Browsing Tag

Western University

Treat Yourself And Fly Solo

How many concerts have you missed because your friends have different music taste? Don’t let that be an excuse anymore. When I was at Western, I flew solo to a Barenaked Ladies concert, which I was reviewing for the Gazette. My intention was to listen, enjoy and take notes. It didn’t matter who sat next to me.

Likewise, when award show season was at its peak in the winter and I needed to watch nominees, I waited for no one. I spent an afternoon at Cineplex Odeon Varsity theatre, treated myself to a Yogen Fruz smoothie (I’m addicted!) and never looked back. Still Alice is an introspective film about aging that I was content to watch alone and I didn’t feel an urgent desire to discuss it with anyone afterwards.

A new study from the University of Maryland found that many individuals don’t spend time alone in public because they fear what observers will think. It’s sad to imagine how people are missing out on opportunities to enjoy themselves simply because they value opinions of strangers.

May 1, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Behind The Brand: Best Buy

Name: Elliott Chun

Position: Communications Manager

Education: Visual Arts and Sociology, Western University; Public Relations, Humber College

Professional role model: Richard Branson. He’s a tremendous leader, showman and will one day take us up to space.

Favourite Best Buy purchase: My Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. I never leave home without it and would certainly be lost without it.

In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?

Working with an extremely talented group of people, publicizing everything Best Buy, including our vendors, community work and services.

What are your daily responsibilities as a Communications Manager?

I’m constantly discovering creative ways with my teams to promote and story-tell the fantastic things Best Buy is achieving in Canada. I also protect our brand and build campaigns to engage media and customers while identifying and building a community of advocates.

What are the perks of working at Best Buy?

There are too many to list! First off, the biggest perk is working with incredible people. I genuinely enjoy working regularly with a talented group of people. This includes the gifted team at our head offices in Burnaby, our stores, agency and vendor partners and our senior leadership teams. Secondly, as a guy who naturally loves tech and uses it to simplify and enhance my life, the staff discount comes in handy. Additionally, when I’m at the head office, I always appreciate having access to the subsidized, modern gym, as well as the B.C. trails, which are liberating when heading out on an after-work run. Lastly, the food services in our common areas at the head office and regional offices are a nice perk too.

April 23, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Memory Monday: Fashion Week

Fashion is a spectator sport and it’s my favourite kind. Between the release of Refinery29’s Style Stalking book and World MasterCard Fashion Week, October was filled with fashion-forward inspiration. October marked my first fashion week experience and it was a privilege to be part of the action.

Until this fall, my fashion show experience was limited to student-run charity fundraisers like OHM at Western. Volunteers invest a lot of time to ensure these shows look professional, so I was curious to see how internationally known artists showcase their collections.

November 3, 2014 by Sarah Prince

St. Patrick’s Day Fashion Ideas

Shoes: Dr. Martens, Converse, Manitobah Mukluks

I never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day until I went to Western. For university students, it’s such a major event that it might as well be a statutory holiday. After I clued in during first year, I started planning my outfits in advance by keeping an eye out for discounts on green clothes, shoes and accessories.

It’s nice to support local boutiques when you’re buying seasonal items. Archies Surf Shop is a convenient shopping destination for Western students who want to buy green gear in downtown London without schlepping to a dollar store. Last year, I bought a clover leaf necklace at Archies and I also have an emerald green statement ring from Want in Toronto.

St. Patrick’s Day is a fun time to be creative and everyone’s in such a good mood that it seems like the fashion police take the day off. I used to wrap a skinny green United Colours of Benetton belt around my wrist and wear it as a DIY bracelet.

March 16, 2014 by Sarah Prince

Watch Disney Movies Anywhere

Disney’s new cloud movie service inspired me to return to the happiest place on earth. Now that I’m back, I’m excited to watch my favourite animated movies – especially Mary Poppins. Let’s rewind a bit, #ThrowbackThursday style, to explain the correlation between Disney’s app and my trip.

My former colleagues at Blast Radius designed creative to advertise Disney’s new streaming service and as soon as I saw a preview, nostalgia got the best of me. A few weeks later, I went to Orlando to relax and enjoy Disney’s world-class entertainment. Staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort only made me more eager to watch Disney movies, so I’m excited to download Disney Movies Anywhere and tackle my to-watch list.

Disney Movies Anywhere is available to PC and Mac users through iTunes and its movie catalogue has over 400 titles. Working at Future Shop tempted me to buy Apple TV and I know that when I eventually splurge on it, Disney movies will look better than when I initially watched them on VHS sans flat-screen TV.

The launch of Disney Movies Anywhere was scheduled to coincide with the release of Frozen, which is nominated for best animated feature film at the Oscars. It was fun to see replicas of Disney’s Academy Awards at the Animation Studio and Gallery in Hollywood Studios and I hope they earn more statues this weekend.

It’s a polar vortex out there, so stay in on Sunday night and cheer for Frozen. In the meantime, check out Disney Movies Anywhere. Bonus points if you make Mickey-shaped cookies to snack on instead of popcorn.

February 27, 2014 by Sarah Prince

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