Because it had to happen eventually. The confusion over Buchanan blocks, struggles opening the doors to the Aquatic Centre and the inability to pronounce The Ubyssey are all problems that seriously affect me. Also, I always go for profs that get the chilli pepper.
Seeing you last night was definitely worth sitting through the weird opening band that used two iPhones generating feedback as an instrument. (Seriously, though, where did you find these guys? Near the end of their set, in what can only be described as an act of desperation, the lead singer opened up his wallet and started throwing money into the crowd. Apparently hipsters wearing oversized cargo shorts also like to “make it rain”.)
You were looking especially dapper in your suit and tie, but I kind of wish you could’ve showed off your tats. From one southern Ontarian to another, your performance last night made us easterners proud, despite your usage of the term “just joshing your pickle” and your lack of hockey knowledge. Special thanks for serenading Erin over the phone during Body in a Box. It’s our favourite song of yours, and you kinda made both of our nights.
Anyways, I’ll let you get back to your busy life as a famous musician. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Vancouver, and that the unseasonably cold weather is making you feel more at home. Remember if you ever realize that things aren’t working out with Leah, and that you’d much rather be with a poor science student than a wealthy former VJ, you know where to find me.
Everything you need to know about the AMS elections: The Ubyssey and former hacks tell you what’s good.
It’s AMS election season, which means tons of campaign posters, debates, and dirty politics coming your way, along with glitter and Microsoft Paint-ing courtesy of AMS Confidential (the Ben Cappellacci Ryan Gosling meme has been my favourite part of elections so far. Just saying).
Now, I’m not usually one for political endorsements, but in this case I’m going to make an exception: You should vote Alyssa “AJ” Koehn for AMS prez. Why? She answers this a lot more eloquently than I ever could on her website, here:
If reading that doesn’t convince you that she’ll be awesome for the job, maybe her crazy impressive CV will. Seriously, I felt over-involved just by reading it. Plus, I am the mini version of the mini version of her, which by some weird involvement family tree makes her my UBC grandmother… but the cool kind of grandma who wears hipster glasses and runs awesome conferences. Bottom line: a vote for AJ will make me, and UBC as a whole, very, very happy.
Voting period is from January 23rd to 27th. For a full list of the candidates and other election fun shtuff, check out the AMS Elections website. Now get out there (figuratively, since you vote online) and get yo’ vote on, UBC.
Guess who’s sick again? I swear, as soon as I get within arm’s reach of a sick person, my immune system shuts down like Translink on a snowy day. I’m currently missing physics and having a Planet Earth marathon, pretending that it counts as studying for my ecology class. This is mainly because I’m too lazy to get down from my bed and walk across the room to my backpack so I can get actual work done, and also because I enjoy squealing over cute little baby polar bears. Anyone who would like to bring me chicken soup and lemon Zhena’s tea from the commonsblock will be rewarded with my eternal gratitude and a lot of facts about the rainforest. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
Just finished decluttering my hard drive and stumbled upon a bunch of pictures from last term. Thought I’d share a few of them with you, my lovely blog readers, to give you a look at some of the highlights of my first few months at UBC:
That time we played Ultimate. It’s unreal how awake I look…
That time we went to homecoming! I promise Emma’s face doesn’t always look like that.
That time we made chocolate chip pancakes…sort of.
That time we went to the frats. Still have no idea who these guys are, or why Emma is holding a wetsuit.
That time I climbed in a dumpster behind War Memorial Gym. One of the more difficult tasks on the KU scavenger hunt.
That time we got classy. Vanier’s annual formal dinner in the dining hall…
…and that time we danced the night away. Post-dinner Vanier Gets Classy dance in the ballroom
University lesson of the moment: sometimes the most rewarding university experiences are the ones you never expected to have.
Flashback to September 2011. A slightly dorky, bespectacled first-year shows up on UBC campus, becomes addicted to Blue Chip cookies, and is instantly overwhelmed by the amount of involvement opportunities on campus. Late one night, while avoiding her biology readings, she spots a call for SLC Active Promotions Leaders on Twitter and decides to apply. For reasons unknown, the committee wants to hire her despite spluttering like an idiot for a few minutes during her interview about how she knows nothing about the conference (“but I’m a fast learner!”).
Fast-forward to now, three days post-conference. Over the past few months, I’ve addressed 400-person lecture halls, logged a ton of hours in the Centre for Student Involvement, received more emails than I have in the last 18 years combined, handed out hundreds of rave cards, and put holes in a pair of flats from running around Buchanan on Saturday. Most importantly, I’ve been a part of a fantastic and supportive team composed of amazing and involved UBC students who have inspired me to make the most of my university experience. Also, we quote SNL videos and have dance parties together, which is pretty cool.
The moral of this long-winded blog post? If you see an opportunity, go for it, regardless of whether or not you think it’ll work out. In the words of my homeboy Teddy Roosevelt: “It is hard to fail, but it is worse to never have tried to succeed.” True story.
For those of you who didn’t get to attend the SLC and are looking to get a taste of what it was like (or you’re avoiding studying in Irving like I am), here’s our opening video and the two keynotes’ TED talks for your viewing pleasure.
Just discovered My UBC Courses, a website that sends you an email and a text message when a spot in that class you want opens up. Cool stuff like this is a perk of following the AMS Prez on Twitter. Praying for a Math 103-related text to come my way soon, engineering calculus is hella intimidating.
SLC countdown: 8 days (which means only 8 more days of my blog readers having to put up with my constant SLC promo spam). The SLC team launched the UBC is Awesome campaign this week to promote our closing keynote Neil Pasricha. The campaign involves naming all the things that make UBC amazing, Book of Awesome-style. A few personal favourites:
“The warm air vents on a chilly walk.” There’s one right in front of Triple O’s that I always passed on my way to the library, and it may or may not lead to the fabled steam tunnels…
“Bouncing on the bouncy bushes.” I was the only brave soul in my Imagine Day group who wasn’t embarrassed to bounce on these bushes during first week, and since then they forever hold a special place in my heart.
“The Harry Potter room.” Also known as the Riddington Room or my second home during exam time. It has a winding staircase, chandeliers, and a portrait who looks like a very academic Nicholas Cage. Awesome, indeed.
Last week, I said goodbye to the Ontario cold and headed off to Varadero, Cuba on a last-minute trip with the fam. Highlights of my trip include the staff of the resort running and dancing around the pool on New Year’s Eve, talking about boys and life dreams with my mom and sister, rereading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and actually getting a tan for the first time in my life. (Seriously, it’s a true miracle. Every time I go to the beach, I come back looking like a lobster.)
But now, I’m back in perpetually rainy Vancouver, sleep-deprived in my tiny little box of a dorm room at 6 am. 2 long flights, 40 hours without sleep, and the Pacific Time jet lag have all played a role in the complete annihilation of my sleeping schedule. Gotta love the irony of how my first all-nighter of university happened before the term even began. I won’t be surprised if I faceplant in my cereal today at breakfast and miss all my classes.
Right. Classes. That’s probably another reason why I can’t sleep. Here’s a rundown of my classes this term: BIOL 121: Genetics, Evolution and Ecology BIOL 140: Laboratory Investigations in Life Science (if I get off the waitlist) CHEM 123: Physical and Organic Chemistry ENGL 112: Strategies for University Writing MATH 101: Integral Calculus with Applications to Engineering and the Physical Sciences (never been so terrified in my entire life) PHYS 101: Energy and Waves
Yikes. Just writing it down terrifies me, let alone actually doing the work. Can’t I just go back to Cuba and be a professional beachgoer? That seems like a rewarding profession. At least my classes start a little later this term, so I get to sleep in and hopefully eat breakfast more regularly. Plus, I’ll get killer arms from carrying my ridiculously heavy calculus textbook around campus.
If, like me, you need a little music to get you pumped up for class and the new year (which could be our last year on Earth, dun dun dunnnn), here’s DJ Earworm’s mashup of the top 20 songs of 2011. Welcome back, happy new year and good luck on term two, all!
I’m Campbell/Cam/that-girl-with-a-last-name-for-a-first-name.
I’m a fourth year Integrated Science student at UBC, although I'm currently taking a break from beautiful BC for an International Service Learning Program in Nairobi, Kenya. This blog tells the story of my time at UBC: the good, the stressful, and the awesome. From here.
