Founder’s Feature – May Edition

Throughout the academic year, Melinda Giampietro, Options Founder/President, will share some of her favourite things in her monthly Founder’s Feature. Melinda loves reading, data, research, and following academic and adolescent news around the world.

May Book of the Month

I have been trying to read more Canadian authors, so every time I go to Indigo, I look for the red maple leaf. I just finished The Inheritance↗ by Joanna Goodman. The novel weaves the stories of Arden and her mom Virginia between Toronto and NYC. The book explores many themes and is told from both women’s points of view. It is a reminder to see those we love from their points of view, not just our own. I read it in three sittings, and it would make a great airplane book.

May Podcast of the Month

This month, I’m combining two regular features, cooking and podcasts, into one feature. I enjoy Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus↗. Her April 17^th episode is an interview with Ina Garten. I love Ina and have every Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Some of my favourite summer cocktails (Watermelon Cosmopolitans and Frozen Palomas) and favourite desserts (Peach Cake and Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Squares) come from these cookbooks. I found listening to their easy conversation and cooking insights on my morning walk the perfect way to start my day.

May Album Review of the Month

As regular readers know, I’m a Swiftie. I was lucky to see the Eras tour in early August in Los Angeles (one of the shows that was made into the Eras movie). So, I was very excited for April 19^th and the release of The Tortured Poets Department↗ (also because it was my 26^th wedding anniversary). I thought I would add to all the online commentary about favourite songs and lyrics.

Here are mine:

My favourite song on the album is “I Look in People’s Windows.” The best lyric is “I look in people’s windows/Transfixed by rose golden glows/They have their friends over to drink nice wine/I look in people’s windows/In case you’re at their table/What if your eyes looked up and met mine/One more time.” I always look in windows on my morning walk. I like catching people in their daily lives and finding common experiences.

My second favourite song is “The Bolter,” especially the lyric “Excellent fun till you get to know her/Then she runs like it’s a race/Behind her back, her best mates laughed/And they nicknamed her The Bolter.” TS is able to hit the obvious meaning of the word, but plays with its multiple definitions, demonstrating her strength as a lyricist.

Finally, like everyone else, I love “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” It is my spring anthem. “I cry a lot, but I am so productive/It’s an art” pretty much sums up the bad days in the lives of all female entertainers and entrepreneurs. 

May Sport News of the Month

As I’m recovering from Caitlin Clark fever, I wanted to highlight some changes regarding USports in Canada↗. USports represents 57 universities and over 15,000 athletes. For the 24-25 season, institutions will have to distribute a minimum of 45% of their total Athletic Financial Awards (AFA) units to student-athletes on women’s teams and 45% to men’s teams. Although the Ontario University Athletics conference has mandated this equal split for the last ten years, this will be a new rule for the other athletic conferences. Another major change applies to all athletes. Students now need to be accepted to the university and have a 60% entering average to earn an AFA (previously, students needed to have an 80% entering average). This is a great article↗ from University Affairs that explores the evolution of USports, and it provides a baseline comparison to the NCAA in the US.

May Career Discussion of the Month

I enjoy following conversations about different careers and industries. Journalism has had many evolutions in the past three decades, and post-secondary programs have been both static and dynamic to keep up with changes. In a recent The Conversation article, “Journalism students see an industry in crisis. It’s time to talk about it↗,” Trish Audette-Longo (Carleton University) and Christianna Alexiou (London School of Economics and Political Science) argue for institutions to have straight-forward and authentic conversations with their students about the news industry. It encourages meaningful dialogue about not only the realities of the industries, but also about how to encourage collaboration to make things better.

May Canadian Higher Education Discussion

2024 has been full of financial headlines for post-secondary institutions. From Queen’s Arts and Science budget woes to McGill’s increased tuition for out-of-province students to the tightening of international visas, we are asked almost daily at Options about how to evaluate the financial health of an institution. Please see our guide here↗.

I found these budget summaries helpful to keep track of priorities, trends, and expectations.

Post-Secondary Budget Allocation in BC, Yukon, and Alberta↗
Post-Secondary Budget Allocation in Ontario and Quebec↗
Post-Secondary Budget Allocation in Atlantic Canada↗

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To read more Founder’s Features, check them out under the Options News↗ category.