FINDING A TOPIC Why is it so hard to find an essay topic, when we are given the opportunity to write about anything we choose? What’s the phrase? A-holes and opinions — everybody’s got one. True enough, and the evidence is abundant. Take a look at any online forum or e-newspaper that allows readers to… Read more »
http://www.geocities.com/baldster2004/2004_ALS_Fundraiser.html AU Students, make your donation in memory of “Uncle Vic”
Gitanjali Mitchell A council meeting was held on March 23/2004. All members of the student council were in attendance, as were some members of the new student council and a couple of reporters for the Voice. First on the agenda was the results from the recent student council elections which were held on-line between March… Read more »
As I sit in front of my laptop in my favorite chair in my favorite room, I’m struck by the ‘piles’ that regularly sprout up around me. You’ve probably got some too wherever you’re sitting. In my case the piles are stacks of books—textbooks and study guides from Athabasca University or current novels that I… Read more »
AUSU Election Results Are In Laura Seymour, AUSU Chief Returning Officer for 2004, and AUSU President Debbie Jabbour, are pleased to announce the results of the 2004 AUSU election: The top nine candidates will comprise your new AUSU council, and will assume their new positions after a changeover period which will end by April 30th…. Read more »
This column focuses on a wide range of issues affecting post-secondary students. Students are encouraged to submit suggestions and educational topics they are concerned about, or personal experiences with courses or university situations they feel other students should know about. If suggest a topic or a course alert for Taking Notes, contact djabbour@ausu.org FAKE DEGREES… Read more »
Federal Budget – Business As Usual For those who follow this kind of thing, there are already a lot of comments out there about what the new federal budget does for post-secondary education, so I’ll be brief and give just a quick list (http://www.fin.gc.ca/news04/04-021e.html). On the good side, students born after 2003 will get a… Read more »
Mel Brooks has a truly hilarious project here. This 1987 PG rated film is far less “mature” than most of Brooks’ campy fare. It begins with the classic Star Wars formula and then branches out into wacky nonsense throughout. Stars include Bill Pullman as romantic lead Lone Starr (pilot of the flying Winnebago). His sidekick… Read more »
Missed your favourite shows? No problem. Primetime update gives you the rundown. Friends No new episode this week. Friends airs on Thursdays at 9:00pm Alberta Time, on Global (channel 7 in Calgary) The last episode of Friends, ever, will air on May 6th. Survivor – ALL STARS It was a clip show this week:not worth… Read more »
Dear Heather, Last fall, I married a wonderful man. Things are great right now, and I want to make sure they stay that way. I see other couples who have been married for a long time and have grown apart, and I don’t want that to happen to my husband and I. How can we… Read more »
Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ is marketed as a Gospel-based account of the last twelve hours before Jesus’ death. What Gibson delivers is a gore-fest that has more in common with his Mad Max and Lethal Weapon legacy and the pre-Reformation church than it does with contemporary Christian theology or an understanding… Read more »
She did not really know why she was there. She told herself it was because she had more work to do, but she did not believe her own explanation. She had run out of tasks, out of clearing the desk, out of ideas. She was simply there avoiding going home. ‘Home’ was an important concept,… Read more »
April is the month of exams for post-secondary students across regions and academic disciplines. As a distance student of Athabasca University (AU) I have written numerous invigilated exams, but I wrote them whenever I was ready for them”?April had no special exam-related significance to me. Further, the courses that I have taken, and continue to… Read more »
A considerable amount of my time and energy has been spent since December ensuring that the AUSU election process ran smoothly and in accordance with policy. This was no small task. Although I had been through the election process before, this time was significantly different, for two reasons. First, the last election two years ago… Read more »
FREDERICTON (CUP) — “You look out the window, you watch the world go by; you see all these seemingly happy, normal people and you’re stuck in this confined world of the ‘other people’, the ‘crazy people.’” At 20, Paula’s life is going pretty well. She’s active and healthy, back in school, living on her own,… Read more »
EDMONTON (CUP) – Last week was the most important time of the year for observers of post-secondary education in Canada and Alberta. The federal budget, released Tuesday, and the province’s budget, released Wednesday, received more criticism than praise from student groups hoping for increased spending on grants and scholarships. The federal budget, which promises more… Read more »
AU President Dominque Abrioux (left) accepts the ICDE Institutional Prize for Excellence. The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) recognized the hard work of all Athabasca University staff in making the University one of the world’s outstanding distance and open learning institutions. At its 21st World Conference in Hong Kong, Feb. 18-21, ICDE… Read more »
And the survey says … … Athabasca University students come back for more. While 55 per cent of AU’s students to the end of February 2004 have taken one course, a growing number of students take two or more courses. Some students take many more courses. The current breakdown is as follows: Number of students… Read more »
Sometimes we forget that notetaking and outlining don’t just have to be a matter of making lists or writing out paragraphs, they can also include something called “mapping”. Mapping is more like it sounds than you might think; reject the ideas of outlines and paragraphs, and think in terms of representative key words and symbols…. Read more »
To list events in your area, e-mail voice@ausu.org with the word “events” in the subject line. VANCOUVER Manufacturing Mod: Metal Tunics to Paper Dresses Sponsored by the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, curator Jamila Dunn examines the use of non-traditional materials such as paper, plastic, and metal, and other experimental forms that challenged the… Read more »
Know of a conference that is not on this list? Contact voice@ausu.org with the details and we’ll list it in Conference Connections. INTERNATIONAL CELTIC CONFERENCE Oct 14-17 From October 14-17th, 2004, the University College of Cape Breton will host the International Celtic Conference, Forging a Future for Celtic Languages and Cultures, under the direction of… Read more »
HAROLD BETTINGER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Value: $3000 Deadline: May 1, 2004 Administrator: Floriculture Industry Research and Scholarship Trust (FIRST) Notes: Harold Bettinger was a partner in Bettinger Farms of Swanton, Ohio. In the mid-50’s, he was one of the first progressive growers to convert his bedding plant production from wooden to plastic flats. His scholarship goes… Read more »
Sometimes it’s like Christmas Day when you get a course package; all those shiny, new books just waiting for you to dig in to them. But did you know that many of the course texts used by AU courses also have companion websites that include study guides and materials, links to other pertinent sites, course… Read more »
We love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to voice@ausu.org, and please indicate if we may publish your letter in the Voice. Dear Ms. Editor With just some 80 people out of a possible 33 000 students voting in this election a clear message has been sent to our Student Union! That… Read more »
We love to hear from you! Send your questions and comments to voice@ausu.org, and please indicate if we may publish your letter in the Voice. Response to Debbie Jabbour’s Counsellor Liability March 24, 2004 http://www.ausu.org/voice/articles/articledisplay.php?ART=2696 Debbie Jabbour argues that a court ruling on counsellor liability has school counsellors worried, “with good reason”. I don’t disagree… Read more »
Classifieds are free for AU students! Contact voice@ausu.org for more information. TEACH ENGLISH Overseas: Jobs $$ Guaranteed-Great Pay. TESOL Certified 5 days in-class, on-line or by correspondence. FREE Information Seminar. FREE Infopack: 1-888-270-2941 or globaltesol.com – http://www.globaltesol.com AUSU OTTAWA COFFEE GROUP Come for Coffee! Meeting of the Ottawa Coffee Group Sunday, March 28, 2004, 1:00… Read more »