This November, for the first time ever, Ryerson hosted the Canadian Citizenship Oath Ceremony in partnership with the Cultural Awareness Committee of Ryerson University and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The Cultural Awareness Committee members are comprised of representatives from Student Affairs, Student Life, EDI, RSU and CESAR.
The Cultural Awareness Committee also organized a photo exhibition to showcase the diversity of our campus community. The theme of the exhibition was “Becoming Canadian.” Fourth Year Journalism student and Cultural Ambassador for International Student Support curated the exhibition. Here are our beautiful submissions and the moving captions written for them by their owners.
“Why this photo is important to me: becoming Canadian was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was an opportunity that my parents blessed me with in 2014 that I’m very thankful for. For the past five years that I’ve been in Canada, I have felt like I truly belonged here. It is a cultural mosaic that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of. It is where you can meet incredible people, find great opportunities and a chance for a better future. Canada is my home.” By Bianca Caldas, 2nd Year, Child and Youth Care, First Generation Ambassador at The Tri-Mentoring Program“Canada is a country that is multicultural and diversified in culture. The three pictures I have entered with their array of colours, shapes, sizes depict Canada’s multicultural and diversified culture, very beautiful and free and joyous.” By Cameika Brown-Vidal, 4th Year, Business Management Program (Human Resources)The weekends at the cottage: roasting marshmallows, playing in the water, growing up with scratches, creating lifelong friendships and bonding with your family. By Flavia Guerrieri, 2nd Year, Business ManagementThe wonders of nature. Because only Canada offers you breathtaking sunsets. By Flavia Guerrieri, 2nd Year, Business ManagementIn Europe they pet cats, in Canada we feed squirrels. By Flavia Guerrieri, 2nd Year, Business ManagementLake Louise, Alberta; Bare legs in a field of dandelions, at the base of the iconic lake, with snow covered mountains tops in the distance. Canada has a grand scale of climate and terrain. By Elizabeth Hodkinson, 2nd Year, Hospitality and Tourism ManagementToronto, Ontario; A seven streetcar traffic jam. Canadian winters are a beautiful struggle. By Elizabeth Hodkinson, 2nd Year, Hospitality and Tourism ManagementMontreal, Quebec; A Dutch woman and Australian man exploring “HEDGE” within the Gay Village of Montreal. Many Canadian cities hold a vast amount of urban installation art. By Elizabeth Hodkinson, 2nd Year, Hospitality and Tourism ManagementTo me, this picture represents the diversity that Canada offers and how it is all beautifully interweaved. By Melina Labrosse, 3rd Year, Fashion CommunicationToronto city skyline. The first and second picture, shows the CN tower and the skyline, which represents a popular Canadian figure internationally. The last picture represents diversity, which is what Canada is known for. By Navaneeth Mulloli Panikan, 1st Year, Business Technology ManagementThe best way to learn a culture is to discover how they dream. And for keeping awake we’ll always have Tim Hortons, a Canadian company. By Luis Otavio Siveira Martins, 3rd Year, Mechanical EngineeringJohn Maynard Keynes once said “Canada is a place of infinite promise”. Therefore, the best place in Canada to keep that promise is Toronto, a city with multicultural background and multi-colored as the sign behind me in the photo. By Luis Otavio Siveira Martins, 3rd Year, Mechanical Engineering“Captured in this photo is the monument that stands at Toronto’s Old City Hall. This photo is important to me because this photo expresses and outlines the sacrifices that had to be made to give everyone an opportunity to become a Canadian in Canada. Without the brave lives of Canadians that have sacrificed their lives and put their lives at risk everyday, we would not be able to live as comfortable as we do today. Sacrifices are made everyday and should never be forgotten.” By David Chau, Business Management Program (Marketing Management and Global Management)These pictures represent being Canadian to me since they represent some of the moments I was most proud of being Canadian. The various sights and lands that Canada offers an incredible and we are so lucky to be able to experience them. Having a sense of curiosity and being at peace when in nature is representative of being Canadian to me. By Melina Labrosse, 3rd Year, Fashion CommunicationThese pictures represents being Canadian to me since they represent some of the moments I was most proud of being Canadian. The various sights and lands that Canada offers an incredible and we are so lucky to be able to experience them. Having a sense of curiosity and being at peace when in nature is representative of being Canadian to me. By Melina Labrosse, 3rd Year, Fashion CommunicationMaple Leaf at Heart. By Michael Morozov, 2nd Year, Urban and Regional PlanningAs an immigrant, I always appreciate what we have here in Canada; safety, security, clean air, bright future, and…. Becoming Canadian to me is to call this paradise, “home”. By Mohammadali Saremi, 2nd Year, Mechanical EngineeringRepresenting Diversity. The first and second picture, shows the CN tower and the skyline, which represents a popular Canadian figure internationally. The last picture represents diversity, which is what Canada is known for. By Navaneeth Mulloli Panikan, 1st Year, Business Technology ManagementRepresenting Drake. The first and second picture, shows the CN tower and the skyline, which represents a popular Canadian figure internationally. The last picture represents diversity, which is what Canada is known for. By Navaneeth Mulloli Panikan, 1st Year, Business Technology ManagementBy Oscar Hernandez, 2nd Year, Computer EngineeringBy Sanjid Anik, Student Advisor, International Student SupportBy Sanjid Anik, Student Advisor, International Student SupportThe 2015 federal election marked the first time I was eligible to vote anywhere in my life. The sense of privilege and duty that I felt when I cast my ballot was, for me, what it meant to be Canadian. By Wincy Li, Career Consultant-FCS, Career Centre
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