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Students walking in a circle playing musical instruments

This is an exciting, scary, sad, and hopeful time of year for students who are graduating. Many tell us how much it’s meant to them to have the safe space ...

A large group of students around a bonfire

By Vivian Li, student leader

When in-person school reopened in 2021, I was still two years away from graduation. Although at the time I had already been at McMaster ...

 

When it rained on our end-of-term bonfire event, we moved inside and…
Panel 1, a group of students sitting in a cozy room, some on the couch, some on the floor, all wearing masks, with a TV screen showing a bonfire with the caption, "Creating cozy vibes." Panel 2, a group of students sitting around a table laughing and talking with the caption, "Joy of connecting." Panel 3, a group of students sitting in a cozy room singing along with a guitar with the caption "Jamming (from Taylor Swift to Jeff's songs)." Panel 4: Multiple large pieces of paper with drawn images of colour patterns and shapes with the caption "Collaborative reflection on hope."

 

New Beginnings Bonfire in May

Story in pictures continued…

Panel 5, a group of students sitting around a bonfire on benches engaging in conversation with the caption, "The weather finally cooperates!" Panel 6, a group of students standing in a circle outside in a park playing an game with the caption, "Getting to know each other." Panel 7, a few students playing hopscotch in a parking lot with the caption, "Play!" Panel 8: A student smiling into the camera with a background of students drawing with chalk in a parking lot with the caption, "Jen facilitating a chalk reflection." Panel 9, a group of students gathering around a picnic table full of food with the caption, "Potluck feast." Panel 10, a group of students sitting around a fire pit engaging in conversation and making s'mores with the caption, "What we couldn't do inside." Panel 11, three students happily sharing their s'mores to the camera with smiling faces with the caption, "S'mores!"
Five student volunteers wearing medical masks pose together in a large room

By Matthew Markou, student leader

Volunteering with Student Open Circles has been a truly rewarding experience. I was placed with Pathways to Education, a program that boosts graduation rates ...

View of inside the planetarium with a person standing at a podium in front of a field of stars
  • Monday May 15, 5:30-6:30pm, with a reception following
  • W.J. McCallion Planetarium at McMaster University

Enjoy a tour of the Universe, hear stories from students about how their involvement in ...

Students play with sock puppets at an Open Circle retreat

What does a snickerdoodle, fuzzy blanket, fragrant garden, sailing crew, and harmonizing chorus have in common? According to Elizabeth, one of our student leaders, they all relate to cherished values ...

Retreat 1

In January we hosted our first in-person weekend retreat since 2020, and we did it without leaving town. We booked a lounge and rooms on campus for the entire weekend ...

Eddie Chow

By Eddie Chow, student leader

Nearing the end of my four years in my undergraduate, it’s wild to think that I’ve been volunteering with Student Open Circles for over ...

Elizabeth Zhou

By Elizabeth Zhou, student leader

It looks like a crew embarking on an adventure, sailing through the highs and lows of the sea…

Dedication is what makes volunteering with ...

Open Circle Spiritual Journey Event

It’s amazing how the people we surround ourselves with influence who we become. In Student Open Circles, we intentionally create communities of belonging and service, the kind of spaces that ...

Elliot, student leader and volunteer tutor

By Elliot Fung, student leader

I asked my mentee to read the word “each.” He paused to think about it, frowning and fidgeting, a million thoughts running through his ...

Team Building Activity
After two years of Zoom screenshots, we're excited to share photos of some of our recent in-person gatherings and weekly volunteer groups. Students are loving being together “IRL” and so are we!