APRIL 2008 Issue
STUDENT COLUMN
Campus Life Winds Down at University of Alberta
BY KORY MATHEWSON
University of Alberta Student Columnist (Engineering)
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Students at the University of Alberta in every engineering discipline are embarking on another end of the academic year. Along with April showers come final examinations and flowers close behind.
For some students, these are the final days spent in an undergraduate degree program. After this they travel off to careers in the field, graduate school or faraway places. For others, this marks their entrance into the engineering faculty. Their first year down, they are now able to select a specification and focus on their true interests.
Finally, for the rest, April brings the end of the winter term and the start of the spring and summer. This means jobs and travel, experience and adventure, research and, for some, even more studying.
Some of the past events garnered amazing amounts of interest and participation since the New Year. National Engineering and Geosciences Week, in late February and early March, featured events ranging from pancake breakfasts to food drives, as well as a speech competition and a new event entitled Communications Breakdown. In the latter, students tested their communications skills with friends — and, if things were destined to work out well, soon-to-be-friends.
Congratulations goes out to the winners of the speech competition: 1, Jamaal Montasser; 2, Andrew Higginson; and 3, Carolyn Truong — all of them student members of APEGGA. Congrats also to all the other engineering students who took part in the event.
One of the most innovative events of NEGW this year was a presentation by Larry Staples, P.Eng., a past APEGGA president and the current president of C-FER Technologies Inc. He spoke of the importance of right-brain thinking in engineering practice.
Engineering Dean David Lynch, P.Eng., of our university was in attendance. Dr. Lynch introduced Mr. Staples and shared a few words about his own “right” side.
Shave by the Numbers
Final numbers are in for the major fundraiser of the University of Alberta Engineering Students’ Society. Back in November, the head shave was able to raise $51,627.14 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
The top three fundraisers, in descending order of amounts raised, were Paul Deduluk, APEGGA student member Amanda Schneck and Steven Hackman. All of the effort from participants and volunteers is much appreciated.
As well, a nice note is that $2,400 was raised for the Campus Food Bank during Geer Week — which the electrical engineering students, by the way, won for a third consecutive time.
Pi On Ya
March 10 to 12 was the ESS Pi Throw, which had students and faculty buying pies to be sent to a friend or colleague for, well, let’s call it an in-your-face presentation.
It’s an exciting fundraiser for the ESS and it raised support and camaraderie, which were both needed as finals approached.
Upcoming Events
On the last days of classes each engineering discipline gets a chance to field questions and introduce students to the program. This takes place during First-Year Information Nights.
The nights are a great opportunity to help students make an informed decision about their choice of their field of interest. As well, lots of graduate studies programs are taking place, which might just answer the “what’s next?” question of some graduating engineering students.
Spring and summer make up a slow time for ESS. Much of it is spent transitioning the new board into its new roles. Time is also devoted to getting ready for the upcoming year.
On behalf the entire Engineering Students’ Society, thank you so much for the continued interest in the ESS at the University of Alberta. See you soon.
For further news and information, visit www.ess.ualberta.ca.
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