Dear members of the community, chers collègues,
It is with great sadness that I share the news that Massey Senior Resident and Quadrangle Society Member Peter Herrndorf passed away this weekend. Peter was a tireless advocate for the arts and over the course of his distinguished career he headed the CBC, TVOntario and The National Arts Centre. At Massey, Peter was instrumental to the life of the College, bringing important artists and arts-centred events to the Fellowship, and volunteering his time as a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee. He was generous with his expertise, very helpful to me, and a wonderful friend to so many of our community. He will be deeply missed. Please join me in passing along condolences to his wife Eva Czigler, children Katherine and Matthew, and his sister, Kiki Delaney. In lieu of flowers the family has asked for donations to the Luminato Festival Toronto, The National Arts Centre Foundation, Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation or a charity of your choice. Visitation will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, on Friday, February 24 from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. A celebration of life will take place at a later date. I will share details once they become available.
We have three upcoming events to celebrate International Women’s Day: a conference on how to improve childcare systems across Canada, our International Women’s Day High Table Dinner, and the launch of Mothering Alone: A Plea for Opportunity by Senior Fellow Mary Kay O’Neil. We are also participating in the Refugee Awareness Week on March 2nd.
The 8-week Anishinaabemowin course, which covers the basic tools to learn Anishinaabemowin independently or in community – is underway. Please feel free to join us on Saturdays from 10:30am – noon. Even if you missed the first session last week, all are welcome but spots are limited so register today! Register to Attend Here
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 1
4:00-6:00 p.m.
The Sacred in the Everyday: Objects and their Meaning in Spiritual Life at the Chapel Royal – Join Alumna Audrey Rochette, Junior Fellow James Bird, Senior Fellow Nurjehan Mawani, Gordon Rixon SJ, and other members of the Massey fellowship from different faith traditions, who will each bring a unique object or artifact and talk about its personal and spiritual meaning. All are welcome. Come with an object of your own, or simply join in an open discussion centered on sharing and learning. Refreshments will be served. This event is organized by the Chapel Royal Committee. Please register to attend here.
6:30pm
8:00pm-9:15pm
Arts @ Massey: Music Salon – Transcending Boundaries: The Musical World of Alanna Stuart. Register here.
March 2
Refugee Awareness Week Event
3:00pm
Hear from Gabriel Ndayishimiye, Writer, CEO & Founder of LivenBooks and WUSC-SRP Alumni, Ghizaal Haress, Massey College Visiting Fellow and former Afghanistan Ombudsman, Zuhal Ahad, Massey College Journalism Fellow, Yasin Kiraga Misago, Founder & CEO African Descent B.C and WUSC-SRP Alumni, Acha Patandjila, Poet and Social Justice Advocate on the refugee crisis. Faculty of Law Professor Audrey Macklin will also discuss her current study of the Syrian refugee experience in Canada.
Massey College Moot
7:30-9:00pm
Massey Midnight Snackers & Massey Kitchen Cookers vs. Massey College (The Principal)
Join Junior Fellows Ronan Mallovy, Sara Maqsood, Katrina Carver and Noah Khan for a light-hearted debate about the legal and policy implications of mass kitchen surveillance in the fictional Province of Massey. The moot will be judged by Principal Nathalie Des Rosiers and the Honourable Justice Julie Thorburn of the Ontario Court of Appeal.
On March 3, we will gather for our International Women’s Day High Table to celebrate the contributions of many wonderful women. Join us.
The Massey College Book Club will meet on March 6 to discuss Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service. I will be joined by the Book Club Committee (Senior Fellow Lily Cho, alumni Niyosha Keyzad, Delila Bikic, Claire Jensen, Junior Fellows Rena Roussin and Stephanie Redekop) in discussion with the author, Massey alum Tajja Isen, joining us remotely.
March 8 Massey Dialogues
Omiwatari: Documentary Screening and Dialogue on the Cultural Losses of Climate Change
On Wednesday, March 8, you are invited to attend a screening of the documentary Omiwatari, followed by a conversation with biologist Dr. Sapna Sharma and filmmakers Junior Fellow Zeesy Powers and Jennifer Baichwal.
On March 10 from 9:00am-12:30pm you are invited to an important discussion of childcare issues. Strategies for Better Child Care: A Massey College Discussion addresses the work that remains to be done to ensure accessible childcare in Canda. As the provincial/federal agreements on better child care are concluded, what do we need to do to ensure that child care is indeed better and affordable, and that it continues to improve? What strategies will work throughout the province?
Organized by myself with Senior Fellow Lorna Marsden and Professor Constance Backhouse
On March 11 join us for our annual Wine Grazing event. A non-alcoholic tasting option for the evening is available. More information and tickets, here. https://masseycollege.ca/events/wine-grazing/
March 13
Dinner in memory of Christine Karcza
Please join us for a special dinner in memory of Christine Karcza. This event will be held in the Upper Library at 6:30pm.
Reception at 6:00pm in the Junior Common Room. All are welcome.
Following the dinner, there will be a special Massey Dialogues – Caregiving in Canada: The World That Enables Other Work from 8:00-9:00pm in the JCR.
March 14
11:45am Senior Fellow Luncheon:
On Tuesday, March 14, Senior Fellow Alison Keith will speak on Servius’ Daughter Sulpicia: Life, Love and Literature in Ancient Rome.
This talk aims to shed light on the historical and literary contexts of Sulpicia, “Servius’ daughter,” known to us only from a cycle of poems, celebrating her amatory trysts and tribulations with a man named Cerinthus, included in the third book of Tibullus’ poetry ([Tib.] 3.8–18). Unlike other famous aristocratic women from classical antiquity, the poet/lover Sulpicia is not mentioned anywhere else in ancient literature or material documents, and so our knowledge of her historical existence and literary activity derives solely from the poems in which she speaks and is named.
4:30pm
The Reverend Canon Paul Wright, Sub Dean of HM Chapel Royal will visit Massey College on March 14th. To mark the occasion, there will be a ceremony in the Chapel Royal at Massey College, Gi-Chi-Twaa Gimaa Kwe Mississauga Anishinaabek AName Amik, at 4:30 p.m. to dedicate and install the eagle feather gifted to the College by former National Chief Perry Bellegarde.
Following the ceremony, there will be a reception in the Junior Common Room, featuring the premiere of Learning Together, a short documentary video about the Chapel Royal.
Massey Loves to Read
Book Launch – Mothering Alone: A Plea for Opportunity by Mary Kay O’Neil
On March 15th at 7:45pm, you are invited to join an essential discussion on themes from the book Mothering Alone: A Plea for Opportunity by Senior Fellow Mary Kay O’Neil with a discussion led by Justice Susan Lang
REMINDERS
Call for Proposals to Celebrate 60 years of Massey College
Since 1963, Massey College has been both a physical and intellectual home to thousands of graduate and professional school students studying at the University of Toronto, Journalism Fellows and senior members. Over the past 60 years Massey has built a vibrant interdisciplinary and intergenerational community, one that often begins at the dining table. The contributions of Junior Fellows, Senior Fellows, Quadranglers and visitors come to life through the many activities of groups such as Massey Dialogues, Grand Rounds, Writer-in-residence, Book Club, Audeamus, Music Salon, Science at Massey, Public Policy events and the Alumni Association.
It is with this in mind that we have formed a 60th anniversary committee to help coordinate events for Fall 2023, and we want your ideas to help celebrate this landmark year.
If you have ideas to help celebrate Massey at 60 – our past, present and future – please send proposals with a budget to Massey60@masseycollege.ca before March 31, 2023.
Community News
Senior Fellow and Chair of our Governing Board, Akwasi Owusu-Bempah has been named to Canada’s Black Justice Strategy steering group and will co-author recommendations to the federal government. He was also recently interviewed on CBC’s Power and Politics, watch it here.
Senior Fellow Haroon Siddiqui will discuss his Massey Essay on Muslims and the media in a virtual event on Thursday March 2 from 2-3:30pm at the Centre for Free Expression.
On behalf of Smaro Kambourelli, the Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian Literature, you’re invited to Literature Matters with Noor Naga and Omar El Akkad.
Alumna Margaret Frances Fulford was recently awarded with the inaugural Exemplary University of Toronto Ambassador (EUTA) Award in recognition of her more than 15 years of outstanding service to University College. Read here for more information.
Senior Fellow Brett House is quoted in CNBC article https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/16/economists-worry-about-a-recession-but-a-soft-landing-may-be-possible.html
Quadrangle Society Member Steve Paikin wrote about the Spadina Museum.
Quadrangle Society Member Akaash Maharaj held a conversation on the US Supreme Court case – Section 230 that is being heard today and may have significant impact on the global social media landscape.
À bientôt,
Nathalie
