Tag Archives: Carleton

Why I Relay 2015

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Last Friday was a day of firsts for me. I pulled my first all-nighter ever (I don’t count the 20 minute power nap I took at 5:30 AM) and I participated in my first ever Relay for Life. As I’ve said before, I am not good with people/participation so I had never joined a team and done Relay for Life before.  This year however, Jess and I participated with Red Zone and sacrificed a night of sleep – cancer doesn’t sleep, so for one night, neither did we. 

As with most people, I have been affected by cancer in more ways than one. I thankfully have never had it, but numerous people in my family and my school have fought back against it. Last Friday, I mainly relayed for my grandpa. My grandpa died August 30, 2008 after a battle with brain cancer. He has been gone for some time now, but I was grateful to have the opportunity to walk for him and remember. I could be super sad that he’s gone, but I’m happy that his suffering ended and that I got to spend as much time with him as I did when he was alive. He was a great guy, super deaf but always really funny about answering the phone and watching TV. Seriously, he would watch Sportsnet reruns ALL DAY without the volume on. Drove us crazy as kids, let me tell you. But it is still sad that he died, and relay gave me a chance to really remember him and think about him without feeling judged for crying in public – which happens more than I like admit. I’m super emotional about everything okay, don’t judge.

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During the night, there was a Luminary walk – super sad songs were played, and tears were shed. It started out okay, but eventually pretty much everyone broke down. I am so happy that Red Zone was there, they were so supportive of everyone in the group. Everyone was hugging, holding hands, and crying together. It was a seriously beautiful moment, and I’m proud to say that I was part of it. Lots of love to Red Zone, y’all rock <3. You guys also made Jess and I feel really welcome, and for my first all-nighter, I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to share it with.

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As a school, we managed to raise over $100 000, surpassing our goal and impressing everyone. Props to the organizers who made it such a fun, moving event, and shout out to the students who participated – you are all champs, well done team. Next year I shall prepare for Relay for Life by sleeping for a full week, because it has been discovered that Morgan doesn’t run well on little sleep. But I’m prepared now.

Who do you relay for?

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Urban adventures

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I’ve called the city of Ottawa my second home for about a year and a half now.  Despite the amount of time I’ve spent here, there are still aspects of the city that take me by surprise – as I’m sure there always will be.  One of these surprises was just how much green space you can find in this city.  I live in an area of Ottawa that is not only conveniently located quite close to Carleton, but is also situated near tons of park space and trails.

One of mine and Jess’s favourite pastimes is putting on our adventure shoes and taking a walk down all the trails around our apartment.  Our favourite spots to explore (so far) near the apartment is Hog’s Back Falls, Mooney’s Bay, the trail along the Rideau River that runs along the edge of Vincent Massey Park, and the Fletcher’s Wildlife Garden (which is right across the canal from the school, super convenient and a hidden gem).

Now we just need to get the boys out of the house to join in our adventures!

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Hog’s Back Falls is awesome for members of the waterfall fanclub (of which I am one) and in the fall the colours are spectacular.

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The river is so pretty and full of ducks if you’re lucky, which is just a bonus in my opinion.  And along the trail, you find THE BEST climbing trees that bring you back to your childhood.

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Fletcher’s Wildlife Garden is stunning, seriously worth exploring.

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Even the canal on the way to and from school is pretty, especially before it’s drained for the winter.  Although, when it’s ready for skating it’s incredibly beautiful and a great source of exercise in those winter months.

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The butterfly show that runs on campus in October is a fun detour too, just beware of the many children that you will find in there… seriously, it feels like there are more of them than butterflies.

Get out and explore, you never know what you might find!

Home Sweet Home

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Home sweet home. 

You know you’re home when you can’t imagine being happy, content, and comfortable anywhere else.  I still consider home as my log house in Huntsville, the place I’ve spent the better part of 20 years in.  But I have a secondary home now, one that is just as comfortable and cozy.

I moved in with my friend Jess at the end of August and it’s been such a cool experience.  We have to fend for ourselves, buying food and making dinner ourselves instead of sitting on the couch while someone else caters to our every need.

Of course, I’m lucky enough to have my AMAZING parents help me out with rent and tuition, which is extremely fortunate considering I’m still a poor university student.

Our apartment isn’t the biggest, but it’s the perfect size for the two of us.  We’ve furnished it in a very humble, cozy way – it almost reminds me of a cottage.  We lucked out and most of our furnishings are just items that our families didn’t want to keep around anymore (my parents have been hoarding things for forever, just waiting for one of us to move out).  Having a room that a queen bed can fit in, let alone having a queen bed to myself is a magical thing – one that I haven’t quite gotten used to (she writes as she lays on the very far edge of the bed).  I have so much space that I don’t quite know what to do with it… maybe I’ll start doing yoga, who knows?!  Things might get crazy!

Jess and I are also fortunate enough to have four of our closest friends live super close to us – Mikey and his roommates, James and Jamie, all live three floors up, while Tyler lives two apartment buildings over.  I’m lucky because I went to high school with these boys, but Jess has gotten used to them by now – it’s not like she really had a choice…

I’m looking forward to living here for the foreseeable future – it’s an amazing location, with lots of parks and walking paths close by, as well as the Rideau Canal and Mooney’s Bay practically right outside our door.

Do you think Jess and I sound awesome?  Well, you’re right!  Feel free to follow our shenanigans on Twitter @MJRoom220!

Fall Orientation 2014

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A new school year is upon us folks.  It’s scary, but it’s the truth.

The beginning of this school year finds me living in an apartment with one of my best friends and participating in Carleton’s fall orientation program in a new and exciting way.

This year for frosh, I was a Facilitator, which basically means I was part of a stupendous group of people in charge of a bunch of first year students from a particular building.

This years theme was “Join the Conspiracy” (a conspiracy is a group of ravens… get it?) and my team was called the Evil Geniuses.  The Evil Gs were in charge of fourth floor Stormont and Dundas and they were seriously the best group of facils EVER.

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The whole reason I wanted to be a facil this year was because of how much fun I had during my frosh week, and let me tell you: it is WAY more fun to do frosh week as a facil.  You no longer care about how awkward you are because you’re too busy making friends with the people you’re essentially going to spend all of one week with.

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Sure, by the end of the week you can hardly walk from all the blisters and sore muscles, and you might be sleep deprived for the rest of the year, but it is all worth it.  Knowing that you helped new students – whose position you were in not too long ago – feel more at home in their new environment is so rewarding.

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I made some amazing friends and it gives me so much joy to be able to walk around campus and interact with so many more people than first year.  Frosh 2014 was a great start to what I can already tell will be an amazing school year.  I’m so looking forward to doing it again every year I’m at Carleton (and I love it here so much that will be a few) and getting even more involved in the Carleton community.

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53 Things I Learned from First Year University

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  1. Exams are both more scary and less scary than people will have you believe.
  2. You will make friends, even if you think you won’t.
  3. Your teachers actually do care, at least sometimes.
  4. Not knowing your (new) roommate can turn out not so bad!
  5. Patience.  Especially when you were just getting up to pee and your canmates decided to have a shower.
  6. The sound of other people peeing eventually becomes not a big deal anymore.
  7. You might not get as homesick as you thought you would.
  8. Earplugs are life savers.
  9. Don’t work on your bed.  For some reason Tumblr becomes way more distracting when you’re not at your desk.
  10. Keep your workspace clear.  Seriously, eventually it’ll drive you bonkers.
  11. You might be able to get away with not doing laundry for three weeks, but that doesn’t mean you should.
  12. Most times, you’ll be able to sleep through the drunken yelling in the hall.
  13. Your canmates will lock you out of the bathroom.  Try not to get too mad, you’ve done it to them too.
  14. Fresh air is good.  Tunnels are lovely, but try to come up for air sometimes.
  15. Personal hygiene: also good.  Especially when you share a bedroom with 1 other person and a bathroom with 2.
  16. You will most likely get sick.  It’s perfectly acceptable to call/text your mom to get her to make you feel better.
  17. You do not have to drink if you do not want to.  Don’t change who you are for these people.
  18. There will be sketchbags in residence.  Don’t feel afraid to ask your Rez Fellow for help and tell the sketchbag to get lost.
  19. Routines are great, but they sure do make time go by a hell of a lot faster.  Don’t think you have all this time, you really don’t.
  20. April will come faster than you ever imagined, it’s scary but you will be okay.
  21. There will be weeks when you have four essays due.  Don’t panic, you can do it.
  22. Not all long distance relationships work.  I’ve seen it.
  23. Some people just aren’t cut out for university.  It’s not your job to make them stay when they clearly don’t want to be there.
  24. Do you.  University changes people, but don’t let yourself change for the wrong reasons.
  25. Eating alone in the cafeteria is not a bad thing.
  26. Because alone time is something not to take for granted.
  27. You don’t need to go home every weekend.
  28. But if you want to go home at every available opportunity, go right ahead.
  29. Find out where the library is and use it.  Even if it’s just for writing your essay without distractions.  Seriously.
  30. Your parents might stress you out to no end, but remember that they’re just trying to help you out.
  31. Don’t sweat it if you don’t know exactly what you want to do with your life.  People change their minds constantly.
  32. Changing your major is a-okay and perfectly normal.
  33. You can major in whatever you want.  It’s your life, remember that.
  34. You have 52 weeks in the year to drink.  Don’t do all of it in the span of one.
  35. Frosh week is an amazing experience and will seriously help you make friends.
  36. There are some lecture halls (River Building) that are comfier than others.  Don’t take them for granted.
  37. Honestly, sometimes taking the stairs in the Uni Centre instead of the hills in the tunnels is a better tradeoff.
  38. Loeb Cafe has the best breakfast that I have (to date) found on campus.
  39. Gift cards.  You don’t need much else for Christmas or birthday’s ever again.
  40. Money is not going to reappear in your bank account.  Take better care of it next year.
  41. But don’t forget to have some fun every now and then.
  42. The caf is wonderful, but eventually you will want a home cooked meal.
  43. Ask your parents for care packages, they are amazing.
  44. If your family is like mine, all the pictures/videos of your pets will make you feel like you never left.
  45. It’s not a big deal if you have pictures from your high school days.  Those people were your friends long before you came here.
  46. So what if your room is cluttered?  I prefer the term “cozy”.
  47. Take advantage of car pools.  I’ve heard that bus rides back home suck.
  48. Keep in touch with who you want.  Your high school friends have changed, just like you.  Some not for the better.
  49. You probably won’t get the same kind of grades you got in high school.  Don’t sweat it, it happens to everyone.
  50. If you don’t have to pull all-nighters, don’t do it.  Because…
  51. SLEEP IS SACRED.  Seriously.  Sleep.  Do it.
  52. Take some time away from social media and texting.  Clear your head.
  53. Weekends are great for catching up on homework.  Or catching up on sleep and TV episodes.  Whichever.