Canadian Emmy-winning showrunner Dan Levy delivered an inspirational message during a virtual Q&A to students from Carleton and nine other Ontario institutions on Oct. 5.
The Q&A was one of the flagship events for Carleton’s first large-scale university-affiliated Pride Week which was scheduled from Oct. 4 to 8. In the past, Pride programming has been run by student advocacy groups on campus, such as the Gender and Sexuality Resource Centre (GSRC).
The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and the Student Experience Office (SEO) brought the event to Carleton students in collaboration with the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities (COCA).
CUSA vice president (student issues), Valentina Vera Gonzalez said there were 1,500 total attendees from across the participating universities.
Jessi Cruickshank, Levy’s former co-host on MTV Canada, moderated the event and one student from each institution was invited to ask Levy a question.
Over the course of the evening, Levy discussed his experience with bullying, his personal coming-out journey and how he has been engaging in further learning opportunities to understand Indigenous issues in Canada.
“If you can harness the bad things that happen to you and channel them into something that feels constructive and something that feels productive, then you win because you’ve used that negativity as ammunition to make you stronger and better at what you want to do,” Levy said.
Together, the pair showed off their natural chemistry, creating a safe and energetic environment in the attendee chatbox.
Levy gave students advice on being an ally to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and staying true to yourself in the film and television industry. Specifically, Harriet Smith*, a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton who said she was an aspiring author and screenwriter, spoke to Levy about ensuring adequate representation while creating media.
Smith told the Charlatan it’s always been a priority for her to represent various minority communities within her work, but she understands the responsibility that comes with this, especially as she is not a member of these communities.
“I’ve been doing my own research and speaking to my friends that are a part of those communities as well, but when I realized I had the chance to speak to Dan Levy — a writer who represents so many communities in his own work — I wanted to see how he represented communities so well, even if he wasn’t a part of them himself,” Smith said.
Levy also shared a piece of creative advice with Smith.
“Finish the screenplay […] because the experience of writing something from start to finish is so invaluable, you have no idea. And even if you finish that movie and you hate it, you’ve had the experience of writing that first screenplay,” Levy said.
Smith said that her brief conversation with Levy was inspirational.
“Having someone who inspires me so much encourages me to keep writing was really impactful for me. It made me want to try even harder,” Smith said.
SEO’s diversity, equity and programs coordinator, Dwaine Taylor, told the Charlatan that with the cooperation of all the other institutions, it was possible to get the date of this event to align with Carleton’s timeline for the Pride Festival.
Taylor explained that the SEO chose this week in October for the most exposure and engagement among students versus the widely celebrated June festivals.
Pride Week offered educational and celebratory content for students to enjoy. In addition, the SEO held some designated closed events for 2SLGBTQIA+ students to connect with each other.
During the event, two members of CUSA’s staff, events and program coordinator, Hannah Whale; and communications coordinator, Carley Warner-Hussey, provided educational resources to attendees, including a document of Indigenous courses at the partnered universities and a mental health support resource.
Gonzalez spoke to the Charlatan about CUSA’s involvement in the Q&A.
“I’m just glad that CUSA was able to help somehow and to show our support for the different communities that have been under-represented and underserved for so long,” Gonzalez said. “I’m really happy that we’re able to help, and that we’re able to create these kinds of events and these spaces, and that the university is putting in some effort to see these events happen on campus.”
*Harriet Smith has contributed to the Charlatan.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
