Category: Campus Life

By Erin Rebello

During one summer while in high school, I worked as a camp counsellor at a sports camp for boys and girls ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old. I worked with 3 other counsellors to facilitate the 6-week program through July and August.

Why I Did It

A lot of my friends had already landed their first jobs, and I felt as though summer would be the perfect time to start earning and saving! My parents are generally pretty strict about me getting a job, and didn’t want it to interfere with my education, so camp counselling during the summer was something that worked for my situation. It’s also a great place to start for a lot of people because it requires little to no work experience and looks great on resumes! Camp counselling also aligned with my interests, seeing as I love working with kids, and I hope to pursue a career as a pediatrician, where I would be working with kids daily. Finally, I wanted to start saving for post-secondary and make a contribution to my RESP, and this job allowed me to do just that!

What I did

As a camp counsellor, you really have to be versatile! Every day we had a different schedule with different activities to do with the kids, from basketball drills to dodgeball to arts and crafts. Since this was a sports-based camp, we focused on exercise and physical fitness. It was important for counsellors to have some physical stamina because kids, especially kids in a sports camp, NEVER STOP! We had to run drills with them, take a quick break, then move on to the next activity almost immediately. Though this part was difficult at first, the three other counsellors and I were soon accustomed to it. Through our position, we learned a lot about leadership, especially in terms of taking care of children.

Pros and Cons

Like anything, there were pros and cons to spending my summer working as a camp counsellor. One pro is that I gained a lot of work experience by doing something which I thought was a lot of fun. Another positive is that I met a lot of new people and had the opportunity to build lifelong connections with my fellow counsellors. This job also reaffirmed the belief that I want to work with kids in my future career. However, there were a few downsides. For one, I spent a large portion of my summer working as a counsellor, which left me less time to hang out with friends. As well, though the kids were usually well-behaved, at times they were not!

My Favourite Part

I’d have to say that my favourite thing about camp was the connections we made with the kids. Throughout my 6 weeks of working as a camp counsellor, I met so many kids with so many different goals and aspirations. One thing that I’ll cherish forever is how the older kids helped the younger kids, encouraging them to try their hardest and cheering them on when they managed to score a point. The whole experience was a lovely reminder of how wonderful children can be.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved working as a summer camp counsellor! This experience is unlike any other job because it really gives you the chance to have an impact on the lives of the kids you work with. This summer job boosted my confidence and improved my leadership skills, all while being a fun experience. Though I was able to save for my post-secondary education, I think that the greatest compensation was not the money, but the rewarding experience. I would definitely recommend this job to anyone interested in improving their skills and having fun at the same time!

Starting a business with a friend may seem like a fun and exciting idea. Although it may be a great idea, it also has its disadvantages. If you are curious about whether starting a business with a friend is a good idea or not, this article is just for you!

Pros

• You Know Each Other’s Strengths and Weaknesses

If you start a business with a friend whom you have known for a long time, you probably know their strengths and weaknesses. They also probably know yours. This will help both of you decide which duties are best for each of you. There will also be fewer surprises when you are working with someone you already know.

• You Can Spend More Time with Your Friend

Working with your friends can make you excited to go to work each day. You get to talk about more than just business throughout the day. A large amount of your life is spent at work, so it is important to work with people you get along with.

• You Can Freely and Comfortably Communicate

If you’re starting a business with a friend, it’s most likely going to be with someone you can freely and comfortably speak to. When running a business, it is very important to communicate and remain on the same page as your partners. Working with a friend can help you comfortably communicate your thoughts.

• You are Each Other’s Support System

Starting a business is not easy, but doing it with a friend can help make it a little less overwhelming. You and your friend will be sharing this amazing experience and will go through all the highs and lows together. You could give each other the confidence and support needed to continue running the business.

Cons

• It May Be Difficult to Be Straightforward

When communicating with a close friend, it may be difficult to be straightforward. This could be because you may not want to hurt your friend’s feelings. You may also be afraid of losing your friendship over a disagreement. For these reasons, you may not always be as honest as you would like to be.

• It Can Be Difficult to Know Who Is in Charge

If you start a business with a friend, it may be difficult to know who the boss is, especially if the business is equally divided between you both. There may be times when one of you works more than the other, making you feel like you deserve a larger part of the business. If there is a lack of communication, it can lead to bigger issues and could also lead to your business failing.

• You Could Lose Your Friendships

When working with a friend, you should keep in mind that there is a possibility that you could lose your friendship. You may not know what your friend is like in a business setting. You two could also have different goals, which can cause conflicts. These conflicts could potentially lead you two to part ways. This is why it is important for you and your friend to always openly communicate with each other.

• Drama Could Get in the Way

When doing business with a friend, drama can get in the way. It could make it difficult for you to separate your professional life from your personal life. For this reason, it is important to set boundaries when you first begin working together.

Starting a business with a friend has many pros and cons. Whether or not one should start a business with a friend is very personal. It is something that should be carefully thought through and reflected upon.

 

Resources

Desmarais, Christina. “11 Pros and Cons of Building a Business With Friends.” Inc. https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/11-pros-and-cons-of-building-a-business-with-friends.html.

Kelly, Marsha. “The Pros and Cons of Starting a Business with Your Friends.” Zen Business. https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/pros-cons-starting-business-friends/.

Litonjua, Eduardo. “Should you start a business with a friend? Pros, cons and key questions.” Keap. https://keap.com/business-success-blog/networking/should-you-start-a-business-with-a-friend-pros-cons-and-key-questions.

Scribaceous. “The Pros & Cons of Starting a Business with a Friend.” https://scribaceous.com/pros-cons-of-starting-business-with-friend/.

Susman, Aron. “The Pros and Cons of Starting a Business With Friends.” Business Collective. https://businesscollective.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-starting-a-business-with-friends/?syndicate.

Climate change is the biggest problem we face in the 21^st century. There is a lot of news about the effect it will have on the planet in the near future, and much of it is terrifying. This is the time for everyone, you included, to take action. Some of us can take bigger steps than others, but the worst thing we can do is nothing. The sooner we take that first step, the better the next century will be. There is a lot you can do right now that will inspire yourself and others to keep working toward a better future.

Our individual journeys start with ourselves. What comes to mind when you hear the words “environment” or “climate?” Write down everything that comes to you. This will give you an idea of what is important to you and where you can start. There are steps you can take in your day-to-day life. Try eating less meat, especially beef, as the industry adds a lot of carbon to the atmosphere. Instead of just recycling, try “precycling,” which is when you make sure there will be less garbage before you get something. Bring your own bag to the store instead of using plastic bags. Buy the smaller item or one that has less packaging.

The next step in your journey is to look at the people and places around you. Encourage your family to think more about how their actions impact the environment. Remember that you are not judging each other but trying to help one another make the world better. Your school is a big opportunity to spread great ideas and make things happen. Talk to your friends and teachers and ask for their ideas as well. Your next classroom project or presentation could be on the environment. Parents can be encouraged to leave the car at home and walk their children to school each morning. Many schools have started tree-planting projects and gardens that help students learn more about nature and why it is important.

If there are no nature or environmental clubs at your school, start one yourself! You can get teachers and staff to help you with school-wide activities and presentations at assemblies or community events. As a group of students, you can start campaigns that will help the environment and community through organizations such as DoSomething.org or IMatterYouth.org. As your journey continues and grows, you can set your sights on larger goals. This might include contacting government officials or starting up a larger group in your city using a community centre. What started as some ideas written down on paper can turn into something much bigger and make a grand impact.

Threats to the environment are great and growing, and sometimes, it can be very difficult to hear the latest news on environmental destruction or climate change. This is why it is more important than ever for all of us, no matter your age, to take action. The smallest of steps can grow into the biggest of changes. One person alone is not enough to make the difference needed. But as more and more individuals take those steps, the brighter the future will be for everyone.

Sources:

Gienapp, Rebekah. “9 Ways Kids Can Protect the Planet, on Earth Day and Every Day.” The Barefoot Mommy. http://www.thebarefootmommy.com/2017/04/earth-day-for-kids/

The Guardian. “How to make your school more eco-friendly.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/feb/12/carbonfootprints-carbon-emissions

We Have Kids. “26 Ways Kids Can Protect the Environment!” https://wehavekids.com/parenting/26-ways-your-kids-can-help-protect-the-environment

If you’ve dropped by the dollar store a week or two after Valentine’s Day, you probably saw a whole aisle of green hats, green jewelry, accessories with green four-leaf clover designs, and shirts that say “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” on display. And if you’ve lived in Canada for some time,  you know that this signals that St. Patrick’s Day is soon to come.

St. Patrick’s Day is marked every year on March 17, which is the death anniversary of St. Patrick, who died in the fifth century.  Since the 16^th century, the Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years as it falls during the Christian season of Lent.

In those days, Irish families would attend church service in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. While it was common to fast and/or abstain from the consumption of meat during the Lenten season, as well as to observe solemnity, these practices were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

White St. Patrick is highly regarded as the patron saint of Ireland, largely credited with bringing Christianity to the Irish, the celebration of his life and what he has done for Ireland translated differently outside of the country.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade

While the Irish have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by way of large feasts and lots of dancing, the first ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade didn’t take place in Ireland. Rather, it took place in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Florida on March 17, 1601. It was organized by Irish vicar Ricardo Artur.

The practice didn’t really take off until it was held by Irish soldiers serving in the British army – not in Ireland, but in New York City on March 17, 1762. The parade made the military members feel at home even though they were far from it. In 1848, several New York Irish Aid societies joined forces to hold one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

When the Great Potato Famine struck Ireland in 1845, close to one million Irish Catholics turned to the United States to survive. But because of their religious beliefs and accents that were unfamiliar to Americans at the time, the immigrants found it difficult to find jobs and ended up taking jobs that Americans didn’t really want.

Then, when Irish Americans took to the streets on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate their heritage, they were portrayed as a cartoonish group of people in newspapers. Shortly thereafter, the Irish Americans realized they could turn things around by embracing a political power that they could use to full advantage. So they started to form a voting bloc which will later be known as the “green machine.” It wasn’t before long when the St. Patrick’s Day parade became a source of pride for Irish Americans more than ever and even became a must-attend event for political candidates.

Everything culminated in 1948 when then-President Harry S. Truman attended New York City‘s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Now, this is considered as the world‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants and 3 million spectators, lining up the 1.5 mile parade route, which typically takes five hours. Other cities like Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah hold big parades to mark St. Patrick’s Day.

In 2020 during the early onset of COVID-19, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC was one of the first major city events to be cancelled.

Misinterpreted Symbolisms

Despite the massive popularity of St. Patrick’s Day, many Irish people feel that the day is full of misinterpreted symbolisms.

For example, there is the myth that if you kiss the Blarney stone you become eloquent. This is something that the Irish don’t even do.

Another thing is green beer, which doesn’t exist in Ireland, as do the cabbage and corned beef.

Yet another one is the leprechauns, which is derived from the old term “leath bhrogan” which translates to shoemaker. In old Irish culture, they were a symbol of luck, thus the term “luck of the Irish.” How leprechauns became a stuff of horror movies though is anyone’s guess.

Most of these things have stemmed to please the tourists or pop culture fans.

Despite these, the Irish will always be proud of their heritage and will always be welcoming for others to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with them.

 

Sources

https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day

https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/st-patricks-day-events-ds00/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91823&page=1