Former and current Carleton humanities students came together to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Carleton’s Bachelor of Humanities program from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
Carleton’s College of the Humanities first opened its doors in 1996. According to a press release, its mandate was to “recruit some of the best students in Canada and to give them a deep and comprehensive liberal arts education.”
Lauren Tansley, president of the humanities alumni chapter, associate professor Kimberly Stratton, and Andrea McIntyre, the program’s undergraduate administrator, organized a weekend of events for alumni and current students.
The weekend kicked off with a pub night at the Clocktower Brew Pub in the Glebe.
The next day featured a picnic lunch that was attended by around 70 people, ranging from graduates from the first class of humanities students, to recent graduates from June 2016.
“You don’t realize how life progresses, then you realize life actually happens after university,” said Maddie Panza, a recent humanities graduate.
Alumni such as Canadian author Saleema Nawaz were in attendance, as was Evan Annett, a digital content news editor for the Globe and Mail.
After a few hours of socializing, both alumni and students moved inside Paterson Hall for 10-minute TED talk-style presentations on the topic of “How Humanities Can Change the World.”
Barâa Arar and Graeme O’Farrell, two current students in humanities, spoke about topics close to their hearts. In Arar’s piece, entitled “The Woman is Political: A Visual History,” she expanded on the undergraduate research she conducted during the summer.
“I wish to counter injustices in the world and speak some small piece of truth,” Arar said.
O’Farrell’s talk, “Give The Kids Plato, or How Books Saved My Life,” explored the value of curiosity and learning.
O’Farrell spoke specifically about mental health during questions after his talk. He said the services available to students and others in the community are still not enough.
A number of alumni also gave speeches at the event. Jen Carswell, a senior news producer at BBC World television, delivered her talk via a pre-recorded video and then Skyped in afterward for questions.
“Humanities was steeped in difficulty,” Carswell said in her talk, titled “Humanities in 3 Ds: Discover, Difficulty, Different.”
She also stated that while she had contemplated leaving the program in first year, she is “so glad” that she stayed.
Before the gala on Saturday night, there was a keynote address by Carleton professor Waller Newell on the origin of the humanities program, which Newell referred to as “a four-year magic carpet ride.”
The anniversary celebrations concluded with a mentorship and networking lunch on Oct. 2.
