Big Brothers and Big Sisters - not such an icy day after all!

To be honest, I am not very fond of little kids. I don't necessarily mean I detest them, quite the opposite. I like children a lot, as long as I am at a distance from them. So you can understand that the prospect of spending a whole day-especially a Saturday- with a small child as a little brother appealed to me as much as school on a Sunday. However, since the National Honor Society (NHS) was organizing the whole thing, I was expected to participate and fulfill my duty as an NHS member. Fortune smiled on me, though, and I was "chosen" to provide the music for the program, everything from Lion King to Van Morrison. What more could I expect? I was helping out as an NHS member, I didn't have to look after an elementary student, and I had a great view of everything that was going on-perfect for the article that I was going to write.

The day, September 9, started off particularly early, at least for a Saturday. The thick mist helped encourage the "Ice Age" theme, and I would have been very impressed by the decorations if I hadn't felt so cold because of the scanty NHS outfits (jeans and a white tee-shirt) we were supposed to wear. By half past eleven, all the "Big Brothers and Sisters" had met their "Little Brothers and Sisters" and were having what seemed like a "fun time." No doubt cheered up by the prospect of getting to bash their elder siblings in the pillow and "snowball" fight, there wasn't a sad face to be seen, except for one girl who was fuming because her big sister couldn't carry her during the games.

The highlight of the day was lunch. It was quite a sight to see the high schoolers having lunch with their little brothers and sisters, laughing at their jokes, telling them the importance of wiping your mouth after eating, and having a great time in general. As for the younger kids? They were energetic little devils to the very end, and you've got to love them for it. Of course, some of them were the shy, reserved types, but by the end of the dance, which was the last activity of the day, even the quieter kids were jumping around to the beat of "I Like to Move It, Move It!"

Though this day certainly didn't completely change my view on little kids, you can rest assured that for the next Big Brother and Big Sister day, you'll see my name on the sign-up sheet.

Fuser Lama, Grade 11

Gonpo "Fuser" Lama is one of two student interns working with Development Department Writer/Editor Kathleen Hamman. Fuser and Surekha Poelman will be writing features and news articles for the website, as well as descriptive pieces on what it's like to be a high school student at Woodstock.