa this weekend, our final Monday at Queen’s University was a relaxing but bittersweet one. We woke up to one of the first rainy days in Kingston, after almost a month of scorching hot 40 degree weather. The morning started off with two very interesting lectures about Entrepreneurship Policies and the Ministry of Transportation.
After lunch, the Shads split off into our final workshops of the month. They ranged from CPR to Lululemon vision boards and bridge building; there was something for everyone to do. Although we were all exhausted out of our minds, with only four days left in the program, we were desperate to spend every last minute together.
The Shads ended the day with feedback from the staff on our Shad Cup projects and a final vote for the winning team. From tears of sorrow to rushes of excitement, the room was filled mixed emotions. We knew we’d finally accomplished something we were proud of and we did it as a family.
Julie Yu, Shad Valley Queen’s ‘11
Hometown: Toronto, ON
After lunch, the Shads split off into our final workshops of the month. They ranged from CPR to Lululemon vision boards and bridge building; there was something for everyone to do. Although we were all exhausted out of our minds, with only four days left in the program, we were desperate to spend every last minute together.
The Shads ended the day with feedback from the staff on our Shad Cup projects and a final vote for the winning team. From tears of sorrow to rushes of excitement, the room was filled mixed emotions. We knew we’d finally accomplished something we were proud of and we did it as a family.
Julie Yu, Shad Valley Queen’s ‘11
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 24 - Day 22
This morning, I dreamt that I slept in and arrived late for morning recreation. To my utter delight, I woke up to realize that it was an hour early. After a moment of rolling around in bed—one of my favourite activities at Shad—I quickly slid outside for a session of Tai Chi, a noteworthy course offered by our own Dr. Lye. The 6 dedicated and sleep-deprived Shads welcomed the dismal weather with smiling faces, as we messily mopped up our first attempt at all 108 moves! It was especially fun when the wind was blowing in my face. Shad teaches us much about optimism.
After a rejuvenating breakfast at the UC, and as we slowly recalled a certain House Project deadline today, we readied ourselves for a lovely and satisfying 6 hours of work! With the pressure mounting, we were told explicitly to be nice to each other.
My highlight of the day finally arrived when we started rehearsals for the variety show this week. Cheers and laughs ricocheted in the gym while we practiced our massive, collaborative Shad dance! Afterwards, we headed out for afternoon recreation, escorted by a scrumptious dinner, and committee time to work on the MUNthbook.
I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that only 4 days of Shad remain!
Jessie Yao, Shad Valley Memorial University of Newfoundland 2011
Hometown: Kingston, ON
After a rejuvenating breakfast at the UC, and as we slowly recalled a certain House Project deadline today, we readied ourselves for a lovely and satisfying 6 hours of work! With the pressure mounting, we were told explicitly to be nice to each other.
My highlight of the day finally arrived when we started rehearsals for the variety show this week. Cheers and laughs ricocheted in the gym while we practiced our massive, collaborative Shad dance! Afterwards, we headed out for afternoon recreation, escorted by a scrumptious dinner, and committee time to work on the MUNthbook.
I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that only 4 days of Shad remain!
Jessie Yao, Shad Valley Memorial University of Newfoundland 2011
Hometown: Kingston, ON
July 24 - Day 22
Describing today’s activities at Shad as hectic is quite the understatement, which is ironic considering the day was dedicated solely towards finalizing our CT projects! My group woke up bright and early to finish last-minute additions to our finance and marketing plans, with a deadline of 11am. We scrambled across campus to print and bind the plans, but ended up passing the deadline by about 20 minutes due to errors on our part. Embarrassing? Yes. Did we learn from the experience? Absolutely.
We decided not to linger on that issue for too long as we had to prepare for a dress rehearsal of our presentation. We wrote and memorized our lines for most of the afternoon, suited up, and headed down to an auditorium to present to our Program Directors and Assistants. I was shaky and nervous at times, but our presentation went very well for the most part and we definitely received some helpful feedback that will improve our presentation tomorrow in front of all the Shads. In fact, my group is working behind me right now, smoothing out the final details! I'm exceptionally proud of what we have accomplished together so far.
It’s crunch time, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store. As we approach the final days of the program, however, it’s becoming more and more apparent that this community we’ve built over the past 22 days will soon part. But we’ll approach that hurdle when we get there.
PS. just wanted to include a quick shout-out to my family back at home, especially to my nephew Aiden who was born just 3 days ago! I’m having the time of my life here at UNB but I can’t wait to meet him!
David Yang, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick 2011
Hometown: Markham, ON
We decided not to linger on that issue for too long as we had to prepare for a dress rehearsal of our presentation. We wrote and memorized our lines for most of the afternoon, suited up, and headed down to an auditorium to present to our Program Directors and Assistants. I was shaky and nervous at times, but our presentation went very well for the most part and we definitely received some helpful feedback that will improve our presentation tomorrow in front of all the Shads. In fact, my group is working behind me right now, smoothing out the final details! I'm exceptionally proud of what we have accomplished together so far.
It’s crunch time, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store. As we approach the final days of the program, however, it’s becoming more and more apparent that this community we’ve built over the past 22 days will soon part. But we’ll approach that hurdle when we get there.
PS. just wanted to include a quick shout-out to my family back at home, especially to my nephew Aiden who was born just 3 days ago! I’m having the time of my life here at UNB but I can’t wait to meet him!
David Yang, Shad Valley University of New Brunswick 2011
Hometown: Markham, ON
July 24 - Day 22
Inspired by: the Shads who performed a parody of this at Lakehead’s Talent Show, and of course, Rebecca Black:
10 AM waking up in the morning,
Gotta remember room keys, gotta get to the caf,
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have Fruit Loops,
Seein’ all the Shads, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’,
Gotta get down to the Hangar
Gotta be there for role call, I see my Firm
Sleep or finish business plan?
No debate: finish business plan
Already got my mind made up
Just another 20 hour working day
Shad Valley, Valley
July 24th blog entry
Everybody’s taking advantage of “Shad Nap”, “Shad Nap”
Valley, Shad Valley,
July 24th blog entry,
Everybody’s attempting dives into the pool
Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Just kidding , Just kidding (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin' forward every single day
Today at Lakehead’s Shad program, all of us started the day off with a well-deserved chunk of free-time…to put some finishing touches on our business plans, of course.
To wash away some of the stress, we headed down to the Hangar (the main athletics center) to swim! After several brave attempts (and successes!) in climbing the rope hanging from the ceiling, and a ferocious, water variation of basketball (the rules would be a separate blog entry), we headed to the ATAC building to work on our Shad Cup projects.
If the duration of time spent in a place is any indication, the ATAC building has become our second home. With a quick break for dinner, all six Shad Cup groups have been working diligently for the past few hours. Our business plans are due in T-minus 10 minutes. Good luck, everyone!
I’ll leave the enormous task of summarizing the Shad Valley experience to the folks writing on July 29, but this excerpt is just that: an excerpt out of the most amazing, indescribable, amazingly indescribable July that I’ve had.
“…the time is goin’/ Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’”. Truer words have ne’er been said.
Kyung-Seo (Kay) Min, Shad Valley Lakehead University 2011
Hometown: Calgary, AB
10 AM waking up in the morning,
Gotta remember room keys, gotta get to the caf,
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have Fruit Loops,
Seein’ all the Shads, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’,
Gotta get down to the Hangar
Gotta be there for role call, I see my Firm
Sleep or finish business plan?
No debate: finish business plan
Already got my mind made up
Just another 20 hour working day
Shad Valley, Valley
July 24th blog entry
Everybody’s taking advantage of “Shad Nap”, “Shad Nap”
Valley, Shad Valley,
July 24th blog entry,
Everybody’s attempting dives into the pool
Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Just kidding , Just kidding (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin' forward every single day
Today at Lakehead’s Shad program, all of us started the day off with a well-deserved chunk of free-time…to put some finishing touches on our business plans, of course.
To wash away some of the stress, we headed down to the Hangar (the main athletics center) to swim! After several brave attempts (and successes!) in climbing the rope hanging from the ceiling, and a ferocious, water variation of basketball (the rules would be a separate blog entry), we headed to the ATAC building to work on our Shad Cup projects.
If the duration of time spent in a place is any indication, the ATAC building has become our second home. With a quick break for dinner, all six Shad Cup groups have been working diligently for the past few hours. Our business plans are due in T-minus 10 minutes. Good luck, everyone!
I’ll leave the enormous task of summarizing the Shad Valley experience to the folks writing on July 29, but this excerpt is just that: an excerpt out of the most amazing, indescribable, amazingly indescribable July that I’ve had.
“…the time is goin’/ Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’”. Truer words have ne’er been said.
Kyung-Seo (Kay) Min, Shad Valley Lakehead University 2011
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Saturday, July 23, 2011
July 23 - Day 21
It was an early morning wake up today at UBC, and not because some Shads woke up early to do P90x! Instead, our daily physical activity was going to be completed in a more outdoorsy way..... such as hiking Mount Garibaldi! This popular hiking destination, located 90 minutes away from the UBC campus was where 51 Shads and our PAs spent the day....literally. From 6:30am till 8:00pm we had the chance to hike up the mountain, eating lunch on a rocky cliff with the mountain range behind us. All the climbing was worth it once we finally (after 5 hours) reached the summit: a glacial lake! After taking thousands of pictures, mostly of the snow capped mountains and crystal clear waters, tired hikers somehow found the en
ergy to unleash an insane snowball fight! Though the trip down was much easier than the way up, travelling through the snow possessed some challenges and there were definitely some rough moments, one Shad even dropped his camera into the stream!Although we were a little behind schedule,
which resulted in the pizza dinner arriving at UBC 3 hours before we did, I believe I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that was the best cold pizza I have ever had! Our PAs could have fed us anything and we would have ate after all that hiking, one Shad even hiked with a sprained knee, using hiking poles as crutches! Following our late night dinner we were given time to work on our upcoming house project presentations, and what better way to end a long day at Shad then by doing laundry!Prior to Shad, outdoorsy would be the last adjective one would use to describe me. However, after all the activities I have gotten to experience during Shad, such as camping in a desert, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, and canopy walking, I can definitely say Shad has been a life changing experience.
Alex Duffield, Shad Valley UBC ‘11
Hometown: Stoney Creek, ON
July 23 - Day 21
It has already been exactly 20 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes and 50 seconds, and for many of us, our time here so far at Shad has passed right before our eyes. I believe I speak on behalf of all Shads that we will greatly miss our time spent here and will probably be unhappy when it is time to leave. That is only more reason, however, to make the last few days count.
Today is July 23 and it has been certainly one of the busiest days in Shad by far. Early in the morning, we left for Ottawa on a particularly fancy coach bus. After a few hours, we eventually reached our destination-The Canadian War Museum. We had to speed through each section of the museum because we had arrived late and so we had to make up lost time. Nevertheless, there were many interesting exhibits to see and we very much enjoyed learning about how war developed in Canada.
After about an hour, we broke for lunch in a local French-speaking Chinese buffet which served arguably one of the biggest lunches that we have had so far. In the afternoon, we visited the Supreme Court of Canada, where we participated in a mock trial with judges, plaintiffs, and defendants.
We then took a trip around parliament, and then had some free time in the local market and the infamous mall, Rideau Centre. It was really fun just socializing with other Shads and roaming around the busy streets of Ottawa. We then drove back in our luxurious bus to residence at Queen’s where we greedily ate a most hearty pizza dinner.
And then…it was time. It was time for SHAD COFFEEE HOUSE. There were many performances, ranging from karaoke, poetry slam, piano, violin, french horn, singing, and stand-up comedy. It is hard to explain what the night was like; it is just one of those nights that you never want to stop. Everyone around me was laughing, jumping, and all around just having a great time. This is what Shad is all about.
And now there are only five days left of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, which is sometimes a bit depressing. But rather than having our heads stuck in the clouds, let us try to make the most out of the days we have left here. And thus, I am resolved…and without turning back…I am off to the common rooms to have the time of my life.
Kevin Zhou, Shad Valley Queen’s University 2011
Hometown: Guelph, ON
Today is July 23 and it has been certainly one of the busiest days in Shad by far. Early in the morning, we left for Ottawa on a particularly fancy coach bus. After a few hours, we eventually reached our destination-The Canadian War Museum. We had to speed through each section of the museum because we had arrived late and so we had to make up lost time. Nevertheless, there were many interesting exhibits to see and we very much enjoyed learning about how war developed in Canada.
After about an hour, we broke for lunch in a local French-speaking Chinese buffet which served arguably one of the biggest lunches that we have had so far. In the afternoon, we visited the Supreme Court of Canada, where we participated in a mock trial with judges, plaintiffs, and defendants.
We then took a trip around parliament, and then had some free time in the local market and the infamous mall, Rideau Centre. It was really fun just socializing with other Shads and roaming around the busy streets of Ottawa. We then drove back in our luxurious bus to residence at Queen’s where we greedily ate a most hearty pizza dinner.
And then…it was time. It was time for SHAD COFFEEE HOUSE. There were many performances, ranging from karaoke, poetry slam, piano, violin, french horn, singing, and stand-up comedy. It is hard to explain what the night was like; it is just one of those nights that you never want to stop. Everyone around me was laughing, jumping, and all around just having a great time. This is what Shad is all about.
And now there are only five days left of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, which is sometimes a bit depressing. But rather than having our heads stuck in the clouds, let us try to make the most out of the days we have left here. And thus, I am resolved…and without turning back…I am off to the common rooms to have the time of my life.
Kevin Zhou, Shad Valley Queen’s University 2011
Hometown: Guelph, ON
July 23 - Day 21
It’s GO, GO, GO at Shad UNB as always! With CT projects due tomorrow and Open Day activities to plan for, chaos reigns and the Shads don’t stop! Even this morning, (the only morning we were allowed to sleep in!) the computer labs were packed with Shads working on projects.
9 o’clock brought the moment for which many of us had been waiting for the past 3 weeks: DOWNTOWN FREDERICTON DAY!!! Splitting up into groups of 8, we headed downtown and ‘Shad pace’ even increased slightly in the excitement! First stop was the market, where Simosa Delite, along with various vendors selling fresh fruit and homemade smoothies, were mobbed by a crowd of 58 starving Shads searching for breakfast.
With the sun beating down, any open door blowing cool air into the streets was a popular place to be. Judging from the number of paper bags labeled ‘Geek Chic’ that came back to campus, however, we all know which was the MOST popular! Perhaps the most well-known store to UNB Shads, Geek Chic provided us with endless entertainment, from lightsaber chopsticks and periodic table shower curtains, to nerdy t-shirts with ridiculous slogans… only at Shad!
Back on campus this evening, the final night of project work was pandemonium! Line-ups for the computers, groups panicking to cram last-minute details into business plans and put final touches on prototypes, and the campus running completely out of paper. Now, with most projects ready to be handed in, UNB Shads are ready for…? a morning to sleep in?
Katie Peters – Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon
9 o’clock brought the moment for which many of us had been waiting for the past 3 weeks: DOWNTOWN FREDERICTON DAY!!! Splitting up into groups of 8, we headed downtown and ‘Shad pace’ even increased slightly in the excitement! First stop was the market, where Simosa Delite, along with various vendors selling fresh fruit and homemade smoothies, were mobbed by a crowd of 58 starving Shads searching for breakfast.
With the sun beating down, any open door blowing cool air into the streets was a popular place to be. Judging from the number of paper bags labeled ‘Geek Chic’ that came back to campus, however, we all know which was the MOST popular! Perhaps the most well-known store to UNB Shads, Geek Chic provided us with endless entertainment, from lightsaber chopsticks and periodic table shower curtains, to nerdy t-shirts with ridiculous slogans… only at Shad!
Back on campus this evening, the final night of project work was pandemonium! Line-ups for the computers, groups panicking to cram last-minute details into business plans and put final touches on prototypes, and the campus running completely out of paper. Now, with most projects ready to be handed in, UNB Shads are ready for…? a morning to sleep in?
Katie Peters – Shad Valley UNB '11
Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon
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