Author Archives: bdclark

By: Yun Kang

I have been involved with Best Buddies for about 4-5 years now (since Grade 11) and have loved every experience that has come along with it. I wanted to present this wonderful opportunity of volunteerism to the first years as it not only allows you to build friendships and community, but also helps you discover who you are as an individual. If you’re up for having a blast while building friendship, continue and read along!
Best Buddies is a program that pairs students, just like you, with another student or individual in the community with an intellectual disability in order to develop friendship and community. For those of you that are not familiar with the term intellectual disability, it is a term used to describe any condition that includes a lifelong impairment to a person’s ability to learn or adapt to their environment; some examples include Autism, Down Syndrome, and William’s Syndrome.
Before I share my current experiences with Best Buddies, I would like to share a word of caution to those who are interested in embarking on this journey to friendship: you are not volunteering to ‘help them out,’ but you are actually building friendship through this program. During my first year with Best Buddies, I had not known the true values behind this program and had simply tried to be a mentor and a teacher to my buddy, rather than being friends with her. I guess I had the foolish misconception that I was ‘better off’ than my buddy was since I was not born with an intellectual or physical disability. However, what I did not know at that time was that people with disabilities, whether they be intellectual or physical, are very much like us and that they, too, simple want a buddy to hang out with. I advise you to please take caution and not approach them as if you are at a better place than they are, but simply as a person, an individual, and a friend.
Now, to share some of my personal experiences with the Best Buddies Program, I am currently paired with a beautiful girl. She has the most radiant smile that I have ever seen and she constantly reminds me that there are simple joys and wonders in life that we often forget as we grow older – she still giggles at watching flowers blossom or the sun shining through her window. I have learned over the past 6 months that she loves flowers, to dance, and to go on a stroll, and that she truly appreciates the time we spend together. I am not going to lie, there were some hard times with her, as she is unable to speak or move due to cerebral palsy; there were times where I just wanted to quit because I couldn’t communicate with her or had to watch her experience painful and frightening seizures. But, at the end of the day, I am always so glad to be able to be there for her and to truly be her friend, by trying to figure out what she wants to do for the day or what would make her happy.
I challenge you all to take part in this wonderful organization and to build friendships like no other. Sure, they will be tough at times, but you will truly learn that any good cause can only be reached by enduring hardships – not by yourself, but together.

Follow

By: Maggie Tung

Are you constantly repeating “I need to go to the gym” but never make it out of your bed? Maybe you’ve given up exercising altogether? Well, don’t fret, because there are so many ways to get the benefits of exercising but not actually having to go to the gym!
Here are 7 ways to exercise without realizing it!
1. Take the long route
Little steps add up! Take the longer path to your class. If you’re going anywhere off campus, get off the bus one stop early before your destination and walk there instead. Take the stairs up to your room instead of the elevator.
You can also spice it up by speed walking… leave one or two minutes later than what you would usually for class so it forces you to walk faster!
2. Cleaning your room
Go all out, put your sneakers, listen to your music, and give your room a thorough clean! Vacuum while doing butt kickers, wipe down your table and do squats at the same time, fold your clothes while doing v-sits… make it into a game. This will make BOTH seemingly tedious tasks fun!
3. Stand and flex
Are you waiting in line for food or for the printer in Irving? Instead of just standing there, flex your muscles! An easy way of doing it is flexing your abs for 10 seconds and repeat that 10 times…and that’s your abs workout! (It doesn’t hurt that it makes time go faster, and it won’t draw any unnecessary attention!)
Sitting and flexing in class works too! Do you sit with your back straight during class? It may seem simple but it actually requires muscles to be tense for an extended period of time! (I can personally attest to this!)
4. Dancing
Dancing is a great way to move and it passes the time very quickly. Drop into a dance class or even just jam out in your room to your favourite song! There are plenty of dances to try, from hip-hop, street jazz, contemporary, ballet, or even the salsa and waltz! Take lessons just for fun and learn some new moves!
Check out the many AMS dance clubs available on campus, such as UBC Dance Horizons (http://www.dancehorizons.org/wordpress/), UBC Dance Club (http://www.ubcdanceclub.com/), and Unlimited Dance Club (http://ubcudc.wordpress.com/).
5. Join a team
This may seem obvious, but joining a recreational sports team will get you moving! You’ll definitely be more motivated when you have team counting on you, and it is going to be fun once you start playing.
Try some of the UBC Recreation teams (http://www.recreation.ubc.ca/) or your Vanier Ultimate Frisbee team! (https://www.facebook.com/pages/VUL-Vanier-Ultimate-League/436056299780462)
6. Get to know your city
Take a walking tour around the city, go on one of the many hikes that British Columbia has to offer, or even just go shopping! These are fun ways to not only get to know your city, but to make you work for it!

It boils down to this:
1. Exercising does not mean that you have to use an elliptical machine for an hour… it is just something that will raise your heartbeat and move your body in ways that it is not used to!
2. Diet is the most important aspect if you want to become healthier! Exercising is important, but watching what you eat and when you eat is going to give you your results.
3. Little things add up! Every single decision to exercise (or not to), as well as everything else in life, can lead you CLOSER or FURTHER away from your goal. Don’t complain if you have not committed to staying on track!
4. Just do it! The first step is always the hardest; it is so easy to think of doing it rather than putting the thought into action! Say yes before you say no, and do it before you talk yourself out of it!
Have fun and live healthy!

Follow

By: Blair Smith

Oftentimes, I find myself studying in Vanier after the dining hall is closed, and wanting a snack to fill my always-present food craving. I’m sure that you’ve been in the same boat – you’re trying to write that paper or do that Webwork assignment, and you just want yourself a nice chocolate bar, a coffee, or even those green seaweed things.

But where to go? What destination is best to go to fulfill your post-7:30 snack cravings? I present to you my list of awesome snack destinations!

First up is our tried and true Vanier option: Hubbard’s!
This shop is open from 5 to 11:30, and carries a variety of convenience items. It is run by the dining hall staff and is located in the commonsblock beside the front desk.

Typical snacks that you can purchase here:
– chocolate bars
– chips
– pop
– various microwave dinners, and sushi trays
– frozen pizzas (unless you have a toaster oven, you may not be able to make these)
– ice cream novelty items (such as magnum bars, Klondike Kandy Bars, and popsicles
– hot drinks, currently featuring hot chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino, and Caramel Cappuccino
– Slushies, featuring iced coffee and a fruit flavour
– and more!

Benefits:
– it’s really close to your house
– you don’t have to leave residence, so flip-flops are an acceptable footwear option
– it’s really close to your house
– it uses the flex dollars on your meal plan card
– did I mention how close it is to your house?

Cons:
– it uses flex dollars, which many people use up quite quickly
– it closes as 11:30 (or earlier) and even when it is open, it often is closed for 10-15 minutes here or there
– they do not have much of a selection. There are your typical chocolate bar and candy selections, as well as a Pop collection; however, they can often have reduced stock due to running out of things before their next shipment

Sick of the same old convenience store snacks? Here are some other options past 8:00:

Tim Hortons on Main Mall in front of the Great Trek Cairn
A popular Canadian coffee and doughnut shop, “Timmy’s,” as many call it, sells cookies, doughnuts, the popular Timbits, iced drinks such as the Iced Capp and Frozen Lemonade, and various coffee drinks. This year it is open until 10:00 on weekdays.

Pros:
– it is a short walk (5-10 minutes depending on where in Vanier you live)
– it serves real coffee!
– Timbits are the perfect snack to share with friends
– it takes Meal Dollars!

Cons:
– it’s far from Vanier, compared to other options
– the ‘healthy snacks’ options are quite limited/don’t exist here
– it only really specializes in coffee and doughnuts
– closed on weekends

Dominoes Pizza
An international pizza chain, Dominoes has an assortment of pizza items. Though pizza is often considered a meal, if you really believe in yourself, any pizza is a personal pizza. They also sell cheesy bread and a Chocolate Lava cake (sometimes referred to as the ultimate snack trilogy by myself, just now). They deliver before 2:00 AM, and charge a 2.75 fee.

Pros:
– they deliver to the Vanier Loop
– they are open until 2:00 AM
– pizza
– a large pizza is perfect to share with your study buddies (or keep to yourself, if that is what you want…)
– if you are not feeling a whole pizza, you could save the rest in your floor fridge for tomorrow’s lunch
– it uses flex dollars

Cons:
– not the healthiest option
– it’s a lot of food to get as a snack
– it is expensive, compared to other snack options, and uses up your flex dollars
– it is customary to tip your delivery person, an added cost

Magda’s in Totem Park Residence
This is Hubbard’s, but with a grill operating to 11:00. It serves grilled cheese, hamburgers, regular and featured fries, and sometimes chicken fingers. It also features the same selections as Hubbard’s does.

Pros:
– grill food after the Dining hall closes
– you can explore Totem’s commonsblock
– the food portion uses meal dollars

Cons:
– it is basically the same as Hubbard’s
– it is far away (10 minutes or more)
– they sometimes close earlier, or don’t have the grill open
– their menu and stock runs out frequently
– anything but grill food uses flex dollars

There are many other options, and I urge you to explore! Also, remember that everything is good in moderation, so try to keep those unhealthy snacks to a minimum, but don’t feel bad about having some sugary treats now and again! Happy study games, Vanier, and may the snacks be ever in your flavour! (Get it? The “Hunger” Games reference?)

Follow