Sydney i is 17: years old, and | a Grade 12 student at Crason Graham secondary school. She has hopes for a future in the film industry.

“SHOULD I stay at school or should I drop out?’’

This is the question I was faced with throughout the first semester, and although in the end I made the correct decision — to remain in ‘school and leave with a diploma -— 1 feel that my choice to venture out into the real world

YOUNG CANADIANS inter- ested in attending the 1993 Global Youth Forum, the larg- est annual gathering of young environmentalists.in the world, are invited to submit appiica- tions to attend.

Sponsored by the United Na- tions Environment Programme (UNEP), and convened under the corporate patronship of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., the Global Youth. Forum is sched- uled to take place May 20 and 21 in Boulder, Colorado.

“S.C. Johnson will sponsor the attendance of up to 10 Ca- nadian youths,’’ advises Josie McDonagh, manager of public relations with the company. Application forms should be requested from and then sub- mitted to the company’s Cana- dian head office in Brantford.

“Applicants between the ages 12 and 25 will first be screened by S.C. Johnson on

‘the basis of their personal en-

vironmental actions, with final selection by UNEP.’’ ' Approximately 2,000 children and youth from more than 40 nations have attended past conferences at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York City. The forum offers the opportunity to learn from each other’s successful community actions through two days of workshops, exhib- itions and performances.

“Now in its ninth year,’’ she continues, ‘“‘the cornerstone cf the UNEP’s outreach program encourages the understanding of the organizaticn’s role as a

" resource for the littest and most comprehensive information on environmental issues."”

It also enabies young people to meet with and talk to their pecrs on environmental concerns around the world. © Youths aged 25 and younger are eligible to attend.

Applications invited to Globa! Youth forum

could have proven to be equally successful.

The issue of my absence when the second term resumed was also brought up by the administration who felt that it was obvious, by my grades in academic courses, that my interests lay elsewhere.

Needless to say, they were right. I have never been asked to enter the math contest or to run a discussion on some biological theory. No one has ever asked me for help in chemistry and no one ever will,

Now that I think about it, I was viewed as a dropout even before | had lefi, students.

Walking down the hall t would hear people say ‘‘Hi,’’ followed by, “I haven’t seen much of you lately. What classes do you have this semester?”

After the type of comments | received on many occasions, I felt it necessary to fill in bits and pieces that would make my two fine arts courses seem more ac- ceptable to them.

“I'm going to film school part time and working on a couple’ of productions,’? I would respond. Either they did not believe me or their one-sided view on education

@ The purpose of the program . is to encourage and increase worldwide individual and col- lective environmental, activism by promoting global awareness of environmental issues and solutions among youth.

@ Young people invited to at- tend the Global Youth Forum are involved in community- based environmental programs. They are selected as delegates on the basis of their personal environmental activities, and many already have a lifetime of environmental actions to their credit.

The program helps disseminate environmental education information materi- als among children and youth to catalyse and increase posi- tive environmental action.

@ The program facilitates and encourages networking and in- teraction among youth worldwide, and the develop- ment of leading youth en- vironmental activists.

® The program helps foster an international dialogue, and de- velops leadership skills.

@ Past forums have involved as many as 2,000 youths from more than 40 nations on every continent.

@ The Global Youth Forum is the largest gathering of young environmentalists in the world. ® It has been held every spring since 1984, Participants have previously met at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

@ The forum presents partici- pants with the opportunity to learn from each other's suc- cessful community actions through talks, workshops, ex- hibitions and performances.

Those interested should con- tact S.C, Johnson at 1 Webster St., Brantford, Ont., N3T SRI, or call (519) 758-6555 (Ext. 466).

both by teachers and —

did not allow anything in the aren of fine arts to be considered. a possible curcer,

The flack | received at school, combined with the lack of courses in the field of my choice, left me feeling that nothing I could do at school would help me in the future and that the best way for me to be successful was to go somewhere where the education was specifically designed for the film industry.

I spoke to both my parents and friends about the idea. Interest- ingly, it was my parents who sup- ported the idea and my friends who objected to it.

This again left me feeling that ! was caught in between worlds. How could the system be so out of tune with students and their in- terests that anyone was able to feel that they were seriously better off clsewhere, even if it meant giving up a diploma?

It is easy for teachers and other

students to turn a blind eye to the °

problem by portraying teens that drop out as lazy and unintelligent. But they cannot ignore that there are also .those students, like myself, who feel there is a lack of

‘specialized courses in the field

they hope to pursue.

AAMAAAAAALA

STUDENTS ARE now making decisions that affect the rest of their lives — univer- sity, college, work, etc. — and there are

students tha schools can handle.

more

the post-secondary What do you plan to

do with your future? What if you can't get

into university or college?

| think f should make it clear, however, that J am in no way suggesting that all students from Grades 8 to $2 should up and leave school. 1 am Suggesting ihat society should recognize that not every student who does leave is destined for failure.

] guess to hear me say all of this must be a title confusing. 1 say | want to drop out, and that | think it is justified in many cases, yet at the same time you know in the end my decision was just the opposite,

I don’t know if I can explain

‘why [ went back into the prin-

cipal’s office and pleaded with him (o let me stay at school.

Things for me are a little dif- ferent now. I have found a way of pursuing my goal of one day becoming a great director.

I am continuing to go to film school, working on projects whenever I get a chance, and tak- ing a new course offered by the school district in media techno- logy. - Tam glad i went through this thought process and made the decision that | did. However, it is my belief that dropping out may not be the way out for everyone but for some it is the only way in!

Photo submitted

NORTH VANCOUVER student Alison Mercer receives a scholarship from Ken Takagaki, acting dean of the school cf

engineering technology at BCIT.

{HERE GOE NATE, OFF TO THE HOSPITAL.

GOING To

HAPPEN TO

HIM, MISS CLARKE ?

WHAT DOT NEED WITH FRIENDS 4

© 1987 Oy NEA re

WELL, L GUESS THE FIRST THING THEYLL OO IS X-RAY HIS

I DON'T WANT FRIENDS...

WRIST...

ARTER ALL, OL CAN'T HIT FRIENDS...

THEN THEY'LL PROBABLY PUT A CAST ON HIS

ARM AND SEND Him HONE |

LAST WEEK we asked if you think schools should continue to have ski trips after two re- cent deaths during school outings. We also asked. if there is enough supervision on these trips.

Yes, there should be school ski trips. 1s not fair to ask if there is enough supervision — wih (Argyle secondary school studenQ) Andrea (Feddersen)'s death there could have been a hundred supervisors and i sd could have happened. It wis un accident; it could happen to anyone. 1 do think school ski trips should be continued and I don't think any amount of supervision would have prevented, either accident. : a

I think schools are planning more trips, but - supervision should be much improved if they’re going to be attempted.

If you stop living life Just because it’s dangerous, then you have to ask yourself if

life is really worth living. 1:

think that ski trips should zo on.

Uve known. a lot of the people who've had accidents, i. do ski trips myself and theyre a Jot of fun. At least with my schooj, there’s not as much supervisien as there might be because after the fessons the children have free ski time. You .have to be smart cnough ‘o ski with somebody. The ski trips should continue, but there is not really enough supervision.

HELL BE FINE, WHO'S

STUDIES!

D 1997 Uwted Feanse Sprocare ie,

LINLESS ALL YOUR

ENEVIES HAPPEN To BE

OLIT OF TOWN.

FRANCIS....DON'T | WORRIED? WORRY ABOUT / THAT LUCKY STIFF GETS TO MISS SOCIAL