Features

Minds We Meet—Kris Hine

Kris Hine is currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Psychology program with a minor in sociology after being out of school for ten years.  He is living in Alberta and in his spare time he enjoys playing with his dogs and cat, mediating, yoga, and cooking.  This is his story. Can you give us a… Read more »

Minds We Meet—Interviewing Students Like You!

Justine Blanchet is a seventeen-year-old country singer and songwriter from Quebec.  She is in the Faculty of Business focusing on marketing classes to better market her music business.  You can learn more about her on her website and listen to her music on her YouTube channel.  This is her story. Can you give us a… Read more »

The Reputation of Online—Athabasca University

On a regular basis, I receive messages from people asking me for my opinions of Athabasca University and questioning its overall credibility.  I try to always reply in a reassuring manner and try to make the university sound great, though that is not always easy.  People tend to just believe what they want to believe… Read more »

Resisting Fake News with “Intelligent Disobedience”

Did you hear about the 1966 rumours of Paul McCartney’s death?  The flesh-eating banana scare of 2000? That 9/11 was staged by the U.S.  government?  If you don’t remember, it’s just as well; such unfortunate events can do a number on your self-esteem. Why are we humans so trusting about the information we receive?  The… Read more »

Toronto’s Amber Alert

At 11:30pm on Thursday evening, while I was lying in bed and getting ready to fall asleep, residents within the Greater Toronto Area received two identical amber alerts back-to-back from the Peel Regional Police, stating “Emergency Alert: Victim is Riya Rajkumar age 11.  Suspect is Roopesh Rajkumar age 41.  Vehicle is a silver Honda civic… Read more »

Meeting the Minds—A Few Words on Words

Author of the bestselling and award-winning Canadian novel, The Break. Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry winner for her book of poetry, North End Love Songs. And now, one of us. Meet Winnipeg’s Katherena Vermette, AU’s 2018-2019 Writer-in-Residence. What is a Writer-in-Residence, you ask? The Writer-in-Residence is an appointed position held by an award-winning Canadian… Read more »

Changes to Ontario’s Student Loan Plan

Doug Ford recently announced changes in the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP), Ford’s government also introduced other changes such as tuition cuts (which are welcomed), as well as changes in grant eligibility.  But many students in Ontario have complained and worry about what these changes will mean for them. Before the changes, people whose families… Read more »

Porkpie Hat—A Tale of Three Cities

Does anyone else feel, as I do, that traveling to new places that ignite your senses and touch your soul changes your whole perspective on who you are, and where you are from? Suddenly, long after you return to your regular life, everything old is new again.  You are seeing familiar places and things through… Read more »

Minds We Meet—Interviewing Students Like You!

All-around interesting fellow, our AUSU President, Brandon Simmons, reflects and comments on his life, books and television, kids and education, and hopes for the 2019-2020 Council period. How did you originally find our wonderful AU community? I was working as a contractor and due to my high school football injuries, it was difficult for me… Read more »