The snow is creeping down the mountain and most of our town is dripping in a wet fog ... it’s fall, and fall comes to L.V. Rogers high school just the same as everywhere else. We are nearing the end of our first term, the winter jackets are coming out, and many people’s lunches consist of a lot of leftover chocolate bars.
Halloween at LVR is always an exciting time. The costume parade shows off innovation and creativity in some gorgeous costumes ... and also the traditional angel wings and devil horns that seem to show up in hordes on Halloween weekend. It is a time of fake cobwebs and red lipstick, teachers showing up to school in various states of dress-up, and glowing pumpkins being judged by a panel.
This year, I and many other LVR students took part in the festivities a little bit differently. We were enjoying the Kootenay Regional Drama Festival that took place over the last weekend in October. Students from schools across the Kootenays came to our town for workshops, zombie walks and shows. I had the pleasure of taking part in LVR’s short production of Dracula, a 40-minute ensemble piece directed by our wonderful drama teacher, Robyn Sheppard.
Ingrid Love, a Grade 12 directing student, created a breathtaking human set that was both creepy and beautiful.
The show went off very well, and all of the LVR students who took part are very grateful to our teacher and director for allowing us to be part of such a unique and fun experience.
The end of October saw something a little more important than a Halloween celebration. In an election on Oct. 17, our country voted in a new government, and the teenage population, though most of us aren’t eligible to vote, followed the events very closely.
A few students at LVR actually held a student poll, which yielded quite different results from what actually happened. Though Wayne Stetski and the NDP were elected in both, the students put the Green Party in second place and the Conservatives in a resounding last.
These student polls are important, so students can know what it is like to be a part of change, but also so that people can see what issues are actually important to youth. Our voices can be heard, even if our votes don’t make a difference.
Coming up in November at the school is the 24 Hour Write, a writing competition in which students stay overnight at the school and produce a short story to be judged. Every year, writers are brought in to give a workshop to the participants, and some wonderful pieces come out of the sleep-deprived night.
Another student event this month is the Harry Potter Gala, a fundraiser for the UN Refugee Agency. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21. I spoke to two members of the LVR Amnesty International Group about the event.
“We are showing Harry Potter at the Civic Theatre, with a dress up contest and prizes.” says Alyssa Taburiaux.
When asked why the event is being held, Lena Price said “youth need to know about social issues, and it is a great way to have fun while raising money for a cause.”
November may not be as sunny a month as September or October, but here at LVR it is sure to be just as busy!
Gillian Wiley is a Grade 11 L.V. Rogers student. Her column appears once a month.