The prestigious Bear-ie Awards have been called “yummy”, “tasty”, and “good for you” by those who thought we were talking about berries and not awards. For those who didn’t think the Bear-ies were fruit, people gave such illustrious praise as; “what are those ones again?” and simply, “huh?”
Well, I am here to let you know that we at YouAlberta have launched our first ever U of A Student Life Awards: The Bear-ies!
These hallowed awards are given to the spaces and places that best exemplify what it means to be a student at the University of Alberta, whether it’s our Golden Toilet Award for the Best Bathroom or our Actually Getting Work Done Award for the best study space.
The award winners have been carefully selected by me, Sam Goertz, and a team of panelists that are all just me dressed up and pretending to be panelists. Through this rigorous process we have determined the best of the best that the U of A has to offer. Of course, there were some tough picks and snubs along the way, so let us know if you would have picked differently in the comments section at the end.
Without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen I present to you: THE BEAR-IES!!
The Golden Toilet Award (Best Bathroom)
Winner: Upper Floors of CCIS
CSIS easily wins this one on cleanliness, ample space, and quietness (upper levels).
Author’s Note: Giving this award to CCIS caused some pain for me. While I acknowledge that CCIS bathrooms are just plain superior objectively, my heart will always be with the Tory Basement bathrooms. If you want to have a quiet, relaxing moment of contemplation, go to the farthest stall from the door, and plop out some good ideas.
The Ambien Award (Best Nap Spot)
Winner: Humanities Lounge
The Humanities Lounge received top grades a few years ago from YouAlberta writer, Trenton, and his grading holds up. Humanities is quiet(ish), clean, and super comfy - you really can’t go wrong. You might want to consider bringing a neck comforter or a comfy pillow though, because sleeping on one of those chairs can make your neck sore for hours… unless I’m just getting old.
The Down To Business Award (Best Meeting Place)
Winner: Rutherford Lounge HUB Mall
Prime LRT access, ample seating, and food options galore, Rutherford Lounge is the wins for the Best Meeting Place. Getting a spot can be tricky but once you’ve locked down one of those plastic bad boys, you’re in business. This is the ideal meeting spot for group projects, meeting with friends, or for extracurricular reasons. The smell of Subway doesn’t hurt either.
The School’s Out Award (Best Hangout Spot)
Winner: Student’s Union Building (SUB)
SUB was made for students to hangout, relax, and occasionally study (Ma, if you’re reading this, I mean only study). It has a cafeteria to rival HUB’s but does away with the crowded aisles and lack of seating. It’s a hot spot to be sure, but one with an open space concept and seats galore. It also has a variety of student amenities and houses the University’s Bookstore, which happens to be one of my favourite places (yes, I know it’s weird).
The Actually Getting Work Done Award (Best Study Spot)
Winner: Rutherford Library
Hanging out and napping are all well and good, but what about getting down to the real heart of a university student’s life: studying. Picking the top place was a challenge and a half, Cameron Library, CAB, CSIS, and others were all contenders but we all know who the real champ is: Rutherford. This library has a ton of seating, is quiet without being creepy quiet, and has all the natural sunlight you need so you can watch the sun rise and set all while you sit indoors… studying.
The Comfy Chair Award (Literally The Comfiest Place To Sit)
Winner: Education Building Second Floor
Maybe you have classes later and can’t go home. Maybe the walk from the engineering buildings to Humanities has worn you down. Or maybe you just want a comfy spot, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Treat yourself! The Education second floor couches overlooking the cafeteria are heaven-sent. It is like sitting on a couch of dreams. Seriously, try it, unless I want to sit there, in which case, please move over.
The Sweet Nectar Award (Top Coffee Shop)
Winner: Tory Building Second Cup
Another tough pick that could have swung somewhere else. Ultimately, the location of the Second Cup in Tory is just too ideal to not edge it to victory. Plus, they serve up some killer lattes. There are many great spots that have that most pure of beverages to keep us functioning, but ultimately the sweetest nectar of all is in the heart of Tory… particularly if you have class over there. Which, I do. (When you look at the picture, imagine what it would look like if it were open.)
The Objectophilia Award (Most Beautiful Building)
Winner: Convocation Hall
Talk about class-ic. Convocation Hall is as iconic as they come. The gorgeous red-brick walls accented by the draping ivy is simply stunning. Convocation Hall epitomizes the beautiful University building. If it were possible to be in love with a building it would be this one, hands down. Your parents may find the age difference awkward though.
The Fine Arts Building (FAB) Award (The Building You’d Least Expect to be Filled with Artists)
Winner: FAB
The Fine Arts Building may be the most ironic thing on campus. It is a weirdly lit, concrete building that houses the best young visual artists (among other kinds) that Edmonton has to offer. A friend of mine has two theories on why FAB is the way that it is: 1) It’s just an outdated, bomb shelter-y relic from the 70’s and 2) It was intentionally designed to be oppressive for the young artists working inside it in order to force their creative juices to flow. I’ll let you decide which one it is.
That’s it folks, thanks for tuning in and reading about the winners of the 2017 Bear-ies!
Sam - YouAlberta Contributor
Sam is a 2nd year double major student in Political Science and Economics. He is the President of Greenfield Community League as well as a Co-Head of The Green Medium, an Emerald Award winning blog. Sam has a deep love of hockey, sitcoms, and Superman (who he will defend to the death), and is proud to be a walking encyclopedia of Gilmore Girls trivia. Curious about virtually everything, he is always happy to talk to someone new and learn a thing or two (or three).
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