At Laurier, we take pride in many of our clubs and of course the tremendous spirit that effortlessly oozes out of students. There is one club in particular—JDCC Laurier—that never seizes to amaze us with their commitment to raising the bar in competition spirit, academics and networking. We sat down with Jordan Bishop, Laurier’s JDCC Co-Captain as he shares with us how it feels to represent such a talented team, while pushing his boundaries on leadership and teamwork. We hope that our interview with Jordan gives you a sense of his charismatic personality and his enthusiasm for being Co-Captain of JDCC Laurier.

Jordan is a third-year BBA co-op, and the co-Captain for Laurier’s JDC Central 2012 team. He’s been a participant with 5 Days for the Homeless, and enjoys being an SBE Mentor to other students. To keep a balanced life, he stays involved with athletics, reading about business and social ventures, and learning more about leadership and what motivates others.

Being Co-Captain of JDCC Laurier has been a truly transformative experience for Jordan. Seeing the other students around him develop on a weekly basis, both as business students and as all-around young people, gives great value to the time he invests into JDCC Laurier.

Jordan explains that “It’s inspiring to see the incredible levels of motivation throughout the entire 40-perosn team, and it’s a privilege to work with them so closely The reason I wanted to be Co-Captain of JDCC Laurier is for the challenge – every day I’m tested as both a student of business and as a leader. I’ve had to establish a vision for the team, choose the top Laurier business students to fit that vision, and then shape and mould them to work cohesively within a team environment. It’s been one of my toughest tasks so far to understand what motivates each individual, and to cater my leadership style to that, and as a result, every day throws new challenges my way. “

Jordan also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and how paramount it is for JDCC Laurier. “I’m inspired to be a leader by I’ve been able to develop as a person and continue to learn about myself. Most importantly, I’m constantly learning what motivates others, and in doing so, I’ve realized that the ambitions of the people around me are the primary driving force that motivates me.”

-Written by Safia & Judy @ WLU

So, for all of you who have actually started studying… or doing any homework of any sort for that matter… here is a list of songs that I personally find either a) motivating to listen to while studying or b) secretly dance to while studying. Here goes!

1)     In Motion, by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. (click to listen!)  This song probably sounds vaguely familiar, and that’s because it’s from the award-winning movie The Social Network. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find that movie truly inspiring… well…actually it just makes me feel like doing something productive.  This song plays during the scene where Mark Zuckerberg hacks the Harvard Facebook for the first time.  Other than the song’s association with this incredibly motivating movie, it has a steady beat, no lyrics and isn’t too distracting.

2)     Successful, Drake. (click to listen!)  Okay, other than the obvious title, this song is the perfect study song. It’s not too upbeat, semi-slow and has meaningful (well, money hungry maybe) lyrics. It is a “chill” song and is good for those times when you’re doing multiple math problems and need something a little more hip-hop based, rather than slow and acoustic.

3)     Such Great Heights, The Postal Service. (click to listen!)  By now it’s probably obvious that I like to listen to songs that have inspiring lyrics when I study, and that aren’t too fast so they aren’t fully distracting. This song has a little bit of a quicker beat, but it’s perfect for studying. Ben Gibbard’s voice is completely soothing, and with the contrast of the beat, this song is the perfect mix of calmness and electro indie pop.

4)     Barbra Streisand, Ducksauce. (click to listen!)  Yes, I listen to this song while stud…dance. Every good study sesh should have a mandatory dance party, even if it’s only for one song! I personally enjoy grooving out to this song in particular. It’s got a great upbeat vibe, and is extremely catchy. There aren’t too many lyrics to get caught up with, as it mainly just repeats “Barbara Streisand” as most of you know. Therefore, one can focus solely on dance moves without the stress of lip-syncing. There are a variety of dance moves that suit this song; you could pull out some miming tricks, maybe the worm, or even some breakdancing. It’s the perfect dance break song and is only 3:16 minutes in length—the ideal break.

5)     Everything’s Not Lost, Coldplay. (click to listen!)  This song has always been a favourite Coldplay song of mine. It’s so relaxing, and the lyrics are comforting as well. It’s a good song to listen to while doing readings, or writing out notes. The lyrics are not over powering, and the music is upbeat yet calming as well. This song just has a warm and fuzzy feeling to me (don’t judge) and seems to always make me smile, even if I am doing finance problems in a lonely booth on the silent floor in the library.

Got your own favourite study tunes? Tweet me your top 5 @Saf_Kass

-Written by Safia @ WLU

As the leaves turn to warm hues of orange and red, the wind transitions to a crisp breeze and students are… well… everywhere, I can rightfully say that the back to school grind has officially started.

You know it’s started when; you’re already behind in your classes, you are wearing sunglasses and taking Advil in the morning and you’re waiting for those precious moments of fun and craziness to make up for the constant feeling of being overwhelmed and tired.

Here at WLU, we like to make sure that students are always having a good… no… GREAT time, and that weekends are not the only reason to make it through the week. Campus events are one of the many ways to have fun while hanging with your friends, to meet new people and make new memories.

One of the biggest events at Laurier that students get excited for… well, I would say the second they arrive, is Homecoming! I don’t know if it’s the purple and yellow scarfs and socks that sort of make you feel like you go to Hogwarts, the morning Keggers (sometimes with pancakes if you’re lucky) the traditional feeling of a good football game or the tremendous amounts of partying that take place throughout the whole weekend. Lets just say that for us Golden Hawks, spirit oozes out of our every pore during this fantastic occasion! It’s a time for celebrating school pride, even if that means its raining and cold, and you’re wearing a garbage bag you found underneath the bleachers just so you can stay semi-dry and chant till you no longer can. Homecoming is certainly one of the most anticipated events of the fall at Laurier and always manages to live up to its reputation— and is definitely a solid weekend to kick start us into the midterm madness that takes place shortly after.

However, even then, us Golden Hawks still don’t seem to accept the hermitting (yes, that is not a real word) that would seem to typically consume students during a period of exams. Instead, we like party… again, but this time at Oktoberfest! Kitchener-Waterloo has the second largest Bavarian festival in the world! That being said, Laurier likes to party it up and join in on thorough celebrations. This event is marketed to the whole student body as a great way to get into the harvest spirit, down some beers and dance to some good ol’ folk music in a large venue with oodles of students…and sometimes professors.

It takes place over the course of the third weekend in October and is primarily at night at an off-campus venue, where tickets must be purchased in advance. Laurier always has different events happening, whether their academic related or more of a social gathering in order to keep its students eager, excited and ready to have fun! Whether its Homecoming or Oktoberfest, Golden Hawks are certainly in for an outrageous and unforgettable experience this fall!