When I chose English as my major, the question I was asked was: “What are you going to do with that degree?” Before I went into the program, my answer was straight-forward: “An editor.” Now, after two and half Co-op experiences, my answer has been to reframe the question itself. Rather than: “What are you going to do with that degree?” (because, really, to list off the various jobs seems a bit tedious), I would instead prefer to respond to the question of: “What skills and experiences are you gaining through an English degree?” I am learning communications, interpersonal relations, analysis, and, while I could go on, I will end with, critical thinking.

This last one is especially important in countering the new, though no less intimidating, question of: “Well, isn’t AI just going to replace you anyways?”. In some ways this question felt more insulting—the idea that a machine could do (better) what we’re spending years studying.

My initial reaction to society’s obsession with AI was to ignore its existence entirely. I refused to engage with any of the platforms outside of the few class assignments which mandated AI exploration. This approach worked while I was in school, and the idea that, if my will was strong enough, I could put the cat back in the bag was believable for a time.

So, imagine my surprise, when, on my second day of Co-op work at the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA), I was asked what they could be doing to better implement AI into their workflows. Apparently, I belong to the ‘technological’ generation, and I should just ‘know these things.’ What I had just spent the last year resisting, I would now have to wholeheartedly embrace and… advise on?

When I first started working with AI, it felt like a betrayal to my English degree. It felt like I was training the very entity that would eventually replace me. However, it was also through working with AI that I learned that would not happen, and that I was not replaceable.

On my first day of work at Hydro Ottawa, I was told by my supervisor that they were specifically looking to hire an English major. Rather than taking AI’s outputs at face value, I am able to read, analyse, comprehend and think critically on the content it is producing, which are all desirable skills.

One such example is writing a blog on semiconductors at the KNBA. I was tasked with simplifying the subject so that it was digestible for a wide audience. However, this was a technology that I was not familiar with. I did my own research, but the terminology was foreign – so how could I break it down for others, if I did not understand it myself?

Because I didn’t have the time to research extensively, I put my notes into ChatGPT and asked it to explain the information as if it were speaking to a ten-year-old. This helped me to understand what semiconductors were, and why they were important, so that I could write the blog post in a way that made sense to others.

AI did not do my work for me, it did not replace my abilities or skills, but rather it enhanced my productivity.  

The post What Are You Going to Do with that English Degree? The BA in an AI World appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

What brought you to �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Psychology program? 

I’ve always known I wanted to work with children, and my interest in mental health and psychology research really grew after taking a high school course on the subject. When I discovered �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Psychology program, I was especially drawn to the Honours program because it offered the opportunities to specialize in developmental psychology and mental health and well-being along with the chance to complete an honours thesis or research project. It felt like the perfect fit for my interests and goals. 

What topic did you choose for your honours thesis? Can you tell us about that research, how you collected your data, and what interested you in this topic? 

Yes! My honours thesis explored how parent-child relationships and parental self-efficacy in supporting learning influenced the learning behaviours of children with and without ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was fortunate to have Dr. Maria Rogers as my supervisor, who had collaborated with several other labs across Canada on a longitudinal study examining parent and child experiences throughout the pandemic. Data was collected for this study at four different time points, and I chose to analyze data from Spring 2021—one year into the pandemic. My research interests primarily center around how parental and school factors shape children’s behaviours and well-being. Since the pandemic led to a sudden shift to remote learning, I was particularly interested in understanding how parents’ involvement and relationships with their children may have influenced their motivations and efforts to learn in such a unique and challenging environment. 

What are some things you’ve learned through your (or your colleagues’) research on ADHD that we might find surprising? 

One surprising finding from my honours thesis research was that the quality of parent-child relationships predicted learning behaviours for children without ADHD but not for those with ADHD. This suggests that, for children with ADHD, other factors might play a bigger role in shaping their motivations and efforts to learn, highlighting how different factors may interact in ways we might not expect in research. I’ve also come across some insightful findings through my colleagues’ research, including Dr. Rogers’ recent work on school attendance and chronic absenteeism in children and teens. While many assume school attendance is a well-researched topic, her work reveals that it’s actually quite understudied in Canada, especially when looking at children with mental health challenges. Given how critical school attendance is for children’s academic and social development, this gap in research is something that needs more attention. 

How did you get involved in Dr. Maria Rogers’ lab? Was this your first experience with a research lab?

I first got involved with Dr. Rogers’ lab as an honours student in the fourth year of my undergraduate studies, which was my first time working in a research lab. After graduating in Spring 2024, I took on the role of laboratory manager at Rogers Child Mental Health Lab. In this role, I help coordinate lab meetings and events to foster collaboration among team members while also supporting Dr. Rogers’ research through data collection, analysis, and knowledge mobilization. One of the things I love most about working in the lab is contributing to research that directly supports Canadian students and families. For example, we’ve studied family experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re currently working on projects related to school attendance and chronic absenteeism. It’s been such a rewarding experience to be part of a team dedicated to understanding and improving mental health and educational outcomes for children. 

What are your hopes for the future (near and/or far)? 

In the near future, I hope to pursue my Master’s in Psychology, followed by a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. My long-term goal is to continue researching parent-child relationships and how they shape children’s social, emotional, and academic outcomes, examining these dynamics from both child and parent perspectives. Ultimately, I want my work to contribute to meaningful resources and interventions that support child development, resilience, and strong family relationships. I’m especially passionate about ensuring that research translates into real-world support for families and children. 

The post Q&A with Zara Hewson appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

The Undergraduate Recruitment Office invites prospective undergraduate students and their families to the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University campus for our Parents’ Evening on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. Information sessions will be held at 6:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. in Richcraft Hall (formerly River Building) on the �Ӱ�ԭ�� campus.

Each session will provide information on:
– applying to university and admission requirements;
– scholarships and financial assistance; and
– the university experience.

After each session, there will be light refreshments and an opportunity to talk to faculty, staff and current �Ӱ�ԭ�� students.

Free parking will be available in P16 (under Richcraft Hall), P9 and P18. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early.

.

The post �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Parents’ Evening – Wednesday, December 7, 2016 appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

Despite the fact that the English Department’s Creative Writing Concentration was only formally established in 2011, the English Department at �Ӱ�ԭ�� has a longstanding tradition of encouraging students in their creative-writing efforts. For many years, �Ӱ�ԭ��’s English Department has offered creative-writing workshops in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and stage-and-screen writing. Additionally, students have benefited from encounters with faculty members who went out of their way to mentor students and to provide them with unique opportunities for exposing their work within Ottawa’s vibrant literary scene.

Given the richness of the creative-writing curriculum, the numerous opportunities to form networks with fellow writers and literature enthusiasts, and the mentorship provided by a warm and engaged faculty, �Ӱ�ԭ��’s English Department is the perfect environment for aspiring writers to flourish. The following publications by current students and alumni serve as a testament to �Ӱ�ԭ��’s creative-writing accomplishments.

, for example, completed a Combined Honours degree in English and Film Studies; he followed up this undergraduate degree with a at �Ӱ�ԭ��.

Today he is an author, ghostwriter, and writing coach; as he put it, writing is his life on three different fronts. The works under his own name include the YA fiction trilogy , instructional writing manuals such as , and children’s picture books such as . Johns has also co-authored many additional works in his role as ghostwriter for various clients who, he explains, “have ideas to share with the world but who don’t necessarily have the skillset to get them written.” For those people who want to see their ideas bear fruit in their own words but need assistance in completing their writing projects, Johns offers his services as a writing coach. As he explains, “I work one-on-one with writers to help them identify their goals, develop plans for achieving those objectives, and then provide support and accountability as they work towards them. Writing a novel is a long, lonely process and having a coach in your corner to cheer you on, providing tips on the craft of writing, and monitoring progress can be enormously valuable. I find it endlessly rewarding to work with aspiring authors and help them improve their writing, reach their goals, and achieve the success they deserve.”

Johns developed the skills that he parlayed into a career during his studies at �Ӱ�ԭ��. He still recalls with appreciation the breadth of the literature courses he took as an undergraduate at �Ӱ�ԭ��. Indeed, Johns was so pleased with his undergraduate experience in the English program that he ignored the common wisdom that one ought to earn one’s degrees at different institutions and decided to remain at �Ӱ�ԭ�� for his MA degree. Johns also speaks highly of the faculty members he encountered during his time at �Ӱ�ԭ��: “Instructors such as Professors Jodie Medd, Arnd Bohm, and Brian Johnson were all fantastic teachers and mentors throughout my academic career.” One of the most important beliefs that Johns says he took away from his studies at �Ӱ�ԭ�� is that literature matters. “Art isn’t just a part of culture,” he elaborates, “but rather the very substance from which culture is formed. Literary scholars take their work very seriously, and that is as it should be. The respect and rigour with which art is studied in the English program at �Ӱ�ԭ�� inspired me to follow my own artist pursuits and gave me confidence that a writing career is a worthy one.”

Like Johns, completed both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at �Ӱ�ԭ��. The former, completed between 2005 and 2009, was in English Literature; the latter, completed between 2010 and 2012, was in . Ladouceur has published a series of poetry chapbooks and a critically acclaimed poetry collection titled . Published by the Toronto publishing firm Coach House Books, the collection was shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award and the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Ladouceur traces his decision to become a poet to his experience at �Ӱ�ԭ��. Recalling “The Poetry of Witness” course taught by Professor Brenda Vellino and “The Montreal Modernists” seminar taught by Professor Collett Tracey, he notes that “those classes seemed like the only places in the world where I could find human beings who had substantial respect for poetry as a medium.” Ladouceur notes further that Professor Tracey has had a meaningful impact on his life as a writer: “She taught me (and so many others) not to study literature from a distance, but to consider myself an aspiring member of the Canadian literary continuum. I learned from her that a poem might be best responded to not with an essay but with another poem.”

During his time at �Ӱ�ԭ��, Ladouceur served as an editor of In/Words magazine and participated regularly in the English Literary Society’s Monday night writers’ circles. When the Monday night group grew too crowded, he personally hosted a second writers’ circle on Wednesday evenings. “I enjoyed all of it,” he recalls, “and many of my dearest friends come from that world.” The poetry he produced during this time was shortlisted twice for the English Department’s George Johnston Prize. But the most important lesson Ladouceur claims to have learned during his time at �Ӱ�ԭ�� is the notion that writers are simply people who write. As he explains, “There’s no specific appearance or personality or temperament that writers have in common. The only thing they all do is write. So if you want to be one, you have to do that.”

Another �Ӱ�ԭ�� graduate who is passionate about poetry is . Clarke completed her with a Major in English between 2004 and 2008, and like Ladouceur, she considers Professor Brenda Vellino’s poetry courses as having played a key role in her development as a writer. As Clarke recalls, “I was taking a Bachelor of Humanities concurrently, and though I loved learning about Aristotle, Heidegger, and the Bhagavad Gita, I felt an electric pull towards the poetry taught in Professor Vellino’s poetry course. This poetry was modern, diverse and closely engaged with current social and political issues. Professor Vellino not only exposed me to new ideas, but also encouraged me to pursue my own particular interests within the scope of the class.” She felt similarly about Professor Dana Dragunoiu’s fourth-year seminar on Nabokov; she likes to joke that “Her inspiring teaching and breadth of knowledge actually fooled me into thinking for a while that I might also want to be an academic!” �Ӱ�ԭ�� her general experience as an English student at �Ӱ�ԭ��, Clarke commented, “I was already in love with reading, writing and poetry in particular well before I went to �Ӱ�ԭ��, but my time there solidified and reshaped that love. I was introduced to so many texts that still resonate with me today and shape the subject matter of my poetry.” Since graduating from �Ӱ�ԭ��, Clarke has earned a Master’s in English and Creative Writing from the University of Toronto and has made her publishing debut with a collection of poems titled . Published by ECW Press, the collection provides (to quote a review from The National Post) “nuanced examinations of the relationships between people and animals, domesticity and the wild.” More recently, Clarke has spent time in Texas and Alabama doing research and finding inspiration for her second collection of poems.

Another alumnus of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s English Department who has done a significant amount of travel for his creative-writing projects is . After graduating from �Ӱ�ԭ�� in 2006, Thom attended a clown school in Vancouver. His education in a wide range of creative media—literature, music, and the performing arts—provided him with a unique skillset that he has placed into the service of a career as a performance artist.

When studying English Literature at �Ӱ�ԭ��, Thom enjoyed especially reading and learning about Victorian authors who also specialized in children’s writing, such as Oscar Wilde and Lewis Carroll, and more recent children’s writers such as Shel Silverstein. The whimsical nature of these writers’ works appealed to Thom and served as inspiration for the characters at the heart of Thom’s work as musician, storyteller and puppeteer. In addition to being the founder of Beat Creatures (furry drums for kids), Thom writes children’s books that are at once light-hearted and educational. His most recent endeavours include the heartwarming children’s book and a debut seven-song album titled Snowdragons. Thom speaks fondly of his time at �Ӱ�ԭ��; he recalls with affection the warmth and encouragement of faculty and peers he met not only in his courses, but also in poetry clubs and late-night music sessions hosted by �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Music Department.

Like Thom, is no stranger to branching out creatively. Hanson-Finger completed his BA with a Combined Honours in English and Communications in 2009 and an MA in English a year later. One of his favourite aspects of his English degree is the wide range of critical and theoretical approaches he encountered in his courses. At the time, he admits, he was under the impression that most programs offered such a breadth of perspectives, but after speaking with students at other universities he discovered otherwise. He recalls being intellectually invigorated by the theory courses he took with Professors Brian Johnson and Rob Holton as well as the creative-writing workshops he took with Professor Armand Ruffo and �Ӱ�ԭ��’s 2007 Writer-in-Residence Ivan Coyote. He remembers with special vividness an insight shared with the class by Coyote: paraphrasing an unknown author, Coyote told the class that “in the same manner as leaving your tap running to flush out rusty water, you should write until it runs clear.”

During his time at �Ӱ�ԭ��, Hanson-Finger won the George Johnston Prize in 2009. This led to the inclusion of his prize-winning poem in Susan McMaster’s anthology Pith & Wry: Canadian Poetry, a collection of poetry that also featured the work of Margaret Atwood. Since completing his studies, Hanson-Finger has written two long essays for the online journal Puritan and a short story titled “Microcosm” for the online magazine Joyland. He also served as co-editor of the online literary magazine Dragnet. As a technical writer at Shopify, he considers the writing and editing skills he acquired at �Ӱ�ԭ�� as key assets. He is also in the process of putting the final touches on a novel provisionally titled Death and the Intern. Scheduled to be released by Invisible Press in the spring of 2017, the novel takes place in Ottawa and is in equal parts hospital drama and hardboiled fiction.

Though only in her fourth year of study as an English major at �Ӱ�ԭ��, is already an accomplished writer. Her novella Psychomachia has been shortlisted for the 2015 Ken Klonsky novella prize and is under contract with Quattro Books. Additionally, she has a short story forthcoming in The Antigonish Review and has published a poem in The Steel Chisel. Fejzić describes her time at �Ӱ�ԭ�� enthusiastically: “I have grown, I have blossomed and I can smell the perfume of literary success,” she observes optimistically. A member of the newly established Creative Writing Concentration, Fejzić has taken all of the creative writing workshops offered by the English department and found them to be very instructive: “The workshops were a place for exploration, experimentation and personal development.” She has high praise for the workshops led by writers Nadia Bozak, Mark Frutkin and Rick Taylor especially, noting that each of these instructors created a unique classroom atmosphere and rich learning trajectory.

Like Ladouceur before her, Fejzić serves as co-editor of In/Words magazine, where she says she has learned a lot about publishing. Together with her co-editors Jenny Greenberg, Geoff Bates, and Drew Douglas, Fejzić has launched a number of chapbooks and will also be launching In/Words’ first-ever themed edition in collaboration with Lisa Rochefort, editor of Arc Poetry magazine. Fejzić takes a very practical approach to writing, explaining that for her writing has to be worked at on a daily basis and is not a process to be romanticized to the point of allowing for writer’s block to slow down one’s productivity. “Finding the right words is supposed to be a struggle, but this can be experienced in a positive light,” she explains, “I suppose that what I’m trying to say is that writing must become a habit before it can become art.”

The post Student Storytellers: Creative Writing and the English Department at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

Interested in delving into the minds of psychopaths or learning about lie detectors? Check out �Ӱ�ԭ��’s second-year Forensic Psychology course trailer.

The post Forensic Psychology Course Video appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

Fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Humanities (HUMS), Roy Sengupta was recently offered admission to an array of prestigious graduate school opportunities (alongside fellow HUMS student, Lulu Vulpe Albari), including admittance to Harvard’s the eminent .

Although an undergraduate education in the liberal arts may not be the most common first post-secondary step in the arduous pursuit of becoming a lawyer, Sengupta believes that the program at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University superbly provided him with all the tools necessary to attain post-graduate excellence.

Sengupta has yet to make any final decisions about where he will be studying next year, but his successful admissions to some of the world’s greatest educational institutions functions as a symbol for what can be achieved through a degree in the arts.

Sengupta was kind enough to have a chat with FASS about his massively impressive accomplishments, and how �Ӱ�ԭ��’s versatile Bachelor of Humanities program helped him to realize them.

Why did you choose �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Bachelor of Humanities program?  

In my senior year of high school, I had many options to choose from for my undergraduate degree, including the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, and the University of Ottawa, as well as the program at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University. In order to make a more informed decision, I toured all of these programs and universities, and it was during the touring process, I would say, that the Bachelor of Humanities program first stood out to me. I was immensely impressed by the tour I received of the Bachelor of Humanities, and by the fact that, during the tour, I was able to substantially engage and interact with professors of the program. The program seemed to offer a much more personal, broad, and intellectual education than what was offered at some of the other universities.

Even more importantly, I felt that, at the Bachelor of Humanities program, I was more than just a number. I believed, and have been proven correct, that I would be able to develop meaningful relationships with knowledgeable faculty through the Bachelor of Humanities program. As I began to explore the curriculum of the Humanities program, I was also very impressed. I liked the fact that the Bachelor of Humanities stressed a broad-based education, such that a student would come away from the program having learned about religion, philosophy, literature, politics, music, art, and so much more. I felt that this broad-based, and yet cohesive, approach compared positively to other undergraduate programs. I also noted, with favour, that the Bachelor of Humanities program emphasised discussion groups and primary source readings. I was glad that my educational experience in the Bachelor of Humanities program would not consist merely of reading out of textbooks, but that I would rather gain access to some of the most meaningful texts of human history, from the Iliad to Don Quixote.

My experience with �Ӱ�ԭ�� University during the admission and registration processes was also very positive. I found that the admissions material for �Ӱ�ԭ�� University was cleanly organised, well laid out, and seemed to indicate an extra degree of effort on the part of the admissions office. �Ӱ�ԭ�� seemed to be, and is, a university dedicated towards the success of every individual student. From the generous financial aid offered by �Ӱ�ԭ�� to the numerous supplementary academic programs offered by the university, �Ӱ�ԭ�� seemed serious about ensuring and enabling the academic success of all students. Whereas I worried that I would have an impersonal educational experience at other large universities, I never felt this fear with �Ӱ�ԭ�� University. For these reasons, the choice to attend �Ӱ�ԭ�� University and the Bachelor of Humanities program was clear.

Could you describe your general experience of the Bachelor of Humanities program? 

Overall, I have found the Bachelor of Humanities to be a very intellectual program, and to be a program which supports intellectual development and growth through close student-faculty interaction. I am constantly amazed at the amount of meaningful contact I am able to have with professors on a day to day basis in this program, and I absolutely feel that the conversations I have had with my professors have contributed immensely to my own academic development. Not only this, but I have found that the culture of the Bachelor of Humanities program is also very intellectual. Students in the Bachelor of Humanities love what they do and love what they study. You don’t see the same kind of cynicism among students as you may in other places, rather, student are genuinely engaged with the material of the program. I feel that this culture among the student body creates an environment of academic success and critical thinking, and I certainly do feel that the intellectual passion of my peers has helped to spur and encourage my own intellectual passions.

The distinctive features of the Bachelor of Humanities program have also played a major role in my success. I feel like I was better able to engage with and understand the challenging material in the Humanities program thanks to the weekly discussion groups hosted by professors. Not only this, but I found the discussion groups to be a fantastic way of learning about academic and formal discourse. What the discussion groups encourage you to do is to speak before your peers in small settings. I have found these discussion groups to be immensely helpful in improving my public speaking. By forcing me to elaborate upon complex thoughts to both my professors and my peers, the discussion groups served to improve my diction and confidence in public speaking. After all, if I was able to speak meaningfully and cogently on a topic like the Iliad, I ought to be able to speak on any topic. I found, in particular, that the discussion groups were helpful in allowing me to succeed during the law school interview process. Having already had regular experience in organizing and expressing complex thoughts in a disciplined manner, law school interviews proved to be far less intimidating.

Finally, I believe that the strong emphasis placed on writing in the Bachelor of Humanities also played an important role in my achievements. Almost all of the exams in the Bachelor of Humanities program are primarily essay based, and intensive attention is given to the essay writing abilities of students in the program. I feel that the strong writing abilities which I garnered from the program were immensely helpful in allowing me to craft a meaningful personal statement for my law school applications. The ability to express oneself in written form is an invaluable skill, and the small class size of the Bachelor of Humanities program allows the faculty to give individualized attention to the writing of every student. The faculty makes a great effort to ensure that each student’s writing abilities improve gradually over the course of the four-year program, such that one is able to leave a substantially more articulate writer by the time one leaves the program.

How did your personality ‘click’ with the Bachelor of the Humanities program? Could you discuss some of the reading that helped to shape your perspective?  

I feel that I was successful in the program in large part thanks to my open-minded and inquisitive personality. I definitely think that, at least to some extent, you need to be someone who enjoys reading in order to gain the most success possible out of this program. Being open-minded to different points of view, and to different ways of seeing the world, is also crucial. In the Humanities program, you are exposed to so many different systems of thought, and you need to be as open-minded and curious about ideas you disagree with, as about ideas that you agree with. I think that this also happens to be one of the important skills of a lawyer. I also feel that I was successful in the program thanks to a certain versatility of mind. In the program, you study a wide diversity of different subjects, from music, to philosophy, to art, to religion, and you therefore need to have the ability to engage with different kinds of material, and to bring different sorts of material together into a cohesive understanding. I absolutely believe that any open-minded and inquisitive person can succeed in this program, as you will be given the support and the guidance to understand and engage with different kinds of thinking, as long as you are willing to do so.

This may be a somewhat surprising pick, in terms of a book that sparked my interest in the law, but the three books of Dante’s Divine Comedy, in particular Inferno and Purgatorio (in English, Hell, and Purgatory respectively), played a major role in developing my interest in the law. Dante’s Inferno is probably one of my favourite books of all time, because of its rational and logical portrayal of the idea of divine justice. Dante creates, in his Divine Comedy, a well-planned, logical system by which each person is assigned a just outcome in the afterlife for their actions during life. So, for example, a wrathful person in Hell is condemned to an afterlife of fighting and anger, whereas a thief is condemned to have his identity stolen from him in Hell. Dante goes to great lengths to ensure that the punishment for each kind of sinner fits the sin which they have committed. In short, he tries to envision an afterlife where everyone is dealt a just outcome. I also particularly like Dante’s Purgatorio for the fact that it suggests that there is a possibility for sinners to be rehabilitated in their afterlife, as long as they indicate their desire to change through repentance. Dante creates a sort of justice system in the afterlife, and this led me to greatly ponder what justice truly means, and how those who commit crimes ought to be punished. 

Another work that greatly influenced my interest in the law was Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. In this play, Shakespeare considers what the appropriate parameters of the justice system ought to be, how a judge ought to act in enforcing the law, and how one holds a judge accountable for unjust rulings. I would say that the main message of Measure for Measure is that, without mercy and compassion, justice quickly turns to tyranny. One of the main characters in the play is Angelo, an extremely harsh judge who imprisons a citizen of the realm, Claudio, for a sexual misdemeanor. When Claudio’s sister intercedes on his behalf to Angelo, Angelo attempts to exploit the situation to secure inappropriate sexual favours from the sister. The play then becomes a story of how someone in a position of power, Angelo, can be brought to justice for misuse of that power. For this reason I believe this is a powerful and timeless story. It asks questions regarding the boundaries between justice and cruelty, and about how we can hold the powerful to account when they stray from what is right.

In terms of the shaping of my general worldview, I am a very avid reader of historical non-fiction. I am firm believer in learning from the mistakes and successes of the past. I believe that the best works of historical non-fiction not only recall events, but provide effective explanations as to why the events of that historical era occurred. In this way, great works of historical non-fiction are able to provide timeless lessons that continue to apply to the present day. Two of the great works of historical non-fiction that I feel do this very effectively are The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, and Nixonland by Rick Perlstein. Both of these books are historical non-fiction par excellence, and the reader will come away from them not only with a working knowledge of the historical events of those eras, but also of what can cause political and social change, and how human behaviour influences politics and the law. Both books provide clear explanations as to why things changed in the way they changed, and why politics, institutions, and ideas evolved in the way they did during their respective eras.

Did you participate in the mentorship program?  If so, can you tell us about that experience?

I, unfortunately, did not participate extensively in the mentorship program, however, I do believe that �Ӱ�ԭ�� University as a whole provided excellent resources for exploration into a legal career path. In particular, I was extensively involved in the (CLLSS), and in the moot team associated with the Society. Both the events of the CLLSS, and the networking opportunities made available at such mooting competitions like the Capital Cup, hosted at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University each year in the autumn, provided excellent opportunities to learn more about the legal profession and to interact with legal professionals in varied fields. For example, the CLLSS Moot Team is privileged to have, in many cases, professional lawyers judging the practice panels of the team. As you might imagine, these professional panels provide excellent opportunities for one to hone skills of legal reasoning, and to meet with and interact with legal professionals.

I also felt that �Ӱ�ԭ�� University provided great opportunities for undergraduate students to become involved in research, and these opportunities also helped to shape my interests in the law. For example, I have developed a significant interest in infrastructure law as a result of research work done at the university, and so I would definitely encourage students to pursue research opportunities at the university, as these opportunities can lead to in-depth exposure to a variety of different fields. Overall, I am very pleased with the resources which �Ӱ�ԭ�� University offered to me, in order to allow my exploration into the legal profession.

You have some serious decision making and planning to do! Can you speculate on what might be your next steps?

Of course, I am grateful to have many generous law school offers on the table, including offers of admission from schools such as Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. As well, I have received many generous scholarship offers from schools such as the Queen’s University Faculty of Law, The University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the University of Chicago Law School. I would say that nothing has been finalized yet, but I am certainly flattered to have attracted such generous offers from so many well-regarded law schools. I imagine I will be touring each of these law schools in the near future, and making a decision based on those tours and other factors.

Anything you’d like to add or people you’d like to thank or parting words of wisdom?

I really would just like to thank the entire �Ӱ�ԭ�� community, the faculty in the program, all the professors who generously made time to write letters of recommendation for me, and all the individuals inside and outside the university who I have worked with in various capacities, be it as a research assistant, volunteer, intern, or in any other capacity. As well, I of course would also like to thank my family and friends for their support during this process. Thank you to all of those who have given me the opportunity to succeed in this way. �Ӱ�ԭ�� University and the Bachelor of Humanities has been a fantastic place to spend four years, and, as I have spoken to earlier, it has provided an excellent foundation for my present and future success. I really do believe that this is one of the best universities in Canada. From the excellent support offered to students, to the myriad extra-curricular opportunities, to the well-functioning administration and unique programs, such as the Bachelor of Humanities, �Ӱ�ԭ�� University offers so many different tools to ensure the success of each of its students.

I would say if I was to give any words of advice, it would be that people should take chances. I certainly could not have anticipated four years ago that I would be accepted to Harvard Law School, but a big part of why I was offered admission was simply because I was willing to take the chance and apply there in the first place. And I think that’s important, that people think big, dream big, and strive to do significant things in whatever field they are passionate about. And I absolutely believe that, while it may be cliché, it is true that hard work is the enabler of success. At the end of the day, you have to be willing to work harder and put in more time than the competition in order to succeed, in whatever endeavour you hope to succeed at. So think big, and work hard to achieve your dreams.

The post Humanities Student Accepted to Harvard Law School appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

Are you interested in using the knowledge and skillset acquired through your Bachelor of Arts degree towards a graduate degree in Architecture?

If so, you are invited you to participate in a five-week intensive studio at where we will help you hone your skills and prepare a design portfolio ready to help you reach that next step.

This is the launch of the first program of its kind in Canada- an immersion studio for participants with no formal academic background in architecture. The main goal of the program is to generate portfolio material appropriate for application to the three-year Master of Architecture accredited degree. This degree option is offered at �Ӱ�ԭ��, and at four other universities in Canada.

The program is a five-week intensive introduction to studio culture, including field trips to prominent architectural landmarks in the Capital Region and Montreal, as well as focused lectures from major thinkers in the theory and practice of architecture, and workshops in digital applications, portfolio preparation, and statements of interest.

Program Cost:

$2900 + hst (includes some studio supplies, and all computer software)

Participants will cover their housing and transportation costs, including a field trip to Montreal.

The School will host an  on the Studio First program on February 25, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism on the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University campus.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� the Program:

Program Director

The Director for the Summer 2016 program is Claudio Sgarbi, PhD. Professor Sgarbi is a practicing architect and educator who divides his time between Italy and Canada. He has been a visiting professor at �Ӱ�ԭ�� since 2007.

Applications for the Summer 2016 program will be available February 1st.

For more information, please contact:  Brynne.Campbell@�Ӱ�ԭ��.ca

The post Using Your BA Towards a Career in Architecture appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.

by Eva Kartchava and David Wood (School of Linguistics and Language Studies)

In light of the recent developments in the Middle East and Canada’s commitment to support Syrian refugees, have you wondered about a contribution which could be made to the resettlement process?

While donations of services, food, clothing, and money are the usual means of support, providing quality language education can be another. The word “quality” is intentional in part because of the popular misconception that the only requirement one would need to teach a language is the ability to speak it. Yet, we would hardly feel at ease being operated on by a surgeon who has only witnessed a surgery without ever having participated in one or a self-proclaimed “pilot” whose only qualification for commandeering the flight you are on is a high score in a video game simulation.

Granted, language education is not a question of life and death, but in many circumstances, one’s inability to effectively communicate can affect one’s present and future realities. Teachers who have been trained in the art of language teaching understand this and are in the position to provide instruction that delivers results. These are professionals who are not only passionate about their work but are also committed to ensuring that the instruction they provide is field tested, in line with the current advancements in language acquisition research, and most importantly, answers to the needs of their learners. Taking a language course with a teacher like this, then, can impact one’s level of success – be it in their integration in a new country, securing rewarding employment, participating in cultural and linguistic landscapes, or from the simple realization that what they say is understood. In short, quality language education can and often does make a real difference.

Fortunately, �Ӱ�ԭ�� is well known as a centre of excellence in the training of teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Canada. The School of Linguistics and Language Studies (SLaLS) houses two programs in this area: a post-degree Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (CTESL), and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies (ALDS). The CTESL was founded in 1975 and is among the oldest such programs in the country, with a long reputation for producing leaders who work in ESL programs across Canada and around the world. The Master of Arts in ALDS includes a TESL stream of courses which provides graduates with the highest qualification in the field, leading to employment in specialized courses in colleges and universities, as well as positions of program leadership and specialist positions in such areas as assessment and teacher training. Both programs are fully accredited by TESL Ontario and TESL Canada, the professional bodies for this field, and graduates are automatically eligible for accreditation as teachers by both organizations.

The professors are distinguished experts in the field and experienced language teachers themselves. They understand both the challenges and benefits of this vocation and, through their active engagement in language classroom research and teacher education, are committed to continued innovation in and advancement of the profession.

A degree in TESL from �Ӱ�ԭ�� is an opportunity to become a well-rounded language teaching specialist, whose skills and abilities are celebrated and professionally recognized. This is a chance to effect change one person or classroom at a time. This is one example of how we can help newcomers to Canada and those learning English elsewhere to successfully navigate their chosen linguistic landscapes. In the current climate of political instability, the significance of quality language education cannot be overstated. After all, by helping someone to learn a language, we not only fulfill their linguistic needs but also open their eyes to what’s possible, thus ultimately affecting the course of their (and our) lives for the better.

Learn more about theCertificate in Teaching English as a Second Language program (CTESL)

Information on the MA program in Arts in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies (ALDS)

The post FASS Blog – A Career in Teaching English: Here to Discover at �Ӱ�ԭ�� appeared first on Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences.