Amongst a group of highly-qualified applicants, Briana stood out for being a top student in finance and economics. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Economics from Carleton University and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.

Selling paper bags. Counting soup labels. Promoting good study habits. Arguing both sides of a legal case in Canada’s most prestigious moot court competition.

For second-year Law student Shanelle Manhue, all that is part of extracurricular life at Carleton.

Take the paper bags, for example. She sold them at $5 a pop to raise funds for the campus edition of Relay for Life, a fundraiser sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society. Each bag was decorated, lit from the inside by candle, and used to decorate the Field House at evening receptions honouring cancer survivors and their families. ”It was a time for them to get together, remember their fight with cancer, and celebrate that they beat it,” she says. “It turned out really well.”

As part of the relay’s finance committee, she also sorted, counted and rolled donation money. She remembers having to sort out one bag with $150 in coins. “People who brought cheques were very much appreciated,” she laughs.

But that was good preparation for the soup labels. For the past two years, Shanelle has volunteered for Carleton’s Day of Service, and this year was assigned to a local agency that teaches literacy skills. She helped prepare activities for young clients, but also counted some 4,000 Campbell’s soup labels the agency could cash in to buy computers.

During her first year, she was a wellness representative for the Health and Counselling office, promoting residence sessions aimed at helping students adjust to university life. “First-year students are stressed out. They’ve moved out of their parents’ house, are in a foreign city, and don’t know how to cope,” Shanelle says.

She benefited from the speakers herself, she says, learning how to avoid being overwhelmed. “In high school I’d lock myself in my room for days before exams. But I now realize I can take a breather once in a while – walk, read a book, watch TV, anything to take my mind off studying. And it helps me to remember what I was studying for those four hours before.”

But her biggest activity is surely being part of Carleton’s moot court team, organized by the Law Student Society (CULSS). As one of a dozen members, Shanelle spent the last few months preparing to argue a case at Osgoode Hall Law School, in an annual undergraduate competition that attracted a record 52 teams this year. Though she’d been a member of CULSS, she admits she wasn’t really involved until she tried out for the team.

The team prepared for the competition by practising mock trials based on actual court cases. After finding out in mid-February what this year’s case would be, Shanelle and the others researched both sides. Participants weren’t told what side they would have to argue until five minutes before they were to appear in court. “It was very intense, very fast-paced,” says Shanelle, “but it was so much fun.”

Here involvement in CULSS goes up a notch next year when she’ll head the finance portfolio.

Shanelle’s extra-curricular activity has always been on the upswing. She says she wasn’t active in extracurricular life until Grade 12 – and even then, just to have something for her resume. But after participating in a Salvation Army toy drive and organization of the senior prom, she says, “I thought it was incredible, amazing.”

Until high school, Shanelle wanted to be a doctor (“and then biology happened”), but a career test suggested a career in law. “I watch a lot of CSI, some Law and Order,” she says, “and it’s exhilarating. It’s my passion.“

Pointing to work she’s done with the Wrongful Conviction and Injustice Association, Shanelle says: “The legal system, which says it’s to be helping people, is hurting people at the same time. I want to fix that.”

“It’s a cheesy line,” Iman Azman admits, “but it’s really true. Coming to Carleton has been a life-long dream.”

In a way, she has her dad to thank. When Iman was 12, he took her to a Canadian university fair in her hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“The Carleton booth was the first one I saw, and the woman there was really nice,” she recalls. “I knew I wanted to take journalism – CNN was always on at breakfast, and I loved to write and talk – and I knew Carleton had the best program.” When it came time for university, this was the only one she applied to.

“It was a bit of a gamble,” she concedes, “but if I hadn’t made it, I would’ve stayed home.”

Today, as Iman winds up her second year in Journalism and Political Science, she has become a Carleton ambassador herself, working for the Student Experience Office. Whether it’s helping serve tea at President Runte’s house, ushering at convocation, or participating in summer orientation, Iman enjoys giving folks a warm impression of Carleton students.

But her biggest responsibility has been to spearhead this year’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB), a program that links classroom learning with community service. She enjoyed participating in ASB during her freshman year, helping at a local school that serves mainly immigrant kids, and wanted to return to the program in a bigger role.

So last summer she found herself planning three ASB projects, including ones in Mexico and Guatemala, and revamping the Ottawa project to focus on poverty and homelessness.

The Ottawa team volunteered at a number of local organizations, from a drop-in centre to a soup kitchen, got a taste of poverty by living on a $7-a-day budget, and heard guest speakers who’d themselves lived on the street.

“There was real team-building,” Iman says. “At the end of the week, it was really hard to say goodbye to these 13 people. Luckily, I still see them around campus.”

She says the experience taught her not to be worried about reaching out to street people – even if it’s just to smile and say hello. She also learned organizations always need help. “Not enough students know about Carleton’s resources to connect them with local groups,” she says, pointing to the Student Experience Office Days of Service program as an example.

Planning for the three ASB projects – pulling together a fundraising plan, background reading, orientation sessions, and other logistics – meant she learned great skills: being quick on her feet, customer service, organization (“when you have to get up at 6:30 on Saturday morning to get to campus for 7:30, you’re pretty organized”).

Despite all that, Iman has carved out time for other interests. She serves on the executive of Carleton’s chapter of Journalists for Human Rights, maintains a blog, and is an avid photographer who sells some of her work for charity. She has also developed a passion for hockey (“back home the guys are really into soccer, but nothing compares to the fanaticism for hockey here”).

“I’m involved in so many things I feel a bit of pressure,” she admits. But that hasn’t cut into her academic achievements quite yet: last year, Iman was named a K. Phyllis Wilson Scholar.

Magna Bursary for Russian Studies

Awarded twice yearly to  four (or more)  outstanding graduate  and/or  advanced undergraduate  students  in the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS),  the departments of Political Science,   History,   Economics and Sociology  and Anthropology,  or the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs  who are studying  Russia  or/and Russian relations with the outside world (for instance Russia’s relations with European Union or the former Soviet space).  Awards will not normally exceed 3000 dollars.

Eligibility and criteria:

This bursary may be awarded to students who seek   financial assistance doing field research or have legitimate scholarly travel expenses (for example, attending conferences or workshops). Recipient(s) will be chosen by a Committee struck by the Dean of the Faculty of Public Affairs.  The committee will include Dr. Piotr Dutkiewicz (Magna Fund coordinator).

Applications should include:

• A letter of application, outlining the importance of the travel and the purpose of the  bursary;
• For conference or workshop participation, an abstract of the paper and indication of acceptance of the paper by the conference organizers;
• A listing of other support that is expected or has been applied for and justification of the amount requested from the Magna Fund.

Deadlines for application are March 21, 2011 and November 1^st, 2011.

Please send your application to Ginette Lafleur , EURUS Administrator, 1311 Dunton Tower or by email at ginette_lafleur@carleton.ca.

Further information is available from Professor Piotr Dutkiewicz, piotr_dutkiewicz@carleton.ca

This bursary is generously supported by Magna Fund for Russian Studies based in the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University.



Adrian’s course explores three human rights systems – the Americas, Africa and Europe.  Students examine one human rights violation in each of those areas, and trace it from the ground all the way the United Nations.  Far from relying on readings and textbooks, Adrian presents her students with real life case studies that include a woman in Argentina whose three children have disappeared, and child soldiers in Africa.

“It can be kind of boring learning about institutions,” says Adrian. “But if you engage the students in the first week with a real person, a real family, a real set of circumstances, who take cases to the regional domestic courts, and from there to the regional human rights system, and from there, they take it to the UN, then the understanding and engagement is different.”

Adrian has also included an anthropological perspective to the course through the inclusion of resistance hip hop.

“It brings in that voice of resistance,” says Adrian, “and it fits in very well with the human rights themes, because it brings in someone who’s commenting on what’s happening.”

Adrian encourages her students to listen to resistance hip hop and apply it to the themes they are exploring the course. The “extra-credit challenge,” involves finding a piece of hip hop resistance music, and submitting it to Adrian for discussion in class.

“I have between two and six different submissions, typically.  They have to give me the link and the lyrics and they have to write a paragraph on why they think that this particular song is important for us to listen to, and they have to make the case for it,” she says. “And at the beginning of class they come up to the front and they explain why they’ve chosen this song and how it links to that week’s themes or readings, or our general discussion.”

Adrian has also arranged for Roméo Dallaire to visit the class to discuss his book, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers.

“He’s going to speak about child soldiers in Africa, which is exactly what we’re studying,” says Adrian. In preparation for his visit, she screened the documentary film, Blood Diamond. She hopes that Dallaire, having worked with regional human rights systems in Africa, will be able to show her students some practical realities, as he sees them.

Introduction to Law is a required course for the ArtsOne cluster, Human Rights and Democracy. The cluster focuses on politics, law and human rights, and the relationship between them.

Jennie Russell may be the first in Canada to graduate with a combined honours in global politics and journalism. Photo: Graham Pressey

by Peter Johansen

Jennie Russell never really thought about fencing as a sport for her until she read Carleton’s viewbook for prospective students. She was looking for ideas about extracurricular activities, and zeroed in on a brief reference to fencing.

“That looked good, so I went with a friend to a beginners’ class,” says the third-year student in Journalism and Global Politics, who admits most of what she knew about the sport came from movies that don’t often get things right. “I just really fell in love with it. It’s the smartest decision I’ve made at Carleton, because it’s really fun and I’ve met an incredible group of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Beginners were encouraged to try out for the varsity team, she says. She made the cut. “It was daunting, but the coaches are really friendly and open to helping out,” Jennie says.

She specializes in sabre (fencers can also do epee or foil). She’s been part of the women’s bronze-medal sabre team at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) finals for the past two years, and she personally ranked in the top 10 at a tournament last year at Brock University. The next OUA finals will be held Feb. 5-6 at Royal Military College.

“I like sabre because it’s faster paced than foil or epee, more exciting to watch,” she explains. “It’s pretty thrilling to be part of it.”

Growing up in Oakwood, Ont., Jennie thought about studying creative writing in university. But after interning at the nearby Lindsay Daily Post during high school, she fell in love with journalism. That sealed her decision to attend Carleton.

“It’s important to make an impact in the world,” she says, “and when you combine that with a love of writing, journalism makes sense.” But she continues creative writing, mostly poetry, at home.

Because Global Politics is the only program of its kind in Canada, Jennie is on track to becoming the first graduate in Canada with a combined honours in that subject and Journalism. “Global Politics complements Journalism,” she notes. “You have to have a general knowledge of what’s going on in the world. Without it, you won’t be a very good journalist.”

Jennie also works part time at Crocs, a shoe store in the Byward Market, where she’s made friends, gets to practice French, and “likes talking to people, a prerequisite for journalism.” She relaxes with hot yoga: “I’m so busy, it’s a good way to unwind.”

If Martha Chertkow finds time to sleep, it’s not clear when.

The fourth-year student in Carleton’s Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (B.PAPM.) program has tackled everything from Parliament Hill to Darfur with equal gusto. And she’s made sure to spare enough time for sports, music and contributions to student life in Kroeger College, where her degree program is housed. Her academics haven’t suffered either: she was named a finalist this year in one of the world’s most prestigious academic awards, the Rhodes Scholarship.

As Elaine Rouleau, the Kroeger College administrator, puts it: “Martha seems to be able to pack 30 hours into every day. I have no doubt she will end up exactly where she wants to be.”

But Martha shrugs off such amazement this way: “You just have to be motivated about what you do.”

Her activity level is nothing new. In high school, she volunteered with NGOs in Botswana, Guatemala and Costa Rica; helped establish the McGill chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur; and raised funds for such charities as CARE and the Kalahari Peoples Fund.

It all fuelled her passion for social justice. But, she says, “As I kept reading articles and reports, I realized that if I wanted to make a difference in public policy, I’d have to get involved in politics. That’s why I came to Carleton.”

And she did get involved. She volunteered for Glen Pearson, the Liberal critic for international development in Parliament. That led to a part-time job as his research assistant. She served as a special assistant to a second MP, and landed one summer in the constituency office of a third.

She says, “It was energizing to study politics at Carleton and then get the tangible and practical perspective on the ground, and put the two together.”

On campus she’s Vice-President of Policy and Academic for the Kroeger College student society, where last year she wrangled professors, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and four Kroeger students to compete in a trivia night, dubbed “Are You Smarter than a Kroeger Kid?” Top spot was shared by May and Patrick Salonius, then a first-year Kroeger student. Martha is organizing another session – a fun take on the college’s traditional policy discussions with Parliamentarians – for Feb. 1.

As if that’s not enough, she’s performed in “The Vagina Monologues” for the past four years, plays French horn in the Carleton Chamber Music Ensemble, is on intramural teams in soccer and basketball, and helps ease immigrants into Ottawa life as a youth host at the Catholic Immigration Centre.

She parlayed all that into an internship last summer with the International Labor Organization in Geneva. Despite folks who told her she didn’t stand a chance, she landed the position after sending resumes to 70 U.N. offices. “Being surrounded by all those interns with fascinating life stories from around the world was an incredible experience,” she says.

Martha hopes to work in post-conflict reconstruction and transitional justice when she graduates, but meanwhile says her wide-ranging passions will pay off: “I believe you need to have more than one specific understanding of the world,” she says. “Only then are you able to find a solution that truly appreciates the complexity of any issue at hand.”

The political junkies host “Raven’s Eye,” a political discussion every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on Carleton radio station CKCU-FM.  The program is also archived at ravenseye.yolasite.com.

Their special twist?  An unabashed student perspective.  The co-hosts, both second-year Political Science majors, interview Carleton students knowledgeable about the weekly topics.  If they can’t find a suitable guest, they bounce ideas off each other.

“It took a while to come up with the format, frankly,” admits Luke, who moved to Canada from Wales with his family in 2006.  “We tried several ideas, but essentially we thought that talking to students would be a brilliant way of bringing issues to life.”

President Roseann Runte was an inspiration, he adds: “She once suggested using more technology to give students a voice, and we see the program as doing that.”

The show can, arguably, trace its roots to the Mississauga high school where Jason caught the radio bug.  When he joined Carleton, he approached CKCU and did a couple of sample episodes, but didn’t like having no one to play off of.

When Luke came on as a guest, however, the “great chemistry” led to co-hosting duties, Jason says. “Luke has really become the main guy on the show.  He’s really the one who put it into overdrive.”

The two seem to complement each other in other ways, too.  Luke’s primary interest lies in Europe and Africa, while Jason is attracted to the U.S. and China.  Jason isn’t afraid of controversy, pushing his guests about their beliefs; Luke takes a more diplomatic approach.

Radio isn’t their only interest.  Luke does community outreach for the campus GLBTQ Centre, helping it connect with outside organizations, and he chairs a monthly get-together of post-secondary gay and lesbian centres across Ottawa.  Jason hosts Wednesday trivia night at Mike’s Place and is active in Carleton’s Model United Nations Club, participating in simulations at such schools as Harvard and Queen’s.  He’s twice been named outstanding delegate at York University’s annual model UN weekend.

“It’s really important to have diversified experiences as a student,” Luke explains.

We’ve engaged job-readiness consultant Geoff Dubrow, founder of Real Life U,  to lead practical, interactive sessions that will explore how to identify potential employers, prepare a resume that makes you stand out from the crowd, and use social media for career networking.  They’re designed specifically for Public Affairs students.

The best thing is the seminars are free – and if you can’t make one in person, you can participate from anywhere via the Internet.

For details and registration, visit www.carleton.ca/fpa/jobready.

Jonah Brotman, BA’07, knows the value of student internships.  His career was inspired by one.

In 2006, the communication studies major went to Ghana, where he stayed with a local family and worked at an all-gospel radio station, writing news updates.

The trip was organized through an African non-governmental organization.

Jonah Brotman (left), in Sandema, Ghana, during the construction of a new orphanage for boys called the Horizon Children's Centre.

But Jonah returned feeling the NGO didn’t offer him exactly what he wanted.  “It was hard for them to understand the realities of what a 20-year-old Canadian kid wants to do,” he explains.  “It was a fun trip, though, so I wondered why not bring the experience to other students.”

That’s how, during his last year at Carleton, Jonah found himself setting up Operation Groundswell, a non-profit organization that gives 18-to-30 year-olds the chance to travel, know the locals, and volunteer for community-building projects.

Those projects vary from building a school in Guatemala to working on sports programs in Rwanda.

This summer, the non-profit group is mounting 20 trips.

Between projects, the travelers will also do the usual backpacker-style sightseeing.  The ratio of travel to volunteering varies from trip to trip, offering welcome variety to Groundswell’s 200 participants.

That’s a far cry from 2007, when Jonah enlisted just 11 students – mostly “friends and friends of friends,” he admits.  Most were Carleton students.

Jonah says this university is still an active source of participants, but now clients hail from across the country, and the U.S. and England as well.

To underscore the humanitarian focus, each participant must raise $1,000 that’s fully used for microfinance loans, in-country projects and carbon offsetting.

For Jonah, the ultimate satisfaction is bringing young people abroad: “Very few have gone to the developing world.  It opens their eyes to the fact people are people everywhere.”

He and business partner David Berkal see their mission as breaking Western apathy.  “We’re seeing our alumni do great things now,” he proudly says.  “Young people are the future change-makers.  Real change in the world will come from them.”

Meanwhile, he says the holistic experience participants experience is “the coolest tutorial you could ever take.”

For more information: www.operationgroundswell.com.