The fountain; downtown Guelph
The smell of bubbles in the downtown fountain, the shilling screams of first years finding out what south residence really looks like and jail bait in every single bar; it’s “O week”. (More commonly known as frosh week.) It was harshly brought to my attention yesterday that as a senior student, I’m not really allowed to join in on all the festivities of “O week”, but the fact of the matter is I never really participated in my first year - so why not now? I haven’t actually done anything, I didn’t even take advantage of $0.75 beers last night at Trappers.. (instead we went to the most south end of Guelph possible to the very dead Shoeless Joes, the only bar in town with less than 10 people inside.) Still, I would like to join in on something… It’ll make me feel old if I don’t.
Anyway, I had yesterday off, the perfect opportunity to get involved with a thing or two, so I hiked down to campus (no longer do I just live a 3 minute walk from the center of campus, but instead a 40 minute bus ride…) but instead of partaking in events I thought I should just get some things done. So I got my government CPP form filled out, and requested a letter to get into my RESP. I bought all my text books and picked up my course material for distance ed… all the while looking at all the first years, and missing my own first year. I don’t think I partied enough.
My courses are as follows:
History of the environment:
An introduction to the field of environmental history - its nature and uses. This course provides a historical perspective to environmental issues. It examines the causes and impact of human-induced modification of the natural world in selected areas of the globe, the evolution of attitudes and ideas about the natural world over time and the growth of conservation/environmental issues and movements.
Environment and resources:
This course examines the interrelationships between people and biophysical processes. The main themes are: 1) characteristics of natural resources and processes through which they are developed and used and 2) human response to environmental conditions, including natural hazards and global change. Contemporary Canadian case studies will be presented at the regional and national scales.
Environment and tourism:
An integrative perspective on tourism, addressing diverse interactions between people and tourist resources. Emphasis is on experiences derived from the use of resources, the environmental, economic and cultural impacts of tourism, and approaches to managing these impacts.
Pop culture and punishment:
The course will survey the social, political and intellectual influences upon the leisure activities of Europeans and Americans in the period with special reference to institutions such as the prison, the asylum, the reformatory and the regulation of popular culture and leisure activities. Witchcraft and the witch-hunt will be discussed.
One of these things is not like the other… one of these things just isn’t the same.
Yesterday I had thought the punishment course would be on that I’d drop… but now that I re-read the description it might actually be good, certainly a nice break from all the environment stuff. Anyway, classes start in a week and I’m super excited.
