Ontario Student Leadership Conference, November 10-12 in Niagara Falls

by GianCarlo Elisii, Grade 10

When we heard that we would have to be at school at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning to embark on our bus to Niagara Falls, we were not too excited about attending the Ontario Student Leadership Conference. As it was my first time attending this event, I was not sure what to expect and did not think it was worth waking up at this hour. I was wrong.

Following the eight-hour bus ride, which was not bad at all, we were given tags with a letter, which would determine our group. No two students from the same school were allowed in the same group, which meant that you were on your own for some workshops, and were forced to meet new people, which is part of this amazing event.

After receiving our tags, and having a brief meeting with Mr. Merritt and Mr. Paoletti, we went to the third floor, which is where the conference was being held, to get our pictures taken. The minute we stepped foot out of the elevator, we heard tons of cheering from other schools from all around Ontario and instantly you felt the amount of spirit that all 2000 people had!

After our picture was taken, we entered the Marketplace, which is a large room where you can speak to the speakers that will be speaking to you in workshops and learn about what they do. There were tons of different people, from disc jockeys to hypnotists to people offering you food, each with his own unique message to give in his workshops. This lasted for three hours and then we are given free time to eat dinner while the organizers prepared the opening ceremony.

After eating, we all arrived in the conference room, where there were 2000 students dancing and cheering and full of joy, which is exactly how we felt at that moment! Speakers Ian Tyson and Stu Saunders organized the event, and did a damn good job! After this, we were split up into our individual groups, where we got to meet new people from all over Ontario and share ideas for events that could be held at schools and experiences that could help student leaders organize fun events successfully. We also played some games, like the human knot, which obliged us to work together in order to reach our goal. We then returned to the conference room with the rest of the students to be dismissed, and by that time we were ready to jump into bed sleep.

Mornings at OSLC were wonderful. This is one of the only times in my life where I was actually eager to wake up, and I could same the same for others as well. After breakfast, we went back to the conference for the morning energizer sessions, where everyone was dancing and cheering at 8:30 in the morning. Yes, we joined them! After Ian and Stu opened up the day for us, we were sent into workshops of our choice, each having different messages portrayed in unique ways that can inspire anyone and open up their mind to ideas that change your attitude towards life, no matter who you are.

At the end of the day, we always returned to the conference room, where was a never-ending party. After receiving tips and techniques for obtaining one’s goals from Olympic medalists and coaches, we headed back to our rooms to prepare for the semi-formal dance, which is one of the most anticipated events at this conference! You meet tons of people there and it is a great time for everyone!

On the final morning it started to hit everyone that it was the last day we would be spending together, but rather than making it sad, we made every minute enjoyable in the workshops and in between! We left OSLC with many new friends, ideas, and motivations. Your attitude towards school life changes, because at this event you see how amazing it could really be, and suddenly you become driven to achieve that feeling in your own community, which is what we all brought back from OSLC.