Tips to become more involved.

By: Nicole M.

Western Canada is one of Calgary’s biggest schools, with over 2000 students and multiple clubs going on all at the same time, the concept of getting involved seems overwhelming. However the bigger the school, the more options that are available to you! Here are a few tips on how to get involved at Western Canada.

1. Don’t be afraid to make new friends, especially make friends in classes that you enjoy. They might have information on programs and clubs that might interest you. Also if they are a part of a club it will become easier for you to join since you know someone who belongs to it.
2. Show up at Club Day! Western Canada has so many clubs that they use up the entire gym to promote them. So why not take that opportunity to see what the school has to offer and choose from there !
3. Visit the career center! The career center is filled with many opportunities that could help you become involved at school but also activities that could benefit your career.  The center is also in constant contact with school and universities therefore they are constantly updated on programs and affairs.
4. Ask your teachers about extra-curricular activities that are available, maybe they know about programs that maybe weren’t mentioned. Also they may be quick to alert you about the most recent opportunities regarding the subject they teach,
5. Keep your eyes open! Opportunities present themselves all along Western’s walls, maybe the next time you go to the bathroom take a look around all the walls. The walls frequently have posters that reflect upcoming events and activities.
6. Keep an open mind! Sometimes clubs and activities may not necessarily appeal to our taste but give it a try. There is no consequence for not liking something, but there is a consequence if you don’t try. Just stay focused on what you like and experiment with what you aren’t sure of.

Here are a couple tips to help you become more involved in Western Canada’s community. Becoming involved gives you more opportunities to make new friends and they can help you develop leadership attributes and create a wonderful resume.

$25, 000 raised for cancer research

By: Maria M.

Almost everybody has been touched by the incurable cancer; it is due to that, that on March 6th 2014, many of the students that attended Western Canada High School hosted an incredible head shave charity event for the Canadian Cancer Society. Thanks to the generous help of the Husky Steering Committee and the talented direction of many of the Leadership students involved, an astounding $25, 000 was raised. The entirety of this money will be placed directly into the hands of those working towards research and patient programs.

The Western Canada High School head shave took place with Global News’s Gord Gillies volunteering as the MC and with Western Canada’s very own Jam Club taking courteously participation in providing music for the event as well as graciously donating some hair. With supportive peers enthusiastically cheering on from the bleachers, the brave Shavees step up to their chairs, some nervous, some eager, some both for the dramatic change in appearance that was about to take place in them. Many found consolation with the fact that what they were doing was going to be unselfishly helping out the fundraiser raise the funds goal they were striving for. Several of Students involved selflessly sacrificed their beloved locks, some as far as donating up to two feet or longer of hair which will be made into wigs that will benefit those in the community who were part of the reason for this fundraiser.

One of Western’s many talented and generous students, was Orin Markle, who himself was diagnosed with cancer in November of this past year. With his kind and caring friend Arthur, they did many different types of fundraising which in total themselves; they managed to raise $5,800. Orin and his friend attended the event; they were elated with how excited everyone was so eagerly willing to donate their hair, for a cause that meant so much to him and many others.

It was outstanding to see the amount of people who not only showed up, but who volunteered time and donated money, refreshments and photography, media coverage, handled all the donations, kept up on the totals making the public aware. Could you imagine the impact of such an amazing event on those not even attending when they were made aware of the twenty five thousand dollars that was raised and donated to help such a worth and deserving cause.

I truly believe that if the whole world had the good heart and the generosity of all those involved in this event that we as a society would be such a better place. Imagine all the other charities if so successful how much good we would be able to accomplish.  I personally have felt the tragedy of losing someone to cancer; but even without this I found myself being incredibly moved by the overwhelming love and generosity of all those involved and know the in the future I will be more aware and more involved with helping others.

Good God it’s Grad; Graduation 2014

By: Lindsay K.

Each year, Western Canada High School (WCHS) sees over 500 students graduate and receive their high-school diplomas. WCHS is known as one of the top academic and athletic public schools in Calgary and surrounding areas. But, what is truly behind this amazing legacy? The student body.

This year, we will be saying goodbye to our graduating class of 2014; another incredible group of leaders, athletes, comedians, performers and philanthropists. These students have grown over the past three years here at Western, and matured from kids to phenomenal young adults.

The conclusion of 12 years of education is an exciting and nerve-racking time for our graduates, as well as their families and friends. Life seems to be moving at lightning speed as we approach the year’s graduation festivities. We, as the community of Western Canada High School, could not be more proud of our graduating class of 2014.

This year’s ceremony will be held the morning of May 24, 2014 at Calgary Stampede Park in the Stampede Corral at 8:45 am. There, the students will be presented with their high school diplomas; surrounded by family, friends and their fellow classmates. This ceremony will conclude by 12 pm.

Following the ceremonies, in the evening, will be the reception, dinner and dance. These festivities will take place in Hall E of the Bank of Montreal Centre. The reception will begin at 5:30 pm, followed by the dinner at 6:30 pm and the dance at 8:30 pm. The students will be able to celebrate their achievements with their families, friends and dates, and be together one last time as a graduating class.

For the graduates of 2014, this is a time to reflect on what Western means to us as a class. Western is a community, a place of achievement and learning. We are a team. By travelling through high school together - but also as individuals – we have all grown into who we are today.
Graduation is also a time to thank all of the teachers, parents, role models, and friends who have guided these students through this journey. They will forever be a part of who these young adults were, who they are and, most importantly, who they would like to become.

Here is to the graduating class of 2014; may they share the extraordinary talents they learned at Western with the world.

*After-Grad tickets can be purchased from Nikki A., Sam D., Eric C. or Jackson M. in the café during lunch for 70 dollars.

Western Canada High School Head Shave

By: Ellen L.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society twenty one people are diagnosed with cancer each hour, and nine people die. With each donation the cure becomes closer, and this is why Western Canada High Schools Husky Leadership committee  will be hosting the "Head shave for Cancer" on March 6th 2014. Not only will their be participants shaving their heads, but also participants donating their ponytail to the "Pantene for Beautiful lengths" program.This program uses ponytails of the minimum length of eight inches to provide wigs for many women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments. The shave (and cut)  will take place between nine thirty and eleven thirty in the main gym. All morning classes are greatly  encouraged to come to the event to watch, and  support not only classmates, friends, and teachers, but also the Canadian Cancer society and all they do. Throughout the morning event Westerns very own Jam club will be providing the entertainment , and Global televisions Gord Gillies will be the MC for the event.
   
The main goal of the head shave is to raise as much money and awareness as possible for the Canadian Cancer Society. Everyone involved in the Western Canada Community is encouraged to give what you can for the good of the cause and for the support of peers cutting or shaving hair. Donations need to be handed in to students period one teacher by March seventh at the latest, or donations can be made online  on the Canadian Cancer Society website under Western's profile. As well as pledge forms which are available. Not only will the school raise money for the cause, but the first period class that raises the most money will be rewarded with a class pizza party.

An astonishing two in five people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, and the Canadian Cancer Society has been doing all they can through prevention, and research since 1938. The societies vision is to "create world where no Canadian fears cancer"
   
For more information on the event please contact Ms. Price or visit www.cancer.ca.

Masquerade Ball

By: Eleanor G.

As I am sure you are all aware, Valentine’s Day, also known as Singles Awareness Day, was last week. And with it came the annual Valentine’s Day Dance. This year’s theme was a Masquerade. Although this idea was far from original, I personally thought it was a welcome change from last year’s theme: a winter formal. While not very different, it gave students an item of clothing to focus on other than the short dresses sported by most girls. The masks worn varied from the basic dollar store kind given out by the students’ union to elaborate Venetian masks, covered in ribbons and glitter. I was wearing the latter. Opting for a more formal theme gave the students a chance to dress up, something that doesn’t come around very often.

Nearly everyone present was dressed in formal attire. Most girls, myself included, were in short but fancy dresses and high heels. The heels however didn’t last the whole night. Most girls ended up leaving them against a wall or under chairs. There were a few exceptions: such as a girl wearing a floor length, light pink dress and a couple smart girls who chose to wear flat shoes. All the boys were dressed in button down shirts and some even opted for ties. Almost everyone cooperated with the theme and wore masks. But after an hour of dancing in a relatively small gym, wearing a mask got a tad too uncomfortable. There was a wall where everyone dropped their masks so they wouldn’t have to carry them. This wasn’t an organized idea but it was a smart one.

Though the dance was well attended, most of the students arrived around 7:45. Before then there was a lull. Dancing was awkward with so few people. They were self-conscious. The doors closed at 8:00 and by then, the gym was two thirds full. Everyone stayed relatively close to the DJ, leaving only the seating area and the photo booth empty. It was quite fluid. Everyone moved from group to group. There were even a couple impromptu conga lines. The music significantly influenced the style of dance and the amount of people dancing. When they played a song that was popular in 2008, nostalgia took over and the dance floor became crowded with people dancing like they did back in grade 5 or 6. And when the DJ chose a country song, all those who remembered the line-dancing unit from PE 10 ran onto the dance floor and showed their Western Pride. A few songs, of course, fell flat. They’re good songs but the beat wasn’t good to dance to and it became a little awkward – leaving many people to leave the gym and try to get some cooler air. I am proud to say that when Blurred Lines began playing, many people left the gym and those who didn’t seemed to dance with less vigour. As expected, feelings on the choice of music were mixed. Everyone had their own opinions. When asked about what could be improved about the dance, a grade 10 girl said, “Well the music could be better.” However a grade 11 girl said the she thought the music was well chosen, a “nice mix of slightly older music and new hits but a couple songs didn’t work.”

The dance ended at 10:00 but many people cleared out at 9:45. Only about a quarter of the people who attended were still present during the last song. The coat check was incredibly crowed but well organized and we were out after only 5 minutes.

It was, overall, a hit. Enough people showed up for it not to be awkward. The majority liked the music. Though not everyone knew how to dance, they got by with swaying. It was well organized but still managed to feel organic.

I will end it here with one piece of advice that I know will not be accepted: girls, don’t wear heels.