Gah. I've been really lazy with this this term. Probably because I'm naturally a very lazy person. It's almost time to start picking classes for next year--what fun!

Updating from the school, which is kind of a neat change from being in the natural disaster that is my room. On the Canadian history front, we did treaties and Canada's aboriginal people this week, which was extremely interesting. Duncan Campbell Scott, who was also a poet that I studied earlier this year in Canadian Literature, was the deputy minister of Indian Affairs at the time, and he was responsible for the majority of policy concerning Canada's aboriginal people. The effects of these policies are still felt today. They resulted in residential schools where children were taken from their families and forced to learn 'white' ways. At these schools, tuberculosis ran rampant and killed more than half the children that came through that system. DC Scott was aware of the problem but unwilling to spend the money to fix it.

Ironically, his poetry shows a more sympathetic view of the native people in Canada, and contrasts quite sharply with his political record.

Native peoples did not have the right to vote in Canadian elections until 1960.

I have been slacking lately on the blogfront, no? Well, today I think I may be back in the saddle, so to speak. We're currently studying Virginia Woolf in 20th century, and more specifically Between the Acts and our prof showed us the film version today, and it was fascinating. I don't think of myself as much of a "feminist" (as a friend put it today, "I'm a small-f feminist") but the movie was quite well done--Eileen Atkins was quite neat, and did a good job of conveying the fire and wit of her character--and it really made me think. It is definitely a work that still manages to retain meaning today, and it makes me sad because I will never be that good of a writer.

So instead of wasting your time with more prose, here are some links: a response to / critique of the essay and a Canadian literature magazine for women named after the piece.

Going back to school is always strangely exciting for me. New paper, new pens...what's not to like? I mean, aside from expensive school books, lengthy line-ups to pay tuition, the administration's decision to hold back scholarship and bursary cheques until next Monday, and of course, the English department's decision to revamp all of the degree requirements 3/4 of the way through my university career.

In all seriousness, I like school again, which is a good sign. I'm thinking of taking out a subscription to one of the journals on Canadian lit that the University of Toronto Press publishes (special student discount) because I have a feeling that grad school for me will end up dealing with post-colonial literature, particularly Canadian.

I got some of my marks back today, and they're about what I expected: 78 on my "tarot in Eliot's The Wasteland" essay (which apparently is good for that prof, and she wants a copy of it for her files); 81 on my Canadian lit midterm; and 82 final mark in my pre-Confederation Canadian history class (post-confederation starts tomorrow). There's room for improvement, but I think I did alright for myself.

New comments system has been implemented as Haloscan appears to have crapped out on me, damn them. Let me know if it's okay.

The second term of my third year of post-secondary education starts at 10 a.m. tomorrow. As I handed in a number of assignments and midterms and such prior to the break, I am hopeful that at least some of these will be returned to me tomorrow. Since everything was due at the end of the term, I don't have any 'real' idea of how well (or poorly, as the case may be) I'm doing in any of my classes except the 3-credit Canadian history I took last term (the second half is this term). My mark for the should be available tomorrow, come to think of it. I also get to go pick up my scholarship money, which is going to be about $500 more than I expected--the school sent me a letter announcing that they're giving me a bursary, which is welcome news. And then, of course, I get to go pay my tuition, which will not be fun.

All in all, I think it will be good to get back to school.