In her January executive blog, AUSU president Shawna Wasylyshyn asks, “who are the students of AU?” In her capacity as student union council president, Wasylyshyn interacts with countless people in the post-secondary education community. Some, she feels, view AU students as “disadvantaged”, “marginalized”, or people with “no other choice” but to attend AU. Like Wasylyshyn,… Read more »
The Racer is an indie band from Monroe, New York, renowned for intelligent lyrics, an inimitable post-rock sound, and hugely entertaining live performances. In 2017, after producing three LPs, the group decided to stop creating albums for now to focus on singles and videos. In the last few months they’ve managed to produce four songs,… Read more »
Does wisdom expire? Well, some words of wisdom go cliché—like worn-out metaphors. For instance, I sigh when I read how leaders should act as servants. I nod-off when I read the 80-20 rule. There’s nothing new in either. But some wisdom we can’t escape. Consider the guilt felt when we fall behind in courses. Or… Read more »
If you plan to make gym-going a lifestyle, learn the etiquette. First rule for new gym-goers? Don’t chat—especially if you’re female. You want to keep training for as long as possible, right? Then, don’t get duped by Ed the gym playboy. Truly, he doesn’t mean well. I’m in my fifties or sixties, you might think…. Read more »
A few years ago, when the first French fondue restaurant opened in Edmonton, I recall the amount of hype it received in the community. Everyone around me was bringing their spouse, children, friends, and relatives to gather around a pot dipping their various entrees into liquified cheese. The sight reminded me of my days in… Read more »
“Warm, funny…unbearably moving.” Such is just some of the high praise for Fredrik Backman’s debut novel, A Man Called Ove. Like one of life’s sweetest surprises, I stumbled on this book entirely by accident. During a visit to the Canmore library I checked out the book sale rack. I was drawn to the book’s somewhat… Read more »
At AU we have all felt a lingering shadow of dread as a deadline approaches. Maybe we’ve squandered spare time we could have used to apply ourselves; perhaps life just got in the way. It’s as though we’ve revelled amidst plenty only to realize that our privilege can be crushed at any moment. Yet we… Read more »
This spring I’m going to be planting a small bundle of explosives near my home in Montreal, Quebec. I’ll be burying them in the soil at Dante Park, where I often go to sit on a bench, drink a thermos of tea, and talk to my good buddy, the bust of Dante. I’ve been a… Read more »
The new school year is in full swing and kids are delving into another year of “reading, writing, and ’rithmetic”. But the sense of optimism for a new school year is overshadowed by the growing voice of those who question the quality of children’s education. The K-12 curriculum and the teachers who deliver it are… Read more »
It was a good year for The Voice Magazine. Not only did we get a brand new website that helps you find good things to read rather than fighting you every step of the way. We also gained a bunch of new writers near the end of the year, and kept most of the ones… Read more »
Dr. Neil Fassina is the 8th President of Athabasca University. He earned a BSc in Psychology from the University of Calgary and PhD in Management from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. He is an active researcher in the areas around applied decision-making. He was installed in mid-January, 2017 and works… Read more »
It is getting to be that time of year when students nearing the end of their program are trying to decide whether to make the pilgrimage to Athabasca for convocation or not. I decided early that I wanted to make it there, I wanted to walk that stage and be handed the degree I had… Read more »
University students, why are you pursuing a higher education? For most of us, the answer is simple: we want to gain the skills required to get good jobs in our chosen fields of expertise. We go to school so we can reach our full potential and achieve our goals. Since we’ve been sentient, we’ve been… Read more »
Sshhhhh draw the curtains closed unplug thoughts and plans slip softly, slow-ly deeply down into a silken silence enshrouded in night-time noiselessness soul sealed in a velvet envelope captured in the present moment the chaos of life dissolves from Ambition! Action! Achievement! to a world condensed to taciturnity luxurious lullaby of unspoken words… Read more »
Foteini Evangelidou has recently completed the Master of Education in Distance Education program at AU. She currently resides in Kavala, a small beautiful city in Northern Greece that offers both the residents and visitors a combination of modern life with archaeological and historical sightseeing amidst the natural tranquility of sea and mountains. Named after both… Read more »
A recent Facebook message sent by someone I went to high school with informed me that a group from our grad class was starting to plan our 30-year reunion. After reading it, I had two reactions. The first one was, “We are just not that old—seriously; weren’t the 1980s just ten years ago?” and the… Read more »
[Chosen by students, this comic came out on October 27, during the height of the controversy about Quebec’s new face-covering law (that courts have now temporarily suspended). They say a picture can be worth a thousand words but sometimes “Ew” is all you need.]
The legacy a man leaves for his children is precious. It took many years for me to heal the scars left from damaging father figures. Despite the negatives, life always provides us with a counteracting positive, if we only allow ourselves to see it. Each man in my life has taught me something about life—some… Read more »
This space is provided free to AUSU: The Voice does not create or edit this content. Contact services@ausu.org with any questions. IMPORTANT DATES Jan 9: Edmonton Student Meet & Greet Jan 10: Deadline to register in a course starting Feb 1 Jan 15: February degree requirements deadline Jan 15: AUSU Council Meeting Jan 26: Call… Read more »