New interest.

When I first started at University of Ottawa in september I knew that sooner or later I had to get involved in extra curricular activities. The reasons were partially superficial like building a good resumé for law school, but mostly it was because the most memorable part of high school for me was my involvement in various clubs, and it was also the greatest source of challenges and satisfaction.

The only university organization I managed to join was The Fulcrum, UO's official newspaper. From a few issues I got a sense of the content of it, and it was far from impressive. But I was stubborn and thought that if I was there long enough I could infiltrate and find a way to write about things I thought were newsworthy. So, I started with a position in layout. This way I would acquire a staff status but not be forced to write about bland junk. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to learn something new. I was excited and motivated, but it only took two or three meetings for me to realize how out of place I was. It shouldn't be a surprise, because every time I read a copy of the Fulcrum I am amused yet despondent at the lack of depth the content contains. The features range from 'which is the best superhero' to 'sexapalooza' etc.

Having experienced censorship multiple times in high school I was, and still am, flustered by the fact that the Fulcrum has the freedom to tackle any issue they choose to, yet they don't. There is no controversial discourse, no investigative exposé.

But I guess that's what I should learn to expect from mainstream media. Most universities seem to have an alternative news source, but if UO has one I have yet to find it.

So, a month ago I received an email from UO's Muslim Student Association informing us that they are starting a blog initiative and they were looking for writers. Needless to say, I was/am thrilled to be a part of it. It has been up for a couple of weeks now and I am so excited to continue to write for that blog. I really hope that it gains momentum and attracts a diverse audience (InshAllah).

So, if you like reading my blog you might find it interesting as well. My articles, of course, are written under the name 'certainepic'.

UOMSA - BLOG

Shameless self-promotion? well meh, I am not ashamed.

take care,

certainepic.