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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, May 29, 2009 · 24 Youth is awake and stretching for the Earth By Maddy Lange GR. 9, IROQUOIS RIDGE H.S. S ometimes, choosing to take a chance and expose ourselves to something a bit different can have a huge impact. I did exactly that and, in retrospect, I think I had been asleep for 15 years. Things seem so different to me now -- in a good way -- after going to the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium held at Iroquois Ridge April 21. I didn't know what a symposium even was, or what to expect. I knew from my English teacher, Ms. Gleeson, that it had something to do with people's impact on the environment. To be honest, I figured I was already pretty much in tune, since my family recycles our tin cans and newspapers. What more could possibly be expected from us, after all? What else can anyone really do? Ms. Gleeson said that this might change the way we see the world and challenged us to take a chance and stretch our thinking. The Awakening the Dreamer symposium was designed to wake us up to the fact that native cultures around the world think that we are living in a dream if we believe that we can sustain our way of life as long as we live to shop -- to get more stuff. Our disposable ways are leading directly to the disposal of our planet and everyone on it. If that sounds heavy, it's because it was, at first, when the facilitators showed film clips that examine the state of the environment today and what we do every day without thinking about it and how it's affecting the environment. Every minute, seven football fields of trees are cut from the planet. That is just one example of a fact that is almost too much to take in; I'd heard all the facts before. I had geography class first semester and I learned all about these awful facts about how we are mistreating our planet, but it didn't really fully register at the time. The symposium pre- sented the issues in a way that made us feel them instead of just thinking about them. I wanted to shut my eyes and ears to the devastating facts. I felt guilty, helpless, and desperate. I kept asking myself, "What are we going to do?" I felt overloaded, heavy with facts. The symposium was a journey and it introduced a whole new way of thinking about life, and taught me that there are growing numbers of people who want a new dream for our future. I never thought I could be inspired by something like this and people reading this will probably think the same too. By the end of the symposium, I felt as if I'd just landed from a long flight that had brought me to my new state of mind. I suddenly realized that I was in my school library. The location is insignificant. I forgot about my surroundings during the symposium. I could only think and question and learn. I know I will work to save our planet and to save all of us, perhaps by dreaming of a new, somewhat different future. I'm 15 years old, however I've been dozing. I am fully awake now, and ready to stretch. Waiting for a classic show The automotive industry has gone places that no one could have ever predicted. So, what if we could go back in time to see where it all began? The Town of Oakville invites you to show off your automotive gem at the Classic Car Show hosted by the Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors. "We encourage anyone wanting to showcase their vintage or classic car to participate," said Sharon Bee, recreation co-ordinator, at the Sir John Colborne Centre. "It's a popular event, not only for car fans, but also for anyone looking for a fun evening out," said Bee. The Classic Car Show will be held on Thursday, July 2, from 6-9 p.m. in the Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre for Seniors parking lot. Registration is free. The deadline for registration is June 26, 2009. To register your vintage or classic car, contact the centre at 905-815-5960 or e-mail Julie Mairs, assistant co-ordinator, at jmairs@oakville.ca, or Sharon Bee, recreation coordinator, at sbee@oakville.ca.