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WCI students raised funds to build school in Nicaragua wo Waterloo colleâ€" I giate students will see the fruits of their labour later this month when they fly to Nicaragua to help build a school for impoverished children. Jen Hustwitt and Paul Cescon, with the support of the entire WCI comâ€" munity. have spent the last school year holding a number of activities, with the goal of raising $10,000 for the Kids Can Free the Children organiâ€" zation, an international network of children helpâ€" ing children through leadership, representaâ€" tion and action. The intent of the camâ€" paign was to raise enough money to fund the construction and equipping of a twoâ€"room ‘v’vvges}:gfr school in Mulukuku, a & . Kids Can Fr Nicaragua, as well as the hiring of a teacher to work in the faciliâ€" The opportunity will in turn help reduce the high amount of child labour now present in the Third World country. They held danceâ€"aâ€"thons. They held movie nights. They even organized a "teacher appreciation" night, which involved willing faculty members sleeping on the school‘s tennis courts. And at the end of the campaign, to their delight the students announced the school had doubled its goal, raising more than $20,000 for the cause. "The goal seemed so unattainable at first," said Hustwitt, an OAC student. "But once we got started, everything seemed to just fall into place." "Interest seemed to grow quickly among students," added Cescon, who is in Grade 11. In fact, it was the interest one parâ€" ticular WCI student took in the cause that got the initiativé off the ground. Beth Blowes, a Grade 12 student at WCI students, from left, Beth Blowes, Paul Cescon and Jen Hustwitt were instrumental in helping the school raise over $20,000 for the Kids Can Free the Children organization. i the faciliâ€" _ the schopl, attended a leadership conâ€" _ only focus ference on the East coast last year, _ learn abou turn help _ where she heard Craig Kielburger, But the t of child _ founder of Kids Can Free the Children, _ better way hird World _ speak. â€" e than to be "Hearing him talk really made me think," Blowes said. "He‘s (Kielburger) only 19 and he‘s done so much. I‘m 17, and there‘s so much more I, and theâ€" school, could be doing." She brought the concept back to an eager WCI audience, which immediâ€" ately put a plan into action. . "We arranged it so that our goal of $10,000 would mean a $5 contribution from each student," Cescon explained. "By February, we had already topped that amount." "Last Christmas one student asked her grandparents to write out a cheque to Free the Children instead of giving her a gift," Blowes said. "I couldn‘t get over that." Blowes said she was astounded by the generosity shown by some stuâ€" dents. LIFESTYLE Eenc "Students are only ; exposed to it if they take )';)’f'::ttvl‘:len the world issues course in high school," she said. "Other courses seem to only focus on Canada. Students should learn about more global issues." But the students agreed there‘s no better way to get a taste of the hardship than to be thrown into the heart of it. And that‘s exactly what Cescon and Hustwitt hope to experience when they spend two weeks early this sumâ€" mer, lending a hand in the construcâ€" tion of the school. "It‘s so ironic," Hustwitt said. "In Canada it takes millions and millions of dollars to build a new school. "In Nicaragua, it takes $3,000." Cescon said there‘s no real way to prepare for the environment. "We‘ve heard stories, but until you see it with your own eyes and are surâ€" rounded by the poverty, you just don‘t get it," he said. _ "But I don‘t think anyone can go into a situation like that and not be affected in some way, "I hope I willâ€"be able to bring that experience back to WCI and share it with others." Acts of kindness added up, and nine months later students have a lot to show for it, including a new perspecâ€" tive on life. "We really tried to stress the point that we take education for grantâ€" ed here," Hustwitt said. "Students in other counâ€" tries would die for the chance to go to school. But for many of us, school is just a headache, and that‘s unfortunate. Blowes said there should be more focus put on global issues inside the the classroom. "The real challenge is to get students to care about the issues. If someâ€" thing doesn‘t directly affect them, it‘s more difâ€" ficult for them to realize the need." The City of Waterloo invites visitors to drop by Abraham Erb‘s Grist Mill in Waterloo Park this summer to participate in some handsâ€"on fun during "Grist for the Mill". Learn more about early flour milling in Waterloo make a miller‘s hat, use a flour barrel stencil and sew a grain sack. _ Displays of grainâ€"related artifacts from the city‘s heritage collection and photographs of Waterloo‘s first flour mills will also be featured. During the early years of settlement, the local grist mill was a focal point in the community and the miller provided an indispensable service to area farmers, who often had to travel great distances to have their crops of wheat, corn and rye milled. The Golden Triangle Rose and Garden Society will host its 15th annual Rose Show at the Breithaupt Community Centre June. 22. The theme for this year‘s show is "A Rose by any other Name," with each decorative class section assigned the name of a Shakespearian play. The comâ€" petition has also added a class in this category for local celebrities to compete with one another. The show will be further enhanced by large floral arrangements donated by local commercial florists. These arrangements are added to the auction at the end of the show. This will be one of the most exciting rose shows in Canada featuring more than 140 classes of roses with more than 600 entries. In 1816, Abraham Erb established a grist mill in Waterloo, building a wooden frame structure near where the railway tracks cross King Street today. Erb‘s milling business proved to be profitable and supported a growing agricultural community. Activities will run every Tuesday afternoon, 1â€"4 p.m., June 11 through Aug. 27. _ Admission for "Grist for the Mill" is by donation and free parking is available behind the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, 25 Caroline St. N. The Rose Show starts at 1 p.m., and features a presâ€" entation by Jim St. Marie at 2 p.m., called "Outstandâ€" ing Rose Gardens of the World." There will be door prizes drawn throughout the day, with an auction of roses and floral displays set for 5 p.m. Rose experts will also be on hand to answer any questions on the planting and care of roses. _ â€" _ Admission is $5 per person, with proceeds from the show and auction going to the maintenance of the rose gardens at Freeport Hospital in Kitchener. Grist Mill hosts handsâ€"on activities this summer Golden Triangle hosts rose show u a a Ask for details WATERLOO NORTH . Northlield at the Parkway evormntirecmmmmmmins in Waterloo "Yarmr â€"â€"] â€" 746â€"1666 % FINANCING www.waterloomazda.com a