By Elle Gillet, Fairview Residence Advisor

Let me express my concern for all of our mental health during the final exams.
Slightly traumatised, I remember only too well the stress and tiredness that were induced by a crazy exam schedule last year. But not this year!
This year will be entirely different as I have been working on a nice strategy to avoid the usual December nervous breakdown: Some Music for the soul!!
So here you go: my very own Musical Advent Calendar:
December 1st: Kool and the Gang-Get down on it
December 2de: Selah Sue-Fyah
December 3rd: DubFX-Love Me Or Not
December 4th: Van Morrison-Wild Nights
December 5th:T-Rex-Bang A Gong Get It On
December 6th: Survivor-Eye of the Tiger: Good Luck everyone!!
December 7th: The Black Keys-Brooklyn Bound
December 8th: Mano Negra-Mala Vida
December 9th: Dead Man’s Bones-Pa Pa Power
December 10th: The Doors-Runnin’ Blue
December 11th: Foster the People-Houdini
December 12th: Franz Fredinan-40′
December 13th: Fredrika Stahl-She&I
December 14th: Fun Three Boy-The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum
December 15th: The Good the Bad and the Queen-Northern Whale
December 16th: Gorillaz-The Joplin Spider
December 17th: James Blake-Limit to Your Love (Feist)
December 18th: The Kill-URA Fever
December 19th: Kim Wilde- Cambodia
December 20th: Lissie-Little Lovin’
December 21st: Oh Land-Sun of a Gun
December 22de: LaRoux-In for the Kill
December 23th: Cults-Go Outside
December 24th: Fleet Foxes-White Winter Hymnal
Enjoy!!

By Angela Tenisci, Fairview Advisor

The fall and winter seasons can be tough on students living in Vancouver. Not only are midterms and finals upon us, but the never ending rainy days grab a hold of us. It can sometimes be difficult to get the motivation to hop out of bed for that 8am class when it is pouring down rain. Here are some things to keep your mind off the poor weather and to ensure you and your friends are enjoying yourselves.

1)      Board Games Night: Dust off that old Taboo box and invite some friends over to have a board games night! It is just as fun as you remember it to be!

2)      UBC Aquatic Centre: If running in the rain isn’t your favourite past time, scoot on over to the pool and take advantage of their free gym. A nice sauna or hot tub session is always relaxing, too!

3)      Ice Skating: Hop, skip, and jump across Wesbrook Mall to the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena and lace up the old skates to go ice skating! It is free for students and skate rentals are available!

4)      Norm Theatre: Catch a movie at the SUB’s Norm Theatre for super cheap!

5)      Varsity Games: Support your fellow Thunderbirds by catching a varsity game. Hockey, basketball, volleyball, and various other sports are underway now and the intensity is great to be a part of! Make sure to cheer on your men’s football team as they are up against the Calgary Dinos this weekend.

We hope you try some of these activities out and keep yourself entertained during the rainy weather!

Unit inspections are scheduled in Fraser Hall on November 15th, and in Fairview Crescent from November 21st – 25th.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who should I contact for more information?

Call the housekeeping office at 604 – 822 – 5980 if you require more information

Do I need to be home?

No.  Our staff will enter your unit and conduct the inspection.

How long does the inspection take?

The inspections usually take ten (10) minutes

What will happen during my inspection?

Your inspection will consist of the following:

1. Inventory and inspection of common areas (kitchen, living room, bathroom).  Please have all common area pieces in the living room and dining room; UBC property may not be removed from the unit.   Individual rooms may be inspected for missing furniture. 
2. Housekeeping condition and cleanliness of the unit. Common area cleaning is the responsibility of all students residing in the unit.
3. Fire and safety hazards, including smoke alarms, items blocking exits (e.g. bicycles, sports equipment), combustible and flammable materials (e.g. propane, gasoline) and ovens with excessive oil, grease or debris.

What is the timeline for my inspection?

• Between now and the first inspection:
  • Roommates have a week (including weekend) to clean the unit.   If you need assistance with setting up a cleaning schedule for your unit, contact your residence advisor

• During the first inspection:
  • The cleanliness of the unit will be noted, and you will either PASS or NOT PASS the inspection. The majority of units pass the first inspection.

• If your unit DOES NOT  pass the inspection:
  • A list of cleaning which needs to be done will be left for you, including the estimates cleaning charges. You will have until the second inspection date (on your inspection form) to complete the indicated cleaning or Housekeeping Staff will clean the unit. All residents living in the unit will share the cost of cleaning. Cleaning charges of $25.00 per hour will apply.
  • You will have until the week of April 5, 2011 to have the cleaning deficiencies completed.

What are the common area cleaning procedures?

• If you have questions or concerns regarding cleaning procedures please call Housekeeping Office at 604 – 822 – 1009 for more information
  • Stove: Lift up elements and remove drip pans.  Pull chrome rings off for cleaning.   Use only non-abrasive cleansers on stainless steel and enamel surfaces.  Please do not use aluminum foil to cover the drip pans as they may cause electrical problems. 
  • Pull out Stove to clean behind: Open the oven door and grasp the edge to lift and loosen front feet from the floor.  Move side to side and pull out.  Clean sides of stove, walls and floor.  If the stove is in too tightly and cannot be pulled out, the bottom drawer can be removed to clean the floor.
  • Fan and Hood: Wire mesh cover on fan can be removed for cleaning.  Clean grease from surrounding surfaces on top of and under hood.
  • Oven: Spray or apply commercial oven cleaner to all surfaces in the oven including racks and broiler pan.  Wipe and thoroughly rinse all surfaces.
  • Refrigerator(s): Baking soda and a mild detergent can be used on surfaces inside fridge and freezer.  Clean rubber seal around door.
  • Pull out Fridge to clean behind: Remove food from fridge, freezer and door shelves.  Push and pull alternate sides of fridge to loosen feet from floor and then pull it out. Wipe sides of fridge, wall, and floor. 
  • Cupboards: Wash off shelves removing any grease, scuffmarks, or spilled food.  Wash off both sides of doors.  Clean out cupboards under the sink, dispose of unwanted items and cleaning products when checking out.  Check all drawers, vacuum and wash out.
  • Washrooms: Clean all surfaces of toilet from tank to base, with a different cloth, clean sink, tub/shower enclosure and taps/faucets.  . Damp wipe counters, cupboards, shelves, mirror and walls with a mild detergent or glass cleaner.
  • Bathtub and Shower Stall:  Most commercial non-abrasive tub and tile cleaners can be used on these surfaces.  Non-abrasive cleaning pads and baking soda can be used to remove soap and mineral deposits. Please do not use comet or abrasive cleansers on these surfaces, as they will cause permanent damage.  Wipe shower door and clean track.
  • Fan covers in Washrooms (where applicable): Wipe surrounding areas, vacuum first if clumps of dust are visible.
  • Shower Curtains (where applicable):  These are machine washable, use warm or cold water with vinegar and detergent.  Hang up wet.
  • Floors:  You will need a bucket of water, a general purpose cleaning product, a scrubbing pad and a sponge mop or ‘Swiffer’ style microfiber mop or clean by hand with a cloth.
  • Windows: Use any commercial window cleaner on glass.  Wipe ledges and window frames.
  • Carpets:  Vacuum all areas.
  • Light Covers:   Remove to wash.  Submit work orders for any compact florescent lights that are burnt out. 
  • Walls: Use a product recommended for painted surfaces such as Vim, Mr. Clean, or Fantastic.  With cloth or sponge, wipe handprints, scuffs, tire marks and food off walls.  Rinse as necessary.  Wipe any drips off with a dry cloth.
  • Patios (where applicable):  Sweep and remove garbage and recycling.  Furniture may not block the exit of unit inside or out.