The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Sunday October 3, 1999 Oakville Beaver Weekend 17 Lack o f sleep turning school days to school daze Our youth are sleep deprived. The most common com plaint I hear from students throughout a day of school isn't about cafeteria prices or annoying teachers; it's the phrase, "I'm so tired." In any given class, especial ly morning ones, I see several students slouched over with their heads down on their desks. People might think, at first, that these tired teens were out partying too hard the night before, or otherwise being irre sponsible. Quite the contrary. It is because of their responsibili ties that most teens today aren't getting enough sleep. Virtually all the high school students I've ever met juggle several obligations at one time. This is especially the case in the higher grades. With college and university applications looming large in the future, stu dents find themselves stretched in several directions at once. First there is school work. An average school day runs about six hours long, but that is only the beginning. To get the grades that will gain accep tance into an institution of higher learning, a student needs to do additional home work and lots of it. Then there is the issue of HEY! Stephanie MacLellan money. Tuition fees are higher than ever, so most students work part-time jobs to earn the necessary funds. Students who want to make their applications look good will sign up for a couple of extra-curricular activities, never mind that most of them have a genuine passion for the activity they're involved in. A social life is important, too, and anyone who thinks otherwise obviously doesn't remember their youth. But going out with friends is often arranged around the above time limitations. So now, we have going to school, homework, a job, a sport or club activity (often in combination), various commit ments that arise, and spending a decent amount of time with friends and family. With all of this, something has to go, and that something is most often sleep. Doctors recommend that teenagers get eight to nine hours of sleep a night, but high school students usually operate on far less than that. I have classmates who, in the weeks approaching exams, pull allnighters to study. The time that would normally be spent sleep ing is the only time they have that isn't booked doing some thing else. Without proper sleep, the body becomes exhausted and run down, and the mind cannot function at its highest level. In this condition, how can stu dents be attentive and focused in class? How can they concen trate enough to learn new con cepts that are challenging enough, when they are physi cally and mentally exhausted? perhaps the state of sleep deprivation that plagues high school students could be improved upon with changes to the way schools are run. For example, is it really necessary for high school classes to begin before 8:30 a.m.? It is really necessary for school buses to arrive at school before 8 a.m.? However, I feel that this issue runs deeper than that. My generation grew up in a society that is focused on bigger, better and more. From an early age, when we are signed up for music lessons, Brownies or Beavers, and various sports, we discover the pressure over trying to be everything to everyone. As we get older, we keep extending ourselves in too many directions, always trying to live up to the expecta tions of others, and of our selves. Now, at an age when we can make our own decisions about what to do with our time, our own well-being usually comes last. Stephanie MacLellan is an Oakville high school student. A KOHLER O W N ED COM PANY 15 Kitchens on Display O ver 400 combinations o f colour & finish Free Design Service C om puter Aided Design 30 Years in Business 175 Stores I I Price Levels Compare O u r Prices & Quality Professional Installation Granite, Laminate & Solid Surface C ounter Tops hoose from hundreds of styles and let our "experts take your measurements and be responsible for their accuracy, relieving you of any worry. We have over 25 years' experience serving thou sands of satisfied customers. Nutrition Expedition Jr. tour Tuesday The next N u t r i t i o n E x p e d i t i o n Influenza Immunization Clinics T h e H a lto n R e g io n a l H ealth D e p a rtm e n t is o ffe rin g flu shots in O ak v ille: 490 Speers Rd. (1 /4 milewestofDorvalRd.)0 3 k v i l l e 842-5222 Pacific Rim · Portugal · Canada · Hawaii · Philippines · Latin America · Ireland · Arabic * Greece * Italy · Canada · Hawaii · Philippines · Latin America · Ireland · Arabic · Greece · Italy · Caribbean CfiT-fzRRATfRfs- O A m - R P R C(J [_TT/ RAf- K F R f T A A f FoorR V -c-s.'m itgl Rnrf I-rin f o r ?.\\ ptT c-s. October 7, 2 - 6 p.m. S ir J o h n C o lb o m e S e n io rs ' C e n te r 1565 O ld L a k e s h o re R oad Junior tour is on Tuesday, at L o b 1a w s Oakville North, 2431 Trafalgar Road. The one-hour tour starts at 7 p.m. Nutrition E x p e d i t io n October 22, 1 - 5 p.m. O a k v ille S e n io r C itiz e n s ' R e c re a tio n C e n tre 2 6 3 K e rr S tre e t November 11, 11:30 a.m. - 3: 30 p.m. Oakville Senior C itizens' Residence 2 2 2 0 -2 2 2 2 L a k e sh o re R oad Junior is a onehour tour through a local grocery store that pro vides tips on healthy eating fun for children. All tours are led by a regis tered dietitian and are free of charge. Tips on encouraging chil dren to eat veg etables and fruit, recipes and cre ative food ideas will be featured. To register for a tour call the Halton Regional Health Dept, at 825-6116. Saturday, O ctob er 23rd l:00 p.m.-l:00 a.m. Sunday, O ctober 24th 1:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Premier Sponsor: Gold Sponsors: No appointments necessary. T h e v a c c in e is fre e fo r p eo p le w h o a re 65 y e a rs o ld an d o v e r, fo r a n y o n e w ith c e rta in m edical c o n d itio n s o r a c h ro n ic illness an d fo r w o rk e rs in long te rm c a re . F o r all o th e rs the fee will be $ 1 2 (c a sh o n ly ). F o r m o re in fo rm a tio n call the Euro United C O R P O R A T I O N W O U K ILONDON |T I N e l e c o m E T CB E 9 Richard Ellis · Pro Concrete · Cable & Wireless HKT Catubia's flat Rak hug Distance G m pify Halton Regional Health Department (9 0 5 ) 8 2 5 -6 0 6 0 , e x t 7 8 4 9 T T Y (9 0 5 ) 8 2 7 -9 8 3 3 Silver Sponsors: · Morguard Investment Limited · Pattern Concrete · Oakville Place · Concrete Trimmings * Guinness Imperial Travel & Tours Official Media Sponsor Passports available at CIBC,ScotiaBank,TD Banks in Oakville and United Way o f Oakville office. For info call: w w w . reg io n . halto n . o n .ca/health 845-557 I · Caribbean · Pacific Rim · Portugal · Canada · Hawaii · Philippines · Latin America · Ireland · Arabic