Waterfordos,

Could you imagine going two weeks without your cell phone or checking your Facebook page?

I imagine the answer is no.

I suppose that’s especially true for those of you reading this on The Day’s mobile site.
 
Well, a group of students at Clark Lane Middle School took a most unusual challenge:  to see how long they could abstain from their favorite bits of technology.

The challenge, dubbed Tech Effect, came from CLMS English teacher Alison Stahl.

(By the way, I’m not pleased that in my lifetime the demonstrably fine description “English” has given way to the antiseptic “Language Arts.”)

Anyway, last month, Stahl gave her students a writing assignment that asked them to describe the role of technology in modern life.

Stahl was surprised that some of the kids mentioned they– and we’re talking modern middle school students, here – felt overwhelmed and stressed out by their iPhones, iPods, iPads, etc.

The Tech Effect challenge ended this week, so today I visited the school to ask them how it went.

Funny enough, the kids I talked to mentioned that they had all this free time.  

They managed to fit in some pick-up basketball, extra softball practice and even found time to read books and write letters – like actual letters with ink and paper and envelopes and stamps and everything.

We’ll have more in next week’s Waterford Times.


The Waterfords Among Us*

Where: New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada
More Specific: An urban community north of Sydney in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
Population:  9,661
Fun, Well, Not Fun, But Mildly Interesting Fact:  The town was featured in the 1999 film “New Waterford Girl,” though most of the scenes were shot in nearby North Sydney.

*Information courtesy of Wikipedia, which is never wrong.

Yes, darling, but is it art?

“Something Pacific” by Nam June Paik.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Non Sequitur

With St. Patrick’s Day upon us this week, I thought I’d offer you a respite from the torrent of U2 and Pogues you’re likely to hear.  So, here’s a now forgotten Irish band, Hothouse Flowers, with “Give It Up.”