Victoria Amerio Albuquerque Gonçalves

Biological Sciences, 4th year

Course: LA ST 210 (Winter 2022) with Instructor Russell Cobb 

Who was your community partner and can you describe the project objectives? 

My Community Partner was CJSR 88.5 FM Radio, the campus community radio station. The objective is to portray an aspect of Latin American presence in Edmonton. We chose to explore a delicate moment in Chilean history, the Pinochet regime, and learn how Chilean-Canadian artists persevered through these challenging times.

What was your biggest takeaway from your CSL placement? 

The biggest take away was how interconnected the world really is. A coup that happened miles away from Canada nearly three decades ago has forever changed major Canadian immigration policies and multiculturalism in Canada. Plus, I got to immerse myself in Chilean culture by attending expositions and events only minutes away from my home.

How can you apply any newly gained knowledge/skills to your future endeavours (courses/employment/volunteering)?

Beyond video editing skills, major add-ons for any career, I learned how to tell stories - to create pictures with words. Communication is a key skill to have in any professional and personal encounter.

What are some of the ways that COVID-19 has affected your community partner or your placement? 

The major way COVID-19 has impacted my experience in CSL is through the inability to meet our amazing interviewees in-person. Although Zoom facilitated our meet-ups, body language is an incredibly important component that we missed.