Category: AMS

Categories
AMS International

Club Craze

As Max and I were walking to AMS Club Days I was wondering if I would join any clubs at all. Last year I joined both Improv and the Food Society, but wasn’t all that great of a member, with little club involvement. Imagine my surprise when I walked out of the SUB, just over half an hour later, having signed up for seven clubs. Yes, seven clubs. They are (in order of joining):

  • The UBC Debate Club – I joined this because I did some debate in high school and liked it, also Max was really into it, and I thought we could go to meetings together.
  • Yanks Anonymous (an American Politics Club) – I joined first off because I am an American, I love American Politics, they were registering people to vote, and selling Obama t-shirts. (Which I now own one of)
  • The English Students’ Society – I am an English Student, they publish “Uprooted” towards the end of the year, which is the closest to a literary magazine I’ve seen on campus.
  • The Philosophy Student’s Society – As I am now taking Existentialism and pondering the world with Max, I felt this was a natural step, plus I got a cute little pin that reads, “While you are reading this pin, I am pondering your existence.”
  • The NDP (Canada’s Social Democrat Party) – This one was mostly to support Max and the party. I can’t personally vote, but I like the NDP, and I like what they stand for.
  • The Freethinkers of UBC – Again, this was mostly to support Max. I don’t know too much about the club, but the guy we were talking to about it seemed really passionate about the club and Max was totally sold.
  • The Film Society – namely for the discount, and the ability to be a projectionist, something I’ve always wanted to do.

I know I won’t make it to every meeting of every club, but I am excited for this year. Most of the people we talked to at the fair seemed really passionate about their clubs, and I think I could use that sort of passion in my life.

Categories
Academic AMS Faculty

Phase Two Tour

Earlier this week I got word through Blog Squad that there was going to be a tour of the not-yet-opened phase two of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and they were looking for some students to walk through and give feedback. Upon hearing of this I excitedly replied and got a spot on the tour. That tour was this morning.

First off, I want to say that I flat-out love phase one of the IKBLC. I know that I often mention the glorious Ridington Room as it has become my own little nook on campus where I feel truly dedicated to my studies. I think that will always be my favorite room, but after seeing what phase two will hold, I can’t be positive! The space is so open and expansive, with several different vast free study spaces that each had a variety of seating, from big comfy couchy benches to elegant tall chairs. There are also countless classrooms, varying in size, from a large theatre to a small office, all with flexible seating and tables.

As we walked through the expansive new wing, not yet finished, but obviously not far from completion, I felt as though I was walking through a building that was made for me. Granted it will soon be the new home for Arts One (as well as Science One, and the Coordinated Arts Program) so it will be a place that I will be spending a lot of time, but that’s not the only reason. I feel like the student body will own this place, the hallways wrap around in almost mazes, offering endless opportunities to plop down and study. All the classrooms will be left unlocked, so they can be used as forums for clubs or just casual study spaces. There will be a booking system put in place so you can just walk in and claim a small office or do so ahead of time through the Centre. There are so many windows and sky lights and places where you can just hang out. There will be a cafe! Offering food through the opening hours of the centre, which should be something like 7am-11pm.

I think my favorite part of the tour was when we got to enter the (still being renovated) Chapman Learning Commons that is not scheduled to open until April. Being a first year student, I had never been in the famous room, with its high ceilings and almost-cathedral feel, but I was very familiar with it from the countless photos I had seen of it in promotional material. I can honestly say that it is as beautiful as those photos make it seem. I was a little disheartened at the beginning of the year when I found out they were renovating it, but we were assured today that they are returning it to it’s original beauty, just updating it to keep up with seismic regulations. I simply CANNOT WAIT until this place fully opens.

All in all, I loved the tour, but what I found the most refreshing part of the whole experience was the feedback session we had following it. In it we had several very important people like the Interim Director of the Learning Centre, Jan Wallace, and Kelly Simmons, the Manager of Classroom Services, among others, sit down and as for our opinions of the Centre. Not only were these people kind enough to guide us through the wing (which hasn’t even opened yet) but they really just wanted to know what we thought of the whole building. They jotted down notes of everything we said and gave me a real feeling of being supported here at UBC.

Their call for feedback does not stop at those who are given a tour. More than anything they want to know what you, the average student, has to think. If you think the pattern of the carpet is too distracting, the want to know, if you don’t like the lighting in one room, or you find the chalkboards too far away to read, they want to know. Seriously, they want to make this space something every student will use and enjoy, and the only way they can approach that goal is to hear from you. To make all of this feedback possible, they even made a Facebook group, you can find it here. (Also, check out the awesome pictures the Kevin from Student Development took on our tour!)

So go, join the group, reply to some of the discussion topics and LOOK FORWARD to February 25th, when phase two FINALLY opens its doors. I can assure you, you are going to love this building.

Categories
Academic AMS Recreation ResidenceLife

Structural Secrets

I just finish writing an 8-page in class essay on Plato’s Republic. I am not all that sure how I did, but I both love and hate the feeling those sort of essays leave me with. Sort of a tired, hungry, but oh-so-productive energy. Carrying on my awesome productiveness (I cleaned my room last night, too!) I have decided to post an entry about some of the specific details of the UBC campus which lead to my decision to come here. If you haven’t visited any of those on this list, I urge you to, whether you are a current student, a prospective student, or even one of the many members of faculty and UBC work force that keep this university running. This is our home; we should know it as such. Anyway, the list:

The Nitobe Memorial Garden: First of all, it’s free for students. And those of you who aren’t (or aren’t yet!) a student, its super cheap (three to five dollars) I remember when I first came to visit UBC with my mom; we wanted to visit the garden but ran out of time. Well I made up for that within my first week here, dragging Max off to stroll through the garden with me. It really is beautiful, there are fish and flowers and a waterfall, not to mention the amazing trees. I am making it a point to wander about the garden once it snows, that will really be something.

That View, Down Main Mall, With the Canadian Flag and the Mountains: Ahh, the UBC viewbook. I memorized every page before I arrived, wondering if everything will look as vibrant and amazing in person. I remember one of the first days it rained here, I was walking to class, strolling across the lawn that lies in the middle of main mall, when I paused and looked to my right. There it was, the Canadian flag, blowing in the wind as the rain poured and I could just see the mountains fading into the mist. I was in complete awe. That view now does this to me almost every time I see it. Even today, it’s freezing outside but I can’t help the urge to sit down, in the middle of main mall, and gaze at the snow on those mountains. It’s really one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.

The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre: When I took my first tour of the UBC campus our tour guide stopped in front of the windows on the far end of the centre, the one that faces Buchanan. She showed us the Library Robots that have access to a vast number of books, all stored in drawers along these long corridors, all viewable from outside. I was already amazed at the view; I had no idea then what a large resource and escape the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre would become. It is a library, but it is also so much more. I know you have heard me babble on and on about the Ridington Room, with it’s spiral staircase and comfy chairs, but it really is that valuable of a place for me. To be able to look at all the past Presidents of UBC in the soft lighting and silent atmosphere of that room makes me really feel like I can finish reading my mind-numbing textbook, not only that, but I can do well. If you have not yet been to this Learning Centre, visit it. Not only does it have a great many resources, but also some of the coolest views of campus.

Echo Circle: I am not entirely sure that this is the formal name of the circular monument in the middle of the intersection of Main Mall and Memorial Road, but that is basically its function. If you have never heard of this place, this is what you have to do. Go to the monument, look in the very center, see that big, gold, circle in the very middle of the cement platform in the center of the ring of seats? Stand on it. Don’t worry; this is what it was made for. Hop on up, stand tall, and say something. Make sure you speak up. Listen to your voice. The effects of the circle are pretty rad. Give it a shot!

The UBC Museum of Anthropology: When I first visited this museum I had never heard of the term First Nations and knew nothing of Vancouver’s native culture outside of the totem polls in Stanley Park. I left with a much greater knowledge than what I entered with. I highly recommend a tour, if you are as lost as I was. They are rather informative and interesting, and consist mainly of the tour guide telling you stories and legends and showing you how they relate to the artifacts. I was highly impressed.

The Forestry Building: (the Forest Sciences Centre) Seriously, this is one of THE MOST beautiful buildings on campus, in my opinion. It lies on the corner of Agronomy and Main Mall, super close to Totem Park for any Totemites who need a tranquil place to study, and it is worth the walk to anyone anywhere else on campus. The building itself exemplifies the Vancouver environment, with pillars made out of compressed lumber, (like tall trees in a forest) a ceiling made of glass, (so you can see the sky) a floor as solid shade of grey-blue, (the ocean) and many small motifs of mountains and forests. When I first saw the inside of this building I nearly cried. (I have a very soft spot in my heart for architecture; I get it from my mom) It is seriously one of my most favourite places to go to study or read.

I know that a campus as large as UBC can be kind of overwhelming and I assure you that every building on campus has a secret. Maybe it was in a movie or on TV, like the Buchanan Tower, which served as the FBI headquarters for the X-Files. Maybe it has a cool little feature, like the moving bookcases of the lower levels of the Koerner Library. Maybe the atmosphere just suits you, as in my case with the Ridington Room. These secrets aren’t going to just reveal themselves to you; you’ve got to find them. Don’t worry, it’s totally worth it.

Categories
Academic AMS International Personal ResidenceLife Wellness

Appreciating Adulthood.

So, it’s official. Sam is now an adult.

Yes, my 18th birthday was 134 days ago, so technically I was an official adult then, but I never really felt like one until this past week. Why? A few reasons…

First off, Max and I went down to Orange County this last weekend, and I was in charge of the travel plans. I made sure we caught our buses and planes so we got in on time. I’ve been flying alone for nearly 13 years now, but never once have I been in charge of getting myself to the bus stop, to the station, across the border, to the plane. Really, it came natural, I didn’t realize the gravity of my independence until we were on the plane, flying to Sacramento to make our connection to LAX. I looked to my left and saw Max, absorbed in an episode of South Park we were watching on my lap top, and I realized that I was 18, I was in University, and I was taking my university boyfriend to meet some of the most important people in my life. Everything felt so real, all of a sudden.

Second of all, yesterday was my rather productive day. I finally mailed in my form for MSP. (If you are an international student and you haven’t already DO IT NOW!) It’s extremely important, especially with flu season coming up. I also paid my (overdue!) phone bills at the bank, and deposited a check that had been burning a hole in my wallet for awhile now. Max and I went to dinner at Suga Sushi (we eat there so often that we are now becoming regulars) and I felt so happy and in charge that I realized…I am now an adult.

When I first got to UBC everything was to new and exciting, I was making so many friends and doing so many things that the most important things (like MSP and studying) almost fell at the wayside. Now that I have finally gotten into the groove of my week, all those important things are fitting into the fun things. I am studying harder, cleaning more often, but still taking time to watch movies with friends.

Take this afternoon. As soon as I finish this entry I am going to meet up with Max and a friend and we are going to go to the SUB to mail some things to our parents, then we are going to go comic book shopping, have dinner, and head to the Improv show. (GO SEE UBC IMPROV!) I am working on mixing in the responsibility with the fun, and I think I almost have the balance down.

So yes, Sam is now officially an adult, and I am rather enjoying it! :D

(oh and things in Orange County, with Max meeting my Mom and best friends, went smashingly :) )

Categories
Academic AMS International Recreation ResidenceLife

It’s Raining Men (whee hee!)

Ah the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, place where I spend most of my study time on the computers or sitting in the amazing Ridington Room. It seems this is the second entry I’ve written here. I just find the atmosphere so…blog-worthy.

Anywho, it’s raining. Hard. I don’t think I could begin to describe how much I love the rain. I love it so much that I walked about in it this afternoon without a raincoat, umbrella, or hat. I look like a drowned rat. Seriously, you should see me in all my sopping glory, you’d laugh. I wish more people shared my love of the rain. Live in California for a year and you’ll miss it. It rarely rains there. Here it’s so refreshing.

I don’t know if you’ve heard, through the channels of Blog Squad or all that hot campus gossip (I sincerely doubt the latter) but I now have a boyfriend. His name is Max. Yes, it’s true that Blog Squad has somehow managed to not only bring a group of ten amazingly articulate and interesting students together, but it has also made a couple of two of its members. Everyone seems to find this to be rather cute. I, well we, beg to differ. I don’t know what we are, but it’s not cute. Anyway, yes. Sam and Max. In a relationship.

So I am currently taking all of two classes. This is because I am in Arts One. I don’t know how familiar you are with Arts One, but basically we read a book, discuss it at great lengths, then go off and write an essay about said book. That essay is then handed out amongst our professor and three of our peers so we can go into a tutorial session and have our work critiqued. I went through that dance last Tuesday, when I sat staring straight ahead as my essay on Genesis was picked apart by those around me, admitting to my faults and answering tough questions on my thesis and writing style until my time was up and I was handed back my essay with a grade, 68%. (Looking into the UBC numerical grading system this is a B-, and who am I to complain about a B-, but it was still a shock.) The whole thing sounds a whole lot scarier than it was. There were some low blows, but nothing I can’t improve upon. Although it still makes me nervous about my next essay.

Besides that I am taking PSYCH 100, which is interesting, but nothing to really write home about.

What else? Clubs Week! I am now a proud member of the UBC Improv Club and the UBC Food Society, though I am a bit concerned about the latter, seeing as I tend to be a bit of a picky eater, oh well, what a way to bring me out of my shell.

Oh! Longboat! Me and 8 of my closest friends, including Max and Cory (both from Blog Squad) are all going to be participating in Day of the Longboat, under the team name The Wicked Wavers! I get to be the navigator, as I have a rather loud voice and like to yell at people. We have training tomorrow, and I am super psyched. I am also going to see Across the Universe on Sunday, so there is a lot to look forward to this weekend.

Part of me hopes the rain keeps up just for the sounds, smells, and sights. But I know I am almost alone in that opinion so, for the sake of everyone else, I hope it dries up!

Categories
AMS International ResidenceLife

Observations of University

I am currently sitting in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre…which has an astounding reading room on the third floor, if anyone is interested. I’ve just had my first day of classes (which was really just one class, seeing as I only take one per day, lucky me) Anyway, I am going to try and just basically, quickly, go over the past couple of days (which should not be easy at all) to give you the jist of my first real experiences of UBC life. Actually…I think I would rather make another list of things I’ve learned thus far.

1. Dorm showers take about 20 minutes more than the ones at home did. First of all, there are those bothersome floors, which your feet can’t really (or shouldn’t really) touch, so you’ve got to go about washing them while wearing flip-flops. I made the mistake of not fully rinsing them following soaping and nearly had a breakfast of dorm shower tile. Secondly, there is the whole process of gathering everything you need to take a shower and carrying all the way there…heaven forbid you have to run back to your room. And that whole, not being naked in the hallway thing doesn’t help, either.

2. Campus life never really shuts down. There aren’t true quiet hours. There are always people to meet, places to go, things just to do that it is rather hard to be bored, this I like.

3. Professors, in general, and this is a big general, are pretty cool people. Well, they are pretty smart, in the least. Already my brain has ached from new knowledge, I’ve laughed at one of those lame first day jokes, and basically wanted to know who is teaching me. School is different here than it is in the states…though the true details are subtle ones. I enjoy this learning environment more.

4. Making friends is easy. Not much else need to be said about that.

5. The AMS and all those other student-run societies are just that, student run, and basically everyone in them is nice and helpful enough to listen to any questions or thoughts you have. Oh, and all the people that used to intimidate you back in highschool, the teachers and the older kids, they become your friends.

6. There is a lot more, but I think I will close with one final observation…you can fall asleep practically anywhere and not worried about someone messing with or stealing your stuff, but you can lock your bike up with a $100 lock and not trust it enough to go more than a few buildings away. This worries me, as I rather like my bicycle. [EDIT:  From the opinion of a very astute older friend, ALWAYS watch your valuables, even in the library they are never really safe unless they are strapped to something very hard to steal or you are in complete control of them.]

So far I have only been impressed with UBC. It’s all rather romantic in it’s complexity. I look forward to getting to know every secret, every little detail, by the end of my time here.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet