Second Verse, Same as the First.

Ok, so now I have used much too much time on trying to find this so I am sending out a cyber-cry for help!

I want to try to collect all the different cheers for all of the different Faculties at UBC. You may or may not be aware that each Faculty has a cheer but indeed it does – utilized most during Frosh week and more importantly, the first-year Pep Rally!

This is a majorly quiet version:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaNwHX707og[/youtube]

Heres what I have so far:

Our lovely school cheer:
UBC is Hot To Go,
H-O-T-T-O-G-0,
AAooo, Hot to go
AAooo, Hot to go

Arts can’t really make up their mind on which one it should be but the one that was cheered the most was:
We’re loud,
We’re proud,
We take up half the crowd.
Bigger is Better.
Arts Kicks Ass!

As much as I might hate to say it, due to Faculty pride and all, objectively speaking, Commerce has some seriously catchy cheers! Something like “Boom boom Dynatmite, Boom Boom Dynamite”.

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me gather these! I know you know what I am talking about!

I am missing: Business, Sciences, Engineering, HKin (Human Kinetics – the hotties in green), Music (While you slave away, we just PLAY all day!), Forestry and Agriculture/Foods.

Firstly, I would like to point out just how enjoyable saying ‘up-side-down’ is. Secondly I will inform my reader’s that this is truly not the case while typing it. I will therefore refer to the Up-side-down Tree (last time, I swear) as the USD tree. Thank you for your cooperation in my mini-boycott.

But seriously!? How do more people not know about this tree? It is located across from Koerner Library, beside the path that leads past the buildings with the astronomy drawings on the ground (Please don’t refer to them as the “astrology drawings” – the star gazer’s don’t like that much). You really can’t miss it. And I will tell you why (I know the suspense is killing you).

Apparently, though I am not entirely sure if this is just urban myth or not, but Apparently a professor had a wee game of dare/speculation with some of his past students. His theory was that if you turn a grown tree upside down and plant it again, its roots will become branches and its branches will become roots. No word of a lie.

The proof? Look at the coolest tree you will ever see! Check it out! You can totally tell. If I were my technologically inclined, you wouldn’t have to go look cause I would just have a picture of the tree posted, but it is definitely worth the 30 second walk from Koerner. The way the leaves hang is gorgeous as well.

So please, if you have a picture of this gorgeous, yet crazy tree, please post it!  Definitely something everyone needs to see at least once in their lives.

Disclaimer: As per Genevieve’s advice, today’s theme is kind of just randomness. It’s one of those days when I just don’t really know what to write exactly so I think some free-thinking/writing might just be what the doctor ordered.

It’s kinda weird being back at school again. Don’t get me wrong, or maybe I am the odd ball out, it’s definitely a good weird, but weird just the same. I missed this busy-ness. It’s a whole different kind of busy-ness isn’t it? On one hand our schedules are more free, none of that 9-5 business, we can choose how to fill the majority of our hours (clubs, greek life, fundraising, volunteering, work, … what am I missing? Oh yeah, and study!). This freedom to choose is nice though there is one emotion that all University students ought to take courses on avoiding: Guilt.

Guilt is kind of like the modern day plague isn’t it. With this new, fresh sense of freedom and choice from the daily grind of our summer-jobs, comes the responsibility of study. Yeah, I mean, I COULD go out and have a few drinks with my friends, but am I just going to be stuck thinking about the chapters I could be reading at home? And this isn’t just the case with students; it’s everywhere. The efficient 24-hour day is losing it’s efficiency. Are 30 Hour days the thing of the future? I mean, we can control everything else in this world – why not be able to control daylight? Its the next logical step isn’t it.

Anyways, this guilt is here to stay. I have 2 more years of my Bachelors left and 2 more years for my Masters so I might as well embrace it. On the plus side, I guess it could be classified as a motivator, even if it is a poor one.

My choice? EMBRACE it, like I might a tree in a whimsical moment.

Note to the New Student: I don’t know if you are going to be taking PSYC 100 but psychology is my Major so I am likely to through in little Psych tidbits and morsels but here’s a little food for thought. Focusing on external or extrinsic types of motivation, like marks, grades, money, external validation, etc. are actually VERY poor motivators and can eventually become de-motivators. The more you think about and focus on the reasons why you personally have chosen to attend University, or more specifically, your personal interests in the courses you are taking, the more likely you are to succeed. Trying to remove yourself from the whole idea of grades is actually quite beneficial especially when it is 4AM and you are cramming for an exam. Remember that it was your choice to be where you are and that you love your studies.

PS If you don’t love your studies, I’m sorry to hear that. Its gunna happen from time to time that there are classes that you just don’t click with, but if they are a means to an end to achieving what you want, then that is the intrinsic motivator you can focus on. As for those of you studying what someone else wanted you to, I have my own advice for you but in light of not wanting to offend your parents, I will keep it to myself. 😉

Ok, apparently this is SUPER important information. I was not aware at just how in depth this ignorance ran but I have been proven wrong. Step out of the line-up at the Bookstore. Please! For the love of…!

Believe it or not folks but, well, the bookstore is not the only place to get textbooks. Heck, it’s one of the WORST places to get your textbooks (Sorry UBC – you try your best but you can’t be the best at EVERYTHING).

Reasons, and the list is long, why you “might” want to “consider” getting your books elsewhere.

1. The line-ups. If commerce students have taught us anything, it is that Time is Money!

2. The prices. Sooo, yeah. I don’t like to be belligerent, but when I see the price tags of my second year Psychology books, Its a good thing the closest longsword is in the AnSo building! Seriously!

• Example A: You pay $160 for a textbook. 4 months later, you sell aforementioned textbook at the Bookstore for $80. They then sell it used for $130. It’s a painful truth, I know. Do you need a minute? *Pats you gingerly on the shoulder*.
• Evidence B: $160 for a TEXTBOOK! Its paper people! I know, I know, super genius professors write them (Don’t even get me started on professors that constantly renew their textbooks forcing us to pay oodles just to ensure we have the Newest edition).

You know what, I am going to stop this right here and now, cause I think we both know how carried away I can get. Anyways, UBC Bookstore. Your alternative?

www.abebooks.com

Thats it! Honestly, you should have started a few weeks ago but at least you know for next time. Grab your ISBN numbers from your “My Booklist” from the SSC (under Courses) and check out the savings! Even after paying $20 for shipping, I am STILL saving $100 on some of my more expensive text books! As Canadians, you might need to click on details about sending as not all providers of textbooks on abebooks.com send to Canada but you were going to be spending hours in the line up at the Bookstore anyways right? No matter what, I know you are going to love me for this information.

And the moral of the story is? Check out your options before forkin’ out huge amounts of dough…

Your gifts and cards of appreciation can be sent to:

miranda.abild@gmail.com

🙂

There are 5 more days left until school starts again. There are 5 MORE DAYS left until school starts again.

Since when did summer end in the middle of August? Who ordered this rain? Is the sun ever going to come back? THESE are all questions that I wish University could answer. Instead, I put on my posh sweats with “UBC” on the fanny and stare at the fat raindrops falling over Vancouver and wonder what it all means. Well, I’m not really pondering the meaning of the rain – that seems like a waste of time, but I would like to know how in the hell summer went by faster than exam season.

I miss the falls of my childhood. Crunchy leaves to roll in and throw down your friends’ shirts. Brisk mornings where a sweater will do ya. Here it’s all avoiding-the-puddles-of-leaf-goo and black and brown rainboots that NOTHING matches with.

And school.

Back to school.

Last year was the anticipation of going to school again after a year off but this year it feels like I have hardly had room to breathe. You see, the universe decided to provide my days off with clouds and the days I worked inside a shop in 4th Ave. were the blistering “summer days”. What gets me through this weather is knowing that Grad school is now only 2 years away. I also happen to have that old Walmart commercial stuck in my head of a dad buying school supplies for his kids, his shopping cart gliding as if on an ice rink to the tune of “It’s the most wonderful time… of the year!”. You know the one… yup, that’s it.

But you know what? I refuse to accept this as the end. No. Summer cannot be over. I simply will not have it. Denial is a beautiful place and I am making a choice to live there; Bbq’s undiscovered, cricked backs from hiking sacks, beers at warm dusk… Ahh.. life is good. And now that I have gotten this first post out of the way, I can focus on the more important things in life, like making these 5 days stretch on for a month.

We did it! A BLOG SQUAD team push, pulled and pummeled itself over a 12 ft. wall! I still cant wrap my head around it. To see is to believe (Oh cameraman?) and as such you MUST google (or blackle.. its the energy-friendly version of google) Storm the Wall at UBC and just take a look at the pictures. Then imagine yourself doing it. Then times that by 10 and then you might have an inkling suspicion about how hard it is… but you will NEVER know how FUN it is until you try it!

 A little history before I weak my weary bones:

1. It’s the Largest Intermural Event in North America (if that’s not a reason to try it out, I don’t know what is!

B. Divided into 5 parts: 9 widths of the pool, 450m sprint, 4 laps on cycling, 1 km run and then the 5 participants must scale a completely flat wall using only their teammates and stepping stones and grips. You will get bruises. You WILL wear those bruises like badges of honor!

III. These parts are normally divided up between 5 people. There is however, the option of doing the entire race alone. This is known as Ironman/woman. The wall is THEN scaled with the assistance of only ONE person AFTER you have races all of the other 4 parts. You are timed. For women, the help is on the ground, for men (and honestly, there is nothing more entertaining than watching this) their help is at the top so they have to somehow jump from the bottom, be caught MID-AIR by their uber-buff partner and be hauled up from their! SUPER Ironman (I don’t even think there are girls that participated in this) but do the entire race alone.. yes, they have to jump and grab 12ft. above them in such a way that they can pull themselves up. This has to be seen to believed.

 If you are going to do anything at UBC – keep in mind that I don’t care HOW little you are into sports (Ahem… we’re the BLOG SQUAD!) – you will get something out of this event that needs to be experienced in order to identify.

Note to the Squad: Thanks so much for going along with my otherwise delusional dreams of doing the wall and making it one of my best UBC experiences to date!! We rule like no other!!

Can this really be a viable option? With the number of students that depend upon their affordable ability to get to and from school, getting rid of the u-pass? Whoever thought of this has obviously been away from the University/student life waaaay to long to be making the decisions they do about something that affects students so much.

 Apparently (please forgive my if I have this totally wrong), if there are less that 4505 student voters in the upcoming AMS elections or if there are enough people that vote no, the U-Pass will no longer exist. Thats right! Some smart(politically correct)”butt”ed individual thought that this was acceptible. Obviously, any student on campus with a brain can realize the implications of this disaster.

So.. this is my plea. It is simple and non-intrusive. VOTE! Thats all it takes! I am guessing that the two options you might be presented with during this vote are poopy at best(IE Option 1: vote yes and the U-Pass gets more expensive, Option 2: vote no and the U-Pass gets deleted *click click*) but welcome to the world of politics! So please choose the lesser of two evils. If you do not rely upon public transit (this is rare though.. honestly) then just vote! Us students need the participation!  

Tread Lightly. Suspect everyone. Trust NO ONE!

 Getting sick when you are a student is:

1) Inevitable (late nights, fast food, increased caffiene intake = WEAK Immune system)

2) Disastrous!

There is a nasty nasty cold going around. That’s right. A cold. Uncurable. No presciption, doctor or antibody will help you. You are on your own! I have been in bed for the past 4 days. IN BED! This means not only do I have a fever from my sickness, I have CABIN FEVER! You would think that this would give way to much needed study. No. This is never the case and you know it! How dare you make such assumptions! Focus is impossible, brain synapses just don’t fire like they should. My cure?

www.alluc.org !!! I have successfully watched Season 1 and most of Season 2 of House! What is your medicine of choice? Of course I recommend 3000mgs of both Echinicea (thats right.. the HERBAL stuff… even doctors recommend this, though = they cannot deny the benefits) and 3000mgs of Vitamin C.

Accept that the few weaks after being sick are going to be hell because there is just no way you can keep up on your studies. Get organized. Heck, rather then getting exhausted and stressed, plan every hour of awake time if necessary if thats what it takes. Get back to exercising ASAP and drink water! (That’s right, there are beverage choices OUTSIDE of beer and coffee!). This is what my Easter holidays are going to include: reading, study, work, one solitary hike and sleeeep!

I have to say, I was reminded today about how ashamed I can feel about the society we have created for ourselves. I don’t want this schpeel to come off at preachy or even negative; this is not my intention. I simply hope to inspire you, perhaps, in your everyday, and maybe see what I mean.

We walk around everyday looking at the dirt missing tons of beautiful people around us. This is especially true when you start studying as it is soo easy to get caught up in the grind of things, that one can have a tendency to forget those small little matters like manners. I guess this message is for you who cannot somehow find a smile of compassion when you see the lady behind the counter really stressed.

My heart was broken today, though not surprisedly so, when, firstly, I realized how many of my own boundaries I needed to conquer just to comfort someone in obvious distress. It broke my heart because I could see the agony they went through to hide what they were feeling, and the shame that they were feeling this in front of everyone. All I wanted to do was comfort them and because of all of these self-imposed boundaries of whichI am not above, the ones found in this society, I was unable to do so and someones morning will forever remain one of guilt and sorrow.

I know that this might be an extreme case and I know that my words might exaggerate the situation because this is something I am very compassionate about, but on the other hand, there are sooo many little things we can do to avoid things ever coming to this. Thank your bus driver. Don’t be scared to look a person in the EYE! It scares me how difficult this is for most.

And don’t forget those little “common courteseys” named after the once common sight of them, but in the city, and school and work etc. etc., they have lost their commonality. I feel like I have just brushed the  surface of something here but let just start with this… deal?

Being a Psych Major has its benefits, like hearing about the latest fandangled studies! One of my TA’s is actually presently doing a study that I seem to see evidence for everywhere in my life and I thought this might be valueable information to pass on, especially to possible students. Switching lifestyles/finding your own lifestyle leads one on an life experiment of sorts and I thought this information could be valueable to all of those in that transition phase, or even those in a little bit of a lull. Keep and open mind and perhaps new doors will be opened for you as well.

You are probably curious about the title of this little diddy. Well.. to be quite honest, of course there is no equation but there are being experiments done in order to collect data supporting the idea that there are means by which we can calculably increase the amount of happiness in our lives… and if you think it involves money, IT DOES!

It is starting to be shown that although the accumulation and accommidation of wealth does not automatically equal happiness, in fact, almost the opposite (just turn to Hollywood for evidence supporting that… all the riches in the world don’t seem to be able to buy their happiness), but rather WHAT we spend our money on. When we spend it on ourselves or our “needs” or “wants” we are just feeding into the idea that we must have MORE money. BUT those individuals that spend more money on others or on charities without any anticipation of return are those that benefit the most from the spending procedure.

Having this idea introduced to me last term, I have encountered a number of studies and “proofs” looking to support this notion and I cannot wait for my TA/friend’s paper to be published because I really think this idea is going to spread like wild fires. I mean, look at the book The Secret… it is all based upon these vary same, basal properties.

In order to reap my end of the reward, I have begun volunteering at the Crisis Center here in Vancouver. For any of you thinking of taking Grad School in the councelling sector, dont forget about the rigorous enrollment criterion and start early; the Crisis Center being one of the best places for this due to its extensive training. I also started volunteering in the lab as a research assistant this term for a new Professor Claire Ashton-James. This is going to be a good year for me.