I am delighted to report the London received it’s first delivery downpour of snow last night.

For those of you who didn’t know, London was on a rain watch from Monday night until Wednesday night. I wasn’t kidding when I said it rains a lot at Western. Thankfully, temperatures decreased enough that the rain turned to snow and Brescia literally became white. Ok.. the white didn’t last AS LONG as I had hoped but it did stay for a couple of hours.

I wish I had captured a better picture but I was on my way to an 8:30 chemistry class. A snow storm + 8:30 + Chemistry = A dedicated student. I seriously think there were only 40 of us in our normally full (700 people) lecture hall. Thank goodness for my heavy duty winter coat and my new boots ! (Ok I may be exaggerating slightly, especially considering the winters London gets, but come on, it WAS cold! A tree also fell down!

This is on Western's Main Campus! Doesn't it look similar to Brescia? The hill isn't quite as daunting!

I couldn't figure out why traffic was backed up. When I finally reached the stoplight I saw this! Eek!

In spirit of the winter season, I thought it was appropriate to post a few pictures of my door decorations. As a fun activity on the weekend (I was fortunate enough to go home), I painted a christmas tree on brown paper (Environmentally friendly) and made a paper chain. The tree was based on a picture from a Chatelaine Magazine my mom received.

My door from afar!

I'm not an artist (or an Art student) but I do think it looks pretty good!

Up close! Thankfully my sister helped me paint!

It looks almost as good as a real sunday. Remember those vintage sundae cups I bought at the Brescia united way sale? I decided to decorate them by stuffing them with homemade pom poms!!

I used two different christmas papers to make my chain! My mom cut out the strips and I did the glueing!

What do you think? Spirited enough? There are lots of other great door decorations here at Ursuline hall. For example…

A Present door!

Pink wrapping paper!

This door is so colourful and is definitely one of my favourites. It reminds of the festival of lights! Have you been before?

Our lounge is covered in christmas lights!

I don't know who isn't counting down the days until Christmas (Or at least until exams are over)!

Paper snowflakes are always a fun craft!

Who can resist a big sparkly bow?

I encourage each and every one of you to decorate your house/room/apartment/locker in some way shape or form. If you don’t celebrate christmas, why not decorate it with a winter theme? It’s definitely a great activity to de-stress!

Be sure to share comments below about your favourite winter activities! (Snowboarding, Skiing, Building Snowmen, Making warm soup, Cutting out snowflakes, Baking gingerbread cookies, Decorating your Christmas tree…)

Like the high winds that have almost blown me off my bike, the month of November has flown by! Preoccupied by what seemed to be a never ending list of assignments and readings, I finally have a moment to collect my thoughts on all that has happened since my last blog.

As I was on my way to grab a late night snack in the cafeteria tonight, I heard laughter and giggling coming from the Booth Lounge, only to find a Movember Party in full swing, put on by the Brescia University College Residence Council.

Residents had the opportunity to make moustaches out of faux fur…and then take pictures with their “mo’s” in exchange for a small donation.

It was quite a process….

with some pretty great (and hilarious) results…

It’s hard to believe, and easy to get stressed about next week’s mid year exams, but after tonight’s observation, I recommend donning a faux moustache and remembering that in less than 25 days, we’ll all be home for Christmas.

- Christine

Last weekend was Western’s (Affiliates included – Brescia, Huron and Kings) Fall Preview day! For those of you who were unable to attend, or haven’t even heard of “Fall Preview Day”, it is a day of activities (Open house) aimed towards students interested in attending Western!

Fall preview tours allow prospective students to discover the magnificent opportunities Western’s campus contains and to provide an occasion for future students to meet faculty, staff and students (Aka ask A LOT of questions).

How many schools actually provide students with the opportunity to meet their Dean or Principal?

Although I have been here for about three months, I still found out an abundance of information regarding Western’s campus and academic objectives. For example, I discovered how it is able to achieve such successful academic and social growth. Why is Western’s educational attainment so significant compared to other Universities? In my opinion, the reason the school is so functional is because they provide so many scholarship opportunities and extra help services such as Health Services and Student Services. Honestly, I have NEVER been in a situation where I feel undirected. Whether I am happy or sad, tired or excited, there is always someone that I can go to, to talk to! Western definitely focuses on creating welcoming places and spaces. This is not only proven within their smaller class sizes (Especially Brescia), diverse undergraduates (Programs catered towards your needs), and the University Community Centre (As if it wasn’t good enough with a pharmacy, bookstore and grocery store, they even recently built a student Lounge with bean bag chairs!).

Fall Preview day set Western and Brescia apart from the other schools for me!

Even though I completed the tours last year, I decided to re-do them with my friends this year (I know… Western should pay me commission for touring my friends (I was a great tourguide girl) and for recruiting prospective students from my old high school). I am so glad that I dedicated my Saturday to walking around Campus because I learned even more information regarding western’s extensive athletic centre, historical buildings and new residences (Let’s just say the students who will be in the new residence are VERY fortunate).

Overall, my Saturday was truly special not only because I saw old acquaintances but also because I found new “gems” everywhere I looked! Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get bored of campus? I think it’ll be impossible for me to know EVERYTHING Western has to offer since it’s a fairly large campus (That’s the one benefit of being part of Brescia’s community- I can actually walk home between classes because it is so close!).

So there you have it. A short recap of Fall Preview Day here in London. I strongly urge anyone who couldn’t come (And is thinking of attending Western and or it’s affiliates) to the Fall Preview day, to come to the Spring Open house (In March!). I think it’s safe to say I enjoyed the event more than the “new” students!

Have a great weekend,

❤ Molly

P.S. This is another great Thursday because I get to go home! Maybe Thursdays aren’t so bad?

It feels good to FINALLY be done my midterms. After some agonizing weeks of preparing, I can now say that I successfully completed my first two rounds of university midterms.

Although I set high expectations for myself and not every goal that I established was met, I am proud that I got through my midterms all in one piece.

Tests tend to be a stressful time for me because I fear “the outcome” before I have even started studying (let alone writing the exam). Although I am optimistic in many ways of my life, I still struggle with feeling confident in my abilities.

Believe in yourself!

Friday, I had my final midterm at 6:00p.m. I like to call my family prior to writing my tests for reassurance and goodluck. This time I also texted my sister who made me repeat to myself “I can do this” ten times. It sounds silly but believing in yourself can really make the difference between a passing and failing grade. I certainly think it helped refocus my mind!

While I had studied, I probably could have studied more but I am learning to “Just go with it” and to move forward rather than dwell on the past. It is done and over with and I am more than happy with my results (I haven’t gotten my mark back yet but I FEEL good about my answers). I TRULY loved the course material so it was easier for me to become entrenched in studying. Comprehending the material came naturally however there were some facts that I found hard to keep straight. (I mean Aspartame, Cyclamate, Sucralose and Saccharin were all invented close together and they also are all artifical sweeteners. How am I suppose to remember which one is 50x and which one is 160-220x as sweet as sucrose? Surprisingly I actually aced that question)

So as much as I did study, I know that I also  let myself get distracted (I mean there were some pretty cute boys in the Weldon Library) a couple of times. Some of my OTHER distractions included:

• Grocery shopping! It shouldn’t surprise you that my type of shopping is “Grocery” vs. “Clothing” since I am a food and nutrition student. I honestly miss my big fridge, Longos and Costco! My friend’s parents came up last weekend and took us both (Thank you again Beatrice!) to Nofrills and Walmart. After all, it’s crucial to get the BEST quality food so we couldn’t settle for just one store.
• Winners! As much as I love a good deal, I am NOT in love with winners the same way as some people. I find it a bit tedious looking through wracks of clothing and I also get discouraged when I can’t find anything that is my style. This being said, I went (after Nofrills) with my friend and we tried on some pretty funny Christmas gowns. This excursion definitely brightened my spirits and changed my perception on Winners! I also made use of a “Tree skirt” as a “Christmas Caroling dress”… Has anyone else ever confused the two?
  

  Yum! I love having fresh veggies on hand. Have you ever made spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce? So good!

• Reading. Lately I have been reading myself to sleep. At the beginning of the year I felt guilty for reading something other than my textbooks (because let’s face it, there is always lecture reading to do) but I am learning that you do NEED a break once and a while.

A big bowl of cereal (with ice cubes, soy milk and bananas) is the perfect bedtime snack because the combination of nutrients will fuel you through the night! I ate mine while reading a cookbook!

• Rummage sale hunting! Did I ever tell you about my great purchases from Brescia’s rummage sale last month? Much to my excitement they had another one today (The proceeds are for charity) and I bought myself old fashion Salt shakers and an antique food scale for display in my room.

These are old cupcake tins but I use them for jewelry!

Salt and Pepper Shakers!

Old Fashion Weigh Scale

• Painting! I can’t remember if I showed you my “Art pieces” that I made at Brescia’s “relaxation” event! I managed to squeeze in some time in between my classes to have a cup of tea, paint and eat an apple! The combination of natural sugars, a hot drink and a stimulating activity definitely hit the notch. Not to mention that I now have three more pictures for my room!

I'm not the best artist but the colour scheme goes with my room so I just HAD to put them up :)

• And last but certainly not least… Brescia’s Fall Preview day! I might have been more excited than the grade 12s.

It’s getting late so I am going to keep you in suspense until tomorrow! Be sure to check out the blog to hear all about BUILD weekend (Where I first fell in love with Brescia) and Fall Preview day.

Night!

❤ Molly

(Don’t worry, I am aware that today is only Tuesday)

While a lot of people find Wednesdays tiring because it is the middle point of the week, I find Thursdays the hardest day of the week!  Although I have fun classes on Thursdays (Calculus and Health Sciences) and I am done around 12:30, Thursdays still manage to be a bit overwhelming. Maybe it is because I don’t have the luxury of having Fridays off? Usually by Thursday I am longing for the weekend.

Well I can assure you that this Thursday is going to be different. My sister who is also at Western is going home for the weekend so my mom is coming to pick her up (Unfortunately I have an exam so I cannot – Not to mention the fact that I have a ton of homework to catch up on). Thankfully for me this means I get some fresh groceries, last minute items that I still have forgotten (Beware, moving out of my residence room is going to be a LONG post! I can’t believe how many things I have accumulated in my residence room over the past three months) and of course a hug from my mom. Last time she came up we went on a shopping excursion and she bought me these…

They are Sorel's! Hopefully they will last me my entire University Career!

Winters in London are VERY cold and snow can get piled up pretty high. I am hoping that these keep my toes warm and my feet dry so that I don’t catch any colds this season.

Since I DON’T need to go shopping and I DO need to study our visit probably won’t be long. I do have a little surprise in mind for them though!

In my family, Starbucks is a treat… which is why this Thursday is a perfect time to have one of their special drinks! Ok I will confess to getting teas and coffees now and again but flavoured drinks are something that I rarely indulge in. (Let’s just say I am a frugal consumer!) This morning as I passed by the Starbucks Kiosk I couldn’t help but notice that they had Peppermint Mochas. This is something I’ve never tried but my mom claims are “Wonderful”. While my sister isn’t a fan of Peppermint Mochas, I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble convincing her to have a Chai Tea Latte. (After all it’s my treat- Well my meal card’s treat!)

I still can't believe some of Starbucks prices. While their drinks are special, $5.00 + is a bit excessive for ONE drink! Oh well :)

So this Thursday will definitely be different than some of my others. It’ll be a nice break to my week even if I do only get to chat with my family for a few minutes.

What day of the week do you find most difficult? Mondays? Tuesdays? Leave a comment and let me know!

❤ Molly

After the rush of most of my midterms, the extra hour we gained the past weekend was not only welcomed, but needed with all the stuff going on around Brescia and the wider community!

Here’s how I’m using my extra hour this week…

- Watching Miss Representation, the documentary that had a special screening a few weeks ago while I was unfortunately in class! With the tag line, ” you can’t be who you can’t see”, this documentary highlights the representation of women and media. The impacts on women’s leadership, self-esteem and the resulting treatment of women in society is staggering and I’m so glad that I finally got to watch it.

- Remembrance Day Ceremonies on Main Campus this Friday, November 11th, at 10:30AM in the Mustang Lounge (the new student lounge in the UCC) including performances by the UWO Choir and Orchestra, and speeches from Alumni 2nd Lt. Michael Bennett, Ted Hessel and Jim Etherington.

- iWil’s November Lecture: Leadership and Spirituality featuring Featuring Kim Young Milani,
Director of The Circle Women’s Centre, on November 16 at 7pm.

If nothing else, that extra hour has allowed this leadership student to truly be inspired this month by documentary filmmakers tackling a controversial issue, those who have fought for our many freedoms and through examining another application of spirituality…what more motivation do I need to choose to lead?

Christine

There probably isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t “remember” something or other. Whether it is remembering to brush our teeth, remembering to go to class prepared and on time or remembering passwords for accounts, I think it is safe to say that we “collect our thoughts” frequently throughout the day.

Has anyone ever used this trick to "remember" something?

But this Friday, as most of you know, we will be doing a different type of remembering. Rather than remembering day to day chores and activities, we will be remembering the members of the armed forces who fought or were killed during World War I.

While some call November 11^th Remembrance Day, others call it Poppy, Armistice or even Veterans day. Regardless of the title, it possesses the same meaning and similar practices.

The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on 7 November 1919 and is now a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty since World War I. For those of you who don’t know much about the war, it “formally” ended in 1918 by hostilities “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” with the German signing of the Armistice!

As I said before, Remembrance day can also be referred to as Poppy Day. Many of us know the song “In Flanders Fields”. The brilliant red colour of the flowers mark the places of loyal soldiers across some of the worst battlefields. Some also associated the vibrant “red” colour with blood; a devastating but appropriate symbol for the war, since so many innocent individuals were killed.

It is so important to continue to honour these brave soldiers!

In Elementary school, I respected Remembrance day singing “Une Colombe” (French immersion) and doing appropriate hand actions! The song is about a dove (colombe) spreading love, peace and friendship (La paix, l’amour et l’amitie) as it takes off on a journey through the world. Another one of my favourite songs for the day was “In Flanders Field”. The song has such a strong dynamic chorus that it truly embodies “pride”, “strength” and “respect”. I also remember having “Poppy” wreaths and decorating our gymnasium in red. Of course we had the moment of silent as well! In high school, my Remembrance Day ceremonies were a little bit different. The drama classes always put on a mini production symbolizing what Remembrance Day meant to them. It was always neat when the choir classes sang throughout their reenactments.

This year, I will be in class at 11:00 a.m. For those of you who have Friday mornings off, there is a UWO Remembrance day ceremony in the UCC. Although it will be weird missing out on the ceremony (First time in a long time where I haven’t attended a Remembrance day event), I will be participating in the moment of silence. Of course I am also sporting my “Poppy” everyday on my coat!

In Flanders Fields, the Poppies Blow...

It is evident that Remembrance Day is unique to each individual, but we can also see that to all, it symbolizes the respect for soldiers that made our world a better place today. (Remebrance day is also my Dad’s birthday so Happy Early Birthday Dad!)

❤ Molly

What do you like to do on Remembrance day? Share your traditions below with a comment!!