° A oD WUVVYVYYY VANDALIS IS often associated with teenagers, and when news reports of van- dals hit the paper, teens are often blamed. Do you know anyone who takes part in ac- tivities like siphoning gas from cars and drawing graffiti on property? Do you think teens are responsible for it or are they just getting blamed? iy do we put up with cultural wastelanc I GOT back from New York City recently, after spending six days in the busiest city in the world for a students’ United Nations. For the time we were in New York, at least during our time as UN delegates, our roles were clearly defined: we were diplomats, deaiing with other peaple with different backgrounds and from different parts of the world. This in itself was a tremendous learning experience. Not only were we required to know the UN rules of procedure inside and out, but we were expected io do all the back-room wheeling and dealing required of a good UN diplomat. Learning experiences did not stop there. Manhattan itself can teach you a lot about fife. Ina world of its own, New York is a mix of all different types of peo- pie, of different foods, of con ar- tists, of activists, and of amazing stores of all kinds, The clubs weren't bad, cither, But the real learning came when } was in an elevator in the hotel where all we delegates were. In talking to some of the other “emissaries, it came up that | was from Canada. That’s when the teal fan began. “Why aren't you speaking French?” one of them asked. “Hey, you guys must find it really hot down here, because there's only a bit of snow on the ground -— no white fields of ice,” As it turned out, these intellec- tual superstars were from the cul- tural wasteland we call the United States. Needless to say, { became engaged in a defence of this cout try, and } war left with one nag- ging question: Why do we try to learn so much about the U.S. when they don't care enough lo find out about us? For me, this clearly and un- questionably supports the theory that Americans have become so WV student studies in Japan FIFTEEN-YEAR-old Jamie Pelletier, a Grade 10 student from West Vancouver secondary school, went to Japan for two weeks last year to have a litte taste of another culture. > By Kevin Wood t > ZAP! Contributor < He thoroughly enjoyed himself, so he thought he'd sign up for another trip back to Japan this year, for a three-month stay, Many secondary school students from B.C. signed up for the trip, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism. In the end it was narrowed to 16. Eight of them, including Pelletier, recently left for Shikoku, one of the southern islands of Japan. . The other eight are split into two groups, one group going to Hong Kong and the other to Thailand. During his visit, Pelletier will be studying at Meitoku Gijuku junior and senior secondary, a Japanese private school located on the side of. Yokonami Peniusula Prefec- tural park in a picturesque natural setting with magnificent water Writer credited LAST WEEK’S ZAP! page featured a story about pro- testers, ‘‘Radicals becoming rebels without applause,’' Friday, April 30, page 26. The article was written by Grade 12 Carson Graham secondary school student Jason Lyle, but because of a production error another stu- dent was credited with writing the story. Lyle wrote that people who choose radical forms of pro- test can sometimes hurt the cause that they are supporting because, as in the case of tree spiking in Clayoquot Sound, the actions zet bad publicity or, in the case of a flag being burned during the U.S.- Russia summit, the main result was to poison the air. The North. Shore News apologizes to Lyle for not giving credit where credit was due. views, The school has many club activ- ities - such as baseball, surno, karate-do, and table tennis. The students must choose ane sport activity from the list. There are major differences be- tween North American and Japa- nese educational systems. For in- stance, in Japan, the classes run from 8:20 a.m, to 2:20 p.m, every day except Sunday, and afl the courses are taught in Japanese. Afier class you have to par- Ucipate in the club activity that you chose. After dinner, students turn to studying and then have free time from 10 to 10:30 p.m. Though the trip is to a boarding school, Pelletier will still have an opportunity to see some places, such as Leoma Amusement Park, Ryugado Cave, and Katsurahama beach. JAMIE PELLETIER ... month stint In Japan. three- An Argyle secondary school student in Grade 12, Kevin, 17, is interested in rock climbing, cycl- ing, and snowboarding. Sport Camp \ A CHANCE TO WIN FABULOUS PRIZES Turn to Sussex's Back Page in Toda 's Real Estate Section Itdoesnt need a pump tomake it fit better because it fits better to begin with. Ss. a4 WCTS00 TENNIS WCT360 TENNIS Why would anyone buy a pair of running shoes without a pump or disc or other clever gimmick? Because they fit. Every New Balance shoe is sized 10 match your foot's precise width, not just its length, new balance: Aey ° A more intelligent approach to building shoes. Some women’s models available up to size 13 GB) In stock LadySport (a J Available promptly by special order 3545 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver 753-1173 high on themselves that suddenly the world is something about which they know nothing. And we tet them get away with it. Well, it’s just about time we stopped taking this crap from them. We should — and I feel as young people, we have the most to gain froin this ~ somehow put as much faith as we as a nation have in the U.S.A. back into our own country, and turn it around so that the Americans feel so stupid they have no choice but .o learn more about Canada. But it shouldn't be somethiig we do to get the Americans bac ¢; tather, in the process, we should develop a greater understandi ig for our country, for each othr, and most importantly, how tte: Yankees got so stupid, so that i) years from now, when we contiol the world, we stay level-head sd and somewhat intelligent, eh? ing | for thelr generous support of ‘AN EVENING OF LAUGHS:: . Balloonery Enterprises Bean There #. Owen Beaton Beverly Bail tlair Design BC. Rail Bright’s Wines — - Bodyworks by Tara Buyriie Lighting Ltd. Calico Candies Canada Safeway CBC's Driver's Seat CBC’s Fred Penner CBC Radio Corban Estate Wines Corsi's Trattoria C.P. Hotels Creative Goldsmiths Deeler’s Antiques Dykhof Nurseries Earl's Tin Palace Grandpa Dick's Workshop Gregg TV and Video Great Outdoors Grower Direct Las Vegas Discount Golf & Tennis Lifeline Distributors Mad Katz Clothing Co. ~ x Mark's Work Wearhouse Moison's indy Corp. Charlotte Nelson _ New Zealand Consul General North Shore Battery . 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