Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid Vol. 34
Welcome back, and we hope everyone had a (at least somewhat) restful break.
There’s plenty going on this week, so make so to read on!
Course registration for Summer 2023, Fall 2023, and Winter 2024 is opening this week for most returning students. Newer students will have to wait until next week to enroll in courses. You can check out some of the 400-level philosophy courses being offered on the department of philosophy website. New students starting in Fall 2023 are able to register for courses on April 11th.
Also, don’t forget to run for a SoPhiA executive position in the 2023 Winter General Elections, which begins today! We will have a booth in the EV Building atrium, as well as an information session pertaining to elections on Wednesday evening (see below).
Help carry the torch for us graduating students and continue the legacy of social events (e.g., free drinks at N Bar), philosophy speakers, and student representation in philosophy department affairs. We’re student leaders who represent you and your well-being!
Without further ado, here’s the 34th Volume of the Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid, which brings you all the hottest and best events and relevant philosophy news.
This week, we tell you about:
- A SoPhiA info session
- 2023 Annual General Elections – become a SoPhiA exec!
- Forces Avenir awards
- Our Sheila Mason Bursary
- ASFA academic awards
- A Champlain College Speaker Series
- A fundraiser for people with intellectual disabilities
- People’s Potato emergency food baskets
- Various Concordia events
SoPhiA Information Session: Sheila Mason Bursary and MA Elections
- Are you wondering what the Sheila Mason Bursary is and how it works?
- Confused about what exactly is required to complete the bursary application?
- Are you interested in joining the SoPhiA team?
- Are you wondering what’s the deal with the Annual General Elections?
- Any general SoPhiA-related questions?
Join us from 5-7pm on Wednesday March 8th in S-210 (philosophy department S-Annex) for an information session to get all your questions answered! We can answer your questions, help you with your application, and even help you apply on the spot. It’s also a good time to field your questions about anything SoPhiA-related. Your friendly SoPhiA execs will be there to answer all your questions.
Food and coffee will be served.
Who: Students of Philosophy Association
What: SoPhiA Elections and Sheila Mason Bursary Info Session
When: Wednesday March 8th, 5pm
Where: S-Annex, room S-120 (2145 Mackay)
Why: Get your questions answered about anything SoPhiA!
2023 Annual General Elections: Become a SoPhiA Exec!
The Annual General ASFA and Member Association elections begins today! From March 6th to March 10th, any student can run to be elected as an executive for the next cohort of SoPhiA executives. We highly recommend you run for a position in SoPhiA so we can continue to have student representation in matters and provide community and events for philosophy students.
We’ll also have a booth in the Hall Atrium (2nd floor) from 1-5pm for most of the week. You can come and chat with us and ASFA about SoPhiA and the elections.
This is great opportunity to contribute to the community, gain experience outside the classroom, and work on interesting projects. For instance, my main projects this year were giving this website a facelift, starting this weekly newsletter as communication to students, and the crafting of our philosophy student ‘bible.
All of our executive positions will be open and the elected term will run from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.
- You could help plan and manage SoPhiA’s budget.
- Maybe manage SoPhiA’s library and academic services, like study groups.
- Or be a source of outreach and communications for students.
- Perhaps sit on department faculty meetings (this is cool to be in the know about upcoming changes).
With SoPhiA, only the sky is the limit!
See asfa.ca/election23 to nominate yourself for a position and to find the general election information.
Forces Avenir: Student Engagement Awards
Are you hoping to contribute to your community as a socially conscious, responsible, active and persevering citizen? Do you have a project in mind which benefits for the good of your community? Forces Avenir are offering students awards of $2000-$4000 and one lucky winner up to $15,000!
Eligibility:
For Individuals
- Be registered as a full-time student (or recognized as such) for at least one semester during the eligibility period (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)
- No more then 35 years of age
- Cannot be a former recipient of a Forces Avenir university award in the Personality Avenir category
For Projects
- The project must not be carried out as part of a university undergraduate program worth more than three (3) credits
- The project must not take place in context of a course or a research program which is part of the requirements for obtaining a graduate degree
- At least 80% of the students involved in the project must meet the criteria for individuals
- The project application must focus on activities undertaken, completed, or accomplished during this academic year (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023).
- The project must not have already received a Forces Avenir university award in the Project Avenir category
Who: Forces Avenir
What: Student engagement awards
When: Start application by March 31st and submit by April 11th
See the Concordia website for more info.
Sheila Mason Bursary
Each year, SoPhiA provides 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
ASFA Student Academic Awards
The Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) has opened their applications for the 2022-2023 Concordia University undergraduate Arts & Science students!
ASFA is a student-led nonprofit consisting of student leaders for all students registered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. ASFA aims to recognize students who have worked hard academically, contributed to student life at the University or demonstrate a financial need.
They have awards for:
- Outstanding community contribution
- High academic achievement
- Most improved student
This is a great opportunity to get a small financial award for all your hard work!
Who: Arts and Science Federation of Associations
What: ASFA Academic Awards
When: March 15 Deadline
Champlain College Speaker Series: Plato on Dialectic, Being, and The Good
Champlain College is hosting a speaker series of undergraduate and graduate students in philosophy. Many of these speakers are your own peers, including Ashkan Haghighat, Sarah Fortin, and Dean Joseph!
- March 8: Bogdan Ovcharuk, (Concordia University, York University): Dialectic and The Political in Republic VI
- March 22: Ashkan Haghighat: (Concordia University): Being and Becoming in The Timaeus
- April 5: Angelo Fata (Champlain College, St-Lambert, McGill, University of Montreal): A Moment with Plato’s Parmenides
Talks take place in the Champlain College Amphitheatre from 12:30-2:30pm.
What: Speaker Series: Plato on Dialectic, Being, and The Good
When: Every second Wednesday of February and April
Where: Champlain College Amphitheatre (Champlain College of Saint-Lambert)
Motionball Concordia: Raising Awareness for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Motionball Concordia is a non-profit organization that raises money and awareness for individuals with intellectual disabilities. They’ve asked us to share the following message.
“We are Motionball Concordia! If you haven’t heard of us, we are a non-profit organization that raises awareness and money for individuals with intellectual disabilities. We are excited to announce our end of the year fundraiser and event MARATHON OF SPORT happening on MARCH 11th from 3-6pm happening at the STINGERS DOME!
Marathon of Sport:
- A fun filled afternoon of sports/activities, food and raffle prizes!
- Build a team of 6-10 people and fundraise prior to the event!
- A special Olympic athlete will be placed on your team! Our goal-create inclusivity in the community!
Interested in making a team? Choose a team captain and email us at concordia@motionball.com to secure your spot! Interested and have no team, email us and we will make a team for you! Not available to make it to the event, donate to our page at
https://marathonofsport.com/sponsor/?t=6326
If you have any further questions please email concordia@motionball.com and follow us on Instagram @motionballconu “
Who: Motionball Concordia
What: A fundraiser for students with intellectual disabilities
When: March 11th, 3-6pm
Where: Stingers Dome (Loyola campus)
People’s Potato Emergency Food Baskets
Are you low on food or money? Don’t despair, People’s Potato is here!
People’s Potato is a nonprofit organization within Concordia that provides food for students and they are serving emergency food baskets throughout the term. (They also serve meals on the daily).
The emergency food baskets are on specific dates and they ask you to bring your own bags. First come, first serve.
Dates:
- Mar 17, 3:30pm
- Mar 31, 3:30pm
- Apr 14, 1pm
- Apr 21, 1pm
- Apr 28, 1pm
Check out their website for more information
Follow them on Facebook
Who: People’s Potato
What: Emergency food baskets
Where: Hall 7th floor
When: Various dates
Various Concordia Events
There are several events in the next week that may be interesting to philosophy students.
- The Logic of Postcolonial Museums: March 6, 10am
- “How can we create a different understanding of the postcolonial museum when the postcolonial state itself is constantly in flux? And how does the postcolonial museum fit within the larger networks of global politics and circulation? Though the aim of the postcolonial museum remained nation-building, the diverse trajectories challenge the idea of a master narrative around postcolonial museums.
- Join us for a roundtable discussion, organized by Concordia Public Scholar Varda Nisar, that will focus on the specificity of the origins, the rationale for creation, and the issues currently faced by museums in South Asia through diverse voices from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.”
- Academic Freedom: How Will Bill 32 Affect the Future of Universities in Quebec?: March 7, 6pm
- “A discussion on Bill 32, a bill which blurs the lines between academic freedom and freedom of expression, and its social implications for academics in Quebec. Will the rights and responsibilities that come with expertise lose their importance in society and culture?!”
- To ditch or keep your inner imposter? Online: March 9, 12pm
- “Many people can relate to the Imposter Phenomena on occasion – that little voice in your head telling you that you don’t belong where you are. This feeling can affect you as a student, an employee, or even doing what you love. If you gave up your inner Imposter right now, what would you be doing instead? On the other hand, have you ever considered what you gain from your inner Imposter? During this interactive and inclusive workshop, we will examine the multifaceted layers of your Imposter Phenomena, from recognizing and managing it when it gets in your way, to understanding how your Imposter Phenomena may serve you.”
- Literate Citizens: Get skilled at evaluating sources for surviving class and global crises: March 9, 3pm
- “As part of open education week, learn to become a more critical reader in the age of overwhelming information, disinformation, and global crises. We will play with SEER, the library’s open-source experimental pedagogical tool for immersive critical thinking about facts and their sources.”
- Learning a language, surrounded by kin: March 9, 4pm
- “Marisa Casillas’ research explores how cognitive and social processes shape the ways in which we learn, perceive, and produce language.”
- Climate change across disciplines: March 13, 2pm
- “This event will contribute to the Sustainability in Research section of Concordia’s Sustainability Action Plan by increasing the visibility of sustainability research at Concordia.“
See more of Concordia’s events
SoPhiA Book Library: Weekly Book Recommendation
This week’s highlighted book:
No recommendation this week…
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 