Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid Vol. 24
We’ve reached the end of the term. We hope that you have finished or are finishing your last examinations and the term wasn’t to hard on you. Personally, I have my last essay to submit on December 16th.
This will be the last issue for this year and Concordia closes for the holidays (we need a vacation too). Our 25th vol. will come the first week of January, 2023.
Concordia examinations end on December 22nd, and the university is closed from Dec 24th, 2022-January 8th, 2023. The university reopens and the Winter 2023 semester begins on Monday January 9th.
Here’s the 24th 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:
- Update on the Philosophy building closure
- Recap of our Special General Assembly and social event
- Our Sheila Mason Bursary
- A special speaker talk in early January
- A call for editors
- Various Concordia events
The Philosophy Department (S-annex) Remains Closed
Due to a structural failure in the philosophy department, the building remains closed. We have no information if it will be open again before the Winter term.
We won’t hold regular office hours, but if you’d like to meet with us, we have a physical space available or can do so through Zoom.
If you need to reach us, see our executives page.
If you need to access the S-Annex for whatever reason, then contact security at 514-848-3717 or visit the security desk on the ground floor of the Hall Building.
The Environmental Health and Safety and other Concordia departments are working to make sure the building is safe before they allow anyone back in.
Recap of Special General Assembly and End-of-term Social Event
We held our special General Assembly at Le Frigo Vert which was Chaired by John Hutton, ASFA’s General Manager. Unfortunately, with only 12 attendees, we did not attain quorum. We did have some insightful discussion with students about a sexual harassment workshop and student grievances. And there was food.
We continued the assembly over at N sur Mackay and students voted on a new bylaw to add to our association bylaws. So far, we’ve tallied 15 votes for a unanimous “yes”.
Many of us got together at N sur Mackay. At least 16 undergraduate students by my count, and some other alumni and graduate students joined too. Some good times were had.
The assembly minutes will be uploaded to our website shortly.
Thank you to all who attended!
Sheila Mason Bursary
Each year, SoPhiA disseminates our Sheila Mason Bursary, an essay-based student bursary, to one or more lucky students! We do not evaluate academic performance or GPA, but how well the student engages in promoting diversity and inclusivity in the philosophy or Concordia community.
The bursary is restricted to current undergraduate students enrolled in a major, minor or honours program in the philosophy department.
Those eligible for application include (as self-disclosed):
- Women
- LGBTQAI+ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, asexual, intersex, and others included in this umbrella)
- BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of colour)
- Students with disabilities
The application process typically includes:
- Personal statement, which must include a description of community involvement, how the individual is working towards creating an inclusive environment within philosophy, and an explanation of financial need.(500-750 words)
- Essay, on the topics of queer, postcolonial, intersectional, feminist, or race theory (1500-2000 words)
- Letter of recommendation (e.g., from teacher, advisor, employer, etc.)
- C.V. (resume), updated to include information pertinent to the award
Start thinking now about compiling your application and if you have a great essay on queer, postcolonial, intersectional, feminist, or race theory topics from one of your courses, that’s completely acceptable as a submission! Or you can write your midterm in one of your courses on this topic and use it as a submission.
See more information from our 2022 bursary, including previous year’s winners, on our Inclusivity Project page.
Stay tuned with more updates on exactly how and when to apply!
Who: Undergrad philosophy students who self-identify as: women, LGBTQAI, BIPOC, or disabled
What: An essay-based student bursary
When: Deadline for application is March 17th, 2023
SoPhiA’s Inclusivity Project Speaker: “How Should We Think Today?” On the Importance of Philosophy in the Ecological Crisis
SoPhiA is excited to announce an exciting lecture happening in January featuring guest speaker Dr. Andrew Biro from Acadia University!
As news, images, and stories of the catastrophic effects of climate change have gained increasing visibility over the past years, the need for fundamental transformations in our current economic and social systems has perhaps never been so crucial. As vulnerable populations around the world suffer from devastating floods and scorching droughts, and entire species become extinct due to the decimation of their natural habitats, the question now arises: How should we think differently, and how can we?
In his lecture, guest speaker Dr. Andrew Biro, a professor at Acadia University who specializes in Critical Theory and Environmental Political Theory, will be addressing the question of the importance of philosophy in the ecological crisis. This lecture will be followed by a roundtable discussion where students and audience members will have a chance to share their experiences and thoughts and be part of creating a necessary conversation on philosophy, ecology, and the need for critical thinking.
This a great opportunity for students and staff to be part of an intergenerational discussion on the ecological crisis.
Organized by the Inclusivity Project (as part of SoPhiA).
To RSVP, email: inclusivity.sophia@asfa.ca
If you are interested in responding to one or more prompts by December 31st to help guide and facilitate discussion, please fill out this form here:
https://forms.gle/faWoVSKMEHUgwJBg8
Who: Dr. Andrew biro (Acadia University)
What: A lecture talk & roundtable
When: January 6th, 2023 4pm
Where: 4th Space Concordia
See the Facebook Event
Call for Editors: The SoPhiA Review
Are you interested in taking part in a cool editing project? Want to be part of a fledging journal? Have awesome writing or editing skills?
SoPhiA is hoping to bring back this year its annual undergraduate journal, The SoPhiA Review! And we need your help!
We’re looking for people with a good eye, a capacity to read different texts, the ability to work in a team, and some editing skills. The candidates will be part of the editor team to read, edit, design, and publish student works in our annual journal!
The journal is usually published in the winter term, but the recruiting and planning of the journal occurs in the late fall.
Contact president dot sophia at asfa dot ca for more info.
Who: The SoPhiA Review
What: A call for editors
See some previous published works on our website.
Various Concordia Events
There are several events in the next week that may be interesting to philosophy students. Here are a few:
- Holiday Spirituali-tea session with the Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre at CUSP: December 15, 2pm
- “Come join us at our last Spirituali-tea session of the year, where we will be collaborating with the Concordia University Student Parents Centre (CUSP). At this drop-in session, we will be helping out with gift-wrapping for CUSP’s last celebration of the year with their children.”
- Move and align your mind: Online: December 16, 10am
- “Join Concordia Psychologist and yoga teacher Dr. Jade-Isis Lefebvre for an online movement-based class where you can tune into your body, calm your mind, feel strong and empowered while building inner compassion. This class can help prepare you for upcoming exams, decrease feelings of stress, and boost your energy.”
- P3 Holiday Market 2022: December 16, 11am
- “Have you been looking for sustainable gifts to give this holiday season? Look no further because CP3 has got you covered!”
- New Student Tour: Downtown Campus – In-person: December 16, 3pm
- “Haven’t had a chance to explore your School’s spaces on the downtown campus yet? Join our Welcome Crew mentors for this in-person guided tour and discover your campus. You’ll get to see everything from the different facilities you’ll be using to the best study and hangout spots.”
- Christmas potluck gathering (sharing food, drinks, games): December 23, 6pm
- “We are coming to the end of the year! Why not see each other one last time to share food, drinks, games and fun?! We welcome all Montreal students to a Christmas potluck gathering. Potluck means everyone brings food to share with each other. It can be anything! (Salad, meals, desserts, entry, drinks etc)! We will also provide some simple catering food. Please bring your favourite card games, board games, Bluetooth speaker, etc.”
See more of Concordia’s events
SoPhiA Book Library: Weekly Book Recommendation
This week’s highlighted book:
We do not have a highlighted book for you this week. To resume when we have access to our physical space. Feel free to have a look at our online 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)
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 