“What does campus life mean to you?”

Reaching for the top

Through the snow

Furiously studying in the library next to a window when all of a sudden I’m shrouded in a burst of sunshine!

Comparisons

Nature

First snow

Last day of finals. Hey, where’d everybody go?

Library Symmetry

I just want to go home

Campus at night

Purcell Way, westbound. Brisk walk home after class

Basic Image Scanner. Comp 120

Transgender Day of Remembrance Every November 20th “Remember the dead. Fight like hell for the living.”

The sun has an earlier curfew than me. Final note taking before finals

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Sitting on CSU Board

They say I am a man with many hats, but more accurately, I am a man with many name tags. Here I am sitting on the CSU Board of directors. We plan events, create new policy, and ensure the student voice is heard loud and clear.

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Trying to get a good photo for the Photo Voice Project

The Photo Voice Project takes commitment, not to mention a lot of memory on your phone. Getting one good photo is harder than it might sound. This one took several tries, and lots of coaxing.

Precipitation of a waterfall

You would be mistaken to think this rock pile is a dried up pond during the summer. In fact, this is a powerful water feature. It waits in plain sight. You can sometimes find runners taking a shower after a hot run, like birds in a giant bird bath.

A bird bath for students

Campus Digestion

I love the campus composter. This hulking machine digests much of the organic waste produced by the school. It would be great if they could digest the waste produced by the equestrian centre and the dog kennel next door.

Composting

It is too bad this composter isn’t in a more central location. Most people don’t even know it is here. They might be more inclined to recycle properly if they could see all the plastic coming out.

Heat Island Effect

It is a shame that the viewer is prevented from seeing the beautiful view by the glaring reflections coming from these vehicles in the parking lot. There should be a place for water to filter into the soil. There should be more trees. Maybe there could be another building atop a parkade.

Trash

It is upsetting to see the volume of waste that is created on campus. If people received a CapU Cup rather than a CapU Cap, we could easily reduce 50% of the waste volume CapU produces.

Will and I studying until the wee hours of the night

Staying late. Midterm season is upon us, and every hour counts. Forget sleep. This isn’t kindergarten any more.

The evolution of my locker decorations

After staying late to study, Will and I decided to try a science experiment and microwave a chip bag to see what would happen. To our surprise, and great delight, it shrunk to one 6th the size maintaining legibility of the text and everything.

Laura and her garden

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Beautiful day

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The blue

Relaxing studies

The CSU Lounge is a great room! It’s exit door is quite loud though.

On my way to class!

The scenic route to class

Average Locker

The Campus Garden!

View of the Capilano Gardens

Sunny

Capilano Students always take full advantage of sunny days!

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More coding with Jo!

A Rainy Day

In university, when it rains, it pours; you know what I mean?

A great game to play with family and friends. Players beware: the elders always have you beat! 😉

On your way into Kéxwusm-áyakn Student Centre, the woven blanket serves as a warm hug on cold days.

Indigenous students are always greeted and made to feel welcomed by the emblems of a flourishing people. Kéxwusm-áyakn Student Centre is a safe space!

The places of learning at Capilano University are more like houses, personal spheres in the mountains. ( “Lalem” in Halq’eméylem (Coast Salish dialect) means “House)

In The Zone

Furiously studying in the library next to a window when all of a sudden I’m shrouded in a burst of sunshine!

Relaxing Studies 2

Traffic was great today! Taking a small breather and flipping through today’s lesson before class

Serenity now!!

In the CSU TreeHouse! Hah, yeah, this is a totally staged photo. It’s what I wish I was doing when I study in here. The treehouse is truly a hidden gem of Capilano.

Cookie Locker

Midterm coping strategy

Arbutus is a beauty

There are some days when one just has to stop and admire the beauty between Capilanos architecture and nature

3D Printing

3D Printing a miniature bicycle basket!

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I love this chair; it’s perfect for naps. I just need to find some time for one!

Barefoot campus. Enjoying the last rays of the summer sun while getting work done. Shoes are leather prisons for our feet… or at least thats how I think of them. Thats why I love taking them off whenever I get the chance, and whenever it is socially acceptable of course.

Cycling to CapU and beyond. Going for a ride into the forest after a long day in class. Taking my bike to school brings me great pleasure. Besides the stunning sunrises and fresh air that I get to enjoy during my commute, there are so many great rides just minutes from campus.

Making school your work… or at least thats what they call it. A day in the life of a student employee for CapU Works. Here I am with a cheesy grin carrying local invasive plants to use as decorations for Sustainability Week. As a student employee you are given many different tasks. After dropping off these English Ivy vines, and trailing them around a board room, I help facilitate and prepare for an employee meeting to get their help with sustainability around campus.

Titration Excitation. Gail having a blast in her Chem 110 Lab. Mixing acids and bases can be a lot more fun than it sounds. Just short of making vinegar and baking soda volcanos in lab, we get up to lots of exciting stuff. Gail here is having an exciting time mixing up solutions and titrating like it’s nobodies business.

Sustainability Week. Raise Your Voice. There are so many great opportunities to get involved on campus. This week we created an event to get feedback from students about what it is that they like about sustainability on campus, and what we can do differently. It can’t be overstated how much it rocks to skip the commute and walk down the hall to your job.

Mossy sprints. Seymour trail running. One way to make sure you don’t miss your class is to do forest sprints at 7 o’ clock in the morning. Get a shower in, and if your lucky grab an expresso before your 8:30 Microeconomics class. No need to worry about vitamin D supplements with all that sunshine you’ll be soaking up before most people get out of their PJs.

Bored of talking, go board walking

Bored of talking, go board walking. No more muddy shoes in your locker with all these board walks everywhere

This is my parking spot.. Forget $4.00 a day in parking, I park for free! This is one of a few undercover bike racks, so you have to bet here early if you want a nice dry bum. The plus side is that you get to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise as you do it.

From sunrise to sundown.

Hanging baskets

Raspberries. When being fearless of thorns is not part of the job description, but should be. Fall is coming so here goes the old before spring comes in with the new.

Redwoods up north. Historically, this region was populated primarily by Redwoods, Ginkgos, and Fan Palms. Presently, this Redwood acts as a cozy reprieve from the fall rains.

Cozy Kale

Tiny Watermelon, or Funky Cucumber?

Those committee meetings

Wild Flowers

Sagebrush experimental grazing site. The bus quickly pulled to the side of the road, and our instructors shouted out as the swung around the front of the bus “grab your books, we are heading out!”. Picking up my priceless copy and first edition of Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia, I walked from the bus. Barbed wire fences and bugged out fence posts lined the road. Little bird houses crowned each pole like tiny farm houses for even s. Once off loaded we made our way to the inside of the experiment site. Our goal was to analyze the flora of the region. Accessing the changes as we made the 416km journey from campus to Penticton

Surveying and sampling Englemann Spruce Biome

Surveying and sampling Englemann Spruce Biome. We followed a bumpy dirt road up the mountain. As we left the main road, we also left behind summer, entering into a still and quiet winter. We walked from the bus a short while to the sampling site. Forming groups, we explored the mountains, testing our memory and plant ID skills.

Ancient Red Cedar

Campus Canvas

The campus can be a beautiful and spooky place at night!

Trail to the Maple building. Exposure to plants and wildlife (spot the squirrel!)

Being continuously improved. Detour outside the Birch building

Stairs

Reaching for the top

Much spook

Happy Halloween!

Hidden treasures

My quiet hideaway

Our campus is a canvas

Little bit of stress relief!

The Lounge

From the CSU Lounge

Serenity

The architecture here is inspiring.

Physics lab!

From phys 115

Computer coding with Jo

The most stubborn little robot ever

The most stubborn little robot ever. From Comp 106

SFU sales pitch

SFU sales pitch…. meh

Creations

3D Printed Bicycle!

On my way to school!

Welcome to all

Always welcome to all

As described in the last post, the library offers a space where students can take time to hone in on what they want to study on the side of their busy, busy schedules. In the picture, there are musicians on the wall that look like they’ve been there for a long time. So, why not change up the scene a little bit? What if we include art from individuals in the campus, would that be possible? Displaying the art that the students themselves create is something that I wish I saw a little glimpse of everyday. Art is inspiring in many which ways, so if there were possible, I think we should try it some day.

As a rookie commuter that uses a bike to get to campus, I can honestly say that those hills to get there are no easy task. As I push forward on those pedals towards the peak of the hill, I notice professors zoom past like it’s a walk in the park. So when I see them taking no break to catch their breath, I try to mimic their persistence. I fight till I’m at the top and when I’m finally there, well, I’m drenched in my own sweat. Despite the smell, I can’t help but feel like I can bounce off walls. This energy going into Cap is extremely beneficial as it adds a good start to a long day of studying and undivided attention.

The path that leads to the library, I find, is one of the most commonly used routes for students on campus. Not only does it have a floor for those that want to collaborate with their peers and eat their food, but also a floor that does not permit any talking at all. It is this second floor of the library that is such a rarity to physically be in. A place where everyone’s the same in the sense that we are all going to try to focus quietly on our studies without the noise that drowns our learning at times.

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Highlighted in the most aesthetically pleasing ways, the cedar courtyard never fails to satisfy the wandering, flustered student on their way to a class. The area acts as a break from the reality of tests and deadlines, solely tending to the underlying significance of tranquility and “taking it easy.” The imperfect, perfect balance between all things natural and man-made projects.

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Another heavily influential aspect Cap grants is the addition of multiple spaces that support connection amongst its students like the legendary Capilano Student Union. Welcomed with its exemplary student administration and naturally serene atmosphere, the CSU reminds me of my room. Perhaps it’s an odd comparison, but the way it reflects a secure and trusting environment makes a statement all the while offering platforms to expand one’s thinking and ideas.

Taken in the Maple building on the campus, the encouragement of sharing and utilizing resources is highly important. Seeing the mugs displayed in the picture cleaned and set out to dry captures the dedication students make to keeping our resources available for anyone to use. Despite this little bit of optimism in observation of dedication, in the times that I have been in areas where materials are shared amongst students the outcome does not always turn out in this manner. This raises a question of what else we, as a collective, can do to further encourage acts of responsibility throughout the week.

Among the Hidden. While walking along one of the many routes to different buildings, my friend and I came across this peculiar and enticing womanly figure. Almost surprised to see us, we wondered what this statue was here for and why they had it hidden amongst the shrubbery. Looking around her, we failed to notice any information that answered our curiosities. Having not taken this route would have meant not witnessing the woman of surprise and in acknowledgement of her existence, we came to a consensus that she deserved the recognition along with the sculptor. As curious individuals, we all stumble upon a vast number of hidden treasures that are naturally supported with questions. Taking a few minutes out of a day to reflect upon the journey of anything or anyone can allow for a deeper appreciation of our own journey in an abundance of ways.

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With an emphasis on community, Cap also provides an open courtyard for individuals of all backgrounds, even for those that use other methods of coping (like smoking) with the stressors of post secondary education. Despite harmful effects of such methods, being sensitive is extremely important in gaining more understanding as to what specific resources can and/or should be offered to students to find alternate ways of coping with their stressors. Specifically, I appreciate the de-stress week Cap offers its students during finals as it strikes us as a reminder that standardized tests aren’t and shouldn’t be the centre of our lives.

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Stairway to Discovery. Following through with the theme of taking on a newfound adventure, the routes at Cap are nothing short of brilliant. Brilliant in the sense that it’s campus is naturally beautiful, complimenting its architecture with the forest and highlighting the forest with its architecture. Though the skies were clear, the birds were chirping and the sun was showing us how bright it could be, the weather could express itself in anyway imaginable and the campus would still be viewed as stunning. I believe that the environment conditions are just as significant as educational opportunities. Cap’s ability to harmonize with its surrounds is truly an art.

Though there may be controversy about whether or not modern education sets students up for success in terms of occupation and meeting future goals, anyone who takes the time to fill out that application form for post secondary is ,therefore, signing up for the next endeavor. In relation to the bumble bees that collect pollen, we both travel relentlessly, covering great distances in search of our opportunities that give us what we need. Though there may be controversy about whether or not modern education sets students up for success in terms of occupation and meeting future goals, those who take the time to fill out that application form for higher education are consciously signing up for their next endeavour towards the limitless accumulation of knowledge and wisdom. This photo was taken in Cap’s garden on a beautiful sunny day. In relation to the bumble bee that was collecting pollen at the time, students alike continue to travel relentlessly, covering great distances in search of our opportunities that allow us to satisfy our ambition to learn.