Fall Update!

Hello everyone,

I can’t believe that it’s almost October already! It feels like just the other day it was the beginning of September and now Thanksgiving is looming in just a few weeks. I have been very busy with school as of late, so why don’t I bring you up to speed.

Last week, Carleton Oxfam, the campus group that I am president of, had a very successful charity night to raise funds for the East African Food Crisis. Featuring four local Ottawa bands (Kalle Matson, Right by Midnight, The Beer Barons, and Winchester Warm), our “Jammin’ Against Famine” event was held at Babylon nightclub, with all proceeds going to the Humanitarian Coalition. What is really awesome about the Humanitarian Coalition, (aside from it being comprised of 5 sweet Canadian aid organizations – check them out!) is that all of the funds they raised for East Africa prior to September 16 were matched by the government of Canada! Therefore, for every dollar we raised for the coalition, the government would match it! Having said this, we raised a grand total of $1543.02, which when doubled, becomes a whopping $3086.04 dollars! Not too shabby for a group of university students, eh?

Aside from Oxfam, I have also been very busy with my various jobs and volunteer activities on campus. When I’m not blogging for Carleton, I’m often helping out with events through the CU Host program, or heading out to high schools to talk with prospective students with the Student Ambassador program. I am very happy to say that I am also a Carleton University Telecounselor! This position includes calling prospective students and answering any questions they may have, as well as providing feedback as to what it is like to be a student at Carleton University! So prospective students stay tuned because I may be calling you up in the near future!

Last but not least, I have also been very pre-occupied with my studies. Academics come first and foremost for me, so balancing my academics on top of my other commitments is challenging at times, but a challenge which I welcome. I am currently enrolled in several third-year human rights classes, a third-year advanced oral French class, and first-year sign language! The sign language course was one of the electives that I selected this year, and I am very happy with how the course is going thus far. While I was very intimidated at the beginning of the course (as I have no background knowledge of sign language whatsoever) I have surprised myself with how quickly I have been able to grasp the basics. The fact that I am able to take such a unique course here at Carleton is a testament to the diverse course options available at the university. I am really enjoying this class and would definitely recommend it to others. I’m happy that I will soon be able to add “basic sign language” as an additional skill on my resume!

That’s it for this week! If anyone on campus is interested in becoming a Carleton University Host, check out the SEO website! The deadline is soon, so make sure you get your applications in!

Cheers!

-Maddie

Posted on September 28, 2011 | Category: Madison