Vol. 22 Iss. 17

Volume 22 Issue 17 - 04/25/2014

Meeting the Minds – Dr. Laurie Milne

Dr. Laurie Milne is the current Co-ordinator of Anthropology at AU. She’s authored three of AU’s Anthropology courses (ANTH 272, ANTH 394, and ANTH 320), and currently is a tutor for six courses while co-ordinating ten courses overall. She is also a subject matter expert in the area for AU, which means she is consulted… Read more »

The Writer’s Toolbox – Tale told by a Poet

Did you get your poetry on this year? This past month the writing community celebrated National Poetry Month, with libraries, schools, and literary organizations holding events to promote poetry appreciation. But, if you missed it, You’re not alone. The truth is that for most adults, poetry is something that was left behind in high school…. Read more »

From Where I Sit – The True Price of Freedom

Through nothing more than profound good luck I was born into a country at peace. I missed the years of both great wars. I didn’t have a husband or child who expressed any interest in voluntarily joining the military and serving in places like Afghanistan. Each Remembrance Day, I can only pray for those who… Read more »

Primal Numbers – The Science of Crime

On April 20, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter passed away. His 20 years in prison on a wrongful murder conviction was an egregious miscarriage of justice, and drove him to fight for the rights of other wrongly accused prisoners. These days, It’s tempting to think that science can save us from such mistakes, that DNA and fingerprint… Read more »

In Conversation with Patrick Woodcock, Part III

Patrick Woodcock uses poetry to document the suffering of humanity in war-torn countries?a kind of poetic nonfiction. (See Voice review of Echo Gods and Silent Mountains: Poems, his book of poems based on his time in Iraqi Kurdistan.) Recently he took the time to answer Wanda Waterman’s questions about his formal and informal education and… Read more »

Dear Barb:

Dear Barb: Following my father’s diagnosis of terminal cancer, I decided to attend Athabasca. The flexibility would allow me to help my mom care for my dad. My father survived for one year and it was a difficult year for all of us. It has now been six months since my father passed and I’m… Read more »

The Mindful Bard – Who Cares?

Film: Who Cares Director: Mara MourĂ£o “We are not guests here. We create our own life. We create our own world. Before we create our world we must imagine what kind of world we want to create and then start doing that.” -Muhammad Yunus, founder of Kiva, a global organization that provides micro-loans to the… Read more »

Random Reading

Could you let someone else select the books you read? According to a recent article in Maclean’s magazine, some customers of a Toronto bookstore are doing just that. Last year, the “Monkey’s Paw” second-hand bookstore installed a machine that dispenses random books for $2 each. Clearly intended to move less-worthy stock, customers nevertheless are enjoying… Read more »

Editorial – Political Upset

Cards on the table time. I’m a senate supporter. It seems there’s not many of those in Canada these days, but I’m one of them. I feel the senate performs a vital function in our House of Commons, and does so specifically because it is an unelected body with lifetime appointments. I feel there are… Read more »

Click of the Wrist – Where There’s a Will.

This past week we celebrated William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday. It’s easy to find hundreds of resources geared toward those keen on researching and understanding the influential man’s work, but there’s also plenty of fun for those who are rusty or reluctant. Click through these links to discover a side of Shakespeare you might not have… Read more »

Did You Know?

Part of the nine dollars per course that you are charged as an AUSU member goes toward making awards to help those who are either struggling through exceptional circumstances or have themselves proven to be exceptional representatives of our membership. As an AUSU member, you are allowed and encouraged to apply for these awards, but… Read more »

International News Desk – At Home and Abroad

At Home: Skills Gap Study Shelved for Lack of Cash The government of Canada spent 4.6 million on a survey of 25,000 employers to bring some hard numbers to the extent of the skills gap in Canada, but the report has not been able to be made public because of lack of funding. Statistics Canada… Read more »

AUSU Update

AUSU Updates: A new council On April 1, a new AUSU council took office to represent AU undergrads for the 2014-16 term. The last six weeks have been a busy time, as outgoing councillors prepared the new team to take office and facilitated an executive election. we’re pleased to announce your new student representatives: President:… Read more »