What’s in a name?
As in the past, students at London, Ontario’s university will receive a degree that says “University of Western Ontario.” But it you receive a letter from the same institution or visit their website, it’s “Western University” (with the exception of their URL…it’s still UWO.ca).
Why the change? In an article from the Globe & Mail, the school’s president believes it will make the institution more recognizable around the world, more friendly to international students.
But what is really in a name? For as long as I can remember, we’ve always called it “Western.” Very rarely did you hear it called “University of Western Ontario.” So what’s the big deal? It’s the same school, with the same programs, and students, alumni, faculty and staff will still feel the same attachment to it.
How do you feel about the name change? Good? Bad? Could you care less? What if they changed the name of the university you attended?
Truth in PR, Social Media, and beer
I would like to start off by saying that I am a little bit tipsy after 4 sampler beers at the Whistler Brewing Company tour and 2 glasses of wine at dinner. So if there’s a typo in this post, or something doesn’t make sense, I blame it on that. That, and the fact that I am again in my pjs…this time watching Intervention. Classy, I know.
The first day of the IABC Canada West conference was great. From the opening talk on talking good corporate photographs to the importance of telling the truth, every talk I attended today was informative and useful for my career. I learned how to take better photos at our corporate events and how to incorporate our vision and values into our corporate photography. I learned how a company can properly apply a huge transformational change to the entire company (unlike the way a former employer was doing it). I learned new ideas on how to make our corporate intranet more vibrant and fresh – something employees want to visit every day, more than once a day. I learned that our leaders have to be willing to listen to the truth, as well as speak it.
I met some fellow communicators from Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, and Vancouver. I even met a fellow electrical utility employee from Capital Power. And while I was shy, I did come out of my shell and talk to strangers…without “stranger danger” echoing in my head. 
I also learned how beer is made, and that the Whistler Brewing Company has some great, locally made beer, and some equally great employees. I got some neat photos at the brewery, but unfortunately, I don’t have my USB cable here, so you won’t be able to see any of them until probably Wednesday. Sorry about that.
enjoying a beverage at the Whistler Brewing Company
I learned that by commenting on someone’s neat looking notebook, I can easily start a conversation. I learned that if I go back to the same table I sat at for the morning talk for the afternoon talk, I will probably be sitting next to at least one person I introduced myself to that morning, so at least we can compare notes from the day, and don’t have to start a conversation with the awkward introduction.
So, as the snow continues to lightly fall over Whistler (I thought that was pretty appropriate for my first visit here), I look forward to conference day 2. I’m going to go for a walk around Whistler Village in the morning, and to rejoin the conference later in the morning, before getting on the bus for the drive back down the Sea to Sky Highway and back on the plane to Calgary. I’ve enjoyed my time so far at my first real conference, and I’m looking forward to the next one when I am no longer the conference freshman.
Should 5 years be such a big gap?
This evening, I helped my partner revise his resume and re-write his cover letter. He has Windows Vista on his laptop, along with Office 2007. While directing him to make edits, I had to help him navigate around the Word interface, with cries of “I can never find anything in here” ringing through the house.
Now, he has had these systems for about 3 years. He has Office 2007 at work. But he changes the settings so they are like the 97-2003 version. Why can’t he adapt to the new interfaces, change with the times, accept the new?
My partner is 5 years older than me, but we probably really started using computers at the same time (in terms of the year, not the age).
Since he is older, is it harder for him to adapt and learn? Is he stuck in the old ways? Or is it harder for that generation to learn new systems?
Are people 5 years younger than me thinking the same things about me?
reverb10: December 16
Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?
All of my friends change me in some way, each and every year. When they are motivated to work out and be healthier, I feel that same motivation. When they are happy and excited about something they are doing, I get excited for them, and that makes me happy. Our friends help to mold who we are every day.
