Study Spaces for Campus Insiders
InfoLink - Wed Nov 20, 2013Need a more secluded spot to study for your midterms? Too hipster for mainstream studying spots like Rutherford or Cameron library? Try out these different places!
Education Lounge
Location: Education Centre North, 4-110
Description: The Education Lounge has excellent sky and window lighting, scattered light posts and trees to create the perfect relaxing atmosphere. It includes comfy couches as well as tables.
Cubbies
Location: Agriculture Building (All Floors), Mechanical Engineering Building (All Floors), Education Building (Basement), Chemistry Building (Second Floor), Health Sciences Library, Cameron Library, Rutherford Library, basically most buildings!
Description: Cubbies are great for the secluded studier. Best part is that they are located in lots of places, so studying anywhere that is most convenient for you is possible.
Fourth Floor Chemistry Lounge
Location: Gunning/Lemieux Chemistry Centre, Fourth Floor
Description: Many people might see the second floor studying lounge in Chemistry on their way to and from CCIS, but what they don’t see is that there is actually another one even higher up! Tucked away on the fourth floor of the Chemistry building, this study spot has excellent sky lighting and multiple tables.
Quiet Study Lounge
Location: Basement of ECHA, SUB (Alumni Room and Quiet Room on the main floor)
Description: If you need ABSOLUTE silence to study, this is a great place for you. There is strictly no talking, no cellphones, etc. allowed to distract you here.
Lecture Theatres
Location: Basically any building! The best lecture theatres are usually in CCIS, NREF or ETLC
Description: Need room to think? Try studying in a lecture theatre! They are extremely spacious and usually have lots of plugins as well. Of course, only use these when they are open and there are no more classes going on.
3 Quick Tips Stay Warm on Campus
InfoLink - Sun Nov 03, 2013
It's heeeeerrrrrreeeeeee. That’s right, I mean snow. That beautiful, white, fluffy blanket that covers EVERYTHING for what seems like at least 7 months out of the year, makes you freeze your butt off and fills your boots, making your feet sopping wet through all your lectures is on its way.
It isn’t all bad though because here’s a few tips to keep you warm (and your feet dry) through this winter season.
1. Bring hot chocolate, tea or coffee with you in the mornings
It may seem too easy but simple solutions are most often the ones that are forgotten. Your drink can serve as a hand warmer waiting for the bus or walking from one end of campus to the other but when you take a sip you can feel the heat travelling from head to toe.
2. Bring soup for lunch
Remember when you were in elementary school and your mom would send you with that ugly brown thermos every day in the winter? She always filled it with hot chocolate or more often soup so you would have a warm lunch before you went outside for recess. Well it seems mom was onto something because this is one of my favorite ways to warm up on a cold day. Like the warm drink mentioned above, soup will make you feel warm from head to toe and as an added bonus you, it will fill you up giving you the ability to focus and making it so you don't have to hush your stomach throughout your classes.
3. Take the pedways and interior walkways
This is great! It may take a few extra minutes but you can get between most buildings on campus either without going outside or with only enduring the cold for a very short time. Did you know you can get from Timms to Tory without stepping foot outside? How about from Dentistry/Pharmacy to Bio-Sci? It is amazing how connected this campus is! If you want to plan a route with as little frost exposure as possible, pick up a Campus Map from any of our booths, looks for the light blue dotted lines through the buildings and away you go! The perfect way to get to class without risking frostbite!
Spooky Places on Campus
InfoLink - Sun Oct 27, 2013
Have you ever heard a bump in the night while studying late on campus? Have you ever sworn that there were more than just students wondering your residence floor after midnight? Well, you aren’t the only one…
During the summer Edmonton Ghost Tours was conducting tours on, well, you guessed it, the University of Alberta campus. These tours began at the Rutherford House on Saskatchewan drive, and then wove through campus before stopping at Emily Murphy’s House in East Campus Village (ECV). Seeing as it is many students first time on campus, I thought it might be neat to share some of the ghostly and historic stories that I learned while on this tour. So here we go…
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Imagine it’s sunset, about 9:00 p.m., and you’re standing in front of the Rutherford House. A woman walks to the top of the cement staircase and informs you it’s time to begin the ghost tour of the University’s campus.
Rutherford House, a modern provincial historic site, was the home of Alberta’s first premier, Alexander Rutherford, and his family. In 1911 the building project was completed, but it was still surrounded by a substantial amount of open land. This land was later bought from Mr. Rutherford to be the home of the University of Alberta campus. At this point you may ask why this is such a ghostly matter… well, apparently, according to the individuals who work in the restaurant downstairs, there is a little boy—dressed in 1920’s attire—who stands by the upstairs office and bounces a little blue ball. No one knows who this boy is, or where he came from, but they do know that he is there one minute and gone the next.
Photo courtesy of the Faculty of Arts on Flickr
After the Rutherford House we made our way down to the Old Arts Building. Built in in 1912, the Old Arts Building is the second oldest building on campus. During both the First and Second World Wars, the building was used as an information center, where individuals worked to coordinate the war efforts. It is said that during the construction of this building two of the Irish workers contracted for the project fell in love with the same woman: they fought before work, the fought after work, and yup, you guessed it, they even fought during work! Then one day the two of them were working on the roof together, the side that now faces the Business Building, when a fight broke out! There was lots of pushing, and screaming, and yelling, and then BAM! Just like that one of the men had pushed his interlocutor off the roof to his painful death on the pavement below. Following this ordeal the young woman packed her bags and headed back to Ireland, and the living man didn’t get the girl after all (Shocker!). Today, students regularly see the shadowy figures of these two men duking it out on the roof of the Old Arts Building.
Photo courtesy of The University of Alberta on Tumblr
Following around the South side of the Old Arts Building, the group congregated again in front of our beloved Dewey’s, also known as the Old Power Plant. From opening, until the 1940’s, this building used to burn all of the campus garbage, filling the university campus with a thick black smog and what I imagine would have been a terrible smell, as they burned everything from science experiments to food waste. However, it is the modern hauntings that make this building so spooky. According to our tour guide, who interviewed the staff members at Dewey’s, some of the things in the bar will move around without explanation. For example, when the staff members push all of the tables and chairs to the outside of the room to mop the floors at the end of the night, they will turn around and all of the furniture will be re-arranged as it appears during the day… also, it has been reported, that when the bar tender leaves beer on the counter it will be moved by some unexplainable force.
The final story of this building revolves around a scientist that used to work in the building. Before the building was used as a campus pub it housed the Faculty of Science, including one scientist who had been recruited from McGill University to work on a project related to the Alberta Oil Sands. This scientist used to work in a basement laboratory with no windows and no assistants; he wore a pair of wiry glasses high up on the bridge of his nose, and a lab coat that was stained with the remnants of his previous experiments. Creating a revolutionary system used to separate the oil from the sand and other particulates in the soil, he was able to create a system that would be responsible for a lot of Alberta’s wealth in future years. Unfortunately the elderly scientist didn’t live to see his project applied in the Oil Sands, so it is said that sometimes bit of unrefined oil will be found in the drains of the Old Power Plant and sometimes there will even be an apparition of the scientist walking the hallway.
Photo courtesy of mjthomas43 on Flickr
Standing at that junction between Triffo Hall and the Old Power Plant our tour guide told us about the different kinds of bricks that were used to construct the buildings in the area. Historically a kind of brick called a Clinker Brick was used to construct buildings for cheaper than what it would cost to build the building using normal bricks. Clinker Bricks were cheaper than regular bricks because they are darker and were regarded as something that wasn’t as “nice.” The dark colour that made the bricks “ugly” was created when the bricks were fired; when fired the bricks closest to the inside would be burnt darker than those on the outside, which would be the lighter brick colour. If you look at many of the buildings around campus you’ll see that many of the buildings were constructed using these bricks. In the twenty-first century any building constructed using these bricks is designated as an Alberta Historic Site.
Photo courtesy of Scorpio Masonry
Continuing our tour we walked underneath the CAB pedway, across Quad, and to the front of Pembina Hall. Of all of the stories we heard that night the ones related to Pembina Hall were the scariest, in my opinion. During the 1918 Flu Pandemic that swept the City of Edmonton the University turned Pembina Hall into a makeshift hospital. Many individuals died in Pembina Hall as a result of the disease. During 1918 the individuals running the building decided that they should store the deceased bodies in the building’s basement, to protect the patients from the Spanish Flu (or so they thought); however, storing the bodies in the hot basement during the Edmonton summer wasn’t a good idea, because it increased the speed at which the bodies decomposed inside the building. Due to this decision it is said that sometimes, on a hot summer day, the smell of the decomposing bodies can be smelled throughout the building.
The second story involves a couple that met while attending the University of Alberta. When it was first built Pembina Hall was used as a residence building, where the upper floor was used for professors, the third floor for students, and the bottom two floors were used for teaching. Well, the couple met while living in Pembina Residence and they fell in love. Soon, unfortunately, the couple had to be separated due to the events of the Second World War: the woman stayed in Edmonton to volunteer as a nurse and the male went to join the army. Working in Pembina Hall the woman found her friend who had been injured in the war. She stayed by his bed doing her best to nurse him back to health, but it just wasn’t enough. He died soon after arriving in Pembina and the next morning, it is said, the woman ran down to the river valley and committed suicide by throwing herself in, but her body was never found. To this day a ghostly pair, a female with a nurse’s uniform and a man wearing an army uniform, can be seen wondering the halls of Pembina.
Photo courtesy of Real Estate Weekly
The final stop on our tour was Emily Murphy’s House in EVC, where Student Legal Services currently resides. It is said that Emily Murphy, a member of the Famous Five, haunts the house (well, I like to think of it as a “friendly” haunt) from her upstairs bedroom. Looking at the house you’ll notice that there is a left bedroom window. It was in this bedroom that Murphy died in 1933, but today her face is reported to appear in the window to watch all of the women on the U of A campus getting an education!
See, that’s not scary!
Convocation 2013
InfoLink - Mon Jun 03, 2013
And so here comes the beginning of the end… It’s time to graduate!
As an Infolink staff we are students too and every year a new batch of us graduate and move onto, what I like to call “real life” because clearly University has sheltered us from it all along even though some of us got married, bought houses, work real important jobs in the summer, or have even planned for the arrival of our first born! The feeling of celebrating the conclusion of our degrees is exhilarating as it is terrifying.
So it must mean that some of you are feeling the same! We’ve decided to compose a few thoughts for you about how “What’s next?” can both take a toll and create excitement on the life of a student who is ready to become an alumnus/alumna!
“Graduating this year is a bit surreal. Over the past 8 years campus has become both my home and a large part of my life. I live here. I work here. All of my friends are here. (Oh and I suppose I go to school here too). The thought of leaving all of that behind finally after so long is both scary as well as exciting. As much fun as I have had, I really am ready to enter the next phase of my life. It is time to leave the ivory tower and enter the real world of 9-5's and "assignments" with real world consequences. While I will be sad to leave campus, given how important it has become to me, I know that I don't have to leave it all behind. I will have the many friends I made and the memories to truly keep me a part of the campus.”
“I like to think about leaving the University as little as I can. Mostly so I can pretend its not going to happen!”
“What’s next for me is up in the air. I am somewhere in the middle of being excited and being terrified. On the one hand, I’m not going to have to pay tuition again! On the other hand, I have no idea where my degree is going to take me. I don’t know what I’ll be doing, or where I’ll be living and that’s really scary!”
“What the heck do I do now?”
“Graduating is a pretty harrowing thought. Admittedly, I look back on my 4 years here and question the use of some of the courses I have done. I have come to realize that everything important I have learned was not an expected outcome on a syllabus; it was everything I've been exposed to outside of those core objectives that will carry me beyond my time here. The memorization of key pathways and disease cycles and benign factoids, while important for a grade, are not entirely applicable to real world situations (unless you pursue those kinds of things in greater detail in your line of work). For me, it was the way in which I achieved all these expectations, both inside a classroom and out in volunteer and work experiences on campus, that will keep me safe beyond the walls of this university. Cooperative and interdisciplinary group work. Investigative research. Professionalism and conscientious work habits. Networking. These were never expectations on a syllabus, but because of my time spent both in a class and out of it, I feel like I'll do okay. Harrowed, but okay.”
“I am scared, but so excited at the same time! After all the years of time spent in classes learning theories, I can finally have the opportunity to things into practice! I’ve worked hard for my degree, and I’m excited to finally make it useful!”
“What’s next to me means that I am probably going to throw my hands in the air, fall to the ground in agony and cry a lot in the next three months. Not only am I completely finished all my course work as of February 4th, but I am already trying to figure out how I’m going to get a job after I’m finished, go on practicum, and feed myself all over the next three months! Talk about stressed out! But if I ignore all that and truly think about what’s next for me, it’s actually incredibly exciting as currently ANYTHING is next for me. The possibilities seem endless! As I am about to put my big girl pants on, drive all over the province for interviews, be a professional 100% of the time (which I mean aren’t we all totally professional throughout all of university anyway?) and to actually be considered a colleague and seen on new levels that university students sometimes cannot be seen on by the “adults” of the world, that is truly an amazing idea to focus on! The best answer I have for myself (and for you to consider too) is I have no clue what’s next, and that is scary, but isn’t it exciting to think about all the possibilities?”
Those are just a few samplings of the feelings the graduating class of 2013 has. The important thing to remember is that you are not alone in your feeling, whatever it may be. Graduation is both a scary and exciting time for everyone, but it is just another new and fantastic page in this epic called life. We made it through the transition to high school, getting to university, and now another giant leap into the working world (or pursuing grad studies, or travel, or wherever life takes you!) will start another chapter of our life.
If you are feeling like you are not sure what is or could be next for you, then there are amazing resources on campus to take advantage of before you go! The lovely people at CAPS are ready to help you with whatever you need career wise, and have a set of listening ears too for your job woes.
And you can always visit us here at Infolink, we have caring and understanding about to be graduating students working here too, we can help you find the right place to find transcripts, help you look up the path to a new program, or just find information on places you can visit or roads you can take to make that transition from the comfort of the U of A out into the working world as easy as possible!
So congratulations! And please feel free to let us know how you are feeling about graduation by tweeting the #UAlberta13 hashtag at @InfoLinkUofA.
Tax Time
InfoLink - Wed Mar 06, 2013
Yes, it’s that time of the year again… time to do your taxes! As a student, you may believe that you are not earning enough income to have to pay taxes and in the midst of midterms and finals, filing a tax return may be the last thing on your mind. However, you may be missing out on some extra cash. In other words: Free Money!! (Sort of.)
By filing a tax return, these are a few things you can take advantage of:
1) Even if you don’t have any income, you can apply for the GST/HST Credit. This is a payment made to help low to mid income individuals cover an amount of GST or HST they pay. (Who doesn’t love when a cheque arrives in the mail?)
2) If you have worked at a part time or summer job, your employer will have likely deducted some tax off of your paycheck. Since many students don’t fall under a taxable income bracket, this amount may be refunded to you.
3) As a student, you can claim tuition, education, and textbook amounts to reduce the amount of taxes you have to pay. If you don’t owe any taxes, this amount remains as a credit in your account and carries into the future. Once you graduate and land a full time job, you can use this credit to reduce a portion of taxes you pay.
If you need some assistance with filing your taxes, take advantage of the free tax clinic offered by the U of A Accounting Club, located in the Business Tory Atrium that runs from March 4 – 24.
The "Moral Law"
InfoLink - Mon Feb 25, 2013
Music – Plato called it a “moral law”. Shakespeare spoke of it as the “food of love”. Ke$ha just wants it to “blow her speakers up”. Music is many things to many people, but almost never is it not enjoyable. In which case, why not enjoy some of the music concerts going on at the U of A?
The Department of Music stages performances every week by talented students and occasionally by faculty members as well. Just recently I attended a concert that took place in Convocation Hall called “Wind Players: Harmoniemusik from the 18th Century”. A must see for any fan of Classical Music, the concert was an outstanding show of virtuosity put on by students and their teachers. The music was a collection of pieces composed by Austrian and German composers (anyone heard of Mozart and Beethoven?) for some light diversion in the courts of their patrons.
As convenient as concerts at Con Hall are for students on campus, the Department of Music also has a concert series at the world-class Winspear Centre in the downtown Arts District. Is Classical music not your thing? Why not give Indian and West-African music a try? Among the upcoming concerts is “World Music Sampler” on April 5, featuring Grammy Award winner V.M. Bhatt.
And did I mention the best part? Tickets for students are only $10 at either venue. If you do find that you’re completely strapped for cash, there are also the Monday Noon Music programs. These short and completely free 45 minute concerts put on by students are sure to brighten up your lunch-hour. Feel free to bring your food!
Why not try a change from the usual movie or bar night and opt for a classy experience with the best that the musicians at the U of A have to offer?
Information about concerts and tickets can be found by clicking here.
Reading Week!
InfoLink - Fri Feb 15, 2013Reading Week... it can be a time for fun.
It can be a time for study.
It can be a time to do both.
(If we had a video that combined the two above ones, it would appear here, so we invite you to use your imagination to determine what that video might look like.)
However you spend it, we at InfoLink, hope that you enjoy your Reading Week!
Lost, But Found!
InfoLink - Fri Feb 08, 2013
Your day was going great. You woke up on time, had a good hearty breakfast, and aced your midterm. When suddenly: You’ve lost it. Your wallet. Your phone. Your saxophone. Your favorite sweater. Whatever it is, it might as well be the end of the world. It's gone forever, lost in the oblivion that is BioSci. Whatever the case may be, you’ve lost it, and your life is forever changed. What do you do?
Panic!
Just kidding, don’t panic. Because, however horrible this world may appear after reading the daily newspaper, be not afraid, fellow student! Good citizens exist! They walk amongst you, each and every day. They call the U of A campus home, just like you! So praise these wondrous people who constantly restore our faith in humanity, for they are likely to find your lost thing and turn it in to the nearest Lost & Found.
Lost & Found, you say? Here, on campus? Well, that's preposterous! How can any large institution, such as the UofA, have the capacities to handle something that is surely so grandiose in size! With close to 36,000 students on campus, there’s gotta be a whole treasure trove of lost items, equal in size and epicness to The Goonie’s Jackpot cave- complete with a pirate ship and plenty of booty! Where can such a trove exist? (Cough, the basement of NREF? Could that be how the Engineer’s got their pirate theme at Orientation? The answer to both, would be a simple no.)
Anyway, such a Lost & Found does exist, and at your nearest InfoLink booth on campus!
Follow these simple steps to get reunited with your precious (cough), lost thing. (Sorry Gollum, we can’t help you to get back the Ring.)
Step 1: Where did you last see the object? Go back there and check. Was it in a library? Maybe ask the librarians; they might have something by the desk. Did you lose it in the Business Atrium? Well, the nearest InfoLink booth to Business is in HUB, the next is in CAB. Check with both of those booths.
Step 2: Now you’re at an InfoLink booth. Now what? Just tell them what you lost and where, and we will check for it.
Step 3: Yes! The Booth has it! If the booth does have your lost item, the InfoLinker will ask you for some positive identification to ensure you are who you say you are (if you are picking up a wallet, a bank card or ONEcard, for example); or, they will ask you if you can describe the object in detail. Once you’ve done that, you sign that you took it and you’re off on your merry way!
WAIT! What if the booth I check doesn’t have my lost thing?
Then move to Step 4: Ask us anyway. If we don't have your item, it might still make it's way to us.
Good luck!!!
Community Timerasier
InfoLink - Sun Jan 06, 2013
Take an active role in your community while experiencing all the fun of an auction without a ton of cash. This silent auction will feature an exciting array of items that can be bid upon in exchange for hours of community service. Have some fun, find some goods, and get involved with this fun filled event. The Timeraiser will be held in conjunction with the SACIE pre-keynot speech reception for Raj Patel. Raj Patel's keynote speech on "Food Cultures for Sustainability" will begin at 7:00pm.
Click here for directions to the CCIS PCL Lounge (which is the lobby in front of CCIS room 1-430).
Participating Community Organizations:
Available Prizes:
Coming Soon!
Connecting Communities Near and Far
InfoLink - Sun Jan 06, 2013
Becoming an effective global citizen can seem like a daunting task at times, but with a little guidance and the right connections to your community, anything can be achieved. Join us as representatives from the Community Service-Learning Program, Sustain SU, Residence Services, the Campus Food Bank, and the Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences share their stories and engage you about how to become a global citizen without leaving the city. So if you're interested in learning more about how to get involved, join InfoLink as we host this free International Week event.
This event will be held in Education South 254
Here's what happened:
Creative Crafts and Holiday Events
InfoLink - Fri Dec 07, 2012
The holidays have arrived at InfoLink! (And yes, that is a star on the top of our tree.) Our staff have put together a list of a few creative crafts to tide you over this holiday season, and have even found a few holiday themed events that you might enjoy... after your exams of course.
Creative Crafts
Make some "Grown Up" hot chocolate.
Try making your own wrapping paper! You can use special craft paper, newsprint (for those who like to stay up on their current events), or you can use some colourful paper that you've decorate with your own fancy drawings.
(Add a sketch of a moustache or thick framed glasses to make it Hipster friendly!)
You can always take a crack at making the classic paper snowflake. (Or to really spice things up, attempt to make a Star Wars themed snowflake!)
Do you like staying warm? Is Bill Cosby your fashion icon? Do you enjoy wearing cute critters and/or lots of sparkles? Then why not make your very own Ugly Sweater! (You can decorate it according to the holiday or occassion of your choice.) Here's how you can make your own:
- Visit the ever so lovely Value Village.
- Find one oversized red or green sweater.
- Find as many tacky ornaments, stockings, head gear, etc that you can find within the store.
- Hot glue in one giant mess to your sweater.
Other Fantastic Alternatives:
- Pin some battery powered lights to the sweater.
- Wrap your self in garland.
- Deck yourself out like a Christmas tree.
Once you're finished making your sweater, why not invite your friends to make their own? Then you can have your very own "Ugly Sweater Party."
Edmonton Events
- Visit the Citadel to see “A Christmas Carol”
- Join Edmonton’s finest choirs for evenings of song at the Legislature building, each evening in December a different local choir or group of musicians sings to get you in the Christmas spirit. Free and hot chocolate is usually offered. (Plus, they decorate the foyer so beautifully!)
- Edmonton’s Singing Christmas Tree at the Jubilee auditorium is surely a sight to see! (December 7th and 8th.)
- Experience an olden timey holiday at Fort Edmonton Park!
- Join fellow students in the Myer Horowitz on Dec 11th for a marathon movie day beginning at 11am. The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be playing, so come a de-stress while watching the amazing series!)
- Check out the Butterdome Craft Sale... and speaking of the Craft Sale, here's what we learned when we visited it yesterday:
The Butterdome Craft Sale
Wondering what all those people are doing hanging around the Butterdome? This weekend is the annual Butterdome Craft Sale, which will run until this Sunday at 5 p.m. With more than 240 artists, designers and artisans from all over Canada displaying their wares, you're sure to find that perfect gift for your loved ones!
What’s more, you’re sure to have a good time doing it! The annual fair brings together some of the most innovative artists in Canada, who are always more than happy to tell you about their art and to send you off grinning.
Here are some of the must-see booths, featuring beautiful and innovative Canadian art:
Betty Froese, Shilo Glass
Betty Froese from St. Albert recycles wine, beer and vodka bottles, transforming them into cheeseboards. These creative glass creations have a myriad of uses as serving platters or even just as an innovative decoration. Be sure to check out this fun and environmentally friendly artwork at a very reasonable price! For more information on the artist click here.
Darlene Kokotailo, Authentic Egg Artistry
Using a high-powered drill, Darlene Kokotailo from Calgary creates unbelievably intricate designs in ostrich, rhea, emu, goose and quail eggs. Painted and occasionally even covered in crystals, these eggs make beautiful cabinet pieces and Christmas decorations. Kokotailo’s eggs are truly stunning works of art and a visit to her booth is well worth a visit. For more information (and galleries) on Darlene and her art, visit: www.eggart.ca.
Bill Anthony, Unique Stained Glass Works
Hailing from Didsbury, Alberta, Bill Anthony will be more than pleased to talk to you about his unique art which makes use of recycled circuit boards. Bill started out as a stained glass artist, but after a trip to New York, he was inspired by the way that the city streets at night looked like a computer’s circuit board. The rest is history. Since the soldering technique used in stained glass works equally well on circuit boards, he has been able to integrate circuit boards into his designs, creating such works of art as frogs (above), owls, lamps, clocks, and miniature christmas trees. Made out of recycled materials, his art is reasonably priced and makes a great gift for the techy on your list. For more information on Bill and his work, visit his website: www.usgworks.com.
Claude Duperron and Linda Westrom, Rhythms Artglass
All the way from Chemainus, BC, Claude Duperron and Linda Westrom make beautifully colourful glass pieces. They make their own glass in their studios and create intricate and often three-dimensional designs, based around different themes (featured here: “Roots” and “Marine Gardens”). Be sure to visit that artists to learn about the fascinating process involved in making these works of art, and maybe take home one of their elegant glass creations. For more information, visit www.rhythmsartglass.ca.
To visit these and other exciting booths, make sure to drop by the Butterdome Craft Sale on only this weekend! Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and youths. Children 12 and under get in free. The show will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information on vendors, hours, admission and more, visit www.butterdome.ca
Flu Shots
InfoLink - Fri Nov 23, 2012Every year the university uses the second year nursing students and the third year pharmacology students to give free flu shots to the campus community. To get one, all you need is your ONEcard.
The first year I went, I was leery about having a student give me my shot, and I started to dream up all kinds of different flu shot horror stories. But having a flu shot given to me by the students at the U of A has been the most positive experience that I’ve had, under the circumstances. My nurse has always been extremely professional and friendly, and the whole system is so well organized that it only took about 45 minutes from start to finish, including the 15 minutes you have to wait after getting the shot.
Although the mass flu shot clinic offered by the U of A is now closed, not to worry. You can still get your flu shot for free from the University Health Centre, or by a drop in at any Edmonton based clinic.
But why should you bother getting one? Most of my friends didn’t get the flu shot, thinking they wouldn’t need it or it wouldn’t work. But in my mind it is better to be protected from the three most common strains of the flu, both for my own health and to insure that I don’t carry the bug home to my family, then to risk it. And to the skeptics out there who don’t believe the flu shot does anything, I would tell them that it is better to get it just in case, then to need it and not have it.
Working on Campus
InfoLink - Fri Nov 09, 2012My day usually look a little like this:
(And just in case you are wondering, that is a bus that I am heading home on.)
I am an InfoLink Peer Advisor. I’ve been helping my fellow students for the past 3 years and really love getting to do work that allows me to give back to the campus community. Yes, yes I do. Here are the top reasons that I like working for InfoLink:
1) Rewarding part-time work.
This is probably why I love this job the most. On a daily basis I get to help my fellow students learn about the U of A’s academic supports, find out about what events are happening on campus, and locate the nearest microwave. (Plus I get to learn special tips and tricks for getting around campus myself.)
2) Meeting cool people!
The University is a big place, and it can be hard to connect with the people around you (unless you are lucky enough to have small classes). Working at InfoLink has allowed me to get to know people from other faculties and different cultures. Working on campus can make a large institution feel like a tight knit community!
3) No Evenings! (And typically no weekends!)
I used to work in the restraint industry, where evening shifts were a requirement. As a Peer Advisor, my work takes place during the daytime, when students are on campus. This means that I get to spend my day attending my own classes, and helping others find what they need when they need it. Then I get to go home and concentrate on my homework (or The Biggest Loser…).
4) Approachable Management
(My boss may or may not have drawn this picture.)
InfoLink’s Management Team are U of A graduates who know what it’s like to be a student. The Managers have front line experience working in the booths, and as former U of A students, they’ve had some of the same profs, and know have tried to balance a 10 hour work week with a full course load. They even believe in having a family/social life! Working in an environment where the Management is always around to listen to you really helps to make my experience a positive one. Which in turn makes me happy to help my clients!
So, why have I shared this info with you? Because we’re hiring! If you are interested in joining us here at InfoLink, then don’t delay! Applications are due on November 28. You can find the job posting by clicking here.
Not sure if you want to be a Peer Advisor yet, but still curious about how it all works? Or are you looking to make a little extra spending money to help cover your holiday spending? Then why not apply to help with the distribution of the Winter 2013 U-Pass?!? Click here to learn more about our U-Pass Distributor positions.
Weekend Wonders
InfoLink - Fri Nov 02, 2012Are you looking for a fun study break this weekend? Do you want to enjoy the great indoors? We’ve put together a few options that might help you stay inside this weekend.
Festival of New Spanish Cinema at the Garneau Theatre
Looking for a way to escape from the snow? Take a trip to sunny Spain with the Festival of New Spanish Cinema in the Garneau Theatre!
The 2nd Annual Festival put on by Pragda and the Embassy of Spain in Canada along with Metro Cinema will be screening 6 of the year’s most innovative and daring Spanish films of the year from November 2-10. The Festival will take place at the Garneau Theatre on 109 street, just a short walk from the University.
The Festival opens this Friday with an opening night reception featuring Spanish wines starting at 6:15 pm in the Garneau Theatre lobby, followed by the first film at 7:00 pm. The opening film is No habrá paz para los malvados (No Rest for the Wicked), a police thriller and winner of six Goya awards.
A few of the other films selected for the festival include Madrid, 1987, Carmina o Revienta (Carmina or Blow Up), Los pasos dobles (The Double steps) and Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight).
All films will be presented with English subtitles and tickets can be bought in the theatre box office at a cost of $8 for students.
For more information on films and the festival schedule visit Metro Cinema online or check out Pragda's website.
Party with a Purpose
Party With A Purpose begins with a locally-sourced (and delicious!) banquet-style sustainable dinner at 6:30pm on Friday, November 2nd. The catering includes vegetable strudel, roast-garlic potato salad, bison burgers, and more! Vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike will find plenty of options for filling their plates.
Following the dinner, at 8pm, doors will open for a concert with local bands The Whytes and Canyon Rose Outfit, with all energy for the sets being provided by people-powered bicycles, courtesy of Music Is A Weapon. Tickets for the dinner are a mere $12, tickets for the concert are $14, or you can purchase both for $22. Tickets will be available at the door tonight. The event is being held at Dinwoodie Lounge (2nd floor of the Students' Union Building).
Fine Dining on a Budget
InfoLink - Fri Oct 26, 2012I like to eat. I really like to eat. I have three boards on Pinterest devoted to food alone (Husband Approved Food, I <3 New Recipes, and I <3 Dessert) as well as another one entitled “Fancy Drinks”. However, if you’re anything like me, your budget is a little more Kraft Dinner and a little less Steak Dinner. What’s a starving student to do?
While the cheap pizza at our friendly neighborhood Dominos may sound appealing, especially when you’re buried up to your eyebrows in homework and readings, don’t do it. Just don’t. Or, if you have to give into the temptation, just limit the amount of times in a month you do it. Otherwise your pocketbook may be relatively safe but your waistline may be heading in an undesirable direction.
Fortunately, this is a good time to be a starving student. Gone are the days where you have to amass a full bookshelf of cookbooks for a few good recipes. Now, we have the INTERNET! Seriously, I learned how to cook from the internet. Mostly so I could feed myself, but also so I could feed a boy who I was trying to impress. (Hey, it worked! See the title of one of my Pinterest Boards above…). There are literally millions of recipes out there. Some good, some terrible, and most are fairly decent. You can find whatever kind of recipe you want on one of the thousands of Food blogs out there.
A few of my favourites are:
a blog dedicated to college and young adult cooking. They’ve also got a good pantry guide, which can be invaluable when you’ve moved out of Mom and Dad’s and you realize flour doesn’t just magically appear. They also have premade menus, and handy how-tos when you realize you don’t know how to how to use a crockpot.
a blog dedicated to South Beach Diet cooking. While I don’t follow South Beach myself, she posts some recipes that are literally sautéed vegetables with salt and pepper on them. Not exactly rocket science, but when you’re brand new to cooking, the step-by-step instructions and the inspiration for dishes help a lot!
This girl has priced out exactly what each recipe costs. Now granted, she lives in the USA and food is cheaper there, but still, it gives you an idea of what your meals cost.
Another source for recipes is the almighty www.allrecipes.com, which has thousands of recipes for everything, along with a rating system so you know if they’re good recipes or not.
Ok, you’ve got a recipe. Now check the ingredients. Try and stay away from specialty items as they can be expensive, and could expire before you use them all. Grains like pasta, rice, and quinoa tend to be great cheap fillers. They will help stretch your meal and bring down the cost, while still ensuring that you won’t go hungry. Try to stick to whole wheat pastas and brown rice for the higher nutritional value, although, I know some of you will ignore me on this and that’s OK too. Vegetables and fruits can fall on the more expensive side; so try to eat in season (to find out what’s in season when, click on this handy dandy little chart). Another way to save money on veggies is to buy in bulk, although, if you spend more money to buy more, but don’t eat it all, you’re actually losing money, so either share with your roommate or find a way to make it last (by freezing, etc). You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but you need fruits and vegetables, so bite the bullet and add their cost to your budget.
The most significant cost to your meal is usually going to be meat. As a starving student, you’re going to want to find recipes that de-emphasize the amount of meat in relation to your other, cheaper foods, like grains and vegetables. Many soups are great for this, as well as casseroles. Also, going meatless once or twice a week is also a good way to stop 90% of your budget going towards 20% of what you eat. If you do go meatless, (or if you’re a vegetarian) make sure you get your needed protein from other sources. Legumes, like chickpeas and black beans are both cheap and delicious, if prepared the right way, and they can bulk up a meal so that you don’t miss the meat as much. Trust me, I’ve fed my carnivore husband bean-based meals and he loves them just as much as other meals with meat as the leading star. Other good sources of protein include eggs and most grains.
(And yes, that is a bean dressed up in a cow costume.)
Now your final, and most important step. Plan your meals. Sit down before grocery shopping so that you at least have some idea of what foods you need to make the meals you want to make. Then you won’t end up eating croutons, chocolate pudding, a scoop of peanut butter and a banana for dinner one night. (That may be one of my actual meals… yes my friends were disgusted.) Try and look over your plan so that you are using bulk ingredients multiple times in the week to use them up. There’s nothing worse than buying a bunch of spinach for one recipe, and watching the rest wilt away.
My favourite meal-planning tool is www.ziplist.com. Ziplist has a button for your browser, much like Pinterest, and will let you save a recipe from anywhere on the interwebs. It not only saves the link and picture, but also grabs the ingredient list, so that you can easily add those ingredients to a meal plan and then a shopping list that can sync with your iPhone or Android. No, I’m not being paid to advertise them, I just use the website ALL THE TIME.
Cooking for yourself can be a daunting task, especially with a small budget, but with a little help from these resources you can do it. I believe in you.
Go Abroad!
InfoLink - Fri Oct 19, 2012On Wednesday, October 3rd, the University of Alberta’s Education Abroad Program held their Go Abroad Fair on the main floor of SUB. Education Abroad staff and past participants were on hand to talk to students about each of Education Abroad’s three program areas: Exchange Programs, Internships, and Summer Programs. Education Abroad enables students to enrich their university degree with international experience in over 40 locations around the world.
Emma Tunney, who has participated in three different programs, took language and academic courses and did an internship in Germany. Tunney says that the experience has had a great effect on her degree; she now studies German as part of a double major and has taken away new language and work skills from her experiences. Some students may be worried about going abroad due to language concerns, but Tunney says that while it was intimidating for her at first, she quickly adapted to living in a second language. Before she went to Germany, she had taken 100-level German courses at the U of A. As time went on, her German improved so that she was able to joke around and make real connections with her German counterparts. To students considering going abroad she says “leave your house before you find a reason to stay. Go out and do it because you won’t be sorry, you’ll never be sorry.”
Daniel Waring studied Spanish literature last year at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico. Daniel had finished SPAN 300, Advanced Spanish, before heading to Mexico and did not encounter any language problems. While in Mexico he was able to travel around the country. Some of his favorite destinations were southwest Mexico and Mexico City, the largest city in the Americas. He found Mexico to be very beautiful; the people were friendly, and contrary to what you might hear on the news, safe and not at all scary. He was able to transfer credits back to the U of A and has now finished all the Spanish credits required for his degree. To prospective study abroad students he says, “Do it. It’s an awesome experience.”
In addition to its normal programs, Education Abroad also offers opportunities to study at U of A partner institutions such as the Faculty of Arts’ school in Cortona, Italy or at the Université Catholique de Lille where U of A courses are offered, so credit transfer is not a problem. The Faculty of Education offers a Spring/Summer program in Ghana for students who have completed their IPT, up to 5-month long programs teaching in Beijing schools and the chance for students to complete their APT programs in the Alberta overseas school in Macau, China.
For more information on these and other Education Abroad opportunities, and upcoming events such as the Education Abroad Poster Symposium on October 25th, visit the Education Abroad website at www.goabroad.ualberta.ca or the Education Abroad offices in Enterprise Square.
Happy Thanksgiving!
InfoLink - Thu Oct 04, 2012
October is here! (Wait… ALREADY?) Take a few moments to let your mind stray from midterms to delicious and exciting October treats. This upcoming weekend kicks off your first long weekend of the Fall semester and we have some fun facts, tips, and maybe even delicious ideas about how to enjoy your Thanksgiving long weekend.
The iconic image and dinner item of Thanksgiving is the turkey!
Did you know that the turkey is the most popular bird in North America? Why? Because we LOVE to eat it! It’s popularity came from the love of having this stuffed bird on our tables for all the special occasions! Did you think it came from its beautiful looks?
How to cook your own turkey:
-
Buy a turkey for one or two at your local supermarket (you can get itty bitty ones for those who’ll staying close to campus this year. But you might want something bigger if you’re heading home for a family feast!)
-
Make sure to take out the gross insides that the store happily leaves in there for you.
-
To keep the turkey moist, fill the inside with: Half an onion (chopped in two) half a lemon, (squeeze juice inside first and then put in lemon chopped in two) garlic cloves, and any spices you desire.
-
Bathe the outside in olive oil to get that golden skin.
-
Cook 15mins per pound. (For a little guy probably not more then an hour or two) at 400 degrees. Cook to 185 degrees.
-
Take out and enjoy with whatever sides you love! (Potatoes and gravy are always good!)
FUN FACT:
How did the turkey get its name? Have you ever wondered what Turkey (the country in the Middle East) and the American bird have in common? A case of mistaken identity resulted in the American Turkey being named after the country. When the Spanish first found the bird in the Americas more than 400 years ago they brought it back to Europe. The English mistakenly thought it was a bird they called a "turkey" so they gave it the same name. This other bird was actually from Africa, but came to England by way of Turkey (lots of shipping went through Turkey at the time). The name stuck even when they realized the birds weren't the same.*
We encourage you to take a break from the long days of studying and get some family fun in over this long weekend! Remember, University buildings will be closed on Monday October 8th and there are no classes either!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
*Source: http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/turkey.htm
The Good Old Days
InfoLink - Fri Sep 21, 2012
If you happen to see a few hundred people on campus this weekend who, perhaps, look a tad bit older than your average student, we can tell you why. It’s Alumni Weekend! Alumni Weekend is an annual event, run by the Alumni Affairs Department.
For most undergrads, still getting into the swing of a new semester, the thought of being an Alumnus is some dream far off in the future. For the Alumni descending on campus this weekend, this is a chance to relive some of the “glory days” of a University career that flew by far too quickly. This weekend will have many different events for those coming back to campus after a long time away. There are Faculty specific events and lectures, and dinner and dance, tours to point out new buildings to alum and, my favourite, the Tuck Shop.
The original Tuck Shop was located where the Fine Arts Building is now, and was a great place to get coffee and a cinnamon bun between classes. The Tuck Shop now is located in Quad for the weekend, and will be the main tent for the Alumni to meet in. However, for students right now, it is a place you can get a coffee and cinnamon bun before class.
(Mmmmm, cinnamon buns!)
For more information about this exciting event, visit the website the Alumni website.
Campus Spotlight: Recreation Services
InfoLink - Fri Sep 14, 2012
Recreation Services are a part of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. They provide a variety of recreational opportunities for students on campus, such as intramural sports, group exercise classes, instructional recreation, sports clubs, and various special events.
Some of the special events Recreation Services offers include the Turkey Trot, Sunday Night Drop-in sports (for students and staff), Thriller – U of A United Way Fundraising Campaign, Family Fun Sundays, and many other fundraisers and events. These can all be found on their website, as well students can register for group fitness classes and other sports online or by phone.
We asked Recreation Services what the best part about working for their service is “It’s about getting to do something you love everyday! We are all brought together by the love of sports and recreation, no matter if it is yoga, volleyball, martial arts, ballet, or anything in between. Volunteering for Recreation services is being able to bring together the University community through play.”
Recreation Services offers something for everyone! You can view all their programs online or by picking up an Activity Guide in stands around campus. Recreation Services makes it really easy for students to live healthy, active lifestyles throughout the academic year. They offer many options between, before, or after classes. Students can register online for whatever suits their needs and interests.
Thanks Rec Services! 
How to Contact Recreation Services:
Main Office:
Van Vliet Centre W-10
Other places you can visit:
Activity Registration Zone Van Vliet Centre W-79
Recreation Sports Office Van Vliet Centre W-90
Phone: 780-492-2555
Online: recservices@ualberta.ca www.recservices.ualberta.ca
Welcome Back!
InfoLink - Fri Aug 31, 2012We can feel the chill in the air now that the September long weekend is just around the corner. Over the next few days students will be finishing up their travels and their summer time work, and they’ll be enjoying the last weekend before classes. Some may dread the return to campus and will drag themselves here on September 5th, but those of us at InfoLink happen to be looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the Fall semester.
Some love how beautiful our campus gets in the Fall as pretty shades of orange and yellow will soon adorn the trees. Some of us get to begin our countdown to graduation. Others are looking forward to the return of friends and activities that may have disappeared over the summer. And some of us just can’t wait to get back into our classroom lectures. In addition to our own class schedules, we’re also looking forward to sharing a few ways to make the most out of your September. So, what can you look forward to?
WOW!
The SU’s annual Week of Welcome (which will be Dr. Seuss themed this year,) is for any and every kind of student on campus. This year’s WOW will feature a clubs fair in quad, beer gardens, and tons of free handouts around campus. There will also be concerts and events to take in during the evenings. So as you explore campus to find your exams, take some time to wander around and see what the U of A is all about!
Books!
When buying books the long lines and busy store atmosphere can be incredibly overwhelming even for the seasoned student. There isn’t really much you can do about the lines come September, but there are a few ways to reduce the time you’ll spend in them. The best tip is to actually wait until classes begin, see what books are on your syllabus, and then head over to The Bookstore during a quieter time of day. Visiting when they first open or during a popular class timeframe (ie: between 1:15pm, not right on the hour) will cut down your time in the line significantly as well. Also, if you need to purchase something from Special Services in The Bookstore (like a DVD, MathXL, or any other programming required for your course) make sure to gather all of your other books first; once you go to the Special Services Desk, they’ll bring you straight to the till to pay for everything! As an alternative to The Bookstore, you can check for discounted books on our online Used Book Registry (where books are sometimes given away for free), or you can stop by SUBtitles, where the line ups might not be as long of a wait.
Trying to find a place to study or eat?
Campus gets incredibly busy in September so finding your favorite table in Cameron may not happen on a daily basis. Also, if you’re looking for a lunch table at 12:01pm, forget about it! The key idea here is planning as well as trial and error. The most populated study spots on campus will be in SUB, CAB, and the Rutherford Library. So, why not try out one of the newer buildings on campus like CCIS or ECHA? If you’re looking to eat lunch and your class finishes at 11:50am, you may be out of luck. People will find any nook and cranny to sit, chat, and eat. So instead of wasting your whole lunch break wandering around looking for somewhere to sit don’t be afraid to swoop in and grab any table, bench or chair you can find then keep on the lookout for a bigger desk or table if you need. If someone looks like they are studying alone at a big table ask if you can sit there too.
Back to school is an exciting time of year! We can’t wait to get back into the swing of things and see the changes September brings to campus. We look forward to welcoming you back on September 5th!
How to Remove Your Expired U-Pass Stickers (Fall 2012 Edition)
InfoLink - Thu Aug 16, 2012If you are hoping to help speed up the U-Pass lines this Fall, we recommend that you remove your expired U-Pass stickers from your ONEcard... and we even have a fun video to show you how!
Click here to see!
Fall U-Pass distribution will begin on Wednesday, August 22 at the main InfoLink Office (0-26 SUB). Mass Distribution will run from September 5, 6, and 7 at InfoLink locations in HUB, CAB, and 0-26 SUB. We will also have a special distribution point in ETLC.
Why You Really Do Need a U-Pass
InfoLink - Tue Aug 14, 2012As the Fall semester is beginning to approach, InfoLink is gearing up for the return of the Fall U-Pass. When our Fall U-Pass distribution begins on August 22nd, returning students will begin to line up to receive their Universal Bus Pass, and these are just a few of the reasons why:
1. You will pay for it even if you don’t get it. So if you are paying for it, you might as well get it.
2. We’re students and we like to party. At some point, your friends are going to want to go to a bar downtown or they'll want to go to a movie, or they might even want to go to West Edmonton Mall, which is pretty far off the track from the U of A. Wouldn’t it be just lovely to be able to take the LRT or some buses instead of having one friend drive you all or paying for a cab. You can do that with the U-Pass! Why pay for transit when you already have?
3. Sometimes cars break down or you’ve decided the traffic battle isn’t worth it. Although we distribute the U-Pass all semester long, wouldn’t it be nice to have it already there ready whenever it’s needed from September on, just in case you do have to take the bus one day instead of driving. You’ve just saved yourself $3.
4. It snows a lot here in the winter and if you don’t mind the snow, you might mind the -40 plus windchill on your walk to school. ETS has buses that run from even the closest locations to campus and although you may feel like that 10 minute walk isn’t worth the U-Pass, in the winter it just might be worth hopping on the bus that runs outside your apartment for 5 minutes instead of braving the cold.
We really encourage you to see the value in the U-Pass and join us at the end of August to get that brand new shiny sticker added to your Onecard!
Coming up next: How to help keep the U-Pass line moving by removing your expired U-Pass stickers at home!
Edmonton Summer Festivals!
InfoLink - Fri Jul 13, 2012Edmonton is known as “Festival City” particularly in the summer when Edmonton becomes an amazing cultural hub of entertainment, festivals, events, and other attractions! Now, some of them you try out and they are a giant flop (because it seems like there is a festival for everything) but there are some really great and really fun festivals that you should attend if you are looking for a relatively cheap weekend out. Here are a few popular events that are coming up … and yes, I have included some of my favorites!
July 6, 2012 the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival kicks off in Churchill Square downtown. This is a fun filled week of evening performances by some amazing street performers. There are food trucks all over the square for you to enjoy dinner and a show. If you don’t want to spend to much money then just head down to take in the different and sometimes amazing performances. This festival runs until July 15.
If you are already downtown for that why not take the LRT back to the U and walk down Whyte Ave that weekend! July 13th-15th Whyte Ave will be full (including the side streets!) with local artists for the Whyte Avenue Art Walk. You can enjoy some local while strolling outdoors and while you’re there you can take in some of our local shops too!
Lots of our festivals overlap in Edmonton, so you can literally find something to do every night of the week in July it seems! Some festivals you may even want to visit again like A Taste of Edmonton. Last year was my first time at this festival and I think we will be back for more this year. Back in Churchill Square, you will find that the area has been taken over by food trucks from local restaurants around Edmonton. Have you always wanted to try out that chocolate buffet in the Sutton Place Hotel, Padmanadi's vegetarian food that looks like meat, or any other random restaurant that might not have a review online? Well, chances are the ones that don’t have reviews online won’t have a food truck and they are probably not in business anymore, but the lovely other eateries of Edmonton who have made a substantial name for themselves will be there, even if you’ve never heard of them! Stroll around downtown for an entire ten days and taste all that Edmonton’s best has to offer. This is a ticket based system so once you’ve bought your over zealous 50 pack of tickets, you can go at it for those full ten days. My best advice, do a walk around or grab a map first! There is nothing like running out of those 50 tickets on the first night only to find out that there are bacon wrapped scallops on the other side that you never got to try. (Insert buying 20 more tickets here just to try them.) Also, take a look at what other people got. Sometimes the bang isn’t worth the buck and a spring roll for 5 tickets probably isn’t worth it. Check out the portion sizes, decide what you want to start and end with or try for sure, then swoop in for some super yummy food!
Another favorite for you ride lovers, thrill seekers, or trade show goers like myself is Captial Ex. It kicks off with a fun for all parade downtown on Jasper July 19th and then you can head over to Northlands on July 20th for all the carney fun!
Did you know that throughout the entirety of July there is a Shakespeare festival in Hawrelak Park! Not a 24 hour thing of course, but they play shows nightly (except Mondays) for their two plays this year: The Tempest and Julius Ceaser. So if you are looking for a little outdoor culture this summer, head over to Tix on the Square for a night out with Shakespeare. Best perk of this festival: FREE STUDENT SUNDAYS! Who knows it may even help your English essays next year.
That pretty much brings us into August! Stay tuned for another update on some of the festivals I got the chance to take in this summer and what August will bring! If you just can’t wait for my next festival post then you should check out the 100 things to do in Edmonton list. And remember, if you are wandering around and don’t really know what to do, don’t hesitate to pick up that Vue Summer Guide, there are at least 5 events or things to do every single day of the summer. Who said Edmonton wasn’t a thrilling city!
Spring & Summer at the U of A
InfoLink - Mon Jun 25, 2012Can you feel it? The sun has shone at least two days in a row and Edmonton may have rid snow from its weather outlook for the next two months. This means summer must finally be here! I know a lot of you are off gallivanting in far away countries or you are working hard at your summer office job so to start off our News feed adventures I thought that I would bring a little of the U of A campus (and what you are missing when you are only here in the Fall/Winter) to you.
You would think the U of A just shuts down and is pretty boring in the summer and to be honest it does get kind of quiet here. There are no hoards of people rushing from the LRT at 8am to make it class, you don’t have to line up for textbooks at The Bookstore, and the best part is that you never have to wait in a line longer then 5 minutes at Tim Hortons in CAB. Ah, summer on campus is truly my favorite time of year!
Campus in the spring and summer is a home base for many exciting international conferences and events. It also plays home for those students who, like me, choose to continue studies over the summer (because we have to in order to finish our degrees), and to the staff who work here (after all, someone has to run this place while you are gone!). Visitors also tend to make their way to campus while trying to find their way around the city, and usually find themselves distracted by the U of A’s beauty (and yes, a number of them do proceed to get lost, but that’s why I’m here I guess, as I and my fellow Peer Advisors help them eventually find their way back to Whyte Ave).
If you happen to be taking a lunch break from your office job or just have nothing better to do, you should stroll on down to the old familiar campus whether you are coming back next year or not. Now, I know the last thing you probably want to do on that nice sunny day you have off is to walk around the place you despise for most of September through April, but seriously it’s beautiful down here! The trees are green, there are flowers, and did I mention that there is no line up at Tim Hortons! Come and enjoy that Iced Cap on campus and lose yourself in a side of campus you may have never seen before… and if you get lost while looking at our campus in bloom, remember that we are always waiting to help you at Infolink.
