Big Band

Big Band Dance Lights Up BU’s Floor. Brandon’s Annual Big Band Dance was held at Forbidden Flavours by the Brandon University Music Students on February 2nd. The Big Band Dance was conducted by Professor Michael Cain and featured jazz, pop, funk, and rock music music in honour of Black History Month. The mingling area was lit with colorful lights and Brandonites dancing to the live music, both old and young. Various drinks such as the “jungle funk” were created by Forbidden Flavours as a feature for the event. Highlights of the night were voice major Lenaya Wilks’s powerful voice leading the band and the band breaking out into coordinated dances during their breaks. Big Band Dance is among various other events held by Brandon University in honour of Black History Month throughout the month of February.

This was the first Big Band Dance for fourth year Brandon University sociology student Brittany Rigby. Rigby described the event as “thoroughly exciting and a chance to meet a lot of new people at the University.” She had come to the event with many of her friends who were all trying to catch a breather from the increasing amounts of schoolwork before reading week. 

Elizabeth Poirier, who is in her graduating year, has attended the event multiple times and said “Big Band Dance is definitely one of BU’s better socials and better every year in terms of performance. I just wish they advertised better this year as many of my friends did not know this was happening today.” 

The event, though mostly attended by music students, included students from other faculties as well and Professor Peter Morin from the Faculty of Fine Arts. The event ran from 10:00PM to 2:00AM and saw an attendance of approximately a hundred people.

Q-Mail : Quintilius

Dear Quintilius,

How does one lose 15lbs or more? I know it’s a long process but I want to get beach body ready!

Sincerely, Look Good, Feel Good

Dear Physique,

Losing 15lbs quickly can be very dangerous. What I would recommend if you’re looking for immediate results would be to take off an arm or two! This will be the fastest way to lose that pesky weight and be ready for the beach.

Think about it, with one or two fewer arms, you could run so much faster on sand! You would be super aerodynamic, cutting through the wind like the wings of an eagle. Not to mention with running you could probably lose another 15lbs.

If that’s not what you meant about losing weight might I suggest you play hide-and-go seek with your weight. Except when it’s your turn to “seek” you don’t. Weight will try to coax you to find it “Hey pay attention to me,” and “You don’t look as good as that person.” You are trying to lose weight so just forget about it and you won’t find it.

Don’t lie to yourself or go looking at models and feeling depressed, everyone is human and sometimes unhealthy mental and emotional habits need to be challenged. Am I saying don’t workout? No. Am I saying go all vegan and only eat super healthy? No. Take care of yourself and accept your self. When you start feeling better then you start looking better and the best beach body is confidence.

So here are your final two options: accept yourself or join the legions of Roma where we will conquer fear and hate together in the forms of barbarian tribes.

All Salute The Eternal City,

Quinitilius of Rome

RGC- January Recap

I should have known better than to set myself a gaming goal during the school year. I am sorry to report that I did not finish even one game in the month of January. Not even Pokemon. I have shame.

This is not to say that I haven’t played games. I started and put several hours into both Pokemon X and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I just got overwhelmed. How do days go so quickly? Getting older sucks.

In Pokemon X, I got my starter (a Chespin named Quillbert), caught several team members, and took on the first gym in a pretty quick order. Then things got vaguely difficult and I temporarily rage quit during the second gym. I’m currently locked into a Tyrunt-vs.-Tyrunt battle. It is not going well for me. Someone send me a Revive.

In Link to the Past, it was a rough start. It took me a little while to reacquaint myself with Super Nintendo controls. It has been several years since I played anything on the console of my childhood. I got out of my house and into the castle, took the sword and shield from my dead uncle (how weird is it that the death of Link’s uncle is barely a plot point?) and saved Zelda from the dungeon. I got her to the sanctuary. I died a lot.

Now, I’m in some ruins looking for a pendant that the Elder of Kakariku Village thinks I need. I’m dying. A lot. This didn’t actually make me rage quit. I am still extremely interested in playing. I just know I won’t finish before the end of January (tomorrow).

So, I’ll just have to accept that my goals will likely be pushed back. February’s goals look equally promising, as I’m packing up my life and moving for March 1st, and also I can’t find Ham-Ham Heartbreak.

Pop Culture - Studio Ghibli

I have always loved Studio Ghibli. When I was very young, I loved My Neighbour Totoro, a sweet animated movie about a forest spirit (Totoro) helping two young girls adjust to their new home in the country and cope with their mother’s ongoing illness. It contains all the best things for a movie: magic, yelling Japanese children, and a cat bus. I love Totoro so much, I got him tattooed upon my person. From there, as I got older, I watched more of Studio Ghibli’s wonders.

The next (age appropriate) movie by Ghibli that I watched was Kiki’s Delivery Service. Kiki is a witch who must go off on her own to learn more of her craft and accomplish... something. I don’t know. Kiki is like ten, so I think it’s a little crazy that her parents were totally cool with her going off to live on her own — although, she’s not truly alone. She has her talking cat, Ji-ji. I still very much enjoy Kiki, but it’s not in my top three.

Also in my youth, I watched Princess Mononoke with my dad. It was not appropriate for children. It has graphic violence and mature subject matter. That being said, I loved it. I had a weird fascination with it, despite being utterly terrified of it. The Princess in question lives in the forest, raised by a giant wolf. A heroic Prince, infected with a demon, joins her in her quest to save the forest from pollution and evil forces. It’s a wonderful comparison to the state our natural world is currently in.

Probably one of my very favourite movies of all time, let alone from Studio Ghibli is Howl’s Moving Castle. The cast works together so well, and anyone who doesn’t ship Sophie and Howl is wrong. Howl is a wizard, Sophie is a young woman who is cursed to look like she’s 80... what’s not to love. (My favourite part is Calcifer, the fire demon. He’s gonna be my next tattoo.)

Do you have a favourite Ghibli movie? Let me know!

OP ED Public Transit Cuts

Despite public transit being a vital service for many and providing an environmentally friendly alternative to individual transportation, budgets have failed to reflect the critical nature of the service.

Lower or modest income individuals, students (who often fall into the previous category as well), disabled, or those who don’t have access to a car are the ones who depend on this service, and are the ones the government should be championing. The word depend is not used lightly- for instance as seen this season Manitoba winters often and quickly fall into freezing temperatures making traveling by foot simply dangerous. Other times Manitoba’s weather seemingly attempts to have all four seasons within a week resulting with the rapid melting and refreezing of water creating patches of ice that are inches thick at times, again creating dangerous conditions and making it inaccessible for individuals with mobility difficulties. Public transit isn’t simply a cheaper taxi service, with routes spanning the city it’s a means to work and life. One simply can’t offer a service that becomes utilized by people on a daily rate then take it away. It shows inconsideration and incompetence at providing for the people they are supposed to serve and interests represent.

It could be assumed that common sense would not only dissuade anyone from decreasing funding to public transit, but with increasing environmental concerns the service would become more critical in the province’s efforts to decrease carbon dioxide emissions from cars. With the increasing knowledge of the endangered state of our environment the necessity for green initiatives and friendlier alternatives as opposed to the current callous consumption of natural resources continues to be evident.

This decreased funding introduces a feeling of unreliability- if rates continue to rise and hours are further limited it begs the question when it will stop, or if public transit will continue to be under attack with each new year, making a supposedly accessible service inaccessible. These actions are nothing more than counter-productive. Those who depend on the service and the environment are most vulnerable to the whims of the city, yet the government continues to disregard for the responsibility they hold.

Mental Health Week 2018

As we’re nearing the end of the first month of the Winter semester, it’s not too soon to be feeling stressed. January 29th to February 2nd BUSU is holding their 2018 Mental Health Week. The week is intended to alleviate stress from school, but also increase awareness and aid in ending the stigma around mental health.

Dogs and free David’s Tea were in the Mingling Area of the Knowles-Douglas Centre (KDC) from 11:30AM to 1:30PM on Monday, January 29th. We sincerely hope you (all of you) went and hugged a puppy to chase your winter blues away.

On Tuesday, January 30th, there will be a free cereal bar in the Mingling Area from 9:00AM to 11:00AM. Also on the docket is a meet and greet with BU’s counsellors from 12:40PM to 1:30PM in the Indigenous Peoples Centre, complete with free hot drinks and snacks.

Wednesday, January 31st is Bell’s Let’s Talk Day. From 9:00AM to 3:00PM in the Mingling Area, you can sign your name to the banner or fill out a thought bubble to support mental health initiatives and receive a free toque.

Local resources and de-stress booths will be in the Mingling Area from 9:00AM to 3:00PM on Thursday, February 1st. There will also be a special collaboration between the Sutherland Art Gallery and the BU Theatre club titled “Drawing Truth, Erasing Stigma: Understanding mental health” at 7:00PM in the art gallery.

To complete the week On Friday, February 2nd, there will be free cookie decorating (and of course, free cookie eating) outside the library from 12:00PM to 2:00PM, and free massages available from 12:30PM to 3:30PM in the library gathering space. The massages are, as always, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don't Eat Tide Pods

The recent internet challenge featuring the ‘Forbidden Snack’ otherwise known Tide Pods has resulted in teenagers and young adults like posting videos of themselves consuming the chemical filled packet.

This trend has gotten so prevalent that Poison Control has issued a high alert and people continue to ingest the packets. Poison Control’s statistics display that since January 1st, they have handled 119 cases on contact with detergent pods among thirteen to nineteen-year old’s. Tide themselves have taken note of the misuse of their products, Tide’s official Twitter addresses the issue in a video, restating that their products are intended for laundry and consist of highly concentrated cleaning chemicals.

There’s a reason for the high alert. Despite what individuals have referred to as a candy like appearance, Tide Pods remain inedible. Consuming the liquid can result in burns to the mouth, throat and stomach, and when it burns there’s a risk of it coming into contact with eyes or even lungs if a person happens to gasp when the packets burst in their mouth. Poison Control themselves warn that serious consequences can lead to seizures, respiratory arrest, coma, Pulmonary edema, and in extreme cases death.

Individuals such as Harold Zeliger, who wrote an article for Fortune, argue that if safety measures the companies have put forth have failed to prevent ingestion, then manufacturers shouldn’t be permitted to sell them in stores. Alternatively, Wake N Bake Donuts in California has made a donut with the tide pods design in icing on the front, a detergent free alternative to the pods.

As a result of the risks YouTube has opted to pull any videos of YouTubers participating in the challenge, citing in an interview with that it goes against community guidelines prohibiting “content that’s intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherit risk of physical harm”. Amazon has been deleting reviews that refer to the taste of the pods.

 A review three days ago by user “Z” addresses the issue simply, “Works well for cleaning, bad for eating”.

Creative Writing With Melanie Schnell

For the past two weeks, we’ve looked at the responsibilities of the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU) Council Directors. Today, we’ll have a look at the Vice President positions.

BUSU Council has two Vice Presidents: the Vice President Internal, and the Vice President External. The Executive positions are salaried, which means the lovely individuals who occupy them are paid for their efforts. According to BUSU.ca, this equates to roughly $14/hour (which is more than I, personally, make at my part-time job), with the President working 40 hours per week and the Vice Presidents working 20 to 30 hours per week.

The VPE deals primarily with clubs and collectives. According to BUSU.ca, the VPE is responsible for:  electronic communications and newsletters, serving as a liaison between BUSU and student groups, overseeing services specific to student groups and councils, overseeing the Union’s events and activities and ensuring they cater to the academic, cultural and social interest of the Members of the Union while also overseeing promotion of Union events at the University and off campus. The current VPE is Mohammed Agavi and he can be reached at VPE@BUSU.ca.

The VPI has many responsibilities, including but not limited to: overseeing the financial management of the Union, including preparing and maintaining the budget (in conjunction with the General Manager), acting as Chair of the Finance Committee, overseeing various BUSU services (in conjunction with Office & Services Manager), advising students on academic and disciplinary appeals and related matters, and acting as the official Student Advocate Caucus. Maintaining all the BUSU bylaws, policies and standard procedures, including implementation of the rules with the President, advocating the Union’s best interests in University meetings, Board of Governors, Senate, KDC Board, Alumni and other committees. The current VPI is Emily Simon, and she can be reached at VPI@BUSU.ca.

Next week, we’ll talk about the President!

BUSU Executive

For the past two weeks, we’ve looked at the responsibilities of the Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU) Council Directors. Today, we’ll have a look at the Vice President positions.

BUSU Council has two Vice Presidents: the Vice President Internal, and the Vice President External. The Executive positions are salaried, which means the lovely individuals who occupy them are paid for their efforts. According to BUSU.ca, this equates to roughly $14/hour (which is more than I, personally, make at my part-time job), with the President working 40 hours per week and the Vice Presidents working 20 to 30 hours per week.

The VPE deals primarily with clubs and collectives. According to BUSU.ca, the VPE is responsible for:  electronic communications and newsletters, serving as a liaison between BUSU and student groups, overseeing services specific to student groups and councils, overseeing the Union’s events and activities and ensuring they cater to the academic, cultural and social interest of the Members of the Union while also overseeing promotion of Union events at the University and off campus. The current VPE is Mohammed Agavi and he can be reached at VPE@BUSU.ca.

The VPI has many responsibilities, including but not limited to: overseeing the financial management of the Union, including preparing and maintaining the budget (in conjunction with the General Manager), acting as Chair of the Finance Committee, overseeing various BUSU services (in conjunction with Office & Services Manager), advising students on academic and disciplinary appeals and related matters, and acting as the official Student Advocate Caucus. Maintaining all the BUSU bylaws, policies and standard procedures, including implementation of the rules with the President, advocating the Union’s best interests in University meetings, Board of Governors, Senate, KDC Board, Alumni and other committees. The current VPI is Emily Simon, and she can be reached at VPI@BUSU.ca.

Next week, we’ll talk about the President!

Alumni Association Teaching Award

The Brandon University Alumni Association has announced it is now excepting applications for their yearly Excellence in Teaching Award. The Excellence in Teaching Award is given out each year to a member of the teaching staff at BU. The award recognizes the recipient’s exemplary education practices and highlights them as a distinguished member of the university’s teaching staff. In order to qualify for the nomination of the Excellence in Teaching Award an individual must be a full-time member of the Brandon University teaching staff and has to have taught full-time for the past three years at the university.

The Brandon University Alumni Association has recommended nominees to have the following criteria. The criteria states that the nominee should have a current and well-rounded understanding of their teaching subject as well as enthusiasm for their subject and the ability to install interest in their students. The nominee must also be accessible to students outside the classroom on a regular basis, such as holding regular office hours, and have a reputation around campus among both students and faculty for exemplary teaching. The individual should also be regularly prepared for their lectures and laboratories and encourage student participation in exercises regularly. Furthermore, the member of the university teaching staff should not only set high standards for their students but also foster their motivation and push them to attain such goals.

There will be a selection committee that will sort through the nominations and bring a recommendation of who should receive the Excellence in Teaching Award to the Brandon University Alumni Association Board of Directors for approval. Both the selected recipient and all other nominators will be informed of the decision by the Brandon University Alumni Association. Following the selected nominee’s acceptance of the award a presentation will take place. The Excellence in Teaching Award will most likely be presented at the Spring Convocation. However, if issues arise then the presentation will take place at another special event decided by the Brandon University Alumni Association Board of Directors.  The award recipient will be given a framed certificate and their name will be added to a plaque located on the first floor of Clark Hall on campus.

Nominators don’t necessarily have to be current students as BU, as alumni can also nominate a member of the university’s teaching staff for the award. Nomination papers can either be picked up in person from the Alumni Relations Office, located on the first floor of Clark Hall, or online at www.brandonu.ca/alumni/awards/alumni-award. Nominators are encouraged to provide as much information as possible when filling out the nomination forms. Ideally the nomination package should include not only the nomination form but a brief description of the nominee’s excellence in teaching at the university. Nominators must also include three letters of reference supporting the nomination and any information on past awards the candidate received. Nominators have multiple ways they can submit their nomination packages to the Alumni Relations Office. The nomination package can be submitted electronically by emailing alumni@brandonu.ca or in person/by mail to the Brandon University Alumni Association at 270 18th street Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9. The email or package containing the nomination forms should be marked Confidential Award Information.

The deadline for all nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award is April 1st, 2018 at 4:30PM. Should you have questions relating to the Excellence in Teaching Award you are encouraged to contact the BU Alumni Relations Office at 1-204-727-9697 or email them at alumni@brandonu.ca.

Sioux Valley

Sioux Valley Dakota Nation is hosting Dakota Nation Winterfest 2018 at the Keystone Centre from January 25th-28th. There will be a variety of events happening such as:

Adult Hockey (Men’s Rec, Men 40+, Men’s Senior, Women Divisions)

Minor Hockey (Squirts and Midget’s Divisions)

Basketball (Men & Women Divisions)

Volleyball (Men & Women Divisions)

Powwow Competition

Square Dancing Competition

Monster Bingo

Other events include a talent show, trade show, pool tournament, moccasin game among other festivities.

Elders 60+ and children under 6 are free to attend at no cost, while general admission is $12 per day. Visit svdngovernance.com or email Jennifer Bone, event coordinator, at Jennifer.bone@dakotanation.com for more information.

RGC - Horror Games

I can’t play horror games to save my life. I get too anxious, throw the controller, and scream a lot. That being said, I love watching other people play horror games. One of my favourite things to do with my roommate is sit on the couch and watch her play terrifying games that I could never play myself.

I am going to blame my weird fascination with horror games on my dad. I literally grew up watching him play the Resident Evil games. When I was six or seven, I learned how to read strategy guides so that I could help him look up the maps to Raccoon City Police Department or the Umbrella Mansion — this was in the time before high-speed internet, and me looking up the schematics allowed Dad to keep playing.

Once I got old enough to figure out the controls, Dad got me to try controlling Jill Valentine in the first Resident Evil game. I didn’t do too badly against the zombies, but the zombie-dogs were my undoing.

The most recent horror game that I watched my roommate play was Pineview Drive. It’s a psychological horror game that takes place over thirty in-game days which end at a pre-determined time: when you’ve found a journal entry. Basically the scariest thing about this game is a clown doll that occasionally moves around and scares the ever living shit out of you, and the odd paranormal cut scene that was meant to act as a jump scare. The ending was a little disappointing and left a lot of questions unanswered, but it’s an indie game that has rumours of a sequel.

Next on the agenda is to watch someone on YouTube play Resident Evil: Remastered. If anyone knows of an LP of this game that isn’t in German, please let me know. Alternatively, if anyone knows German, please teach me.

Pop Culture The Last Of Us

I am a touch obsessed with the game The Last of Us, created by Naughty Dog. The game is made gorgeously. The cut scenes are practically movie quality, and the backgrounds in all scenes are done hyper-realistically. I love this game. It was one of the first games that I purchased after the acquisition of a PlayStation3. Of course, if you have followed my RGC series, I can’t finish a game to save my life. So I watch other people play on YouTube.

To date, I’ve watched three Let’s Play series’ of The Last of Us: Markiplier, StephenPlays, and Cryaotic. I love all of them for different reasons. Mark plays the way I do: screaming the entire time. Stephen plays methodically, which I enjoy because that means I get to see more of the game. And Cry just has the nicest voice to listen to.

You may think that watching the same game played three separate times is excessive, and might get boring. It is not. Sure, I know the way the story goes, and it’s not as surprising when certain plot twists come up, but the storyline is just so good, it’s worth the repeated watch. It’s like re-watching a favourite movie or TV show. The following section contains spoilers. You’ve been warned.

The story follows Joel, a hardened, middle-aged man just trying to get by in a post-apocalyptic world. The beginning of the game shows a younger Joel, his daughter Sarah, and his brother Tommy trying to escape from a “zombie” outbreak. After the initial tutorial stage of the game, in which you play as Sarah and Joel, it cuts to twenty years later. Joel lives in a safe zone, and he and his business partner (and maybe something more?) Tess run a smuggling ring. His life has lost all meaning since the death of his daughter, and he’s just going through the motions.

After trying to shake down a former business partner, Robert, and escaping from his goons and the soldiers that patrol the safe zone, Joel and Tess run into Marlene, a sometimes friend and leader of the rebel group, the Fireflies. Marlene hires Joel and Tess to deliver a package to another group of Fireflies in a different city. That package turns out to be a fourteen-year-old girl: Ellie.

The remainder of the game is Joel attempting to get Ellie to the Fireflies over the course of roughly a year. Grudgingly, he bonds with the girl and begins to think of her as his daughter. It’s really touching, and honestly, I think the game wouldn’t be the same if Joel hadn’t shown any kind of character development in that respect.

I’ll probably finish playing this game someday. Until then, I’ll watch more LPs.

Ploughman's Lunch

The English and Creative Writing Club on campus is planning on hosting an exciting event this week. The Writing Club will be hosting a traditional “Ploughman’s Lunch” to celebrate Dr. Rosanne Gasse’s published book, The Feral Piers: A Reader’s Experience of the British Library Cotton Caligula A XI Manuscript of Piers Plowman. Dr. Gasse is an Associate Professor from the Department of English and Creative Writing. She teaches medieval literature as well as classical and Latin literature.

Dr. Gasse will be reading excerpts from her new book and will be hosting a question and answer session following the reading. However, she explains that her book has been out for while. “My book, The Feral Piers, was published by Cambridge Scholars Press about two years ago.” Nevertheless, she states that there is no doubt it will be an enjoyable afternoon. Dr. Gasse also touched on how the event will proceed. “I will be reading selections from my book and then answering any questions about it. The questions could be about the process of researching and writing the book or about the book’s ideas and content.” Below is an excerpt from The Feral Piers that Dr. Gasse provided, giving an insight into what will be discussed at the book reading.

“What do we mean when we talk about the text of Piers Plowman? What is the concept of a literary text when that construct exists in so many variant and feral forms, as is the case for the multiple modern editorial reconstructions and the more than fifty surviving manuscripts and early print editions of Piers Plowman? How do the anonymous roles of author, scribe, and reader intersect to create the experience of the text? How can we judge a pre-modern text’s reception history if we do not know exactly what it was that the early reader was responding to? The Feral Piers takes a daring and innovative approach to answering such questions as these.”

Anyone is welcome to attend the event with one of the best parts being the FREE lunch. That’s right the traditional “Ploughman’s Lunch” is absolutely free of charge to those who attend. The Ploughman’s Lunch will take place on January 23rd from 12:40PM to 1:30PM. The event will take place inside the Brandon University Library in the gathering space. For more information about this event you can contact the English and Creative Writing Club at brandonwritingclub@gmail.com. Should you have accessibility needs you are advised to contact the arts office at 204-727-9790 or arts@brandonu.ca in advance to ensure that proper accommodations can be made.

Join The ESS

There are many benefits for joining the faculty of education, from the many professional development sessions it offers to its own resource room and multiple lounging areas. The faculty also has some student groups on campus that people are welcome to join. The Education Students Society (ESS) and Manitoba Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) are two organizations that offer a sense of community within the faculty.

ESS probably offers the largest presence in the Education building, actively recruiting members and hosting events. You can often see them holding meetings on Tuesday’s in the Resource room, or hear announcements made by their room representatives. ESS puts on several fundraisers throughout the year and organizes the Education clothing order. Much of what the organization does is for fundraising purposes and helps the Grad Committee.

The council on ESS had the event Destination Unknown last semester (basically a booze cruise around Westman) and this past Friday held a social at the Ukrainian National Home. Both events were quite successful and an absolute blast to all who went.

ESS is so much more than just another student organization on campus. The society really creates a social environment within the faculty of Ed. They offer opportunities for classmates to network and help build a sense of community. From the President to the room reps, everyone does their part to support the faculty.

Different fundraisers that ESS have had include the draw for the Christmas meal hamper and raffling for Winnipeg Jets tickets.

I was fortunate enough to get an interview with a member of ESS. They decided to go anonymous for the interview saying, “I prefer not to be named by my haterz. My haterz will know who I am.” Yes, they insisted haters be spelt with a z. No, there is no reasonable explanation for having these haterz or info on who these haterz may be.

When they were asked why they had joined ESS they said it was because they loved to be involved with the politics of an organization. Joining ESS allowed them to meet people, receive information on upcoming events and be part of the organization for these events.

The Education Students Society is a great organization, which is actively supporting the faculty and sense of belonging on campus. Working as one of the core members on the council or as room representative, are desirable positions to put on a resume and a terrific way to network. If you want to get involved with ESS simply walk into one of their meetings in the Resource room on a Tuesday, accidentally or intentionally, you will be welcome!

Imaginus Poster Sale

Once again the Imaginus poster sale is coming to campus! You can go find some awesome posters so everyone knows just how much you love Star Wars. They will be on campus from 9am-6pm on January 25th and 9am-5pm January 26th. That means you only have two days to come get some great wall decor.

 According to an email sent to Brandon University students they are hiring students to help with set up, take down, security, etc. There is a sign-up sheet in the BUSU office, however the spots are filling up fast. The poster sale will be located in the mingling area (by Forbidden Flavours and the book store). If you are interested in a few hours of work with pretty good pay, go see if there are any shifts left!

          Imaginus is a Canadian group who have been operating in Universities and Colleges since 1975. They boast having thousands of different posters on their website, with categories such as animals, florals, music and travel just to name a few. The prices of the posters are relatively cheap and they look nice on your wall.

Career Planning

So, you got accepted into Brandon University, and now you need to choose your major. Or maybe you’ve been a student for a year or two, but still aren’t too sure what your career goal is. Maybe you don’t have an answer to relatives’ favourite question “what are you going to do with a degree in that?” Well, good news, there is someplace you can go for advice!

Career Planning is located on the main floor of the Mackenzie Building in room 115. They offer a crazy amount of resources to students. I sat down with Doug Pople to discuss some of what student services can do for students.

He first directed me to the Career Planning webpage, which you can get to by going to BU’s website, and clicking “services” and scrolling down to “BU’s Career Planning and Placement Office.” On that main page, you immediately see a list of recently added job listings. On the sidebar, there are links for various resources, careers at BU, student resources and more. One particularly awesome feature was found under “student resources” then “Career Exploration and Planning.” This page allows students to look at careers based on their department! This is so great if you’re super interested in something but don’t know what you would do with it if you pursued it. There is also a link to Career Cruising, a website that allows you to answer questions and they give you the top careers that fit your answers.

So, why go to career planning if it’s all online, you may ask? Doug noted that many students that come into university and don’t know what exactly they want to do when they finish. He equated university to making a major purchase — which is pretty accurate, considering the price of university. You aren’t just going to walk in and throw your money away, you want to use it to get to where you want to end up.  It’s a lot easier for him to help you out at the beginning, than when you’re finished and graduated with no clue what to do next. They can help you with both finding summer/during school jobs, as well as careers when you graduate.

They also work with TREK students, who are still in high school, and offer for them to come make appointments to talk about what their goals are and help make plans for attending university. Doug notes how important it is to make an appointment and come down as early as possible in your education so he can help! Doug found that he can help students who aren’t sure what they want to do by going over their passions and narrowing down career options. He also found that sometimes students can enter into a program because it’s what other people wanted them to do or put into their heads, and he can help them figure out what they actually have passion for.

Career Planning assists students with resumes, cover letters and interviews! This is an awesome thing to take advantage of because you can graduate at the top of your class, but you still need to be able to apply for a job and succeed at an interview. Having a good resume and cover letter are key because they are often the first thing a potential employer sees from you. They even help you prepare for interviews by setting up mock interviews, in which they ask questions to help you prepare. People often find interviews to be intimidating so this is a great way to get some practice in. Doug noted he runs a workshop for nursing students who are about to graduate where three volunteers from the class sit at the front of the room and do practice interviews. He said it was a great way to get them prepared for real job interviews. It benefits those three students participating, as well as the entire class.

Career Planning also has materials at the library on reserve. They are also helpful resources for students looking to start careers or be prepared for them. 

A final note: career planning does five Career Days throughout the year where employers come set up tables in the Mingling Area of the Knowles-Douglas Centre to talk to students about job opportunities. This is a great way for students to get their foot in the door and network with companies.

So, schedule an appointment with Career Planning, because it’s such a beneficial service for students to help them get the careers they want! You can send an email to Doug at: Pople@brandonu.ca to make an appointment! Don’t wait until you’ve finished your degree to figure out your career!

BUSU Meeting Feb.

This past week’s BUSU meeting was a busy one. The Brandon University Students Union (BUSU) held their regular council meeting on January 18th at 4:30PM. Like all other BUSU meetings, it was held in the CLC boardroom on the second floor of the Knowles-Douglas Centre.

One of the first items on the agenda was a letter from Lisa Mizan. At their September 28th meeting, Council chose to take the issue of “Discussion with Lisa Mizan” to a closed session, therefore denying access to those who were not part of council or the immediate situation. At this past council meeting, Mizan sent a letter stating that she was not pleased with the motion and suggested that it be moved to an open session for the record. When BUSU President Nick Brown opened the floor up for discussion on the issue, not a single council member spoke. Council decided to quickly move on to the next item on the agenda.

Next, BUSU executives presented their reports to council. BUSU President Nick Brown stated in his report that he attended a variety of activities in both December 2017 and the early part of January 2018. Brown explained that he attended a Human Rights Day at the Cultural Resource Centre in downtown Brandon, hosted the BUSU holiday dinner, attended Brandon Universities winter orientation and took part in the Presidential Search Student Consultation among other things. BUSU Vice-President Internal Emily Simon then presented her report. In it, Simon stated that she took part in Snowientation during the first part of the winter term. She also stated that, throughout the past few weeks, she was dealing with a large amount of appeals going through her office. Mohammed Agavi, BUSU Vice-President External, also presented his report. Agavi shared details in how he assisted in Snowientation activities as well as the BUSU holiday dinner. He also stated that planning for the mental health week had been in full swing since the beginning of the winter term. Following the executive reports, various BUSU student directors shared how they took part in the Snowientation activities. Health Studies director Megan Stade also shared some exciting news with the rest of council: the Faculty of Health Studies now has additional funds to hire both a clinical instructor and a sessional professor.

Moving into New Business, the item that had everyone’s attention was no doubt the discussion of what to do now that Bill 31 has passed the Manitoba Legislature. Bill 31 allows universities in Manitoba to increase tuition fees up to 5% plus the rate of inflation starting in September 2018. BUSU discussed the possibility of putting forth the “Education for All” motion at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in March. The motion suggests that Brandon University only increase the tuition in September 2018 by the rate of inflation. Practically, it asks the Board of Governors to ignore the fact that Bill 31 has been passed and continue to uphold the previous increase rates. Council will vote on whether or not to present the motion to the Board of Governors at their next meeting.

Also in New Business was a discussion about Our Turn. Our Turn is a national action plan that is committed to ending sexual violence on university campuses across the country. A number of student unions across Canada have already signed on to the Our Turn plan. With the Canadian Federation of Students, Manitoba branch signing on council held the discussion of whether or not BUSU should sign on to the plan as well. Council members were asked to review the Our Turn plan before the next BUSU meeting in order to gain a firm grasp on the material before the motion goes to a vote.

To end off the meeting BUSU General Manager Natalye Ore gave council some general information regarding the upcoming BUSU election in March as well as an update on the activities of the BUSU elections Returning Officer. Ore mentioned that the voting days for the upcoming BUSU election will be on March 1st and 2nd. She also mentioned that for the first time in its history, BUSU would be allowing students to vote electronically. More details about an electronic voting system will come in the following weeks. The next BUSU council meeting is scheduled for February 1st at 4:30PM in the CLC boardroom.

BUSU Directors 2

Today, we will continue to discuss the responsibilities of Directors of BUSU.

The Women’s Director is the medium for all people on campus who identify as female. They also traditionally work closely with the Women’s Collective to provide services to the female members of campus. This position is currently vacant, but more information can be given by a member of the Executive.

The Indigenous People’s Director looks out for the interests of the people on campus who identify as Indigenous, no matter what band they belong to. The Indigenous People’s Director often works closely with the Indigenous Peoples’ Centre (IPC) and Brandon University Aboriginal Student Council to plan events and provide services for students of Indigenous descent. The current Indigenous Director is Sheree Blacksmith, and you can reach her at Indigenous@BUSU.ca.

The Sexuality and Gender Identity Based Director represents the interests of all students who identify under the LGBTTQ+ spectrum. They tend to work with the LGBT Collective on campus. While this role has previously been difficult to fill on the BUSU Council, the current Director is Jenna Wade, and can be reached at SGIB@BUSU.ca.

The Part-Time/Mature Director’s constituency is students who are either part-time (less than nine credit hours per term) or mature (over the age of twenty-two). The current Part-Time/Mature Director is Steven Holden, and can be reached at PTMature@BUSU.ca.

The International Director looks out for the international students on campus. They often work with the International Students’ Collective to help students get acclimatized to their new environment. The current International Director is Saint Osartin, and he can be reached at International@BUSU.ca.

The Residence Director conveys the needs and desires of the Residence community to BUSU council. The position is currently vacant.

The Accessibilities Director is in charge of those students who require assistance with physical or mental disabilities, and fights for their needs on BUSU Council. The current Director is Whitney Hodgins, who can be reached at Accessibilities@BUSU.ca.

Finally, there’s the Racialized Director, who represents the non-Caucasian students on campus. The current Director is Maya Stirrup, who can be reached at Racialized@BUSU.ca.

BULBfest

Are you a trombone, euphonium, or tube player? Need plans for Saturday January 27th? If so, Brandon University’s 3rd Low Brass Festival (BULBFest), is the perfect place for you to spend your leisure hours. The event takes place from 8:00AM until 5:00pm, and will be located in the School of Music Queen Elizabth II Building.

Why is it the perfect place to spend your leisure hours? You only have to pay ten dollars for registration which will include not only lunch (and who doesn’t love cheap lunch), but also includes admission to the evening concert featuring the renowned trombonist Al Kay!

Al Kay has been performing for the past twenty eight years, playing lead trombone with RobMconnell’s Bass Brass and has worked with multiple jazz artists and entertains such as Dizzy Gillespie, Diana Krall. One review on his website comments on how “he seems to ‘sing’ through his horn.” (musicforbrass.com) He’s definitely a musician worth spending your Saturday evening listening to!

Al Kay isn’t the only notable presence, acclaimed tubist Richard White is another talented musician who has been performing for over twenty years in classical music.  Not limiting his talent to that of music, Richard While is also a professor and motivational speaker. White is the second featured artist present at BULBFest.

Other performers will include Brandon University’s own Brandon University Low Brass Ensemble, the Manitoba Trombone Collective, the University of North Dakota Trombone Choir, and the University of New Mexica Tuba Ensemble. Don’t forget to bring your own instrument as well for the mass festival choir! Needless to say, the event will have a variety of events suited for all low brass ensemble enthusiasts.

For more information contact Aaron Wilson at wilsona@brandonu.ca. Registration can be done on the Brandon University website and the link for BULBFest can be found in the events section.

Don’t blow your chance to attend this festival!