Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid Vol. 35
We’ve officially reached the 2/3 mark of the semester! Keep persevering through your semester and the end will come before you know it.
Usually around this time we can feel swamped because of midterms and final big projects looming on the horizon, in addition to our regular course readings and work. Take time to plan out your final essays and projects early so you don’t get overwhelmed at the end. A little work every day (even 20 minutes) adds up to a lot! A simple outline can be a big jump start for a bigger project.
I personally have marked down all my due dates in an excel sheet, so I can see, in order, what’s due when. This helps me get a big-picture view of when things are due, and I don’t get surprised to note that I have, e.g., two projects due on the same day, one week before I start it! It also helps me get a sense of how much work is due when if I want to keep a good pace and avoid having to crunch too much.
Note that nominations for open SoPhiA positions that weren’t nominated for yet are open until tonight (March 13) at 8pm.
Without further ado, here’s the 35th 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:
- Elections debate night
- 2023 Annual General Elections
- Forces Avenir awards
- Our Sheila Mason Bursary
- ASFA academic awards
- A Champlain College Speaker Series
- People’s Potato emergency food baskets
- Various Concordia events
- A book recommendation
SoPhiA Executive Meeting recap
SoPhiA held a brief executive meeting on Friday March 10th. Here’s some of the main points of discussion:
- Discussion about holding a casual peer-review session for course essays Fridays afternoons in April (7th, 14th, and 21st).
- Student Course interest initiative and survey
- Elections debate night
- End-of-year social event (we might have two!), on April 20th, and May 11th.
- The recent passing of a philosophy student
See our meeting minutes.
SoPhiA Elections Debate Night
SoPhiA is hoping to hold a debate night and candidate information session for anyone who’s nominated themselves for a SoPhiA position in the current Annual General Elections!
The purpose of this event will be for students running for the same position to have a short, mild debate. It will also be an opportunity for those running unopposed to communicate themselves and their platform, and for students (the voters) to ask questions.
There is no date set yet, and this is still only an idea but this will take place most likely Wednesday evening from 5-7, Thursday sometimes after 3pm, or Friday afternoon.
To any nominees, let us know if you would be interested in participating in this debate! [community dot sophia at asfa dot ca]
Stay tuned on our socials for more info about this event.
Who: Students of Philosophy Association
What: SoPhiA election debate night
When: TBD (later this week)
Where: TBD
Why: Get voters to know you better!
2023 Annual General Elections: Last call!
Nominations for certain positions within SoPhiA remain open until tonight, Monday March 13th, at 8pm. This is your last chance to nominate yourself for a SoPhiA position!
This is great opportunity to contribute to the community, gain experience outside the classroom, and work on interesting projects.
All of our executive positions will be open and the elected term will run from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.
See asfa.ca/election23 to nominate yourself for a position and to find the general election information.
Those who have already nominated themselves and attended the information session may begin campaigning today!
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 April 1st, 2023
ASFA Student Academic Awards: Only a few days left!
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 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)
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.
- Back on track: Recovering your semester: March 14, 11:45am
- “Do you feel the semester isn’t going as well as it should? Are you behind on your readings? Projects piling up? Disappointed with your midterm results? This workshop can give you ideas on how to change your current strategies and get you back on track.”
- Therapy dogs at the MB-Zen Den: March 15, 1pm
- Stressed? Love dogs? “Join the Zen Dens for some puppy time! Take a study break and de-stress with pets.”
- Learning Circle: Let the body speak — embodied knowing and learning: March 15, 6pm
- “The body can be a site of inquiry and a place for transformation. We do not just have bodies, we are bodies. This performative presentation will explore the body as a place of learning and knowing and its connection to living, writing, pedagogy and teaching.”
- Deep Time Walk: March 16, 11:30am.
- “Join Concordia Professors Matthias Fritsch, Ursula Eicker, Liz Miller, and Damon Matthews and visual artist / film director / videographer Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin in this 5-km reflective Deep Time Walk through the history of the Earth, and then meet us back at 4th Space in person or online as we debrief with Otsitsaken:ra Charles Patton,Kanien’kehá:ka Elder from Kahnawà:ke.”
See more of Concordia’s events. Many exciting events happening this week in AI, sustainability, nature and everything else!
SoPhiA Book Library: Weekly Book Recommendation
This week’s highlighted book:
Contemporary Jewish Philosophies by William Kaufman (1985)
Contemporary Jewish Philosophies is a systematic critique of the theological and philosophical views of major Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century.
“‘(Kaufman) speaks two languages of Judaic existence, expressing in contemporary and acutely relevant speech the thought and sentiment of the revealed torah of Judaism. That is why he serves a broad and informed public in the excellent book at hand. And that is why he deserves reading for a long time to come.'”
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 