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AQ Myths or Facts

edited May 2009 in General
So I took a tour of the school before the spring semester started and some people in my group have said that there was a prof who died in his office and wasn't found until 5 days later.

Another thing I heard was there was a homeless guy living in the ceilings of the AQ or something along those lines.

One of the tour leaders said that the suicide rates are high up at SFU but they keep it quiet (for obvious reasons).

Can anyone confirm this or share their AQ stories, myths, etc.?
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Comments

  • edited April 2009
    A few AQ urban myths I have heard...

    1.) During Orientation, an Orientation Leader was walking backward in the AQ garden taking to his group and fell into the AQ Pond.

    2.) During a graduation ceremony, a graduate fell into the AQ Pond.

    3.) The three trees in the AQ are supposedly represents SFU's trimester system.

    4.) The AQ Garden is supposed to be a metaphor for Canada.

    5.) Arthur Erickson, SFU Burnaby's Architect, once designed prisons.
    T-Money;54196 said:
    So I took a tour of the school before the spring semester started and some people in my group have said that there was a prof who died in his office and wasn't found until 5 days later.
    Nope, I have not heard of this before.
    Another thing I heard was there was a homeless guy living in the ceilings of the AQ or something along those lines.
    I have not heard of this before. However, I have heard of a variant of this story in that there was a homeless guy living in a vacated townhouse in Rez during the summer semester.
    One of the tour leaders said that the suicide rates are high up at SFU but they keep it quiet (for obvious reasons).
    This is another one of those silly urban myths that stuck to SFU even though there are no way to verify these claims.
  • edited April 2009
    Falling in the pond, lol, I can totally see that.
  • edited April 2009
    The suicide rates being high isn't true! Just a myth/way of making fun of the dreary mountain.
  • edited April 2009
    i've heard about the prof one before.. except it's 3 days?

    and how's the pond a metaphor for canada? :confused:

    oh.. i've also heard that one of the ladies washroom is haunted? yes i know it's old and very unoriginal but i've been trying to find out which..
  • edited April 2009
    Student0667;54198 said:
    A few AQ urban myths I have heard...

    1.) During Orientation, an Orientation Leader was walking backward in the AQ garden taking to his group and fell into the AQ Pond.

    3.) The three trees in the AQ are supposedly represents SFU's trimester system.

    These are true :tongue:

    4.) The AQ Garden is supposed to be a metaphor for Canada.

    This one I think someone made up to make SFU look better lol.
  • edited April 2009
    Student0667;54198 said:


    5.) Arthur Erickson, SFU Burnaby's Architect, once designed prisons.

    that one is BS
    the architect was a fresh UBC grad when he designed SFU
    furthermore if u check his website, he has not done any prisons...
  • edited April 2009
    siuying;54201 said:
    and how's the pond a metaphor for canada? :confused:
    From what I heard from people who believe in this myth...

    display_talesfromthepondaqpondcorner.jpg

    researchaq.jpg

    -That rock in the AQ pond is supposed to represent PEI or Newfoundland.

    -That huge pond is suppose to represent the Great Lakes.

    -That huge mount is suppose to represent Alberta and the Prairies Provinces

    -That enclosed bush is suppose to represent Quebec's distinctiveness/ separatist mentality...

    Do I believe this myth and the Erickson one, NO.
    vonnie;54202 said:
    These are true :tongue:
    Ok, we got two myths confirmed.
  • edited April 2009
    I heard SFU used to be a jail :O
  • edited April 2009
    ^ and they turned it into a university? :omg:
  • edited April 2009
    bufli;54203 said:
    that one is BS
    the architect was a fresh UBC grad when he designed SFU
    furthermore if u check his website, he has not done any prisons...
    He's done a lot of stuff that look just like SFU. He like's his concrete.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Erickson
  • edited April 2009
    I heard the four levels of the AQ steps are to represent the four years of university.

    I also heard the AQ pond is a representation of the fraser river.
  • edited April 2009
    I heard if you run around the aq twice you will be tired, not sure if its true
  • edited April 2009
    wurly;54207 said:
    He's done a lot of stuff that look just like SFU. He like's his concrete.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Erickson
    hes also done a lot using steel and wood ... check his site..
    http://www.arthurerickson.com/
  • edited April 2009
    One guy I know told me about a guy who apparently was sleeping in Shell Basement. My acquaintance was playing pool, and the guy came along and asked how long they'd be there because he sleeps there...lol.
  • edited April 2009
    Simon;54205 said:
    I heard SFU used to be a jail :O
    http://www.hihostels.ca/OntarioEast/en/index.aspx?sortcode=2.0

    this place used to be a jail. Stayed there for one night, and couldn't stand it anymore!
  • edited April 2009
    1) SFU was founded to study extreme liberal ideologies, but managed to convert to a university.

    2) Turtles occasionally appear in the AQ pond.

    I also wasn't aware of those symbolism and metaphors. How interesting.
  • edited April 2009
    Agentbob;54229 said:
    2) Turtles occasionally appear in the AQ pond.
    Yeah, there are turtles!
  • edited April 2009
    I've never seen turtles :(

    Then again I don't go staring into the pond all the time...
  • edited April 2009
    lazyGUY;54209 said:
    I heard if you run around the aq twice you will be tired, not sure if its true
    I just tested this myth.

    While it is possible to get warm and slightly sweaty, you do become tired.
  • edited April 2009
    ^ You're supposed to shout yee-haw every now and then
  • edited April 2009
    Agentbob;54229 said:


    2) Turtles occasionally appear in the AQ pond.
    I've seen them too!!! They're so cute!!!

    I don't get it, do people take them in and out?? Where do they go when they're not in the pond?!?!? How do turtles get up a mountain?!?!?!
  • edited April 2009
    summerheaven;54239 said:
    I've seen them too!!! They're so cute!!!

    I don't get it, do people take them in and out?? Where do they go when they're not in the pond?!?!? How do turtles get up a mountain?!?!?!
    From what little information I gathered, it appears that SFU Facilities Management do indeed take the turtles as well as the fish out of the pond everytime it is cleaned.

    http://www.the-peak.ca/article/4930

    If I have to guess, the turtles and the fish are probably donations from people. Personally, I think that anyone who even think about donating aquatic animals to SFU for the AQ Pond (officially called the Reflection Pond) should be charged with animal cruelty.

    However, recently, the Biology Student Union have undertook a project to determine how to best clean the pond and keep it self-sustainable, while at the same time maintaining its ecosystem. It is a rather daunting challenge if you ask me, especially if people continues to throw crap and other people into the pond all year round...

    http://www.the-peak.ca/article/2452
  • edited April 2009
    Student0667;54240 said:
    From what little information I gathered, it appears that SFU Facilities Management do indeed take the turtles as well as the fish out of the pond everytime it is cleaned.

    http://www.the-peak.ca/article/4930

    If I have to guess, the turtles and the fish are probably donations from people. Personally, I think that anyone who even think about donating aquatic animals to SFU for the AQ Pond (officially called the Reflection Pond) should be charged with animal cruelty.

    However, recently, the Biology Student Union have undertook a project to determine how to best clean the pond and keep it self-sustainable, while at the same time maintaining its ecosystem. It is a rather daunting challenge if you ask me, especially if people continues to throw crap and other people into the pond all year round...

    http://www.the-peak.ca/article/2452
    A few years ago there was a female mallard with 13 ducklings in single file. They visited the pond everyday. As they waddled into sight of the pond, the young ones would happily break rank and rush down for a swim while she quacked along after them.

    We were cleaning the pond that spring, when the duck family arrived and the ducklings rushed into the empty pond. Panic ensued as they ran around the pond trying to get out while the mother stood on the grass calling to them. We dropped what we were doing and it became a duck hunt.

    Each duckling was cornered and gingerly lifted over the edge enclosed in large workman’s hands. The mother stood on the bank and called as each rescued duckling ran to her and she held her ground until the 13th duckling came over the edge, then with an indignant look back, she led them away — the ducklings now in tight formation. I wondered if ducks could count, or did she know the plaintive call of each of her ducklings?
    THIS IS SUCH A CUTE STORY!!! >_<
  • edited April 2009
    summerheaven;54241 said:
    THIS IS SUCH A CUTE STORY!!! >_<
    ya duck is delicious
  • edited April 2009
    Student0667;54198 said:


    3.) The three trees in the AQ are supposedly represents SFU's trimester system.

    my orientation leader told me the same thing.
  • edited April 2009
    I heard people have sex in the egg/avocado in the Garden.
  • edited April 2009
    Interesting facts/myths here. I like turtles too.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNry4PE93Y
  • edited April 2009
    flo-ra;54251 said:
    I heard people have sex in the egg/avocado in the Garden.
    Which garden?
  • edited April 2009
    wtf is the blue triangle thing next to pond?
  • edited April 2009
    bufli;54268 said:
    wtf is the blue triangle thing next to pond?
    Modern art.

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