WOMEN SKI JUMPERS DESERVE A CHANCE FOR OLYMPIC GOLD!

You may have heard or seen recently that there has been a great discussion over womens ski jumping in the 2010 olympic games. Ski jumping is the only olympic sport in which women are not aloud to compete. Over the past few months they have argued that excluding them from this sport violates their freedom under Canada's charter of rights. With the Olympics coming up in less then 91 days it is unlikely for women to compete in the 2010 games, but if they continue to fight it is highly possible they will get to compete in future Olympics

I think these  women deserve to compete. They currently compete at an international level (FIS Continental Cup) in Asia, Europe and North America. They obviously have the experience and skill to compete at the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee sets the games events and it is not covered by Canada's charter. I feel that the I.O.C cannot make a decision based on gender, it should be based on skill and ability at the specific sport. When we watch the 2010 Vancouver olympics let's hope that the future olympians will all have an equal chance to compete for the gold no matter what gender. 

EVA OLSSON: Holocaust Survivor

Eva Olsson, Holocaust survivor, Hero. On October 26 Eva Olsson visited our school and spoke about her unpleasent teenage years. When Eva took stage she asked us to raise our hands if we used the work "hate"in our everyday lives . Most of the room raised there hands. " Eva exclaimed to us that hate is the one word the caused the deaths of millions of people in the Holocaust.

Eva Olsson was one of six children living in a poor area in Hungary. On May 14, 1944 Eva, her family and many others were told there were going to work at a brick factory. They packed there bags and piled onto boxcars. This was no brick factory, after three days of traveling they arrived at Aushwitz concentration camp. Black smoke filled the air and millions of jews and christians unloaded the boxcars. The people were ordered to line up. As they reached the front they were told left or right. Left, you were headed to the gas chambers. Right, off to labour. Eva's mother was ordered to the left, that was the last time she ever saw her.

During Eva's presentation I was affected by the entire time I was in the room. I walked into the chapel thinking the presentation would be another hour long boring speech. I was so wrong, Evas presentation taught me so many things about the Holocaust itself but also things we can do today. In paticular it seemed like Eva really encouraged us to tell our parents we love them everyday, because one day they might not be there anymore.

As I left the chapel that day all I could think of was, how unbeleivable the Holocaust was. Eleven million people killed, all because of hate. After learning all about the Holocaust and other massive wars, I don't think the same about the world. I think that if all of the people in the world stop hating, we can all live happily. So all I have to say is that, what is the point of war? It' doesn't make anything better. All it does is make it worse.

NORVAL OUTDOOR ED.

Each year our school travels to the Norval outdoor education center. On this day the grades are split up in order to work on team building skills. One of our group tasks was to climb a fourteen foot wall with nothing to hold onto for support. The team worked hard during the brainstorming session to come up with the best approach. With the help of Willem our group came up with a plan. Firstly, two people stood at the bottom of the wall with everyone else supporting them. Then, one person stood on there knees and the whole team hoisted there feet up until they could grab the top of the wall. These steps were repeated until everyone made it over the top. Overall it was a great team effort.

As much as the wall exercise was our biggest success it was also the most challenging. This is because no one would listen to one another. In addition at one point a few group members began to carry out the plan while most of us were still discussing the best approach. To reflect on that activity the boys learned that it is unsafe to start something with out telling the others because you would have no spotters incase an accident were to occur.

After the day was over I learned that in order to complete the tasks as a group we needed to listen to each persons ideas and work together as a team. Our counselor was our leader but she allowed us to take charge. During the inuit blanket toss we cooperated as a group and were able to raise each person in the air. On this day I learned that achieving goals can be simple if we all work together. At the beginning of most activities I could tell many of us thought it was impossible. We then realized that if we all put our minds together we could do anything.

We ended the day with the drum circle. All of the students took part in this activity. It was a really cool experience to hear the sounds that we were able to make as a large group. Our trip to Norval was a great chance for us all to learn how to work together as a team.

Simple things. Simple things are the things that make people happy. When were little everything we see is the most amazing thing. A little dandi lion that we found in the park made us smile. Some people may say that now days the simple things aren't so important. That theres no point in riding your bike to your friends house down the street. Instead you'll beg for a ride because its just to far. Now I think about it and why are we over looking these small things. Little things people don't think or care about are the things that are actually important.

I believe that if all we do is look at the small things in life then we could form a much happier enviorment then if all we see is the big things. For instance brushing your teeth. If no one was to brush there teeth the world would smell. Our mouths would taste gross. Now if your reading this you may think this doesn't make sense but really, look back on what I just said and imagine how gross it could be. That small thing makes a change in our life everyday. Another example, some may say celebrities. I find celebrities are not overlooked in any way they are focused on the most. Now, this doesn't make all that much sense because there just regular people who wrote a song or had a role in a movie. This is an example of what is looked at to much. 

We should begin to look at things that matter like friends, family and sickness to help out the world. So next time your walking in the park or driving in the car, think. Small things are mixed together to make our life. 

WE day 2009

WE day 2009. What's WE day? Well WE day is a day in which thousands of people gather and hear speakers such as Pinball Clements, Craig and Mark Keilburger, Robert Kennedy Jr. and many others. They talked about personal experience they have had to help create a change and how we can do the same. These speakers inspired me on how me, one single person can help make a change in the world.

On this day there were musicians like: Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers and Hedley. These musicians came to bring everyones spirits up about the change!

Free The Children is an organization which was formed to help kids who are living in poverty or working in child labour. Craig keilburger began this huge organization when he was 12 years old by reading a news paper article. I was so inspired by these speakers because they told me that all of us can do little things to make a HUGE change.

Poverty is a word for someone who lives with a lack of food, water and shelter. In developing countries poverty is not an unusual thing , Infact six hundred million of the worlds children live in complete poverty. Seventeen % of all people in the united states experience or have experienced poverty. Eight hundred million people go to bed hungry every single day.

When ever i'm driving in the car or walking on the streets it's not unusual to see a homeless person. Now usually i would just keep walking and whisper around about how that person was creepy. The past few weeks while we have been studying poverty i've began to realize that those people aren't creeps there just people who lost there money, or have just become lost. In developing countries people are living in poverty because the area in which they are living is poor dont have acesss to clean water and food.

Poverty is a crazy thing that has a terrible impact on life. People dying everyday because they don't have access to clean water. Children not being able to go to school because there family can't afford it. These are all really scary things that happen everyday. I will never understand the true meaning of poverty until i'm actually living in it. I don't know what else to say because I have no idea what it is actually like going to bed hungry, every single night.