30. Grade 12 Leadership

Personally, I think that there should be more discussion time.  I thoroughly enjoy talking about relevant issues within the school and on a global perspective.  It helps enlighten others on problems in our society and may result in change for the better in the future.  Plus I just like debating.  As for what happens next year, those who are in the class should be selected based on an interview.  They should be chosen from there on character, what they can bring to the table and the changes they would like to see in the school as well as the community.  Previous experience should not be a huge factor because sometimes people just have yet to step up and show what they are capable of.  They should not be told no because they have are becoming a leader a little later than a few other individuals.  The class size should be smaller to ensure that more people can state their opinions during discussions and so that everyone has an important role to be played instead of having 'floaters'.  It would be convenient to have a leadership class each semester but it cannot be mandatory that you attend both semesters.  That should be optional.  Overall, its a good class and should be continued next year.  I would be disappointed if it were not.

29. The Pursuit of Happiness

I find it difficult to figure out what would make me happy in life.  I have thought living on my own island would be a great thing to do.  I want to live with my wife on this island if I ever get married with maybe a few friends, grow our own food so that it is pesticide free and healthy and have a sailboat to go to shore and pick up groceries when we need them.  It would be a simple life, nothing too fancy.  A small house would do and the peace and quiet of having no one else around would be relaxing.  If we wanted electricity, a small windmill should work just fine.  We would not need to feel guilty about contributing to global warming, slaughtering and abusing animals or destroying the Earth in general.  We would be merely living out our lives in peace and no one could blame us for anything other than standing back and not taking part in the destruction of our world.  I love the idea of having my own island and living like this.  However, it is not an easy thing to achieve.  It would be extremely expensive and I would spend so many years of my life working towards something that may never come true.  There is the large possibility that I would look back on my life when I am old and realize that I have wasted it attempting to achieve something that will forever remain out of reach. 

28. Ken Robinson

I never knew Ken Robinson before watching the video in leadership but after seeing it, he has been added to my list of respected people.  Mr. Robinson is a brilliant person who understands how and why school is torture to students better than anyone I know.  I completely agree with everything he said in the video and it comforts me to know that I can better express the disgust I have for the education system.  School does three things to a person: it slowly confuses and erodes morals, damages both your mental and physical health and destroys your will to learn.  Too much information is shoved down students' throats and only to be regurgitated onto a piece of paper again and forgotten.  School should be more like swimming lessons; you move on when you have grasped the concept and understand it well enough to progress to the next level instead of moving up because you are a year older.  The education system is terrible and many of us hate it.  It needs to be changed.

27. Tebowmania

The whole excitement about Tebow is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard.  He is a bad quarterback who cannot keep his religion outside of sports and manages to make a few decent passes at by the end of a game despite his poor throwing.  It is ludicrous to believe that there is a deity intervening with the football game so that the Broncs win the football.  I am not arguing whether or not there is a god right now but if there really is, do you think that god really cares if the Broncs win the football game?  I would think god would have more important things to do like maybe saving little kids who pray in Africa but die of aids or starve to death anyways.  For the Republicans to consider asking him to be vice-president of the US is ludicrous!  I understand that it would be smart politics but the fact that it would sway people's votes and for them to be considering that is not only an insult to the intelligence of the country's citizens but also a terrible decision for the welfare of the country and the world.  Tebow may be a nice guy but he is no more than that and this hysteria over him is shear madness!     

26. Idols

I would like to see someone do a magic trick during IDCIdols.  I have never seen anyone do one for the show and it would be a nice change of pace.  It would be difficult to involve the entire class but it would be fun to perform as well as watch.  Whether we could find a trick that is doable is another question.  Acting out a comedy skit such as monty python or something like that would also be fun as well.

25. Festive Fun

I always thought it would be fun to have an eating competition.  We could make a gross combination of food, condiments, etc. and have people eat it for a prize.  You could call it 'The Witch's Brew' and the first person to finish it wins.  It could be an event held in the cafeteria so that people can watch and you win a really big chocolate bar or something that tastes good as the reward.  This would probably be better at Halloween but it would still be a fun event to do at Christmas.  For a more Christmas themed version, people race to drink a really big cup of hot chocolate instead.  Its cheap, fun and entertaining.

24. Challenge Day

Kinda already did this one in number 20 since I did not have an idea to continue the challenge day message throughout the rest of the year :/  It is a very difficult to continue giving people the message without them getting tired of hearing it and dwindling the power of what has already been done.  I cannot think of a way around this so I wrote my final thoughts in the earlier blog.

23. Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno may have been a well respected public figure and a leader to many people but this does not compensate for his failure.  He did not report one of his coaches raping young boys in the change room and that is not something that can be overlooked.  His life may have been filled with much fame and success but when it really matter, he failed not only as a leader but as a respectable person.  His reputation will carry a permanent stain to the grave as will his conscience. 

22. Touchdown

I'm not really sure what to think about this story.  It was kind and considerate for the football team to let the guy score a touchdown but on the other hand, I have never really been one to give out false praise or let someone win.  I believe in earning things because if you do not truly earn what you are receiving, then it does not mean as much.  When I was a kid, I threw my participation medals and ribbons in the garbage all the time and always asked my parents why they handed them out if everyone got one.  They do not mean anything and I feel like the touchdown was similar to this.  I am not saying it was a bad thing by any means, I am just not sure how I feel about it.  What would happen if the guy ever realized that they let him score the touchdown?

20. Challenge Week Idea

I do not have any specific ideas as to what should be done to continue the challenge day message throughout the rest of the year.  I think it was a very successful event that should be continued year after year at IDCI as well as surrounding schools.  Everyone should be able to experience challenge day because it makes a huge difference in not only the participant's life but it equally effects the people they are surrounded by every day.  All of the grade 10s every year should participate in it because it is probably the most important thing you will ever do during your high school career.  I am glad I got the privilege of going and I would be extremely disappointed if this was not carried on for the years to come no matter what the cost (and that's saying a lot from me because I really like money).

21. Harassment

The problem is not the social networks that have been established, allowing students and others to communicate with ease to one another.  Its the people using them that are the problem.  This is my theory on cyber harassment:
When people abuse others via facebook, MSN, etc. they are trying to crush their victims both mentally and emotionally by slowly degrading their self-worth while cowardly sitting behind the protection of a screen.  Since the abuser is not in the victim's immediate vicinity, it becomes harder to deal with the aggressor.  You cant just avoid someone online. Blocking them only results in more creative bullying.  You cant yell at them to vent anger or become physically aggressive in the heat of the moment which some may see as a solution (to be honest, sometimes it is; not necessarily the best one but a solution nonetheless) and TYPING IN ALL CAPITALS only goes so far to relieve some tension.  Instead, these feelings of anger and hurt are bottled inside because the victim feels defenseless.  The suppressed emotions result in a lack of self-confidence and the insults which the world can see, cause embarrassment and shame.
Although social networking may be opening the door to new problems, banning it is not the solution.  People should be targeting not only the bullies, but why they harass other people because there is a reason.  The problem is that it is easier to blame the website than find out why people harass others.       

19. Stair Climb

I thought this year's stair climb went well and the results were good.  To be honest, I was surprised by this because, at least from my point of view, there seemed to be a lack of excitement compared to previous years.  I also did not think we would have raised the most money again.  Not that this matters but the competitive element does help the event to be successful.  However, IDCI did have a large number of people attend the stair climb and we raised the most money so I was wrong about not coming out on top.  I am unsure as to how much money was raised this year compared to last year but I do not think the stair climb was as successful as it used to be.  I did not feel like the excitement was really there at our school (the leadership class excluded).  I may be wrong again but I think it would be interesting to compare the numbers between the years. 
In order to improve for next year, there needs to be a greater incentive for people to participate in the event.  When I say incentive, I do not necessarily mean prizes and such, although it may not be a bad idea to have a random prize draw for all participants.  Appealing to people's emotions can be equally as effective.  They need a clear picture of where their money and efforts are going towards, not just telling them "its for a good cause".  Imagery is often an effective way of communication so use posters to get the message across and the more the better.  Make them on the computer so that they can be printed off and mass produced.  Its doesn't have to be something fancy, just a single picture and sentence that stands out.  It takes all of 30min and then you have 200 posters if you really want which will constantly be in people's faces as a reminder. 

18. Teen Suicide: Can Schools Stop It?

My initial reaction to the article was feeling somewhat odd that people are asking whether or not schools can stop teen suicide.  For the amount of stress, hardship and, occasionally, even agony that students experience during school, I find it ironic that society is asking if schools can stop teen suicide when they are quite often the cause of it.  School* as a whole can take a very heavy toll on a person.  Being forced to get countless assignments completed on time, having to pay close attention for hours on end each day only to be sent home with more work as well as being in an environment which most do not like are all potential contributors to teen suicide.  Basically, it is like asking the coal plants to solve air pollution.  That's not exactly something they have on the top of their priority list.
Despite all of these negatives, I do believe it is possible for schools to reduce the likelihood of teen suicide.  The first and most obvious step would be to have more social workers so that they do not have to pick and choose between who is the worst off and needs help the most.  Running events like Challenge Day I believe to have a great impact on the mental welfare of students socially to help eliminate feelings of loneliness, isolation and fear.  Whether or not these things will make a big enough difference, I don't know but schools should still try to stop teen suicide more than the current efforts.  Even though they often make significant contributions as to why teenagers take their own lives, that does not mean efforts should not be made to reduce those factors.  To eliminate them would require massive alterations to the concept of school but it is worth a shot.  The probability may not always be in your favour but the possibility is endless.     

*When I say 'school', I am referring to teachers, students, the curriculum and every other aspect of attending an education system.

17. Steve Jobs' Speech

After listening to Steve Jobs' speech, there is one thing he said that stands out clearly in my mind.  If there were too many days in a row that he would not want to be his last, something needed to change.  It made me realize that a lot of people, including myself, do not try to enjoy their lives to the fullest because they are caught up in their work.  I feel like most of society is just a machine; always working and not caring about anything else.  The world being one big industry only caring about the production queue.  Steve Jobs' speech has inspired me to try and get away from that and enjoy life a little more, to not be so focused on the task and relax.  He made me realize that I need to 'stop and smell the flowers' and I will not forget it.