By: Stephen Bartlett

Between Colour Wars, TFL, and many other residence events, there is often much contention around who and what is in fact the best. But today everyone in Totem Park can rest well knowing that one of the most fiercely debated contests has finally been resolved. I have found Totem’s best rock.

Situated just outside the southeastern corner of the commonsblock alongside the roundabout parking spaces, this lithological beauty may have been unnoticed to many residents. The rock in question is a conglomerate, which is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a collection of different rocks (called clasts) are deposited and later cemented together by a matrix consisting of much finer grained material. This specific conglomerate features large, well-rounded clasts of varying origins, which suggests that this rock formed in a geologically diverse marine or river environment. Establishing specifically when the rock formed is not possible given current resources. However, due to the undoubtedly large importance and popularity of this question, housing staff may want to think about investing in the proper equipment to date the rock. That being said, the significance of this rock, or rather our rock, is not limited to observational data.

No matter where one is in the world, it is always important to know what interesting rocks are nearby. And if we are truly to call Totem Park our home for the next several months, it is vital that we can all point to this rock and say to our friends, “You see this rock? This is our rock, and it is beautiful.”

The beauty of our rock comes from the questions that it begs us to ask. Where did our rock form? When did it form? How far did the clasts that make it up travel before ultimately settling and becoming our rock? And, of course, how long has it been in Totem Park for residents to appreciate?

If there is one thing we can learn from our fascinating rock, it is that sometimes wonderfully complex, inspiring objects can be nearby without us realizing it. The power of geology and all of science for that matter is to help us realize the wonder that is right outside our front door.

Vancouverite. What an odd word. I can’t help but think that it sounds too much like ‘meteorite,’ which to me seems quite fitting. Vancouver, like a meteor, has always seemed distant and a little mysterious. Funny to think that the place I called home not long ago is now a five-hour plane ride and halfway across the country. But along with the changing of the seasons comes a drastic change in lifestyle, as we all now shift into arguably the most dynamic and stimulating times of our lives. We have finally arrived, at the University of British Columbia, and with fists up in celebration and voices roaring in excitement, we embrace all that UBC have to offer! …But wait a second. What does UBC have to offer? What even is there to do in Vancouver? Some say the beaches are worth visiting, while others issue silly warnings about beaches. Others simply say to ‘get involved,’ as if that hasn’t already been relentlessly drilled into the heads of youths. As a second year student – a BC resident for all of nine cumulative months who has finally just begun to understand how to properly use Translink – I am only able to share so much about improving your experience at UBC Vancouver. Above all, recognize that unlike anywhere you have previously studied or lived, UBC is a place where apathy is no longer recognized as desirable – being apathetic is not the way to social acceptance or overall fulfillment. Intentionally showing a disinterest in school and community-run events and clubs only demonstrates a fear of others’ perception of you. At least, such was my train of thought in the beginning of freshman year. Whether sooner or later, it will become apparent that the most rewarding experiences come from joining a committee and becoming overly passionate towards it. Take part in activities you would normally never even consider, such as festive holidays outside of your own culture or UBC REC or UBC Calendar events. Hop on a bus and explore the Vancouver area on a whim with the person you just met in class. Explore in all forms of the word. To put it in cliché terms, the world is your oyster. Just don’t hesitate to participate or invest yourself fully for a fear of your appearance; allow your passions to shape who you become. That’s what being a Vancouverite is all about.

By: Desiree Fa

So let’s just imagine for a moment that we’ve time traveled to May 2014. If you were to meet yourself, what kind of person would you be? What stories would you have about the things you’ve done in the previous 8 months? What would you have learned? Let’s fast forward a few more years to 2017. As you’re walking across the stage of the Chan Centre to receive your diploma, what will be the memories flashing through your mind? Will you be proud of the person that you have become? Do you have any regrets?

Now let’s bring it back to the present and think about the things that might stop you from making that future a reality. Something we often don’t consider when asking ourselves why we don’t achieve our goals are our fears. Fear is the emotion that prevents us from taking risks, trying new things, and being ourselves. It causes us to rationalize why we can’t do something.

Sometimes fear is rational – it’s a good thing to be afraid of jumping off a building because that keeps you safe. But more often times than not, our fears are not based on facts. One of the ways to define fear is as an acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real. Fears are simply perceptions that your mind creates based on “what if” situations.

The most common fears we have are of rejection, missing out, and failure. How many times have you given into fear when you hesitated to introduce yourself to that unfamiliar face or when you shied away from raising your hand in lectures? What about that opportunity you didn’t bother applying for because you felt inadequate and figured you wouldn’t get it anyway?

As you embark on your journey at UBC, you carry your own suitcase of fears. Whether they are of rejection, missing out or possibly failing for the first time, how do you face them?

The first step is to realize what your fears are. What’s stopping you from being the person you want to be? Whatever it is, come to terms with it.

Once you’ve realized that you are afraid, the only way to overcome fear is to do the very thing you fear. Fear is an emotion and like all other emotions, it’s not subject to reason. You can’t fight fear with logic or intellectual reasoning – you can only neutralize it by action!

Need motivation to do so? Decide that what you want is way more important than what your fear is, especially the fear of what people will think. Your vision of the optimal university experience can become a reality – you just have to make that decision.

Start today because the person who you will someday be is the person who you are now becoming.