Christmas Concert (2013)

December 16th was a day of anticipation; Santa was coming to town.  Every December, the jolly man in red visits northern communities across Nunavut, bringing toys, food, and Christmas cheer to Inuit children.  Unfortunately, due to a tight schedule, Santa can only spend an hour or two at the towns' airports.  It's quite an intensive and potentially exhausting flying schedule.  As well, don't expect to see a large red sleigh being pulled by reindeer.  In the north, Santa travels by plane and visits about 5 to 6 communities per day.

            

The Santa flights have been a tradition in the north for many decades.  They happen in all three territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut).  I'm not sure how many Santas fly up north but I know it has to be a few.  What is intriguing is that the flights originate from southern Canada, not from the North Pole.  In the Arctic, Santa lives down south.  I believe the Santa flight that came to Arctic Bay was organized by Keewatin Air.

            

I managed to catch a glimpse of Santa's plane flying into town in the afternoon as it descended from the clouds.  The turboprop was covered with colourful Christmas lights.  Since I wasn't expecting the plane to arrive early in the afternoon, I didn't have my camera out to take a picture.  A short time would pass until a line of cars & trucks, filled with excited kids and parents, would drive towards the airport. 

            

High school student Pauloosie takes a
break from decorating.

As Santa's plane flew above me, I was escorting several high school students to the town's Community Hall.  The place needed to be decorated and set up for the Christmas concert the following evening.  That was the other reason behind the anticipation; the concert was just 24 hours away!  It was dark outside even though the time was just after 3pm.  Once inside the Community Hall, the high school students immediately went to work, setting up rows of chairs.  A large box of Christmas decorations arrived when all the chairs were in place.  While the girls sorted the decorations, all the guys moved the large & heavy pool table off the main stage.  We then placed it in a nearby corner.  The students spent another two hours pasting decorations all over the Community Hall.  There were colourful ribbons, Christmas trees, and loud singing reindeer.  The students were well behaved; I didn't need to delegate or keep students on task.

            

A dress rehearsal was held at the Community Hall in the afternoon the next day (December 17).  Naturally, all afternoon classes were cancelled and the entire student body, (230), occupied the building.  After seeing so many kids inside the hall, I wondered if there would be any seating space left for families, friends, and invited guests.  I've been told that roughly one third of Arctic Bay's population are children.

            

The dress rehearsal gave students and teachers an opportunity to practice their acts, get rid of feelings of stage fright, and enjoy a sneak peek at what each group was presenting.  There would be twelve acts in total, starting with pre-school, then kindergarten, followed by the grade classes & the high school drum line, ending with the adult staff.  There would be music, dancing, square dancing, and skits.  Since the adult staff were keeping their act a secret, my drummers & I had the honour of finishing the dress rehearsal with a bang (pun intended).  The preschoolers, kindergarteners, and younger grades all crowded at the front of the stage to hear the drums.  When the curtains were pulled open, it appeared everyone was watching us.  We played through our routine to the cheers of the student body.  After the drummers and I took our bows, I hoped we would receive the same reception later that night (more details coming up). 

            

MCs Geela & Caroline.

That evening, the doors to the Community Hall were opened at 6:30pm.  Steadily, the hall became filled with excited locals, holding cameras and camcorders.  It looked like the entire town was in attendance.  The concert began a little after 7pm.  Geela, a student support teacher, and Caroline, a high school student, were the Inuktitut & English MCs.  The program followed a simple routine: each class was formally introduced, the curtains would part, the class would perform their routine, receive an applause and cheers from the audience, and then leave the stage.  Oddly, the concert's pace felt a little slow to me.  Maybe it was because I was anxious about my drummers' act and wanted to get it over with.  Although, I did enjoy watching all the performances and the two that stood out for me were the Grade 6s lip-syncing & dancing to Bob Dylan's "Must Be Santa", and the Grade 8/9s rapping "That's Christmas" a song they arranged with original lyrics.

            

Kindergarten performance.

Grade 3 performance.

After much anticipation, the time had finally come; my drum line was next.  Before going on stage, I instructed one of my students to film the performance with my digital camera.  Just as we had rehearsed earlier that afternoon, when the curtains parted, my drummers immediately launched into 'the opening number': a paradiddle warmup routine.  After the drummers received their first applause of the night, I walked out on stage and introduced myself to the audience.  With the help of Geela, I explained the warm up was one of the many short musical passages we play to get ourselves warmed up or 'in the groove'.  The drum line next played a piece called "Accent Tap for Christmas" with a guest Inuit drum dancer.  The dancer was one of my guitar students from last semester.  His playing kept the drum line in tempo as well as adding an Inuit blend to the southern style of drumming.

            

Grade 6 performance.

I conducted the third and last piece of our act called, "Christmas Compilation," a set of intermediate exercises my drummers learned over the semester.  Much of the piece contained intricate and funky rhythms, but the last part had my drummers clicking their sticks together in a specific pattern.  Because of all this, the drummers wanted me to keep them in time to which I happily obliged.  I conducted my students at the front of the stage, but stood at the same level as the audience.  Despite a slip up here and there, the performance turned out alright and after the final notes were struck, the audience applauded for the third time.  As one final act, I turned around and threw one of my sticks to the floor.  Unfortunately, it didn't bounce back up like it did during the dress rehearsal.  Thankfully, the second one did.  My drummers on stage did a few stick tosses before the curtains closed.  I breathed a sigh of relief.

            

Grades 7 & 8 performance.

The final act of the concert was the staff of Inuujaq School.  Last Christmas, they danced to the song "Gangnam Style" by Psy, but this year we played a game.  Basically, someone would say a phrase in a language of their choice and then another person had to translate it into Inuktitut or English.  Of course, you didn't know what they were saying so you had to guess based on their tone of voice and body language.  After the funny translations, the real translation would follow.

            

A sign indicating that grade 7 & 8
students were needed near the front
of the stage because they were the
next act. Similar signs were
used for all other grades.

I was the first to speak.  I had prepared three facts about Ukrainian Christmas but only had time to say one.  To be honest, it felt a little weird speaking Ukrainian in front of a large Inuit audience for the first time.  The two Inuit teachers who translated my phrase received plenty of laughs from the audience . . . so did my English explanation of the phrase.  Perhaps that was a sign that they liked the true meaning?  The other teachers and staff spoke in Korean, Japanese, Pig Latin, Newfoundland English, and Inuktitut.  It was quite interesting to hear such a variety of spoken languages.    

            

At the conclusion of the game, we all thanked everyone for attending the concert and wished them all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  While the school staff and several high school students cleaned up the hall, a few elementary students came up to me, wanting to know how to bounce the drum sticks off the floor.  I gave them a quick impromptu lesson and let them give it a try before helping my drummers load all the drums and equipment onto a pickup truck I borrowed from Frank, the town's mayor.  We drove back to the school and carried all the instruments back into my classroom.  I called it a night after dropping off my drummers at their homes.

            

At school the following day, several Inuit teachers came up to me to say they really enjoyed listening to the drum line at the Christmas concert.  They also added that many local elders had called the local radio station to voice their approvals as well.  I thanked them for the good news.       
            

              

Festive December (2013)

"Merry Christmas"

With the arrival of December, everyone in Arctic Bay was getting into the Holiday Spirit.  Christmas decorations, posters, and collages had sprung up along the main hallway, the staff room was completely redecorated, and a Christmas tree was assembled nearby.  Thankfully, no one suggested doing what retail stores down south do every year: play Christmas songs in an endless loop 24/7.  

            

Outside the library.

From a newcomer's point of view, it appeared to me that all the high spirits were a way of taking peoples' minds off the perpetual darkness.  The sun had disappeared behind the mountains back in November but the area was still receiving a mere two to three hours of sunlight at midday.  By this point, Vitamin D tablets are your best friends.  I have to admit that at first, it felt odd to be walking to work at 8am and yet it looked like the time was 8pm.  My mind and body adapted after several days . . . or should I say nights? 

            

For several nights, Arctic Bay played host to a full moon that shined "as brightly as the sun."  It felt as if the town and surrounding areas were under a very bright white streetlight.  If you were out on the land, you wouldn't have to use a flashlight.  I tried several times to get the perfect shot of the moon with my camera but, in my view, the resulting pictures were subpar.        

            

Sled dogs out for a run. Originally taken
on October 30, 2013.

I forgot to mention that the town's sled dog owners moved their litters onto the frozen bay at the end of October.  Periodically, the dogs howled during feeding time or whenever they were bored.  Their big day won't come until April when the sled dog races are held. 

           

The first week of December was the last week for teaching new content because final exams were scheduled for the following week.  Thanks to hard work and persistence, my Grade 10 Social Studies students finished the Staking The Claim Unit.  The last few chapters dealt with looking towards the future for Nunavut and it's youth.  With the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in place, it is up to Inuit youth to make sure it's being implemented and followed by the GN and the federal government in Ottawa.  But before they can do that, Inuit youth need to complete their academic studies and know how 'the system' works.

            

My Grade 11 Social Studies students finished the Quality of Life unit and had a review test.  Some did well, some not so well.  I also gave them time to catch up on any class work they may have missed.  From there we went on to review the entire semester.

            

The drummers and I spent the first two weeks of December practicing in the gym.  The Christmas concert was just around the corner and we needed to make sure everything was ready.  The timings, rhythms, and tricks got better with every passing day.  By the end of the second week, I felt we were ready for the concert.  My drummers also had their last performance test of the semester, where they were required to play intermediate level rudiments, and two drum pieces.  They all scored high marks. 

            

Friday, December 6 was the day my Grade 12 Social Studies students presented their projects to a panel of judges.  I would lead the panel.  I had asked several teachers and community members if they would like sit on the panel and managed to get four volunteers: the principal of Inuujaq School, the town's mental health nurse, and a GN worker.  The four presentations took place in my classroom after school.  My students' projects centered on: Inuit artists, photographers, and singers; Inuit living around the world; Inuit history; and Inuit & suicide.  They had 20 minutes each to present their essays, products, and field questions from the judges panel.  They would be marked on: language & delivery, organization, content, media technology use, and responses to the panel. 

            

I could spend an entire post writing about the presentations but I'll just say that my students did alright.  Their content and organization were fine but they just needed to have more eye contact and speak a little louder.  After dismissing my students at the conclusion of the presentations, I collected all the marking sheets from the panel judges and thanked them again for taking the time out of their busy schedules to volunteer.  I would review the marking sheets over the weekend and decide whether the presenters deserved a passing grade.  My Grade 12s would not have a final exam.

            

At the beginning of the semester, I was surprised that one of my students chose to investigate the reasons behind the high suicide rate in Nunavut.  Examining such a topic can be difficult, emotionally & physically.  What I've learned from reading news articles and listening to personal stories is that when an Inuk takes their life, it affects the entire community and beyond.  I regularly checked in with her to make sure the research & writing processes weren't causing too much stress and/or grief.  Thankfully, this did not happen.      

            

Suicide is a problem of epidemic proportions in the north, with the rate among Nunavut Inuit being 13 times higher than the national average.  The 2013-year saw a record number of suicides: 45.  The reasons behind the suicides (ie. Why they did it?) are the same as down south, except the reasons why the rate is higher in the north is difficult to pinpoint.  Recently, Inuit youth have been complaining that the mental-health services in place are inadequate in dealing with the problem.  Likewise, members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been saying the same thing recently after a rash of suicides over the Christmas Holidays.  I don't know what the solution is, but something needs to be done to stop people from taking their own lives.

            

Final exams for high school students happened between December 11 and 13.  Only my Grade 10 & 11 Social Studies students had to write an exam.  I spent many hours over the weekend reviewing all the materials and selected the most important information to include on the exams.  On Monday & Tuesday, I reviewed the selected content without giving away the exact answers.  I stressed that the exams were not open-book, so my students needed to study, study, study!  On 'the day of judgement', I gave both classes two hours to write their exams.  Thankfully, all my students heeded my instruction to only look at their exams, otherwise they would have had to wear state-of-the-art anti-cheating devices.  (See picture to the left).  I spent the following weekend marking exams, class work, and entering final marks & comments into the school's computer system.

Qudlik

Before the conclusion of the semester, the staff of Inuujaq School had a Christmas potluck dinner on the evening of December 12.  The high school science room had been converted into a dining room, complete with Christmas & table decorations.  Staff were required to bring their own dishes/plates and cutlery.  There were many foods to choose from: meats, fish, chili, soup, vegetables, stuffing, bread, rice, salads, and many desserts.  Most of the food was homemade but some items were store bought.  After saying Grace, everyone lined up and filled their plates and bowls with food.  The food was so good, we all went back for seconds and thirds. 

           

Late November (2013)

Happy New Year Everyone!

The third week of November (18 - 22) is Anti-Bullying Week, an annual event that aims to raise awareness of bullying and to find ways of preventing and responding to it.  The campaign is geared towards children and young people.  The awareness campaign originally began in the United Kingdom back in 2004 and has been observed and promoted in other countries including Canada.

            

Unfortunately, bullying is not foreign to the students of Inuujaq School.  It is just as much of a problem as it is for schools down south.  On Tuesday, November 19, the high school students gathered in the science room to watch Bully, a 2011 documentary film about bullying in the United States.  The film follows the lives of five students who are bullied on a daily basis, how the students' families fight for change & action, and what can happen to victims of bullying if they don't receive help (ie. suicide).  The film was directed by Lee Hirsch, who also runs The Bully Project website. 

            

After viewing the film, the teachers and students discussed the problems that were addressed and related them to their own experiences or situations they have witnessed.  It was surprising to hear the comments and observations that were shared.  Before being dismissed, the students were reminded to not ignore bullying behaviour but to report it to a teacher or to someone they trusted.  Bullying does not stop when good people do nothing.

            

My Grade 10 Social Studies students were quite busy in the second half of November. They wrote a definitions test, made biographic posters about the Inuit land claim negotiators (ie. Tagak Curley, Paul Quassa, John Amagoalik), created timelines showing the most important events of modern Inuit history, and looked at a cartoon analogy of how the Nunavut territory came to be.  I had to increase the pace because December was fast approaching and I didn't want to leave any important details out.

            

My Grade 11s learning about the Syrian Civil War.

For Grade 11 Social Studies, I decided to have my students examine the quality of life and standard of living of one more country: Syria.  In particular, the current civil war that has been ravaging the country since 2011.  Since the lessons progressed, (or regressed, depending on your interpretation), from developed nation (Canada), to One-Child Policy (China), and to famines (Ethiopia), I felt that naturally, civil war would be the next topic.  My students had minimal knowledge of Syria because it was on the other side of the world and not on 'their radar'.  However, they soon became interested in learning why the country was experiencing internal conflict and how it was affecting those who lived in and around the country.                

One of my Grade 11 students decided to turn my mouse . . . into a mouse.

My drummers spent the remaining two weeks of November practicing the two Christmas pieces I arranged and a familiar warm up that would serve as the 'opening number' at the evening concert.  After attending the first Christmas Committee meeting, to which I am a member, I learned that my drummers would be the second last act in the program.  The staff of Inuujaq School were always the last act.

            

Friday, November 22, was a unique day for my drummers because we put on an exclusive demonstration workshop in the gym for Ina's Grade 2 class.  Several days prior, Ina explained to me that she wanted her students to see the various drums up close, and understand how they worked and sounded differently.  I accepted her request and came up with a plan.

            

The workshop kicked off at 1:30pm when Ina & her students arrived in the gym.  I spoke in English and Ina translated into Inuktitut.  I began by introducing myself, the drummers, and the drums that we played (snare, bass, quad-toms).  After each drummer played a few sounds on their drums, I passed around the large white Ralph Hardimon snare sticks my drummers' use when playing on the practice pads.  The Grade 2s were surprised by how heavy they were.  I then took one of the snare drums off its stand and held it while each Grade 2 student hit it with a drum stick.  The Grade 2s also got to hold the large bass drum mallets. 

            

My drummers and I played a few simple and complicated rhythms; all were received with "ooohs" & "aaaahs".  I think by the third rhythm, the Grade 2s were drumming along with their hands on the gym floor.  For the last activity, I taught the students two stick tricks where the sticks bounce off the floor.  I was taking a huge gamble because there is a risk of breaking and/or snapping the sticks down the middle of the shaft.  I only had 6 pairs (12 individual sticks) and I didn't want to lose any.  Thankfully, that didn't happen.  The students had fun catching the sticks in the air.  At the end of the workshop, Ina & her students thanked us for a great performance and left the gym wanting to learn more. 

            

My Grade 12 Social Studies students had their last test for the semester.  They were no longer required to write a departmental exam; the Social Studies Project would be their final assessment.  One of the major components of the assessment is the 20-minute presentation where students talk about their topics, give a brief outline of their essays, and showcase their products.  The product is something that addresses your topic but also benefits the greater community (ie. video, website, model, artwork, radio show, etc).  The remaining portion of the presentation is fielding questions from the audience and panel of judges. 

            

Like most high school students, my Grade 12s were getting jittery as the date of the presentations approached.  I had scheduled them for the first week of December.  To put their minds at ease, we reviewed the presentation process, how to plan & prepare, but most importantly, how to present oneself (ie. maintain eye contact, speak clearly, don't chew gum, and engage the audience).  I also advised my students to brainstorm what they were going to say and write out how they were going to say it.  But I stressed not to write a detailed speech; just the most important points.  Writing in a formal tone was the main challenge because English is their second language and they normally speak common English amongst each other.  But they took the challenge in stride and with my assistance, it appeared the final results would be good.  Of course, I wouldn't know for sure until the day of presentations.

Having fun with silhouette photography.

Early November

Half-Moon

With Halloween out of the way, the teachers of Inuujaq School had to contend with sugar filled students for the next few days.  Thankfully, November 1st was a Friday and right after was the weekend.  Still, we had to deal with hyper students on the Friday.  From what I remember, most of us just played it safe and didn't make the students do too much work or keep them in their seats for extended periods of time.  I wonder how teachers down south handled their students?  Surprisingly, the students' behaviours were back to 'normal' on Monday.

            

My Grade 10 Social Studies students watched the 1922 silent docudrama film Nanook of the North, directed by Robert J. Flaherty.  The film follows the lives of Nanook, an Inuk hunter, and his family as they survive the harsh climate of northern Quebec.  Considered to be the first feature length documentary, the film is notable for introducing the Inuit culture to a world audience.  Prior to screening the film, I gave a brief history on the director and his efforts, and explained the characteristics of a silent film.  I was glad that my students didn't have a problem reading captions.  Thereafter, the students completed a film questionnaire and discussed what actions & behaviours in the film were still present in today's Inuit society.

            

For the first half of November, my Grade 10s also looked at how the Inuit Land Claims movement accelerated in the 1960s & 1970s.  Inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the Inuit organized themselves into several civil/political organizations (ie. COPE, ITC, IEA) and began demanding a greater say in northern affairs.  The federal government could no longer ignore their demands because the Inuit were preventing the development of the Arctic's natural resources.

            

In Grade 11 Social Studies, we compared the standard of living and quality of life in Canada, China, and Ethiopia.  Specifically, my students learned about China's infamous 'One Child Policy', (aka 'Family Planning') and the deadly Ethiopian famines of the 1980s.  My students were shocked that a government imposed and went to great lengths to enforce a child-bearing limit, all in the hopes of controlling a population.  Raising a family, small or large, is highly valued in Inuit society.  Although the Inuit never suffered famines, they did suffer from starvation if they weren't able to catch any Arctic animals out on the land.  In our discussions on the Ethiopian famines, the students related stories they heard from elders about ancestors going hungry and even dying out on land because their hunting expeditions yielded nothing.

            

My drummers and I watched the video footage of our Halloween performance.  Overall, it was quite good.  There were a few times when the rhythms were not synchronized but the audience didn't seem to notice.  They clapped, cheered, and complimented us after the performance.  I didn't appear nervous when I was explaining how the drums worked.  When I was a kid, I hated watching myself on camera.  Now, not so much.    After reflecting on what went well and what could have been improved, we looked at double stroke rolls, triplet rolls, and 16th note timings.  For added reinforcement, my drummers watched several instructional videos by Jeff Queen where he addressed and demonstrated the rolls and timings.  Jeff Queen is a professional American musician who specializes in snare drums and is known in the drumming community as one of the best. 

            

In the hopes of securing future funding for an expanded music program, I applied for a Band Aid Grant from MusiCounts.  MusiCounts is a Canadian music education charity "associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Science (CARAS), [tasked in] helping keep music alive in schools across Canada."  The $5K and $10K grants "go toward the purchase of musical instruments and educational equipment."  The recipients of the grants will be announced in earl 2014.  The principal & I hope our school will receive the $10K grant.    

            

By the end of the second week of November, I had the Christmas music prepared.  Similar to the Halloween program, my drummers would play three pieces, except one of them would include a guest Inuk drum dancer.  (More on this in a future post).

            

My Grade 12 Social Studies students compared the similarities and differences of two political systems: democracy and dictatorship.  As well, they continued working on their project essays by searching for sources on the Internet, brainstorming ideas, jotting notes, and writing rough sentences.  Their topics were all Inuit-related.  (More on this in a future post).

            

Somewhere during the first two weeks of the month, the sun disappeared behind the mountains.  Arctic Bay continued to receive sunlight but not the physical sun.  I thought the sun's final appearance would be a day marked on the calendar and observed but that isn't the case.  When I asked the local Inuit, they said they don't formally bid the sun farewell; they only welcome its return in February.  The disappearance of the sun is something most Inuit do not look forward to.       

            

There was no school on Monday, November 11th, because of Remembrance Day.  I think the Northern Store & Co-op were also closed that day.  The staff and cadets of 3045 Army Cadet Corps held a morning Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Community Hall.  As the Master of Ceremonies (MC), it was my job to welcome everyone, call upon guest speakers, inform the audience when to stand and to sit, and make sure the program was accurately followed.  Three wreaths were laid by the corps, Canadian Rangers, and middle school students from Inuujaq School.

            

The ceremony took a detour from the normal program near the end when it was time to welcome a new member into the military family.  That someone was me.  The Cadet Instructor Cadre (CIC) is one of the five branches of the Canadian Armed Forces and the officers in this branch are responsible for the training and supervision of the 58,000 cadets in the Canadian Cadet Movement.  Cadets are aged between 12 & 18 years old.  Successful completion of the application process (interview, medical exam, police check, attachment to a corps) leads to the final hurdle; the attestation. 

            

Irene Swoboda addresses the cadets
after the Remembrance Day Ceremony.

In the presence of the Canadian flag and portrait of the Queen, Lt. May, the Commanding Officer (CO) of 3045, led me in reciting the oath.  I was then presented with my Certificate of Enrolment, followed by an applause by the audience.  I was now an Officer Cadet.  I would receive my uniforms in December or in the new year.  Many who attended the ceremony offered their personal congratulations at the end of the service.  On Tuesday, I bought a frame from the Northern Store and placed my certificate in it.  It now hangs proudly on a wall in my house.   

This will be my last post for the 2013 year.  I will be taking a short break for the duration of the Christmas and New Year's Holidays.  See you in the new year!

Halloween - Part 2

I made it home just in time to change back into my costume, prepare a quick snack, and get ready for the arrival of trick-or-treaters.  I had several boxes of chocolates and candies to hand out.  Rather than spend a small fortune at the Northern Store, I ordered my Halloween treats from Well.ca.  I hoped they were enough.  I had heard from veteran teachers that one household could get as many as four hundred visitors and the southern teachers are the first to be 'targeted'.  By 5pm, the sun had disappeared and it was night.  I stood by the door, candy in hand, and waited.

            

Knocking on doors before entering a house is viewed as a southern custom.  Doors mostly remain unlocked in northern communities and people just walk in.  If you don't want visitors, just lock your door.  The Inuit only knock on qallunaaq (non-Inuit) doors . . . most of the time.  The first few trick-or-treaters knocked on my door and said the magic words - ("Trick or Treat!").  I gave generous portions of candy and repeated the routine several more times before deciding to keep my door unlocked.  The only downside was that I had to man the door at all times, otherwise someone could just walk in and take all the candy.  

            

Yes, that's a laptop on the back.

Even though Arctic Bay is a small town, the cold weather made it impractical for trick-or-treaters to walk from one end of town to the other.  Everyone got rides on a skidoo, ATV, or vehicle; after all, they only had two hours to collect their candy before the community Halloween contest.  As the night continued, I realized that I had fallen victim to being too generous with the candy.  After the first hour, I had to ration so that I wouldn't run out.  I even got my private candy stash ready should the worst happen.  Thankfully, that did not happen.  In fact, there was still candy left in the bowl. 

            

Banging pots to scare people.

Several southern teachers and I got a ride down to the community hall by one of the RCMP officers.  "This is my first time riding in the back of an RCMP truck!" I humourously remarked.  "And it won't be the last," someone added.  Rows of chairs had been set up on the sides, forming a large square with an open centre.  We took our seats near the front stage.  The hall began to fill up steadily with spectators.  By the time the spooky festivities started, it looked like the entire town was in attendance.

            

As mentioned before, my students were talking non-stop about the costume contest, and seriously wanted me to attend.  They said it was the event of Halloween.  I reassured them all that I would attend because this was my first Halloween in Arctic Bay.  Indeed, the community costume contest is the highlight of the night and for good reasons.   Contestants compete for cash prizes and are judged on creativity, originality, scariness, and downright bizarre.  From what I remember, there were three categories: mothers who dressed up their infants, kids, and adults.  The contestants in each category would parade in the centre of the hall, letting everyone take pictures and short films.  The judges on stage would observe and record their decisions on paper. 

            

The bizarre costumes were worn by the adult contestants and they were beyond anything I have ever seen before.  It was difficult for me to comprehend their designs.  Were they representing something/someone or just wearing whatever to shock the audience?  I'm glad I took pictures because I still find it hard to explain what they were wearing.  The one thing that was common among the costumes was that the faces were covered.  I was told one of the main features of the contest is not knowing who is wearing what costume until the very end.  All I knew at the start of the contest was that Paulette, the high school art teacher, was wearing a black raven costume.    

            

After the parade of costumes, the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners of each category were announced by the MC.  As part of their acceptance, the winners were required to reveal their 'true identities' to the audience.  Many children and adults flooded into the centre of the hall to get a close up view and/or picture of the winners.  Each reveal was greeted by a thunderous applause.  The contestant who won the adult category was a student from Inuujaq School.  He dressed himself up as an old man in a suitcase.  During the parade, he had to be pulled by someone.  After the costume contest, the southern teachers and I were driven back to our respective homes by the RCMP.       

           

My first Halloween in Arctic Bay was fun and full of surprises.  The community costume contest is something that just needs to be seen to be believed.  If I ever decide to participate, I'm either going to have to buy a really expensive costume or invest the time and effort in making my own.         

            

End of Halloween Mini-Series