Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid Vol. 13
The first month of classes has ended and we’re about 1/3 through the semester. How is everyone’s semester going? Let us know in the comments below or send us an email! We’d love to hear from you!
Stresses start to build up, but remember that this stress is temporary. Sometimes we need to crunch through it, but there’s always sun after the storm!
Oh, and don’t forget to pay your tuition, because the deadline is tomorrow by midnight! 😨
Here’s the 13th Volume of the Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid! Bringing you all the hottest and best events and relevant philosophy news.
This week, we disseminate news about:
- A Special General Assembly about boycotting philosophy classes!
- Our Annual General Assembly and first social event
- The first philosopher speaker series talk of the year
- A work-integrated learning program
- Various events: Theology in the City, the legacy of activism at Concordia, and a McGill Law School information session.
- A teaser of SoPhiA’s new communal space
- SoPhiA’s library of books
A Special Assembly Concerning a Fall Reading Week Strike
As you may have heard, many student associations are gearing up to boycott classes from Oct 3-7, as a way of taking our own reading week.
We’re holding a Special General Assembly—a place for philosophy students to gather to take part in democracy to vote for or against our official participation in this strike. Come join us on September 29th at 5pm to discuss and vote for or against boycotting classes during the first week of October.
Some arguments in favor of the strike:
- Most universities in Quebec and Canada have had a Fall reading week for years.
- We deserve a week-long break from classes to rest, visit family and catch up on course work.
- The university has had years to prepare a Fall reading week and chose not to give us one this year.
- Concordia (and Quebec) is known strongly for their student advocacy.
Some arguments against the strike:
- A strike would be disruptive: students are still expected for attendance and coursework submissions during the strike.
- We already have October 10th and 11th off, like a mini reading week.
- Strikes can lead to confrontations.
- Students actively picketing classes are not really having a break.
We require your participation on whether you want or don’t want a strike. If you don’t vote, you leave others decide what will happen. The assembly should last no more than one hour.
P.s. We’ll have cookies 🍪🍪😋
What: Assembly of philosophy students to vote for or against a reading week strike
When: Thursday, September 29, 5-6 pm.
Where: Philosophy Department S-05
More information on the strike
Annual General Assembly and First Social Event
We’re hard at work planning our Annual General Assembly and our first social event!
We will have our first social event immediately after our Annual General Assembly (AGM), which will take place on October Oct 13th from 5-7pm, then the social event at 7:00pm (we’ll head over together). Keep your calendars open!
What is an AGM? An AGM is the meeting of all members of SoPhiA. This includes the executives and all students in philosophy. All philosophy students are considered regular members of SoPhiA.
While a Special General Assembly is for specific purposes, SoPhiA is mandated to hold at least one General Assembly per year, where we make many of our important decisions on behalf of the students.
During the General Assembly we convene to do business:
- We vote in new executive members (you can nominate yourself directly at the AGM)
- Introduce your executive members
- Discuss this year’s budget & events
- Students can propose a motion(s) which mandates SoPhiA to act on
- The floor will also be open to discussion or questions (tell us what your gripes are with the philosophy program!)
The open positions you can run for are listed on our website, along with the position descriptions. Running is simple as saying “I want to run” during the assembly. Optional is to give a little “about me”. (Note, any “interim” positions listed above will also be open).
It’s important to support SoPhiA by attending the AGM, because we need a minimum amount in attendance to be formally in session (this is called “quorum”). And in doing so, you help us help you better!
After the AGM, we will head out together to the bar afterward.
Philosophy Department Speaker Talk: “Finding a Way Together: Interpersonal Ethics in the Zhuangzi”
The philosophy department and 4th space are hosting the first philosophy speaker of the year.
Chris Fraser from the University of Toronto will discuss the Zhuāngzǐ (an ancient Chinese text) and how the concepts of dào and dé (the way; power and agency) from this text, while radically different from our current conceptions of ethics, can still provide some guiding principles on how to live ethically.
I know there has historically been low attendance by philosophy students at these talks, so more reason to show up!
Who: Chris Fraser
What: Philosophy speaker talk
When: September 30th, 4-6 pm
Where: 4th Space (LB Building) + online + YouTube
Humanities+ Work-integrated Learning Experience
Various Events
There are several events in the next week that may be interesting to philosophy students. Here are a few:
- September 26-30: Theology in the City: Legacy: Wisdom, Experience, Knowledge
- “The third edition of Theology in the City brings together keynote speakers, scholars in theology and other fields, and graduate students to explore the theme of wisdom, experience and knowledge. Free and open to all. Presented in-person on the Loyola campus.”
- September 29: Dress Codes, Social and Political Messages from Medieval Spain to Bill 21
- This will be a discussion of Muslim dress in Medieval Iberia up to the present day with Bill 21.
- October 5th: The Legacy of Activism at Concordia
- “We’ve heard about the legendary students who occupied the 9th floor in 1969, about how the riot police were called to Concordia [in] 2002, about the thousands of students on the streets in 2012. But, what has happened since then? Where are these student activists now? And how can we learn from their organizing to fuel our activism today?”
- October 6th: Your Application to McGill Law School – Online
- Looking to go on to law school after your degree?
- “Learn about McGill’s law school admission process and discover tips on how to make a strong application. Guest speakers from McGill University will be present.”
See more of Concordia’s events
FutureBound Skill Workshops
The Student Success Center offers a line of skill workshops in their FutureBound program. The FutureBound workshops offer a chance for students to pick up soft skills outside the classroom that can transfer to the workplace.
The workshops are grouped into five categories:
- Career development
- Communications & Digital Capabilities
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Leadership and Collaboration
- Growth & Balance
If you complete four workshops from any one specific category, you get a certificate stating that you have completed training in that category.
I’ve attended many of these workshops in my years at Concordia and can say that they offer new soft skills that apply to any part of your life. A few of the skills I’ve picked up include:
- Working more effectively in groups
- Being a better public speaker and presenter
- Working more effectively with Excel
- Designing workshops and presentations
- Networking with others
Who: Student Success Center
What: Futurebound workshops
When: Various dates throughout the year
The New SoPhiA Space (SoPhiA Agora)
Do you wish there was a dedicated space for philosophy students on campus?
Are you looking for a place to connect with peers?
Need a cool spot to find conversation and discuss philosophy?
Here’s a bit of a teaser, but SoPhiA is currently working on upgrading our current space to make it more cozy, communal, open, and inviting. Stay tuned for updates!
SoPhiA Book Library
If you didn’t know, SoPhiA has a library of over 650 books! We have books from different domains of philosophy and some outside philosophy (psychology, business, political science, and even novels). We even have textbooks for some of your courses! (e.g., PHIL-210, 235, 260, 266, and more)
What’s better is it’s completely free! What’s better than free textbooks?
You can borrow a book for an hour, or even the whole semester. Just drop by our office or send us an email.
You can see our complete library of books online on our Librarika virtual library.
What: Books!
Where: The SoPhiA library (in our office space)
Do you know of any cool philosophy-related events in Montreal or the Concordia Community? Please let us know and we will advertise them here!
**Pictures are for representative effect only and aren’t actual photos of the events, products, or services we report on.
Students of Philosophy Association 