Premier Dalton McGuinty met with the Queen's students and alumni who recently participated in the annual Media Day at Queen's Park.

Eighteen undergraduate and master’s students rubbed shoulders with renowned journalists and politicians during a VIP tour of the Press Gallery at Queen’s Park recently.

“The annual Media Day at Queen’s Park is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Queen’s students,” says Olivia Robertson, Artsci’12, an English major who plans to go onto study for a Master’s in Journalism. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been involved, to have been able to talk with journalists and politicians, and to have had the chance to discuss the importance of youth engagement in politics.”

For Queen’s alumnus and Carleton University MPA student Colin McLeod, Artsci’10, taking part in Media Day at Queen’s Park during his time at Queen’s was an experience that influenced his decision to enroll in an MPA degree program with the aim of eventually pursuing a career in public policy.

“Media Day at Queen's Park was one of the best outside-the-classroom experiences I had during my time at Queen's,” he explains. “Witnessing the debate over public policy in person and seeing the impact of the media in communicating these stories to the public contributed to my realization that the development and implementation of public policy is a crucial aspect of Canadian society.”

Media Day at Queen’s Park is an annual Queen’s Student Alumni Association program established in 2004 that allows students to sit amongst accredited members of the Press Gallery, watch Question Period, and take part in back-to-back workshops with journalists and MPPs.