I am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Clarkson Laureateship for Public Service. I hope you will all join us at the upcoming High Table on Friday, January 27th to celebrate our Laureates and acknowledge their commitment to the public good with the Rt. Honorable Adrienne Clarkson. We will also have some special musical performances and contra-dancing (and instruction) after dinner – please see the attached document with a description, no experience required. It will be a wonderful evening.
The 2023 Clarkson Laureates are:
Rakshith Ramesh is a second-year resident Junior Fellow and second year Master of Applied Science student studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering. Rakshith is the program co-chair for the Massey is Lunch program, and was instrumental in its creation and successful implementation. For those of you who may not know, Massey Is Lunch pairs Junior Fellows with Senior Members of the College for an informal lunch in Ondaatje Hall. This program has required a lot of time and commitment – and has been invaluable to the intergenerational connections at the college that were seriously set back due to the pandemic, especially for new Junior Fellows and incoming Quadrangle and Senior Fellows. Rakshith is an active participant in the Science @ Massey program bringing his experience as a former research engineer in the aerospace and communication technology industries to the interdisciplinary nature of the Science @ Massey group. Most recently, he volunteered his time and talent to help organize the first ever Multiculturalism High Table in celebration of South Asian communities. Outside of Massey and before coming to the University of Toronto, Rakshith demonstrated a strong commitment to community service – volunteering for the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the Suvidya Foundation as well as the Parikrma Humanity foundation where he provided one-on-one coaching for middle school students who were struggling in mathematics.
Caitlin Salvino is a second-year resident Junior Fellow and a JD candidate at the Faculty of Law. Caitlin is Co-Chair of the Junior Fellow-led Accessibility Committee and is currently in the process of organizing an accessibility audit for Massey, with funding from the Quarter Century Fund. Additionally, Caitlin spearheaded and co-facilitated the “Just Ask” workshop at Massey, aimed at having Junior Fellows with disabilities share their experiences with the fellowship and with Massey staff. This event helped to not only raise critical and crucial awareness of disability at Massey, but also helped to position Massey College as a space where disability is present, and where all are welcome. Caitlin has worked closely with the Lionel Massey Fund to ensure that events are organized with accessibility in mind, and encourages all accessibility needs be met in all capacities. Caitlin has brought accessibility into sharp focus at the College, and as a result, has made disability and access central to the College’s work and outreach. In addition to Caitlin’s involvement at Massey College, her scholarship and activism is impressive, both within the U of T Faculty of Law and outside of it. Currently, Caitlin is the co-president of the Disabled Law Students’ Association, and has successfully advocated for reform to the Faculty of Law’s Financial Aid Policy in order to meet the needs of disabled students, the creation of a lecture recordings policy for disabled students as well as the hiring of a specialist in disability at the Faculty of Law.
JANUARY EVENTS
On Monday, January 16 Quadrangle Society Member Steve Paikin is holding a Massey launch of his latest book John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada’s 17th Prime Minister. https://masseycollege.ca/events/book-launch-john-turner-by-steve-paikin/
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On Wednesday, January 18 we will host The Unwritten Constitution: Conventions, Traditions and Norms in Our Populist Age conference. Currently sold-out, you can watch via livestream or register for the waitlist
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The next event in our Ethics Series takes place on Thursday, January 19. Does Participation in Sports Build Character?
Reflecting upon recent Hockey Canada headlines, our expert panelists: Professor Emeritus and former Olympian Bruce Kidd; former player, coach and adjunct Professor John Phelan, and Junior Fellow L’Ashante Henry will discuss whether or not participation in sports builds character and contributes to shaping ‘good citizens.’
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Massey Dialogues on January 20 will address The Urgent Need to Know: Science and Science Communication in the COVID-19 Era with Senior Fellows Carolyn Tuohy & Arjumand Siddiqi, Junior Fellow Leighton Schreyer and Journalism Fellow Alum Wency Leung.
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COFFEE HOUSE AT MASSEY
Have a talent you want to show to the Massey community? The Massey College Coffee House is taking place on Saturday, January 21 at 8pm in the Colin Friesen Room. There is an acoustic guitar, a piano, drums, and microphone available for use. If you would like to perform, please sign up before January 15 here: https://forms.gle/6GoMKobQW795LCms9. Instructions to access the Colin Friesen Room are provided in the link.
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An Evening for Democracy and Film Screening of 2020: Chaos and Hope
Massey College and CITIZN Canada’s 6th Estate invite you to an evening of dialogue, discourse, and a private screening of the 2020: Chaos and Hope – a film by Oscar-winning director June Beallor and award-winning producer Ceci Chan. Join us at the George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place) on Monday, January 23.
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Report on Ukraine and Russia
On Tuesday, January 24, Senior Fellow and Academic Advisor to the William Southam Journalism Fellows, Robert Johnson will speak at the Senior Fellow Luncheon.
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All are welcome for an important event exploring Islamophobia in Canada:
Thursday, January 26 – Equity Talks: Unmasking Islamophobia’s Nuances
Dr. Shelina Kassam, a critical race theorist and Islamophobia scholar, will engage in a short conversation with Ahmer Khan, an activist and community builder. They will then invite the group to engage in an open discussion about their experiences, how they can be allies to Muslims and other marginalized groups, and the role we all can play in the pursuit of a more equitable world.
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On Monday, January 30, all are invited to join the conversation with author Michael Century on themes from his latest book Northern Sparks: Innovation, Technology Policy and the Arts in Canada from Expo 67 to the Internet Age. Michael will be joined in conversation with Senior Fellow Zainub Verjee.
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CELEBRATING BLACK EXCELLENCE AT MASSEY – Black History Month at Massey College
Feb 1: 5:00pm Women of Colour in Media Industries with alum and Senior Fellow Rita Shelton Deverell
Feb 6: 8:00pm Book Club – Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough, presented by alum Eddie Kawooya https://masseycollege.ca/events/book-club-dominoes-at-the-crossroads/
Feb 7: Filmmaker in Residence screening and panel discussion of Black Ice with director Hubert Davis at the George Ignatieff Theatre RSVP
Feb 9: 7:45pm (Principal’s Lodge) – Book Launch with alumnus Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey. His Cross-border Cosmopolitans – the Making of a Pan-African North America RSVP
Feb 10: Black History High Table Celebrating Black Excellence (Tickets available here) https://masseycollege.ca/events/black-history-high-table/
Feb 14: Senior Fellow Luncheon with Akwasi Owusu-Bempah Prohibition No More: On the Evolution of Drug Lawws and What the Future Holds
Feb 15: Massey Dialogues: France’s Colonial Legacy in Algeria and the Paradox of Grievability with Hervé Tchumkam RSVP
March 1: Music Salon – Transcending Boundaries: The Musical World of Alanna Stuart RSVP
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ARTS @ MASSEY
Music Salons
February 1
Haunted Voices: Music and Imagination in Remembering the Holocaust
March 1
Transcending Boundaries: The Musical World of Alanna Stuart
Massey Loves to Read
February 6
Book Launch – Decolonizing Journalism Classrooms by Duncan McCue RSVP
Book Club
Dominoes at the Crossroads by Kaie Kellough, presented by alum Eddie Kawooya RSVP
Feb 6
Album Launch Feb 15
Junior Fellow Maeve Hannigan will launch her album “A Woman’s Voice” with pianist Jialiang Zhu. RSVP
WINE GRAZING – March 11
This event has been more than a reason to explore a carefully-curated selection of gourmet food and wine—it has also served as a valuable opportunity for junior and senior members of the college to make connections and build community in a lively, convivial setting.
This year’s theme is A King Among Rivers: A Journey Along the Rhône and will take place on March 11, 2023 at 7:30pm in the Junior Common Room.
There will be a selection of 8 fine wines from regions along the Rhône and non-alcoholic carefully-crafted blends (from the “Proxies” line) selected by the sommelier which will be paired with a tasting menu of gourmet food dishes from the Massey kitchen. The event will be followed by live musical entertainment in the JCR.
Please direct questions to the Massey College Wine Grazing Committee.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Read Alum Adrian De Leon in the winter issue of the Walrus, here.
Quadrangle Society Member, Deanna Horton featured on Global Online – read it here.
Brett House Was on TVOntario’s The Agenda last week, watch it here.
Brett also has an op-ed in The Financial Post. Read it here.
Senior Fellows John English and Robert Bothwell write about the problems with access to information in Canada in a recent op-ed in the Globe and Mail Here.
Lastly, The Burden of Exile by Aaron Berhane has been published recently. Many will remember that Aaron was the Donner/CJFE Journalism Fellow in 2003/2004 and resident at the College. He fled his country, Eritrea, when the successful (and independent) newspaper that he had started only a few years before, came under attack by government forces. With deep sadness, we heard in 2020 that Aaron had succumbed to COVID 19 at 53. We can now celebrate with his family the posthumous publication of his book and thank PEN Canada and Dundurn Press for their support for his family in bringing it to fruition. More information and to order the book, visit Dundurn’s website, here.
