Tokyo Station in Tokyo, Japan

Travel has always been a dream of mine, but growing up, I didn’t have many opportunities to travel. Eventually, I realized that if something is truly important to you, you need to prioritize it. So, I started saving, planning, and dedicating time to travel. Over the past year, you may have noticed more people visiting Japan, or maybe you’ve even thought about it yourself. Japan’s growing popularity can be attributed to its reputation for safety, diverse activities, and exceptional food. Additionally, the favorable currency exchange has made it more affordable for many.

Since two years ago, I’ve made it a point to prioritize travel alongside my career and education, aiming to visit at least one new destination each year for learning and personal growth. Today, I’m excited to share some highlights from my trip to Japan last October. My hope is that it might inspire or help you plan your next adventure—wherever that may be.

History

Japan is rich in history, offering countless museums and temples that provide a fascinating look into its culture and heritage. I highly recommend visiting at least a few, even though they can be crowded. Why? Because there’s nothing quite like them, especially in Alberta. That said, keep in mind that most of these places tend to attract large crowds. To make the most of your visit, try going early in the day or mentally preparing yourself for the hustle and bustle.

Restaurants

Omakase restaurant in Kyoto, Japan

Japan is world-renowned for its food—both in terms of quality and affordability. One of the highlights of my trip was how accessible and delicious everything was. Be sure to dive into the many incredible dishes and cuisines the country has to offer. If you’re planning to visit a popular restaurant, though, don’t forget to make a reservation or be prepared for a wait.

Night Life

Dotonbori in Osaka, Japan

I’ve never been one for nightlife, but Japan has a vibrant scene even for those who aren’t typically into it. Every city I visited had something to offer in the evenings—whether it’s street food, dining out, arcades, or shopping malls. There’s always something to explore, no matter your interests.

For those of you in Alberta, you can take a direct flight from Calgary to Tokyo. Round-trip prices range from $800 CAD to $2000 CAD, but if you keep an eye out, you can often find tickets for around $1000–1300 CAD.

Happy and safe travels!

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve wanted a dog all my life, but wanted to wait until I finished school, had a job, and maybe some free time.  So, it seemed as though the perfect time to get a puppy was now, even though I still had a lot going on.

I wanted a puppy as a companion and as someone who would go with me for hikes, walks, and to motivate me to exercise regularly—even when I feel like I could sit all day long.  Finally, after many years, my dream came true, as just before Christmas, we got a puppy.

What we got was a three-month-old Samoyed puppy, a breed that I had wanted for over two years.  I knew this breed required lots of brushing and exercise and was not an easy breed to raise, especially as a first-time dog owner.  I researched and asked friends with dogs for all the information about having a puppy.  When the time came, I felt ready for our new friend, however, it wasn’t long before I felt “puppy blues”.

I felt very stressed out as my life became very chaotic.  Some might say it’s because I haven’t experienced having kids yet.  This might be true, but the first week was the toughest, as our cute little puppy had to re-adapt to crate training alone during the night (before he came home, he slept with his brothers), which meant he barked a lot during the night for a few weeks.  During the day, we had a number of potty accidents as we tried to figure out when he wanted to go out and when he didn’t, and figures out that when he got excited or stressed or simply waited too long, he was prone to having an accident.  And although he napped, whenever he woke up, he had to go potty right away otherwise there would be accidents.

As a puppy, he also ate absolutely everything, which meant we had to watch him all day long.  So running errands and leaving the house was no longer a simple task—our little guy was nervous in the car and couldn’t be home alone.  And, of course, our puppy was also teething.  This meant he would bite everything—including us!  It turns out puppy teeth are really sharp and, for those who don’t know, hurt a lot.  He would bite us really hard, and it would be tough to control him sometimes.

Day crate training was another challenge, as he barked non-stop, cried, and whined.  The first month, I asked myself many times how I would survive the coming weeks.  And it didn’t improve much during that time.  Sure, there were good days and bad days.  But sometimes it felt as though the bad days were outweighing the good days.  The second month there were gradual improvements, but very minimal.

With all the constant pressures, it made me constantly wonder if I was ready for a puppy.  I had thought I’d thought it through a lot, but, experiencing it felt completely different.  For weeks, it was a lot of up and down emotions.  The puppy came with lots of responsibilities, and my usual routine, the stuff I used to do easily, became a challenge each day.

Going to get food or simply visiting the store was a challenge as we had to make sure the puppy was in a crate (which wasn’t feasible as he was still working on daytime crate training) or someone was with him because we couldn’t take him to the store.  Hanging out with friends was absolutely not possible as malls and many stores did not allow pets.  I still recall feeling horrible and stressed out that I couldn’t handle him.

On top of this, our little puppy was growing very quick, and his energy exponentially increased as he did.  Short walks or short plays that wore him down before no longer worked.  Many of my friends recommended dog parks, dog daycare, and many places that could wear down his energy.  However, many of these options required him to be a bit older.  With all these challenges, I kept circling around the thought if I could really handle a puppy right now.  Each time we went for short walks, I’d see very obedient and calm dogs and I realized the amount of effort owners put into their dog to achieve such results.

For the next two months, I realized I was constantly regretting my decision.  It made me feel absolutely horrible that I was stressed, and worse that I brought a puppy home not knowing how unprepared I was.  I spoke with friends and family, and everyone reassured me it would improve and become easier with time and lots of training, but it felt like I would never see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A really good friend told me that she genuinely didn’t think that I should give up so easily.  She said it was too early to jump to the conclusion that my puppy wasn’t a good fit.  When she said those words, I realized I expected my puppy to be able to learn everything so quickly, despite simply being a baby.  I really needed to be patient and take things slowly.

We ended up enrolling in puppy classes, had a few friends help us walk, and play with our puppy.  We started looking at dog daycares, asking for help on a Samoyed Facebook page, and now, with it being a more than three months, things have started to come together.

Although our little guy still requires lots of training, I have finally started finding some structure and am able to focus on my daily tasks again.  As we pushed through daytime crate training, our little guy has started to nap according to structure and behaves better.  Also, puppy class helped me burn his energy and work on commands.  We met many Samoyed friends at a local group who shared similar experiences with us.

As I now write this, it’s been almost four months since we got our puppy.  I’m happy that now that most, if not all, of my negative thoughts are almost gone.  Each morning, I look forward to seeing my puppy’s smiling face and I think about him whenever I leave the house without him.  I can’t imagine any more what my life would have been like without him!

For anyone with a young puppy and feeling puppy blues, I just wanted to share my experience and let you know that it is okay to feel this way.  You’re not alone and things will improve.

I can’t say things are perfect now; as things improve new challenges also come.  However, remember that there are so many resources including puppy class, professional dog trainers (although we have not yet used this), and dog daycare that can help you with your puppy.  Don’t give up because it will be so worth it!  For those who are considering a puppy, I would recommend doing your research about the financial commitment (although I did not touch on it much, it is quite expensive—especially the beginning), time commitment, and responsibility of having a dog.

Although dogs improve as they grow up and require less effort than they do as a puppy, they still require lots of time and attention.  Remember that having a puppy and dog isn’t simply about making you and your family happy, we should do everything we can to ensure the puppy/dog is also happy, healthy, proper socialize, and getting the adequate exercise they need.

Whatever you may be up to this month, don’t forget to take a moment and pick up one of these recommended reads!

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski DMA

For me, the past few months have been quite stressful with managing school, research, work, and a new puppy, I decided to look for some de-stressing books and came across this one.  I recommend this book because I found it really breaks down the stress we experience, especially how woman feel, and how we can each feel burned out differently.  This book examines the different ways we can reduce stress, manage our emotions, and feel less burned out.  I can’t say this works for everyone, but I found reading this book helped me feel a bit lighter overall!

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

While I was searching through my local library for new books to read, I came across this one.  This book is about a couple, Clay and Amanda, who head to an island for vacation with their son and daughter.  However, a random couple ring their doorbell and suddenly everything changes.  The novel examines parenthood, class, and race in a very intriguing and suspenseful way.  A must read!

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

The Candy House is a story about a tech entrepreneur Bix Bouton who is constantly looking for new ideas.  Bix came across a professor who is playing around with the idea of downloading memories.  Not long after, Bix invented the newest technology known as Own Your Unconscious which allows us to access every memory we’ve ever owned and the ability to exchange with others.  The story examines the benefits and consequences through the various characters in the story.  An intriguing read!

True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us by Danielle J.  Lindemann

We’ve all likely watched some sort of reality TV show at one point of our life.  Have you ever thought about what we actually see when we watch reality TV? The book is written by a sociologist who examines the genre of reality TV.  It examines the key factors of popular reality shows from those such as the Bachelor to COPS and brings readers a new perspective of what messages reality TV is teaching us.  A must read!

Zak George’s Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog with Dina Roth Port

I picked up this book in efforts to find new ways to train my puppy.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried puppy class, YouTube videos, etc., and many are very helpful, but Zak George was one of my favorites! I found his videos and books very helpful as many of the suggestions really helped my puppy.  This book examines all essential topics that you need to know when getting a puppy.  So regardless if you’re a new, existing, or potential dog owner, I recommend this book to you!

Happy reading!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Apples Never Fall is a novel that examines marriage, siblings, and family, and how those who are the closest to us and those who we love the most can sometimes be the ones that can hurt us the most.  The story delves into Delaney’s family, who love each other more than anything, however, like all families, they have problems and arguments.  There are moments they want to kill each other.  What would you do if your mother suddenly went missing and the primary suspect is your father?  A recommended read for everyone!

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

The story is about a girl, Mackenzie Cabot, also known as Mac, and she is a people pleaser to everyone.  Whether that is her demanding parents, classmates from school, or her boyfriend.  However, sometimes this can be quite exhausting always following everyone’s rules except your own.  Mac has a dream of growing an internet business though her parents want her to pursue a college degree first.  Mac is quite experienced with suppressing her wild side until she meets Cooper Hartley, the total opposite to her, he is honest, straightforward, and a bad boy.  Through their friendship, Mac realizes something she never realized before.

Impossible to Forget by Imogen Clark

A wish that brings five individuals together, this is what Impossible to Forget is about.  Romany just turned eighteen when a tragic incident happens to her mother, Angie, the last family member that she has.  To help Romany live her life without Angie, Angie put her four closest friends a mission of helping Romany through the last year of high school.  Angie sees in each of these four individuals carrying a beautiful view of life that she wants to pass onto her daughter.  A recommended read for all!

One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner

A recommended read for all thriller fans!  Where a young man goes missing and the journey to find him reveals the mysterious secrets.  Timothy O’Day disappeared at the bachelor party and left no evidence behind; his parents and friends look for clues to find him.  But there is someone out there determined to stop them from finding Timothy.

The Lobotomist’s Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff

For those looking for a compassionate historical fiction, this is the read for you!  Ruth Emeraldine’s brother committed suicide after World War I.  After this experience, Ruth became determined her life goal would be to help anyone who suffered from mental illness.  Ruth then met Robert Apter, a doctor working on a treatment called lobotomy.  However, Robert falls into a delusion megalomania.  Robert’s next patient’s life depends on Ruth and whether she can save them from Robert.

Happy reading!

Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life by Tom Rath

As we begin the new year, many of us want to change up so we can tackle all the new challenges that may come up in work and life.  This book is recommended if you’re looking for ways to recharge yourself as you try the new goals you have for yourself and your family.  Remember, you all have the power to accomplish your goals! Make sure to charge up and get started!

Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel

As we start the new year, lots of stressful things from the previous year or even new challenges from the new year can leave us feeling negative or discouraged.  This book, written by Anne Bogel, reminds us that not only do we have to power to overcome negative thoughts, but we can also replace these thoughts with more positivity.  These positivities can help us live happier, healthier, and more peacefully.  If you’re looking for some new year motivation, this is a must read!

How to Love Your Neighbor by Sophie Sullivan

Grace Travis is completing school, working multiple jobs, obtaining her dream degree and career.  It seems like she has it all.  Grace found a home she wants to fix up and live in until an unprecedented neighbor moves in next door.  A funny, quirky, and worthwhile to read as we all have had interesting neighbors at one point in our lives! A must read for everyone!

Lucky Leap Day by Ann Marie Walker

For those looking for a romantic comedy, this one for you!  Cara had drunk too many whiskeys and gets tangled in the Irish traditions on Leap Day, and although it all felt like a dream, she realized it wasn’t the moment she woke up.  The moment she woke up, she found a man beside her and a ring made of tin foil on her finger.  While everything else in her life continues to wait for her, her life dramatically changes overnight.  Interested in knowing how Cara handles the rest? Read this book!

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

A beautiful story about family, secrets, changes, and fairy tales.  It reminds us of how challenge change really is and why we are afraid of change.  Whether the change is from being a new parent or raising a child to not become who you want them to be, or simply encountering new challenges and not being able to overcome them.  I picked up this book to read as we got a puppy over the holidays and I felt some puppy remorse.  This book reminded me the challenges we all face and why we’re afraid of facing challenges, along with how to overcome them.  A must read!

Happy Reading!

If you have a course that you would like to see a Course Exam article written for, please feel free to email us at voice@voicemagazine.org with the course name and number, and any questions you may have about it, and we will do our best to answer the questions for you!

ANTH 272 is a three-credit introductory course to Archaeology that falls under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.  This course will offer you an extensive overview of the theories, methods, and the different practices of archaeology.  ANTH 272 also examines the methods and material remains used to study the past.  This course is designed for Anthropology and Archaeology majors, or anyone looking for Humanities/Social Sciences elective.  The course itself has no prerequisite.

Why You Should Take This Course

For anyone who is interested in anthropology or archaeology, potentially majoring in this field or simply looking to learn more about the study of human activity through various forms of recovery and analysis of material remains, this is the course for you!

We asked a few students who recently completed ANTH 272 why they took the course and if they recommend it to others, and the students that took the course mentioned the initial reason they took the course was because they required some social science credits for their degrees.  However, upon taking anthropology or archaeology courses, they developed strong interest and passion for the courses and ended up taking further anthropology and archaeology courses to fill all their other social science credit requirements.  The students who have taken ANTH 272 highly recommended this course to others looking for credits, as well as those taking a degree in Anthropology.  They liked the course because they found the information and facts interesting, especially the unit about the various types of preservation that can affect a site.  Students also highly credited their tutor for her support and guidance in the course.

Course, Assignment, Midterm and Final Exam Details

ANTH 272 is divided into three units with Unit 1 exploring the Framework of Archaeology, Unit 2 focusing on Discovering the Variety of Human Experience, and the final Unit 3 the World of Archaeology.  Each unit is divided into a few lessons.  The first two units require students to take notes from the two textbooks assigned to the course, and reading the study guide commentary, along with viewing the documentary “The African Burial Ground,” which will be featured in the assignments and midterm/final exam.

The course itself is composed of two quizzes each worth five percent each.  There are two assignments, with assignment one being worth 20% and assignment two worth 30%.  The course includes a midterm and final exam each worth 20% that must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator.  Students are required to achieve a minimum of 50% on both the midterm, final exam and an overall mark of D (50%) for the entire course to pass.

Introducing Dr.  Laurie Milne – Course Tutor

Dr. Laurie Milne sitting outside a chambered tomb on the island of Mainland, near Kirkwall, Orkney.

The course coordinator for ANTH 272 is Dr. Meaghan Peuramaki-Brown and the course tutor is Dr. Laurie Milne. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Milne about the course.

Dr. Milne completed her Honors BA in Archaeology in 1968 and her MA in Archaeology in 1971, both at the University of Calgary and commenced employment at Medicine Hat College in 1971 and remained there until June 2015.   While on sabbatical and leave from MHC, she attended Simon Fraser University and received her PhD in Archaeology in 1994.  Dr. Milne commenced work as a tutor with AU in 1999 and has also served as an SME, authoring 3 courses, Anth 272, Anth 320, and Anth 394.  She also served as an interim coordinator of archaeology courses for 3 years until Dr. Meaghan Peuramaki-Brown came to AU.

The focus of Dr.Milne’s studies has been lithic technology, cultural ecology, anthropological archaeology, ecological archaeology, and hunting and gathering societies and the challenges they faced in provisioning themselves and their families.  She owes her interest in subsistence activities to her mother, an avid fly fisherwoman and gardener!  From the time she was two years old her mother would backpack her to favorite fishing holes.  Dr. Milne, her parents, and her grandparents spent many weekends picking wild cranberries, blueberries, saskatoons, and chokecherries.  “Huge vegetable gardens supplied much of our food” and, at age 3, Dr. Milne was given her first small garden space.  When she was 12, a summer vacation with relatives (who were avocational archaeologists) provided the experience of handling stone tools and visiting archaeological sites left by prehistoric First Nations people.  Dr. Milne’s mother encouraged her interest in archaeology by taking her to many different locales where artifacts were eroding out of cultivated fields and blowouts.

In 1964 Dr.  Milne graduated from high school, the same year, coincidentally, that the University of Calgary opened the first archaeology department at a North American university; Dr. Milne was a member of their first class of students.  The program of studies provided background in the four fields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and archaeology but it also included interdisciplinary science courses in vertebrate paleontology, osteology, palynology, geomorphology, and soils.  Dr. Milne’s interest in interdisciplinary research derives from her U of C experiences and was further developed at SFU.  While a graduate student at the U of C Dr.  Milne had the opportunity to teach her first class, a unit on Indians of the Northwest Coast.  She immediately knew that teaching would become her life’s work.   It was the classroom and students that drew Dr. Milne in and made her excited for each day, an excitement that remains to the present.

How to Be Successful in the Course

Dr. Laurie Milne’s Advice for the Course

“When I call new students I always tell them that Anthropology 272: Introduction to Archaeology is a demanding course in terms of its two texts, required video,  and coursework, however, the assignments largely require use of course materials rather than library research; quizzes are open book and untimed;  the quizzes and assignments foreshadow many exam questions; the subjects under study are diverse and interesting; and I am available to help them be successful in their course experience.

I note that Anthropology 272 provides a great foundation for other archaeology courses and point out that the main course text (Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn- Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice) is reputed to be the #1 selling  introductory archaeology text in the world and that the articles in the book of readings (Robert J. Muckle- Reading Archaeology: An Introduction) have been judiciously selected by the editor,  a college professor from Capilano University College in North Vancouver.

I provide extensive comments on all quizzes, assignments, and exams and where appropriate I illustrate by using my personal experiences in archaeology.  Some students find critical thinking challenging but questions in each unit of the Study Guide and in assignments generally provide practice which helps students develop such skills.  The major research assignment has been modified due to pandemic circumstances and to fit the abilities of students.”

Thank you so much to Dr.  Milne for sharing her story and valuable advice to the course!

Student Tips

Course Overview

For this course, we were able to interview one of the students who recently completed ANTH 272, and they stated that this course thoroughly covers all basic aspects of archaeology.  When the student compared ANTH 272 to ANTH 277, which is another course they were taking concurrently, they mentioned that ANTH 272 contains a lot of details about subjects, dating processes, archaeological paradigms, and famous archaeological findings.  The course itself comes with two hardcopy textbooks, one is the main text, and the other text contains all supplementary readings.  When asked whether the textbooks were helpful, students from ANTH 272 mentioned the main textbook is extremely helpful and contains lots of information that is enquired in the quizzes and assignments.  Students mentioned there is also a required video and various optional videos that can be watched online or ordered as a DVD via the AU Library.

Assignments

Assignment one is three short essays.  Each is 750–1,000 words.  Students are provided with six topics and permitted to choose their three topics.  The second assignment is a longer paper (one student who completed the course mentioned their second assignment was about 20 pages but that includes charts, photos, and references) based on the weeks’ worth of household garbage.  Students mentioned that assignment two required a lot of work but received extensive support from the tutor and that made things much smoother and easier.  The two quizzes are composed of paragraph-length answers, but, ideally, the more detail the better.  Quizzes are documents that can be done at student’s own time and are not in exam format.  The second quiz is like the first quiz but focuses on the final unit.

When we asked students for tips and suggestions in succeeding in the course, students suggested it is important to pay attention to the list of terms and concepts at the beginning of each lesson, as these are “need-to-know” facts that will be tested in the quizzes.  It is also important for students to take detailed notes, especially from the main textbook assigned readings.  Students also recommended watching the optional videos scattered throughout the course as they found it very enjoyable and helpful, but they do not contain information that will be tested on assignments/quizzes/exams.

Students praised the course tutor, Dr. Laurie Milne for being the best tutor they had from all the AU courses they have taken so far.  Dr. Milne was praised as being very helpful, answering all their questions, and being extremely proactive about speaking with students over the phone to discuss the course at the beginning of the term.  Dr. Milne also gave detailed instructions and support for the lengthier second assignment.  Students found she gave clear guidelines of her expectations on quizzes, assignments, and exams, and provided constructive criticism that helped them improve significantly throughout the course.  Students also found Dr. Milne responded to emails the same day they emailed her, and that they would receive marks often within an hour to a day after submitting assignments.  Overall, students found Dr.  Milne very approachable and readily available for support.

Midterm and Final Exam

Exams follow the same format as the quizzes and include 4 identification questions, 2 compare/contrast questions and 3 essays.  All  offer choices except    the compulsory essay, which  deals with the required video.

Questions?

If you would like to learn more about the course prior to registering, please feel free to contact the Course Coordinator, Dr.  Meaghan Peuramaki-Brown at meaghanp@athabascau.ca.  Happy studying!

Right behind student interviews, the Course Exams are easily our most regularly read articles.  A couple were pointed out by students this year as being particularly helpful.  This one, from late February, manages to not only give students a good idea of what they’re getting into with the course, but also give students a heads-up as to their likely tutor.

Rather than think too much about the past, let’s all enjoy the month, finish up our classes, spend the holidays with our loved ones, and pick up a good book and read it with our favorite drink!

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

A story we can all relate during the Christmas holidays: shopping! An adorable and happily written story about Becky’s adventures with shopping for her own things and those around her during the holiday season.  With Christmas just around the corner, unprecedented events occur, and Becky struggles to manage everything to ensure a happy holiday.  At the end, will she be able to do what it takes to deliver a comfortable and happy holiday? Recommended for those looking for a Christmas story to read!

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

2020 Governor General Literary Award Winner, this book tells a story from five former residential school students and the challenges they encountered.  The challenges of surviving through the 1960s in the world of American Indian movement and the unprecedented strengths that came with becoming a mother.  Other stories including the power of friendship and the importance of it during times of struggles.  A must read for everyone!

Happiness by Aminatta Forna

When I was on my search for the next book to read, I came across this book and knew I had to give it a try.  The story is about two lives that cross with one individual being a psychologist who helps those who survived war live through their trauma and the other individual who is a naturalist.  The author of this book examines how all our lives are interconnected with all other living creatures and what happiness really is.  Recommended to everyone!

One Day in December by Josie Silver

Are you looking for a romantic novel to read this month?  Look no further, this is the one! I picked up this book because the title felt so present and relatable.  The story is about two individuals, a number of chance occurrences, and a memorable love story.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I absolutely do not.  I personally always thought love at first sight only lasts for so long because the reality sinks in.  The character in this story, Laurie also doesn’t think love at first sight exists except in movies, until she felt it herself.  But then reality stepped in.  The story follows Laurie, Sarah, and Jack through their decades of friendship, heartbreak, and many more stories.

The Easy 5-Ingredient Healthy Cookbook: Simple Recipes to Make Healthy Eating Delicious by Toby Amidor

For those wondering why this is a recommended book for December, it’s because I’m gearing up for January.  With the holidays coming, we’ll all be eating lots of delicious food and sweets.  With January coming, this book will come in handy as we plan for our new goals for the new year or begin healthy eating again.  This book is filled with lots of easy and quick to cook meals for everyone (especially if you have a busy day).

Happy Holidays!

Christmas Cookbook by Betty Crocker

Since we’re only a month away from Christmas, many of us may already be planning small family plans. We all know food is an essential part of holiday celebrations! For me, I’m hoping to cook a meal for my family even though it’s only four of us, I realized I didn’t know how to cook many Christmas-like meals. I recently bought this book and started testing out some recipes in preparation for Christmas. I recommend this book to anyone looking for Christmas recipes as they have more than 200 recipes and lots of visuals. The recipes go from simple cookies to main dishes along with appetizers.

Freedom: How We Lose It and How We Fight Back by Nathan Law

November is Remembrance Day where we remember all those who sacrificed their lives for us so we can live in a free country. Lest we forget. I recently came across a book that I was inspired to read because it not only reminded me of the things, I should be thankful of living in Canada, but also because it also reminds us of all those who continue to fight for their freedom. Nathan Law is a lawmaker from Hong Kong and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy for pro-democracy. This book examines his journey as a lawmaker in Hong Kong, his experience with fleeing to London from Hong Kong, and more importantly, what freedom means and how delicate it can really be. I recommend this book to everyone interested in politics, democracy, and current issues!

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

If you’re following my monthly columns for the Reading List, you’ll know I’m a huge Mitch Albom fan. I always love reading his books because they help grow, learn, and become a better person. Albom’s books are so thoughtful and always bring the most positive things from stressful, unfortunate, and unprecedented events. This book is one of his new releases and the moment I found out about it I knew I had to read it! The book is a story about hope and faith, and how a group of passengers are on a ship stranded, they save a man they run across in the sea who declares that he’s the Lord and that he can save them if only they believe in him. Have you ever thought about what would happen if we asked for help and God appeared?

The Wish by Nicholas Spark

For anyone who hasn’t read any books by Nicholas Spark, you absolutely have to give it a try! His recent release looks at the coming of age with strong emotions written into each story. In 1996, Maggie was sent to live with a relative in a small town and she came across a young boy who changed her life by introduced her to a hobby that would later change her life. Fast forward to 2019, Maggie pursued her passion as a successful photographer, but she is unexpectedly diagnosed with a medical condition. A recommended read for everyone!

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

A story about a therapist and a man who tries to end his life and how their lives cross. Tallie the therapist saves the man who she later knows as Emmett. The story focuses on healing of their past and it turns out it’s not only Emmett that has his own secrets but also Tallie. The two work together to heal one another as they both face hard truths about their own lives. An inspiring and beautifully written story!

Happy reading!

A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins

Calling all fans of “The Girl On the Train”! This is a must read for you.  “A Slow Burning Fire” is a story about a young gentleman who was murdered and three women that knew him begin to question his death.  Each of the women bring to the victim a mysterious connection.  The novel explores revenge and how sometimes people who we think are incredibly nice may not be what we think.  A thriller and page turner for all mystery and thriller fans!

Everything Beautiful in Its Time: Seasons of Love and Loss by Jenna Bush Hager

A biography written by Jenna Bush Hager, the granddaughter of the bestselling author and co-anchor of the Today Show.  Jenna shares stories and words of wisdoms passed on to her from her grandparents and how they changed her life.  George and Barbara Bush were America’s president and first lady, however, to Jenna, they were her grandparents who taught her everything about life ranging from kindness to simply how to live a life with meaning.  Jenna brings to readers what she’s learnt.  A very beautiful story with lots of wisdom.  Recommended to all!

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

I’m sure most of us have heard of the question, “where do you see yourself in five years?” Depending on what stage of our lives we are in, our answer would be different.  When we were younger, we dream about what we would become when we get older.  When we’re in post-secondary, we dream of our dream career.  And so on! This story is about a lawyer who gets asked the question “where do you see yourself in five years?” and her answer.  Dannie’s answer was her real plan for the next five years and life seems to be going as planned, marrying her boyfriend following through with her career. But one morning, she wakes up in a different apartment, with a different ring, and a different man.  It’s a great hook and makes it worth trying this book.

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

A story about Wallace, a shy young man studying at Midwestern University working towards a science degree.  Everything appears to be lined up against him—being introverted, black, and queer, the young man escaped his family to run away from his childhood.  However, with an unprecedented event, Wallace’s life suddenly changes as he faces hidden secrets within those around him.  A well written story that examines the challenges in our current society.

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal

Recommended to everyone looking for a science fiction novel! Climate change and climate disasters are a real issue, which makes this novel more powerful than it already is.  The story examines earth almost at the boiling point because of a climate disaster and the increasing concerns it brings, however, there is a sticky situation.  Politics, riots, and sabotage plague the space program and the program’s goal of evacuating as many humans as possible from the planet before it becomes uninhabitable.  Recommended for readers with an interest in politics and science fiction!

Happy reading!

If you have a course that you would like to see a Course Exam article written for or you recently took a course that you would like to recommend to other AU students, please feel free to 

BIOL 341 is an introductory human genetics course that introduces students “to the laws of heredity as they apply to humans and to the study of inherited traits.  The course covers a number of other related topics, including sex determination, the composition and function of genes, the causes and effects of mutation, population genetics, the genetics of immunity and cancer, the contribution of heredity to behaviour and intelligence, genetic counselling, and genetic technologies.” This course is a three-credit science course with pre-requisites of BIOL 204 and BIOL 205 or BIOL 207 that is required.  The course is also available for challenge.

Who Should Take This Course and Why

I personally have taken this course as an option course during my undergraduate degree as I was interested in exploring how genetics works in humans.  I was interested in learning the risks of mutations and how they were passed on through generations and, potentially, the causes and effects of these mutations.  This course explores human genetics in more detail than the other introductory biology courses, therefore if you wonder if you would like to take further human genetics courses, this is the one you should try first!

I recommend this course for all science students and students interested in pursuing a career in health or medicine, and anyone interested in learning more human genetics in general.  This course will teach students a lot about how our genes works, causes and effects, how our chromosomes work, and much more!

Course, Assignments and Exam Details

The course consists of sixteen units ranging from an overview of human genetics, cells and the individual, human reproduction, development, aging, chromosomes, laws of heredity, matters of sex, multifactorial and behavioural traits, DNA structure and replication, gene expression, mutation and repair, population genetics, human ancestry and evolution, genetics of immunity, cancer genetics and genomics, and technologies and applications.

The course consists of four assignments each worth either 10% or 15% each.  There is also a midterm and a final exam each worth 25% each that must be done online.

How to Be Successful in the Course

Student’s Advice for the Course

For this course, I found it can be overwhelming in the beginning with the amount of detail to cover and study for the exams.  I personally had to read the content twice before being able to grasp the content.  Therefore, I recommend spreading out the readings to ensure you have adequate amount of time to re-read the content.  Using cue cards, Quizlet, and making short summary notes are also very helpful.  I found these great ways to help memorize information.  To test whether you understand the goals of each unit, I recommend using the study objectives as target to pull the key information from each chapter.

The assignments are a bit long, so I recommend following the study plan and do them after each assigned reading unit to ensure students do not accumulate all the work at the end.  Overall, like all science courses, understanding and reviewing the material regularly is key to ensuring success in the course!

Questions?

If you have any further questions regarding the course, please do not hesitate to contact the Course Coordinator at Fst_success@athabascau.ca.  Happy learning!