Wow, what a crazy year. CAPCON 2016 wasn’t anything I thought it would be, I got to interact with students and professors from the other CAP streams and experience some unique, thought – provoking and heart-touching projects. From the conference, two projects and presentations stood out to me: “Vancouver Doodle Stories” by Lara Blacklock and Estephania Solis and “Avatar: The Bending of a Traditional Narrative” by Vanessa Chan, Caroline Cassinelli, Niki Konstantinovic and Melissa Tan.

“Vancouver Doodle Stories” was a visual project. It was a recording of hands drawing on a plain, white sheet of paper. The viewer didn’t get to see the face of the speaker, and I thought that was a smart decision because it sort of forced the viewer to truly listen to what was being said. “Vancouver Doodle Stories” featured three unknown speakers, and their stories about reaffirmation of identity in a new place. Out of the three speakers, I related most with the first speaker. The first speaker spoke about his experience of being French and Mexican, but he had been traveling for the majority of his life. The speaker continued to talk about how he didn’t really feel like he was French, nor Mexican because when he went to Mexico for vacation, he didn’t feel like he belonged there. Having heard that from one of my peers really struck a chord with me because I still find it difficult to get a sense of where I belong. I have often said that if I had to chose one object to represent who I am; I would choose a passport. Although a passport’s exterior gives off the impression that it origins from one country, when flipped through its pages are filled with visas and stamps, revealing the complexity and diversity that exist within in.

“Avatar: The Bending of a Traditional Narrative” was a presentation that focused on the television animation and how the series displays and promotes diversity to its audiences. I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious that the younger generation have cartoons that address greater issues that, in the past, wouldn’t have been discussed. For example, when I go onto Cartoon Network now, I see Adventure Time and Steven Universe, which are both pretty daring shows. Adventure Time is arguably one of the most progressive cartoons out here, as it is confirmed that the series’ two main female characters have dated each other in the past. In Steven Universe, three of its main characters, Ruby, Sapphire and Pear, are actually genderless but present themselves as females to the main protagonist, Steven. Furthermore, the show features people of different physical appearances, mostly in terms of skin color, and even different sexualities. With these kinds of cartoons becoming more and more popular and available to a wide audience, I am glad that the upcoming generation is exposed to the endless possibilities of who an individual can be.

To conclude, my year in CAP has taught me a lot about myself. I am leaving this program knowing what types of courses I want to continue exploring during my time in UBC, I have a greater sense of what my degree will look like and lastly, I am developing a better sense of who I am, not only as a student but as an upcoming adult.