During my time in this position, I contributed articles to UM Today about Faculty of Arts events, including coverage of the Arts Career Roundtable, reviews of both mainstage theatre productions and profiles on the 2024 Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Research Showcase winners. These projects helped me grow as a storyteller and apply what I have learned throughout my Arts degree. I also developed the ability to tailor my writing style to suit different audiences—adapting tone, voice and content depending on whether I was writing for prospective students, current students or the broader university community.

Beyond writing, I collaborated with both professors and students, created social media content with a focus on audience engagement and learned how to produce and edit short-form video content such as Instagram reels. One of my favourite projects was the “Days series,” which highlighted international holidays with a connection to the Faculty of Arts, such as International Chinese Language Day. This series gave me the chance to work with and spotlight a wide range of departments and programs within the Faculty of Arts.

This role broadened my understanding of how a degree in Arts can translate into diverse career opportunities. Communications is a dynamic field that blends creativity, strategy and writing. My experience has sparked an interest in pursuing a communications-related career after graduation. The great thing about working in communications is that it offers a wide array of projects to work on. The job is not monotonous, while there are administrative tasks that you must do, as with any job, communications offers the opportunity to collaborate with people in many fields. I was able to collaborate with professors and students that I would have otherwise never met in areas such as Asian studies, religion, labour studies and more.

I was hired in this position through the Work-Study program run by Career Services, which offers students part-time, on-campus employment during the academic year. Through this program, students can apply to a wide array of positions posted by different departments at UM. I would encourage all students to take advantage of the resources offered by Career Services including career planning, mentorship and job search support.

I would like to thank the Faculty of Arts Communications team for their support and mentorship. Under their guidance, I learned valuable marketing strategies, honed my interviewing and writing skills and gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to create engaging and effective content. I’m truly grateful for everything that I have learned and am excited to carry these experiences forward into the next chapter of my career.

Rachul, who has previously done research on how misinformation spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the sophisticated algorithms underlying social media make it extremely easy for people to get “stuck in silos,” where they’re constantly fed misinformation.

To read the entire article, please follow the link to CBC Manitoba. 

Listen here

Listen here

The account will give you yet another perspective of life at the University of Manitoba through students’ eyes. Our TikTok ambassadors are current UM students who will create entertaining and relatable content for the UM student community. They’ll keep up with current trends and translate them to the UM experience.

You’ll see posts about UM hot spots – from events, tours, and other inviting experiences or celebrations. Iconic campus spaces and buildings will also make an appearance. Ambassadors will highlight fascinating facts about UM and show different ways students can get involved in the university community. Overall, the posts will revolve around what it’s like to be a UM student and around tips for self-care, studying, and other topics that apply to university students in general.

Yet what you might find most interesting may be references to memes and inside jokes that only UM students would really understand. Have you seen a trending TikTok or audio that you thought would definitely fit with something you experienced as a student? It’s a great way to not only engage with our TikTok ambassadors but also enjoy some light-hearted fun with other UM students in the comments.

Make sure to follow @umstudent on TikTok to see future posts the next time you’re scrolling down your FYP and watch for upcoming contests!

@umstudent Welcome to the official #tiktok account for the #universityofmanitoba ! Follow for all things student life! #lifestyle #university #fyp #foryoupage #comedy #student #studentlife #snow #fun #winning #wpg #manitoba #umcommunity #gobisons #bisons #tour #campus #study #studyhacks #education ♬ Sunrise – Official Sound Studio

In no particular order, here are the recommendations from the UM community:

School of Art graduate and Artist Annie Beach in front of a painted mural.

Leah Fontaine, Indigenous initiatives educator with The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, recommends the work of recent School of Art graduate Annie Beach [BFA/20]. “She has the tenacity and the go-get-em attitude with a community-minded spirit. A young activist who is gifted and fabulous, Annie took her academic lifestyle seriously.” Read more about Annie’s background in a feature on the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties website.

Marla Robson, Indigenous projects coordinator with the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources, recommends Crystal Byer of Byer Beads. Crystal is a “kind and gifted Cree beadwork artist who Manitoba Education featured on its 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Day poster.”

Jesse Singer, a student support case worker and ally to the Indigenous community, says he is happy to recommend Adrian Alphonso and his work with Clear Paths. Clear Paths offers cycling advocacy and programming that helps engage youth in nature, exercise and self-confidence while implementing traditional and cultural teachings. “Adrian is an awesome entrepreneur, athlete and role model doing great work for our young people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, while connecting them to nature and exercise.”

Nicole Stonyk, an Indigenous student recruiter, recommends looking into the work of Richard Van Camp on his website. With children’s books and young adult stories, Richard is “a down-to-earth Tlicho Dene who is an incredible storyteller with a wicked sense of humour.”

Niigaan Sinclair, an associate professor in the department of Native studies, recommends the work of Tara Williamson. “Tara is not only a singer for the revolution, but a poet for the masses,” he says.

Valerie Williams, equity, diversity & inclusion coordinator and an ally of the Indigenous community, says she always thought she was a one-type musical girl. That is until she came across A Tribe Called Red. “When I heard those drums? Indigenous music touches my spirit the same way soul music does.” Valerie recommends the song Look at This (Remix), found on YouTube.

Ruth Shead, coordinator of Indigenous Achievement, recommends the film The Grizzlies. “As someone who has never been to the North, this film offers a glimpse of what life is like through the lens of Inuit youth.” She says the film, based on a true story, can be difficult to watch at times, but finds it both inspiring to witness the resiliency of the youth and profound to learn from the Elders. Find more info about the film on The Grizzlies’ website.

Myléne Gamache, an instructor in Native studies and women’s and gender studies, recommends ‘masinahikan iskwêwak – Book Women Podcast’ because of the wonderfully relaxed and informed voices of prairie Michif librarians and scholars Tanya Ball, Sheila LaRoque and Kayla Larson. “They do a great job of addressing a number of salient issues concerning storytelling and the publishing industry including interviews with Chelsea Vowel, Molly Swain, Marilyn Dumont and Chris Andersen, among others.”

Librarian Lyle Ford recommends Métis author Jesse Thistle’s latest book. “His autobiographical book, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, is a shattering, moving tale of his struggles to regain his sense of self-worth and an inspiring account of his recovery.”.  The book is available on the Simon and Schuster website.

Maya Simpson, a student advisor at the Inner City Social Work Program and ally of the Indigenous community, recommends following Megan Tipler (@tiplerteaches) on Instagram. Megan is a Métis teacher and amateur artist. “She has created some beautiful and vibrant hand drawn portraits of Indigenous leaders, such as Dr. James Makokis, Christi Belcourt and Tasha Spillet-Sumner, to name a few,” Maya says. “When she posts her portraits, they are always accompanied with great information about the art subject and their trail-breaking work.”

Please join the Indigenous Student Centre on Facebook on June 22 at 1 p.m. for a National Indigenous Peoples Day virtual celebration!

The release of Avengers: Endgame is a culmination, of a kind, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and therefore also for a phenomenon that both draws upon past cinematic forms while also being something new, whose long-term impact remains to be seen. Sequels and franchises have been with us since the silent era, as has serialized storytelling in film.

Avengers Endgame logo

In the MCU we can see traces of the film serial of old, only now, instead of modestly budgeted 20-minute cliffhanger episodes released one per week, we have 200-million-dollar, 2-hour-plus episodes coming out over the course of 11 years. The other big difference, of course, is that the MCU models the comic book medium by being composed of several interlocking series, and that really is new.

What I have been wondering, as the MCU grows in complexity, is whether there will come a point where audiences tune out because the films, which already verge on being feature-length trailers for the next instalment, will demand too much prior knowledge. Clearly, that has not happened yet, and if Endgame really does mark a point where audiences are given something of a new start with subsequent films, then Marvel may have found a solution to that looming problem.

Avengers Endgame poster

As to whether the film will satisfy audiences, we will have to see. The sheer number of characters involved in the Avengers films (and related movies like Winter Soldier) makes it a towering challenge to create a film that is coherent, let alone one that delivers all things to all viewers, a challenge that the Big Event films do not always meet.

Nevertheless, the success of the MCU rests on more than savvy marketing and connected films. With the exception of the “Conjuring Universe,” all other attempts to create a cinematic universe have foundered. The MCU films have, overall, a consistency of look and tone, and blend of quip and pathos. If, with the partial exceptions of Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther, this has tended to smooth over the differences between directorial styles (the MCU is not an auteurist venture), it has also meant that audiences can rely on getting a lot of what they have come to expect and enjoy in a superhero film.

And so we come to Endgame, which, following the model of so many comic books in the past, presents itself as that paradoxical thing: a spectacular conclusion embedded in a narrative that can never end. However satisfying or disappointing the film turns out to be, we can be sure the discussions around it are only just beginning, and there can be no denying that it represents the climax of a translation from comics to film on a scale that few of us could have imagined possible when Iron Man was first released.

• Summer means things are slowing down on campus. But they don’t slow down for our busy students! See what they’re up to as they take over the UofM Student Instagram account on various adventures.
• June 21st marks National Indigenous People’s Day with events at our Bannatyne Campus. Follow along at #umindigenous.
• Are you a new student coming in the fall? Check out our First Year Planning Guide, video tutorials and Get Ready to Register sessions to help prepare. Follow #umanitoba2022 for all things new student!
• Monday, June 18th is Bike to Work Day! Visit our campus rest stops and enter to win fantastic prizes.

As always, join us and the rest of our community talking about the U of M by following #umanitoba on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo: Travelling_Manitoban

Congratulations to all of our U of M graduates!

 

This chapter of my life is complete. Onto the next one. Thank you to everyone who made these last years memorable and supported me thru it all. Grad 2018 #popthechampagne #graduation #umanitoba2018 #umamitoba #timetocelberate #endofanera #grad #adpimanitoba

A post shared by Ashley Smith (@ashleyyy_1039) on Jun 7, 2018 at 8:41am PDT

 

Congratulations, @jorelldoesstuff! I am so proud of you! #umanitoba2018

A post shared by Marielle Gallajones (@mariellegallajones) on Jun 7, 2018 at 4:38am PDT

 

Convocation 2018 So happy I was able to attend my graduation at the University of Manitoba. Thanks to my family and friends for getting me to this point and I’m so excited for whats to come! On to the next! #umanitoba2018 #convocation

A post shared by Taylor Pischke (@taylor_pischke) on Jun 6, 2018 at 6:53pm PDT

 

Probably shouldn’t look so happy, only one degree and 30k in debt to my name #ywg #grad #umanitoba #umanitoba2018 #summertimeshine

A post shared by BM (@briannamairs) on Jun 7, 2018 at 8:34pm PDT

 

We did it! I’m so happy to have made a great friend in my journey through university. Love you @isabel.dib, thank you for being you and making my journey through school just that much better. So proud of both of us. Here’s to our future! #umanitoba2018 . . . Photo credit goes to the amazing: @thegirlwiththeflaxenhair (seriously check her out, she’s fantastic!)

A post shared by kaitlyn Ⓥ (@kaitlyn.wiens) on Jun 6, 2018 at 8:18am PDT

 

Finally the big day has arrived & I couldn’t be happier! Had a blast this morning and it went better than I imagined! Thanks to all those wonderful people who has helped me along the way! It’s time to accomplish more goals #UMgrad2018 #Umanitoba2018 #MasterofSocialWork

A post shared by Kaladhar Battepati (Kal) (@kaladharb83) on Jun 6, 2018 at 3:12pm PDT

 

So excited to share this moment with friends like @james.w.thunder and @rishikeshsaumya #mba #umanitoba2018 #asperschoolofbusiness

A post shared by Arlin Scharfenberg (@67riverside) on Jun 8, 2018 at 9:58am PDT

 

#umanitoba2018

A post shared by Wendy Brenner (@wendy.brenner) on Jun 7, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT

 

My incredibly talented and hardworking fiancé received his Masters in Music today! I am so proud of you and everything you have done to get yourself here, and can’t wait to help as much as I can along the way on the next chapter! ·Special added bonus: my bestfriend graduated on the same day! Congrats mmmyyyy bestfriend! · · · · #instagood #graduation #mastersdegree #umanitoba2018 #umanitoba #musicdegree #cellist #fiancé #bestfriend #proud #love #nextchapter #fashion #rosegoldhair #capandgown #graduate #diploma #photography #couples #school #friends

A post shared by Teagan (@teaganstone) on Jun 6, 2018 at 12:34pm PDT

 

I did it, I did it! …. now what? #bachelorofarts #convocation #umanitoba2018

A post shared by Teekcachu (@rawrf13) on Jun 6, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT

Here is a look at some of the things they did during the week.

 

Our group for the Medical Microbiology department. it’s been a really cool experience so far #umindigenous

A post shared by Maddison (@maddieaurora_) on May 30, 2018 at 5:30am PDT

 

End of day 1 #umindigenous

A post shared by Ruby Thom (@regretsofaghost) on May 28, 2018 at 5:45pm PDT

 

Labs are cool #umindigenous

A post shared by @ shanae_clarke17 on May 30, 2018 at 7:47pm PDT

 

Different types of soils. SOILS ALIVE!!!!!!!!! #umindigenous

A post shared by Elexsis Ackland (@elexsiscatherineackland) on May 30, 2018 at 9:50pm PDT

 

Today, we finally got to play with radiation, by measuring how much radiation gets through stuff such as lead and aluminum! (Day the second) #umindigenous

A post shared by Tyson (@legomaster09) on May 29, 2018 at 2:54pm PDT

 

had a great week here, met some cool people and some rude people (@/mygroup) that i’ll actually kinda miss hanging out with #vernajkirkness #umindigenous #umanitoba

A post shared by @ taylorcatcheway on Jun 1, 2018 at 6:58am PDT