Poetry Slam

Last night I was blown away by the talent of the poets! I mean wow! I have never been to a poetry slam before so I had no idea what to expect.

So I’m sure you’ve seen the posters around campus or Just Jamaal The Poet around campus.  There are eight poets, three rounds, and one winner walks away 300 dollars richer. The coolest part of the experience was that the audience votes who moves on to the next round and the poets don’t know what the order is. Each poet was given a letter from A to H and the audience decides who they see next.

This was my first poetry slam, and I have to say it will not be my last. I was so impressed by the talent that I saw last night, they were all great. On top of that, it was awesome that two of the poets are Algonquin College students. I had such a hard time voting on the best poet, that I didn’t even get my ballot in on time! 

Last night’s poets were:

• CauseMo
• Kayla
• ArRay-of WoRds
• A human experience
• Hyf GypsySun
• VNessa Ballerz
• Fatima Allen
• Ali Islam
• PrufRock Shadowrunner (Special Guest)
• Just Jamaal The Poet (Host)

The poems ranged from discussing serious topics like the treatment of women, politics, and poverty, to sex, dating, and family. One of my favorite poems of the night was by VNessa Ballerz and she talked about 10 ways to get over your ex. The Poetry Slam reminded me of the movie, Eight Mile, as it was kind of like a rap contest without the backup music. They speak with passion and truly preform their words. It was not the finger snapping, quiet show stigma that I thought when I first heard about it.

I had a great time at the poetry slam and encourage everyone to check out the emerging poetry scene in Ottawa. It would be really cool if I saw YOU performing at the next Poetry Slam! 

Movie Night: Life of Pi

Welcome back Algonquin, I hope everyone enjoyed their break! Last night was the February Movie Night featuring Life of Pi. I have wanted to see this movie for a long time I just never had the money or time to see it in theatres. I was also really excited to watch this movie after it snatched the awards for cinematography, director, visual effects, original score, at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Life of Pi tells an amazing story about a boy on a life boat with a tiger, but beyond that it discusses religion, faith and humanity. I really loved this movie! It was a roller coaster of emotions, I was laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat the whole time.  It was a beautiful film that makes you think about life.

I’m so happy that I got to see this movie on the big screen and it was free! This is by far one of my favorite free events at Algonquin College. I get to see great movies like Argo (2012 best picture) and Life of Pi for free and the SAO lets the students pick the movie. Polls are run on the Facebook page to decide what movie will be played each month. Remember, movie night is on the last Monday of the month tentatively! I can’t wait to see what the March movie will be.

I had a great time last night and I’m looking forward to my first Poetry Slam tonight in the Observatory at 8pm. See you there!

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael

Dominican Experience

 

On Wednesday night I was able to sit in on the last meeting for the AlternativeSpring Break – Dominican Experience before they leave on Saturday.

It was really funny to see everyone buzzing with excitement and nerves right before they leave. Some were packed while others were just starting to. The energy in the room was really fun. For some students this is their first trip south others this is their first time volunteering abroad. They did a really cool exercise where they discussed their feelings from when they first met in October to now right before they leave.  

It has been a long journey for many for this group with applications and meetings starting in October. They have met every week from October to now, sold chocolate for fundraising, and organized events. This is a group of dedicated students that have become friends because of this project. They have a mix of ages, backgrounds, and programs that may have not connected outside of this project.

I was really impressed with the amount of donations they received from the school family and friends. They packed six suitcases full of food, books, and other donations for the school they will be working at. It is really great to see the school and community come together to support these students.

This is trip will allow the students to work with an orphanage in the Dominican. They will be working with a program called Outreach360. They are a non-profit organization with headquarters in Glendale, Arizona. In 1994, they “adopted” the Hope of a Child Orphanage in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. The focus of the orphanage is on education – teaching English, literacy, and public health. During the school year, you will most likely be teaching in local grade schools. The full-time on-site staff build relationships with the community to ensure they are meeting the highest priority needs of the area.

The students will be taking journals so that they can blog all their experiences when they get back. Check out their blog to see what they have gone through so far.
algonquindominicanexperience.blogspot.ca/

I want to wish them the best of luck in their travels. Remember to have fun and be yourself. You have all worked hard selling chocolates, and organizing events like Rich Meal Poor Meal, now is the time to enjoy yourself and make some memories.  As someone being left behind I would like you to bring back lots of pictures, stories, and sunshine.  

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael

Beer and Food Pairing

This event is a must for students, especially if you have ever thought about taking a wine or beer tasting course. I like to enjoy a beer every now and then but this event has changed the way I look at beer. I normally only think about pairing food with wine, but last night I realized that beer is just as versatile and tasty!

The night started with Kichesippi blonde beer and spring rolls for appetizers as you waited for your seats. I had tried this beer before so I was eased into the experience.

The pairings for the night were:

• Kichesippi: Natural Blonde – spring rolls
• Kichesippi: 1855 – barley soup and cream of broccoli soup
• Big Rig: Lon’s ESB – pulled pork with Rosti potato and red cabbage
• Beyond The Pale: Rye Guy – Jerk Chicken with jasmine rice and pineapple papaya salsa
• Beau’s: Lug Tread – Fish & Chips with tartar sauce and coleslaw
• Beyond The Pale: The Darkness – Chocolate Cakes pops with orange sorbet

Sarah enjoying the food.

The pairing that I enjoyed the most was the Rye Guy with jerk chicken. It was a great balance between the flavor of the beer and the spice of the chicken. The pairing that surprised me the most was The Darkness with the chocolate cake pops.

I love that all the breweries featured are located in the Ottawa area.  It showcases a side of the city that I have not experienced yet. There are a few breweries that host their own tours and tastings, and this was given out as a prize at the event! At the end of the night we were given a booklet to take home, detailing each pairing and tells you where the brewery is located. 

This was the first time I have been in the Restaurant International, and I was very impressed with the food that night. I will definitely be returning for dinner, and students even get a discount.

I had a great time and this is a perfect event for a few or even a group of friends. I enjoyed each beer and dish that was served, it was a awesome night! This is an event that I will definitely be doing again.

- SAO blogger Sarah Raphael

Movie Night: Argo

After reading all the amazing reviews and watching Argo win award, after award at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild I finally had the chance to watch this film at Movie Night in the Student Commons building.

Even though I knew how the film ended it didn’t ruin the surprise, suspense, and thrill it created. The movie is set in 1979, where the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans are taken hostage. However, six manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA is eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devises a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project, looking to shoot in Iran, and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew.

I loved this movie and I highly recommend that you watch it. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole thing. The movie was a great mix of history and action with a little hint of comedy. If you watch the movie make sure you stay through the credits. At the end they compare the footage and actors in the movie to the real footage and photos taken in 1979. I was so impressed with how close the actors looked to the real people and how accurately they recreated Iran.

I love going to the movies but with a student budget, I rarely get to see all the films I would like to in theatres. This is why Movie Night is a brilliant idea for all college students! It was a free event that let me have the movie theatre experience, but on my budget. It was so much fun to sit down and enjoy a movie that I have wanted to see in theatres since it came out.

There is a movie night on the last Monday of every month and I can’t wait to see what the February movie will be!

- SAO Blogger Sarah Raphael