Life at Quest Newsletter Fall 2011

Although we recently bid farewell to the first graduating class Quest has ever known, the Admissions team is proud to welcome a new group of bright-eyed and enthusiastic trail-blazers. The incoming class of 2015 increased 51% compared to last year's September intake. The University has reached its largest population in history (350 students) and continues to grow! To greet and integrate the incoming students, Quest hosted an eventful, if somewhat exhausting, Orientation weekend. Meanwhile, returning students are bustling around campus, meeting new friends and connecting with the old ones, beginning new classes, carrying on traditions, and trying their hands at new activities. Even the dynamic new Quest tutors have been thoroughly integrated into campus life. Welcome home everyone!

Student Life Highlights

In keeping with the University's mandate of promoting global awareness and international understanding, students from 35 countries now attend Quest, including new arrivals from Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Mali, Netherlands, Nepal, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, the UK and Venezuela. These students bring a rich variety of perspectives that we encourage them to share in our famous round-table classroom discussions.

Amidst the icebreakers, name learning, and preparation for life at Quest during orientation, new students had the opportunity to participate in excursions to Alice Lake, residence floor vs. floor Olympics, a beautiful convocation ceremony, an action-packed scavenger hunt in downtown Squamish, and a welcome 'Green and Silver' dance hosted by Quest's SRC (Student Representative Council). The sun shone on campus all weekend and, everyone had a marvelous time!

Orientation weekend also featured Quest's first varsity soccer home games. Later in the month, the men's soccer team played UNBC on our home FIFA turf September 17 and fans cheered them to victory. Most recently, our women's soccer team has gained national ranking: 11th in the country; considering that the teams ahead (and behind) us have 10-30 times the number of students, that's not bad!! The varsity basketball teams are practicing intensely to prepare for their upcoming fall season as well; the women's team won the pre-season Capilano Tournament last weekend, winning all three of their games for the first tournament victory ever by a Quest team. Read about the life of a varsity athlete on Life at Quest or visit the athletics website. Go Kermodes!

You don't have to be a varsity team member to enjoy sports at Quest; intramurals are organized for various sports throughout the year. Drop-in volleyball, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, football, squash, and soccer are available, with rugby coming soon to anyone wanting to blow off some steam. This year, thanks to some intrepid yet diligent students, Quest has a new addition to its athletics offerings: The Kermode Cave bouldering wall! Have no fear as the rain comes near; you can still climb inside when the Chief becomes insuperable. This student-led initiative was built over the summer (requiring much labour and perseverance) so that Quest students can work year-round on their rock climbing skills.

With a new year comes a new student government and thus new ways to provide students with a representative voice on campus. Just this month the SRC granted sponsorship to the Squamish Urban Farm located in downtown Squamish. A recent biodiesel student initiative that will turn waste into fuel should be up and running soon as well. In other environmental news, Quest students, led by Magdalena Angel, are working to put a halt to the construction of the Northern Gateway Pipeline Project. This pipeline will travel through the Great Bear Rainforest, a locale that has captured the hearts of many Quest students who have traveled to this ecological oasis for the Field Ecology course or experiential learning. A paddling initiative for youths has been organized for June 2012 to protest the construction of this environmentally controversial pipeline.

Another SRC event was the international traveling dinner that took place on September 16. This dinner occurred in various rooms in the residences as student chefs, wishing to express their cultures through culinary treats, were given the chance to delight the taste buds of the student body. Bon appetit! On the note of enticing culinary events, a Mexican dinner fundraiser on September 22 took place in the cafeteria, consisting of an authentic Mexican menu created by Quest students. The proceeds will be donated to sponsor children at Tashirat Orphanage in Tepoztlan, Mexico. Indulging in a night of salsa dancing and a delectable Mexican food never felt so good!

The SRC also funds and helps support new Quest clubs and extra-curricular events to ensure a diverse selection of activities on campus. Our most recent club fair featured students advertising their new and returning clubs to the student body. The 35 clubs on campus range from Quest's first competitive swim club, to cooking collectives, and the aptly named Mindfulness club. The sailing club also returns after a successful first year. The club this year offers extremely reasonable sailing rates; students are provided with transportation, resources, and instruction to learn a skill that can literally take them around the world!

During the first block break at the end of September, the Adventure Club planned a vigorous journey up the mountain behind campus to Elfin Lakes. Hikers stayed in a quaint cabin adjacent to sparkling lakes with the majestic backdrop of Garibaldi Peak. This spectacular trail begins right in our backyard , as do many others in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Quest campus is gorgeous, but block breaks demand off-campus adventure!

To keep a balanced mind during the block, free yoga is offered at Quest six times each week by yoga-certified students, faculty and community members. Music is also a major activity on campus. Our first open mic night produced a staggeringly successful turnout! Students recited poetry, and brought out their accordions, guitars, and voices. It is a wonderful feeling to see our school expand academically and creatively. The arts scene is bustling on campus as well in our newly dedicated studio space in the Academic Building; student artists and visitors will offer workshops for students with no prior training in the fine arts.

Academic Life

A little over one month into the school year, students seem to be settling into the intensity of the block program. First-years discussed the relationship between humans and nature in their introductory Cornerstone classes. Our tutors presented them with team-building challenges, their first university-level writing assignments, and readings that will sharpen their analytical minds for future blocks. The classes also assessed the viability of creating a micro-hydro project to power our geothermal heating and cooling system by surveying Ring Creek adjacent to campus. In addition to classes, academic colloquia with fascinating speakers were scheduled to bring new ideas and disciplines to Quest. The Cornerstone lecture series featured speakers from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. Topics included Elizabeth Elle's "Humanity and habitat destruction; what it means for pollinators and food security", followed by Emily Darling's "Coral reef fisheries in a changing climate", and finally Julie Cruikshank's "Melting glaciers and emerging histories in America's far Northwest". Another guest, James Enns, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, spoke about the hidden elements of expression that unconsciously attract our attention in both the arts and science. Read a more detailed description of these lectures on Life at Quest.

Our own tutors share their expertise and intellectual passions with the community as well. Quest's very own Christian Acemah gave a lecture on 'African Development: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Way Forward' at the Squamish Public Library. Christian is a visiting tutor teaching the 'Out of Africa' block this fall. Our esteemed geologist on campus, Steve Quane, spoke about the origin of the oldest human made tools ever found – 1.76 million years old. As a part of our 'Hot Topics in (Geo) Science' series, students will hear an explanation involving plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and the enigmatic reversals of the Earth's magnetic poles. Neal Melvin, our esteemed and entertaining Neuroscience tutor, will be speaking on the topics of sleep and memory in October at both the Squamish and Whistler Public Libraries.

Quest prides itself on internationalism and advocates second (even third, fourth, or fifth) language learning. French maintenance students will lead discussions in French over informal dinners in the cafeteria on a weekly basis to maintain their skills. At Quest, we also highlight interdisciplinary education. Math and Music was a course offered for the first time by two faculty members in September. This joint effort involving our fine mathematics and music faculty members contributed to a more in-depth and structured understanding of music; their students will never listen to music the same way!

The Learning Commons has hired bright, new students to take the place of our wise Quest alumni. Learning Commons peer tutoring is offered in most disciplines and is always helpful to incoming Cornerstone students writing their Homo Faber essays.

Multimedia

If you're interested in reading more about Quest, our admission requirements, and the block plan check out our website. You can also view student-produced Quest videos and our photo gallery on our multimedia page.

A photography competition, hosted by Admissions, exhibits Quest's photography talent. If you visit the Quest University Canada Facebook page, check out the student photo album.

With more students arriving on campus, there are a myriad of new experiences to be had. Many of these eager voices are being documented on the blogs of our new and returning student mentors on our 'Life at Quest' site. Experience the uncensored outlook of a Quest student.

Admissions

September to December in Admissions is busy with travel across Canada, the USA and all over the world. Admissions staff are 'on the road' attending fairs, hosting events and visiting schools. To see when a Quest representative will be in your area, visit our travel calendar.

Our first on-campus Preview Day took place on September 24, and will be followed by successive Preview Days on October 22, November 5, and November 19, 2011. To attend a Preview Day, fill out our online registration form. Preview events provide students and parents with the opportunity to visit the campus, participate in a sample class, take a tour, speak with staff, faculty, and students, and experience our dynamic community first-hand! If you are unable to visit on these specific dates you can still stop by any Monday - Friday to sit in on a class, get a feel for the academic and social environment, and see if Quest is a good fit for you! The Admissions team offers travel grants to students from far away, so don't let your distance from Squamish hold you back.

Our Early Action deadline is fast approaching. If you would like to find out your application status before the New Year, your (free!) application and the supporting documents must be submitted before December 1, 2011. Our Recommended Application Deadline is March 1, 2012. After these dates, admissions decisions will be done on a rolling basis.

Lastly, the Quest Admissions team is excited to welcome two new additions to our ranks: Celeta Cook and Chelsey Frosberg. Both Celeta and Chelsey are recent graduates of Quest, and we cannot imagine a better duo to help us represent Quest to the outside world! Read about Celeta's adventures on the road to recruitment.

If you or someone you know is planning on applying to Quest or have any questions, feel free to contact the counsellor responsible for your region:

Kelsey Delarosbel, Senior Admission Counsellor, Canadian Admissions
Regan Kohlhardt, Assistant Director of Admissions, U.S. Admissions
Steven White, Senior Admission Counsellor, International Admissions and Exchanges
Keely Stott, Director of Admissions, Visiting Student Admissions

Wishing everyone a lovely Fall - enjoy the changing of the leaves and the tasty treats Thanksgiving brings.

The Admissions Team