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