Previously on “What’s going on at BU?”
In my previous update on what's going on at Brandon University, which was about five months ago, I talked about a lot. I started by talking about how tired I was of that “love-sick” month called February and I even went on to try to plot with January and March to exclude February from featuring in the 2024 edition of 2024. After that, we talked extensively about the BUSU elections which was an important period in the life of Brandon University students because it was a time for us to scrutinize and elect the people we felt would serve us best. I went ahead to congratulate all those who were successful and wished them a happy and productive tenor. Just in case you missed it, here is a picture showing our latest BUSU representatives
We then talked about one of the most famous events: The Long night against procrastination. An event where Brandon University students from all around the world(the world being Brandon University) come together to battle a common enemy: procrastination.
What’s going on at BU?
Drum rolls please, ladies and gentlemen It’s that time of the year again. That time of the year when the leaves I admired all summer decide they’d rather lay on the ground than stay attached to their branches. It’s that time of the year when you can’t quite decide if it’s hot or cold so you put on warm clothes and throw a cardigan in your backpack. It’s that time of the year when Brandon University’s campus gets introduced to new people, new faces, and new personalities. But most of all, it’s that time of the year when I, Adamu Charles, get to let you in on what’s going on at Brandon University. And with this and a slight bow, I welcome you all back to “What’s going on at Brandon University?”
“How was your summer?” is the hottest question on campus right now. And it makes sense. For a lot of people, it was five months without having to think about assignments and tests and finals, so what did you do with all that time? Did you travel? Did you go hiking? Did you learn a new language? Did you never miss a Friday night at Roadhouse because you had a test to study for? Tell me, tell us, how was your summer?!
I’ll start. Drum rolls for me, please! It was a funny five months for me because I had a ton of ideas about what I was going to do during the summer. I was going to travel to Winnipeg and see my younger brother a couple of times, I was going to travel to Toronto just so I could say, “I went to Toronto to my roommates and friends”, and also I knew that if I did, then I’d be eligible to finally call myself, “The man from Toronto”, I was going to advance my knowledge on Java programming and finally certify to myself that I am a genius, and most importantly of all, I was finally going to be done watching outlander.
Mimicking Jamie Fraser of Outlander I say, “I donna ken what happened but this lad dinna get to do any of those” Honestly, I really do not know. I guess the months ran by and I just couldn’t keep up. Five months and I still remained “The man in Brandon”, still remained an uncertified genius and worst of all, still haven’t finished watching Outlander. But in my defense, between working more than one job and trying to grow my poetry page- kul_zi- on Tiktok, there wasn’t much time to do anything else. Anyway that was how my summer went and I really look forward to hearing much less depressing stories as to how you spent your summer.
But then again, news flash y’all, It’s back to school season. It’s back to looking at your timetable and realizing that you’re taking four courses, three of them are tough ones, and all four have finals. It’s back to having to check your timetable every day because your brain hasn’t quite registered where all your classes are yet. It’s back to having thoughts like, “I like this lecturer”, “No way am I doing this course, I’m dropping this right now”, “I can’t believe I’m in school again”, “I can’t believe I have to write, how does one even hold a pen?” whatever thoughts you’ve got right now please know that the ship’s about to leave the port and although it doesn’t intend to leave anyone behind, it can’t force you to board either. What I’m trying to say
is, tie your shoelaces quickly, knot your ties, adjust your hats, and get onboard because we’re doing this and so we might as well give it all we’ve got.
Okay…okay…okay, I didn’t mean to put a ton of pressure on your backs. Please take your time, think about your courses, and talk to your coursemates, your lecturers, your advisors, and whoever you feel comfortable talking to.
Before I go on, I would love to welcome especially all those who joined us this new semester. Welcome to Brandon University! (so you know…I am taking a slight bow right now). I can’t help but imagine the different scenarios that must have played in your heads as to what studying here would be like. I can’t help but ponder if you thought you would stumble upon a Big gate labeled “Brandon University” on your first day here, as I did. Luckily for y’all, you have come in in the fall which I think is not too cold. It definitely could still be quite the change as pertaining to weather but trust me, if you ask the guys that came in in the winter, you’d know you have it good.
In the spirit of welcoming our newbies, I’m going to take the following few lines to give you some advice.
To start with, do not panic; I know….I know it can be exciting but simultaneously overwhelming- coming from home to an entirely different place. A place with negative temperature readings, different lifestyles, different cultures, and my most annoying difference: different food. But hey, “poco a poco,” take it one step at a time. Do not rush. Do not compare your degree of settledness with someone else’s because it varies for all of us. Secondly, please ask questions. It might not be the largest of campuses but Brandon University has it all, so if you need something or you're in doubt about something, ask. Lastly, put yourself out there, I know you’re an introvert, I know you don’t like to talk to people, and I know you’re a loner but it is a big transition and you might find yourself feeling alone or out of place and so it is best to put yourself out there- say hey or hi to the person beside you in class, go to the gym, go to get-togethers and especially, go to events. Be it the ones in residence, the ones organized by BUSU, or the ones organized by fellow students on campus. And please check your student emails. It’s a very important thing to do as a BU student because it’s Brandon University’s primary way of communicating with you. Things like orientation dates will be sent there, scholarship deadlines, registration deadlines, course dropping deadlines, various events, and a variety of information.
Speaking of events, there are a ton of events going on at Brandon University. Events by the residence council and residence assistants, events by BUSU, and many other events. Let us take a look at some of the events:
The calendar above was sent by Brandon University’s Student Union aka BUSU on the 7th of September. I highlight in an orderly manner some of the events that have already been concluded as well as upcoming events.
From the picture above we can see that there was an orientation on the 5th. An orientation was held at the Healthy Living Center. I really hope the new students attended the orientation and information session because it was a big eye-opener for me and I got to meet and know a handful of people from that session. Also, on the 8th, there was the Hatch Block Party which I didn’t get to attend but I did hear a couple of nice songs coming from around the area so I bet they had a good time. Also, on that same day, there was an international students pizza and punch social held at Bailey’s in the KDC building. The new international students got to hear from a couple of older students on their experience so far at Brandon University and got to ask questions concerning their courses, jobs, opportunities, and life in general at Brandon, and even had a social afterward. Oh and did I forget to mention that there was free pizza?!
On the 9th, there’s an international student trip to Clear Lake, on the 12th is services day and Tacos at Bailey’s, the 14th is a Trivia night at Bailey's, the 15th is another trivia night at Bailey’s, and the events just keep on coming.
Listen, it’s no news that Brandon University is a pretty small campus but I tell you what, there is always something going on. Be it a free ice cream cone at the mingling area, students giving guides on directions at the Brodie building handing out chocolates or free pizza, free Tacos, soccer games, or volleyball intramurals, there is always something going on at Brandon University. Once again, I’d like to welcome our new students and I hope you have a blast. Make new friends, go to parties, say hey to the person at your left and hi to the one at your right, attend classes with an “I wonder what I’ll learn today mentality”, open your mind and heart to the possibilities and you’ll have a blast. My name is Charles Adamu and it’s been an honor as always updating every one of you on what’s going on at Brandon University but for now, it’s goodbye and I can’t wait to write to all of you again on my next update on “What’s going on at BU?”