GECKO INC. BAKE SALE

Gecko Inc completed their first fund raiser, a bake sale. We had spent so much time planning the trip up north, and planning the visit to osc that we had forgotten about the financial aspects and rushed to get our first fundraiser in. We each baked and cooked various foods and snacks and had the bake sale on a wednesday. It ended up being more of a success than we expected and a great way to start off our fundraising. We managed to sell all our products in the duration of break and lunch. We raised around 8000rs. We planned to use this money for our trip up to Killinochchi next semester as we calculated the amount of money needed for transportation, hotel accommodation, food, etc. However, later we found out that service groups are not actually allowed to have fundraisers for trips and that we'd need to pay for that personally. So, this left us to problem solve what we would be using the raised money from fund raisers for. Though we have not come up with a solution yet, we will continue to strive towards planning the trip though we are not required to raise money for that anymore. This trip is very important to our cas group, and as a leader I am determined to make sure that we will be able to go on it and continue making a difference up north with the OSC community to try and improve lives. After having been up there and seeing the lack of development and the schooling system I realized that it is important for our service group to be more involved and try to regularly visit these places and contribute to their development after the war. Perhaps we can use this bake sale money to buy more equipment or something else which will make a difference to our intended school visits. Nontheless, this fundraiser was a good start for our service group to begin getting in action and collaborating with each other to start contributing to our service's goal to help the communities in Killinochchi. 

SAISA BASKETBALL TRAINING

Last year I competed in SAISA U19 girls Basketball. It was interesting competing with this team since I am mostly familiar with larger teams such as those for SAISA swimming and SAISA track and field. I enjoyed this experience as it gave me a chance to get more familiar with basketball in general and gave me a chance to improve my skills. Though I was not one of the stars of the team I still felt like i contributed enough based on my skills and capabilities. Which is why I decided to try out for the team again this year to see if I had improved and If I would be able to travel for SAISA again. I have grown to love playing the sport in general and would've been happy to oblige for the developmental team if I had not made the cut for the SAISA team. During trainings I realized that I had improved since the previous year. I found out that I rarely missed a layup and found new talents that improved my playing. We have a different coach this year, although I was already familiar with him from my 8th grade year where he was my coach as well. This helped me a lot throughout the season as he knew my strengths and he had faith in me even on my off days. This season is a lot shorter than previous SAISA seasons therefore it is important for the chosen SAISA team to work extra hard and stay determined to the sport. Even though I already have plenty of action hours for cas, I wanted to do basketball nonetheless. Sport has always been a part of my life and I enjoy doing sports even if just for fun. I have improved a lot throughout the season so far which both Mr Shipley and the coach have noticed. I am looking forward to the SAISA competition because I feel like I will be able to contribute a lot more to the team than I was able to do last year. Our team in general is really well put together this year. I feel like all the girls are able to get along and that we are all supportive of each other and eager to go to saisa and represent OSC and bring back a high ranking. SAISA is only 2 short weeks away. These following two weeks we will be training hard and focusing on tactics and our weaknesses in order to enter SAISA strong and perform at the best of our abilities. 

SCUBA DIVING

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY: SEMESTER 1

I wanted to be part of an after school activity this semester. My father is a certified scuba diver and has wanted me to get my certificate for years now. I took this as the perfect opportunity to get more involved with my school community and peers through signing up for the 2013 scuba diving course. I feel like this course will not only be enjoyable but also very beneficial in the future. If I am certified I think that my father and myself will be able to go on many diving adventures all over the world exploring the under water world. This course was difficult to sign up for as I had a couple fears that I would need to face later on during the course. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable learning at this time and if I would be able to go through with it. But I decided to be more open-minded and step out of my comfort zone. There are currently 6 students including myself enrolled in the program. It was definitely much different than I expected. There is a lot of course work to complete before even going near any of the equipment or the water. First we are expected to learn about the different aspects of diving including the different equipment and what it is used for. It is also important to learn about the dangers or diving, the effects it can have on your body, health, safety as well as the marine life. Before going near the water we need to review the steps to applying the equipment and how to use it during a dive. Once we did this  and completed various quizzes to test our knowledge, we finally were able to go to the pool. This was the part of the course that terrified me and where I had trouble comfortably applying myself to. After arranging all equipment and getting ready for the dive I calmed myself down and was able to risk take and not completely get over but face my fear of breathing through a tank underwater and trusting the equipment to keep me alive. Diving in the pool was really interesting and it gave me many imaginations of that real dives in the oceans would be like. It got me extremely excited. Though we have only just started the course and there are many more things to learn, I am satisfied with my choice of this activity and hope to be able to learn much more through this which I may be able to shape myself further in academics or in the person I strive to be. We have more coursework planned for the next couple of weeks before taking our first trip to the ocean in December. I look forward to the rest of this activity to fill my Action and perhaps creativity sections for my CAS. 

SAISA SWIMMING TOURNAMENT

When we arrived at OSC at 3 am on the 8th of October we were first paired up with a "buddy." this meant that one of the older athletes was paired up with one of the younger ones in order to keep track of everyone in airports as well as during the tournament. That way the coaches/adults wouldn't have difficulties having to be responsible for all the little problems within the team. Once the buddy system was successfully going we spread out over the two waiting buses and had a quiet ride to the airport. Once at the airport all the passports and travel papers were distributed amongst the older buddies. It was simple getting through the check in and immigration and we were in the airport Coffee Bean in no time bonding before our upcoming tournament. The flight ran smoothly as well. Once in Bombay it took us a long time to get through the immigration and were all relieved when finally brought to the ASB campus. We were welcomed by the Athletic Director Kirby Boychuk who later I found out was my host. He gave an introductory presentation to our team about how the competition was going to run, as well as the results system, and describing the layout of the school and covering any important aspects of the tournament we would need to know. Seeing as we had an entire day ahead of us before the tournament, we got back into the bus and with the team visited South Mumbai. There we talked a bit about the famous Taj Hotel, one of the nicest in the world and about the terrorist attack a few years ago. As well as that we discussed the history of the Gateway to India which was built when the british colonized. Even though this was a SAISA trip I was able to learn a lot more about Bombay's history and other interesting facts. We then walked around a bit until we found a suitable restaurant and spent an hour or two there having lunch. We had to leave earlier to make sure we got back to ASB in time for our hosts to take us home. We met the chennai team there as well and saw some old friends which completely raised my excitement. Once we reached our host house, Diana and I immediately got a chance to bond with the daughter as we set off for the nearby mall for some snacks. When we got back to the house, we had dinner and quickly went to sleep since we had not slept the previous night.

DAY 1

 In the morning we got out of bed with excitement and made our way to school. We started off with quick socializing with other SAISA athletes followed by the opening ceremony. In the opening ceremony we nominated Kalila to go up representing our team and light the ceremonial light. We were assigned a space for our teams on the bleachers and immediately followed the warm up. The first morning warm up was very unorganized. They had not assigned lanes to any teams or ages but rather told everyone to find a space and warm up. 192 athletes spread out in only 6 lanes in one pool was hectic. Barely anyone could do more than 3 strokes before hitting the feet of the swimmer in front of them. The first event was the 50m freestyle one of the most intense races of the tournament. I feel like all the Gecko Athletes swimming in this event performed really well. I personally was able to place 5th in the prelims, earning a place in the finals where I later earned a final standing of 6th. Though I was disappointed with the overall result, I was satisfied with the fact that I was able to improve my personal best by at least a second. Right after the 50m freestyle was the 100m backstroke which I was also signed up for. I had hoped there would be more time in between the events in order to rest. In this event I was able to place 8th in the prelims and kept that position throughout the B-Finals later that day. After the 100m freestyle was a 100m breaststroke for the 12 and under age group which I was obviously not a part of. At this time I was able to go get lunch. During SAISA tournaments it is extremely important for an athlete to keep hydrated and eat healthily throughout the day. During this time I was also able to socialize with athletes and students outside of the Gecko Team. This was nice as I was able to meet new people which I now turn out to be very good friends with. It was nice for people from different schools to be able to come together and socialize without there being any problems. At the end of the day we had the usual relay which in my opinion is the funnest race in swimming. During the race there is always so much cheering coming from the teams and it creates a chance for this individual sport to become a team challenge. Following the relay is the medal awarding and then we go back to the host house. When we got home we ate dinner and went to sleep immediately after that.

DAY 2

When waking up on the second day I noticed that my nerves had died down a bit. The first day of saisa had now passed and I was able to focus more on the races to come in the remainder of the competition. When we arrived in at the school campus, the first thing we did was sit together as a team and socialize. I feel like this year our team was very strong. Not only through athletic performance, but we were all able to collaborate and communicate with each other with ease. Compared to previous years, the age gaps between all the athletes was minor, and even the youngest were able to get along and comfortable with the oldest. It was great being part of a team that was so close. It made the competition much easier and more enjoyable. Knowing that not only your friends and your coaches but the entire team is standing on the bleachers supporting each of your races provides a sense of strength and security and it was an amazing experience. During the second day I had the following races: 100 IM, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and the 200 Medley Relay. This was a terrific yet disappointing day for me. With my 100 IM I was able to improve my personal best and earn a place of 4th in the finals but was disqualified. The reason for this was due to my stroke technique. It was a valid but extremely disappointing disqualification. Shaking off the disappointment and regret I got ready for the 100 freestyle. This race terrified me from the beginning as in the 4 years of swimming, I had never done it in competition before. I was scared that I would not be able to sprint the entire 4 laps or simply receive a disappointing result. I was shocked when I earned a spot in the finals for this race. I distinctly remember that race, I felt free. As soon as I was in the water all the fear disappeared and I felt like I was gliding through the water. From this I learned that It is important to never doubt yourself and to gain confidence because you might end up surprising yourself. This also allowed me to finish the race and return to my team members with confidence and reassurance. I felt like through this experience I was able to give better advice to other swimmers and support them throughout their fears in a way i previously did not know how to do. Next I had the 200 backstroke. Another race I completely dreaded. For similar reasons. I felt like 200m was a huge change from my usual 50 and 100m races. I didn't think I was able to successfully complete this race. To my surprise, I again felt happy during the race and was able to earn a place of 4th in the finals. Although I did earn a place in the finals, I was disqualified unfairly. This hit me hard. I was mistaken for a different swimmer who after admitted immediately to the fault. Though that swimmer claimed it was them, and I claimed it was not me, the officials were convinced they had not made a mistake and followed through with my disqualification. This upset me a lot and put me down for the remainder of the day. I was proud of myself for improving on my time and completing the race so successfully yet i was disappointed that i was unfairly disqualified and missed out on being able to have placed in the finals. Another aspect of this disqualification that angered me was the fact that through this I lost about 10 points for my team. I tried my best to complete my races in a way where I would benefit through personal bests as well as my team as a whole. But everyone was completely supportive and were quick to comfort me and distract me through jokes and a lot of laughter. I spent the rest of the day socializing more with my team mates and those of other schools. I completed my 100 freestyle finals and was satisfied with the final results. We completed the relay with eagerness and excitement and through placing 5th, us four 15 and over age group girls definitely bonded. We ended the day with a couple gecko cheers to show our sportsmanship, congratulating other teams, and finding our way to our hosts house.

DAY 3

Waking up on the third and final day of competition always brings a rush of emotions. We had to pack our bags and bring them with us to the ASB campus as we would not be returning back to the host houses after the final day. We dragged ourselves out of bed and began packing. When we got to the campus there were definite signs of sadness amongst all geckos as we piled our luggage onto the assigned gecko shelves. We were quick to throw in a cheer and get the team excited for the third and final day. During this day I had the 50m butterfly race which I was extremely excited for and the 200 IM which I was not looking forward to at all. The third day in my opinion was the best of all. My 50m butterfly race went extremely well. I was able to improve my personal best time to my old time 2 years ago when I peaked for swimming. This overjoyed me and I looked forward to the finals. For the rest of the day I ensured i cheered for all my team mates as well as other friends and watched all the races. When my 200 IM came along I began panicking. I begged to be scratched from the race but it was not possible. My confidence completely fell. This race terrified me. Due to my fear I did not perform well. It was one of the worst races I had ever done and I was terribly disappointed with myself. After some sobs and comforting I got back up and got ready for my 50m butterfly finals. This was my last individual race of this tournament and i was determined to give it my all. During the finals I was able to improve my personal best even more and I could tell that my coach was really proud. She said I performed really well. After the relay ending the competition it came time for the award ceremony. We watched the teams go up and receive all their awards and were relieved when we had won 2nd place for sportsmanship. It showed that though we may not have been a team full of olympic swimmers, our character showed and was memorable which I feel is much more important. We then had dinner and said all our goodbyes. Before going to the airport we made our way to the Phoenix Mall where we met the Dhaka team (AISD). We split up into our buddy groups and ran off to explore the mall. I had friends from the dhaka school with me which was an extremely fun way to end this saisa experience. On our way back to colombo everyone was exhausted and most of us slept the entire way back.

To conclude, this saisa has been one of the best I have ever participated in. The students competing were great company. Though I did not agree with some of the system and the tournament, It was still completed successfully and it was definitely memorable. I feel like I tried my hardest and performed well. I was able to improve all my personal bests and if it weren't for the 3 disqualifications I received, I would have placed for all my events. This was definitely a fun and great way to complete my Creativity and Action aspects of CAS. I enjoyed being a part of the GECKO swim team of 2013 and I hope that I will carry the skills and characteristics learned through this with me in the future.

(c) Hana Hettiaratchi Sklenarova