Sophia Laporte

I'm a journalist and third-year student at Carleton University pursuing a Combined Honours degree in journalism & humanities.

I seek out stories based in arts, culture, community, intersectionality, politics, and aim to platform as many perspectives and voices as possible in my writing.

Currently, I write for the Charlatan and Capital Current and I have previously written for Her Campus Carleton.

Thank you for your interest in my work!

Capital Current •

Pro and con: Hockey fans have mixed reaction to Alex Formenton not returning to the Ottawa Senators - Capital Current

When he was younger, Wadane Sougoufara wanted to replicate everything his Ottawa Senators idols did, right down to choosing jersey numbers as his own.


“How they carried themselves off the ice, as well, was really big for me,” he said. Even between games, Sens players were his role models.


So like many other fans, Sougoufara was dismayed by testimony during the sexual assault trial of five members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey championship team. Among the five charged, and acquitted,...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

‘Living with Drones’ brings audiences inside stories from Gaza - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

“You will not hear the missile that kills you.”
This phrase was repeated over and over again by performers and voice recordings in Carleton University’s Kailash Mital Theatre during an interactive performance of Living with Drones on Thursday.
The show by creative studio stitched!, is an interactive presentation combining documentary-style footage and personal narratives to tell stories about the traumatic impacts of Israel’s use of drones in Gaza.
The studio’s shows look to decolonize storytell...
Capital Current •

Suzanne Obiorah offers leadership in improving access for all to public health in Ottawa - Capital Current

In this series of short profiles, Capital Current introduces key persons of influence in the city to the community.


Suzanne Obiorah is the CEO of the Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC). From 2021 to 2023, she was the City of Ottawa’s Director of Gender and Race Equity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations and Social Development.


Born and raised in Ottawa, Obiorah earned a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2002 and began her career in pu...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Carleton University theatre shows to look for this year - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

Grab your playbills: Carleton University’s theatre companies have unveiled their 2025-26 show line-ups, rife with student and alumni talent.
Carleton Musical Theatre Society and Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s shows this year — announced online Wednesday — will include a Shakespearian twist, Dolly Parton throwback and classic novel adaptation.
With shows set to run as early as November, here’s what you need to know about campus productions this year.
Carleton’s Musical Theatre Society will be putting on 9 to...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Advocates, students praise Carleton’s new accessibility strategy - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

Advocates and Carleton University students say a new Coordinated Accessibility Strategy comes as a relief. The strategy serves as a framework for the university to ensure accessibility on campus.
Five years after a previous version launched in 2020, the new version incorporates feedback from students and faculty with accessibility needs.
“The strategy is a framework that sets out these broader, longer term objectives and actions for a more accessible campus,” said Cathy Malcolm Edwards, the lead...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Bluesfest 2025 - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

As Ottawa’s biggest music festival, Bluesfest has become a highly anticipated city staple.
This year, the festival will run from Thursday, July 10 to Sunday, July 20, featuring big-name headliners like Hozier, Green Day and Shania Twain.
With an average of 250,000 people attending the festival each year, there are a few important things to remember if you’re a first-time or returning attendee. 
From headliners to transportation, here’s what you need to know ahead of Ottawa’s biggest music festiv...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

What the Carleton community wants to see from Mark Carney’s government - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

With Mark Carney’s government now established, Carleton University students have specific asks from the Liberal government as federal policy decisions roll in.
Many Canadians marked their ballots during the April 28 election with tariff threats from across the border at the top of mind. Other key national issues included cost of living, housing and foreign policy. 
The Charlatan spoke to Carleton community members to hear what students and professors hope to see from the federal government.
Seco...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

‘We can make good things happen’: Three years into the war, Ukrainians find community and resilience in Ottawa - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

WARNING: This article contains sensitive topics. Those in need of support can contact the Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914 (within Ottawa) and 1-866-996-0991 (outside Ottawa), the Ottawa Distress Centre Crisis Line: 613-238-3311, or the Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-260-2360 or 1-877-377-7775 (toll).
Irene Tomaszewski’s life began with her family fleeing Soviet occupation. 
Born in a Soviet concentration camp in Poland, Tomaszewski’s family evacuated the country in 1942. Aft...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Rally for Choice brings pro-choice protesters to Parliament Hill - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

“Keep your rosaries off my ovaries” and “My body my choice, your body your choice” were among the slogans chanted by a few dozen protesters defending Canadian abortion rights at a downtown Ottawa rally last week.
Organized by non-profit pro-choice group Defend Choice: Ottawa, the “Rally for Choice” faced hundreds of anti-abortion protesters on the other side of a barricade in front of Parliament Hill on May 8.
Defend Choice founders Sydney Holmes and Tamsin Fitzgerald founded the group in 2016 w...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

VR exhibition shows Ukrainian cities after Russian invasion

WARNING: This article contains sensitive topics. Those in need of support can contact the Mental Health Crisis Line: 613-722-6914 (within Ottawa) and 1-866-996-0991 (outside Ottawa), the Ottawa Distress Centre Crisis Line: 613-238-3311, or the Youth Services Bureau 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-260-2360 or 1-877-377-7775 (toll). 
Cities, monuments, landscapes, parks and skylines in Ukraine have turned to rubble, ash and wreckage since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Students at Carleton University had the uniqu...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

The Ontario election: What to know and what students are saying - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

University students who are eligible to vote in Ontario will have the chance to cast their ballots in the upcoming provincial election on Feb. 27. 
Ontario voters will decide which party to task on the files of affordability, education, health care, housing and transportation, among other issues.
Students can vote if they are 18 years of age or older, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ontario. Ontario students living away from home may either return home and vote in the electoral district for...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Community urges housing action amid city’s study of renovictions

Ottawa city council passed a motion to research a potential bylaw which would address the city’s growing issue of “renovictions.” 
Renovictions occur when a landlord evicts a tenant to complete major renovations on the leased property. Oftentimes, the property is redeveloped for the purpose of attracting higher paying commercial and residential tenants.
At a Jan. 22  council meeting, student representatives and advocacy groups such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (AC...
Her Campus •

The 2025 Grammys show culture always counters

For me, the beginning of 2025 has marked a time of great fear and uncertainty. As a Canadian, I’m anxiously awaiting to see if we do or don’t end up trapped in a confusing and unnecessary trade war with our neighbours, doing my best not to listen to the floods of social media posts promoting the #51stState, recommended to me on platforms owned by billionaires who attended a certain president’s neat inauguration in a neat row.I worry about what the rise of hate speech means for me and my loved on...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

West Side Pride film screening uplifts transgender voices, challenges misconceptions  - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

Three days after the Transgender Day of Remembrance, West Side Pride platformed and honoured creative voices in the transgender community with a documentary screening and panel on Nov. 23. 
The event “Trans(form) the Narrative” took place at Kanata United Church and began with a showing of Will & Harper followed by a speakers’ panel. Zoey Cunningham, Alyssa Gonzalez, Jodan Drosier and Janelle Niles answered questions about their experiences as members of the transgender community.
Will & Harper...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s gives performers a chance to act out dream roles

Performers from Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company captivated audience members with a wide range of monologue performances at Rooster’s Coffeehouse on Oct. 16.
Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s Monologue Night: Dream Roles invited performers of all abilities to choose a monologue from a dream role and perform it on stage. 
“It’s picking a role you’ve always wanted to play, especially a role even traditionally cast [based on appearance],” said Erin Chappel, who led the workshop and has worked with Sock ‘n’ Buskin f...
The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper •

Ukrainian Red Cross Society sheds light on humanitarian crisis in Carleton presentation - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) shared first-hand accounts of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine at a Carleton University event on Sept. 19. 
The event, organized by Carleton’s Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, highlighted the work of URCS supporting hospitals, communities and families in Ukraine. 
“There is no family in Ukraine not touched by the war,” said Olena Stokoz, the society’s deputy director general. 
In 2024, a projected 14.6 million Ukrainians will n...
Her Campus •

Brands to Shop at in Ottawa to Help Keep You Warm this Winter

Whether you’re a seasoned Ottawa resident, out-of-province, or from another city in Ontario, one thing everyone needs to brace for in Ottawa is the winter. Although warmer temperatures are anticipated for this year’s winter due to El Niño, frigid winds and -30°c lows are still something to look out for from December through February. No matter if you’re a daily commuter, skier, or want to experience the outdoor wonders of the city this holiday season, there are many reasons you might want to add...
Her Campus •

Album Breakdown: In 'The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We,' Mitski tells Stories about the Feelings We Can't Explain

This year, September served as a great month for women in music. Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album GUTS on the same day that Icelandic singer Laufey released a second album of her own, Bewitched. Both singers went on to break records in their respective categories, and it was exactly a week later that Mitski came out with her new album, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We.Since 2020, I’ve been a huge fan of Mitski’s music, always fascinated by her lyricism, which I find to be filled...