December is here! This month, enjoy the holidays and a break from school and work by checking out these great events–and by spending time with friends and family, of course.
December 2: Opening Celebrations of Shake Up: Preserving What We Value
Join the Museum of Anthropology for a full day of museum fun for the whole family to open Shake Up: Preserving What We Value. Choose your own adventure from a range of earthquake-inspired activities—from 360 virtual reality tour, lectures and hands-on workshops, to performances of song, dance and storytelling. This day-long celebration, taking place throughout the Museum, draws from the cultures of earthquake-prone regions, as well as the knowledge of scientists and cultural experts.
December 2: Orangutans are Way Cool because…
Orangutans are one of our closest living relatives, sharing 97% of their DNA with humans. However, human development activities have marginalized and fragmented wild orangutan populations, pushing them to the brink of extinction. Habitat loss and hunting have resulted in many orangutans becoming displaced or orphaned and finding solutions for these individuals has become a top priority. Join Jacqui Sunderland-Groves to find out more about these unique, sentient beings and how they are being reintroduced into safe forest areas to bolster conservation of the species in the wild.
December 4: The One Question We’re Not Asking Our Students
We all work hard at making our courses stronger so that students gain many benefits from the thoughtfulness each of us have put into our efforts. But the success of a course and a teacher is not manifested on paper alone. If a student doesn’t learn, we haven’t taught them well. Teaching is more than effort and thoughtfulness in course design though – it’s about being a decent human being and connecting with our students. In this highly collaborative and collegial session, attendees will be encouraged to contribute to the discussion and participate in exercises ranging from reviewing and sharing anecdotes and resources, reflecting on best practices and offering suggestions to reinvigorate their teaching practice. They will work individually, in pairs and in small groups.
December 5: The Singer Behind the Song – Angela Meade
Hailed as “the most talked about soprano of her generation” (Opera News), American soprano Angela Meade is the winner of both the Metropolitan Opera’s 2012 Beverly Sills Artist Award and the 2011 Richard Tucker Award. In 2008 she joined an elite group of history’s singers when, as Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani, she made her professional operatic debut on the Met stage. Since then she has fast become recognized as one of today’s outstanding vocalists, excelling in the most demanding heroines of the 19th-century bel canto repertoire as well as in the operas of Verdi and Mozart.
December 6: An Evening of Wine & Wisdom
The UBC Medical Alumni Association (MAA) is pleased to bring back the popular Wine and Wisdom event! Join us at the Medical Student & Alumni Centre (MSAC) on December 6th as we kick off the holiday season with this exciting event! The evening will feature wine tastings and conversations with colleagues and friends. They are delighted to have Dr. Maryam Zeineddin, MD’03, provide us a special presentation on physician wellness, self-care, and avoiding burnout. Dr. Zeineddin is a family practice physician, clinical instructor for UBC Department of Family Practice, Board Director of the UBC Medical Alumni Association and BC College of Family Physicians, and chair of Zili, a not for profit organization that promotes and supports preventative health initiatives in Canada and across the globe.
The MAA Wine and Wisdom event is open to all MD alumni, students, residents, faculty and friends.
December 7: Can the Displaced Speak? Lobby Gallery Opening Reception
This PhotoVoice project exhibits the voices of ten Muslim young women who have experienced displacement due to civil wars in Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. It captures the emotions, journeys and memories that a group of Muslim refugees from different cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds choose to share about the following themes: identity, belonging, the notion of home, and their school experiences. These young women share being Muslims and becoming ‘refugees’, but this project is an invitation to see them beyond the ‘Hijab’ and the ‘Niqab’. Through the camera lens, they speak for themselves and encourage you to see the world through their eyes. They hope you listen to their stories, as told through their photographs, and invite you to experience the dreams they are chasing and the challenges they face.
December 9: 2018 Faraday Show: Magic? or Physics?
The Faraday Show is UBC’s annual science show for children, presented by UBC Physics & Astronomy. This year join us to explore the scientific secrets behind magical wonders! Why would something roll uphill, not downhill? Can you make something moving away come back just by thinking? How can a plate float in mid-air, with no one touching it? How can we make things disappear, and reappear? And, how do make time go backwards, to un-mix colours that you already mixed together? We will explore these questions, and more, through lively demonstrations and hands-on activities. This free show is for children of all ages, and adults who are young at heart!
December 16: Dreams and Wishes – Vancouver Pops Symphony and Choir
Enjoy an afternoon of Disney, Hollywood, and Christmas entertainment featuring symphonic and choral music from Frozen, Home Alone, and Peter Pan. Also, get a chance to win prizes from Disney, Cineplex, and Tom Lee Music. This concert is children friendly, and fun for the whole family.
December 20: Beaty Nocturnal
Come by for a night at the museum! Every month, the museum will stay open late offering activities until 8:30pm. Admission by donation, all ages welcome. Activities include a showing of Raising Big Blue, a guided museum tour at 7 pm, and hands-on activities where you can learn more about specimens in the museum and our current exhibitions.
December 21 – 22: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Hailed as one of the most significant artists of his generation, young American violinist Benjamin Beilman makes his VSO debut leading a performance of Vivaldi’s timeless classic, The Four Seasons, in an enduring VSO holiday season tradition
There’s more to check out at UBC in December. To stay up-to-date with all the campus events, follow @UBCevents.