The Ryerson Journalism Course Union held its annual Cabeer night on Thursday, which served as a link between industry professionals and the students who would one day take their places. However, the venue for this event is a little out of the ordinary. Instead of networking in the warmth of Oakham House or the modern halls of the Ted Rogers School of Management, the meeting was held in another Ryerson landmark: the Imperial Pub, which sits on the corner of Dundas and Bond.
Introduced in what JCU president Amanda Cupido described as “speed dating style”, students curious enough to attend were sorted into groups, which would then spend time with one of the many industry
professionals. After a certain time allotment, there would be a call for a switch, and the groups would cycle. This ensured everyone would have time to speak with the journalists present, which included guests from the CBC.ca, CTV, CP24 and Ryerson’s own Newspaper, The EyeOpener.
Of course, as (of age) students, we can enjoy alcohol in moderation; the setting of a pub served to eliminate an aire of uneasiness between the professionals and students. With everyone on a level playing field, so to speak, it was interesting to see how much more casual everyone was about talking about journalism, an industry that’s rife with uncertainty right now. Peter Nowak, a writer for the CBC, noted the irony in this event; during /his/ time with the JCU, he helped organize the original Cabeer night; hopefully the tradition will continue in years to come.
