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My name is Patrick C. Grydziuszko and I am the Residence Life Manager (RLM) of Totem Park South (Haida, Salish, həm’ləsəm’ and q’ələχən Houses). As the RLM, I work closely with the Residence Coordinators (RCs) and the Residence Advisors (RAs) to ensure that Totem Park is a safe and secure community for over 1,700 students.

The month of April is a really busy time in the academic year. After the last week of classes, most of April is spent studying for your final exams. With all of that studying, it is often easy to forget about a sustainable move out. Each year, we throw away thousands of pounds of waste, garbage, and food left behind in student residence rooms. In order to reduce the waste being thrown away, most of which ends up in landfills, we will be implementing sustainable move out initiatives.

You may have already participated in the “stuff swap” exchange that happened a few weeks ago – our kickoff event where residents had the opportunity of trading unwanted clothes. Starting on Friday, April 10^th, there will be a space in the basement of each house lobby where you will be able to donate clothes, books, electronics, nonperishable food, or appliances that you no longer need. Instead of throwing these items away, they will be donated to those in need. All nonperishable food will be donated to the AMS Food Bank, clothes will be donated to the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA), and books will be donated to the Discover Books organization.

Please help us by doing your part in ensuring that your move-out is sustainable! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to drop by my office located in Totem Park’s commonsblock.

Wishing you the very best of luck with your exams!

Patrick Grydziuszko

Residence Life Manager, Totem Park Haida, Salish, həm’ləsəm’ and q’ələχən Houses

patrick.grydziuszko@ubc.ca

www.housing.ubc.ca

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Phenomenal taste doesn’t always have to come with a hefty price tag; check out some of these tasty meals that won’t break the bank.

1. Hawker’s Delight

4127 Main St. Vancouver, BC V5V 3P6

Most appropriately described as a “hole in the wall,” Hawker’s Delight is a must for cheap and delicious Malaysian-Singaporean cuisine. Laksa? Hainanese chicken? Hawker’s Delight has you covered.

2. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

1690 Robson St. Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7

While not dirt cheap, the ramen is top-notch and often a contender for the best in Vancouver. For $9-14 dollars, a steaming bowl of ramen is just the thing to fill you up and keep you warm on a cold night. This ramen joint is known for their hearty pork based broths. It’s no secret their food is delicious so be prepared to wait in line!

3. Meat & Bread

370 Cambie St. Vancouver, BC V6B 2N3

A perfect example of a simple concept executed well. They have a limited menu that changes seasonally but whenever you’re in the mood for a roasted meat centered sandwich, Meat & Bread doesn’t disappoint. The porchetta is perhaps what they are best known for but all their food is centered around the concept of fresh and local ingredients.

4. Jethro’s Fine Grub

3420 Dunbar St. Vancouver, BC V6S 2C4

It’s not the price that will astound you at Jethro’s but rather the quantity you get for the amount you paid. We’re talking pancakes the size of your head! Luckily, quality is not sacrificed for quantity making Jethro’s the dream for anyone who feels breakfast food is the best kind of food. It’s no wonder their slogan is, “please eat responsibly.

5. La Taqueria

2549 Cambie St. Vancouver, BC V5Z 3Y6

You can choose 4 delicious tacos from their menu for around $10. There are plenty of vegetarian options along with meat-based options. All in all, La Taqueria is an excellent way to satisfy that Mexican food craving.

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By Brandon Lai (Residence Advisor-Kwakiutl House)

Aidan Knight

Aidan Knight, is the 25 year old songwriter and namesake of the Victoria-based band unveiled their second album Small Reveal in 2013. The roots of Small Reveal began in early 2012, in a similar rustic surrounding to that of their critically acclaimed debut album “Versicolour”. Armed with hundreds of pounds of recording equipment; Olivier Clements, Julia Wakal, David Barry, Colin Nealis and Knight set up in a gorgeous forest location with a cast iron stove and nearby swimming hole. Small Reveal presents the themes of inward thought and creativity, escapism, longing for success, and belonging. The result is an exciting yet dreamy, lushly-arranged record that swells and ebbs around the captivating focal point of Aidan’s voice. “The first time I was able to listen to the songs roughly put together…discovering what we had all made together. We had created something personal but omniscient, something ragged but polished, something that was reflective of what it means to spend a year crafting something that isn’t revealed until the weeks. Unhurried. This is an album of music about creating music, the escapism in it and the uncomfortably honesty that hopefully shows itself.”

– Squamish Music Festival

Essential Song: Knitting Something Nice For You

The Zolas*

After debuting with Tic Toc Tic in 2009, The Zolas scaled the precipice of cult status across Canada, thanks to a loyal fanbase carried over from Zach Gray (vocals, guitar) and Tom Dobrzanski’s (piano) earlier years as Lotus Child. With Ancient Mars, their second album, released in 2012, The Zolas continued their legacy of postmodern pop. Armed with poetic lyrics, Ancient Mars traded in the cabaret glitz of Tic Toc Tic for reverbed pianos and hard, minimalist beats. Dobrzanski is the band’s on-board producer, having worked with names in indie-rock royalty like Said the Whale and We Are The City, but for Ancient Mars production duties were handed over to Chuck Brody (Phantogram, Wu-Tang), much like how 2009’s Tic Toc Tic was produced by Howard Redekopp (Mother Mother, The New Pornographers).

– Squamish Music Festival

Essential Song: Strange Girl

Hannah Epperson*

Hannah Epperson is a notable musician and composer skilled at working with many layers of composition at the same time. She offers a stream of creativity that is inevitably related to various styles, genres and scenes, yet few of these descriptions will remain suitable as her music continues its evolution. This is due to her raw and unfettered talent and a lack of creative censorship. Hannah’s material that follows its own trend, introducing intricate arrangements on her own and through collaborations that are refreshing, captivating and original. With loop pedal, fiddle and voice, sonic weaver Hannah Epperson creates moving musical landscapes. As a stirring solo performer and talented collaborative artist, she has joined forces with a versatile cast of some of Western Canada’s favourites in the indie and folk scenes, including The Zolas, Aidan Knight, Said the Whale, Morlove, Miss Emily Brown, electro-pop sensations Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party, Dominique Fricot, Shane Koyczan and Ajay Bhattacharyya (Data Romance).

– Squamish Music Festival

Essential Song: Shadowless

 Dan Mangan*

While growing up in Vancouver, songwriter Dan Mangan immersed himself in his parents’ record collection, paying special attention to albums by Nick Drake and the Beatles. Folk and pop thus became two of his biggest influences, and Mangan combined both genres while writing his own songs as a teenager. At 20 years old, he made his solo debut by releasing an acoustic EP, with the full-length Postcards and Daydreaming following two years later. Postcards and Daydreaming was later released in America, leading Mangan to increase his touring commitments and widen his fan base. In 2009, he returned with a second album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice, which landed on the Polaris Music Prize shortlist. Mangan followed up two years later with Oh, Fortune, showing the troubadour’s matured songwriting and arrangements, produced by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Cave Singers).

Essential Song: Basket

 We Are The City

For the members of We Are The City, the years since 2009’s In a Quiet World have been filled with intense change, both personal and musical. They’ve undergone lineup alterations, relocated from Kelowna to Victoria to Vancouver, reached their 20s, built up a fan base across the country and painstakingly honed their sound. All of this experience, both good and bad, went into making their sophomore album, Violent.

High school friends Cayne McKenzie (vocals/keyboards) Andrew Huculiak (drums) and David Menzel (guitar) began plotting this album almost as soon as the first one was done. Their future looked bright, as they won $150,000 in January of 2010 by placing first in 102.7 The Peak’s prestigious PEAK Performance Project contest.

We Are the City’s restless sense of artistry has led them through years of self-discovery as they have continued to strive for the next creative peak. Now that they’ve finally arrived with Violent and its accompanying film, there’s no question that the journey has been worthwhile.

– Squamish Music Festival

Essential Song: Friends Hurt

 Grimes

There is a powerful harmony in Grimes. It is a project which is both musical and visual, embodying the arts of 2D, performance, dance, video and sound. Claire Boucher weaves these together to a strong rhythmic effect, “the marriage between the voice of a human and the heartbeat of a machine” [Bullett Magazine]. Boucher, born in Vancouver, Canada, came to Montreal in 2006. Her experience as a performer is deeply embedded in the illegal DIY loft culture of Montreal, where Grimes was one of the prominent figures in the scene surrounding Lab Synthèse – a 4600sq ft re-appropriated textile factory. She developed in a scene where punk ethos and pop music collide, resulting in a distinct sense of community, religiosity and psychedelic revelry. Visions arises as Boucher’s fourth release in less than two years. Geidi Primes (2010), initially released as a limited 30 cassette run and free download, then followed by Halfaxa (2010) – arguably one of the first witch-house or lo-fi R&B releases. On Darkbloom (2011), Grimes begins taking her first steps as a producer, bringing together the experimentation behind her early work and a cutting edge pop aesthetic. Each album tackles a different set of influences and styles. Her newest album, Visions, incorporates influences as wide as Enya, TLC and Aphex Twin, drawing from genres like New Jack Swing, IDM, New Age, K-pop, Industrial and glitch. This approach has marked Grimes as a curator of culture, and allowed the project to remain flexible and evolving. A phantasmic state for the deep listener, sourcing the long forgotten spells running alongside humans for centuries and forcing them through a hyper-futuristic filter. Compositional and vocal delivery are coloured with an emotional trauma. Despite a generally upbeat demeanour, an urgency permeates the music. Calling us between our history and the future it uses the pleasure of minimal rhythms and dance to entice, but beyond its rich, software-sculpted cohesiveness, and vocal energy, runs a very real and odd world. She describes her work as “the only means through which I can be fully expressive. It is both an ethereal escape from, and a violent embrace of my experience. The creative process is a quest for the ultimate sensual, mystical and cathartic experience and the vehicle for my psychic purging. Visions was conceived in a period of self-imposed cloistering during which time I did not see day-light. ”

– Pemberton Music Festival

Essential Song: Oblivion

 *UBC Alumni

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By Yoan Mari (Residence Advisor-Salish House)

As we get closer to the end of the year, I look back to when school hadn’t started yet. No midterms or finals to worry about, no papers to write, no presentations to prepare. As a huge football fan (and yes, I will call it football), I spent most of my days watching games, wondering which team was the best, and making bets with my friends about which country would win one of the most desired trophies in the world: the FIFA World Cup.

But after Germany took that cup and held it proudly, I started thinking: “the next one is four years from now, what am I going to do?” I was really sad until I realized something: women’s football is growing; women’s football also has its FIFA World Cup. And guess what? It is next year! In Canada!

So here it is: all you need to know about the seventh Women’s FIFA World Cup.

Starting on June 20^th, 24 countries will play for the gold: Australia, China, South Korea, Thailand, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Mexico, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, New Zealand, England, France, Germany, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the hosting team Canada, and the current champions: Japan. Two more teams still have to qualify; these will be the winners of Ecuador versus Trinidad & Tobago, and the Netherlands versus Italy.

It will take place in 6 different cities: Montreal, Edmonton, Ottawa, Moncton, Winnipeg and Vancouver! That’s right, after 15 days of intense competition; our very own BC Place will host the Final game, on July 5^th.

The World Cup will have to stages:

• A group stage: 6 groups (A to F) of 4 teams. Each team of each group will play against each other. The two best teams of each group will advance to the next stage. Then, out of the 6 teams ranked 3^rd in their respective groups, the 4 best will advance.
• A knockout stage: the remaining teams will then be able to play up to four more games (round-of-16, quarter finals, semi-finals and final game). If a team loses a game, the team is eliminated.

The draw that decides the composition of the groups will be held on Saturday December 6^th at 9.00AM (Vancouver time). The long wait until the start of the competition will begin. And until then, I will be watching every possible preparation game, wondering which team is the best and trying to guess which country will carry the gold all the way back home.

Will Japan hold their title? Will Germany prove their worldwide domination by winning both cups? Will last year’s runners up, the United States, make the extra step to the top? Will Canada rise and bring the Cup home? Who will win? Who will lose? All these questions will be answered on Saturday June 20^th, 2015! But the real question is: Will YOU be there?

And may the odds be ever in your favour!

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By Kerry Stanley (Residence Advisor-Dene House)

Each morning I wake up, I see an ocean vast and rich with color, I see the tall and demanding trees, almost minuscule to the far off snow capped mountains on the morning horizon and I ask myself, do I live in Hawaii? Some mornings, it almost seems so. It’s a tad colder, a bit rainier – ok, maybe a lot rainier – but it’s Vancouver, and every morning, as I stare out my window, I know that I live in the best place on earth! In a single day I have tanned my face – albeit only half – on the local slopes, shredded down the mountains and through the city on my bike, and gone for a jolting, yet refreshing dip in the ocean. The sea, the city, the mountains. That is all I need. Vancouver is all I need.

A seaplane rumbles overhead, and a salty air tickles the taste buds within. I am floating far out on my paddleboard, isolated, but hardly alone. The same fish that seem to “just keep swimming” below me provide that infamous Vancouver sushi for the best lunch breaks around, at BC sushi¹ just down the road. Constantly cawing seagulls fly overhead, landing on the all too well known poop-infested corner of the sea wall², just before Siwash rock, and on occasion, I am even joined out here by the slimy grey seal pod that absolutely freaks me out every time, as I rush for my life back to shore. From the sound of my own thoughts, to the cheerful shrieks of naked children running back on the beach, I can relax easy. Taking in the freshest breaths staring out at the ocean, boats, and city beyond, there is no view and feeling quite like it.

From paddling the ocean, to running out every thought on the seawall, I can go and relax, and eat, with the comforts of every single Savory Island Pie Company³ treat there is. Here, it’s normal to order a soy-milk extra hot latte with foam. I am happy. Happy people surround me. Maybe it’s just something in the brownies, but I know it’s something more. It’s knowing that with one quick bus ride I could be partying or hanging out with friends at the movies⁴. It’s the PNE, Christmas market⁵, or first sunny day after weeks of torrential rain that’s never too far off. And it’s the joy of a brand new pair of Lulu’s from the spot on West 4th⁶. The city has anything and everything, always waiting for you to take the next adventure into the glimmering lights. But, as tempting and rewarding as the eats and outings of the city are, it’s the proximity of the mountains that I live for.

That same offshore breeze on the beach in the summer is what brings in the heavy winter storms. Instant ski bum sickness. The feeling of shredding waist deep, marshmallow powder on the edges of thousand-year-old glaciers is unbeatable. Only closely matched is the exhilaration of charging down a classic North Shore Mountain Bike trail⁷. Both of which, are at my fingertips. Passing through the mountains from Sea to Sky Whistler⁸ Village comes into view, an endless mountain playground. I can smell a beaver tail frying and hear laughter at every restaurant corner. Good old Après-ski. A hard earned, ice-cold beer – root beer, that is – waiting there after a long and radical day of jumping through clouds. An absolute retreat from the moving, busy and gossiping life of the city, but never too far from home.

Most of all, deep on the outskirts of Vancouver is a city all on it’s own: The University of British Columbia. A place filled with some of the best people and opportunities anyone could ask for. I go to the best school on earth. Well, maybe it’s not as exciting as Legally Blonde Harvard level, but still, I manage to live in the best place on earth. The mountains, the city, the sea. That’s all I need. Never will I take where I live for granted, or let a single day go by without grabbing Vancouver life with every possible thread.

Now, it’s about Menchies time.

1 – BC Sushi, 2126 W Broadway – All you can eat and close bus drive away

2 – Stanley Park Seawall – Famous 10km loop to walk or run and enjoy the views

3 – Savory Island Pie Company, 1522 Marine Dr – A fair trek from UBC, but worth it for the incredible baked goods

4 – Scotiabank Movie Theater, 900 Burrard Street – Hop on the 14 or 4 bus heading downtown at the loop for a night of movies or adventure in the city

5 – Vancouver Christmas Market Nov.22^nd – Dec. 24^th, Queen Elizabeth Theater plaza – If you do anything for the holiday season in Vancouver, it’s this.

6 – Lululemon Athletica, 2114 W 4^th Ave – Want to see what all the Vancouver Yoga scene hype is about?

7 – North Shore of Vancouver – Looking for some places to adventure and hike in Vancouver, this is the place to go. Check out Roma’s article for some of the best.

8 – Whistler, BC – World-renowned ski resort a 2 hour bus ride from Vancouver. Looking for some serious shred or a weekend getaway, book with a group of friends or go on an awesome day trip.

9 – Menchies Frozen Yogurt, 3358 Wesbrook Mall – Frozen Yogurt for the perfect weekend treat, fill your own cup and put on all your own toppings, just a short 15 minute walk from campus.

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By Paige Lougheed (Residence Advisor-HMSM House)

As an introvert, residence can at times be a challenging place to live. Student housing is full of pressure to be around and meet new people, whether this be in the dining hall, floor lounge or at events. Living in a shared room can be especially tiring and difficult for someone who dislikes excess environmental stimuli. Sometimes, even just having a friend stay in your room longer than you’d anticipated can be stressful for an introvert. Students are already at risk of emotional burnout with academic demands, and don’t need the added pressure of constant social interaction when it is not wanted.

For your reference, an introvert is defined as someone who is energized by spending time alone, and is mainly concerned with his or her own thoughts and feelings. Consequently, an extrovert thrives off their social environments, and is often described by others as an outgoing individual. However, this doesn’t mean that introverts can’t be outgoing people, and that extroverts don’t value time alone. It’s not uncommon for introverts to be able to pass as extroverted people due to a friendly demeanour.

I’ll admit that I hated my first year living in residence. I identify as an introvert, and I disliked the extremes between being at big loud parties and spending hours alone in my room, and I often felt that I could never find a happy medium between the two. Thankfully, I survived living in residence and even decided to return as a Residence Advisor! So, here I am to provide a few tips and tricks:

1. Schedule time for yourself – One of the hallmark traits of introverts is needing time to be alone and recharge your batteries. Sometimes, if I haven’t been alone for a couple of hours, I’ll make an excuse to go to the washroom just so that I can have a few moments to collect my thoughts. I acknowledge that this isn’t the most practical thing to do, which is why it’s important to make alone time a priority!

2. Know that each individual is unique, and you have strengths to your personality just as others do. You have strengths that another person may not. Maybe your reflective abilities make you a fantastic listener. Maybe your communication skills make you an excellent writer. Use your strengths to your social benefit.

3. Attend events to meet new people, but only stay for as long as you’re comfortable. You don’t have to stay until the very end of a program to have gotten your fill of it.

4. People value different types of friendship. Do you find yourself with a few close, intense relationships rather than many friends who aren’t as close? On the surface, having less friends may seem like a drawback, but perhaps you find more meaning in closer, more intense relationships.

To conclude, it’s important to remember that simply because you identify as an introvert doesn’t mean that you don’t like to go out and socialize from time to time. People don’t always fit as neatly in the categories that we place them in. If you are ever struggling with fitting into residence, remember that your Residence Advisor is here to help you with whatever you may be going through 🙂

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By Janet Poon (Resident Advisor-Nootka House)

Starting to grow tired of the monotonous stir-fry and pasta selection Totem Cafeteria serves nightly? There is a huge variety of food outlets on campus that accept your Meal Plan Basic. Besides the Residence Cafeterias, Point Grill, and Pacific Spirit Place, here are some great places to change it up!

Mercante

Cuisine: Authentic Italian pizzas, pastas, and desserts

Hours: Monday to Friday: 7:30am – midnight

Weekends: 10am – 10pm

Location: Ponderosa Commons, 6488 University Boulevard

Recommendation:

Mercante is a great place to get authentic, olive oil-based pizza. The kitchen features an authentic stone hearth oven and the seating, although crowded during the day, is ample and can also be a great study spot in the evening.

Don’t forget to try: Their Alla Salsiccia Pizza & Tiramisu Cake!

Stir It Up Café

Cuisine: Pastries, Fruits, Rice bowls, Bulk Candy, Bubbletea

Hours: Monday to Thursday: 7:30am – 7pm

Friday: 7:30am – 4pm

Location: Buchanan Block A, 1866 Main Mall

Recommendation:

Hot lunches include a vegetarian or meat selection on rice, or hot paninis. Stir It Up also has a great candy selection when you need that extra boost and makes bubbletea!

Don’t forget to try: Pina Colada Bubble Tea with Pearls & Butter Chicken Rice Bowl.

 The Hungry Nomad

Cuisine: Comfort food

Hours: Monday to Friday, 11am – 2pm

Location: Location varies, but usually in front of the Bookstore at East Mall and University Boulevard.

Recommendation:

From Pulled Pork sandwiches to Quesadillas and Fish Tacos, the Hungry Nomad is always right in the heart of campus at lunch hours to satisfy big appetites, rain or shine.

Follow them on Twitter @HungryNomadUBC to get updates!

Don’t forget to try: Steak Quesadilla

The Loop Café

Cuisine: Fresh, local, foods

Hours: Monday to Thursday: 7:30am – 4pm

Friday: 7:30am – 3pm

Location: Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, 2260 West Mall

Recommendation:                                  

The Loop Café offers a great selection of sustainable and healthy meals including daily hot entrees made with seasonal and local ingredients. A variety of specialty beverages, including organic herbal lemonade, yerba mate, and Italian soda, is also available!

Don’t forget to try: Their fresh salad bar and Yerba Mate Iced tea!

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By Nick Leach (Residence Advisor-Ritsumeikan House)

So you want to study, but your room isn’t cutting it and you’re tired of distant study spots like Irving and Koerner? You’re a free spirit and where you study should reflect that fact. I get it. Fortunately you’ve got someone on your side that’s staked out the best underrated study spots around Totem and UBC.

Around Totem:

So you don’t want to walk for more than 5 minutes to find that perfect niche? There some amazing and underappreciated places to study up right here in Totem!

 Silent Reading Room: Also known as The Fishbowl, this is an ideal spot for the silent and studious. Open 24 hours, the wonderfully quiet atmosphere combined with close dining hall proximity make it a great spot to go for long, sleepless nights.

 Magda’s Lounge: Not to be confused with the snack emporium, this is the couch-filled wonderland by the ping-pong table. While the lack of tables is a drawback, I have spent countless hours preparing for midterms on those couches. Since you can grab the day’s food without your seat getting cold, it can be good for sustaining through the long hours.

 Study Café: Every Tuesday and Thursday night from 8:30pm-10pm, the dining hall gets converted into a sacred place of study. This is usually a great environment for an evening study session with friends.

Off Totem:

If you’re willing to take a trek, UBC sports study zones for all tastes. Listed are some spots you may not have heard of that are definitely worth checking out.

 West Mall Swing Space: Head on to any floor in this building. There are miscellaneous desks about, but the main attractions are the giant, empty classrooms that you can always visit. It’s quiet, spacious and near Totem. What’s not to love?

 MacMillan Learning Commons: This may be the best spot on campus for group studies. Located by the gaping construction site across from Totem, the LFS homebuilding is a magical place. The Learning Commons (room 360) sports gorgeous meeting rooms covered with whiteboards and filled with desk space. It generally isn’t too loud, and the open space and late hours makes it great for study groups.

 Aquatic Center: Fondly known as The Womb, this is easily my favorite study/nap place on campus. Head upstairs and you’ll be greeted by an equal number of students furiously cramming and peacefully dozing. The carpeted amphitheater-like stairs, warm, humid air and soothing echoes are guaranteed to slow your breathing and calm your study-crazed mind. There are no desks, but there is enough lounge space to make it perfect for reading and essay-writing.

This is only a fraction of the underused spots around UBC! Consider also checking out the Asian Center, Nitobe Garden (on those rare sunny days), Engineering Design Center, SUB basement, Boulevard Cafe. Happy studies!

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By Kamil Krawczyk (Residence Advisor-QLXN House)

Curious, you might be,

To find the ideal space to sprawl

Your textbooks and notes, abound and plentiful,

And study to your heart’s content.

Ask yourself, with genuine curiousity,

“Where may I go and find intellectual peace?”

Oh dear Reader! I present thee with a list,
Three havens designed to stimulate

The most enchanting of thoughts.

These domains, located not beyond a brisk walk,

Are for you, and I, to be inspired.

Over yonder on the Northern edge of our fare campus,

Lay Allard Hall, a glimmering beacon
Of quiet, glass-adorned studious perfection.

Among the halls of the Law Library,

You will find our first space for the mind.

Hark! Illuminated tables, plentiful spaces;

Rows of benches and soft couches to aid

Your quest to learn and know.

Prepare to be quiet in this land,

For not even a mouse speaks in the day.

Second on our growing list,

Lay a locale not far from Allard Hall;

Behold! The Asian Centre,

Full of culture and solace and freedom.

Revel in the concrete silence and space

Of the enchanting, isolated booths,

Designed with graceful capacity for a single soul
To commandeer and learn more.

For those who prefer the company,

Of another living soul,

The central tables under the new roof,

Will provide thee with human warmth.

Last, oh Reader, we cannot forget,

A locale close to the home you and I share.

McMillan stands tall – a figure of stony brick,

Red as the setting Winter sun.

If you complete the vertical journey,

To the fourth floor of this timeless place,

You will be rewarded by the embrace,

Of the Grad lounge; couches, desks, and tables galore,

Prepare to work hard in sheer comfort.

Be weary, however, that solitude is given,

As the attendance here is sparse and low;

Be mindful of the quiet,

And the quiet will be mindful of your needs.

Alas, to conclude this journey,

Of silent spaces and inspiration,
I bid thee, fare Reader,

The boundless luck confided in you,

To conquer thy exams, one by one,

Armed well by the tools of wisdom.

Explore far, study hard,

And let this vast and beautiful campus,

Inspire you to greatness.

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By Sarah Lynn (Residence Advisor-Kwakiutl House)

Yes, this month, this rainy, rainy month, is not the brightest, or most exciting of the year. And of course I pick the sunniest week ever to write this article. However, I have faith that the rain will return, and November blues will come creeping back. But! There are many ways to embrace Raincouver, and have a grand old time.

1. Jump In Puddles

Let me tell you, this is one of the best stress-relieving, laugh inducing activities to do in the rain. Have a competition: who can jump in the most puddles? Or who can stay the most dry, whilst getting your friends the most damp. Throw on your yellow wellies and find the biggest puddle. Speaking from experience, it certainly adds a ray of sunshine to a grey day.

2. Rain Tan

This embrace of the rain is not for the faint of heart, and I would suggest a warmer day to try it out. Make an adventure down to the beach (the rainy view often sets a mysterious, eerie vibe), and just lie in the rain. It takes some getting used to, and a series of flinches will occur, but smile, and work that rain tan later in the day.

3. Own a pretty umbrella

The number of black and navy blue umbrellas bobbing down Main Mall just contributes to the dreary mood on campus. In order to stand out against the crowd, I suggest you paint your own! The second best option would be animal inspired. When I owned an umbrella with puppies all over it, I was excited for the rain…who wouldn’t be!?

4. Dance.

Now there are two different dances to do in the rain.

1. a) The rain dance: brought on by a sudden urge to give up being dry and challenge your inner rain warrior. Also quite similar to movie scenes.
2. b) The sun dance: Putting your heart and soul to a dance to bring on the sunshine. This includes joyous flailing and twirling.

5. Know that it’s snowing somewhere

When it’s raining, I watch this and remember that everything will be fine soon!

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