Barbara Lehtiniemi is a writer and photographer from Ontario. She’s a graduate of Athabasca University, having completed her Bachelor of General Studies degree in 2018.
A regular contributor to The Voice Magazine for over ten years, Barbara has also contributed to other publications including Chicken Soup for the Soul and Maclean’s. Barbara writes in several genres, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. She’s eternally grateful to The Voice Magazine for providing the opportunity to explore an array of topics and writing styles.
Barbara has a fondness for travel, used bookstores, everyday absurdities, and oversized wine glasses. Originally from urban Southwestern Ontario, she now lives on a windswept rural road in Eastern Ontario.
There must be something about working with books that makes library staff happy. Every time I interact with anyone who works in a library?whether It’s a public or an academic library?It’s a pleasant experience. I took my COPPUL card out for a test run recently. A COPPUL card is a reciprocal borrowing card that allows… Read more »
Anyone who thinks “getting there is half the fun” doesn’t travel by air. Surely the most loathsome aspect of getting from point A to a distant B is navigating an airport. From curbside to boarding gate, the whole process seems designed to bring out the worst in people. And it does bring out the worst…. Read more »
Where to start? I always wanted to be a writer, which is why I spent 25 years in accounting. Does that make sense? No, it doesn’t. But That’s what happens sometimes when life happens and what we want to do gets pushed aside?again and again?in favour of what we think we need to do. When… Read more »
Scholarship name: Working Parent College Scholarship Program Sponsored by: job-applications.ca Deadline: December 10, 2016 Potential payout: $1000 Eligibility restriction: Applicants must be employed, have at least one minor-age child at home, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. What’s required: A 600- to 1000-word essay to : “Discuss your experience as a parent… Read more »
I’m not a fan of e-texts. I decided that I wouldn’t like them before I even encountered one. I avoided them at all costs. AU began converting courses from real textbooks to e-texts in 2013, under its E-text Initiative. At that time, AU announced that all courses with suitable texts would be converted to e-texts… Read more »
When you dropped some money into a poppy donation box this month, did you stop to wonder where that money goes? Did you know that, if you are the child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of a veteran, and are in financial need, some of that money could end up in your own pocket? In Canada, poppies… Read more »
Want to know what other students think about an AU course You’re contemplating taking? Check out AUSU’s Course Evaluations! Launched one year ago, the AUSU Course Evaluation tool allows students to provide info to other students on AU undergraduate courses. Students can add their own evaluations on the Course Evaluations page and view summarized evaluations… Read more »
Libraries and learning go together. While libraries are for more than learning, and learning can take place anywhere, there is still a vital link. October is Canadian Library Month, and in my home province this week, October 16 to 22, It’s Ontario Public Library Week. Libraries?both academic and public?are a valuable resource for students. And… Read more »
AU undergrad students are swimming in opportunities for free stuff this fall. AUSU is poised to hand out thousands of dollars in scholarships and bursaries in a few weeks. Additionally, AUSU is running a contest for a free AU undergrad course, worth hundreds of dollars. Let’s begin with the easy stuff: AUSU’s #igo2AU Contest. The… Read more »
It’s complicated. I don’t have a dog. I don’t even like dogs. I fear dogs. My fear and dislike of dogs stems from my childhood. A neighbour’s Miniature Dachshund, a gentle old sausage named Cindy, inexplicably panicked one day and bit me. Cindy gashed my pants and my leg, and shredded my attitude toward dogs… Read more »