Learn – April 2016
Bike season is here!!
The snow is gone and the roads are relatively clear of sand, salt and grit so it’s time to pull your bikes out and cycle to work!
As part of the College’s commitment to environmental sustainability, our colleagues in Parking Services and Physical Resources have provided 746 bike parking spots on the Ottawa campus. Here’s a map that shows all the locations on the Ottawa campus. Perth campus has 12 spots and the racks are located at the front of the College. There are 40 bike parking spots at the Pembroke campus; the racks are located at the main entrance and at the back side of the building (west end).
Bike Repair Stations
DID YOU KNOW that if you come out to hop on your bike to head home at the end of the day and find a tire flat, now you don’t have to push your bike home? There are 3 bike repair stations on the Ottawa campus outside 1) the Student Commons (E) building, 2) ACCE (CA) Building and 3) B Building. You can mount your bike and use the tools provided to make minor repairs.
For help with repairs use the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Bike Repair Station to view detailed instructions on your smart phone.
Operation AC Pride – A Success!
By Anelise Babcock, Ancillary Marketing Coordinator
Ancillary Services and Connections: The Campus Store visited the Perth campus to surprise students with some AC Swag and goodies as part of an Operation AC Pride video.
The video captures the students of the Business Management class at the Perth campus during a normal school day. The spotlight was on student Janelle Dobbie who had recently wanted to purchase an AC branded hoodie.
“We wanted to reward our students for their amazing AC Pride”, said Alanna McDonell, Marketing Manager, Ancillary Services. Both staff and faculty were involved in making this a truly great experience for a very deserving class. We were even able to get Thor on board!
Goal: To increase awareness about Connections: The Campus Store and increase AC Pride
Promotion: Social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram plus through our internal channels
Measurement: Engagement rates
This video is hopefully just the first in a series of videos to surprise and delight our customers and students!
Summer Reading Recommendations
By Catrina McBride, Natalie Meggison, Ryan Porter, Brenda Mahoney, Tori Murray, and Jeff Iles
We asked our colleagues for suggestions on what to read this summer and they provided some recent recommendations that others may enjoy. Happy reading!
-Helena Merriam & Patti Kim
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
I chose David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell because it is a fascinating analysis of our perceptions of strength and weakness. He shows how disabilities and personal tragedies combined with the right character traits can become strengths. For example, someone with dyslexia fails over and over again at school and failure ceases to scare them, so they are willing to take risks most of us wouldn’t take. Often great achievements require this kind of risk. He applies his ideas to education, healthcare, business and a number of other fields, so I think anyone could find part of the book applicable. I don’t usually enjoy nonfiction, but this book really kept me turning the pages.
-Catrina McBride, Professor, School of Business
Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee
The second book I chose is Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee. It was defended by Kristin Kreuk in the 2015 Canada Reads competition, and she said that “This book breaks past the barriers of a monolithic Middle East and reveals a far more complicated and rich reality.” I found this book eye-opening, and I think that a better understanding of the Middle East is crucial at this point in history.
-Catrina McBride, Professor, School of Business
Love in Lowercase by Francesc Miralles
For fans of Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project, this book is for you. An international bestseller in its original Spanish edition, the story tells a tale about a mysterious cat and a reclusive linguistics professor. The cat forces the professor to interact with the world around him, meet his eccentric neighbours and rediscover his childhood love. A satisfying and quaint romance, perfect for a summer read.
-Natalie Meggison, Professor, School of Health and Community Studies
Rumours of Glory: A Memoir by Bruce Cockburn
This book is for anyone who is interested in his music and activism. Bruce charts his early years, through his time in the Ottawa and Canadian folk scene in the ’60s and ’70s, into his activism in the ’80s, to his groundbreaking albums of the ’90s. He prose is lucid and poetic, and he offers an unfiltered look into how his faith has influenced his creative process and his passion for social activism. The book includes lyrics from many of his significant songs and pictures of his many journeys around the world.
-Ryan Porter
Professor, Technical Communication
Coordinator, General Education for FCTT
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
A good read for those who enjoy the current vein in comic book entertainment. The story revolves around the question of humans with super powers. Are they born or are they created? Does a super power lead to one being a villain or a hero? A twisting tale of friendship, betrayal and belief.
-Brenda Mahoney, Librarian, AC Library
Young Adult Titles: Red Queen and the Lunar Chronicles
Adult readers of young adult books might enjoy Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, a title that is hard to put down, as well as the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella as a cyborg, anyone?). Both are sci-fi/fantasy type books and enjoyable to read, even for adults!
-Tori Murray, Alumna, Library and Information Technician Program
And if you prefer to read online…
Longform
My choice for summer reading is actually an app called Longform. Created and supported by the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh, it aggregates “long” articles from various credible sources and curates them. Some are older, some are newer, but for the most part they are all interesting.
-Jeff Iles, Disabilities Counsellor, Pembroke Waterfront Campus