Changes To The Quill: Our Goals And Aims

The Quill has been doing the same thing for several years now. We publish our physical copy of The Quill every Tuesday and get it out on stands, after slaving all day Sunday to make sure it’s altogether. Over the next few days we would get our stories on our website and try to get people to pick up a copy of The Quill as they walk by some of our stands.

It’s tough and has been really difficult trying to get a higher readership. One of things we are trying to change is just how accessible The Quill is on campus and how we can ensure students are getting the news they deserve to hear. I personally have had to semi embrace the age of social media. That’s right The Quill officially has a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account. What ever will we do with it? Try to get the students of BU to read the bloody thing of course! That or come join us as a reporter, or come to us with stories, or offer your opinions on the stories we write.

Our material isn’t always great and our resources are finite. We need support from the student community to try and get our stories out their. We need people to come forward with ideas and with suggestions. We can’t report on whats going on around campus if no one ever says anything or just assumes we know it. We have a small team and limited amount of resources to utilize. Not to mention, every reporter is also a student and likely has another part time job or responsibilities to answer to. Sadly, there are never enough hours in a day.

Now I could blame apathy or busy lifestyles on campus for why people don't pick up the paper but ultimately it is up to us as part of The Quill to uncover the stories students want to read. So in an attempt to remedy this I have been working on several aspects of a plan to try and get: more accessibility for readership, better quality of stories and more relevant stories people want to read about.

How will this get done? A literal shit ton of coffee and excess sleep deprivation. Here is my plan for better accessibility and phase 1 has already begun. We will now be publishing paper copies of The Quill every other week and on the off weeks we will be posting material strictly online. We are aiming to have articles put up both on our website and on our social media. We began that last week with our 16th issue which was our first strictly digital copy. Now we will just continually post what we can and try getting our ideas off of paper and instead on the minds of the student body. Another way to increase accessibility and readership is through scanning QR codes. We want students to be able to scan a story they want to read then be taken right to it on their smartphone.

My goal to create more digital content on social media will hopefully offer opportunities for people to share opinions on topics and have conversations online. This is how I am hoping to create more relevant stories, once people are able to share their opinions online. I would like to utilize polls and different options on social media in order to get a feel of what stories people want told. Once we know more about peoples opinions and what they want to talk about, then we will have the chance to focus on more relevant stories for students.

The final goal of having better quality of stories will have to come through either hiring an editor or going through PD sessions. What I am planning is to have a freelance journalist or professional editor come forward and offer some methods for how we can improve as a staff and as a team.

As with most projects, these types of things take time and money to properly implement and I’m not saying it will be easy but I do think we are capable of doing it! Please keep an eye out for our posts on social media and our papers in the hallways. I hope to be hearing some of your opinions soon. Cheers.

An Ethical Attack On Genetic Engineering

What was once considered science fiction, is becoming embedded within our reality much like many other ideas of the 20th century that came to life before our species eyes. Simple questions with complex answers are surfacing at ridiculously quick rates as each new answer gives us multiple new questions. Genetic engineering is no longer science fiction as one would like to believe. Things like CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), and other bioengineering methods will soon allow us to genetically alter genomes in the human body. 

Endless possibilities and millions of doors to new things are now open to things like permanently getting rid of diseases, new medicinal methods to treat injuries, and so forth. However, this might also open the door to modifying human genetics such as creating intellectuals on par with Leonardo Da Vinci or physical characteristics like Olympic athletes. Why not make these changes to the human genome all at once? While this may look like a benefit to society, we must ask ourselves, should we? 

If we can genetically create any type of human we want for a particular environment or particular purpose, how do we know we will not create the dystopian world from Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”? Where people from birth have a predetermined fate never to be able to do other tasks. A society with certain classes in which people cannot change their status. 

One might argue that the solution is to just give everyone the highest qualities, the problem with this is that naturally some people will still appear better then others. Or in other words, using one of Alan Watts’ arguments on why having a large amount of virtuous people might not be a good thing. If you have a virtuous person, it can be easy to see that. If you put a bunch of virtuous people together, some suddenly become better than the others, despite them all being virtuous. Conclusively if you give everyone high quality and “good” genes naturally, a sort of hierarchy forms, because some suddenly appear better. 

Thus, similar to the Alpha, Beta, and Epsilon classes in a “Brave New World”, even if you tried to give everyone equal qualities, these classes would appear on their own. The only real way to eliminate this from happening is for everyone to have the exact same genetic structure, or in other words, you would have to clone someone. Everyone would be the exact same person and obviously we all know this would not work well at all. If everyone is not a clone, then there must be an imbalance somewhere for things to be different. But if there is an imbalance this implies something is better then something else, which leads to the classes once again. It is paradoxical trying to escape from this.

Another problem is how do we prevent determinism, or anti-free will? If we can change every gene in a child before they are born, this is practically determining everything about them, and their entire future; even though Nietzsche has taken quite a stab at free will, refuting the idea of free will without any genetics. 

This genetic editing is not such an easy question as it appears to be. This is just one example of a serious issue Huxley tries to portray in Brave New World, it is sort of a warning flag. Or as Peter Parker’s Uncle said, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”

Brandon University Security?

In October 2018 posters were placed on the Glen P. Sutherland Gallery of Art that contained hate speech. The posters were similar to the ones that surfaced at Brandon University last year around the same time in the term, and similar messages were placed on campuses around Canada this year as well. It quickly became apparent that there was a need for Brandon University to become safer, as the Galley is located on the very edge of Brandon University and there is very little in terms of security for students walking over to the building or working late at the building. Security meetings were organized with concerned students, groups on campus, and administration from the University. During these meetings it became clear that work needed to be done to ensure students on campus felt safe. Professors spoke out at the meeting about their concerns for both their own safety and the safety of their students when they were on campus after hours or in a secluded area of campus. Some security changes were made due to these meetings. First, cameras were purchased to be placed around the outside of the Glen P. Sutherland Gallery of Art. This would assure student’s felt more secure but also if there were any more posters put up, the individual/s would be caught on camera. Second, landlines were placed in the basement of the library building, another region on campus that was noted as being unsafe and an area that students often worked late in. Third, the University had added a daytime security officer to patrol the entire campus during the weekdays. An email was sent to BU students introducing Ishtdeep Khalsa as the new security officer, and this reporter has since observed Ishtdeep patrolling the campus. The email also asserted students should call 911 if they see a crime or are in danger. The process of holding security meetings also brought forward more concerns about campus safety. Professors were concerned about the university’s public response (or lack thereof) to racism on campus, a lack of support for professors dealing with disruptive and problematic students in their classrooms, and conflicting direction on calling 911 when hate speech/racism appears on campus. There was also some suggestion toward developing a safe space for students to go speak to someone if they knew anything about the hate speech posters, etc. It was suggested that BUSU or Student Services might offer such a space for students to come forward with any knowledge about racism on campus. A thought from the final safety meeting was that it would be appreciated to see various members of the university community speaking out against racism when it occurs on campus. When posters and stickers began appearing at the University of Manitoba around the same time as the ones at BU, many members of the university took to social media to speak against it. There was an immediate reaction from the university community which united people in the community but also made minority students feel safer. That type of response was not seen at Brandon University. 

If you see one of these posters or stickers around campus, please call the physical plant to remove them. If you see them around Brandon, report them to the police. It is not recommended that an individual removes them themselves as they have been known to have blades or needles hidden behind them. 

Do This, Not That: Surviving Round Two Of The School Year

Welcome back, readers! Whether you’re eager to be back to class or you’re dragging your ass to that dreaded statistics class, we have a few guidelines to making this winter semester a successful one. Mostly this article is going to tell you what NOT to do (you do you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when you get a D in that BS elective class you enrolled in because it looked fun). Ready? Here we go!

Rule #1: Know where your classes are. Walking into the wrong classroom (especially if you run a little behind schedule like me) is awkward. I’m in my 4th year of university and there’s some places I’ve never had a class in (and I’ve had a 4th year ask me where classrooms marked LI on the course calendar are). Showing up a few minutes earlier can keep you from falling off your game!

Rule #2: Don’t be known as that person who is always late. I generally have a bit of grace for those who are a couple minutes late (redneck traffic on 18th is unpredictable, right?) but don’t be that asshole who saunters in 20 minutes late. 

Rule #3: Don’t be rude and distract other students. I know sitting through some courses (theory’s not for everyone) is about as fun as watching paint dry. I get it. That, however, does NOT give you the right to be obnoxious with your buddies and take away from other people’s learning experience. If you feel like you have better things to do than be in that class, peace out. This includes phones, too. My favourite prof has no problem calling out students scrolling on their phones during class and I absolutely love him for it.

Rule #4: Don’t show up to class inebriated. This one might be a common-sense rule but if you have an evening class and want to go out for dinner and a few drinks before your 7:00-10:00p.m. class, you might have a few too many. Same goes for packing a bowl (it’s your life but have fun sitting for an hour or two avoiding eye contact with your prof).

Rule #5: Get organized. I’m not this person and I kick myself for it every semester.

Rule #6: Don’t slack on your coursework. Even though it’s early in the semester, you’re probably gonna get slammed later in the term. You have the opportunity to advance your education and better yourself. If you’re half-assing it, why are you here?

Rule #7: Don’t forget to do some self-care for the overachiever. I’m going to be a hypocrite here. For those who are on full hustle-mode (hitting the books, working for that coin, extracurriculars, family, volunteering, and whatever else you do) make sure you take a break. It seems counter-intuitive when you’re getting slammed with deadlines and you’re roped into so many commitments, but without taking some time for you, you’re as useless as a fish out of water. Watch an episode of Netflix, get outside on a nice day, go workout, call a good friend, take a nice nap... Do what you need to do to recharge. 

Here’s a few guidelines to surviving (and for some of you, thriving) this semester. Best of luck!

Evans Theatre Update

With the start of the New Year, many organizations are looking ahead. The Evans Theatre on the university campus is no exception. The Evans Theatre is put on and organized by the Brandon Film Festival Inc. Throughout the school year, from September to April, the Evans Theatre presents a variety of movies for students to enjoy. Movies take place, generally, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Movies begin at 7:30 p.m. and cost $6.00 to attend. The Evans Theatre also has a concession stand on site. Here, attendees can purchase popcorn, drinks and candy bars for $2.00.

The Evans Theatre has now released their film schedule for January and February 2019. First on the list is a movie titled “What They Had”. The movie stars  Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon and was directed by Elizabeth Chomko. The film centers around how a woman must return back to her home community after her Alzheimer stricken mom gets lost in a blizzard. The women must also confront and come to terms with everything she left behind in her hometown as well as deal with her rebellious daughter. “What They Had” will be screened on January 18th, 19th and 20th. On January 25th, 26th and 27th the Evans Theatre will be showing a movie titled “The Happy Prince”. The film is a dramatic biography and tells the last days of the life of Oscar Wilde. While on his last breaths, Oscar's past come back to haunt him and he evaluates his life decisions. He continuously is taken back to thoughts of his suffering wife and his love affair. Oscar Wilde is portrayed by Rupert Everett, who also directed the movie. Other stars in the film include Colin Firth, Colin Morgan and Emily Watson. To end off the month of January, the Evans Theatre is showing the film “Reunion of Giants” on Sunday, January 27th at 2:00 p.m. An older film that hit screens in 2015, the Reunion of Giants is a documentary that was directed by Morgan Elliot. The movie shows the tale of the last two airworthy Lancaster World War 2 bombers meeting for a final time in 2014. The two aircraft took to the English skies one last time.

Moving into February, the line up at the Evans Theatre doesn't disappoint. Kicking off the first weekend in February is the film titled “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” The movie stars Melissa McCarthy, Richard Grant and Dolly Wells and is directed by Marielle Heller. McCarthy plays Lee Israel who falls from current tastes and turns to a new art, deception. “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” will be showing February 1st, 2nd and 3rd starting at 7:30 p.m. each day. Next in line is the film titled “Shoplifters”. This film follows the story of a family who is surviving poverty by shoplifting. A Japanese drama movie, “Shoplifters” is directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The groundbreaking film is showing at the Evans Theatre on February 8th, 9th and the 10th. Finally playing February 15th, 16th and 17th is the movie “Ben is Back”. “Ben is Back” stars Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. It was directed by Peter Hedges. The film tells the tale of Ben Burns, a drug addicted teen, unexpectedly returning home at Christmas. Ben's family soon learns he is in grave danger because of his drug problems. This puts an ultimate challenge on Ben's mother to try and hold her family together against Ben's worst enemy, himself.

Looking Ahead, there is no shortage of quality films at the Evans Theatre. The best part, it’s right here on campus. The Evans Theatre is located inside the George T Richardson building, beside the Library. For $6.00, it’s an easy and affordable way to have a night out. Better yet, grab some friends and head to the movies this weekend.

On Instagram, Everyone Is Perfect - Except for You

A few months ago, while moving back from Winnipeg to Brandon for my last year of school, I found myself apartment hunting again. I dug through online ads for spaces that accommodated both my student budget and my need for peace and quiet. After sending of a few emails, I received an email back from one prospective landlord with the phrase “Hi Lisa, you definitely seem like a good fit for this home.” Confused at how this man had already made that judgement without having even spoken to me, I later realized through a phone interview that this landlord had taken my name of my email and done a background check of me through google and social media. So, first, I will mention that as a journalist I do make sure to google myself often and maintain a good and clean online presence on all my platforms, which is why he might have found me impressive. However, I am also very keenly aware of the fact, especially because I vigorously put out my best on these platforms, that my internet persona is absolutely not a good manner to make a good and wholesome judgement of who I am as a person. I did end up getting the place, without any references or criminal background checks, solely based on my professional outlook on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. And that really got me thinking..... 

In a world consumed by digital activity, popularity analytics, and neon screens, it is not entirely irrational to make a judgement of a person through their social platforms; after all, what we consciously decide to put out there is in itself a reflection of who we are, but it starts to become a blurry line when people begin confusing your curated Instagram feed with what skills you may bring as a prospective employee. For myself, I have especially detested the charm of Instagram. Mine is highly curated with mostly professional pictures I have taken with my camera or one of me taken by others. It shows a glamorous life of an artist and model who travels enough and has tons of friends. But how much of that is something I do day to day? Would I put my mental breakdowns, failures, and insecurities into my feed for the world to see? Answers: Very little, and No. What makes Instagram so successful is also exactly what makes it toxic: it is for beautiful and visually appealing content only. The result is billions of photos being uploaded everyday, each trying to leave its mark in a tsunami of colours and words, making us both admire and envy each other. “Is their life better than mine?” , “Why can’t I have what they have?” These are age old desires, but now amplified and brought down to a rapid touch under your fingers. 

We find ourselves here in this crossroad of endlessly comparing yourself to your peers all behind a veil of self expression, hiding an inherent fakeness. It’s problematic, it’s cancerous, it’s apocalyptic. After my own account with acquiring my rental unit, I became even more hyper aware of what I post on social media. I deleted photos, took my name off publications, unfollowed people that didn’t seem fit to be in my circles, all for the pursuit of making a digital life, beyond my tangible one, that isn’t either genuine nor is it a true reflection of myself. I have in the last few months made attempts at straying away from social media and the negative influence of the digital age; however, as I find myself looking for a post-grad job 

and making new friends and meeting new dates...how well curated my online presence is keeps coming back to haunt me. I am not sure when will the end of this influencer culture be, but I am sure it is not any time soon. 

Why Everyone Should Be An Anthropologist

Even if you’re not an anthropology student and maybe don’t even plan to take a class, the principles of anthropological thinking are still completely relevant. What’s important in anthropology is the approach; our lens is set to panorama, not macro, and these tenants can be applied in everyday life. 

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1. Cross culturalism. The world is an interdependent, interconnected mesh of people and cultures that are unique and similar in their complexity and composition. 

2. Cultural relativism. The practice of understanding a culture on its own terms, independent of your own perspective. Using the lens of your own background allows moralization or a judgement of ‘strangeness’ of another culture when it differs from your own background. Practicing cultural relativism opens you to accepting other ways of living. Subsequently…

3. Acknowledge the external forces (i.e., culture) that make differing opinions between two people that don't have anything to do with right or wrong. 

4. Holism. The world is made of many moving parts that need to be understood together in order to make sense. This means that there are cultural, biological, environmental, and historical foundations for behaviours and beliefs that create similarities, differences, and inequalities between individuals and groups. Nothing and no one is free from external forces that are outside their control. 

5. Reflexivity. Although through practicing cultural relativism, there is an attempt to separate yourself from how you understand others, it is not completely possible. This is where being aware of how your attitudes and beliefs affects your ability to understand other people comes in. This helps to comprehend how our own thinking is affecting how you view others. 

6. Do no harm. By not only your own standards, but by the standards of the people around you. 

7. Use your skills to improve the lives of others where ever possible (by their standards, not yours). 

Defence Against The Dark Arts: Books And The Companies That Ship Them

Blurb: As the cost of books rises, the care that companies take to ship them seems to be declining. How OCD and a love of books has helped me realize that billion-dollar companies are crushing more than corners when they ship your latest literary obsession.  

I love books. I love books so much that even though I have ADHD and struggle to slow my mind for any length of time, I can still sit and read for hours on end. My love of books began in the womb. When my mother was pregnant, the doctor told her that reading to her unborn baby was beneficial and would help to create a bond between parent and child. When asked what she should read, the doctor told her to just read aloud whichever book she was currently enjoying. My mother loves horror, and after nine months of listening to Stephen King and Dean Koontz, I was born into the world an adorer of books. 

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photo credit: Pixabay

I also have OCD. When I was child I loved to take my books everywhere I went, but I hated when my books were damaged or bent in any way. So, using the logic of a young child, I decided that the best way to transport my books to and from school would be to wrap them in paper towel and store them in Tupperware containers. I still have an almost complete run of R.L. Stines’ Goosebumps series in immaculate condition.

Fast forward 35 years to 2019, and here we are in a world where countless books can be ordered online and delivered directly to your recently washed hands. But, alas, depending on where you order your books from (cough, Amazon, cough), most books show up looking like they were packed by a toddler with a love for horror –  a single book in a refrigerator-sized box with a crumpled-up piece of packing paper in one corner. Oh, but books are meant to be enjoyed! Books are only made of paper! You paid less online! You can always return the book if it’s damaged! Yup, that’s true – but only three times and then they stop sending you a new book. So, what’s the big deal, besides my obvious obsessive-compulsive tendencies? I already told you, I LOVE BOOKS.

My problem is that books have become more expensive and yet less cared for. Many companies are more than willing to send you a book, but not willing to take the time to pack it properly. Say you walked into a clothing store tomorrow and purchased a shirt that cost the average price of a new release hardcover book (over $30.00). You take the shirt home and noticed that it has a small rip, or a stain, or even that the shirt wasn’t sewn properly. What do you do? Do you keep it because, “shirts are meant to be loved?” No! You return it and get a new shirt that isn’t ripped, stained, or poorly manufactured. 

I’m not saying that books have to be wrapped in paper towel and stored in Tupperware containers. My wife reads books in the bathtub and while eating buttery popcorn. All I’m saying is that books are expensive, fragile, and have the power to change the world. Maybe it’s time that shipping companies start treating books with the respect they deserve and that customers start holding these multi-billion-dollar companies accountable.             

Round Two Of Club Day

On Thursday January 10th Club Day took place in front of Forbidden Flavours. Some groups there were yours truly The Quill, BUGA, The Biological Society of Brandon University, the Dance Club and others. 

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photo credit: Carly

Second term is the perfect time to join a club, don’t be held back by any misconceptions that it’s too late in the year. If you attended first term you’ve had the opportunity to adjust to the special brand of suffering that university is and the general anarchy that rules a Brandon University student’s life (though realistically it’s probably an international phenomenon). But now that you’re a well adjusted gremlin living off free food scraps- why not find some allies to aid in your survival? If this is your first time attending Brandon University feel free to jump right in- clubs are a fantastic way to get involved in the community. 

While the turnout for club day was significantly smaller than the one that took place in the beginning of September both in regard to club turnout and potential recruits, BU clubs are still alive and well. Last term I wrote on the benefits of joining a club, how it allows for social connections outside of class (aside from Russian Singles in your area) and how different positions will give you advantages on your resume. For example writing for The Quill is fantastic, nothing quite looks better than “Journalist” on a resume- though maybe not in certain states- but I digress, there are many reasons to join a club. Clubs have been an integral part of many students positive experiences at university and there’s a good reason for it. 

As always, social media is typically a good way to get into contact with your local student cult, though BUSU also has a page dedicated to club listings that has contact information. Or if you’re particularity ambitious, BUSU also has a section where you can learn the details of registering your own club- you can have your own table next Club Day!

Elf... Yes, That Movie

The season is approaching! The Christmas season that is. Although Christmas is still technically weeks away people are already getting into the holiday spirit. Soon there will be Christmas trees going up in living rooms, lights being hung from houses, and ovens in full bake made. One of the best ways to get into the Christmas spirit is by watching Christmas films! Over the next four articles I will be discussing four of my favorite holiday movies that I continuously go back to each year. These movies represent the pinnacle of holiday entertainment.  In order to properly take in all that the Christmas season offers its best to start watching these films as soon as possible, especially if you've never seen them before. Of course, that would be quite hard to believe as the films I'll be discussing are so tightly associated with the holiday season it would be almost impossible for an individual to go through Christmas, year after year, and not watch them. 

The first movie to dive into for this year’s holiday season is Elf. Yes, that same Elf that is consistently on cable TV from the beginning of November until the end of January. Do people still actually have cable TV? Yes, yes they do. It is hard to believe but there was a time, long ago, that people watched movies through their cable provider and not online or on Netflix. It was during these ancient times, back in 2003, that the movie Elf first hit the box office. Ever since then it has remained an important part in many family's holiday traditions, given its family friendly comedy element.

Elf was directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. The "elf" in the movie Elf is named Buddy and is played by Will Ferrell. The film also stars James Caan as Walter Hobbs, Zooey Deschanel as Jovie, Mary Steenburgen as Emily Hobbs, Daniel Tay as Michael Hobbs, Ed Asner as Santa Claus and Bob Newhart as Papa Elf. The movie has seen unprecedented success since its release in 2003 and grossed over $200 million worldwide.  Elf went on to inspire other Christmas films and musicals including Elf: The Musical and Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas.

Elf begins as Buddy, who is human that was raised by elves in the north pole, overhears Papa Elf explaining that he was actually born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells of New York. Papa Elf further explains that Susan died, and Walter is unaware of Buddy's existence as a Christmas elf. He tells Buddy that his biological father now works for a publishing company in the Empire State Building in New York City. Buddy then sets out to New York City on his own to find Walter however has considerable trouble adjusting to the basic human lifestyle, such as the food they eat and the clothes they wear. Eventually the giant elf discovers the Empire State Building but is thrown out by security. He then visits Gimbels department store in downtown New York. He is mistaken for an employee with his Christmas elf outfit and subsequently meets Jovie, an employee of the department store that he is immediately fond of. Buddy unfortunately lands himself in jail as he confronts, and pulls the beard off of, a fake Santa visiting the department store. Insistent that Walter Hobbs is his true father Buddy gets Walter to bail him out of jail. Walter, however, is dead set against the idea of Buddy being his long-lost son, especially after witnessing his bizarre behavior. Therefore, he takes Buddy to get a DNA test, which confirms that Buddy the elf is in fact the son of one Walter Hobbs. Walter reluctantly takes Buddy home to meet his new wife Emily and 12-year-old son Michael. Michael is put off by Buddy's odd behavior but Emily insists they have a duty to look after him in his "time of need." After a while Michael warms up to Buddy and encourages him to ask Jovie out on a date. During the get together Jovie realizes that despite Buddy's odd behavior he is a kind and comical person.  Meanwhile Walter is in danger of losing his job and brings in famous children's author Miles Finch as a last-ditch effort. Unfortunately, Buddy interrupts Walter's meeting with Finch and mistakes the children's author for an elf. A fight occurs with Finch storming out and Walter, angry over Buddy's interruption, disowning his elf-like son. On a tight timeline, Walter and his team find a stroke of luck when they discover Miles Finch's notebook. While presenting the new book to his boss, Michael storms in and informs Walter that Buddy has run away from home. Realizing that family is far more important than a damaged job Walter resigns and joins Michael in finding Buddy. While Buddy wanders Central Park on the eve of Christmas Santa's sleigh crashes in the park and it’s up to Buddy to fix it. Eventually, Walter and Michael find Buddy at Santa's sleigh and can hardly believe their eyes. Walter apologizes to Buddy and with the help of Jovie they raise enough Christmas spirit from the citizens of New York to get Santa's sleigh working again. In the end Walter has started his own publishing company and Buddy and Jovie are now happily married and living in the North Pole among fellow elves. 

You would be hard pressed indeed to find someone who has not seen the movie Elf. The Christmas comedy has sealed itself as a holiday classic. Families across the country settle into the couches each year to follow the journey of the elf like human known as Buddy. Whether it’s his hilarious attempts to fit into the norm of human culture or his faithful effort to gain his father’s approval Buddy the elf will leave a lasting impression of holiday spirit within you. 

Op-Ed: Progressive Conservatives And Macleans

This month we were treated to the eye sore of Maclean’s magazine’s cover of various men, in various shades of beige, in various hues of blue, in various postures of nonchalance. The cover, highlighting a new emerging group of progressive conservative leaders including our own Alumni, Brian Pallister, was met with polarizing responses. Without diving deep into any Ford scandals and steering away from any conspiracy theories of Pallister being an almost 7 foot hematophage, one response the public took to the image was to make parodies of it.

Out came duplicates of all women in various skin colours, in various dress sizes and just about the same cup size. To the side, we were greeted with horse faces glued into the headspace (or lack thereof) of the formidable Canadian leaders shaping our conservative landscape. Of course, the “The Welcome to Justin Trudeau’s worst nightmare” headliner could have been replaced with “This is a frat party poster, why is this on the cover of Maclean’s?” However, I’m ready to give Paul Wells, senior writer for Maclean’s, a pass on this as any posh French men’s worst nightmare may be when he is faced by an alliance of anglophones who pronounce tourtière as TOR-TEE-AIR.

In the meantime, the people of the province are finding it increasingly difficult to interest themselves in what Trudeau is dreaming of when their wages are being frozen, emergency care is being cut, and tuition fees are being hiked up. The legislative assembly has given their word to us Manitobans that they will sincerely and honestly give all they have to restore how our egalitarian society worked by backtracking it by two decades. Further, filibusters are being thrown left and right to halt any care for international students who pay their taxes. These discussions are what the Minister of Education thinks will grow Manitoba’s rich history of NOT being a historically English province by cutting funds to francophonie education.

Tensions remain high as cis male councillors debate the future of feminine hygiene.

How to Write That Final Paper

If you have done your work right through the semester, the final week of the term should leave you with 1 paper to write---and it should be the shortest one that needs to be done. After all, if you have written a steady diet of 3000+ papers all semester or term, that 1500-word essay should be a piece of cake to write. There are a couple of things you may work on before putting pen to paper (or in my case) fingers to the laptop.

1. Have as quiet an atmosphere as is possible

This may be a little more difficult to do in some circumstances (sharing a dorm room); but if you have been diligent, you will know places within the school to focus on what you are trying to do. The next point may seem to be a little contradictory, but when you have written as many papers as I have, (in more short notice situations than I will ever  care to admit) this can be done. 

2. Find the right music to help with writing the paper.

I will work to find the right music to help me write that paper. I will not divulge what music I use to write a paper, but whatever music you can use to stimulate your thoughts will make your writing experience far more enjoyable.

3. Make sure the paper is the shortest paper to write and is in a subject you enjoy studying. 

    This would be similar to writing the shortest question with the fewest marks attached to 

it on an exam. You’ve already spent most of your time on the hard stuff and now its time to finish off strong! With most of the marks in your back pocket in the last 15 minutes of the exam, that 3 or 5 mark question should be easy to answer and build up your final grade. If that final paper is in that one class you enjoy every time you come to the university, it will be easy to find a topic to write about, and the words will fly onto the paper (or computer screen) faster than for any other topic. The thoughts will come faster than your pen or fingers can get them down. 

3. It may be necessary to have a means to stimulate your brain, but not to the point that you 

may have to do a quick turn-around for a morning class. 

I hope that these ideas will help you write that final paper in the last days of the semester. Have a great holiday, and here’s to a great 2019.

N.B. Mr. Nobody is a nom-de-plume for a senior student; whose identity is known only to the Editor.

Studying For Finals

It’s that time again… the snow is falling, the lights are twinkling, the streets are filled with Christmas cheer – which means it’s time! It’s time for you to hole yourself inside the library and stress out about finals. Here’s some tips to make things less traumatic: 

1. Study in order from definitely, probably, might be. Definitely will be on the test, probably will be on the test and might be on the test. That way the basics are solid and the extras will be if you have the time and patience. Do this while also taking into consideration previous tests and assignments that tell you what you’re less confident in. Then you can prioritize the stuff you’re bad at that will definitely be on the test. 

2. Study with other people who will give you the opportunity to talk it through. Explaining something to a friend or someone willing to listen will help solidify the concepts in your own head. 

3. Put all the pertinent information into a format that is the easiest for your reviewing preferences. Ideally, condensing the information to its most important components as you go. For example, outlines or flashcards. But don’t get caught up in the making of study aids and lose valuable time to actually study the aids. 

4. As you’re going through your notes, ask yourself how the material might appear on the exam. Would this group of facts make a good multiple choice question or short answer question? How would the question be phrased? Not only does this prepare you for what to expect but also gets you to think about the material in a conceptual way that tests your understanding beyond memorization and makes it stick 

5. Start early. Even if your exams are well spaced out. 15 hours of studying three days before and 15 hours of studying over two weeks is not the same. Studying over a longer period gives your brain time to store the information in long term memory, making recall on test day so much easier. Also, the closer the exam date makes things more stressful, which makes it harder to focus and lowers your ability to retain information. The key to this is being able to manage your time so that you’re able to juggle all classes. Study schedules simplify everything. The academic skills center will even help you make one. Starting to study early also gives you the opportunity to move your focus. Instead of getting burnt out in one subject that you’ve already studied for hours, you can switch your focus to the next subject. Kind of like taking a break. Having a schedule to stick to also means you won’t have to skip out on sleep or other things you need to do to recharge your batteries. Bringing me to my next point…

6. Make sure you recharge your batteries. Yes, by sleeping, but sleep is not enough. Set aside an hour or so every day to do something for yourself. Work out, watch a movie, go for a walk, read a book, or just do absolutely nothing. 

7. Take breaks. Most people prefer to have scheduled breaks. Science suggests a 5 minute break every 40 minutes or so. Then you have something to look forward to when things get tough. But if you’re getting really frustrated or stressed, step away for as much time as it takes you to recharge (okay, maximum one day, otherwise it becomes counterproductive). 

8. Ask for help if you need it. And starting early helps with this because it means you’ll have time to ask for help, you can’t email your professor the night before the exam and expect them to reply or expect yourself to be able to retain what they tell you. But if you approach them a week before, it’s likely they’ll be ecstatic and you’ll have time to make use of what they say. You can also contact the academic skills center. 

9. Be nice to yourself. School is hard, and we often expect a lot of ourselves. Your mental health is always more important than your grades. 

Now for the ones you hear all the time but maybe still don’t believe: 

1. Sleep! If you have a good study schedule, this should be a given. And naps are okay, sleeping right after reviewing information improves recall later on. 

2. Eat good food! No, not the tasty stuff. Nutritious food. Junk food drains the valuable energy that is better used for studying. That means anything you can purchase at school is probably out… it might be time to experiment with meal prep.

3. Bonus: work out. According to science, just 20 minutes of cardio can improve memory (and also greatly reduce stress). 

The most important study advice is to learn what works for you and stick to it. Ideally, you’ve spent the year taking smaller scale tests where the scores were an indicator of how effective your study strategies are. Finals are not the time to experiment with methods unless you’re sure it’s going to work. Good luck! 

Brandon University Aboriginal Students Collective

As another year gets on the way, that means Brandon University Collectives will be busy planning events and fundraisers for Students of Brandon University – One of the Collectives in particular, is Brandon University Aboriginal Student Collective. Thus far BUASC has been busy planning and organizing a fun filled roster of events that involve community and building relationships within our first term.

Brandon University Aboriginal Student Collective strives to provide support and enrich the social lives of Aboriginal students at Brandon University, while incorporating cultural diversity within the Brandon University community. 

On August 27th the council met for a Team Building, Leadership Workshop that lead into their 1st meeting on August 28th. The team has been working hard and is filled with passionate leaders who are interested in serving their communities. This year’s Council includes – Valerie Sandy as President, Marisa Wood as Vice President, Darcie Cote as Treasure, Chelsea Sinclair as Secretary, Brad Clearsky as Social Coordinator, Justine Hutcheson as Cultural Coordinator and our Student Rep is Allison Wood. 

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On September 21st starting at 4:00p.m. until 6:00p.m. right in the front of BU, BUASC hosted a “Back to School Powwow Demonstration” with hotdogs for purchase! Everyone was welcome, and the event ended with a good turnout. We also hold traditional skirt making sessions that run on Tuesday’s from 11:00a.m.-1:00p.m., with supplies and guidance provided. A study group is held every Wednesday evening from 6:45 to 7:15p.m., with snacks and drinks. Both events are held in the Indigenous Peoples Centre. 

To conclude this years and term events, we will be holding an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party December 14th, 2018 at the Double Decker - Guinness Room. There will be prizes, silent auctions, games, and fun. You may see posters around campus but there are limited spots to this Christmas party. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to message the collective email address for further information. 

Concluding, don’t forget to join our FB page to stay up to date with what we are up to around Campus!

See you in the IPC! 

Anthropology Crash Course

I’ll skip this article because I’m not even an Anthropology student, I’ve never even considered taking a class – it’s not relevant to me. Let me ask: are you a human being? If you answered no, you’re excused. If you answered yes, keep reading; I’ll let you in on a little human secret. Content – information, facts, evidence – is the least important part of Anthropology. Although, yes, it uses the scientific method, the key to Anthropology is its perspective. It is a frame of reference for understanding the world beyond what people have told you. Anthropology is driven by the belief that in order for generalizations about human beings, whether characteristics of culture or biology, should be shown to be true of all places and times of human existence. If the generalization is found to not apply (as is the case with most) we should be skeptical about accepting it. Skepticism is our best defence against accepting inaccurate ideas about our fellow humans in the absence of valid evidence. With this perspective, it becomes clear that numerous specialities and disciplines are required to truly understand humans. 

Understanding humans requires explanations that are tested and supported by evidence. But in Anthropology, even your understanding of evidence gets a reality check. Even with extensive testing and acceptance all knowledge, at its root, is uncertain and subject to re-evaluation as new tests and technology is developed. And although the scientific method requires us to be objective, it’s impossible to be completely free of bias. Sure, we studied something objectively and found evidence to support a hypothesis. But the way we studied it affected the results. And our motivations for studying it affected the results. Someone with a different approach and different motivations would likely get different results. So we will never find absolute truth (the limit does not exist). 

Theories help a bit. We can create increasingly reliable understandings if theories are continuously revised and tested. But the concepts and ideas that theories address are not directly observable, so no theory can be proven. A theory may, however, suggest relationships or predications supported by new research. When a theory is supported, it is supported for the time being with available evidence that appears consistent. There is always a possibility that some implication or hypothesis will not be confirmed by future tests. This is true of any discipline, but Anthropology brings it to the forefront of thought as we are constantly reminded through the complex enigma that is being human. 

Don’t give up on us yet though, theories are not useless. And humans love making them because we have a tendency to attempt to make sense of the world. Essentially, anthropological theories encompass what is generally true of humans and how are they capable of varying. Necessarily, anthropology studies the widest range of people humanly possible to ensure that explanations are not restricted to only the culture from which the anthropology originates. Application of these theories on a global scale as well as in everyday life help avoid misunderstandings between people. They help us understand why a group of people might be different than us, giving less reason to denounce their behaviour just because we are unfamiliar with it. These theories help us understand that what’s good for some may not be good for others to stop us from imposing our beliefs on them. In the end, anthropology helps us understand and accept our place in the biological and social world – as primates trying to live our best life.  

Brandon University Foundation: Tripling Donation Sizes

Brandon University received its official university status just over 50 years ago, through the Brandon University Act. It was here when the BU as we know it today really started to take shape. The Education Building, the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, McMaster Hall would not have taken place until this time and classes were not even held in the Brodie Building until 1971. The university has certainly been through a lot and seen some big changes, one can only be curious what the next 50 years will bring to this place.

Well I’m not saying you are going to have a major affect on this place the way creating the Health Studies building will, but there is a way you can pay your piece into helping the university out. Through this year alone, from Oct. 12, 2017- Oct. 12, 2018, BU received over $370,000 in donations. BU’s Annual Fund tripled last years amount thanks to the generosity of the community and certain individuals. There were three gifts of $50,000 each. One was from an anonymous gift, another from the BU’s President’s Advisory Committee and the third was a donation to the HLC from BU Board of Governors member Kerry Auriat.

Whether it was the 50th anniversary appeal or people were feeling just extra kind this year, more than 40 people donated for the first time, contributing more than $11,000.

“The funds so generously donated to the Brandon University Foundation will help us enhance our programs and services to students, increase scholarship and bursary support, and help fund our most important needs as they arise,” said BU Interim President Dr. Robinson. “Your generosity goes a long way in improving the student experience for each and every one of our future graduates and leaders.”

This next year BU is hoping to keep that kind of money flowing through the university to help with all its expenses. Since October when the first direct mail went out $55,000 has been received. 

Now how does this help/affect you as a student at BU? Well every dollar that goes into the school goes towards student travel opportunities, scholarships and bursaries, needs of the faculties and facilities. 

“As tuition and government grants cover only so much, these additional contributions are greatly appreciated,” says BU Development Officer Shawna English. “Our donors help Brandon University build on our foundation as an outstanding academic institution to create a bright future for our students and for all the wider community.”

As students at BU, the expectation you donate at this point of your lives.. probably as slim as your bank account size. However, one day, should you fall into or acquire a boat load of money, donating to the University is easy. You just mail, email, call or check out their site online at the Brandon University Foundation.

Donating to the Brandon University Foundation is easy. You can give online at BrandonU.ca/Give, call 204-727-7374 or visit the Office of Advancement and External Relations in Clark Hall.

Cheques can also be mailed to the BU Foundation at 270–18th Street in Brandon, MB. Donations to the BU Foundation can also be arranged through BU payroll deduction.

Donations received or postmarked before the end of the year are eligible for a 2018 tax receipt.

Home Alone: The Christmas Movie To Own

Home Alone is Christmas comedy film that was made all the way back in 1990. Yes indeed, that is a very long time ago. Did they even have Wi-Fi or cell phones back then? What about Netflix? Nonetheless they did have this gem of a film. Home Alone is a movie that gets watched and discussed every single Christmas season. To some families it’s like a staple in their holiday tradition. Others, such as mine, even watch it when there's no snow on the ground to be found. Why my family likes to watch this particular film in the middle of July still alludes me. On the plus side I pretty much now every line throughout the film.

Home Alone was directed by Chris Columbus (no, not Christopher Columbus). The writer and producer of the film was John Hughes. Although there are certainly a lot of characters in the film, the movie centers around Kevin McCallister, a young boy who gets left behind by his family for the holiday season, played by Macaulay Culkin. The film also features Joe Pesci as Harry, Daniel Stern as Marv, Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister and John Heard as Peter McCallister. Home Alone was the highest grossing live action comedy film throughout the entire United States from 1990 until 2011. It still is the highest grossing Christmas movie of all time in North America when inflation is taken into account. Due to the film’s success four sequels were created and the second movie in the franchise, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, had the same original coast as the first movie. 

Home Alone opens with the McCallister family preparing to leave Chicago for their holiday trip to Paris. Kevin does not get along well with his cousins, that are staying over at his house before the big trip, and his other siblings. After fighting with his older brother named Buzz, Kate sends Kevin up to his room for the night. Kevin responds by saying he wishes his family would just disappear. Due to a temporary power outage no one's alarm goes off and in a rush to get out the door to the airport the McCallister family forgets Kevin in his room. When Kevin awakes he finds his house empty and believes his dream has been fulfilled. However, he soon comes to fear the 'wet bandits", two criminals names Harry and Marv who are famous for breaking into people’s homes and leaving the water running, who are planning to target the McCallister household after they discover that Kevin is home alone. Meanwhile Kate realizes that she forgot Kevin and quickly discovers that all flights to Chicago are booked and can only get one as far as Scranton, Pennsylvania. Therefore, upon her arrival in Scranton Kate enlists the help of a traveling polka band to drive her all the way to Chicago. Back at the McCallister household Kevin discovers that Harry and Marv are going to attempt to rob his house on Christmas Eve. Therefore, he bobby traps his entire house and prepares for the inevitable theft attempt. Despite countless, and I do mean countless, injuries and failures the "wet bandits" refuse to give up and chase Kevin out of the house into a neighboring home that is vacant. However, they were unaware that Kevin had already called the authorities and with some help from his neighbor Old Man Marley young Kevin successfully escapes and the police arrest Harry and Marv. In the end Kate, Peter and the rest of the family arrive back at home in Chicago to find Kevin. They are surprised to find the house in such disrepair and that Kevin actually went shopping for groceries. The movie closes out by Buzz yelling at Kevin for the mess he created in his room. 

Home Alone is considered to be the Christmas movies of all Christmas movies by many, and for good reason. It has won countless awards and is still sought each holiday season. Although it’s almost thirty years old it never fails to bring Christmas joy to all the families that watch it, every single year.

Christmas Cookie Cravings

Every day it’s getting closer and closer. No, not exam week, although that’s getting quite close as well, but Christmas. Although the jolly holiday is still many weeks away students and staff alike are getting into the early Christmas spirits. With Christmas lights, old time carols and loads of snow it won't be long before kitchens go into full baking mode. Christmas is, arguably, the busiest season for baking. With everything from cakes, cookies and chocolates the Christmas season certainly doesn’t possess a lack of flavour. With so much baking going on at once there are an absolute abundance of Christmas cookie recipes out there. Throughout the years I have come across two holiday cookie recipes that have really caught my eye.

The first recipe that has stuck with me through many Christmas seasons is that of Chocolate Pecan Sandies. These snowy snacks right away remind you of the time of year and certainly don’t disappoint in the creative department. The Chocolate Pecan Sandies are easy to make and only require 15 minutes for preparation. Best of all this recipe yields 2 dozen cookies, meaning you will have a collection of snacks leading into exam time. 

Chocolate Pecan Sandies 

Ingredients 

1 cup of butter at room temperature

4 tablespoons of white sugar 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 ¾ cup of sifted all-purpose flour 

1 cup of ground pecans

¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup of sifted confectioners or powdered sugar 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with shortening 

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour, pecans and cocoa powder to the large bowl. Mix well.

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on the greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool the cookies then roll them in the confectioners or powdered sugar. Enjoy. 

Another Christmas cookie recipe that I enjoy every holiday season is titled Big Soft Giner Cookies. It can be said the ginger has a very acquired taste to it. However, these cookies provide just enough ginger snap to be tasteful but not overwhelming so that even people who aren’t a real fan of the flavour of ginger can enjoy these delicious delights. With a preparation time of only 15 minutes and a baking time of a mere 10 minutes, these Christmas treats can be ready in no time.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies 

Ingredients 

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of ground ginger 

1 teaspoon of baking soda

¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon of ground cloves 

¼ teaspoon of salt

¾ cup margarine, softened 

1 cup of white sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of water

¼ cup of molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt.

In a large bowl cream together the margarine and 1 cup of white sugar. Then beat in the egg with a fork and stir in the water and molasses. 

Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. 

Shape the cookie dough into walnut sized balls and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of white sugar.

Place the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

With exam season approaching much faster than most students want it to it is important to bulk up on those early Christmas goodies. These two cookie recipes provide dozens of study snacks when you don’t have time to cook up something larger. Best of all they take under an hour to prepare, bake and enjoy. Christmas might not be here yet, but its cookies sure are!

Autumn Sweet Treats

Ah yes, the season of autumn. Many things are associated with this time of year. Back to school, Thanksgiving, Halloween and astounding scenery. However, baking can also be associated with fall. While it's true that Christmas takes the cake in terms of baking seasons that doesn't mean fall is out of the picture. There are plenty of seasonings, sugars and spices that are closely tied to the fall season. With cooler temperatures many people are experiencing the urge to fire up their ovens and bake delicious cakes, pies and muffins. Every fall season I have two recipes that serve as my go to for seasonal snacks. 

As students ‘time’ is the singular, most valuable thing imaginable. There is never enough of it and it seems to go by instantaneously. That’s why this Betty Crocker recipe for Easy Caramel Apple Bars is perfect for university students. Preparation time is only 15 minutes and each bar contains a measly 100 calories. Not only is the recipe easy to prepare but the ingredient list is also relatively short. Easy Caramel Apple Bars provide a quick grab and go snack when studying, assignments and projects begin to add up.

Easy Caramel Apple Bars 

Ingredients 

½ cup of cold butter

1 egg

¾ cup of caramel topping

¼ cup of all-purpose flour

1 finely chopped and peeled apple

1 pouch of Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix

Directions 

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray the bottom of 13x9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl cut the butter in to the oatmeal cookie mix using either a fork or pastry blender. Then proceed to still in the egg with a fork.

Set aside 1 ½ cups of the cookie mixture. Press the remaining cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the apple over the baked crust. Then mix the caramel topping and all-purpose flour in a small bowl. Proceed to drizzle the mixture over the apples. 

Take the 1 ½ cups of reserved cookie mixture and evenly spread it over the apples. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool for 2 hours.

Cut the bars into 9 rows by 4 rows and enjoy. 

Once in a while students realize that they can’t live off of treats and snacks throughout the entire school year. As attractive as cake and cookies are they usually aren’t the most nutritious items to eat. Luckily a recipe I came across a while back offers both nutrition and flavour. Pumpkin Bread is perfect for fall time snacking. This simple and long-lasting recipe can be stored at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerated for 10. Best of all it is packed full of nutrition. Each slice offers only 95 calories and 4 grams of fat. It provides a dose of dietary fibre and 42% of an individuals required Vitamin A daily intake.

Pumpkin Bread 

Ingredients 

1 2/3 cups of sugar

2/3 cup of vegetable oil

2 teaspoons of vanilla 

4 eggs 

3 cups of all-purpose or whole wheat flour

1 can or 15 ounces of pumpkin

½ cup of raisins

½ cup of chopped nuts 

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt 

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon of baking powder

½ teaspoon of ground cloves 

Directions 

Move oven rack to the low position within the oven so the top of bread pan will be in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 inch pan with shortening.

In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla. 

Add the flour, raisins, chopped nuts, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, baking powder and ground cloves to the mixture. Stir well.

Pour mixture into the 9-inch pan. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and loosen sides of loaf. 

Remove bread loaf from pan and place on a wire cooling rack with the top side up for 2 hours. Slice and enjoy.

Whether it’s Easy Caramel Apple Bars or Pumpkin Bread as this fall season continues on I'll have my oven working around the clock. These two recipes are designed perfectly for students as once you’ve baked your treat of choice you’ll have quick grab and go snacks for the rest of the week. Although it’s not Christmas quite yet, seasonal baking has already begun.

Soothing Drinks For The Season

Fall is in the air and although it's been a much colder season than most would like, winter is not officially here yet. Therefore, there’s still time to enjoy those spiced autumn beverages that we’ve all been craving since last fall. There are certain flavours, spices and seasonings that are heavily associated with the season of fall. Today, I will showcase two of my favourite hot beverage recipes that I believe make the season of fall bearable.

First up is a Pumpkin Smoothie recipe. Now many people may think that smoothies are more of summer drink and certainly don’t associate them with cooler temperatures. However, just because its cold outside doesn't mean you can’t enjoy that delicious puree of mysterious mixtures! Besides, anything with pumpkin in the title automatically screams two things, Halloween and Thanksgiving. The Pumpkin Smoothie is incredibly easy to make and doesn’t require half a ton of ingredients. It also only has 155 calories and is a good source of protein. If you’re a die-hard pumpkin fan than the Pumpkin Smoothie is just what you need to get through those dreary fall days.

Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients 

1 can or 16 ounces of pumpkin puree

2 cups of milk 

¼ cup of brown sugar 

2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 

Directions 

1. Place your pumpkin puree in a tightly sealed freezer bag. Then proceed to freeze the puree for 24 hours.

2. Heat the bag of pumpkin puree for 2 minutes on high in the microwave.

3. Pour the milk into a blender. Then proceed to add the ground cinnamon, brown sugar and heated pumpkin puree. Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Sometimes the cool fall breeze brings on the desire to have a warmer beverage than a smoothie. One of the best drinks to warm you up is tea. While students are continuously locked in the debate of coffee versus tea, there is nothing more smoothing on a chilly fall day than a large glass of Hot Cranberry Tea. This delicious fall treat has a nice kick to it and is low in sodium. 

Hot Cranberry Tea 

Ingredients 

3 ½ quarts of water 

1 package or 12 ounces of cranberries 

2 cups of white sugar 

2 whole oranges, juiced

2 whole lemons, juiced

12 whole cloves 

2 cinnamon sticks 

Directions 

1. In a large pot combine the water and the cranberries

2. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium, simmer for 30 minutes

3. Add the sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and cloves. 

4. Cover and let ingredients soak for 1 hour. Serve warm.

On a cool fall day nothing beats a seasonal beverage. Whether your holding onto summer with a Pumpkin Smoothie or embracing the change with a Hot Cranberry Tea you’ll be looking at fall with open eyes. These two recipes are both easy, inexpensive and relatively quick to make. If you find yourself with time to spare this season fire up the blender and get a taste of fall.