It was quite the interesting adventure when I headed up to BCHS last Wednesday to take in the GROWTH Growing Opportunities School Expo.
In a way, it was like going back to my Grade 12 and 13 days when I headed to the Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto for the Ontario University Fair. The similarities are actually quite amazing. At both places there were booths set up by myriad post-secondary institutions, as well as the Canadian Army.
However, if I recall correctly, it wasn’t so much the Army that had set up a booth as much as it was Royal Military College in Kingston.
But I’m not going to let facts get in the way of a good narrative.
One major difference was that the GROWTH expo had many employers in attendance, while the OUF was limited to schools. But I digress.
In terms of students milling about, I would have to say things were much the same. At both events: high school students were walking around, stopping at booths to read the placards and talk to the presenters. Except at the GROWTH expo, there were considerably fewer parents around.
And much like at the OUF, I learned a few new things at the GROWTH expo. The most surprising of which was that Concordia University out here in Alberta is actually older than the Concordia University in Quebec. Who knew?
But one thing didn’t surprise me at all from my time at the GROWTH expo — the fact that while the girls seemed to be into it, the boys in attendance didn’t seem to be too interested in what was on display.
Sure, there were a few who actually took a long hard look at what options they have for their post-secondary lives – I saw one spend at least 20 minutes in deep conversation with the Dapp Power rep – but the majority seemed to be laughing and joking with their friends as they walked through the gyms.
And that’s very disappointing. These children are our future, and they’re not taking it seriously. At least not outwardly.
Now, I know when I was their age I didn’t fully know what I wanted to do with my life. You could argue that at my current age I don’t know what I want to do with my life, but at least I’m making something of myself.
These boys I saw sniggering? I don’t really have high hopes for them, to be quite frank.
Of course, they may have already decided that they’re going to finish school and then go hit the rigs. Or maybe they already know they want to be doctors and have plans to attend medical school, and as such didn’t see the point to talking to the reps on hand.
But I doubt it. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but let’s call a spade a spade here. Those boys guffawing and slapping their friends upside the head are not going to be the next crop of doctors.
And if they are, that book needs a new jacket.
