Arts & Crafts & Picture Postcards

So I've locked myself in an old high school building converted into classrooms on the StFX campus to finish writing my Accounting Theory paper. The rain is pouring outside, so even if I wanted to take a brake I couldn't. Rather, I have brought the two new CDs I recievied in the mail as part of my Arts&Crafts surprise pack. A&C is my favorite record label both because they host some of my favorite bands - including Stars, Broken Social Scene, and The Most Serene Republic - and because their business model is one of innovation and collaboration. There is sense of beauty I get when I listen to their music and a sense of community when I hear the various mixes the bands often produce. A&C bands are infamous with allowing their songs to be continually transformed as they pass through the patchwork of the Canadian Music scene. Stars have released an album entirely re-mixed "Do you Trust your Friends." Feist has released "Open Season". Broken Social Scene represents some connection to many of the bands that are famous in Canada, including Metric and Do Make Say Think.
As I listen to a cover of "Fairytale of New York" by Stars I am reminded of the small yet memorable moments of my life. I think of how what makes up a lot of my beauty is the life collaborations I have had over time. I get teary as I listen to this song from my past re-done by a band from my present. Much of my past lives in me today - Family, Friends, triumphs, mistakes. I am working on what will be my last paper at StFX. In writing this paper all the other papers I have written play effect. It is hard to think of those past moments that I will never get back.

And in those moments....

Today was a day of possible success and possible defeat. Many say that as one door closes a window opens. I would say things are more about perspective. I think all things are doors that swing both ways. While sometimes the goodness takes awhile to become apparent, when it does you can not argue that it's utility was always there.
As I said, today was a day where the door was swinging. Possibilities for triumph and joy metamorphosed in the re-vote for Senior Class Speaker. While yesterday things went haywire with the online system, today was the day for everyone's ballot to truly count. I tried to preoccupy myself by studying diligently. By 5pm the polls closed and so did my hopes. I lost the vote but decided to not let it affect me too much. Some dear friends helped me with conversations, text messages, and phone calls of support. The people who knew me and the situation well knew not to sympathize but rather put the situation in its true light - I did not represent the ideals and thoughts of the majority of the graduating class - which isn't a bad thing.
Despite this, the possibility for public acclamation and approval was not over. In just two hours I was sitting down to eat at the Student Union Awards Banquet. It is the only student nominated awards at StFX and it is a highlight of the year for many. There I was able to congratulate one of the two Senior Class Speakers - Tito - on her win. I was able to chat with many of the people who voted for me. I was able to eat a great meal and share conversation with some truly dedicated student leaders. I was also able to be sincerely delighted, honored, and humbled by winning a Gold X for continued support to student life and StFX, a Media X for continued support and involvement with the radio and the news paper, as well as the extreme honor of winning the Marcel Lussier Award for Outstanding Community Service over my life at StFX. Needless to say, this day has ended on a high note.

Well Versed Episode 18 part 1

My poetry show Well Versed for the week of March 31. Listen every Sunday at 9pm AST:

• 92.5 FM for those in Antigonish, NS
  
• CFXU Radio for those not in Antigonish, NS

The second episode during National Poetry Month. This episode I play poetry about poetry. Poets cover topics such as why they write and the power of poetry. Poems played include:

• Machine Poem -Billy Ruffian
  
• Vengeance - John Akpata
  
• The Mental Revolution - Bona
  
• Tree Of Knowledge - DJ Morales
  
• Hard To Choke Your Artichoke Heart - Nico Rogers
  
• Granite and Sarcasm - Nora Smithhisler
• Random Poem to the Electric Night - Phil Jagger
  
• My Confession - Q The Romantic Revolutionary
  
• Words - Squish
  
• Art - Tanya Davis
  
• This Sadness - Tanya Davis
  
• Meet Me (Live) - Nora Smithhisler
  

My last class

I just finished the last class I will ever have of my undergraduate career. 4 years went by fast. The last class didn't feel like much of anything. It went by painlessly much like my first day of classes here at StFX. The day is sunny and people walk around with the innocence of spring. Later I will go to the student bar to celebrate and shake off some of the stress that always comes with the end of the year. However, a lump of anxiety still rests in my stomach. Besides having to still hand in two papers and go through four exams, the thought of this all being over makes me hesitate. The feeling hasn't sunk in completely, but I know that with each passing day I come closer to leaving this place. Somehow I know I will always return to the captiavting magic of StFX, but I still feel sad every time I leave. As students part for the summer we give our tearful goodbyes. Two worlds exist for any student of StFX - the summer months and the school months. The two will always remain seperate and unknown to the other. To have never gone here is to never truly be able to know what every past and future Xaverian knows - we have lived in our own special world. So, as I prepare to say "goodbye" I can't help but feel like I will be leaving something behind.

Well Versed Episode 18 part 2

Part 2 of Episode 18.

The Last Week

So I'm heading into my last week of classes of my undergraduate degree! The reality of the issue hasn't completely sunk in yet. It has been an amazing ride thus far and there still is quite a lot of work left to be done. Last weekend I helped host a leadership conference at our school. It was amazing to see so many people come out for a day and learn many important skills and become even more motivated to make positive changes in the world.
Additionally, I have been nominated, interviewed, and now am awaiting a vote to be honored as the speaker at my graduation ceremonies. That element, to say the least, has been an ever-present occupation of my mind in the past while.
I am so passionate about the role that thoughts of what I could say to entertain and motivate my fellow classmates often distracts me from other work - other work that includes a 10 page paper due on the last day of classes. So, even in my last week, the feelings of stress, worry, and joy while doing it are all still pervasive.

Well Versed Episode 17

My poetry show Well Versed for the week of March 24. Listen every Sunday at 9pm AST:

• 92.5 FM for those in Antigonish, NS
  
• CFXU Radio for those not in Antigonish, NS

An episode to kick off National Poetry Month. I invite local poet, Doug Robertson, to spend the hour with me and read some of his work.

Easter!

So Easter weekend was amazing. Everything went off without a hitch and the whole event was as relaxing as it could be. Things started with my departure on the bus to the Halifax Airport. I got to spend the 2 hour ride with my friend Sara discussing matters of politics and computer programming. Then I got onto my flight quite quickly and without delay. Despite the horrible honey latte I had from Starbucks in the lobby, the flight was incredible. I flew Porter Air and was extremely pleased with the service. I was served complementary bottled water and two meals. I flew on a Bowing Q400, which had more leg room and lower emissions than a bus! I arrived on Toronto Island in the downtown core, rather than at cumbersome Pearson Airport in the North. My parents and little sister picked me up and we went to a rib joint for dinner. I had to get nachos due to my aversion to meat, and was sadly disappointed. The place used fake movie-theater cheese rather than anything real. Yet after having plenty of food on the plane I could not complain.
Once I got home I was picked up by Michelle to meet her friends. I had a good time meeting all of the people she has grown up with and was not surprised by the usual laid-back, casual atmosphere of any house party in my home-town area.
The next day was incredible as I got to go see the Darwin Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum. Besides this exhibit just being incredible, it was also a treat to visit it on its only Canadian stop. Basically I got to walk through the life of Darwin and really see how his theory of evolution...well....evolved. Darwin lived a very dedicated and inspired life. He was passionate in a highly admirable way. His attention to detail which allowed for such a ground-breaking and important theory were things I was happy to explore and now, greater appreciate.
That night Michelle came over again and she hung out with myself, my sisters, and a bunch of our friends. I was happy to see some of my older sisters friends and my old roommate, Ron. It was also great for my long-time friends James and Simon to stop by. In a guest appearance my old high school friend, Marla, stopped in after not seeing her for many years.
On Easter Sunday I went to mass with my parents but was unable to sit (or stand) with them. Afterward they went to the Zoo with my little sister, while I stayed home to spend some quality time with my older sister. We had an incredible dinner and some good family discussion. I actually talked about taxes quite extensively with my parents, which was a treat as I do not normally get to discuss what I learn in class. We then got into quite a nostalgic discussion about how this would be the last time I "visited" home as an undergraduate. We talked about how my mother was sad that she could not go with me to University on my first day. We talked about me graduating in a month and what that means. I even read them my personal recommendation letter for Senior Class Speaker (which I have since gone on to be named one of three possible candidates for Senior students to vote on). Finally I went to a movie with Michelle and hung out with her for one last night.
The next morning my parents drove me to the airport and rode the ferry over to Toronto Island. I was surprised when the actually broke down in tears and acted as though they would not be seeing me for quite some time. I know this was more a display of the pride they feel for me now, and will soon be overwhelmed with when I graduate.
Finally I spent an hour in the cafe-style lounge of Porter, enjoying lattes and biscotti, before my comfortable flight and bus-ride back to the school I will soon say "goodbye" to.