admin – Canadian Vocational and ICT Academy Inc

How to feel right as rain—even when skies are grey

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 21:18:41 +0000

For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s that time of the year again. The rain (or, soon enough, snow) is settling in, and summer is just a distant, hazy memory.

Now is a great season for getting cozy in cable knits and corduroy, and drinking lots of delicious hot beverages.

However, this time of year is also when assignments and classwork can begin to pile up, and the cooler weather and shorter days can feel extra draining.

Weathering the colder weather

The consistent cloudiness and rain of Vancouver can get me feeling pretty gloomy. The rain-driven moodiness, coupled with fewer opportunities to get out and do the things you love, can make it difficult to stay motivated and feel physically and mentally healthy.

In times like these, what helps me the most is often getting back to the basics—things I’ve consistently done that lift my mood and allow me to stay healthy.

It can feel challenging to focus on ourselves when there’s so much going on in the world, but if we’re not taking good care of ourselves, we’re less capable of supporting others.

Why new research in concrete could save BC homes

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 21:18:41 +0000

When a deadly 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011, over 60 per cent of concrete buildings three storeys or higher in the downtown business district had to be demolished as they were no longer safe to live or work in.

Structural engineer Dr. Lisa Tobber, an assistant professor in the School of Engineering within UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, wants us to consider what this scenario means for British Columbia — a seismically active region that is waiting for the “Big One” to strike, and where buildings are designed to preserve life rather than remain safe to reside after an earthquake.

“As we saw in Christchurch, a lack of resiliency has major ramifications. Buildings that aren’t required to be structurally sound after an earthquake end up getting demolished,” said Dr. Tobber.

“Here in BC, that could lead to hundreds of thousands of people who are suddenly homeless because their mid- or high-rise building isn’t safe to return to after a disaste.

Work Study opens new doors for undergraduates

admin — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 21:18:41 +0000

WHEN SHE STARTED HER FOURTH YEAR, Ava Bakala knew she wanted more experience—not only in her field of study, but with CVIA Okanagan as a whole. Bakala searched for campus work opportunities on CVIA Student & Alumni Job Board, where she connected with the university’s Work Study program.

“To date, I primarily studied general biology, and I didn’t really have any tangible work experience related to my degree,” says Bakala. “When I first saw the Work Study posting, I wasn’t sure because the role focused on plant physiology and I didn’t think I had the necessary experience. But I was interviewed and eventually hired for the role.”

Bakala was thrilled to learn that she would be working as a Research Assistant exploring what happens to sweet cherries when irrigation is reduced after harvest—a critical question considering the dependence of agriculture on global water supplies.

Between May and August, Bakala and another student were responsible for collecting various measurements at five different orchards across the Okanagan Valley and inputting the massive amounts of data on open science platforms for graduate students to use. Bakala also spent considerable time in the lab, helping perform tests to determine things like firmness, colour and size of the cherries—all factors that could be affected when irrigation levels are altered. The project was supported by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, and delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of CVIA.