CityStudio: An assist to learning
As an aspiring sports writer, Alex Rickman, a second-year student in the Bachelor of Communications Studies degree program, was immediately drawn to photos of the North Shore United Football Club on a class trip to the Museum and Archives of North Vancouver (MONOVA).
“I saw a plaque with a brief history of North Shore United and I grabbed a picture right away,” says Rickman. “I’m a big soccer fan. I played briefly and I’m a bit of a history nerd—combining soccer and history is a good combo for me.”
As part of his CMNS 295: The Culture of Advertising class, students were tasked with writing a blog post for MONOVA’s website. The collaboration with MONOVA can be credited to the partnership between Capilano University and CityStudio, providing students with the opportunity to collaborate with community partners like MONOVA.
“It’s been such an enriching experience because students were able to make connections in their learning to the real world with deliverables they can connect to and see how their work, ideas and creativity can flourish,” says Grace Kim, who was Rickman’s instructor for CMNS 295.
“Students are able to grow by incorporating new perspectives and using new mediums while also being responsible and accountable to meet the deadlines of deliverables and getting feedback from clients,” says Kim.
For Rickman, the most interesting aspect of this project was learning that the North Shore United played on the same field that he played on.
“More people in the community should be aware that the North Shore had one of the best soccer teams in the country,” says Rickman. “They’re a big part of the history of Kinsmen Field.”
Outside of the classroom, Rickman continues to pursue his dream of being a sports writer. He currently writes for a Vancouver Canucks fan blog called Canucks Chronicles—a website he started with a friend as an outlet for them to publish writing and show passion for sports journalism.
“I’ve been a massive sports fan all my life so the idea of working in the sports world would be fantastic for me,” says Rickman.
Submitted by: Communications