Julie McCann's Camayak portfolio

By Naomie Twagirumukiza (Julie as adviser) + 2 others for Algonquin Journalism - 2 min read

Campus clean-up event fosters community and cuts back on litter

For students Peace Lyunade and Beulah Nwokotubo, meeting people who have the same interests as they do and giving back to the community is important. — Photo credit: Zaynab Safa

Did the Woodroffe campus seem more vibrant and clean after the mid-term break? The once-familiar sight of litter scattered on the ground has now suddenly turned into well-maintained surroundings. All that is thanks to the collective efforts of dedicated volunteers who left an indelible mark on the campus landscape during the Clean Your Campus event. What is "Clean Your Campus"?Clean...

Explorer: War Games museum exhibit prompts you to consider big questions

Andrew Burtch, a historian at the Canadian War Museum, is a co-author of the War Games exhibit with Marie-Louise Deruaz. — Photo credit: Noah Leafloor

About 10 years ago, Andrew Burtch, a historian who works at Ottawa's Canadian War Museum had an idea about how to offer something that directly appealed to young people. "After observing and approaching groups of youth in our galleries discussing arms cases, it occurred to me their point of entry was because of video games like Call of Duty," said...

Explorer: Ottawa's new Somalian culture museum is the first in Canada

Kaltoun Moussa holding a wooden stick that Somalians use to grind the crops in the new Khayrhaye Museum. "The bottom part is making the grain well." They repeat this phrase like a song while using the grinder. — Photo credit: Arty Sarkisian

Somalian bread is generally made out of four types of flour: plain, wheat, self-rising and sorghum. After it's baked, it looks like the French crêpes. And it's the kind of thing a Somalian mother would make early in the morning so that the kids would wake up to the fresh bread. It's called Lahoh. Or Lahooh. Or Laxoox. Although absolutely...

First person: learning to do hard things in the kitchen and beyond

"Over the last weeks and months I have steadily improved my cooking skills," says the author.

One afternoon last September, I walked into my family's kitchen and started to make dinner for them. I'd decided to make lasagna. As this was the first meal I'd cooked for them, it felt wise to start with something on the simple side. I was excited, but tense. I'd never done this alone without my mother before. She'd had to...

First Person: What it's like to be a 'nobody' when war happens

Sometimes history will chew you up and spit you out and you must stand up with a cheery smile and say, “Thank you.” — Photo credit: Arty Sarkisian

On Feb. 24, 2022, my dad woke me up in our apartment on the 22nd floor. It was a cold murky Saint Petersburg morning. In this northern Russian city, every morning is cold and murky. “The war has begun,” Dad said. He was both tired and scared. But most importantly, he was disappointed. For a whole month prior to the...

First person: Redefining home across five countries and six moves

Over the last seven years, my family has moved six times to different countries and cities. — Photo credit: Naomie Twagirumukiza

Our suitcases were laid across the floor in what I guessed was going to be the living room. It was August 2015 and we had just arrived in Uganda from Burundi. All the walls were white and reflected the light from outside. It was blinding. The house was smaller than the one we were living in before. It just didn’t...

First Person: Part-time jobs aren't all bad

I work three days a week now while juggling my program. I actually really like my job now because I feel I can do it well. — Photo credit: Kate Playfair

What I like about my part-time job at a Value Village in south-end Ottawa is the calmness that settles in when we close the store. The timely hits play on the store's speakers while I listen to my earbuds. It's just me and the shelves. Well, and the other workers of course. I get to do my closing duties in...

First Person: With some planning, living on your own can be great

Living solo really does take dedication to learning the ropes of budgeting and time management. — Photo credit: Kate Playfair

Being a teenager living at home with my parents in Atlantic Canada, they took care of most expenses, meals and other upkeep around the house. My main priorities were schoolwork, a part-time job and spending time with friends. However, when I began living on my own last year I was in for a rude awakening in the adult world. Venturing...

5Ws: What you need to know about tabletop games

The fun thing about tabletop games is that there are tens of thousands of them, and there is sure to be at least one for you to enjoy. — Photo credit: Alex Lambert

After a three-year period in which we were locked in our homes, in-person board games have become popular again. The board game market rose by 28 percent in 2023 according to The Washington Post and is is was valued between $11 and $13 billion in 2022. It is projected to rise a further 11 per cent by 2027. If you...

First Person: Success in my introverted life means bending, but never breaking

Maybe I need to stop focusing on trying to fit in and trying to adapt to what society wants me to be like. — Photo credit: Stephen Priel

Whenever I’m around my family in Montreal, one thing I really enjoy doing is going on walks with them at night. Especially with my older sister, Vanessa, although she can get a little annoyed with me because she always carries our conversations. When it comes to her, Vanessa's at her best when she let’s everything out. Whether she is describing...