2009/2010 School Year Ends

From left to right: Darren Sutherland, Connie Engelhart, Pherris Herbert, Lexi Saffel, Riley Fisher.
Bottom Row: Morgan Freeman, Tara Delisle, Megan Lucks, Jolene Veitch.
Not pictured: Dylan Matheson, Felicia Aggiss, Sarah Peek-Philpott, Jennifer Palmgren.

Well kids, the GSA's last meeting was today. We finished the rough draft of the calendar for the 2010/2011 school year, once everything is confirmed we are going to present it to the CSS staff, the WLSS staff and the school board. We also took group pictures - I posted our "official" photo (aka the nicest shot we got), the rest can be viewed on the Facebook group.

It wasn't anything fancy and we had fun, but then again, we always do. I sort of forgot that it was the last meeting until the very end, and then I got a bit panicky - this is it. This is the last time this specific group of people is going to be together for a GSA meeting. I tried to say it but I don't think I managed to say it very well, so I'll rephrase it:

Thank you so much to everybody who came to the meetings, who helped us out with our events, to the people who made Get Loud happen, to the people who gave us their endless and undying support, and to our amazing sponsor teachers. You're all a part of the GSA in spirit, whether you were considered a member or not, and thank you so, so much. The GSA gave me a reason to go to school, it gave me something to work for, it helped me figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life (I am for sure continuing with LGBT rights activism). It gave me the courage to come out in front of 200 people, finally tell Facebook (and therefore everybody I know) that I am "interested in women", and to finally publicize my (on again, off again) relationship of two years with my beautiful girlfriend on Facebook. I learned a lot of life lessons, both easy and harsh. Being involved in the GSA has made me the happiest I have been in years - Tuesday is my favourite day of the week by far.

As of right now, I'm planning on staying in town for another year and helping out with the GSA, but I don't know for how long I'll actually be here. I want to be around right until the end but I might have to go with the flow and allow life to take it's course rather than forcing myself to stay here to see the GSA's first complete school year to an end. I wish everybody the best and hope the group we started can stay alive - we promoted and created more change in this town in a single semester than I ever dreamed possible, and now only the sky is the limit. I'm so proud of everything we accomplished and I can't say thank you enough to everybody who was involved and who supported us.