#16. At The 1/4 Term Mark...What have I been doing?

Victory lap! Well, as you likely already know by the end of last year I was ready to jump off the "leader"-ship... hahaha! (but I kept my charming sense of humor)... my original plan for this year was to coast a little bit, and enjoy my time at school before going off to university next year with bigger and better things.

Well...old habits die hard I guess. I HAVE been enjoying my year, and for me the only way to do that? Get involved!!!! If being involved was a bad thing, I'd probably be spending my victory lap in rehab. I'm addicted. This year, I am still on Student Parliament, focussing on using my past leadership experiences as Prime Minister last year to help this year's cabinet with any advice they may need, or with running events. I have been named "the den mother" and I welcome that name with open arms. Already this year we've organized and ran the Orientation Dance, re-worked the recycling program, orentation week, began developing a strong relationship with the grade 12 leadership class (which I am also in) and we're currently planning a pep rally, and a halloween dance! Another important task I've been helping with is to help develop the yearly calender of school events this year.

Other clubs and things that I have been getting involved with this year include; Athletic Council (buyout/pep rally), Eco-Warriors, and organizing and being an MC for the Remembrance Day assembly in November.

I eventually will also hopefully become a member of the Senior Girls Volleyball team again this year. I know that sometimes as a student my life can get a little hectic, but I love my school, I'm blessed to have so many leadership opportunities and I wouldn't change a thing!

#15. Leaders & Leadership

Thursday was the big election! And guess which 18 year old danced her way to the polls....this one! I loved voting, it felt so empowering and really cool. I kind of felt like a spy or something. That, I can't really explain. I also know a lot of my friends who didn't vote, simply because they didn't really know the candidates. Lots of people don't like to vote if they aren't really aware of the issues, and they don't want to just vote how their family does. I think this is fair. I think that the lack of inspiration for young people to vote is a two-part blame. One, I think that lots of young people are too lazy. They just aren't interested, because showing interest would mean having to do some research about the people running and the issues that are happening. I am guilty of being one of these young people. I really didn't want to find out what was happening in the election, because I almost felt like I don't deserve to vote, because the issues don't REALLY effect me at this time in my life (the major issues that is). So the fact that lots of young people don't want to vote for me is understandable. Which leads me to why I think it's hard for leaders to reach young voters is because they don't seem sincere in trying to get their votes. They try to appeal most to the people they DO know will be voting, and that's the older generations.