Who are your fellow students? It can feel like you’re all alone in your studies, but across the nation, around the globe, students like you are also pursuing their AU education, and The Voice Magazine wants to bring their stories to you and vice versa. If you would like to be featured next, do not hesitate to get… Read more »
Dear Barb: My 80-year-old grandmother is in the hospital with covid-19, she was on a ventilator for almost two weeks and is now recovering. No one in the family has been able to visit her. We are all heartbroken that she would have to suffer like this. She has always been a loving caring grandmother… Read more »
At university, I highlighted like a wild dog—entire pages soaked in yellow. I’d take my highlighted points, jot them down on cue cards, and memorize them all. Study time was gruelling. Weirder still, I couldn’t figure out how other students got A’s taking two more classes than me each semester. But I showed them: After… Read more »
I don’t do sappy. However, the world around us has changed. Everyone seems isolated—more so than before—and I feel like the majority of the planet has no grip on reality. We all scroll through hundreds of social media posts, from real and imaginary friends, claiming if anyone needs to talk they should reach out. But… Read more »
Poutine is one of those iconic Canadian dishes. Some go kilometres to find good poutine. When the hot gravy melts the cheese, and the fries are crispy—so good! Here in Edmonton, there are a couple of places to get decent poutine. But what do you do when you have leftover mashed potatoes or maybe extra… Read more »
Album: Synchronicity Artist: The Police After essentially turning my entire basement upside down in the name of music, I have had a difficult time deciding what would be my penultimate entry for this series. I suppose leaving my favourite new wave band, the Police, for last would’ve been more suitable, but I’ve got something else… Read more »
To all the 2020 graduands, congrats! And for the rest of us grads, future and past, let’s rest on our virtual laurels for a moment and consider the conquest that’s been. Many of our peers would shudder to attempt distance education. AU is not for the faint of heart or slack of skill. We learn… Read more »
Travel comes with risks at the best of times. Travelling during a pandemic adds an unsettling new dimension. It was with some trepidation that we booked flights to Canada’s west coast. We researched the airlines to learn what measures they were taking to keep passengers safe. In addition to disinfecting protocols, mandatory mask wearing, and… Read more »
Misrepresentative and often dehumanizing single narratives are often seen in literature, film, art, and media. These stories are frequently one-dimensional and often-inaccurate portrayals of communities, often resulting in mistreatment and violence from society and internalized oppression and diminished self-worth for those affected. In her immensely popular 2009 TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story, Nigerian author… Read more »
Throughout this pandemic, I have found myself becoming increasingly preoccupied with societal attitudes and inadequate medical standards. Among chronically ill, disabled, elderly, “essential” but expendable, migrant, and poor communities there is a sense of being sacrificed for economic reasons. I am angry at the dismissiveness of precautions, at the refusal to wear masks, and at… Read more »
Out with the old and in with the new, right? Not quite! There’s still a little bit of the old that deserves some recognition, and that’s what the Best of the Voice 2020 is all about. For those that haven’t been here before, each year we like to take a selection of the best articles… Read more »
Musical hobbies: Having taken piano lessons at a young age, I’ve always been a fan of self-expression at the piano. It was a chance to be distanced from the bustle of everyday life and connect with myself. I found that even at the most anxious and stressful moments, I have always found solace in playing… Read more »
In a recent press interview, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau spoke about an “unconscious bias” impacting all Canadians. Now, more than ever, our cultural perspectives and unique identities are being called into question, especially in political and corporate sectors. Our increasingly globalized economy demands sameness, which is in direct opposition to natural human culture. In our… Read more »
I don’t know when the trend of throwing away all my keepsakes began. But I now know the regret that follows. I read that some people treasure keepsakes, and I never understood why. But when we cherish a piece of the heart someone left us in form of an object, we can later reflect. If… Read more »
My sister, Mary, and I were incarcerated in Ontario Training Schools for Girls, at 12 and 13 years old. Training schools are better known as reform schools. At that time, all I knew about reform school was what I had seen in movies and on television shows. Reform schools were portrayed as a place where… Read more »
Humans sit atop the food chain due to our cognitive capabilities and our advanced ability to communicate with one another. With everything we know about the cognitive and communication sciences, it might lead some to assume that non-domesticated cross-species collaboration is impossible. It should not be possible for birds and crocodiles or spiders and frogs… Read more »
[I like Chazz. Or more precisely, I like to laugh at Chazz. He’s a perfect caricature of so many things, and a reminder that humour can be impolitic without being insulting–except to Chazz, of course. But I doubt he’d notice. From our August 14th issue, this selection was all mine. Best of 2020? I think… Read more »
As we all know, January has been scientifically proven to be approximately twice as long as all the other months of the year put together. This is indisputable. This, by itself, is a problem, and contributes to psychological balance and physiological homeostasis becoming approximately as stable as an existential tilt-a-whirl. This, of course, follows hard… Read more »
AthaU Facebook Group Heather inquires about student funding for mature AB students taking one course at a time; responses indicate it’s worth applying. Amoonah just finished a 3-year degree and wants to continue on to make it a 4-year; other students post tips to help her with next steps and timing. Other posts include delaying… Read more »
Scholarship name: Polar Northern Resident Award Sponsored by: Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies Deadline: January 31, 2021 Potential payout: $5000 Eligibility restriction: Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, be long-term residents of Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, or the Provincial North, and currently enrolled part- or full-time at either a… 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 10: Deadline to register in a course starting Feb 1 Jan 14: AUSUnights Virtual Student Social Jan 15: Feb degree requirements deadline Jan 20: AUSU Public Council Meeting Jan 30: Deadline… Read more »
MBA for Executives Webinar Tues, Jan 12, 10:00 to 11:00 am MST Online Hosted by AU Faculty of Business news.athabascau.ca/events/mba-for-executives-webinar-20210112/ RSVP through above link Talk to a Librarian Drop-in Session Tues, Jan 12, 9:00 to 9:30 am MST Online via Microsoft Teams Hosted by AU Library library.athabascau.ca/orientations.html No pre-registration necessary; access through above link Hack… Read more »