2013 Vanier College Humanities Symposium

The Vanier College Humanities Department, along with the Humanities Symposium Committee, owes an inestimable amount of gratitude to many people throughout the college. A symposium such as this, with so many outstanding participants, could hardly have been conceived and actualized without the cooperation and assistance of faculty, administrators, and staff. This year’s symposium was an enormous success, by almost every conceivable standard, and it helped raise the intellectual profile of Vanier College throughout the city of Montreal, as well as the regions of southern Quebec and Ontario. Many of the symposium participants applauded the outstanding company of thinkers they found themselves within. As one eminent scholar and participant exclaimed in an email, “Bravo!”

As symposium coordinator, I am deeply indebted to an indefatigable committee of people who worked numerous hours to help bring this year’s symposium to fruition. Alphabetically, they are: Brian Aboud, Martha Bernstein, Timothy Budde, Stephen Byron, Sheila Das, Nathan Loewen, and Lili Petrovic. Two faculty members must also be acknowledged, one for guiding me through a myriad of organizational details (Sevak Manjikian) and the other for helping bring the acclaimed author Rawi Hage to the symposium (Leila Bdeir). Appreciation also goes out to our Faculty Dean (FSGS) Eric Lozowy, and his office for his continued support of the Humanities Symposium.

The committee and I appreciate, beyond measure, the work of the Vanier College Students Association who supported bringing Professors Stanley Fish, Charles Taylor, and Mark Kingwell to Vanier. Our students have demonstrated that, as a Student Association among others in this city, province, and country, they must be recognized among the very best. Our appreciation goes out to all Vanier College students for taking part in the week-long event. Your questions and comments were challenging, provocative and insightful, bringing enthusiasm, vitality and optimism to the life of the Humanities Symposium.

With respect to securing the participation of Professor Stanley Fish, who came to Vanier College from Florida International University, we are grateful to the members of the Vanier College Foundation, the Director General, Gilbert Héroux, and the Academic Dean, Martine Gauthier. Your support came at a time when it was urgently needed, and it was essential to our success.

As always, the Vanier College Teachers Association can be counted on to support teachers and departments throughout the college. To this end, we thank the VCTA and the Association Council for supporting the presentation of Professor Charles Taylor. What a great afternoon this was. Thank-you VCTA!

Naturally, alongside monetary assistances, there is an infinite array of mechanical details that must be taken into consideration, to take germinating ideas and turn them into a working reality. Here, we are grateful to Danielle (Dany) Brown who gave up valuable space, in both the Auditorium and the Carrefour when the symposium coincided with the beginning of Black History Month. Thank-you Dany and best wishes for another Black History Month success!

We’d also like to extend our gratitude to Bev Chandler and the Vanier Communications office for “getting the word out” and making swift and necessary changes to promotional materials and schedules on the Vanier website. This department was an invaluable asset to the symposium committee, in these and many other areas.

Also to be thanked is Mike Demole and his staff in the print shop, who could be called upon at any and all “last moments” to have materials altered and/or produced. A symposium such as this needs the printed word, in a variety of ways, and it is clear that our print shop staff can be counted on.

Thanks also goes to Joan Fee Taylor (Micropublishing and Hypermedia), for enduring the ever-changing requests of the symposium coordinator, and to Justin Deguire and David Scott whose work in the Auditorium is always professional, tireless, and immensely cooperative.

Sincerely, Jeff Sims, Humanities Department

2013 Vanier College BDC Case Challenge

Congratulations to Algonquin College (photo above) the winner of the 8th annual Vanier College BDC Case Challenge held Friday, February 8 through to Sunday, February 10, 2013. Coming in second is the team from St. Lawrence College (Kingston), and third place goes to New Brunswick Community College.

Kudos to the Vanier Team that was tops in Division One, and won a place as one of the six finalists competing Sunday. Team members Kristy Cummings-Taylor, Samantha Hughes, Mark Clarizio, with alternate Melissa Piro, and Coaches David Moscovitz and Jessica Andrews truly did Vanier proud. A big thank you goes to the 45 Vanier student volunteers who worked throughout the weekend to help make this event a great success.

Congratulations to all of the participating colleges and their teams for the high standard of presentations at this pan-Canadian event. Special kudos to those who braved the Friday weather and long delays in airports and on roads to make it to the event and compete on schedule and keep the event competitive.

2013 Winners: Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Sarah Rossy, winner of the 2013 Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship, and to Honorable Mentions Salvatore Rotolo and Elise Kovac. Meg Sircom, a fiction writer and English teacher at Vanier from 2001-2011, valued both academic and creative writing. The scholarship awards creative literary work of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, graphic storytelling, or other.

Horizon Multiressource Terra-Bois Scholarship Launch

Today saw a first-time event occurring for the Environmental and Wildlife Management Program, and one of which we are very proud. With 1st and 2nd year EWM students in attendance, we launched a program-dedicated scholarship, which will result in cash awards being made annually to two students who are continuing their studies at the EWM Field Station in the Gore Township, just north of Lachute.
Applications for the scholarships, which must be submitted by the students by late spring of 2013, will focus on community involvement, character, and academic performance.

The scholarship was generously proposed, and will be funded by, the Lachute-based forestry and environmental consulting company, Horizon Multiressource, and its parent company, Terra-Bois Cooperative. Mr. André Goulet, General Manager of Horizon Multiressource, was on hand to make the announcement.

The faculty and staff of the EWM Program would like to extend their sincerest thanks to Mr. Goulet and his organization for this initiative, one which is very much in keeping with their ongoing work in environmental and sustainable endeavours.

Brian Scully, Environmental and Wildlife Management

Holocaust and Totalitarianism: Journeys Through Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic

The Vanier College Foundation is proud to be supporting a new student initiative called “Holocaust and Totalitarianism:  Journeys Through Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.” This complementary course is open to all Vanier students for credit and combines classroom discussions with a unique study abroad experience visiting important sites of the Holocaust. Read more. DONATE NOW.

Malawi Nursing Exchange Fundraiser

The Vanier College Nursing Department is raising money to support the Malawi Nursing Exchange. You can support the students participating in this year’s exchange by purchasing Gourmet Coffee and Hot Chocolate.

Ground Coffee Mélange Manoir – Colombian and African blend with about 10% French roasted. This is considered a medium tasting coffee; ground suitable for a basket or cone drip coffee maker. 200 gram bags: $5 per bag

Hot Chocolate Powder – Rich and Creamy. 456 gram bags: $5 per bag

Order here

One of our Nursing students will contact you to arrange delivery. Payment upon receipt of the order. Cash or cheque made out to Vanier College Foundation. Funds go to the Vanier College Foundation in support of the Malawi Nursing Exchange.

For more information please contact: Melodie Hicks 744-7500 x 7730, hicksm@vaniercollege.qc.ca

Vanier Students Representing Québec at the 2012 Prix Goncourt des Lycéens

The Vanier College Foundation is proud to support six Vanier College students and French teacher Catherine Duranleau who have been preparing to represent Québec at this year’s Prix Goncourt des Lycéens.

 

By MARGUERITE CORRIVEAU
Originally Published: November 9, 2012

2000 students from France and other countries
Since its creation in 1988, the Goncourt des Lycéens has aimed at giving students a taste for reading and writing and for discussing books.  Over the years it acquired the prestige of a true literary prize to the point of now being a touchstone of each literary season when new books are launched.  The jury is composed of some 2000 French students aged 15 to 18, as well students from other countries who read the books officially selected by the Académie Goncourt. It is therefore students who select the winner after discussions, meetings and debates.

November 13-15 debates to select a winner
« Six students and I will be living a wonderfully stimulating and demanding literary adventure, » states French teacher Catherine Duranleau who had the daring idea of submitting the name of Vanier College to represent Québec at the Goncourt des Lycéens. « We’ve now almost finished reading all 11 novels in preparation for the regional deliberations in Paris on November 13, 2012 and in Rennes on November 15, when the grand winner will be announced.  We are very anxious to get going. »

The first time an English Cegep represents Québec at this competition
Vanier College, the only foreign school on the French jury this year, will represent Québec and the world very well.  The Vanier students reflect not only the rich cultural diversity of the College and of modern-day Québec which is more and more cosmopolitan, but also reflects the French world of the future.   It’s also the first time an English Cegep represents Québec at this competition.

Past participation in the Prix littéraire des collégiens
It’s the College’s participation in the Prix littéraire des collégiens for two consecutive years here in Québec that gave Catherine Duranleau the idea of submitting Vanier’s candidacy for representing Québec at the Goncourt des Lycéens. «It’s with great enthusiasm that the members of the organizing committee of the Prix littéraire des collégiens accepted and endorsed Vanier’s submission, » indicates Claude Bourgie Bovet who is responsible for the Prix littéraire des collégiens and who spearheads the selection of a Québec cegep for the Goncourt des Lycéens.  It’s also worth noting that almost the entire cost of this project has been covered by grants that Catherine Duranleau managed to obtain.

Yokogawa Donates Leading Edge Transmitters to Industrial Electronics

Yogogawa Canada Inc. has graciously donated valuable equipment to the Industrial Electronics Department. The instruments (differential pressure transmitter, pressure transmitter, temperature transmitter) are typical of what Vanier students will encounter in the field and will be used for hands-on training and experimentation in the Instrumentation and Process Control labs.