The power of one moment, one word. The moment: Easter Monday, 1978. The moment Margot Van Sluytman’s father was murdered while attempting to stop an armed robbery. The word: sawbonna. A Zulu greeting that translates to “I see you”. To see our shared humanity, the goodness in one another, our fragility. The way Van Sluytman… Read more »
Katy Lowe is a 29-year-old mother of three. She has been a student with AU since November 2017 and is currently finishing up her first set of finals. One of the few that are born and raised and currently living in Calgary, Alberta, she looks forward to chinooks to break up long, bitter cold winters. … Read more »
It’s spring time, the time for gardening, the time for getting outdoors will be soon upon us (give or take a month for Canadians). Fortunately, for those with allergies or who are less outdoorsy, such as myself, gardening can be less taxing when done in the comfort of your kitchen. Yes, that’s right. I’m talking… Read more »
“We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.” — John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008), American theoretical physicist. Should every university program require mandatory indigenous-content courses? That’s a question I pondered in 2016 after reading Tamra Ross’s article, “Truth and Reconciliation—Will… Read more »
Imagine Angelina Jolie flexing biceps and defined abs. Or Popeye’s Olive Oil with bulging quads and glutes. Might you and I be the next skinny-ripped? I carry a lean frame but can’t seem to build muscle. Worse, my friends criticize my skinny look. I feel hurt by their words. Yet, recently, my belt buckle needed… Read more »
“Ok, listen up! Everyone take off their shoes and put them on the table.” Are we in a post 9/11 airport? Nope, it’s the first day of art class and the student body is being asked as one to draw their own shoe. Inspiration drains away like chlorophyll from autumn leaves with the forced return… Read more »
I hate to break the news, but campus-based universities have legs-up over online ones. At least, that’s true for the 20-year-olds who bask in drama and who don’t get plumber’s butt in low-rise jeans. So, how do campus-based universities compare to AU? Well, if you ask me, both better and worse. The key benefit to… Read more »
Stanley Ann Dunham was born on November 29, 1942, in Wichita, Kansas, and died November 7, 1995, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dunham was a highly educated woman, who received a BA. MA. and PhD. She was an anthropologist, whose main interest was in women’s roles in the cottage industries in Indonesia as well as blacksmithing in… Read more »
As long as I can remember I’ve been a sucker for blank journals. Of course, back in the day they were a motley collection of simple three-subject coil notebooks or plain-jane, utilitarian books like the old black and white Mead composition books of our youth. They ranged in size from small, pocket or purse sized… Read more »
A few years ago, I found myself walking along an empty beach on a remote stretch of the northern coast of British Columbia. The snow-capped peaks of Alaskan mountains seemed just a pebble’s throw away. To the west was the dim, spectral blue-grey haze of the Haida Gwaii islands. Beyond that, only Japan. But I… Read more »