It's Voting Time...

VOTE! It’s a privilege we that gives you the chance to add  your two cents to a decision. Sure it can sometimes seem as though your one little vote will get lost in the thousands that are submitted, but realistically they all make a difference. So, here’s why you should vote:


1. No one is a mind reader- We need to to express our choices when offered the chance to help make a decision. 

2. Voting is your easiest way to get involved and preparing to vote can help motivate you to stay informed about what’s happening on our campus.

3. Knowing that you participated in a collective process can be highly rewarding!

4. And really, if you don’t vote then you can’t complain regardless of how things turn out.
There you have it and that’s why YOU should vote for... your favourite prof to give the Last Lecture. Got ya! Bet you thought I was talking about the SU and GSA elections eh? (Although, if you’re eligible, you should probably vote in those too.)

What is the Last Lecture? Well, when I first saw the posters for the Last Lecture I thought “that’s pretty cool- they let a retiring lecturer share some parting words with campus”.  Apparently I was wrong… kind of. 

It is not a lecture given by a retiring faculty member but is instead a chance for YOU dear student to choose a professor that you would like to hear answer the question: 

“If this was the last time to address a group of students, what would you say to them?”

Or as my fellow Blogger Edward puts it, you get you get to pick which prof has the “job of passing the knowledge of the universe onto each generation of students.”

Ok, so I’m sure that after two long semesters of listening to lectures and taking exams you’re totally into the idea of voting for and attending an extra lecture, right? Right? Ok, maybe not. Fair enough. But I’m going to do my best to convince you to get involved any way because I think this is a pretty cool idea. 

Here are my top four reasons to get excited for the Last Lecture:

1. This is a unique opportunity to hear a prof who has inspired you… but this time you’ll get to hear them talk about what has inspired and motivated them.

2. It’s free entertainment. Maybe not the most convincing reason but it’s true. Plus you’ll walk away ready to conquer your next challenge.

3. Voting for one of your favourite profs is an easy way to show them that you’ve noticed their hard work. Profs are people too and they like to know that they’ve done a good job. (And yes, you can and SHOULD complete your teacher evaluations at the end of the term too, but the Last Lecture will let your favourite(s) know that you really do want to hear them again, because you’ve voted to.)

4. The road to becoming a prof can actually be pretty challenging and takes a fair bit of perseverance and dedication. So as we finish another year of school and some of us head into the “real world” why wouldn’t you want to hear one last lecture to officially wrap up your?

Image courtesy of imgkid.com

Now you’re ready to go out and vote! Go! Do it! Voting for the 2015 Last Lecture starts on March 4, 2015.

----About the Author

Shannon

Hi, my name is Shannon and I’m here to provide you with a YouAlberta graduate student perspective. I am currently in the last year of my degree and have (quite) a few years of experience on the U of A campus as both an undergrad and graduate student.


I am excited to show off our student experience both here at the U of A and in the broader Edmonton community. We have a dynamic campus culture full of events, groups, and just day to day awesomeness. My passions include science and getting others involved in science related activities, volleyball, hiking, and camping. I’m also full of tips on how to have fun on a student budget. Over the next year I hope I can show you how to make the most of your U of A experience because there’s so much more to school than classes and expensive textbooks!