Keya Bernstein

MY cool ice year ;) (get it)

Hello, my friends, the time has come. This is the final of the Keya Bernstein ICE blogs you will read. I wish I could be writing this happier, thinking of the fun summer plans with my friends, but right now I'm just thinking of sleeping for 16 hours a day instead of 9 when school is over. But, if there's one thing I can do to remember some of the best memories of the year, it's to reflect. Not only because I'm an IB learner and because I have to but because I actually want to. Shocking. Through my first year at York, I was introduced to the ICE program. However, I wouldn't say I was completely stepping into new territory by coming to school here since I've been in the building many times before and I already had some friends. The ICE program was very new to me. I'm still a little bit confused about what, and more importantly why is ICE but I'll let it go. I have changed a lot over the year, as every high school freshman does. But I can guarantee that I have changed and grown from the ICE program, hopefully for the better.

At the beginning of the year, I was loud, annoying, and either very energetic or had no energy at all. So in those ways, I'm still the same. But the way I think is definitely different. Basically, I learned to think. I didn't do much thinking before this year. Or any actual thinking. I just kid of gliding through life without thinking about anything important. No mean to get philosophical, but this is about to get a little bit philosophical (if that word means what I think it means??) (Side note: I searched it up and it's close enough. Also this website is really cool and I would recommend reading it). Back to the point, now I like to think clearly. For example, in winter camping we did this activity where we chose a thought process (kind of) to describe how you think. I chose mine as letting my emotions make decisions instead of my brain.

Next, we slapped a mousetrap (If we wanted to), don't worry it makes sense and was safe. Now I associate thinking with your feelings to that memory of me slapping a mousetrap without getting caught. I just do. And it sets me straight because me slapping a mousetrap was actually very scary so I have to think to myself "Why did I do that?" and then I remember that I shouldn't be thinking with my feelings instead of my brain. It's quite neat not gonna lie. So that is how I changed as a person, and it's impossible to know for sure how much ICE changed that, but I know it at least partly because of it.

As a student, I have changed a lot. No doubt ICE had a part in that change. Just like most teenagers, I am quite the procrastinator. At my old schools, I was used to coasting, but when 3 (4?) classes are smushed into one and focused on Canada, that all changed. I had to actually try at school at I did not like it! But I do know that it's a good thing as much as I hate needing to think. In ice, I had to think a lot. Very annoying. For example, when I was at the Toronto island, I actually had to think of a topic that wasn't obvious and create a product about it. What was new was that I was (not completely) on my own and it was my job to do the thinking. There was a lot of thinking and work. These types of projects that required both creativity and actual work and thoughts. This helped me grow as a student because I was not used to actually working especially both parts of my brain.

As a Canadian, I learned much more about our country than I've ever known. From history to learning about the North, I have a different view of Canada and I feel like a different and better Canadian citizen. For example, we spent a long time studying the Canadian north, and our countries relationship with it. We learned how our country isn't all that great, and that we aren't so much as "The North" as we think we are. I am a better Canadian citizen by starting to understand our country, from the issues we have from the 20th century that connects to our issues know. The whole theme is connection haha.

Through my first year at york, I've changed plenty. Thanks to friends, the school, teachers, and for sure ICE.

Copy of Keya's podcast.mp3

COVID-19 and Climate change

My final product is a podcast about Canada, COVID-19, and climate change. I explain my view on our nation's character and how we deal with challenges.

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