High school clique for a cause

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

High school life is synonymous with social cliques, but a philanthropic group of teens at a Pierrefonds school have shaped a slightly different image.

Riverdale High School’s U.G.L.Y. club is a socially responsible clique.

Physical education teacher Dave Reid founded the Unbelievably Good Looking Youth fellowship in 1989.

Every year, members raise funds, collect clothes and serve meals for the Old Brewery Mission in Montreal.

On Dec. 8 , the group organized its fifth non-sleep-a-thon in support of the mission, which provides meals, shelter and programs for the city’s homeless. The kids stayed awake in solidarity with Old Brewery patrons.

Open to all students, more than 60 Riverdale teens didn’t sleep from 8 a.m. on a Friday to 8 a.m. the next day. They roamed the school halls, listened to music, played sports in the gym, watched movies and got to know each other a little better.

Grade 11 student Kyla Bertram took part two years ago — a teachers’ strike shut down last year’s extracurricular activities.

Staying up can be a challenge, she said.

“The main thing is people’s mood swings,� Bertram said. “It’s kind of interesting to see how people react in a situation where they can’t sleep. People get cranky and fights start up for no reason. But in the end it’s really nice cause you get to meet a lot of people that you don’t normally hang with in school.�

This year, U.G.L.Y. aims to collect $3,000 in donations, raised by participants, Reid said. They will work at the Old Brewery Mission in January. He said serving meals for Old Brewery clients is an eye-opener for many of the students.

“They see the other side of the coin,� said Reid, a Riverdale teacher for more than 30 years. “They see that there are people who are homeless.�

For many, U.G.L.Y. membership is cherished. This year, more than 90 students from grades 9, 10 and 11 filled out questionnaires and sat through interviews to earn one of 40 available spaces with the club.

“It’s a great opportunity to be part of this,� said Ryan Alfred, a Grade 11 student and rookie club member. “I’m very thankful to get accepted into this group, which a lot of people didn’t get chosen into.

“You get to meet the school that you went to that you’ve never known before.�

Candidates are evaluated by a six-person panel of peers, made up of two students from each of the represented grades. But getting accepted is not a popularity contest, Grade 9 student Alanna Crochetière maintains.

“It was hard to choose,� said Crochetière, whose best friend was not selected. She said 99 per cent of those turned away were great candidates.

“It sucks to say ‘No’ to someone because it’s not like they’re missing class for it, they’re actually missing their free time for it,� said Bertram, adding that members sometimes get home from activities at 7:30 p.m.

U.G.L.Y. members look for recruits who they believe would be comfortable working at the Old Brewery, she said.

“You don’t want someone who’s not ready to react in a positive way,� Bertram said.