Concordia Philosophy Student Weekly Tabloid Vol. 36
Keep going philosophers! Five more weeks of classes to go.
Sometimes life can be a difficult balance of our personal, social, and academic lives and they often encroach on each other. But it’s all about balance. One should not ignore either as they are part of our human nature (heart, reason, and sociality). Sometimes we need to focus on one more than the other, but to completely reject one leads to imbalance.
Goals are nice to have, but if there’s nobody to share those goals with, they mean nothing. What matters is who we share life with, not what we can accomplish. We can’t take our accomplishments to the grave, they remain completely human ideals.
Simon de Beauvoir argued in “Pyrrhus and Cineas” that there’s no reason to even have projects (or goals) in the first place because once we finish a project, we tell ourselves, “so, now what!?” and return home back to where we started. However, humans also have an innate desire to always reach for goals and what we tell ourselves is good (known as Felicity in Hobbe’s The Leviathan).
Without further ado, here’s the 36th 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:
- Changes to our bylaws
- A memorial event
- The SoPhiA Review—call for submissions
- Annual general elections—voting period
- Forces Avenir awards
- Our Sheila Mason Bursary
- A Champlain College Speaker Series
- People’s Potato emergency food baskets
- Various Concordia events
SoPhiA Bylaw Changes
We will be proposing to all our members some changes to our bylaws based on suggestions from John Hutton, ASFA’s General Manager, who kindly combed through our bylaws and offered suggestions to make them more up to date and concise.
We had a meeting on February 27th to review these suggestions and discuss which ones we want to incorporate into our bylaws. As per our bylaws on making bylaw changes, we can only do so during a General Assembly or through referendum questions in an election period (bylaw 5.g and Section VII). We will be asking students to vote on the new set of bylaws during the General Elections voting period from March 21-23, 2023.
Many of these revisions include deleting out-of-date bylaws, such as references to ASFA’s old election policy, which it had revised last year (so the old one is obsolete), and some terminology changes (e.g., from “school days” to “business days”). One important proposed addition is what we informally voted on at the last Special General Assembly, “SECTION XIV: Department Sexual Harassment Awareness.”
See below for more information on the changes.
Minutes from Feb 27th meeting
If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact us [president dot sophia at asfa dot ca] or [community dot sophia at asfa dot ca ]
What: SoPhiA bylaw changes
When: Vote on these changes from March 21-23, 2023
Where: Annual General Elections Voting portal
Memorial event for Nicolas gaudreau
As most of you are aware by now, a student enrolled in the honours philosophy program passed away a few weeks ago.
The philosophy department is holding a memorial service for Nicolas Gaudreau on Thursday March 30th from 12-2pm in Multifaith and Spirituality Center in the Z-annex.
See a message from the department:
Dear philosophy community,
I hope this email finds you well. It’s with a heavy heart I share with you the sad news that Nicolas Gaudreau, an Honours in Philosophy student, recently passed away suddenly and for causes unknown. Nicolas was in his third year of study.
A special memorial gathering will take place in the Multifaith and Spirituality Centre, Z-Annex, 2090 Mackay Street, on Thursday, March 30th, from noon to 2 p.m. University Chaplain Jen Bourque will lead a moment of remembrance starting at 1 p.m. If you wish to speak at the event, please contact me [Departmental Assistant Candace Mooers]. Light refreshments will be served.
If you cannot attend, but would like to share a message of condolence intended for Nicolas’s family, we have a paper scroll (instead of a card) you can sign. Please drop by ER-633, 2155 Guy Street, weekdays (except Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. before March 30.
What: Memorial service for Nicolas Gaudreau
When: March 30, 12-2pm
Where: Multifaith and Spirituality Centre, Z-Annex, 2090 Mackay Street
The SoPhiA Review: Call for Submissions
Have your written a philosophical work that you’re proud of and want to show off to the world? The SoPhiA Review, SoPhiA’s undergraduate journal of philosophy, is now accepting submissions! Please consider submitting a paper or philosophical piece of art to our journal for this year. We accept art and creative works, so long as the philosophical content is substantial. Want to write and draw a short philosophical comic? Send it to us for publishing! This is a great chance to have your work peer-edited and published in an academic journal.
Submit here or to [editor-chief dot sophia at asfa dot ca]
Who: The SoPhiA Review
What: Call for submission of philosophical works
When: Deadline is April 1st
Where: Submit on our website
Why: Publish and publicize your work!
2023 Annual General Elections: Voting period
Today marks the end of the campaigning period of the Annual General Arts and Science Federation of Associations and Member Association Elections opens tomorrow. Go out and vote!
We need a minimum of fifteen (15) philosophy students voting in order to officially elect any philosophy students to executive member. So please go out and vote.
Voting takes a total of a few minutes and the link to vote can be found in an email sent by ASFA, most likely to be sent out Tuesday morning.
Note that you wlil be voting on electing new SoPhiA executives for the 2023-2024 academic year, as well as voting on bylaw changes (see section “SoPhiA bylaw changes” above).
We are also proposing to officially elect Diana Pylypenko, our currently appointed Interim SoPhiA Review Editor-in-Chief, as our official journal Editor-in-Chief for the rest of the 2021-2022 academic year (until May 31st, 2023).
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
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 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.
- Resume and LinkedIn strategies to jumpstart your career: March 21, 1pm
- Graduating soon? Need help with crafting a super resume or LinkedIn profile? This event will help you with just that!
- How to become a master communicator: March 21, 3pm
- “Brenden will present 3 practical public speaking exercises to help you quickly improve your ability to convey ideas effectively to an audience.”
- Boost your personal well-being: Strategies from positive psychology: March 22, 10am
- “In this workshop, we will discuss ways in which we can tune in to and direct our internal compasses to promote well-being and manage stress. Through reflective exercises and small group discussions, you will develop a greater understanding of your own strengths and how to use them when navigating challenging circumstances. ”
- Conscious leadership: How you have the greatest impact on your world: March 22, 3pm.
- “This presentation will provide you with a framework for developing an approach of conscious leadership. A conscious leader has a strong connection to their own strengths, values and motivations. They are deeply aware of their impact and influence, and are highly motivated to see the people and organization around them succeed.”
See more of Concordia’s events. Many exciting events happening this week in AI, sustainability, nature and everything else!
SoPhiA Book Library: Book Recommendation
Current 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 