Principal’s Message
In a fractured world at a hinge moment, I was not surprised that the news of General Roméo Dallaire joining Massey College as Chair for Peace, and his speaking at the Oct 24 Massey College High Table, generated an enthusiastic response from our community. So much so that we will be adding a special event to our calendar, at 2pm on the afternoon of Oct 24.
Please join General Dallaire and myself – who were together during the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda – along with film director Peter Raymont, for a screening of the documentary Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire, followed by an intimate conversation about that painful past and his hope for the future. Secure your seat here.
With very best wishes,
James Orbinski
Wednesday, October 15 | 11:45-2:00pm
Senior Fellow Luncheon: Is Intelligence General? AGI and its Alternatives
Upper Library
Senior Fellow Luncheons are among Massey College’s most cherished traditions — occasions that bring members together in the spirit of fellowship, conversation, and intellectual exchange. Please join us for the first luncheon of the term, featuring a two-course meal and the opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends. Following lunch, we are pleased to welcome Senior Fellow and Associate Dean, Research, at the Faculty of Information, Matt Ratto, for his talk, Is Intelligence General? AGI and its Alternatives.
For more information on Dean Ratto’s talk, and to RSVP, visit our website, here.
Wednesday, October 22 | 4:00-5:00pm
Diversity and Disability in the Academy: Reimagining Accommodations and Access Intersectionally
Junior Common Room
This panel brings together Victoria College Registrar Yvette Ali and York University PhD Candidate Meg Howison to explore how accessibility and disability intersect with race, gender, sexuality, and class. By examining the structures that define accessibility within academia, the discussion asks: What would it mean to place disability at the centre of academic life— not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for reimagining inclusion and equity across the university? RSVP here.
Thursday, October 23 | 4:00-6:00pm
Chapel Explorations – Energy: Spark of the Soul
Energy is strength, vigor, power, spirit. The word comes to us via late Latin, from the Greek energeia – en- ‘in, within’ + ergon ‘work’. Whether it is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, energy is the vital force that shapes our lives.
Join us in the Chapel, for another in our series of Explorations. Participants will be asked to briefly offer some thoughts about the meaning of the word in their lives, their ideas, experiences, or concerns. The format will be a Talking Circle, in which each person speaks in turn – a space to listen, to share, and to learn.
Junior Fellow Raylene Mitchell will lead and moderate the circle. In the course of her research on energy storage solutions in Canada’s north, she has thought a lot about energy in all of its forms.
All are welcome – Junior and Senior Fellows, Quadranglers, Visiting Scholars, Journalism Fellows, Staff. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP here.
Friday, October 24 | 2:00-4:00pm
General Roméo Dallaire and Dr. James Orbinski in Conversation
Upper Library
You are invited to a screening of the award-winning documentary film: Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire. After the film, join General Roméo Dallaire and Dr. James Orbinski in conversation, along with film director Peter Raymont, as they reflect on their harrowing time together in Rwanda during the Genocide in which 800,000 people were brutally slaughtered over 100 days. RSVP here.
Wednesday, October 29 | 1:00-3:00pm
Robertson Davies Library Spooktacular!
Join us in the lower library and bibliography room for a Halloween workshop. Come to print some Halloween-themed keepsakes and look at our rare haunted collection. Everyone is welcome!
A Visit from the First Printing Apprentice at Massey College: Michael Laine
On Tuesday, October 7, we were delighted to welcome Michael Laine back to Massey. Laine holds a special place in the College’s history as its very first apprentice (then known as the Printer’s Devil) working under Massey’s inaugural librarian, Douglas Lochhead. You can see Douglas Lochhead’s portrait on display in the library, painted by his brother, artist Kenneth Lochhead. Laine admired Lochhead greatly, and has many fond memories of him.
During his visit, Michael reminisced about his time in the Bibliography Room and shared fond memories of Massey’s early days. Following his apprenticeship, he went on to an accomplished academic career as a Trollope scholar in the English Department. Laine’s contributions to the Library have been lasting and significant: he generously donated a number of books, drawers of his own typefaces, and, most notably, our beloved Vandercook press, which remains in use to this day.
Now 92 years old, Michael spent much of the day with Dr. James Orbinski, sharing stories over lunch and reflecting on Massey’s humble beginnings. He also had the pleasure of watching one of our current apprentices, Robbie Steele, at work printing in the Bibliography Room.
We are deeply grateful to Michael Laine for his visit, his generosity, and his enduring connection to the College. It was a true joy to welcome him back home.
Massey College Alumni Association Updates (MCAA)
The following changes went into effect at the end of September, following the first meeting of the MCAA Board for the current academic year:
Principal Secretary:
Alexander Kostenko
Treasurer:
Trevor Plint
Quarter Century Fund Representatives:
Jen Kolz
Urs Obrist
Andrea Geddes Poole
James Greene
Visit masseycollege.ca/alumni for more information about the MCAA.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Appointments
- Junior Fellow Mohaddeseh Abdolhosseini has been elected as the President of the Society of Women Engineers – Graduate Students at the University of Toronto (GradSWE – U of T Chapter).
- Senior Fellow Nurjehan Mawani has recently been appointed as Rapporteur for the Working Party on Climate, Migration and Protection of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ)
News
- Senior Fellow, Peter Biro (Chair Emeritus of the Jane Goodall Institute Global), spoke with CBC Radio’s As It Happens on the occasion of the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall. Listen to it here.
- Read Senior Fellow Stephen Scharper’s recent op-ed in the Toronto Star
- Read Senior Fellow Franklin Griffith’s recent op-ed in the Globe and Mail.
- Senior Fellow John Meehan has recently launched a new book on Jean Chretien’s foreign policy, read more about it here.
- Senior Fellow Haroon Siddiqi will be giving a talk entitled “Keeping your Identity in Multicultural Canada” at UTM on October 16. All are invited, more information here.
