What do you study and what year are you in?
I am a U3 double major in Geography & Political Science and if everything goes well, I should also be completing a minor in Russian Language.
How did you end up at McGill?
I am of Polish decent but I was born and raised in Montreal, so going to McGill seemed like a logical path to follow! Also, having done all of my schooling in the French Lycee system, I definitely wanted to study at an English institution.
How involved are you at McGill?
Quite a bit. I write and take photos for Le Delit, I am on the executive team of the McGill Polish Student Association, and I try to participate in the activities of the Political Science Student Association as much as I can—I was part of the team that organized a Language Politics Symposium last year. Besides that, of course, I am very proud to be the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Political Bouillon.
How did you come up with the idea for the Political Bouillon?
I guess I thought of it last year when we were organizing the Language Politics Symposium. I thought that there really was a need for some sort of platform for Politics students to share their understanding of politics with others. It also struck me how little students from Montreal universities knew each other. I thought we needed a journal—a cross-universities journal; and this idea became The Political Bouillon.
What exactly is The Political Bouillon?
Basically, The Political Bouillon is meant to be an online Political journal run and read by students from Montreal. We encourage investigative, opinionated journalism and we publish articles as well as audio-visual content on our website. For now, the journal is run by McGill and Concordia students but next semester The Political Bouillon will become bilingual and reach out to UQAM and UdeM as well. We have big plans ahead!
How did your interest in politics start?
I don’t exactly know, and to be honest, I’m not even sure it is precisely politics that I am interested in! I am passionate about current events, what moves and shapes the world, our actions as individuals and societies. A lot of it has to do with politics of course, but I also believe there is more to it. Basically, I’m interested in journalism, and investigative journalism, and that must have started whenever I realized that I could write!
Are you also active outside of university (volunteer, extracurricular activities)?
I write for Cosmopolitan Review and I try to help out with the events organized by the Canadian Association for Polish studies.
What do you like to do during your free time?
Lots of things! I dance and have played the piano since I was 5 years old, and although finding time and inspiration for it is harder when at university, it’s a part of me I’ll never be able to entirely give up. I also do photography, hike, and travel. In my free time, I like to…learn languages! It might sound odd, but that is a real passion for me. I’m learning my seventh now and Arabic is the next one on the list!
Any final words of wisdom for fellow collegiettes™?
I’ll probably be frowned upon for saying it, but I don’t think university matters as much as we’re told. University is just there to give you time to construct yourself: don’t let it be more than that. Don’t let it have any effect on your passions, your ideas or your beliefs, and make sure you hold on to them, because they’ll choose the best path in life for you to take.