How not to impale someone with your umbrella and other useful rainy day tips

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Lori

Is it just me or has it been raining a lot lately? I’m finding it hard to remember the last day when it was sunny and dry? Fall is here and gone are the days when you could leisurely lounge on the grass between classes without out fear of soaking your pants on the perpetually damp ground.
With such unpredictable weather, I’ve got into the habit of bringing my umbrella with me each day. I need to tell you that my umbrella is huge. When I purchased it I wanted an umbrella that would keep my whole person dry. I didn’t want one of those micro umbrellas that you can fit into your back pocket and only covers your head and part of your shoulders, leaving your back pack as the recipient of a small waterfall off the backside of the umbrella. I wanted a substantial cover from the rain. I can comfortably fit myself and another adult or two small children under my umbrella.

Note the relative size of my umbrella next to what is a very large pumpkin...it's huge.

Here’s the problem, although mine is the luxury sedan of umbrellas, I have trouble manoeuvring around the busy sidewalks of campus when my umbrella is fully deployed. Is there such a thing as umbrella etiquette and if so am I ignoring all the rules?
I decided to find out. I asked a few friends on campus and they were at a loss, just as I am on the proper protocol of umbrella etiquette. In my search, I discovered a few tips on how to properly avoid social flubs when walking with an umbrella.
Let me pre-empt this by saying that I have unfortunately poked an innumerable amount of people with my umbrella over the past few years. I find that street crossings are the most dangerous place to be with an umbrella. As everyone crowds into a horizontal space that is only inches wider than the span of my umbrella, it is nearly impossible not to catch a few pedestrians in the side of the head. I try to raise my umbrella when people are walking by me, but I’m not very tall and this inevitably leads to me poking someone’s ear or getting my umbrella caught in their hair. I know I can improve my improper umbrella etiquette. Here are a few tips I’m going to actively employ the next time I’m out with my umbrella:

1. When approaching a crowd of people or crossing at an intersection, raise your umbrella high enough so that you don’t poke people in the head. If there are people with umbrellas approaching you, then it is the duty of the tallest person wielding an umbrella to raise theirs.

2. Close and shake off your umbrella before entering a building. Trying to do this as you enter a building blocks the door and causes those waiting behind you, who don’t have umbrellas, to get more wet while they wait for you to move.

3. If you have an umbrella, don’t hang out under overhangs. Let the people who don’t have umbrellas have this dry space.

4. Don’t hold your umbrella so low that you cut off your peripheral vision. This can cause pedestrian collisions and embarrassing gaffes.

5. This is the final and most important tip. If you have an umbrella, make sure it doesn’t have sharp exposed points. If it does, throw it out and buy a new one.

I am an admitted offender of all the rules of umbrella etiquette. I am that person who bumps into people, pokes them in the head and blocks the door. I am coming to terms with my problem and I’m working on it. Just the other day I managed to cross St. George in a sea of umbrellas and I’m happy to say I didn’t impale anyone.

-Lori

ps…The good deed project is on track. So far I have completed at least one good deed per day (I invited someone under my huge umbrella the other day and they were pleased to get out of the rain). I have yet to notice any physical effects of my do-gooding, but I do feel like a little bit better of a person.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself!

Posted on October 28, 2011 by bockinglaura

I suffered a particularly nasty blow to the ego last Tuesday. A shocking midterm experience led me to “check myself, before I wrecked myself.” Thank you Ice Cube!

This midterm season sure felt bad for my health – less sleep than required, falling behind in other classes, skipping socializing and friends’ events and sitting on my fanny studying books for too long.

When I awoke from my midterm haze and stepped out into the rain I wrote out a little post-midterm “To Do List”:

Sleep
Go out with friends
Catch up on readings
Work out!

While I haven’t gotten around to all of them yet, I did just return from a Frosh Fit class (don’t be deceived by the name, it’s meant for all ages), and if I can say so myself, am reveling in the post-workout glow! Five stations, two different exercises per station, 30 seconds x 3 at each exercise = 3 minutes of burning sensation then 1 minute of sweet release before doing it all over again.

I was flying solo in the class; none of my friends dared to brave the slick streets of Harbord and Huron with me. Turned out I didn’t need ‘em anyways! My instructor knew I was new to Frosh Fit and showed me the ropes, and then I found myself a new friend to push through the stations with. Overall it was a very successful investment, great returns including new friends, new moves and a post-midterm catharsis. I’d hazard a guess that if you’re in midterm season right now this might be the thing for you!

What would you do if you had the courage?

Posted on October 27, 2011 by jennifer

After walking into a cozy, hidden room full of strangers at the top of Hart House yesterday afternoon, the first question I was met with did not ask my name, or why I was there, but: “What would you liked to have done in the past, if you had the courage?” And so began my first time attending a workshop in the “Courage to Connect” series, hosted by the U of T Poet-in-the-Community, Ronna Bloom.

I will admit, I had anxieties about attending the workshop. There’s a tiny part of my soul that is a spoken word poet, and a significantly larger, louder, more well-cultivated part of my soul that tells me to go to the lab and do some science instead of attending a poetry workshop because what if they make you read your poem aloud and it’s terrible and everyone secretly feels embarrassed for you and tries not to make eye contact? Indeed. What if.

In the name of lifeatuoft, I did it anyways. I will write terrible poetry and share it with people I’ve just met, just to tell you about it, my dear readers – remember that. Despite my trepidation, Ronna welcomed us with sincerity and quickly transformed the room into an experimentation-positive, emotion-positive, expression-positive space. She began by laying out the rules:

1. Don’t think.
2. Don’t censor your words.
3. Keep your hand moving for the entire writing period.
4. “You are free to write the worst crap possible.”
5. You don’t have to share your work with the group.

Somewhere between rules 4 and 5, I decided that I might like it here.

Interspersed between writing prompts, she read us passages of her work and that of others to enliven and inspire us. We were given the space to share our work if we were ready, or merely to sit silently and appreciate others’ ideas. Poignant words were met with an appreciative collective stir or gasp. We talked about the act of writing, notions of courage, and the courage that can be found in the writing process itself. While some in the room were seasoned poets, others were simply curious and open to experience. Either one was perfect.

Reflecting on our place within this university community and what we wish it could be, Ronna invited us to ask ourselves, What would I do if I had the courage? What scares me? What are people going to see? Who? What are you afraid you’ll say? What are you afraid you won’t say? What do you need to be free?

I found that the answers these questions evoked when I was forced to stop thinking – stop censoring; ‘stop stopping’ and just write – were radically different than the ones that I might normally have allowed myself to create. I listened to the words of others and they felt like warriors within their own lives. In the hour we spent together, I experienced a humanity and honesty that I’ve been missing; I’d found people who were ready to try to genuinely communicate, share, and connect with one another.

As the workshop closed, she read one of my favourite poems, and announced to us, “Next week, come back – we’ll play some more!”

I hope that you will join us.

- Jennifer

You Are What You Study?

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Erin

In my ENG 434 Cook The Books class, we’ve discussed the statement “you are what you eat” but I wonder, can the same be said for what you study? Hopefully, whatever field you’ve decided to specialize, major or minor in, will make an impact on the way you think but I do not necessarily think that your degree will define who you are and limit what you can be when you graduate.

On Monday, I went with Chad to see NASA Astronaut Drew Feustel speak at Hart House. Neither Chad, nor I, are in any way related to the U of T Space Program. Wait a second. U of T has a Space Program? Yes, that was our reaction, too. Nonetheless, everyone was welcome to attend and the audience was surprisingly diverse, ranging from a crying baby to the senior citizen with a hearing aid who sat in front of me to a person who felt compelled to ask,”Do you think humans can have a longer life expectancy in outer space because there is less pollution?” (Feustel responded that the stench of the recycled oxygen in the space shuttle is so gross that workers like to avoid going inside of the spacecraft after landing, therefore, is living in smelly, cramped quarters actually worth a longer life expectancy?). Uh, yeah. So we didn’t feel like aliens invading a space program lecture or anything.

Given the end of NASA’s space shuttle program over the summer, it was pretty amazing to hear someone who has visited the International Space Station not only once, but twice, speak about his unique experiences. While Feustel talked about his 8 minutes 20 seconds journey into orbit (the Space Shuttle Endeavour goes from zero to 17,500 miles an hour), he also mentioned his journey from university to NASA. Feustel revealed that he actually studied Geophysics and worked in underground mining throughout Canada and the United States. It’s safe to say that the jump from underground mining to outer space is a pretty far leap but Feustel proved he didn’t let his background in Geological Sciences define and limit what he can and can’t accomplish.

In fact, Feustel seemed to stress that being a well-rounded individual was the key to his success. Obviously, a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences added to his repertoire of academic accomplishments but in order to gain a competitive edge for NASA’s recruiting process, he built up his qualifications and became certified in scuba diving and learned how to fly a plane, personally testing and pushing himself to see if he felt comfortable in different environments.

While Feustel talked about his own unique carved path, I couldn’t help but think about when I tell people that I am a double major in Aboriginal Studies and English. There have been times when I have watched people process the subjects I have chosen and it becomes quite obvious that they do not recognize Aboriginal Studies and English as “safe” fields of study.

“And what do you plan to do with that?” “Where will those subjects lead you?” They quiz me. I’ve tried to stop giving a long-winded defense about why I have chosen this specific journey (quite simply, I derive pleasure from gaining knowledge and exploring ideas in these areas, it is my passion) and have also refrained from telling them that I will be okay. The thing is, I really do think I’ll be okay.

While I admit, very few people on planet earth will ever get beyond earth, Feustel shows that a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences didn’t restrict his dreams of becoming an astronaut. What I’m trying to say is that if you work hard enough, shoot high enough and dream big enough, it’s you, not necessarily your degree, that will get you places, perhaps far, far away. So be like Feustel. Enjoy life on earth but don’t forget to shoot for those stars.

Erin

NASA Astronaut Drew Feustel and his former professor, U of T's Vice President of Research, Paul Young.

Ghosts of Essays Past

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Desirée

Photo provided by tlc.typepad

It’s that spooky time of year again. No, not Halloween, but the
ghoulish time when you are buired under piles of essays, no time, and you’re
freaking out. Rummaging through the cobwebs of your old essays, you discover
that you handed in a similar essay that could even double for the one you have
due. You might be so frightened of your workload and so tempted by this
rediscovered essay that you would even consider doing “that shall not be named” aka the “P word” aka the “sinister P” aka PLAGIRISM (AHHH). With time against you and more essays than you can count, you might think that plagiarism is your best option, but think again.

While this seductive ghost may appear to be your answer, did you
know that handing in work that you had previously submitted in another class
counts as plagiarism? Ya, I know! Plagiarism . . . eek. Its a word that scares
most students, and scares me, too. We are told we can plagiarize without
intentionally doing it, and that plagiarism is anything that you take credit
for that isn’t your own original work. How do we sort out the right from the
wrong, the intentional to the unintentional forms of plagiarism? Luckily, the
Academic Integrity Office (AIO) lays out the different academic offences
students may commit, and how they are dealt with.

The AIO helpfully lists how students may commit the academic
offenses, but they all have the same basic point. If you KNOWINGLY submit
anything as your own work that is not yours OR isn’t original (aka you handed
in part or the whole essay before) you are committing the horrible, the
terrible and the unwanted: plagiarism.
By committing this act, you may be forced to forfeit your grade for the
assignment, forfeit your grade for the course or worse, you could even be
expelled from the school. Scary, right?

It is so important to see that plagiarism isn’t worth getting
kicked out of school for, and that it is in your hands to follow academic
policies. Often times I’m so worried that I might accidentally plagiarize that
I always consult citation formats or ask my professors. When it comes to your
writing, make sure you never have to second guess.

So, what do you do when you have a big workload and feel lost? Get
help. Talk to your professors about getting an extension, but be wary, being
given more time might make you procrastinate. Talk to your college registrar’s
office or the Academic Success Centre as both may provide advice on time
management or help you work out a plan to complete all of your work. After all, for all students, nothing is scarier than plagiarism . . . BOO!

Desiree

Five Ways to Kill Time During Your Study Break

Posted on October 25, 2011 by jon.foster

I am trying to figure out why it is that some people have already had mid-terms, some are in the process of mid-terms, and people like me don’t have mid-terms until next week. No matter which category you fall into, I hope that this gives you some ideas to make the most of your study breaks.

Now, when you are studying for countless hours, whether it is at home, in the library, or some other nook or cranny located on campus, you MUST take a break every now and again. I am sure you will go nuts if you don’t. But, when you are deep in thought and trying to remember dates or theories or formulas, what can you do to rest your brain for a few?

Below, I present to you my top five ways to kill time during a study break.

YouTube. There is basically an unlimited supply of mindless banter on this, the most popular video sharing site around, and you don’t need advanced Web 2.0 research skills to use it. I know that for myself, I have found quite a few gems out there that sure make me smile.
Websites made to make you laugh. The two best that I have found are FailBlog and Damn You Autocorrect. Both provide a hoot and maybe even a holler, but try not to laugh too loud if you are in the library.
A clip from Damn You Autocorrect
Clean your apartment/room. I know this one doesn’t sound like fun, but when you are diving into the books every night your chores may pile up on you. Doing five or ten minutes of cleaning actually gets quite a bit done, and your roommates/parents/pets will thank you for it later. It also takes your mind off the books for a bit, and you can go back feeling accomplished.
Play with your pet. I, personally, have a cat that likes to walk across my books while I am studying, because, you know, he is what should be important. So why not entertain him while I entertain myself. Dogs are also good if you need some immediate affection. Goldfish, not so much.
My cat, Murphy
Computer Games. These can actually be dangerous, but if you have sufficient will power they can be a great little escape from your knowledge-reality. I like to play Civilization V, NHL ’12, and Final Fantasy XIII. If you lack will power, like I do, this way to spend your study break time may in fact turn into a three-hour marathon trying to upgrade or breed your chocobo.
Final Fantasy XIII

I hope that my short list helps you make the most of your short breaks. Just remember, you deserve it. No matter if you have a 2.0 GPA or pushing north of 3.8, we all need to take a break every now and again. I recommend taking a ten minute break for every two hours of studying – but that might just be me. I know that some people will require breaks more frequently, some less. I do know, however, that my need to take a break increases the longer I study for, sometimes 10 minutes an hour. But, we are entitled to it. Also, if you need help with study tips or how to improve your chances of being successful, check out the Academic Success Centre.

What are your favourite ways to spend a study break? Share your ideas in my comment section!

-Jon

Cynics beware…the do-gooders are coming!

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Lori

Someone said something interesting to me the other day. I was having a coffee on break during class and a stranger who was sitting beside me noted that he thought it was odd how people never talk to each other at U of T. He thought it was so inane that twelve people could be sitting in such close proximity, and not have a conversation. An interesting observation – the inanity of it all. My theory is that most people are just kind of shy. This led me to think once more about ways that we can make our campus feel more close-knit. I do think that talking to new people is a great way to accomplish this.

I was presented with a new possibility the other day.

Have you heard of “People for Good“? This group represents a global good deed movement that you may have seen advertised throughout campus. They want to get people to do nice things for others, for no other reason than it feels good.

I’m really into this! I like to think that I am a person who is helpful and kind, but this project really pushes people to go beyond existing do-good comfort levels and do MORE good.

The challenge from the website is this: Do a good deed once a day for two weeks and see if at the end of two weeks you feel any different. According to the website, there is evidence that doing a good deed actually creates a positive physical reaction in our bodies…a good deed high, if you if will.

There are pages of good deed suggestions on the People for Good website, and I think we could spin this movement to make it work on campus.

See someone looking sad and lonely – say hi.

See someone walking out of Robarts carrying a stack of twenty five hardcover books – over a hand.

See someone a foot in front of you getting drenched in a downpour – invite them under your umbrella.

So maybe give it a try. Do some good deeds and let me know if you feel any different. Does it make you feel happier and more connected. On Monday, I will be starting this two week challenge and I’ll let you know what my personal results are in two weeks.

-Lori

Are you too old to trick or treat?!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by bockinglaura

Here comes Halloween!

Too old to trick or treat?!

Maybe…

But NOT too old to get dressed up!!!

Halloween may be the only driving force dragging me through mid-October midterms, but I think I’ll make it. Looking back on Halloweens gone by I can see the PowerPoint of my fave costumes. Now I’ve always preferred to dress up with other people in group costumes: pigs, chickens, cabana pool boys, sheep and old ladies to name a few!

This may seem like quite a few costumes, however the beauty of Halloween is that there are so many events to get dressed up for. Why wear just one costume when you can be something different each day leading up to the 31st! This month there are potential opportunities to wear a costume on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday. If that’s too many different outfits for you, why not dedicate some study break time now to making an epic costume to wear again and again!?

Potential Events Agenda (i.e. ideas of sweet places to wear your nifty costume to!):

Thursday October 27^th- CLASS…what better way to entertain your colleagues and get some more wear time in.

Friday October 28^th– FIESTA…have one of your friends host a costume party!

Saturday October 29^th– SCARY SKATE (from 7:30pm-9pm bring your friends and enjoy some skating, games and refreshments at Varsity Centre!)

Sunday October 30^th– STRETCH WORKS at Hart House…limber up after your big skate!

Monday October 31st – YOUR FRONT DOOR! Buy some candy and check-out what the cool kids are wearing these days!

If you’re short on ideas I just happen to know of a lady who has PLENTY of DIY Costume ideas – check up on Martha Stewart’s latest digs!

Later Skaters.

Culture Shocked!

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Chad

U of T plays host to students from all around the world including the Far East, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Now while I’ve not been to all of these regions, I can say with some certainty that Toronto is quite the change for students from these places. To make the move away from home even more difficult, many of these students (myself included) had never left their home country for longer than a few days before they ventured off, halfway around the world to this strange, new land. It’s no surprise then that a lot of international students experience varying degrees of culture shock. Here, I’ll take you through the stages of culture shock, U of T-style!

The Frosh Phase

Formerly known as the honeymoon phase, this is the period that probably occupies you for your first few weeks at U of T: you move into your awesome new residence, you meet your roommates and you experience what it’s like to be away from your parents’ constant surveillance for the first time. If this isn’t already infinitely exciting and overwhelming all at the same time, your first week is also spent meeting hundreds of new students during orientation week and hundreds more during your first few weeks of classes. All the while you’re strolling through this vast metropolitan city, starry-eyed and for the most part, numbed by all the intoxicating (cough-cough) new experiences that you’re sharing with a cacophony of strangers-turned-best friends. This is the easy part…

The Midterm Phase

What your local psych would refer to as the negotiation phase, this is when you realize that for the first time, you can’t call mommy and daddy for help and all your best friends are strangers. To make matters worse, it’s getting colder, midterms are on the horizon and the romantic blur that once surrounded everything at U of T is beginning to fade. At this stage, you’re likely to be missing home a lot, you miss your friends and your family and you miss the food and the customs of your hometown.

For me, I missed the beach the most; and while there’s not much substitute for a Caribbean seascape in Toronto, I found doing things that I associated with going to the beach to be equally satisfying. And so, to this day, whenever I’m feeling homesick, I cook up a homestyle recipe, put on some local tunes, turn up the heat, pull on my board shorts,and it’s just like I’m home. It may seem ridiculous and even a bit crazy, but it’s saved me from calling it quits and hopping on the next plane home more than a few times!

Now you could see where I had some problems

Find things that you can do here to make yourself feel more at home. Look for local restaurants that make your favourite culinary dishes, or learn to cook them yourself online. Find groups on campus that will give you the opportunity to interact with people from similar backgrounds. You’d be surprised how at ease it can make you feel to just talk to someone in your native language or dialect.

The “did I pass” phase?

The next phase is where things get really interesting: you start to see if all the things you’ve been trying are working or not. This will take place roughly around the end of your first semester. This is called the adjustment phase, and probably the period where people’s experiences vary the most.

For some, coping with the differences of life away from home seems impossible and they see returning home as the only way out. Others are able to fully integrate into the culture and accept it as their own. But there is an in-between, where I feel – based on my experience, and on those of the many international students that I’ve met over the years – most people end up. This group is able to accept the new culture, but also maintain their individual identity and create a unique blend of the two.

Beyond the phases

For a lot of people though, this is not the end. Many students continue to have a hard time adjusting to life away from home and some go through waves of emotions – at one point you’re as happy as a clam, but at another, you feel alone, homesick and hopeless. Lucky for us though – as with most things at our fine institution – we don’t have to face these changes and challenges alone. There are a plethora of resources here to help you along the way. If you’re experiencing a great deal of difficulty acclimatizing to life at U of T and Toronto, The Centre for International Experience offers cross-cultural counselling, and if you need someone to talk to, Counselling and Psychological Services is a great on-campus resource.

Now all you’ll have to worry about is reverse culture shock!

-Chad

What’s Your Tree?

Posted on October 20, 2011 by jennifer

One of the most special aspects of being part of this university community is that I am free – and even encouraged – to engage with fearless, brilliant, passionate people that have the ability to hold up a mirror to me and let me see what I can find. On Tuesday night I had the opportunity to meet someone that I’ve admired for several years, but whose path I had never imagined that I would cross. Yet, there I was, surrounded by the intimate yet energetic buzz within the library of Hart House, as Julia Butterfly Hill carefully unfolded stories from the 738 days she spent living in a 1,500 year-old Redwood tree to defend it against loggers in Humboldt County, California.

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Julia Butterfly Hill. Photo by Scott Schumacher.

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Anyone with the tenacity, patience, and love to commit to anything for 738 days is someone who I believe has a lot to teach us. Even more so for someone who does so in spite of gunshots, intimidation, violent storms, and existential uncertainty at an age barely older than most undergraduates. I wanted to know how Julia knew that this is where she belonged – how she knew to what her life was supposed to be committed. I was surprised by her answer.

“We have to stop being so attached to outcome,” Julia tells us, “because if I didn’t let go of my concerns for what would happen in the future, I wouldn’t have made it.” She reminds us that no one grows up intending to spend 2 years living in a tree – that instead, our responses to what life chooses to put in our path make all the difference in the paths that we will one day take. Her reverence and gratitude for the present moment overcomes everyone in the room. Before speaking to us about her experiences, she leads us through a guided meditation followed by 20 minutes of documentary film footage about her 42^nd day in the tree. As observers, we are forced to be both active and present. I am gradually forced to stop worrying about my overdue paper, about writing this article, and about all of those tiny things about myself that I really wish that I could fix.

“Who we are is who we are supposed to be,” she tells us.

I stop dead in my tracks. It’s like she can see inside my thoughts, but of course, she can’t. Still skeptical, I start defending myself in my mind. I’m not one for new-age, the-world-is-made-of-rainbows-and-unicorns, “be the change” types of sentiments. Listening to too many stories of how 3 days in Africa as a volun-tourist has radically changed someone’s life has made me put up walls to motivational speakers. But then she reaches me.

“The thing is, we could all become butterflies, but most of us are too afraid to liquefy. When a caterpillar enters its cocoon, it must turn itself to liquid before it can be reborn.”

Many of us are too afraid to retreat and melt down all of our prejudices, beliefs, and assumptions, to form anew. We’re too afraid to take all of those things that we think define us – be they sexual orientation, GPA, political affiliation, social position, past experiences, or broader cultural understanding – and let them go for long enough to see who we are in this moment. Who would I be if I took away the safety of routine? How far would I go to defend something that I believe in?

Laughing, she tells us that when she was in the tree, all reporters could ask her was what she missed most from living on the ground. As soon as she got down from the tree, however, all they could ask was what she missed about being in the tree. “Stop missing things!” she tells us. “Nature isn’t sustainable, it is regenerative. So how do we fill up our hearts again?”

At the end of the presentation, students were encouraged to write our own individual passion and purpose on a leaf to be put on a large paper tree within Hart House. Maybe all of these passions scrawled across paper leaves are those which can regenerate us; maybe they are the things that can fill up our hearts again. I put up a leaf of my own, but was still uncertain about what I wrote.

I brought a second leaf home, in case I am ever ready to liquefy.