Reflections of a Recent CultureNet Graduate

* Press Editor’s Note: We were pleased to see Christopher Gallardo-Ganaban graduate from Capilano University and complete the CultureNet program this year.  He was kind enough to share his departing reflections on his experience with the program. With his permission we are publishing them here for the benefit of younger CNET students and for those, like Christopher several years ago, who may now be considering entering the program.

Reflections of a Recent CultureNet Graduate

by Christopher Gallardo-Ganaban

Christopher Gallardo-Ganaban, 2012 CultureNet/Capilano University Graduate

Capilano University’s website describes CultureNet as a “two-year multidisciplinary program designed for students interested in examining contemporary culture with a focus on how people interact with technology.” By definition, this synthesizes exactly what CultureNet at Capilano University entails. But that does not nearly characterize my personal experiences in CultureNet.

Two years ago when I finished high school, there was only one thing certain: that I would go to school to finish an undergraduate degree; I did not know what type of degree I would be pursuing. With the one school that I’ve wanted to go to since the age of six rejecting my application because I missed the admission average by merely two percent, I was faced with making a decision between schools that were not my first choice.

I picked CultureNet as it seemed the most versatile out of the list of programs to which I was accepted. I could not anticipate what an Associate of Arts Degree in Culture and Technology would get me. I might as well have flipped a coin to make my decision, because I knew I would be applying for another school within the next two years anyways.

My CultureNet intake year consisted of no more than five students with varying interests and educational backgrounds. We took three core courses together each semester as a cohort with other students who were not in CultureNet. At first, the courses we would be taking seemed unrelated. English, Communications, Art History, Anthropology, Computing Science, and Geography were just a few of the courses that we were required to take; the link between these disciplines was neither obvious nor apparent to me.

During my two years at Capilano University, I was immersed in the world of Marshall McLuhan, Sigmund Freud, Michel Foucault, René Magritte, James Carey and Karl Marx. The courses we took had very different perspectives on culture, yet many disciplines borrowed ideas from each other. The representation of reality was a recurring theme; we traced the history of technology and media and how they influenced the world as we see it. As I took more of the courses required by CultureNet, I felt as if I were escaping the matrix. Not only did I learn more about the world surrounding me, I also learned more about the world with respect to who I am and my part in it.

At the midpoint of my program in CultureNet, I had the opportunity to attend SIGGRAPH 2011 with a media pass representing CultureNet. I was honoured to have had this opportunity to cover the conference via articles and tweets for the readers and followers of the CultureNet Press, an online publication by CultureNet.

At the end of my program, I walked away with a better understanding of society and the world in which we live, a better understanding of myself and what I want to pursue, and also a set of friends and contacts whom I will keep in touch with for many years to come. I will be continuing my education at Simon Fraser University with the intent to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree with a joint major in Communication and Interactive Arts and Technology.

My experiences at Capilano University were rewarding. In addition to completing a well-designed multi-disciplinary program and finding my educational path, my university experience was also enhanced by the extremely helpful professors, small class sizes that promoted discussion, and the additional clubs and activities that the school offered.

I would recommend this program to those who, like me, are questioning their career and educational path. CultureNet is a fresh, innovative program that covers many disciplines in Arts and Social Sciences; if you are passionate about the arts and culture, CultureNet may what you are looking for. If you are still not convinced, don’t hesitate to schedule a meeting with either an advisor at Capilano University or the convener of CultureNet to find out if it could be the program for you.