Issue 1 Volume 63

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student missionaries#BURMANU

student missionaries

HANDSHAKE

FRESHMEN 101

Interview with the new Chef

Nature Of

STUDY TOURS

#BURMANU

Contributors

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Sarah Clausen Shenda Chimwaso Rechelle Smith Talia Smith

Nisha Johny Ashia Lennon Bianca Baston Codrina Baston

Rosie Oabel Jennica Santomin Joel John Kaitlynne Winsor

Contributors

Editor’s Message

Hello! Welcome to The Chronicle, if you’re a regular reader welcome back! I have some new and exciting news to share with you. If you’re new here then I’ve got lots and lots of news for you! But before I jump into that maybe I should share a bit about myself. My name is Rebekah Mau-rice and I am originally from Pickering Ontario but this is now my fourth year living in Lacombe so as they say, “Lacombe is home”. Though I would have never thought I would say that my first year. When I first came out here I was excited and super nervous but I quickly got disheartened. I didn’t make a lot of new friends, I wasn’t sure I should be in my program and I soon learned how depressing it can be to live in Alberta without a car. I was used to always having public transit, my mom’s car and a mall and 3 plazas withing walking distance. It can be so cold here and if you don’t have a car you can easily get trapped in your dorm room. Every year that I’ve been here I’ve yeared to be somewhere else, but I stayed. And I’m really really glad that I did! It might be your first year and it hasn’t really started off well so you’re thinking of jumping ship it could even be your third or fourth year and you still don’t feel like you’ve found your place. I get it. But things change if you make them. Last year, my third year, was my best year that I’ve had. How? I switched my major (which is a whole other story), I got involved in something I love and through it made a lot of amazing friends and Lacombe got a bus system! (Plus I also have kindheartened friends with vehichles). If I’d left maybe gone to Queen’s in Ontario or the University of Calgary I maybe would have had a bigger name on my diploma but I would never have had this amazing experience of being the editor of a copyrighted, University publication. I may have been a writer but I likely wouldn’t be a leader. I say that to say this, there is no set “place” for you to be in your life and no matter where you are you’re not behind. I now feel like I know who I am at Burman but I’m also about to graduate and I have no idea who I am in the world or what to do next year and that is OK! Many of you have heard sermons about how young people have done amazing things like rule na-tions, find cures and invent incredible machines and they seem to say “and what are you doing?” These people accomplished these things at ages younger than you, you’re already behind. But you’re not you’re right where you should be, you should be lost, you should be confused, embrace it! I don’t mean you should stop trying but if you fail or have to revaluate your life don’t hate yourself for it it’s all a part of grow-ing up and becoming the person you’re meant to be!

So what’s the news I want to share? The major thing is that we now have a web-site where you can read online and find content not in the paper. The url is on the back. If you’re new I want to let you know that I always take freelance sub-missions through out the year so if something amaz-ing happens and you want to tell the world about it then write it up and send me an email! Also we now have a bunch of social media platforms (also on the back). I think that’s everything right now so I wish you amazing luck and happiness for this year!

Sarah Clausen Shenda Chimwaso Rechelle Smith Talia Smith

Nisha Johny Ashia Lennon Bianca Baston Codrina Baston

During the warm Alberta days (yes, we do have them!), your chaplains spent many hours in our offices getting ready for your return. Besides this, we also had the usual responsibilities of camp meeting and summer camps, as well as pastors’ meetings in Austin Texas. With all our coming and going, by mid-August we realised we had a lot of stuff to deal with – various items from programs and activities that we’d just tossed into our offices when we there between everything else going on, to deal with later. Of course, “lat-er” inevitably came, and so a couple of weeks ago we sat down and began to sort through everything that had ac-cumulated, only to discover we were plagued with a terrible affliction. The diagnosis: Clutter Corners.

You’re probably familiar with Clutter Corners, though maybe not by that name. The symptoms are pretty easy to spot: piles of papers on the desk. Stacks of boxes (Pastor Adam had his tucked behind a chair) with who-knows-what in them that needs to be gone through. Random collections of this-and-that which should be put away somewhere, but there isn’t real-ly a somewhere to put them. And in severe cases, whole cupboards of “we might need those someday” items whose “someday” hasn’t come in the last 5 years.

If you or someone you love suffers from clutter corners, consider these three important facts:

Clutter corners usually consist of use-less or outdated items that are best got-ten rid of. It’s funny, but for all of our talk about Jesus coming again soon,

why is it that we hold on to things as though we’re somehow going to be able to take them with us? Ask your-self these two questions about what you’re holding on to: “Have I used this in the last year?”, and “Am I likely to use this in the next year?” If the an-swer is no to either one of them, you may just be adding to a clutter corner.Clutter corners may start small, but they can quickly grow if not dealt with. How many times have you stopped to think as you’ve worked your way through a pile of clutter, “Why did I bother hanging on to this?” It may not have seemed like a big deal to hang on to it at the time – and on its own, it probably wasn’t. But enough “not that big” things add up, and can become overwhelming if you don’t pay atten-tion.

Any clutter corner, no matter how big or small, has a negative impact on how we can use the space where it’s found. Another sign of severe Clutter Corners is when you get “the shuffles” – shuffling the pile from this side of the room to that side in order to get at something you need or make space for something else. If all you do is keep moving it around, maybe it’s time to move it out altogether.

Of course, Clutter Corners isn’t just an affliction of our offices or dorm rooms. In Colossians 3:1-9, Paul re-minds us that clutter can also build up in our spiritual lives – useless (and even harmful) things like anger, rage, malice, and evil actions and words. These things may start out small, but if left unchecked can build up until they take over our lives and take up time and energy from building other more

positive and productive qualities. But this doesn’t have to be the case. In Ga-latians 5:16-22, we’re told that God’s Spirit is more than willing to clean up the spiritual clutter in our lives, and replace it with qualities and traits that will help us grow more fully into who we were created and called to be.If you get a chance, stop by the chap-lains’ offices, located in Student Ser-vices in the Ad Building. Even if we’re still working on our clutter corners, we’d love to get to know you and help you in your own journey to a more clutter-free life.

Clutter Corners BY PASTOR ADAM DEIBERT

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAINS

“I can’t believe it. I absolutely cannot believe it. Is this for real? Like, really?”

That very line of thought, in that exact order, has flashed through my mind so many times these past couple of months. It seared into my brain first when my board and cabinet voted for the name ‘Burman University’ and it was a good thing. A second time, it was when I started hearing and see-ing the name change process unfold on magazines, social media, signs on the roadway and still, it was a good thing. Thirdly and most recently, that thought flashed through my mind when I saw so many new faces and so many familiar ones and yes, you got it, it was a good thing.

But really, I can’t believe it. I absolutely cannot believe it. Is this for real? Like, really?

I really cannot believe that we have the opportunity to go to a fantastic institution where we get to openly learn about Christ every day. I cannot believe Burman University strives to challenge her students and help them go the distance. I cannot believe you and I have the responsibility to make

this FIRST year of Burman Universi-ty legendary. I cannot believe that we have to be selfless enough to give, give, and give some more until I know that the legacy we leave is one of positive impact. I cannot believe that it is up to me and you as to how this year goes and what the standard of excellence for Burman University looks like.

But really, I CAN believe it. I absolute-ly believe it. This is for real. Like, really.

Why do I believe it? Because I believe in YOU. I know that you were brought to this campus for the first time or the second time or the sixth time for a rea-son. You are like a seed, placed in this fertile hilltop, planted just to grow and blossom and spread. I know for a fact that you have what it takes to trans-form this University into the living and breathing reflection of love, kind-ness, compassion, and awesomeness! You got this. You have it already. You ARE Burman University.

Look around you. If you see cracks, fill it. If you see gaps, remove it. If you see mistakes, erase it. If you see flaws, love it. If you see stagnance, change it. If you see stillness, MOVE it.

Let’s work together this school year to help make Burman University YOUR home. Let us inspire each other to make Burman University the shining beacon of light that you would want to pass on.

Because I really DO believe it. I abso-lutely believe it. This is for real. Like, really.

Nisha JohnyPresidentBurman Univeristy Student Associa-tion

MESSAGE FROM THE SA PRESIDENT

Welcome to Your New HomeMaybe you just left your small town and it seems overwhelming to be here or maybe you just left your big city and you’re feeling very under-whelmed with the retail options and things to do in Lacombe. But never fear! We’ve put together a guide to the great things to see and do in and around Lacombe!

BY TALIA SMITH1. Hot Pot Studio2. Famosa 3. Kavaccinos4. alta5. Morrisons House Cafe6. Morrisons House Cafe7. Olive8. Famosa9. DOSE10. DOSE

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Welcome to Your New HomeI believe every university student needs to know some of the hotspots around Burman University so that when you have an hour or two to breath, you can go and destress at a chill and relaxed place, or someplace that doesn’t reek of school. So I’ve compiled a list of places that I personally enjoy, that are either here in Lacombe, or in Red Deer, and I think you’ll enjoy them too.1. I’m not sure how many of you are coffee enthusiasts like me, but if you are, you’re going to want to continue reading to get to know this super chill coffee shop located in beautiful down-town Red Deer on 50th Ave, just 25 minutes away from Lacombe. Dose Coffee; one the best independently owned coffee shops in Central Alberta (at least in my opinion). Their menu goes beyond excellent coffee, it also meets the tastebuds’ need for a party in the mouth with delicious pastries, salads, sandwiches and some of the best dark chocolate from Mast Broth-ers. They also have some excellent non caffeinated drinks that will rock your tastebuds: fruit cordial (the recipe is straight from Italy), gourmet teas, Happy Planet juices that come in a va-riety of flavours, and this wonderful rose lemonade that will just whisk you away to cloud nine.2. Kavaccino’s is another independent-ly owned coffee shop, but it’s located here in Lacombe. It has some deli-cious iced coffees, desserts, and my personal favourite, chocolate covered coffee beans. They’re located on 51st street here in Lacombe and will soon become one of your go to’s as the days grow colder and the wifi slower (they have wifi there).3. Morrison House Cafe is one of the loveliest cafes I have ever been to. It’s in one of the oldest houses in Lacombe and decorated to perfection. The own-ers and staff are a delight to interact with, and the soup and sandwiches are the best for lunch as the snow threat-ens to chill you to the bone. They al-ways offer a plethora of pies which is probably the number one reason I go

there because they are just so good! This gem of a cafe is located on 51st Ave in Lacombe and you can’t not go.4. Who doesn’t love a good slice of pizza? Especially one that’s recipe is straight from Italy! Famoso in Red Deer has an incredible menu; they have everything from white sauce pizzas to gelato that will make your tastebuds party rock. In all honesty, it’s my favourite restaurant and probably the best place to take your friends for their birthdays. This great place is on 51st Ave in Red Deer.5. Are you an art junky? Do you de-stress by painting? Want to take that pretty girl on a great date that she would LOVE? Well, Hot Pot studio in Red Deer has got you covered. They’re this adorable little shop that has ce-ramics everywhere, ready to be paint-ed and personalized by you! All you have to do is pay for the ceramic itself and a small studio charge and you’re good to go. The people will put it in the kiln after you’ve completed your mas-terpiece, and all you have to do is wait a week and then go back and get it, fin-ished to perfection. Hot Pot studio is located on 50th Ave in Red Deer.6. Are you into live music as well as making live music? Well, look no fur-ther! The Olive in Red Deer is a whole-in the wall spot where Tuesday nights are open mike, and Thursday nights are live music night. They have this great locally made hummus that will leave you wanting more, and a chill vibe that will make want to go back every week. This hotspot is located on 50th St.7. Alta is an independently owned clothing shop in Red Deer that has the coolest socks. Legit, they will give you life! They have everything from beard oil to stellar laptop cases. Oh, and they also have a great mirror made for group selfies. This shop is located on 50th street.Hope that these places serve you well when you need a breather or just a change of scenery from Burman.Cheers, folks!- and happy studying.

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HandshakeBy Codrina BastonDid you guys get to attend the carnival hand-shake last Saturday night? If not, ya missed out and make sure you stop being a party pooper and get out of your dorm room! (that was mean, I was just kidding…kind of). Here’s a little recap for all those wanting to reminisce on the night or the curious kitties that weren’t in attendance.

On the SURPRISINGLY frigid evening of Sep-tember 12, 2015, the Burman University SA hosted the annual handshake. This year, the SA theme was CARNIVAL. As 8 p.m. rolled

around, gymnasts, clowns, circus animals and their tamers started trickling into the Burman ice rink behind the gym. With a dunk tank, photo booth, popcorn, cotton candy and Melanie Martinez’s “Carousel” playing in the background, the carnival was ready! Although the air was cold, the friendly faces-some fa-miliar, some new- were warm. Handshake after cold handshake, the Burman and PAA students of the 2015/2016 school year got to introduce themselves to one another. I don’t know about you guys, but my name started sounding so strange after saying it over and over, but it was lovely meeting so many new and some mysteriously costumed

faces. After the handshake was finished, the real crazy fun began. Dance-offs featuring Silentó’s “Watch Me” had everyone in an up-roar as circus clowns, mimes, and assorted animals began to Nae Nae and Whip. It was quite entertaining to witness *insert laughing with tears emoji*. After a few more group ac-tivities, featuring the Macarena and Hoedown Throwdown (talk about THROWBACK), the pie eating competition commenced. Props to the winner! Snarfling down a pie that quick is TAL-ENT. Cotton candy, popcorn, chips, and root beer floats satisfied all the carnival cravings. The cold air definitely took its toll on me and I left a little earlier than I had anticipated. Al-

berta never fails to disappoint, weather-wise (freshmen, you’ll learn soon).

Regardless of the cold wind, the BUSA thor-oughly entertained the masses that evening. Let’s see what they have planned for us next. :)

FOR MORE PICTURES SEE THE LAST PAGE

Ready, Set, SurviveOP Solo CampingBy Kaitlynne Winsor

As I sat curled up with my back against a small pine tree, I glared passive-aggressively at the giant black ant that was mak-ing its way around the entrance of my shelter, hoping against hope I hadn’t accidentally planted my tem-porary home on top of his. Point-ing my knife in the ant’s general direction, I threatened, “Get out of my house or I’m going to eat you, just watch.” During the next thirty seconds it occurred to me this was actually a plausible option, consid-ering I had eaten nothing else in the past fifteen hours, so I slowly gathered up my nerve, picked up the unwilling victim, and with a shudder, finally managed to swal-low it. I should clarify at this point, I do not make a habit of snacking on insects when I’m hungry. I was doing this for credit, and for “the experience” as part of the Survival Class that is required as part of the OP program. After a week’s preparation of overviewing the necessary skills in building shelters, fires, and for-aging, the students are driven to a small camp situated at the base of the beautiful – but ridiculously named – Bugaboo Mountains in

British Columbia. From there, the students receive a small stash of items including: a wool blanket, a wilderness approved knife, eight gallons of water, a can of bear spray and several bear bangers, and an odd assortment of clothing that may or may not include the items you had brought for your-self. Ultimately, the purpose of this class is to not only build survival skills, but to also build personal confidence in your own ability to be self-reliant as you spend several days and nights alone in the wilder-ness with no constant food source and no human contact. Is it terri-fying? Absolutely. Has anyone ever died during this class? To date, no. Fortunately, I did not have to survive on ants during the rest of my stay. I did manage to forage some other small plants and even stumbled across a wild onion; a mistake I didn’t realize I had made until too late. Once all the students had been retrieved four days later, we sat for hours swapping stories of how we had coped with our var-ious situations, what we had ate, how we slept, and what kind of shelters we had built. Some had spent their time simply, building a

basic shelter within the first after-noon and relaxing in the sun the rest of the time. Others spent all their time on the task. I, on the oth-er hand had found myself situated within a tree graveyard that some-what resembled that random scene from the Lion King with the hyenas, and it was in this particular spot that I had set up my camp. I built myself a small, but deadly looking hobbit hole that I stuffed inside and out with moss, and covered the exterior with tall spikes. My rea-soning at the time being any bears that might be in the vicinity would think twice before attempting to sit on me. Coming home at the end of that week, I comforted myself with Tim Hortons and a large fluffy blan-ket, proud to have made it through successfully.

Josh Bradburn is from Tilla-mook, Oregon and is a 3rd year Biology major. Josh felt the call to take a year to serve as an En-glish teach in Bolivia. While there are a thousand fun things to know about Josh, he’s decid-ing to do something super fun during his time in Bolivia. He’s asked for his friends to provide their favourite words for him to teach students. He’s going to share some really fun stories that result from this and the Missions Team will hopefully be able to share them with all of you so make sure you keep up with your SMs!!

Josh BradburnBIOLOGY 3RD YEARBOLIVIA

Mikelle Wile came all the way from the Northwest Territories. Anyone who has been around Mikelle knows that she is one of the most fun and energetic human beings ever! She loves to get involved with her school and community and you can al-ways find her running around with the Acronaires, singing for various worship programs, and working with A Better World. This year she’s putting her educa-tion on pause to work at El Sauce orphanage in Bolivia together with fellow SM Kaylie Copeland.

Mikelle Wile3RD YEARBOLIVIA

Kaylie Copeland came to Bur-man University from not so distant Calgary, AB, though it’s not uncommon to see her hang-ing out with students from the Maritimes as she is an alumni of Sandy Lake Academy. She is a 3rd year Behavioural science major, and if you’ve ever been in a room with her a little bit of a goofball. Kaylie is no stranger to service and if you ask she’s more than willing to tell you stories about her humanitarian trip to India. This year Kaylie will be taking the whole year to serve in El Sauce orphanage with Mikelle Wile in Bolivia.

Kaylie CopelandBEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE 3RD YEARBOLIVIA

Tune in here for updates on our SMS every issueStudent Missionaries

Ellen Corbett is from BC and chose to take this year as a stu-dent missionary in Asia as a homeschool teacher. She will be serving in a relatively re-mote area and would greatly appreciate our prayers for her service as would all of our SMs.

Ellen Corbett

Morgan Edgson is from BC, and will be an incoming student next year. She was accepted to Burman University for this year but chose to defer her enrollment to spend a year serving as a student mis-sionary. Keep your eyes and ears open to learn more about Mor-gan and the other SMs through-out the year!

Morgan EdgsonLOCATION OF SERVICE TO TBA

My name is Cheyanne Welch and I am a second year Inter-national Health Student. I am from Lacombe, Alberta. I chose to spend a year as a student mis-sionary for two reasons: first, I want to get experience in my field and to take a break from the book learning; second, I have felt God’s call to serve abroad since I was a child and the time has fi-nally come to answer Him.I love olives, grapefruit and spa-ghetti. I suffer from arachno-phobia, which is unhelpful in Central and South America, but provides ample opportunity to “face my fears”. My family loves to travel and we served as mis-sionaries in Egypt when I was a small girl. I’ll be attempting to keep a blog while in the field. Weaknesses include dark choc-olate, gelato, Spanish music and the DC Universe.www.por-todos-los-siglos.blog-spot.ca

Cheyanne WelchINTERNATIONAL HEALTH2ND YEARLOCATION OF SERVICE TBA

Tune in here for updates on our SMS every issueStudent Missionaries

scholars study tourBy Jennica Santomin

scholars study tour

Two nights left in Italy, two days until home, and two hours to write on the topic of “Beauty.” I looked down at the wrinkled piece of paper that Dr. Mc-Dowell had given to me. My eyes halt-ed on a question I knew I had asked in class, and like most of my questions in any McDowell class, I was only given yet another question as an answer to my question. Great. The question my professor had so cleverly put on our final exam was a question of how we would describe our seven-week trip to Italy and Greece on the topic of beau-ty in the context of art to an interested friend from back home who had never been exposed to ideas of art and beauty. I could list all the art galler-ies and museums we trekked through and name each archeological site we explored drenched in sweat from the heat. I could recommend all the books we read on the topic of beauty and send any willing soul a copy of all my notes I took in class at the Adventist college, Villa Aurora, in Italy. Here’s the tragic truth, though: (Almost) anyone can live vicariously through Google maps and walk “through” the streets of Florence, Italy, that I got to know so well with my trusty paper map (not a GPS!). Any-one can look-up most of the paintings found in the famous Uffizi and Peggy Guggenheim museums. However, my experience of this scholars study tour is a completely different experience than that of my peers.

I tasted Italian gelato that puts any gelato on the market in British Co-lumbia (my home province) that I’ve tried since, as a tasteless Dollarstore copy. For shame! I heard the music of Renè Aubry play as I basically waltzed into the dreamiest cafes in Florence (by the way, look up “Demi Lune” by him while you are eating pasta during a candlelit dinner—you’re welcome). The smell of Grecian moussaka (a potato or eggplant-based dish with ground beef and cheesy goodness) always brings me back to the historical neighbour-

hood of Plaka in Athens, Greece. I saw the ash-covered victims of the volcanic eruption in Pompeii, Italy—children in the arms of their parents—serving as a remarkable reminder that we are in-deed all human and are very much alike and connected at the face of death. I felt the cool touch of a beggar’s hand as I placed a few Euros into his hands at the train station, and instantly, his warm smile thawed my pompous heart.

Christ says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). They meaning not just me—a very privileged Canadian uni-versity student—but they as in every-one. Those who died long ago in Pom-peii and those who sit on the cobbled streets of Florence praying for a kind soul to spare some change. Those who served me gelato and those well-sea-soned art critics who I stood beside at galleries appreciating art—one of the most purest forms of aesthetic experi-ences one will ever learn to appreciate. If you want an aesthetic experience, visit an art museum instead of buying the latest iPhone 6s. Seriously.

Two months in Italy and Greece was what it took for me to understand that Christ’s commission for me to live a life more fully is to appreciate beauty. Beauty with depth. Beauty that takes time to experience and love. Life-long friendships do not develop in a mere moment. So it is with developing a love for beauty in art, in people who I may not think deserve my love, or in any-thing that takes time. Two minutes. It probably took you, as a reader, two minutes to read through this. Now, take two deep long breaths. You are filled with abundant life from Christ—please do not waste time. Focus on the beautiful.

Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed discovering and learning about new places, ideas or events that have impacted the world we live in. One amazing privilege we have here at Burman University is the opportunity to participate in study tours. Being an educa-tion major, I believe that learning is not required to only take place in the classroom environment. In my opinion, students learn best when they are able to observe and engage in the learning pro-cess firsthand. This is the epito-me of what a study tour is about. This past summer, I, along with six other students, had the chance to visit the South American coun-try of Brazil with Drs. Samraj and Ramalingam. From April 28 to May 12, we got to spend just over two weeks to study Philos-

ophy of Religion and/or Tropical Biology by immersing ourselves into a culture different from our own. This was done through ex-cursions to well-known and less-er-known places, interacting with the lovely local people, and trying local delicacies. The first four days we stayed in the lively city of Rio de Janeiro. During the daytime, we visited various sites such as the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado Mountain, Cathedral of St. Sebastian, and Sao Bento Monastery. After touring around, we would spend the rest of the day relaxing mainly at Copaca-bana Beach, just walking dis-tance from our hotel. Another fa-vorite pastime was exploring the shops, restaurants, and sights

on the beachfront. However, school work had to be done and evenings were spent discussing philosophical questions and writ-ing papers. On Friday, we prepared for the next leg of our trip, and after a turbulent evening flight we reached the city of Manaus in the Amazonas. On Sabbath morning, Dr. Ramalingam provided a short message as we worshiped to-gether in the hotel lobby. In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the Amazon Area, one of the football (soccer) stadiums built and used for the FIFA World Cup 2014. Early the next day, we began the journey of our Amazonian adven-ture. On the river, we first got to experience the “Meeting of the Waters” where the Rio Negro and

the Rio Solimoes (Amazon River) meet, but do not mix due to tem-perature, speed, and water den-sity differences, caused by hav-ing different mineral deposits. We then continued our journey deeper into the Amazon basin. Once settled in the lodge, we went out to fish. But not for just any ordinary fish; we went fishing for piranhas. We fished until all bait was used up, and then spent the remainder of the evening watching the beautiful sunset. In the darkness of the next morn-ing, we awoke early to watch the sun rise with gorgeous colours from a boat in the middle of the river. After a scrumptious break-fast, we went on a four-hour walk in the Amazon Rainforest where we learned the multiple uses of the different trees, plants, in-

Brazil Study TourBy Rosie Oabel

sects, and animals shared to us by our knowledgeable guide, Connie. Later, we went to visit a local woman where we observed the negative effects of the rub-ber industry and lodging, identi-fied plants used in the medicinal world, and learned how manioc flour is made. That evening, we went on another hunt, but this time for caimans. It only took about 10 minutes for Connie to find one, and pluck it out of the water with his bare hands. We then took the small caiman back to the lodge to examine and hold, and then released it back into the wild.

Our last day in the Am-azon was the most exciting yet and was when we were able to interact with a number of animals

that call the Amazon Rainforest their home. First, we went to feed some pirarucu, one of the largest freshwater river fish on earth; then we got to hold a baby anaconda and a baby sloth; and from there, went to visit a wild-life reserve to feed some spider monkeys. Later, we also got to swim alongside some pink river dolphins. After lunch, we trav-elled further down the Rio Negro to visit a native Amazonian tribe. This was a special experience as the tribe performed traditional welcoming dances and included us in one of the dances as well. Back in the city, we attended a free concert presented by the Amazonas Philharmonic. The next leg of our trip had us travelling back to Rio for

a night, and then flying to the beautiful area of Cataratas do Iguacu where we stayed for much of the rest of our trip. The main attraction was the majestic Igua-cu Falls bordering Brazil and Ar-gentina. Being from Toronto, I’ve visited Niagara Falls many times always thinking it was very grand. However, when I saw these falls, I couldn’t help but think that Niag-ara Falls couldn’t begin to com-pete with this renowned natural wonder of the world. The rest of the trip we spent our time shop-ping, exploring the city, and en-joying the services of the hotel. Additionally, being at a frontier location, we were able to cross the border and visit Paraguay for a couple of hours one afternoon. Soon the day arrived to leave and from Rio we boarded the

plane heading back to Canada.

It’s been four months since being there and there are many times I wish I was still back there. How-ever, I am so grateful that I took the opportunity to go on such an amazing trip with a group of awesome individuals to learn in an environment that is unique to itself. I encourage you to go on a trip offered by our school whether it is academic or mission related. It will be a decision you will not regret.

*If you would like to see a video snippet of the Brazil Study Tour 2015, you can see it through this link: https://youtu.be/8Iy-ta_0CKj0 (Brazil! created by Bri-an Cruz)

“THINGS WE CARRY”BY ASHIA LENNONI have a deep dark secret that I’ve of-ten kept hidden. I don’t mean that I’m secretly tone deaf although if you sit nearby in church you’ll figure that one out quickly. My secret isn’t quite as obvious as it is heavy. The weight of it aches my muscles and bares heavily on my slanted posture. Yet these are things that I carry around daily, I pack them in as I leave for classes every morning. I count them like a mother hen. I’ve be-come so accustoming to having them around I don’t know life without them. So every morning as I open my eyes to the reality of another day, I check: fear, guilt, shame, worry, failure, worthless-ness, disappointment. I pile them on and start my day.

As I mulled over this revela-tion, in the cafeteria no less, I inquired if I was the only one. And one by one as I inquired I saw that a lot of us are heavily laden with these burdens. I had believed my greatest fear, that I was in-adequate. This inadequacy would lead me half steps forward and support par-tial beliefs. What if the failure that I fear isn’t an affirmation of my inadequacy but a shaky step towards growth?What if our failures are a part of our success? How much would it change?... Everything! The Bible says exquisitely in Psalm 126:5-6:

“Those who plant with tears will gather fruit with songs of joy. He who goes out crying as he carries his bag of seed will return with songs of joy as he brings much grain with him.”

God has indeed given us the privilege of knowing Him and discerning His will. In numerous texts and phras-es from scripture we find where God

Himself affirms us as His own children. That we are born as sons and daugh-ters of the most High Sovereign God, royal, precious and honourable. We have purpose and favour in Him and through Him, we are equipped with the courage to not live in bondage to fear, guilt, shame, worry, worthlessness and disappointment.

The passage doesn’t neglect the passage of pain and struggling times; in fact it guarantees it. It gives the confirmation that, “Those who plant in tears”… those who still live with a determined will that is marinated in the hope and as-surance of God and His purpose, “will gather fruit with songs of joy”. The pur-pose of trials are not to create burdens that inhibit us from experiencing the freedom Christ has afforded us. Instead

these trying events, He conflicts in our relationships with others, our most intellectually and physically draining courses and family issues, are in fact the things that will enable us to grow a deeper connection with God. We will be able to see the Hand of God work and experience His comforting.Having now been liberated from the burden of fear and failure, it frees us to stand taller and firmer on the foun-dation of truth in Christ. So that what he says about our worth and value is all we know. So that we can face this year, daunting and scary though it seems, and teeming with anticipation and hope for the journey ahead.

INTERVIEW WITH PANKAJ SINGHBY JOEL JOHN The first time I walked into the Burman University cafeteria after my summer break I was shocked to see how different the place looked. Burman University Cafeteria looked spiffier and had a more professional vibe to it. Af-ter getting my supper, I was even more impressed with the quality of food, the sandwiches were amazing, the egg-sal-ad croissant tasted fresh as if it had just been prepared right in front of me, and the beef teriyaki seemed much more succulent and flavourful than before. After doing some snooping around of my own, I found out that the man be-hind these positive changes to the cafe-teria, can be accounted primarily to the new Director of Food Services at the Burman University cafeteria.

If you ever go to the cafeteria during the assigned meal times, you will often find Mr. Singh interacting with the students and making sure that everything caters to that individ-ual student’s needs. I wanted to know more about this charismatic man for myself, so I decided to meet with him in his office to find out more about his background and what brought him to Burman University.

Pankaj shared that he had a background in managing hotels inter-nationally and just prior to being hired at Burman University, he was a manag-er of banquet operations, which catered to events that often had about a 1000+ guests attending. On inquiring what brought him to Burman University, Pankaj responded that he liked to take up the challenge of developing the caf-eteria into a place that would not only be a place where dormitory students would come and enjoy meals, but also a place where the staff, community stu

dents, and other people from the com-munity would come and enjoy their meals!

I had asked Pankaj, if he had any other surprises around the corner so that students could enjoy their caf-eteria experience even more. He said that he plans on developing the deli bar with a lot of different options and some additional stuff like a sandwich press. He asks students to stay tuned to other developments that will be taking place shortly.

Pankaj accounts the secret of his success with the Burman Univer-sity cafeteria to his awesome team. He says that he couldn’t run this place by himself and had it not been for his awe-some team, these changes would not have come about. He believes that for a place to succeed, the team has to be united and work together! And that’s why he brought along with him, Anu-rag Nerkar, the new Kitchen Manager of the cafeteria (stay tuned to the com-ing editions of the Chronicles to find a follow up series on the new Kitchen manager).

Pankaj’s favourite place in the cafeteria, is the kitchen! The quality of the kitchen in Burman University’s caf-eteria is above par and is very spacious. It has all the modern amenities needed to cater to all the students of Burman University if the need arises!

On asking Pankaj what message would he like to get across to the stu-dents of Burman University, he said that the students must keep in mind that “Rome was not built in a day.” Bringing about positive change is a gradual pro-cess, and in order to do that he requests all of your help. If you have any sugges-tions, criticisms, positive feedbacks, or would like to find out what goes on be-hind the scenes in the kitchen, Pankaj invites you to contact him at his email, singh-pankaj@aramark.ca, or by tele-phone on, 403-786-2541.

Creative

Oh, how did summer slip through my fingers?I held her so tightly in my cusped handsHoping to keep her forever.Gone.Leaving only the remnants of our loveIn the crevasses of my frivolous hands.Like shards of glassI’m left with the wounds:Dead leaves, dry grass, and the wind-Oh the wind that softly, but bitterly, kisses my cheeksBecause she know I still yearn for you,Summer.Your sun still shines bright,But now, She leaves me feeling cold

I love watching people in airports.The emotions are real and raw. The sadness of a goodbye and the tears that come along with it.The joy of being reunited and the peals of laughter that come along with it.The corney welcome home signsThe flowersThe kissesThe screams of excitement

It’s beautiful.

It’s a reminder to me that we’re still human.That we haven’t all turned into lifeless zombiesThat we are still capable of love and kindnessThat we aren’t alone in this battle And that people still care.

Pure EmotionBY RECHELLE SMITH

SummerBY SHENDA CHIMWASO

Follow us on pinterest for more

DORM DIY

WHAT YOU’LL NEEDClipboardPainter’s TapeAcrylic PaintArt Prints

WHAT TO DOTake a clipboard, $1 at Dollarama, and cross it with painter’s tape diag-naly.

Paint only the bottom half, make an ombre effect by mixing darker paint in while the first coat is still wet

Remove the tape for a smooth, crisp line.

Add flecks of gold paint

Clip a picture or print onto the board and hang it on a push pin using the hole on the clip.

Alternatively paint the whole board and draw on top of it with a sharpie or create a pattern by making a shape on a piece of paper and tracing it multiple times.

Must have Dorm items Christmas LightsPaint Swatches (trust us there’s like a million and one uses)A nice duvet cover A nice shower curtainSheer curtains (Makes a great canopy)Wrapping paper (it makes great removable wall paper)Cute pillowsArt Prints or prints of your favourite photos

Hey guys! Welcome to the Burman Chronicle! Enjoying your time? Since this is my first of many articles this year, I’m going to introduce myself: My name is Bianca and I’m a fourth year Biology major (freshman, see me for some real talk). I’m in charge of the music and entertainment section here at the Chronicle. I listen to A LOT of music but there’s no way I can hear it all, so let’s talk! E-mail me at paulabaston@burmanu.ca and let’s geek out! Often, I will make playlists and those will be posted on the Chronicles’ very own 8tracks page. If you’ve never used 8tracks, I suggest you get on that! It’s totally free and you can make your own playlists too! Okay, let’s get to the matter at hand. Nature Of is an Edmonton-based band that is, first of all, super rad, and second of all, amazing. According to their website, “This past June, the band released their debut full length self-titled album. It was recorded over a month long period at Riverdale Recorders in Edmonton with Juno Nominat-ed Producer Scott Franchuk. The 10 song album was listed as one of the top 10 Edmonton records of 2014 by GigCity.com. It was also placed on Earshots National Top 50 Chart at #17, as well as appearing on multiple Canadian college radio station weekly top 30 charts.” And guess what? They’re coming HERE, to BURMAN, to PLAY, FOR US. I was given the awesome opportunity to ask them a couple of questions so you can get to know them before they touch down on our campus.

By Bianca Baston

INTERVIEWBianca Baston (BB): Introduce yourselves!Nature Of (NO): No way!BB: Introduce yourselves!NO: Okay!

(If you’ve ever seen Bring It On: All or Nothing, you totally just smiled. If not, carry on.)

Steve Schneider - Vocals, guitar, bassCole Switzer - Guitar, bassKyla Rankine - Guitar, bassAllyson MacIvor - DrumsSydney Leard – Violin

BB: How did you get together as a band?

NO: We all pretty much come from different places in life, and all came to the band at different times. Steve and I met through skateboarding and decided one random day that it was time to start a band! – Cole

BB: What musicians and bands have the biggest influence on your sound?

NO: Well we usually write songs based on whatever our moods are that day, and our moods are usually based on what we’re listening to at the time. We’re currently listening to Carly Rae Jepson and Taylor Swift, so I think we’re in trou-ble – Cole

BB: Any pre show rituals?

NO: A good meal, not too heavy, not too light is a must be-fore any show (we love tacos). - Allyson

BB: Any advice to any students struggling to pursue their dreams?

NO: Choose short term goals that can be stepping stones to-wards your achievements. Whether you’re working towards a song, set, or a long lasting career, breaking it down into small easy-to-accomplish pieces will make your task easier, and help you achieve your dreams faster – Allyson

BB: What was your plan B if you didn’t make it as musicians?

NO: I thought this was plan B? (Plan A is have a normal life, right?) – Kyla

BB: Name your favourite artist of the 90’s

NO: Sydney - I was barely even a real human in the 90’s haha, but I’d say Colin James. Get a little jump blues up in hereCole - Modest MouseAllyson - Tom PettySteve - O TownKyla - Modest Mouse, from the 90’s and still awesome!

BB: One snack you can’t live without.

NO: Steve - peanut butterCole - popcorn, hands downSydney - CheetosAllyson - can’t live without coffee hahaKyla - I can’t live without snacks, in general. Chips are always there for me if I need them. Lay’s regular and lately, ripple, if I’m being specific. Are tacos a snack?

BB: Current favourite musician or band?

NO: Sydney - BahamasCole - Youth LagoonSteve - Kurt VileKyla - TyphoonAllyson - Caravan Palace always get my day going!

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