Impressive finish at French communications games

Concordia’s communication games delegation participated in the annual Jeux franco-canadiens de la communication in Quebec City the weekend of March 10. Concordia has been participating in the Francophone competition since 2006. As the only English university in the competition, it’s no surprise to finish near the back of the pack.

But this year was different; the team from Concordia surprised everyone by finishing second overall in the competition.

The Jeux were inaugurated by Laval University in 1996. This year, roughly 500 students from nine Canadian universities participated in the games. Contests are held in 13 categories related to journalism and communications, including television news, advertising and public relations. In each category, small teams from each university compete to complete a challenge within a limited time frame, with no advance indication of the subject matter.

Last weekend, Concordia took the gold medal in video, radio and event planning, with excellent results in other categories as well. Vanessa Kingsland-Lavoie, a second-year communications student, was one of the delegation’s leaders. She said she’s very proud of how well Concordia did at this year’s Games.

Watch the video of Concordia's delegation:

“We worked so hard all year and it paid off. And we came so close to first place! It was quite a surprise, since we are the only English university that participates.”

This year, Concordia’s communication games delegation counted 30 members, including three leaders elected by last year’s delegation. The team has been practicing on a weekly basis since October 2011, tackling trial situations similar to what they face during the competition.

Concordia’s delegation is presently an independent group: They receive no funding from the university. Kingsland-Lavoie hopes that this will change in the coming years. “We are not supported by the university, yet we work so hard to represent Concordia well,” she says.

Tryouts for Concordia’s communication games delegation are held at the beginning of each academic year. To be eligible, undergraduate students must be registered in the journalism, communications studies or marketing programs at Concordia. Kingsland-Lavoie encourages all eligible students to try out.

“It’s more than just a competition,” she said. “It’s about getting yourself out there and networking. You never know what opportunities might come up because of who you meet at the Jeux. It completes your education by offering an experience you won’t get in the classroom.”

Journalism student Sarah Volstad is an intern with Concordia’s University Communications Services.

Related links:
•  Jeux franco-canadiens de la communication
•  Jeux de la communication video from 2012 event 
•  Concordia delegation video