By Lori Tarbett
When humanities and film studies student Paul Anderson isn’t watching movies at the ByTowne or Mayfair theatres, as part of film studies research the student protests, he is either blogging for Admissions or working for the House of Commons.
Anderson is one of ten students who write regular blogs which are posted on Carleton’s Admission’s website. The blogs are intended to give potential students a glimpse into Carleton life and aid them with post-secondary decisions as our students discuss their experiences online.
The second year student also serves as a Proceedings and Verification Officer for Hansard, the publication which records the House of Commons daily debates. Anderson sits in the middle of the chamber and tracks the different bills being debated as well as the speakers. “I have to keep my ears open and catch any comments members yell out,” explains Anderson. He also works in the Hansard Satellite Office just above the House of Commons where he collects MPs’ notes and faxes them to editors.
This position and his past position as a Parliamentary Page led him to be recruited to speak to Carleton students who are currently working as Pages. At the beginning of the year he spoke to them about what to expect as a first year Carleton student and how to balance their studies with work in the House. Anderson answered their questions, kept in touch with most of the Pages throughout the semester and met with all of them during exams to see how their year was going.
When he’s not advising potential or current students, Anderson is focussing on his studies. He says he loves the atmosphere of the Humanities program. “I feel that the subjects we are studying are extremely important and the professors encourage us not to just do assignments for the sake of doing them, but to really further our knowledge, to understand ideas, and ultimately become better people,” says Anderson.