Unlike the Christmas Day commonly celebrated on December 25, many of those who follow the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic faith continue to adhere to their traditional January 6 and 7 celebrations.  This is because Ukrainians like myself, along with communities in Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Russia, still follow the… Read more »

Did you ever write an AU assignment on a tablet?  Me neither!  While touch screen keypads might be suitable for kibitzing with family and friends and dolling our faces up with filters ranging from Capuchin Monkey to Octogenarian Granny, nothing beats the tactile nature of a physical keyboard. Traditional keypads contain ample space for flourishes… Read more »

Dear Barb: Hi, my wife and I have been married for 10 years and we seem to be growing apart.  We don’t have any children and that was our choice, but it’s like we don’t have anything to keep us together.  It seems to be getting worse since the beginning of the pandemic, even though… Read more »

COVID-19 has thrown a lot of obstacles in our course.  Whether it was your intended graduation date or the job you were eying for the next internship but was cancelled.  So how can we make sense of these different obstacles without it feeling like life has thrown a number of wrenches in our plans.  As… Read more »

Are you thinking about getting out to the mountains this year? Are you a frequent hiker? If so, this article is not for you.  Although, you may enjoy reading about my amateur hiking opinions, if only to disagree with them. If you’re an amateur hiker like myself, consider this your most recent warning.  If you’ve… Read more »

Recently I dealt with an incident at my six-year-old daughter’s school.  She was in the hallway with a boy from her class, away from the careful supervision of her teachers, when the boy became physically violent with her.  My daughter was too nervous to tell her teacher.  She thought her teacher was going to be… Read more »

Who are your fellow students?  At times, in an online learning environment, it can feel like you are all alone, but across the nation and around the globe, students just like you are also pursuing their Athabasca University (AU) studies!  Each week, The Voice Magazine will be bringing you some of these stories.  If you… Read more »

In my Minds We Meet interview with Natalia Iwanek, I mentioned that I was reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Toronto-based novelist Margaret Atwood for the first time.  Having now completed it, I understand why it was among the novels often assigned to students back in high school English.  Its commentary on dystopias entails not only… Read more »

Sometimes I am at a loss for words—which is a mighty rare thing for someone from the east coast who is frequently hopped up on caffeine, chocolate milk, or rage. What continues to blow my grey matter is how, in a wealthy country whose pundits praise its kindness, generosity to other nations, and other treatments… Read more »

When we are positive toward others, they respond kindly.  Positivity builds beautiful bonds, cements friendships, and bursts with wonderful feelings. For instance, smiling and laughing throughout the day sounds and looks like a kitten that purrs nonstop.  What a beautiful energy.  And, oh, does laughter feel good for the person who releases it. I once… Read more »