Vol. 27 Iss. 21

Volume 27, Issue 21 - 05/25/2019

Minds We Meet—Crystal Bailey

Crystal Bailey is 41 years old and living in Belleville, Ontario with her two children. She works full-time in public accounting and hopes to complete an undergrad which will then allow her to complete the Chartered Accountant program. This is Crystal’s story. Can you give us a little bit of background information about yourself? Who… Read more »

The Fit Student—What if You Were Health Minister?

Wouldn’t you love to gain a political science major—and become the next Health Minister?  AU students seem to excel at politics.  AU’s very own Jason Nixon went from AUSU presidency to Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Parks.  What an opportunity to make change!  But maybe politics isn’t your thing.  Maybe you’d prefer to get perks—without… Read more »

The Not-So Starving Student—Four Vancouver Must Eats

Last week I showcased some one-of-a-kind food items from the West Coast ranging from soupless ramen to roasted eggplants. This week, my tour through Vancouver continues as I feature the must-eats from Vancouver. Given its geographic location near the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver offers some of the freshest and most varied seafood selections from across Canada…. Read more »

The Study Dude—Grow Your Brains

Grow your brains for higher grades.  Gray matter gains ground when you read, meditate, listen to music, do yoga, and exercise.  Who said Snoop Dog doesn’t make for A students? So, read daily.  Fiction can boost your vocabulary, but nonfiction can groom your skills.  “Reading is not just a pastime to entertain yourself and stimulate… Read more »

Course Exam—MUSI/HUMN 268

MUSI 268 / HUMN 268 (Classical Music: A Historical Introduction) is a three-credit introductory music course that aims to review the fundamental elements of music as art in Western civilization. Students will first get a good grasp of the key elements of music. It is important to become comfortable with the meaning and use of… Read more »

Dear Barb—Mother’s Day Downer

Dear Barb: I am the oldest of three; my two younger brothers are away at university.  Last week they returned for Mother’s Day, but one of my brothers refused to see or celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom.  My mom and him have had issues for a long time, but now he doesn’t want to… Read more »

Editorial—When “Friendly” Isn’t

This week, I got a sudden lesson in just how much modern technology has us locked in.  And because of that, I over-estimated my own ability to overcome a computer failure based on previous failures.  All of which is basically my excuse for getting this article and the full PDF up so late. Of course,… Read more »

The Course Review—ENGL 302

The Department of English at Athabasca University is proud to launch a completely revised Introduction to Canadian Literature course. This course covers the history and themes of Canadian Literature from its beginnings up until the present, and covers works in a variety of genres, including prose, poetry, non-fiction, and more. The course will also introduce… Read more »

Council Connection—May 9,2019 Meeting

The AUSU meeting on May 9, 2019, was the shortest one in a while, but that doesn’t mean that the AUSU Council were any less busy. The meeting got underway on time at 6:30 PM, and the initial protocols—the motions to move and adopt last month’s minutes and this month’s agenda—were unanimous. There were no… Read more »

Porkpie Hat—Jussie Smollett and the Age of Outrage

Isn’t there such a sweet, sad irony to the sorry shenanigans of Jussie Smollett? Apparently in hopes of furthering his career, sweetening his contract deal, and winning public sympathy and support, the poor schmo allegedly conspired to fake a hate crime against himself. Of course, since the whole ill-conceived shitshow has blown up in his… Read more »

Women of Interest—Bobbi Gibb

Roberta Louise “Bobbie” Gibb is the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon during the pre-sanctioned era, which included the years 1966 to 1971. She was not officially recognized at that time, as women were viewed as not being physically able to compete in events longer than one and a half miles.  This did not… Read more »

An Existential Crisis Called Unemployment

“I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a limb — a constant, reflexive thing. I hadn’t thought, as well as the obvious fears about money, and your future, losing your job would make you feel inadequate, and a bit useless. That it would be harder to get up in… Read more »

Scholarship of the Week

Scholarship name:  Lift Parts Express Scholarship Sponsored by:  Lift Parts Express Deadline:  June 30, 2019 Potential payout:  $500 Eligibility restriction:  Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 21, be attending school in the fall of 2019, be a resident of Canada or the U.S., and have GPA or 3.0 or greater. What’s required: … Read more »

AU-Thentic Events

Nursing and Health Studies Library Orientation Sat, May 25, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm MDT Online Hosted by AU Library library.athabascau.ca/orientations.html No pre-registration necessary MBA Info Session – Saskatoon Mon, May 27, 4:30 to 5:30 pm CST Delta Bessborough, 601 Spadina Cres, Saskatoon SK In person Hosted by AU Faculty of Business business.athabascau.ca/event-details/mba-information-session-saskatoon-052019/ Register online… Read more »

Vintage Voice

Saturday May 25 is both Towel Day and Geek Pride Day, which naturally reminds us of the greater writer, Douglas Adams, and his seminal work The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Fry reads what Adams wrote.  Writer and former Voice editor S.D. Livingston opines that writers should stick to what they do best, and leave… Read more »

AUSU Update

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 May 30: Deadline to apply for course extension for July May 31: Gatineau Student Meet & Greet June 7-8: Athabasca University Convocation June 10: Deadline to register in a course starting Jul… Read more »

Student Sizzle!—AU Social Media

AthaU Facebook Group Sheena asks for recommendations for a humanities course to fulfill degree requirements; this touches off a discussion on the value of breadth requirements in undergrad programs.  Kayla seeks input on what the terms “quiz” and “assignment” pertain to on course syllabi.  Angela needs help choosing a course she can complete in two… Read more »