So far in university you’ve probably taken part in a few things around campus, from clamouring up a 12-foot wall at Storm, to scoring an invite to that exclusive party everyone’s talking about. But sometimes we forget that we’re in an academic environment rife with experiences and opportunities of a different kind. And hey, it is so okay to let your inner nerd out once in a while!
On Saturday, January 30, I participated as an audience member in the Colloquium, which is an annual event put up by the English Student Association. It’s a sort of symposium where undergraduates and professors get to share their research.
Schedule of the day’s events.
As an English student, I spend most of my days reading books by dead people. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the humanities are something of the past we’re just studying as university kids. In actuality though, research in the humanities is a very current thing, and the stuff being done behind university doors is actually quite cool.
The Colloquium covered a very wide and diverse range of topics, things you might be surprised people are exploring. For example, Dr. Robert Rouse gave an intriguing presentation on the relevance of medieval literature to today’s environmental concerns, answering the age-old question: “Why study literature?” English and Political Science undergraduate Alexandra Valahu, on the other hand, captivated the audience with an explanation of jazz music’s influence on the structure of novels by the Beat Generation. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was mentioned twice, firstly on Asian representation in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (presented by fourth-year student Laina Deer-Ferris), and secondly as an examination of “popular culture” (presented by Dr. Tiffany Potter).
Alexandra Valahu talks about Beat literature and its structural relationship to Jazz music.
The event was completely free with lunch and snacks provided. Although it was a long day, there was time to stretch your legs, grab a bite, and mingle with presenters and other students. Afterwards, a group of us adjourned to the Pit Pub and discoursed some more. (Yes, I just said “discoursed.”)
Dr. Adam Frank presents his project “Radio Free Stein”—converting Gertrude Stein plays into sound recordings.
Events like the Colloquium are awesome opportunities to meet like-minded people who have a passion for what they study. Most faculties, departments, and undergraduate societies probably do similar things. See what research is being done in your UBC program, talk to the folks who are doing it, and learn something new.