What Does it Take to be a Gamer?

Attendees at GDX try out games that were developed locally. Photo used with permission from GDX and credited to Leanne Klimek.

I’ve attended comic book conventions and entertainment expos – overall, I consider myself a nerdy person. However, if I called myself a gamer, I’d be a disgrace to the entire gaming community and frankly, humanity. In fact, the extent of my gaming experience is limited to Candy Crush, if that even counts.

IT'S SUMMER! 10 Fun, Yet Affordable, Things To Do On Campus

It’s undeniable that Quad looks the best in the summer. Actually, that’s a very arguable point. Anyone who has seen Quad in Fall with the leaves changing color could easily disagree. However, Quad in summer has a special charm to it with the sun shining down so brightly, the birds chirping, the squirrels fleeing and the odd goose wandering around. In fact, it’s so beautiful and calming that it can even help to relieve any lingering stress from the previous semester and will easily keep you at ease if you’re taking spring or summer courses. For the six months of the year when there isn’t snow on the ground, Quad is the perfect place to join in on some fun and affordable summer activities. Here are some of my favourites that I highly recommend you try out.

Summer events taking place in Edmonton this June 2016 (or what's left of it)

Every summer I tell myself not to fall into the routine of waking up at lunchtime and going to bed at 3AM. Not only do I end up midnight snacking, but I also miss half the day and by the time August rolls around, I feel like I have wasted my entire summer. So, just as I am currently on the verge of slipping back into this lazy routine, I decided to do some research and figure out what events are going on around Edmonton during the month of June. This way, I will have the motivation to wake up early, and will hopefully be tired enough to go to bed at a more decent hour. For those of you who, like me, don’t know what to do with yourselves once school is out (I know, it’s sad), why not join me in filling your summer schedule with some of the Edmonton events that will be taking place during the month of June.

An Indigenous Graduate’s Open Letter to the University of Alberta’s Class of 2016

Lately, when I think about convocation I tear up. I suspect this is precisely the kind of emotional and conceptual force that “convocation” is meant to carry. It is the cumulative end-point of years of study, research, leadership, and athletics (or a combination thereof), an event that draws together disparate kinship networks in the name of celebration. Perhaps tears are the most perfunctory response.

Your #YEGfood Summer Roadmap

Ahhh frozen foods, patios, food trucks, and BBQs: summer is a culinary experience of its own. Both on campus and around Edmonton, unique food experiences are everywhere at this time of year. And as a famous young man would say: “Gotta catch ‘em all.” If, like me, you tear up (or air punch or whatever you do to express emotions) when eating a particularly good dish, then I know you won’t accept failure this summer: you will catch all the foods that our great city offers. While the possibilities are nearly endless, here are some key places and events on your roadmap to culinary success. Good luck!