Just as the university’s official orientation week ended, an alternative frosh was held to encourage students to enact social change in their communities.
From Sept. 8 – 12, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG)’s Carleton chapter held (dis)Orientation Week, a “radical alternative” to the previous week’s frosh events.
The week, also called Rad Frosh, has been hosted by OPIRG-Carleton on-and-off since the late 1990s, according to Francella Fiallos, a fourth-year journalism student and board member for the group. This year’s events include a human library, a decolonization walking tour, a comedy show, and workshops in activist terminology.
The week is meant to “engage students in the critical dialogue . . . about what it means to be part of the academic system, and how you can contribute to really meaningful social change,” Fiallos said.
To begin the week, the Mayfair Theatre hosted a screening of Preempting Dissent. The film, which surveys a history of police response to peaceful protest, was followed by a panel discussion with co-director Greg Elmer, along with Carleton PhD candidates Nicholas Lamb and Sabrina Fernandes.
On Sept. 9, a workshop gave attendees the opportunity to learn about activist terminology. With their newfound understanding of terms like “cis-privilege,” “heternormativity,” and “white privilege,” participants then expressed themselves through DIY patch and button making.
Expanding on the theme of activism, (dis)Orientation Week offers students a chance to meet members of the Ottawa activist community at a human library on Sept. 11.
Local performance poet Brandon Wint is one of the people featured.
Wint said he doesn’t necessarily consider himself an activist in the traditional sense.
“Activism is just the understanding that you almost inherently as a human being belong to a community, and that belonging to a community involves some social responsibilities,” he said.
To ensure the week’s accessibility to the entire community, all Rad Frosh events are free, Fiallos said. This is possible due to a levy paid by Carleton students, in addition to partnerships and co-sponsorships with other groups.
Carleton’s larger orientation week, Fall Orientation, costs students $125 to $130. These events were funded entirely through fees paid by participants, according to Ryan Flannagan, director of student affairs.
Martine Panzica, a first-year global politics student who attended both Fall Orientation and (dis)Orientation Week activities, has been able to reflect upon the two events.
“In a way, the environment [at Rad Frosh] is a lot more open,” she said. “It gets you thinking about other things.”
At the same time, Panzica said she believes the two weeks could have overlapping interests.
Wint, on the other hand, said he worries there is a divide between activism and the general community. He said he thinks society’s view towards activism needs to change.
“I feel like all members of our society need to see themselves as activists, or vice versa, in order for movements to build,” he said.
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