I take distance classes because they fit into my life, but I also take them because I’ve attended campus-based schools and found Athabasca University classes to be as challenging and as productive. I’ve had to apply myself, and work as hard as a student who attends classes. There are, of course, certain elements of campus-based… Read more »
Rebecca Brewer (nee Flann) contributed her first article to The Voice in 2003 and has recently returned after a hiatus. Now a regular contributor, her articles cover a wide variety of topics and include both fiction and non-fiction. Retirement and the Telecommuter, which first appeared in the July 29th issue, is particularly relevant to AU… Read more »
The truth is that there are plenty of reasons to get annoyed during the holidays. Between the parties and the presents, the days seem to fill up quicker now than they do at any other time of the year. Often, what was supposed to be fun starts to feel more like work. Here are a… Read more »
In a Starbucks coffee shop a few weeks ago, I sat across from two students madly studying for an upcoming exam. They had a laptop sitting beside them and hundreds of dollars of textbooks at their feet, as they sifted through their notes and caffeinated themselves in preparation for a long night of studying. The… Read more »
Perhaps it feels too early for a Christmas article, but by the time this article is published there will be only 38 days until Christmas. And all the signs are here. Hallowe’en is barely over and the malls are drenched in Christmas decor. I heard Christmas carols in the grocery store yesterday, and the magazines… Read more »
“Reach your head for the ceiling. Feel as though you could scrape the ceiling with the top of your head.” I’m on my stomach bending up surrounded by very flexible people, most of whom are years older than me and should stereotypically be creaking and groaning, but are instead limber and stretching like swans. The… Read more »
I’ll admit it. When I read the article about an online service that claims to make “romantic gestures” (Harris, 2005) on other’s behalf, my first thought may have been a bit judgmental. I thought, “Pay someone to send your wife flowers? (scoff) Thanks for the sincerity, sweetie.” Yet, intrigued, I decided to read on. SaveMyAss.com… Read more »
A girl stands on the shore of a lake. “I can think of a million reasons not to do it. Last summer, when my little brother Joshua was nine, he pushed me in because I was taking so long. It was annoying him. My mom was reading her book on the beach, and she kept… Read more »
Change of Seasons A man in a yellow rain slicker throws food to the herons on the beach. The sky is overcast and it threatens to rain. In the few years that I’ve lived in Vancouver, I’ve learned that neither rain nor a raincoat signifies much here. But a raincoat on the beach at the… Read more »
Let me tell you (ahem) about my friend’s toilet. You see, they’re renovating their bathroom and they have ordered a new toilet. Did you know that when you order a toilet you most often have to order the seat separately? Yes, a brand-new toilet and the seat is not included. This is perhaps something someone… Read more »