Showcasing Student Talent
Some physicians are famously multi-talented. One - Jacques Rogge - is at the helm of the International Olympic Committee; another - Jonathan Miller - is more widely known as a theatre and opera director than as a neuroscientist.
With that in mind, it should be no surprise that the first-ever talent show at WCMC-Q revealed a wealth of promising talent among the students: poetic, humorous, moving and magical, the evening offered words and music in many different forms.
There was even a cookery competition (students are often hungry) and some sleight of hand with the usual materials: matchboxes, cards and string.
The Coffee House, held on November 26th, was organized by Teaching Assistant (TA) Erin King, with student volunteers, and support from the MSEC. When she heard about the musical abilities of some WCMC-Q students, Erin suggested the event as a way to show their gifts and provide a release from the academic side of life, along the lines of similar events held at Cornell University in Ithaca.
"The idea came up, why not have a venue where the students could show us what they do when they’re not students? A place where they can express what they do, outside of schoolwork."
Faculty members also joined in with individual performances on the guitar, while the youngest participant was a violinist, 10-year old Joy, daughter of assistant professor of chemistry, Dr. Michael Pungente.
Master of ceremonies, Imran Farooq, was all praise for the performers: "Everyone was a volunteer. They had the talent, and they showed it. It was a really fun night - one of the greatest nights we“ve had at WCMC-Q."
Design was by Jowhara Al-Qahtani and Zeinab Ammous, and technical support was by Fouad Otaki.
