I’ve been reflecting on how the College contributes to a key issue of our time: the increasing discordance of dialogue on difficult issues. I have long felt that Massey could and should become a model for how difficult issues are discussed and treated in constructive ways. These would be issues in the public domain, and in our own domain.
In the last few weeks, there have been contributions from this College on that front: On March 13, under the auspices of the Chapel Royal, Massey Alumna Audrey Rochette led a discussion circle where participants expressed examples of difficult conversations from their lives, in a meaningful way. On March 20th, Victoria Kuketz led a Massey Dialogue on Polarization in Canada, which you can watch here. On March 21st, Senior Fellow Tom Axworthy led a discussion on the Ethics of Protest, asking ‘How far is too far?’ in acts of protest, which was a compelling exploration of the many sides of this question. You can watch the Ethics Series here.
Finally, earlier this month, Senior Fellow Carolyn Tuohy wrote a thoughtful article on the role of Universities in guiding discussions on moral positions versus taking moral positions. That article was published in Times Higher Education, but a longer, publicly accessible version can be found here. I found this thought-provoking and an important contribution to how all these difficult discussions might take place. I’d be interested in your thoughts on it, as would the author.
This past Friday was a delightful Convocation High Table, which is Massey’s way of celebrating the graduate students who have completed their degrees. I’d like to congratulate all 31 Junior Fellows who convocated and will soon be receiving the traditional, but apparently rare, Canadian English Dictionary (hardcover).
Also, I was pleased to announce that Junior Fellow Setayesh Yazdani was the winner of this year’s Aubie and Esther-Rose Angel Scholarship in Leadership, for her many contributions to leadership of the College’s medical offerings, the Walter Gordon Symposium and much more. The award was created by the college to honour the contributions of both Aubie and Esther-Rose Angel for their many years of contributions to the medical-related activities at the College.
Finally, we learned that the newly-elected Don of Hall is Alec Krawciw. The staff and I look forward to working with him. I’d also like to give my deep thanks to outgoing Don of Hall, Robbie Steele, who has earned the trust, respect, and admiration of all Fellows and Members for his kindness, thoughtfulness, and humour in the role. I personally benefited from his kind teachings of what a new and temporary Principal would need to know. Thank you Robbie!
APPLICATIONS
This is the final week for the William Southam Journalism Fellowship applications which are due Sunday, March 31.
Fellows experience networking opportunities, mentorship and the ability to audit any course at UofT. Please share the application widely with passionate mid-career journalists.
BEYOND OUR WALLS
I want to share an Op-Ed that was featured in the Hill Times “Will Canada support changes to international law on gender persecution?” which covered our March 8 IWD Conference on Gender Persecution and Women’s Rights in Afghanistan and Iran as part of broad calls for the international community to do more. Read it here.
THIS WEEK
March 26 | Fragments of Vulnerability: French Literature in the Age of AIDS
Junior Fellow Thomas Ayouti’s presentation examines the representation of vulnerability in AIDS literature by French gay writers in the ’80s and ’90s, questioning its relationship with literature and our understanding of vulnerability. All are welcome. RSVP.
March 26 | Ma thèse en 180 secondes / 3 Minute Thesis in French
Join us as doctoral and master’s students from Toronto and central-southwest Ontario compete to present their thesis in just 180 seconds. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn something new and support your fellow grad students! Reception to follow. RSVP.
APRIL EVENTS
April 1 | Massey Dialogues – Jewish Women Writers
Comparing twentieth and twenty-first century Jewish women authors, Visiting Scholar Ruth Panofsky and Junior Fellow Marissa Herzig aim to highlight and make visible some of the fantastic lesser-known Jewish women authors. RSVP.
April 1 | Book Club discusses the 2023 Cundill History Prize-winning book: Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China’s Cultural Revolution by Tania Branigan RSVP.
April 2 | Science @ Massey informal lunch with guest speakers
S@M has three special guests: Deputy Mayor of Toronto Dr. Jennifer McKelvie, Senior Director of Projects at NWMO Dr. Sarah Hirschorn, and Principal of GeoSyntec Consulting Dr. Silvia Mancini all on the same day. They will join us in Ondaatje Hall for lunch to discuss various career paths in government, regulation, and consulting, in addition to academic outlets for a PhD or Masters. 12:00-1:30pm. All are welcome. No registration needed.
April 10 | Senior Fellow Luncheon with Kim Kierans – Journalism: To serve the public interest or make widgets?
Media climate change has created news deserts across Canada and threatens the democratic health of communities. How can citizens make informed decisions when there’s no independent coverage of municipal governments, school boards and institutions? Senior Resident Kim Kierans has documented the seismic changes in the media industry since 1970 in her forthcoming book Journalism for the Public Good: The Michener Awards at 50 (Bighorn Books, UCP, May 2024). She traces the industry’s decline through the lens of 50 years of award-winning journalism in the public interest. RSVP.
April 10 | Massey Dialogues – Plastics Policy in Canada
This conversation will delve into what Canada is doing on the plastics front with a focus on extended producer responsibility, Canada’s ban on single-use items, the myth of recycling, and the international agreement on plastic pollution currently being negotiated as part of UNEP. Panelists from academia (Dr. Chelsea Rochman), government (MP Julie Dabrusin) and industry will be joining us with alum Alice Zhu as moderator. RSVP.
April 15 | Book Launch – The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter: Rights, Reforms, and Controversies (McGill-Queen’s University Press), edited by Senior Fellow Peter L. Biro with contributions from many of Canada’s leading constitutional scholars. RSVP.
April 17 | Rose Wolfe Seder (lunch) with Rabbi Yael Splansky
Please join our annual event in advance of Passover. We will have lunch with traditional foods and a facilitated discussion on themes from the holiday in celebration of the former Visitor. RSVP.
COMMUNITY NEWS
AWARDS
Junior Fellow Chukwunonso Nwabufo was named a Top 12 Finalist in the Enactus Canada Student Entrepreneur National Competition!
Congratulations Chuk!
NEWS
- Junior Fellow Dashiel Carrera had a book event for his novel The Deer at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn in conversation with the author Emily Hall. Lou D Phillips gave a dramatic reading of his novel excerpt “Salud, La Luz” as part of WordTheatre in Manhattan. Additionally, he was also accepted to the UKAI Factitious Residency to do artwork at the intersection of generative language, sound media, and performance.
- Alum Jack Cunningham of Trinity College and the Munk School discusses Canada’s decision to freeze arms exports to Israel. Listen here. He is also featured on CTV news, watch the interview here.
- Senior Fellow Sabreena Delhon wrote an Op-Ed on the story of women in politics.
- Senior Fellow Raywat Deonandan is quoted in City News about measles.
- WSJF Alum (1999-2000) David Parkinson was the economics columnist at The Globe and Mail and was promoted to the newly created position of Deputy Head of Newsroom Development. Congratulations!
- Senior Fellow Samir Sinha is quoted on senior women seeking specialist healthcare.
- Senior Fellow Barbara Sherwood Lollar shared her research discovering ancient rocks and water. BBC radio, listen here.
- Senior Fellow Paul Gooch wrote about universities commenting publicly about issues, with insights from Carolyn Tuohy of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. Read it here.
See you at the College soon,
Jonathan
P.S.
Massey is now taking bookings for our Summer Rental Program (May 6 to August 16). Bookings are available through our website, here. Massey residence rooms are a fantastic option for visiting scholars, conference attendees, and summer program students – help us spread the word!
