THE BRIDGE // 2017 Summer Edition

Magazine for UAlberta Engineering students by UAlberta Engineering students.

free things to do in edmonton this summer// sharpening your tool//summer study term 101// UFO: vertical farming//horoscope//comic

Free things to do in

2017 Summer

By Abby Paul

While the days may be long, summers in Edmonton can be far too short, especially when you’re spending your limited time deciding which activity to spend your time and money on. Fortunately, there is an easy solution – it is possible to participate in a free activity in Edmonton every day of a typical week for the rest of the summer! Use the guide below to find a free activity to do today!

Sunday

Churchill Square

Located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, Churchill Square is the perfect place to hang out. Featuring giant chess and checkers, ball hockey on the weekends, table tennis, and basketball hoops, it’s not hard to spend a whole day on the square.

Monday

Walking Tours

If you want to learn more about the history of downtown Edmonton, the Downtown Business Association has a free historical walking tour leaving at 1 pm from Michael Phair Park. If you can’t make it for this time, but need your history fix, check out the self-guided historical walking tours on the City of Edmonton website.

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Tuesday

Art Gallery of Alberta

Visiting an art gallery is one of the easiest ways to pretend to be cultured, and thanks to free entry with your ONECard, it’s also one of the most affordable! This summer, many exhibits focus on Canadian history, making a trip to the AGA a great way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.

Wednesday

Friday

If you don’t remember from elementary school, Manhunt is a form of tag where one person starts out being “it,” tagging the other players and causing them to also become “it” until only one player is not “it.” MANHUNT EDMONTON is a group that organizes games of manhunt for adults in a different location in Edmonton every Wednesday; look them up on Facebook to find out where they are this week.

Get hyped for the next provincial election in 2019 by taking a free guided tour of the Alberta Legislature. If the reason you’re studying engineering is so that you don’t have to take social studies again, then stroll the expansive grounds, or listen to some live music at noon.

Manhunt

Thursday

Neon Sign Museum

The south wall of the Mercer Warehouse building and the east wall of the Telus building on 104 St. and 104 Ave. have been transformed by the City of Edmonton into Canada’s first Neon Sign Museum. Featuring 19 signs representative of Edmonton’s past, it’s worth a trip to the ICE District.

Alberta Legislature

Saturday

John Walter Museum in Kinsmen Park

The John Walter Museum explores Edmonton’s history in the picturesque River Valley. Enjoy a self-guided walking tour, drop-in activities, and a snack at the picnic table as you experience the sights and sounds of the largest urban park in North America.

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Sharpen your tool.

Stay on top of skills this summer.

By Marianne Rosal

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

To put it simply, the great Lincoln emphasized the importance of sharpening your select tool prior to actual usage.

While summer provides the optimal time for some well-deserved total-brain-shutoff mode, it is also the best time to develop the skills that may not be used throughout the school year. As future engineers, we are expected to have a good grasp of fundamental knowledge, ability to apply technical skill, and, last but not least, a good character that precedes our work at all times. Whether you are in a co-op work term, taking summer courses, or generally unsure of how to spend the rest of summer, here are some tips that will help you stay sharp throughout the summer months (or anytime when you are away from school).

No. 1: Hone your technical skills The engineering course load often forces students to be cut-throat about their priorities on what to study, and the courses often do not facilitate an in-depth understanding of the subject matter. Luckily, summer break provides the availability for your own self-study. Summer is the time for reading up on unfamiliar subjects as well as learning experientially. Obtain resources from the library or, most often, the internet, and learn about a subject that you’re not particularly familiar with, or, learn an altogether different field. Does your MECE undergrad degree cinch you on learning about electronics? Thrift some electrical devices and play with it. While books and tests steep us in fundamental theories, nothing beats hands-on #IRL experiences.

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No. 2: Get your networking on As we all know, now more than ever, the sign of the times has imbued the importance of networking. Once again, while unhampered by academic obligations, summer breaks give the perfect opportunity, to list all possible connections starting from your parents to friends of friends of friends, in search of the connection(s) that may lead you to your next work term, and even your next job. While the current economical situation may be dire, networking should not merely be a vehicle to land a job. Use networking as a means to obtain a change in perspective or to gain additional insight from experienced professionals who have gone through your engineering academic experience. Whether they are fresh out of university, or twenty years down their career, there is always something to learn by standing in the shoulders of giants — or the wisdom imparted by those more experienced than us. If you have a question, someone somewhere has found a solution that may lead you to find yours.

No. 3: Soft Skills Our engineering academic training focuses most on developing our technical knowledge. The faculty integrates acquiring soft-skills through teamwork-based courses, yet this important component often gets bypassed for the sake of acquiring our needed technical skillset. So what are soft skills exactly? Soft skills are traits that illustrate your emotional intelligence, whether through how you communicate, how you work collaboratively, and attributes in your character that demonstrate leadership. An article from Millenial Branding indicates that employability is higher for those who have developed technical as well as soft skills. As with most acquired skills, these skills can be developed through practice. Take the time this summer to place yourself in positions where you need to communicate to a variety of people. Another way is to join a non-engineering related club that sharpens your ability to adapt and to work with people from other disciplines. Take classes and courses that are non-engineering related, to expand your breadth of understanding of the world, and to gain an understanding of the diversity in society.

Take the free time in summer to place yourself in positions where you are least knowledgeable, and where you have the most opportunity to grow.

Don’t let the summer heat dull your professional growth. Instead, use it to temper and further strengthen your skills by filling in gaps of your technical skillset, acquiring new insights through professional connections, and taking time to develop your character.

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Fall and Winter aren’t great anyway.

As an engineering student, you will most likely have to take classes over the summer. Believe it or not, there are perks to being on campus when it’s so nice outside. So while you’re here, make the most of it!

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Perks What time is it?

Sorry Zac Efron.

It may be summertime, but school’s not out.

Even though High School Musical 2 no longer applies to you, this summer will pay off in a few years when you are a well-established engineer.

You’ll be the one who actually play golf, I’ll bet on it.

1. An abundance of tables: in every study area. Literally.

2. Smaller classes: you’ll get to know (or be stuck with) the same people 3. One-on-one with professors: getting help on assignments has never been so easy 4. Quicker commutes: rads, busses and the LRT are so much emptier 5. No winter wear: everything is less bulky

Is t he u niver s NRE again [ity] con F St spiri st y arbu son. o ng c u?

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Why engg buildings so cold

ruct er. V sed i o a n n sites for the Vliet Does unde seaat e anyo v r e g n exist e know oing re ry corn ? It does summer ovations . n’t s eem student s like it.

No matter what the season is, you’ll still have to slog through a crazy engg semester. Embrace what you have and you might end up loving it!

By Aishwarya Venkitachalam Summer 2017 7

Vertical Farming: U of A Urban Farming Organization (UFO)

By Megan Rowbottom

As you are enjoying the warm summer weather, perhaps you’ve noticed the gardens scattered around the university. Perhaps this has got you thinking about vegetables, how they’re grown, and how technology can feed the growing world (what an exciting train of thought!).

A student group on campus, the Urban Farming Organization (UFO), is thinking about all of this, and taking action with their vertical farms.

UFO’s vertical farms, currently in the greenhouse in the Agriculture/Forestry building, use hydroponics, which is a method of growing plants using a water-based “nutrient solution” instead of soil.

The plants (everything from leafy greens to peppers, tomatoes, and beans) grow out of rectangular hanging towers, which is framed by a simple pump system to keep their roots watered.

The technology in these farms is being explored by companies around the world, as it could be used to grow fresh produce indoors year-round.

Furthermore, because these farms are compact and versatile, they could be used in people’s homes or in commercial buildings everywhere from remote rural areas to dense urban settings.

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Currently, UFO’s team is hard at work on a new design challenge. According to Jacob Sysak, the UFO Treasurer and a 5th year Mechanical Engineering student, “our goal is to build a mobile vertical farm to be put on display at various locations around campus. We hope that this will educate students on the possibilities available with vertical farming, and motivate them to learn more about it, or pursue farming projects of their own.”

In addition, the group is hoping to share their crops with students on campus through a variety of engagement projects.

Keep an eye out for UFO’s growing and design endeavors in the coming months, and until then, keep enjoying the summer veggies!

Facebook: Urban Farming Organization U of A Instagram: @ufoualberta

Your Monthly Horoscope

Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) The stars indicate that you‘re receiving a huge sum of money soon. Have fun paying them back after graduation.

**DISCLAIMER: I am not an Astrologist.

Take these advice with a grain of salt, and a shot of tequila AYY

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Land is always on the mind of a flying bird.

12-09-64-56-04-39

By Krizelle Mendoza

Aries (March 21 to April 19) Now is the time to set your priorities in order.

Go binge-watch that Netflix show.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20) You will receive a mysterious package this month. Don’t ask questions. Just do what it says. They will be watching.

Gemini (May 21 to June 20) Friends and loved ones will start to think you’re being dishonest. Stop the fakeness.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22) Your crush will get in a relationship this week. Stock up on the Ben and Jerry’s.

Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22) It’s time to take care of yourself instead of others this time. Put a $10 bill in your jean pocket for future you to find.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) This month, some things will be happening. I’m not gonna tell you what. But trust me, they will.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) The alignment of stars indicate that yes, things are going to get worse than you think.

Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20) In 2015, more people were killed from injuries caused by taking a selfie than by shark attacks.

Desktop Ink

By Derek Shultz

Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Since mercury is in retrograde (whatever that means), things will seem slightly off this month. Back up all your data.

Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) When the son of the deposed king of Nigeria e-mails you directly asking for help, you help. His father ran the freaking country.

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