Fun, stress, fatigue and remarkable are the four adjectives most often used to describe Shad Valley Carleton ’09. We came back from camping yesterday, bitten, dirty and exhausted. However, the thrill of the camping experience cannot be described in mere words. Using the outhouses, sleeping in small tents with four other Shads and mosquitoes was, believe it or not, EXCITING!! This was because we were all together.

Today, Yellow House presented ShadNews in a very entertaining manner which distracted us from scratching our bug bites. ShadNews really helps us stay connected with the outside world which would be impossible otherwise as we are always caught up in the hustle and bustle of Shad. We then had the pleasure of listening to three fellow Shads present their Shad Speaks. It is really intriguing to listen to the Shads speak about their passions, since all 52 of us come from different backgrounds. In Shad, we learn about things which we hardly learn about in school, such as, recent developments in scientific research and volunteering opportunities.

Next, we had the honour of listening to Mr. Al Pilcher talk to us about the business aspect of the legendary DE project! It was then time to start exercising our bodies with a game of soccer. I got to see the Emperor and Empress of Japan; they were visiting Carleton as part of their two-week Canadian tour.

After lunch, the houses presented their codes of conduct to Al Pilcher and received some very useful tips for improvement. We then worked on our DE project for a half-hour (a very busy half-hour). After dinner, we had Committee Time. I am part of the Shadwear and monthbook committee so during this time we designed the logo for Shadwear. After a few more fun activities, it was time to go to bed and get a restful sleep. This only captures the essence of Shad, which is really hard to do in 200 words! In order to truly know Shad, one has to live the experience!

Sapna Shah
Shad Valley Carleton
Hometown: Markham, Ontario