January 2009 issue
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Student Column
Food, Company, Fun and Finals
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BY SEAN CONTENTI, LAURENCE JAYAWARDANE & NADIA BRUEMMERU of A Student Columnists (Geosciences) |
Happy New Year!
It’s been a busy time since the last PEGG. We held one of our major events, the Christmas party, and also went through a couple of fundraisers for our graduation banquet.
We have now raised about 10 per cent of the total cost for the banquet, which is not bad at all, considering our packed schedules.
Also in the mix, we had to prepare for our final exams.
At the annual Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Christmas Party in late November, professors and department staff joined undergraduate and graduate students to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of the holiday season. And what a success the event was.
We gathered at a downtown hotel to share great food and even better company, along with some very entertaining music. None other than one of our very own professors, Dr. John Waldron, took to the stage to perform with his band.
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The grad committee put together a geology cheesy movie night, screening The Core and serving popcorn, candy and refreshments. Geology students enjoyed the wild fantasies and exaggerations of the movie — which may have helped lighten the mood after the conclusion of midterms. Laughs were had by all and, just as importantly, money was made by the grad committee.
Another successful fundraiser was the geo-bake sale. Students and their parents contributed baked goods to sell on campus to satisfy students’ sweet teeth.
Working with the community is something P.S. Warren is striving to develop, this year. So far we have joined forces with the APEGGA Outreach Program, which organizes volunteer opportunities for students.
Students participated in the program’s Rock and Fossil Clinic at the TELUS World of Science in October. Identifying minerals and fossils brought the practical knowledge of Mineralogy I back for many of us. The interaction with the public — especially kids — helped us remember why we entered geology in the first place: our love of rocks!
Also, University of Alberta Museums put together Science Saturday, and many geoscience students volunteered to help. Held in the aftermath of midterms, the games and fun activities with children under age 12 helped lighten our spirits.
The following week, exams peered around the corner as most (if not all) students had to get ready for the many lab exams we have to endure over the course of our undergraduate degree.
Before we knew it, classes were over, and it was time to get ready for the rest of our finals. On the last day of classes, we gathered one last time at a campus bar to say goodbye to those completing their undergraduate careers. Along with a few drinks and many laughs, we the shared underlying uneasiness that comes about with an ever-so-packed exam schedule.
We all parted ways after finals, and some of us were lucky enough to get away for a bit, to go back home or even just enjoy some time in the mountains.
It’s now a brand-new year and a brand-new semester, and we look forward to two conferences this January. First up is the student-run Western Inter-University Geoscience Conference, and it’s followed by the huge Mineral Exploration Roundup. Both will be held within weeks of each other in Vancouver.
We’ll let you know how they both went in the coming issues of The PEGG.
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