July 25, 2008

The Saddest Day - Leaving Shad! :(

Months ago, when asked the question: What is Shad? I answered sarcastically that it's a nerd camp, little did I know that leaving this “nerd camp” would turn out to be one of the most difficult things I have ever done.

The last day of Shad started as a continuation of the previous day. As the clock struck midnight, everyone was still busy trying to sign each other's monthbooks, preserving every memory they shared during this amazing month.

After we spent hours signing monthbooks, I realized that it's impossible to summarize the memories of Shad. Every minute of every day meant something new to me - something unforgettable.

Finally giving up on signing monthbooks, we decided to leave the confined spaces of our lounge and spend the last few hours of Shad UBC under the night sky. Even while I was lying there in the grass, it did not feel like the end. I kept on telling myself that tomorrow will just be another day at Shad Valley: waking up early as usual and attending “intense lectures” or fun workshops.

However, as I sat there at Totem and watched the sunrise for the last time, signs of the end finally hit me. A sheet was posted on the lounge wall that listed when all the Shads are getting dropped off at the airport, and the blackboard which was always completed with the next day's schedule is now empty.

Shortly after, the first group of Shads started to leave for the airport, the good byes seemed to take an eternity and would've taken an eternity had the PAs not intervened. At the airport, a few Shads got together for one last good bye and then we all went our separate ways. At the gate, I looked back at the fellow Shads and realized just how much we have bonded in such a short amount of time.

During my flight back to Toronto, I read all of my monthbook comments, some were funny, some were sad, and each of the comments was as unique as the Shad who wrote it. When I landed at Pearson Intl. Airport, it surprised me how short ago that I was here waiting to board my flight to Vancouver. As I met up with my parents and drove home, so little seemed to have changed in Ontario. Yet at the same time, I have changed so much since I last drove by these same scenery. Cities, to me, are no longer just names, instead they're the home towns of my many Shad friends.

When I finally got home and crashed on my bed, I realized that it had started raining. During the 27 days at UBC, it did not rain once. The rain seemed like a fitting end to the unbelievable month I had. To all of my Shad UBC friends who I have grown so close to, it has truly been a remarkable ride.



I will miss you all!

Jason Zhao
Shad Valley University of British Columbia
Hometown: Fort Erie, Ontario

July 25, 2008 - Last day at Shad

Presented with the opportunity to write the blog entry for the final day of SHAD Valley MUN,(Memorial University of Newfoundland) I am at a crossroads of options, so to speak. I could write about what SHAD was. I could write about what SHAD is. Or, I could write about what SHAD will become. Since the past is the best indicator of the future, this post will center on the former of the previous three possibilities.

The final day of SHAD MUN was a whirlwind of colour, sound, emotion, thought, warm embraces, and rapidly changing air pressure. Perhaps these things were largely a function of the scheduled “all nighter”, or the ominously high altitude the pilot decided to fly at, but all extraneous variables aside, it is clear that SHAD was “something”. What that “thing” was, is extremely difficult to define, but conceivably this difficulty is what makes it exciting.

How many days have you woken up, without even the vaguest idea of what you would do tomorrow? This is what we encountered every single day at MUN, a schedule with items such as “lecture”, and “recreational activity”, listed. Never a lecture title or even a vague hint of what we might actually be doing during that 1.5 hour slot. Needless to say, it was especially concerning when the final scheduled activity of SHAD MUN, had neither a broad categorical, or more specific topical, indicator of what we might be doing. It had, simply, three question marks.

Many people speculated about what these question marks meant. Most came to the conclusion that it was simply “free time”, where they could do whatever they want, more specifically, an opportunity to “party”. The question marks proved to be much more than simple “free time”. Whisked away, told not to bring cameras or flashlights, the participants of SHAD MUN soon discovered that they were far from correct on what the questions marks meant.

The event(s?) that occurred during the next two hours are secrets only known to the participants of SHAD MUN. Although I cannot describe the event(s) that occurred during that time, I will present three words – to evoke the feelings participants felt during that time:

1. Change
2. Life
3. Eternity

…

The hours directly following that event are filed in my brain alongside other events that were very significant, but disappeared without seemingly existing.

Travelling home passed in a similar fashion, as though time was passing, but had never really existed to pass. At the very end of my trip, descending down an escalator to the baggage collection area at Vancouver International Airport, I saw a sign which struck a harmonious chord with me. It included one of the most profound quotations, from one of the most meaningful movies that I know of. Look at the following picture, and think about the quotation. Then, think about the explicit, and implicit value it has.

This IS Shad Valley.

Mark Stothers
Shad Valley Memorial University
Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia

July 24, 2008

For the first time in the past month, I woke up to pouring rain and a thunder storm. It seems ironic because when we arrived in New Brunswick it was the same weather. Every other day has been super hot and overly muggy with temperatures reaching 36 degrees! Now our last day at Shad is mimicking the first.

Today was action packed from the start. As head of the photography committee I had to finish the slideshow for our month at Shad, setting many memories to music. I received a tearful reunion hug from my Mom in the cafeteria this morning. Many other Shad parents arrived today too to support their Shads at Open Day and Variety Show.

I have missed my family to be sure, but being with 59 other Shads is like one big family. It made the experience so much easier. It is however going to make leaving all that much harder because I will have to say goodbye to all the people that I have become so close with. The bond that all Shads share cannot be replaced, over even named. If you are or have been a Shad, you know the feeling. It is the feeling of getting to know so many people so quickly and so deeply. It is being able to sit down at dinner beside anyone and feel welcome. It is being able to talk to anyone on any subject, intellectually or not and know that they completely understand you. It is being able to feel comfortable calling everyone family. I know I am going to miss every single one of them when tomorrow comes. I am missing them already.

While most people were packing and prepping for Open Day, I was frantically finishing the slideshow. I had just enough time to grab lunch on the run, change into my new Shad shirt, and get to Open Day. All of our CT groups represented their projects. We Shads were given the opportunity to ask questions at the end and it ended with us all rolling on the floor laughing. We repeated the toughest questions that the judges had asked only to hear comedic answers in return. Overall it was great. As a break in between the presentations we played the slideshow which had everyone smiling, singing along, and laughing at the memories. We ended the CT presentations with the winning group, Deter-Mine Inc. giving an all star presentation.

After changing into formal wear, we had our banquet dinner. It was another great time for memories; our valedictorian speeches were amazing. We changed back into our Shad t-shirts to head to the Variety Show. Wow, do we have some talent. From piano to singing, improv to flute, guitar to acting, dancing to sax, we’ve got it all. Both our opening and closing numbers included all 60 Shads singing and dancing. Our show coordinator did an amazing job and the event went off without a hitch.

We got our month books when we returned to our residence. For the next 6 hours everyone sat on the floor passing books around and signing. It was a great time to review our memories and give hopes for the future. When the golf ball sized rain drops started, we all ran outside to dance in the rain. We got soaked, and we danced, and we sang, and we laughed together. We were carefree together.

Shad has meant so much to me and to everyone else here at UNB. These past four weeks have changed everyone’s lives. Not in the way I was expecting, but a change for the better none the less. I have 59 new best friends when I leave tomorrow and I know that I can call on any of them at any time. We are connected all across Canada, from Vancouver to Cape Breton, we are one. There is no crying tonight, we’ll save that for tomorrow. Tonight we celebrate the good times we had together. Tonight we live one last night together as Shads, for tomorrow we are Alumni.

Chanelle Gilbert
Shad Valley University of New Brunswick
Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia

July 23, 2008

Today is a day of preparation at Shad Valley, as tomorrow will be a day full of exhibitions and performances, including the Open House and the Variety Night, – as our Program Director, Ed, puts it: “do not plan to do anything tomorrow, for tomorrow you are mine.”

Nevertheless, the learning never ends. One of the most experienced staff members, Paul, gave a lecture on repair. He used clever examples to illustrate the principles of repair, and then demonstrated them with some of the broken things that Shads brought. Having accumulated years of experience in repair, Paul is definitely amazing at teaching it.

Then, the preparation began.

We started off with building a Patagoras Suichui, a device in which one event triggers the next, ultimately leading to a cool visual effect. We were split into eight teams (each being a letter of WATERLOO), and we had the next two hours to make a Patagoras Suichui that is easily reassembled, simple to set-up, and perform the desired effect flawlessly three times in a row. We are told that only by meeting all those criteria will our project be presented tomorrow.

So we hurried to finish the project, scrambled to assemble each piece, and had the great satisfaction of watching everything come together. Then there was presentation. Some groups were successful, while others were asked to refine their designs during the presentation. Ultimately, every project met the criteria in record time.

After lunch, we had our Program Director’s last lecture on signal processing and machine perception. This time it was on looking for clusters within a chaotic dataset. By being able to group chaotic datasets, recognition and classification can occur, and the training of machines to recognize objects is made possible.

Then we prepared for the Open House. Some of us worked on posters, others worked on music and slideshows, and still others were organizing workers – so that Open House can be made possible. Afterwards, we had thirty minutes to clean out our rooms for a room check.

We then had some free time. Some of us chose to use the free time to buy souvenirs, while others used it for practicing for Variety Night, others still used that time to finish up on posters and slideshows. After free time, we were allowed to eat outside the cafeteria – in any restaurant we chose. We were given ten dollars for this special privilege.

After a fabulous, personalized, dinner, we came together as a group, and talked about what is happening at the Variety Night. We then had more time to prepare for Variety Night.

Such is a busy, but fulfilling day, at Shad. The atmosphere of sadness from departures was not obvious, as the tight schedule makes reminiscing impossible without being suspected to be lazy. Tomorrow is a big day, and we are certainly well prepared for it.

David Zhang
Shad Valley Waterloo
Hometown: Burnaby, British Columbia

July 22, 2008

Today’s the day! Today was the day of our project presentations. Everyone was extremely tired at breakfast, having stayed up until 2 am the night before. People could be seen reciting their speeches to themselves or madly trying to finish their PowerPoint presentations.

Although today was no regular day, it started off with two lectures as usual. However, they were not regular lectures. They were our last lectures at Shad MUN. These lectures on Science and Ethics, and Performance and Goal Setting did not fail to provoke debate and expand our knowledge.

After lunch we had three hours to practice our project presentations, or in some cases make last minute additions to their prototype! Each team was given a time slot when they could run their presentation in the room we would be presenting in, and be given feedback from the Shad staff.

Next, we had physical activity, which was a yoga class. Although I wished we had more time to prepare, I was extremely grateful for the time to relax and de-stress. My favorite position was the “corpse pose”, where we lay on our backs and closed our eyes. Five people fell asleep and needed to be woken up at the end!

After dinner it was time for the presentations. Each group had 20 minutes to present followed by a 10 minute question period by a panel of accomplished judges.

While watching everyone’s presentations I was so impressed with all the work we had done. Everyone’s passion for his or her project really came through. I could not believe that we came together as a group of strangers and had become co-workers, business associates, and best friends in just four weeks. As with every competition there had to be a winner ... congratulations YELLOW house!!

After the presentations everyone was literally jumping up and down. I have never been in so many group hugs. Everyone was so proud of what they had produced as a team. We had grown so close in the hours, days, and weeks we had spent working together. SHAD MUN 2008 will be memorable for what we learned and for the lifelong friendships that will continue beyond the final day.

Lauren Cuthbertson
Shad Valley Memorial University
Hometown: Lions Bay, British Columbia

July 21, 2008

This day started at 12:00am last night as an extension of yesterday when we were still working furiously on our DE Project presentations to get them done before the presentation today. After a short, um, "nap," we got up bright and early to continue working on our presentations. We ran down to breakfast at the cafeteria and then headed over to the computer lab five minutes from residences to finalize our presentation for this evening. We all worked on trying to get our presentation done in time, pulling the different parts from each person in the group together into one coherent presentation.

Who was going to say what at the presentation was worked out and we rushed over to the rehearsal at the Senate Room at Carleton. We rehearsed our presentation once and got feedback from two staff members present at rehearsals and then rushed back to residences to make as many last-minute changes to our presentation as we could and to get changed for the presentations that afternoon. Our group rushed together back to the presentations for the real thing.

All of our group members listened nervously together as the other three groups gave their presentations. Once the presentations were finished, all 48 of us grouped together for a picture. All the Shads from all the different groups were really supportive of each other after the presentations had ended. Everyone in our group was really proud of what we had accomplished and were all so proud of our idea and our presentation.

After dinner the judges gave us feedback on all four of our presentations and then as a group all of us voted on who we wanted to go on to the Shad Cup and who would continue working on the winning project.

Brett Bolkowy
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta

July 20, 2008

Today was a day that I will remember forever, and for validated reasons. I have not slept for twenty-five hours. My business plan is not yet completed, although a member of my group is working tirelessly as I write. It should be done soon. The business plan didn't have to end this way, I suppose. We only brought it upon ourselves. Had we managed our time better, we could have slept like the other five project house groups did last night. This is what happens when you completely scrap your project two days before it's due. Our new business was planned in two days and fueled by energy drinks.

Incredibly, today was still a blast in spite of my group's intense sleep deprivation. Morning announcements were delayed, so everybody else got the chance to sleep in. We got to participate in a sweet Bollywood dance workshop this afternoon. After that, we all got to meet Shad alumni living in the Vancouver area at a BBQ here on-campus. Talking to them was fun, and maybe it gave some of us an idea of where we'll be in a few years. I'm looking forward to sleep and the final judging of our projects tomorrow.

All in all, so far Shad has been busy, intense, and absolutely amazing.

Nicholas Moore
Shad Valley Univeristy of British Columbia
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

July 19, 2008

Twenty days that felt like twenty minutes... twenty hectic, glorious days at Shad Valley Trent and when one finds the time to reflect (a rarity, for sure), they are at a loss for words. Most Shads are watching a movie downstairs (excluding yours truly), exhausted after another grueling day.

Today was unique in that most of the time was spent on DE projects, but despite the lack of activities, it was no less satisfying.

Laptops were a Shad’s best friend; well, to those fortunate enough to have one, and worked tirelessly under their inquisitive, determined, sometimes frustrated stare. Keyboards underwent a torrent of typing, and if one were to measure the brain activity of all Shads, the results would have been phenomenal. Lunch was a blur peppered with laughs and jokes about how much potato we don’t eat every day. Recreational time came as a relief, sort of like a cool drink. Shads bonded over music and dance, which added a vibrancy to the atmosphere that pulsated with sheer passion and talent. The more energized of us played sports. Then it was back to work.

Stress. What a universal word. Although we all must have felt it one way or another, the way we all shared it and bulldozed through together gave me a true sense of warmth and belonging. Today, Shads’ brains were stretched to new dimensions, not merely intellectually, but emotionally as well.

The absence of lectures was a sort of withdrawal experience. In its place, however, was something equally intellectually stimulating. Working with such amazing, motivated people is indescribable. I once heard a quote that went something like, when a person learns a new idea, their mind will never be the same again. Well today we learned about a thousand different ideas, and I can’t wait for more.

Shad Valley 2008 is something truly...magical, and I will never, ever forget it.

Bo Min
Shad Valley Trent
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta

July 18, 2008

What an exciting day to write about the happenings at the Shad Valley Carleton Program!

The day started out with the daily announcements, Shad News hosted by the Red House, and empowering Shad Speaks. The Shad News was extra special as it marked the last time the Red House would be performing the news. The Shad Speaks empowered the audience as the fellow Shads and staff discussed the Holocaust and Rwanda. The Shads shared some of their stories about family members who had suffered the tragedies of the Holocaust. Everyone was touched by the personal stories and paused to reflect on the honoured soldiers and victims of this tragedy. The speeches were described as, “courageous” by the Program Director, Adrian Chan, at Carleton.

Afterwards, the Shads gathered for a brief yoga class to relax before the final allotted time for the business plan. Shads gathered into their house teams and put the finishing details for their plans and then met in the lecture hall for movies and relaxing activities. All Shads enjoyed the movies and met up in the MPR room for a Late Night hosted by the Blue House. The theme of the evening was, “The House of Blues”. Everyone gathered to eat cookies, hot-chocolate, and tea and discuss the eventful day. The Blue House set up three stations: talking corner, board games, and massage area. This marked the end of week three for the Shad Valley Program at Carleton. Remember Shads, be legendary!

Suzie De Luca
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

July 17, 2008

July 16, 2008

100% of the times I have woken up before 4:30am during the summer have occurred at Shad Valley Calgary 2008.

100% of the times I have woken up before 4:30am during the summer have led to an incredible day.

So this morning, after I rolled out of bed, ate a blurry breakfast with no contacts in and slept in multiple contorted positions on a bus for two hours (and apparently drooled in my sleep…), the 59 Shad Calgarians began their hiking adventure at Burgess Shale and Mt. Stephen. (Not after a bathroom break of course. As with all Shads, the ‘Design with Conscience’ theme for this year’s RBC cup is always bouncing around in my head, so when I went into the washroom and found that the lights worked on a motion sensor, I immediately appreciated the power-conserving potential of the design. Only when I was undertaking a certain activity best suited to holding still in complete darkness did I realize a slight oversight – just something for my fellow Shads to consider while working on their projects.)

I was in the half of the Shads heading to Mt. Stephen – the group that reached the same elevation as the other group in 3 kilometers instead of 10 kilometers. We hiked the roughly 60 degree incline fearlessly, learning from our guide along the way about the effects of the solar system’s components on Earth’s orbit and the resulting periodic climate change of Earth. After reaching the top, we were able to literally walk on, eat our lunch sitting on and explore a pile of fossils. It was truly a privilege to be granted access to the ‘Restricted Area’ abundant in fossils of varied species (especially trilobites). Very rarely does one have the chance to hold the ancient past in one’s hands.

Hiking (or sliding) down the steep incline while listening to a passionate discussion about the logical and mathematical base of physics versus the largely empirical base of chemistry was truly a Shad-specific experience. Where else would I hear complex, intelligent discussions while pushing myself to my physical limits, all while enjoying the beauty of a unique area which can teach us about the past over 500 million years ago. I even heard a staff member recommend accumulating numerous scholarships in order to make it easier to be granted more (“it gets easier after the first five or so…”) – obviously advice only found at Shad.

After looking at a stone bridge carved from rapids and Emerald Lake, we bused back to the University of Calgary where we had house meetings – let’s just say we can expect big things from Calgary Orange House!

Time to look over my Turing Machine transition state diagram one more time before bed.

Daniel Farewell
Shad Valley Calgary
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

July 15, 2008

To anyone but a Shad, the day could only be adequately understood as complete madness. The opportunities that were presented, though seemingly random, provided each individual with an experience that was new and exciting. Every minute of the Shad Valley program is saturated with endless possibilities, a concept daunting to most, but one that continues to be well embraced by Shads.

The morning started with discourse, a time specifically allotted for communal discussion, debate and reflection. Following was an activity that was certainly intimidating to many of the Shads: dancing. The initial hesitation did not last long and soon enough everyone was dancing away. Shads then investigated a broad range of subjects in their afternoon seminars, covering everything from sports science, to earth dams, to robots among many others. We were then blessed to welcome guest speaker Ian Young, president of the Canadian Geological Foundation. The day ended with a Shad social; a casual movie night well received as a break from the fast-paced environment of Shad.

A look into Shad Calgary on June 29th would reveal a diverse cluster of sixty students from all across the country. A look into Shad Calgary on July 15th would reveal something dramatically different; a community. We came here as complete strangers, and since then we’ve grown to become much more than friends. We’re family; and Shad Valley is our home.

Kathryn Chan
Shad Valley Calgary
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

July 14, 2008

Today was another interesting day at Shad Valley Carleton. By now I have grown accustomed to the lack of sleep here, despite the fact that I strive to go bed as early as possible!

My house presented Shad News this morning using the theme of Dora the Explorer. Naturally, hilarity ensued and the audience reacted positively. Next, Darren Fernandez, a social communications expert, gave us an interesting talk on facebook and social networking. For balance, we followed this activity with Ultimate Frisbee.

After lunch, I had the opportunity to visit Carleton’s metalworking shop and woodworking shop for our DE project. My team members and I had developed rough sketches and product ideas already, but advice and tips from professionals really broadened our perspectives and gave us new options to explore. We were introduced to new materials, assembly methods, and needs to address with our product. Before leaving, I helped make a rough prototype with hinges and foam board.

To round off the afternoon, there was a lecture on charities and social justice. Right after dinner, our house team went directly to a DE project review. Fortunately, the panel’s comments were mostly constructive and we were able to continue with refreshed minds on our project. Later in the evening we had late night, which was hosted by the Red House. With the theme of “Fiesta Night,” everyone came in their as-close-to-Mexican-as-possible clothes.

After a really packed day, I feel like falling unconscious on my bed until morning. As a member of the cultural night committee, I still have to put the finishing touches on tomorrow evening’s global show.

John Yao
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

July 13, 2008

Today was a very special day. After an exhausting week of camping, building a massive "ShadCity" sandcastle at the beach, rescuing a tipped-over canoe, cheering wildly at a Hamilton Tiger Cats football game, performing at a "Coffee House" talent show, playing sports and participating in various drama and dance workshops... we got the opportunity to SLEEP IN to an astounding twelve o' clock!

On top of that, we celebrated a spirited Pyjama Day.

Finally free from our normally sleep-deprived states, we set out on a new day. We soon discovered that this new day involved eight hours of general project time. First of all, for the past few days, we had been participating in McMaster's Honours Integrated Science program called iSci. In two teams of thirty students each, we worked to complete proposals for both manned and unmanned space missions to Mars.

And so, this afternoon, four hours were dedicated to researching the medical, physical, mathematical, technological and ethical aspects of such missions and presenting our findings on a professional poster. Later in the evening, another four hours were then spent working in our house groups, developing prototypes and writing up business plans for our main RBC/Shad Entrepreneurship Cup projects. After such an intense day (whew!), we settled down to sleep... and we all look forward to the rest of our MacShad experience!

Florence Chan
Shad Valley McMaster
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

July 12, 2008

From Shad Valley UBC, hello everyone! It has been a truly exciting and memorable two weeks here at Shad Valley UBC! From camping trips to Mayne Island to the showing of many talented Shads at Coffee House, I have had the opportunity to form new and powerful friendships with all 52 Shads and our program staff. With each minute that passes here, the community I experience here at UBC grows and strengthens.

Today was a certainly exciting day! Climbing onto a bus at 7:00am, we headed off to Garibaldi Provincial Park. Our activity - to hike the 9 km trail up Mount Garibaldi, rising an elevation of 1 km! What a hike! The challenging steep climb tested everyone's perseverance and the group's relationships - encouraging and motivating each other to take another step and to keep going. Soon enough, we arrived at the Valley lookout point, 6 km up the trail, and had a scenic lunch. Seeing the ragged stone face of the valley, the tall trees and snow-covered mountains was breath-taking - however, we were informed that even more spectacular sights were to come.

After another arduous 3km, we arrived at the top! The water of Garibaldi Lake was an incredible blue (like the sky, or Kool-Aid) and clear as glass! There was also snow on the ground that we could pick up! When I arrived, I knew it was certainly worth the long, continuously uphill trek!

The way back down was really challenging, especially as many Shads (including me) were quite tired at this point. However, the groups were incredibly supportive of each other and made sure that we were all managing! This could really be seen when Shads helped a couple peers who were tired along the trail. This kind of caring relationship has really grown here at Shad; it was an extraordinary experience to climb this mountain with an extraordinary group of people.

Shad Valley has been a remarkable once-in-a-lifetime experience so far - growing lifetime friendships and a unique community, developing oneself, and learning a vast variety of new areas that will certainly be something to remember!

Vivian Leung
Shad Valley University of British Columbia
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario

July 11, 2008

Today, like any other day, the Carleton Shads awoke at roughly 7:30 a.m., caught a quick breakfast and headed down to our main lecture hall to begin.

After several standard announcements, we moved on to Shad news, which is essentially thought of as a pseudo news source for the staff whose schedule does not permit the reading of newspapers. Following this, we had an extremely prolific discussion about some of the activities we participated in during camping and how we thought their message could contribute to our DE projects.

This was followed by a large dose of physical recreation. If you don’t believe that there would be a way to incorporate fifty shads into one game of foosball, you have clearly never met the creative and brilliant staff of Shad Valley Carleton.

After lunch it was time to get serious when we began working on our DE projects. With just over a week left to work on them, we were definitely beginning to feel the pressure of the submission deadline. Regardless of the time constraints, we always look forward to our amazing lectures where we are enlightened on topics ranging from industrial design to abstract mathematics. Today’s lecturer, Irvin Hill, spoke to us about his Aboriginal heritage and told us about its different aspects and main characteristics.

After dinner, we had about an hour for Shad Speak, which I think is one of the most important parts of Shad Valley. Carleton Shads have used their ten minutes to tell everyone what interests them. Topics range from cheerleading to web browser analysis. You can imagine how diverse this year's Carleton Shads are!

This was followed with committee time where we had time to organize such events like Open Day and the Cultural Night. By this time, though, the Carleton Shads were ready for a little bit of fun. Luckily, committee time was followed by late night, which interestingly enough had a speed dating theme. Not only were Shads required to spend two minutes with each person of the opposite sex, they were required to fulfill a secret requirement to make the game more interesting. These requirements included talking in only cheesy pick up lines and falling in love at first sight with everyone.

Overall, Shad has proved to be an amazing experience where I’ve been able to meet fifty one kids from all over Canada who share the same interests as me.

Alexandra Printzios
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

July 10, 2008

Shad Valley Trent. The most exhilarating, exciting, and exuberant experience I have ever had!! With Trent's wonderful Program Director, Kingsley Hurlington, Shad Valley is a community of the best and brightest, working together to make a better world. Everyday here is filled with a sense of optimism, cheerfulness, and just plain “Shaditude”!

Today, starting the humid Thursday morning with breakfast and a daily report from SNN (Shad News Network), we had the wonderful opportunity to have an interactive lecture with Peterborough’s Liberal party candidate, Betsy MacGregor. With intense debate over today’s most pressing issues regarding zenotransplantation (the use of animal organs as replacement of human organs), the Shads had an awesome time learning group dynamics and understanding the decision-making process.

Following Betsy’s lecture, we had an even more Shadtastic time listening to Todd Melville and the intriguing origins of the universe. We also had the experience of a lifetime discovering the ‘explosive’ side of chemical physics.

Of course, by the afternoon, Shad Valley Trent had the experience of a lifetime, flying gliders made out of tissue paper, down Trent University’s wind tunnel, learning all about Physical Geography and Climatology – concepts which we found extremely useful, listening to Stephen Hill’s ‘late night’ lecture on sustainability, energy and coal.

Shad Valley Trent has thus far been an amazing experience filled with wonderful people, memorable moments and a true sense of belonging!

David Castelino
Shad Valley Trent
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario

July 9, 2008

Wow! Only one week has gone by and it seems as if we've been at McMaster University for a year - which is a good thing! Our P.A.s are constantly building team spirit, Shad students continue to bond and each day unveils a new and exciting adventure. I think all of us Mac Shads would agree that this morning it felt great to wake up at Les Prince Hall after a long weekend of camping.

As usual we began our day at 7:00a.m. with our routinely morning workout. Shads were given the option to play basketball or to go to "the Pulse" which is McMaster University's gym. At 8:00am a buffet styled breakfast was prepared at Commons. Eggs, sausages, hash browns, pancakes, cereal, fruits and yogurt were only some of this morning's menu items. Everyone began to arrive to breakfast and as always we were encouraged to sit with new people and develop new connections.

We then began the lecture filled part of the day with three great lectures. At 9:00a.m we listened to Marvin Ryder who is a university professor specialized in marketing and entrepreneurship. We were taught the necessary skills needed to write a business plan for our final projects. Then at 10:00 a.m. the idolized Sunjay Nath came in to speak to us about motivation and leadership. Sunjay was lively, comical and of course intelligent in every word he spoke. He taught us that the way we perceive things can change the opportunities presented to us in our lives. Lastly, our guest speaker for the day Nick Bontis arrived. Nick Bontis taught us a lot about the business world and helped us to find our average words read per minute with a speed reading test.

When the clock read 12:00pm, lunchtime had arrived. We all headed to the Commons cafeteria for a hearty lunch. After lunch we had recreational time where each recreational group participated in a variety of organized activities for 2 hours.

The rest of the day was filled with participation in dramatic arts-oriented activities. Two workshops were available: Page to Stage and an Improv Workshop. I signed up for the Page to Stage Workshop and I must say that I was quite impressed. Meg Barker, one of our exceptional P.A.s ran this workshop. Within 2 hours Shads took a script, divided into various groups and put together a play for our fellow Shads with lighting, props, sound effects and much more. It was amazing to see how much we were capable of doing when we worked together. Once we finished our presentation at 6:00pm, dinner was served.

My highlight of the day came at 7:00 when Rob Salerno, a Shad Alumni, came to McMaster University to present a play which he had written and performed at the Fringe Festival. This play titled "Balls!" touched the hearts of many Shads as the play revolved around a real-life experience of a young Shad from Acadia 1999 who was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Many of us were in tears by the end of the performance.

Once the play was over, we gathered for announcements, snack and nightly entertainment as a group. We were then granted free time and by 11:00 we were all expected to make curfew and be in our dorm rooms. So far I must say that Shad Valley has truly been a great experience. I can't wait to see how amazing the rest of the month will be!

Joseph Palmieri
Shad Valley McMaster
Hometown: Woodbridge, Ontario

July 8, 2008

Today we had a usual morning lined up for us, which involved waking up for breakfast at 8:30am, and heading down to Tilley 303 for a lecture. But, it was also the introduction of Shad Speak, an activity which was suppose to help us out with public speaking. And in turn, this would benefit our project presentations later down the road. Of course I couldn't wait for lunch (my favourite part of the day).

However, today was also the second day of lab seminars. I was in the Cold Formed Steel Group! As exciting as it sounds, the lecture did honestly put me to sleep in the beginning, but it caught my interest later on. Unfortunately, during the "lab" demonstration none of the equipment worked.

I was sad for a moment, but next was Shad Time (which is my second most favourite part of the day). During Shad Time we do whatever we want, as long as it obeys the laws of the book of Shad (i.e. the rules). My favourite thing to do during Shad Time was sleep on the hill. Oh, how I am going to miss that hill.

After Shad Time and dinner, we had time to work on our projects, and boy did that make it an intense afternoon. It seemed the day went by so fast because the next thing you know it was time for the late night activity where we had Shads presenting some reading material. That was what we did during July 8th, 2008, and it put me to sleep in a matter of minutes!

Vino Jeyapalan
Shad Valley New Brunswick
Hometown: Markham, Ontario

July 7, 2008

How many Shads does it take to compress 27 days of fun into a blog?

So far, nine.

A typical day at Shad varies directly with daily activities. Thus, the proportionality constant is the amount of fun one has that day.

The day begins with Sh-athletes who enjoy an early morning run while other sports enthusiasts recruit players for their respective exercises.
Lectures in the morning span two rather didactic hours in which our highly esteemed faculty and program assistants deliver stimulating lectures encompassing the broad scopes of entrepreneurship, science, and technology.

After lunch, Shads select from a plethora of choices of workshops in which to participate. These multi-faceted seminars can range from social skills to extreme sports. Later on in the day, Shads can be observed partaking in a variety of recreational activities, including organized sports, exercises, and other types of workouts.

After a filling dinner, Shads have time to work on their numerous projects. After a series of painfully long meetings, there is finally time for Shads to do as they please. Unfortunately, by the time that this uncommon phenomenon called “free time” occurs, it is already past midnight, and snores have intermittently claimed the vast majority of the residence. As for the few adamant stragglers determined not to wake up on time the next morning, sleep is imminent.

Andy Chau
Shad Valley Queen's
Hometown: Burnaby, British Columbia

Back row, from left to right: Julia Wall, Homan Mohammadi, Michael Xu, Rui Fu, Andy Chau, Sunny Dulay, Georgina Neatby, Lyne Lin

Front row, from left to right: Natasha Somani, Jacqueline Soong, Sonya Wadhera, Chieun Ahn

July 6, 2008

Hey Everyone!
I’d like to start by saying how amazing 'MacShad' has been so far. I’ve made countless new friends and I’ve had so many fun experiences, all in just a week. Today, Sunday, all of us Shads were allowed to sleep as late as noon, a great way to catch up on sleep! We ate delicious breakfast in the lobby while chatting with other Shads – the main topic of discussion being the camping trip that we are going on this afternoon.
We are going to a camping site which is a few hours from campus, and we’re expected to return on Tuesday. I am SO excited for the trip – from hiking, to roasting marshmallows and telling fun ghost stories, I already know that it’s going to be an unforgettable trip. Anyways, I better get packing!

Sophia Dhalla
Shad Valley McMaster
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

July 5, 2008

A fun rendition of a day at Shad...

To the Shad Headquarter. Stop. Report on the secret activity of Shad Dalhousie in Halifax. Stop. 50 Shads present. Stop. Target date: July 5th 2008. Stop.

Breakfast in Howe Hall residence until 9 o’clock. Stop. Morning lecture given by Jeremy, a Shad staff. Stop. Topic: perception. Stop. Duration: 1h30. Stop. Lecture focuses on how we have different perceptions of things and how there is no right or wrong, only multiple approaches. Break. Stop. Lecture by Michael Smit, a Shad staff, on computer science. Stop. Explore the advancement of computer science through science fiction. Stop.

House time at 11h. Stop. Shads group together in teams of 10, called “House”. Stop. Each team has to complete a project by the end of Shad. Stop. Project theme this year: Design with Conscience. Stop. Teams discuss to come up with a prototype to solve a social problem. Stop. Lunch at 12h. Stop.

Surprise event discovered. Stop. Trip to Clam Beach. Stop. A beautiful sand beach. Stop. Weather is sunny and warm. Stop. Shads’ activities include swimming and hitting the waves, sleeping in the sun, beach volleyball, running along the shore, building a gigantic sandcastle with “SHAD” written on it and taking 10 million pictures. Stop. Shads enjoyed themselves extremely. Stop. Barbecue at 5h. Stop.

Shad Event at 10h planned by the Banquet committee. Stop. Movie night with popcorn, cookies, cakes and hot chocolate. Stop. Watched “National Treasure II: the Book of Secrets”. Stop.

Report finished. Stop. Shad Valley seems to be a very entertaining and enriching program. Stop. Ran out of ink. Stop.

Agent 50328568482776
a.k.a Xing Li

Xing Li
Shad Valley Dalhousie
Hometown: Saint-Laurent, Québec

July 4, 2008

Today was a day that was way more than just shadisfactory! On a crisp Friday morning, 60 MacShads get up for our 7AM workout. Some went to the brand new, state of the art pulse gym, some went to play soccer, and the rest, including I, went on a special fitness challenge! The key is starting small, then gradually building from there. I felt fresh and energized, ready to start my jam-packed, eye-opening day at Shad!

We then had breakfast followed by not one, not two, but THREE inspiring, mind-opening lectures! First, we had Dr. Gianni Parise, Faculty of Medicine at McMaster University talk about medicine. He did it in a really neat way, by showing us a tv episode and explaining the medical perspective - it was really cool!

We next had a math lecture from Dr. Miroslav Lovrick that transported us to the fourth dimension and beyond! Our next guests were Barry Bisson, president of Shad Valley International and Lucas Skoczkowski, CEO of Redknee. They both came full of wonderful inspirational words of encouragement.

Following lunch, we met in our project groups to discuss the RBC cup. We had help from Dr. Marvin Ryder, faculty of Business, who liked two of our original ideas, but after much research, we realized that they were not feasible. We then came up with an idea that everybody liked, and that brought our various areas of interest and expertise together.

Later, we had a relaxing yoga class that calmed us down after this hectic day! After yoga, we had dinner, followed by CASINO NIGHT! We redeemed our “bean” chips for raffle tickets to win a whole slew of prizes while sipping (virgin) cocktails with special Shad names. This was definitely a night to remember!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed another great day at Shad Valley!

Alexandra Markus
Shad Valley McMaster
Hometown: Hampstead, Québec

July 3, 2008

July 2, 2008

July 2 at Shad UBC was the first day of workshops. Some of us went to see the particle accelerator at Triumph, others went to explore a nearby beach, and some of us learned the basics of university life (including how to scramble eggs in the microwave) from our PA Mackenzie.

My workshop took place at the Bike Kitchen at the UBC SUB, where we learned how to change a bicycle tire and how to adjust brakes. Afterward, we explored the campus by bike, seeing the first year residences and UBC's organic farm. After lunch we heard a lecture at CEME about entrepreneurship, related to our projects. We brainstormed our projects for a while, and then (after dinner) it was Shad Speak time.

The Shads' presentations ranged in topic from philosophy to archetypes to Greek plays to the many (many) uses of chopsticks. Shad Speaks are very relaxed and casual, and everyone had a good time. We had snack at ten o'clock, and then free time ensued - including some rather intense games of cards.

The best part of Shad so far is all the Shads (go figure). Everyone is original and somewhat crazy, and I'm very excited to get to know everyone during the next month!! And that sort of sums up Wednesday, but you pretty much have to be here to understand. (So come)Go Shad UBC!!!

Theresa Ketterling
Shad Valley University of British Columbia
Hometown: Douglas, New Brunswick

July 1, 2008 - Canada Day!

Today marked the third day of the Shad Valley program. Personally, I found today to be an improvement on the previous two days in that we Shads are able to interact with much more comfort. I have met many new friends; it is such a unique experience to be bonding so quickly.

It was definitely an early start, beginning with breakfast at 7:30 running right into some lectures on biology and material engineering. Afterwards we enjoyed an hour walk through Kingston’s downtown to experience some of the Canada Day activities. I am sure that we would have looked very patriotic as we were all wearing red and white clothing, as well as temporary Canada Day tattoos.

In the afternoon everyone met into our ‘House Groups’ and worked on some cool projects. The evening finished off with a trip to see the fireworks at the waterfront and a bedtime snack. Everyone is now excitedly packing for tomorrow’s camping trip. I would say that today was very busy and tiring, but a lot of fun.

Julia Wall
Shad Valley Queen’s
Hometown: Fall River, Nova Scotia

June 30, 2008 - En Francais!

Aujourd'hui était le premier jour complète. Il a commencé avec le petit déjeuner qu'était vraiment grand (j’ai mangé trop). Après ça, nous avons fait des premières impressions de chaque autre. Tous les commentaires étaient positives et les miens était proche de qui je suis. Le jour était pleine des activités mais deux que nous avons fait avaient une impression sur moi.

Je n’étais pas certaine si j’ai voulu de prendre les cours des affaires à l’université. Mais, après l’activité, j’ai découvert que j’aime les affaires et je suis plus sûre avec mon futur maintenant.

Nous avons aussi fait les petits jeux. Aussi, les personnels ont montré leurs dans le soir. Quelques-uns étaient drôles (comme un éponge, une ampoule, du riz) et les autres étaient plus sérieux.

Je crois que après tous, nous savons chaque autre mieux et sont prêtes à créer des amis ici à Shad qui peuvent durer la vie.

Emily Yorke
Shad Valley Laval
Hometown: Hillside Boularderie, Nova Scotia

June 29, 2008

New Beginnings and Fresh Starts – A First Day at Shad

It is often said that "first impressions are everything," and Shad Valley is no exception to this. Fortunately, the new ideas, people, and places more than make up for their promise of delivering an enriching experience that, so far, broadens one's horizons and allows a person to truly find one's self. The way that the organizers of this program have been working to allow us to make the most out of Shad is simply excellent. This begs the question: what was today really like?

The morning got kick started by a mini-vidlog. After this, we met our program assistants and got assigned to our respective house divisions - I got chosen to be in house yellow.There was a presentation given and spearheaded by Adrian Chan, program director, as well as a showing of our bio-tiles.

To finish the day off, we were all given some down-time to wind down and prepare for the next day. In short, there was a lot of work done, yet it didn't feel like work. If this is what Shad is all about - driving yourself, stretching your limits, and dreaming big - then I can't wait for what the coming weeks will hold!

Signing off,
Johnathan MacNeil

Johnathan MacNeil
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: Sydney, Nova Scotia

June 29, 2008

It was very cold when I got out of bed this morning. The kind of cold that can chill you to your very bones. But yet, I did not feel a thing. My heart was pounding, my palms sweaty, and I had not even two hours of sleep. All of this due to the fact that today was the day that I was to depart for Shad Valley. I would spend the next month of my life at Dalhousie University in Halifax, with 49 other complete strangers who just like me, hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.
I arrived in Halifax International Airport early Sunday morning, and was quickly greeted by two individuals in blazing orange t shirts that helped me a few other tongue-tied travelers find our cabs. The cab driver was a Newfoundlander and therefore he was automatically an entertaining and charming fellow. It's a gift we are all blessed with from the Rock.
Upon arriving at Dalhousie University I was immediately awestruck by it's sure grandeur and beauty. It oozes with history and it's stone walls seem to tell stories of another time. I was and continue to be impressed by the beautiful architecture. We had arrived at our destination finally.
There never seemed to be any uncomfortable tension between myself and the few others that arrived early this morning. We quickly became fast friends and the laughs came in bunches very soon after we settled in. We then went on to play a great game of Frisbee inside of a dorm room, take an adventure to find a Subway only to realize none of us were hungry, and play a game of pickup basketball. We had a few hours to spare while waiting for the others to arrive and it allowed for some shenanigans and it allowed for some great groundwork for future friendships to be set.
The night concluded with the arrival of the rest of the Shad crew, a few icebreakers, and of course more laughs. The day might not of been a typical day of a Shad, but what I believe I may come to realize is that no day during Shad Valley is typical and that includes the first day. I have made a few friendships, and I know that more are to come in the near future. I'm not sure what to expect in the coming days. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mike Rolfe
Shad Valley Dalhousie
Hometown: Springdale, Newfoundland