Dad and I sat in my parents’ living room, with not much to talk about. Usually when I visited, Mom and I carried the conversation, but today Mom was at church. It would be just me and Dad for over an hour. Dad’s drift into the shifting fog of Alzheimer’s had left him mostly functional,… Read more »
And the days keeps on worryin’ me There’s a hellhound on my trail –Robert Johnson Even the most stoic, blithe, and unflappable of ladies and gentlemen will sometimes find themselves lost in the shadows, with the black dogs at their heels. I can vouch for this from personal experience. Many times they have come to… Read more »
From my early beginnings as a young introvert, the public library has always been a bit of a refuge. Years later, not much has changed, albeit with an additional affinity for endless hours spent scouring second-hand bookstores to add to my ever-growing “to-read” pile. From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and… Read more »
Are we as human beings essentially destructive forces within nature or are we exclusively destructive to nature? Nature’s paradox appears whenever our feet alight on soil alive with life; crushing and maiming, even bare toes cause fronds to break and insects to cower. The metaphysics of humanity as unnatural occupant of our planet strains credulity… Read more »
Artist: Ex Ox Album: Nervous Complaint Canadian musician Andrew Dickenson (lead singer and guitarist of Tricky Woo) has released his first solo LP as Ex Ox. The LP is titled Nervous Complaint and is available for streaming anywhere you get your music. The accompanying visual album is available on YouTube. The album was inspired by… Read more »
Dear Barb: I am a guy in my thirties, and I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD. I always knew there was something wrong. I have never been able to focus on anything for more than a few minutes. Even in school, my teachers called my parents because they couldn’t manage me. My parents were… Read more »
It’s convocation day! While at AU you can graduate on any day of the year, each year AU holds a celebration of those who’ve managed to complete their programs, with events held both in person and online, AU has a convocation ceremony that includes a brief bio of every student who crosses the stage, as… Read more »
What is a pleasing personality? I found an article that says a pleasing personality is encouraging, appreciative, non-judgmental, optimistic, sincere, dignified, generous, and so much more. In my mind, that encapsulates what it means to be a people pleaser. But being a people pleaser has a bad rap in the psychological curriculum—wrongly so, in my opinion. I… Read more »
At times, a sense of connection to fellow students—or the university itself—may feel like an impossibility in AU’s digital sphere. Although this style of asynchronous, accessible, flexible—and open—learning works well for many students’ busy and diverse lives, a sense of community is increasingly becoming sought after in today’s isolated world. Throughout my years at AU,… Read more »
Over the weekend I went on a camping trip in Canmore with my extended family and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. Despite my initial skepticism at the idea of living in a tent and cooking outdoors, it was a unique experience that was both stimulating and relaxing. In today’s fast-paced… Read more »
If US policy makers were not busy making airwaves for slinging mud at one another, there are stories like the creation of a “first-of-its-kind” legislative policy that is being brought into law that should be on every news headline. But it is not because negativity gets people coverage. One of those positive policy changes comes… Read more »
In the movie Shrek, Donkey tells Shrek that everyone loves parfaits. That’s how I feel about tacos. I cannot say for sure that I’ve ever met someone who doesn’t like tacos. Tacos might be Mexico’s most endeared food, not that every other food from them isn’t loved, but I think the taco is probably the… Read more »
Does anyone miss the comedic days of the world’s biggest influencers preaching about crypto and the digital world, and making suggestions like how it was possible for people to monetize everyday receipts by transforming them into “non-fungible tokens” or how people could create and sell their own “whatever”-coins? What about the ridiculousness of seeing the… Read more »
I just bought ChatGPT after reading half of a Kindle e-book on how to query the tool. And I came across this neat feature where we can ask ChatGPT to tell a story about triumph over odds. So, I thought, “Why not ask ChatGPT for disability-related triumph stories relevant to The Voice Magazine and AU… Read more »
Scholarship name: NUPGE Scholarships Sponsored by: National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) Deadline: July 7, 2023, 5pm EDT Potential payout: $2500 Eligibility restriction: Applicants must be embarking on their first year of full- or part-time studies at a Canadian public post-secondary institution, and must be a member, or have a parent, grandparent, or… Read more »
Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday, June 18. The Voice‘s writers past have dished up a plethora of father articles, and we chose these two to feature. Getting to the heart of the matter. Then-editor Sandra Livingston challenges some outdated views on the roles of mommas and poppas. “Yes, pregnancy and labour are experiences… Read more »
This posting seeks someone who can learn and teach the usage of Cloud technology to the broader and emerging AU research community. The successful applicant will “support the creation of an openly licensed Toolkit (open educational resource–OER) to support planning, delivering, and mobilizing research data in cloud computing environments.” As you’d imagine, this job covers… Read more »
Library Chat Tues, Jun 20, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm MDT Online Hosted by AU Library www.athabascau.ca/library/index.html No pre-registration needed; access through chat box on home page Library Chat Wed, Jun 21, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm MDT Online Hosted by AU Library www.athabascau.ca/library/index.html No pre-registration needed; access through chat box on home page Faculty… Read more »
Congratulations, AU graduates! The Athabasca University Students’ Union (AUSU) extends its heartfelt congratulations to the recent Athabasca University (AU) undergraduates who Convocated on Friday, June 16, 2023, online and in person in Edmonton, Alberta. We are tremendously grateful to have shared part of this momentous day with you. You have worked tirelessly to reach this… Read more »
