The 25th Wine and Cheese - Great Networking for Current and Future Alumni

Written by Simon Auffrey Arsenault

Image Sourced from the Smu Commerce Society’s LinkedIn Profile.

Every November, the Sobey School of Business Commerce Society hosts its annual Wine and Cheese event, as it has done for the last 25 years or so. It allows commerce students, professors, and alumni to meet and interact in a welcoming and well put together environment. The Wine and Cheese hosted this past November was no exception to the rule. 

Let’s remind ourselves about the Commerce Society’s relevance to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program. It currently allows SMU students and alumni to attend events and seminars hosted by various working professionals. The Wine and Cheese’s recipe consists of both integrating alumni along with entertaining commerce students, and allowing them to create links in their desired fields. 

The Event’s Rundown: 

On November 27th, 2024, room LA290 transformed itself into a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for students, faculty, and professors to make connections and build friendships, with, as you can draw from the title, a glass of wine or beverage of choice, while enjoying a presentation from guest speaker Ross Simmonds, a Saint Mary’s University graduate of the BComm program in 2009. As a current commerce student and executive member of the Sobey School of Business Commerce Society (SSBCS), I can attest to the fact that this year’s wine and cheese was a successful one. Whether it be the drink selection, food selection, or logistics, everything was fine tuned to make this event enjoyable for all of its attendees.

The 3 hour event began with a short period for individuals to sign in, and receive their drink ticket (if they are legally able to drink of course). The initial atmosphere was composed of elegant slideshows which displayed the society’s events throughout the semester, accompanied by calming jazz music. Individuals who had signed up to attend the event had been assigned to a table sponsored by a specific sponsor, which included accounting firms along with various businesses. This pairing allowed for students to be matched with individuals in their field of interest, thus making this event a great one to build links with professionals in various fields. Upon seating, the Sobey School of Business’ dean, Michel Delorme, welcomed everyone in a kind, and meaningful speech as the newly appointed dean of the faculty. He expressed appreciation to the commerce society executive team, along with everyone involved in the preparation of the event.

Picture taken by Simon Auffrey Arsenault 

Following the dean’s speech, the stage welcomed Ross Simmonds, a SMU graduate in marketing. His speech was one I did not expect. It revolved around the positive use of artificial intelligence, a topic perhaps avoided due to the negative attributes associated with AI (Artificial Intelligence), especially in a university setting. 

Following Simmonds’ speech, students were able to interact with the guest speaker, and ask him any questions they may have in regards to their studies, or about the topics discussed in his presentation. It was possible to tell that not only does Simmonds have a passion for the work he does, but also for empowering young individuals who are currently studying in the same program he was a student in years ago, and for guiding them to be the best versions of themselves.

The Event’s Importance

The annual Wine and Cheese eventis one you do not want to miss as a current student of Saint Mary’s, or as an alum. By attending this event, you get to introduce yourself to fellow students, who may share similarities in terms of personal interests, or in fields of studies, along with getting to know your professors on a more personal level. The main attribute, however, is that the guest speakers are mainly composed of SMU’s alumni community, offering guidance to those currently enrolled, or those who have already graduated, considering the fact that the Alumni office has its dedicated table at the event. By having alumni speak in front of students, it may serve as a means of motivation to them pursuing ideas that they may have, and be informed of tools and resources available to them. 

By interacting with fellow alumni, it is possible for current students to create connections in various professions, which may lead to them securing employment upon graduation. As mentioned throughout the article, it is also a great way to obtain advice on study and work techniques you can apply at both an academic and professional level, as everyone has different perspectives on how to approach certain things, and by combining various techniques, it can lead to success in both fields.