Intercom is published regularly and serves to inform Vanier staff and teachers of notices and special events. It is posted on the Vanier College Website and distributed electronically. Submissions should be sent to intercom@vaniercollege.qc.ca. Submissions should be in WORD, and sent as an attachment. No formatting or bullets. Deadline: 4:00 pm on the Wednesday preceding publication.

Information Evening at Vanier College If you know of any students who would like to volunteer to work at our Information Evening on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 from 5:30 to

8:30pm as a tour guide, please have them sign up online at the following link: https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/visiting-vanier/information-

evening-volunteer.php.

Please note that students can use the volunteer hours to apply to the S.T.A.R. Program (Student Transcript Activity Record).

Thank you.

Lora Terlizzese, Vanier Communications & Corporate Affairs

Vanier Indigenous Circle Funding for Indigenous Speakers and Projects

The Vanier Indigenous Circle supports teachers’ efforts to indigenize their course content through sponsorship of Indigenous related speakers

and events that bring in personal voices and/or traditional knowledge to the college community through a special funding envelope. The

Vanier Indigenous Circle’s allocations of funds are dependent on yearly allotments provided by the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEES); the

number of requests; prioritization of new programs/teachers accessing funds; and relevance to the indigenization of the academy.

The funding, along with a protocol gift, will be provided by the Vanier Indigenous Circle, to invited speakers, up to the specified allotments

provided for the year in question. If you’d like to apply for the funding, the forms are here:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/indigenous/funding-requests/

If you have any questions, please contact Marya Grant, Student Life, Sustainability, and Indigenous Student Advisor, B205F,

grantm@vanier.college

Marya Grant, Student Services

Volume M22, Issue No. 2, January 28, 2019

Black History Month Why we celebrate Black History Month

Matthieu da Costa Marie-Joseph Angélique Viola Desmond

Positive role models

Dr. Carter G. Woodson first started this event in the school system in 1926 to fight how Blacks were portrayed in a negative and degrading

fashion in the curriculum. He did not only aim to add Blacks to history but to correct what had been written about them.

Important aspects of the history of Blacks, especially in Canada, are still missing. Black History Month has been celebrated in Canada since

1995 after the Hon. Jean Augustine introduced a Motion in the House of Commons. She was the first African-Canadian woman to be elected

to the House of Commons.

In March 2006, following a large scale public consultation, of the Black Community, this Community decided that they wanted to see the image

of blacks in today’s society reflected in a more realistic positive way. The participants also underlined a number of issues facing the Black

community, among them negative stereotypes, a lack of information regarding their contributions and especially their invaluable contribution

to society, the absence of positive role models made available to the Black youth. This is an important contributing factor in the rate of school

drop-out in the community. It is to face this issue, that the National Assembly of Quebec adopted in November 2006 a Bill to make February

the Official Black History Month. This Bill became law in February 2007.

Ainsi, les représentations négatives et les stéréotypes dans le milieu scolaire sont dommageables et dévastateurs à long terme pour les jeunes

noirs qui intériorisent ces représentations et ce, à leur insu. Ces phénomènes affectent leur estime de soi, leur confiance, leur réussite et leur

parcours scolaire ; ce que les recherches ont parfaitement bien démontré aujourd’hui. Représenter le Noir de façon négative et stéréotypée

est une époque révolue, prenant ses racines dans un passé esclavagiste et colonialiste. Comme disait Martin Luther King : « J'ai le rêve qu'un

jour mes quatre enfants vivront dans une nation où ils ne seront pas jugés pour la couleur de leur peau, mais pour leur caractère ».

Dans le cadre du Mois de l’Histoire des Noirs, il s’agit donc de mieux les représenter dans le milieu scolaire ; de mieux faire connaître leur

histoire et leur réalité, car trop souvent leur voix est tue dans des rapports de domination où on parle à leur place et on leur prête une voix,

une identité ou une histoire qui n’est pas la leur.

Why the Month of February?

Originally, Black History was celebrated during the second week of February, which corresponded to the birth month of two great slavery

abolitionists: Frederick Douglass (14 February) and Abraham Lincoln (12 February). February is also the month when W.E.B. Du Bois (23

February), militant for the civil rights of African-Americans an intellectual and scholar was born; as well as the month the charismatic Black

leader Malcolm X died (21 February). In 1976 this week was expanded to the whole month of February, and renamed Black History Month.

Danielle Altidor, French department

Mois de l’histoire des Noirs L’esclavage des Noirs : et aujourd’hui L’esclavage des Noirs est une blessure collective. Déclaré crime contre l’humanité en 2001, pour son ampleur, sa durée et sa déshumanisation institutionnalisée, il a laissé plusieurs héritages, parmi lesquels le racisme, les stéréotypes, les représentations négatives …Ces phénomènes ne sont ni accidentels, ni le fruit du hasard, mais ils plongent leurs racines dans une histoire d’oppression, de domination et d’exclusion. Connaître cette histoire revêt d’une importance capitale. Il permet de transformer, par l’éducation, les comportements et les mentalités issus de ce passé ; et ainsi vivre dans des sociétés réellement respectueuses, harmonieuses et égalitaires. « L’éducation est votre arme la plus puissante pour changer le monde » (Nelson Mandela). Vendredi 1er février 10h-11h30 ; Salle E-501 Représentation : domination et exclusion Réduit au silence dans des rapports de domination, le Noir et l'identité noire ont longtemps été définis et représentés par le colonisateur. Sa voix étant exclue de sa propre histoire, ce qui a pour effet des omissions, des représentations erronées et stéréotypées. Ma is, aujourd’hui, dans une société qui se dit inclusive et qui favorise le dialogue interculturel, il est donc impossible de parler de l’Autre sans l’Autre ; sinon, on reproduit ces rapports de domination et d’oppression, où la Voix de l’Autre, et ici des Noirs, est censurée, qui plus est, dans leur propre histoire et leur propre réalité. Pour un peuple qui a vécu des siècles d’oppression, prendre la parole pour soi, c’est donc reconquérir sa véritable identité. Mercredi 6 février 13h30-15h ; Salle N-226 Littérature anticoloniale : « mémoire effacée » et voix censurée Après l’extermination des Autochtones (Haïti : Taïnos) et l’esclavages des Noirs, le colonialisme en Afrique est un autre théâtre de violence. Le Discours sur le colonialisme, suivi du discours sur la Négritude, reste d’actualité. Il rappelle ce qu’est réellement le colonialisme : les rapports de domination, les premiers camps de concentration (Namibie), les zoos humains, les premiers génocides du XXe siècle (les Hereros…). Cette littérature représente la Voix censurée de l’opprimé, absente des manuels scolaires. Elle rappelle ce sombre chapitre historique, dont le racisme en est le paradigme pour justifier ces crimes. « On me parle de progrès, de réalisations, […] Moi, je parle de sociétés vidées d’elles-mêmes, des cultures piétinées, d’institutions minées, de terres confisquées, de religions assassinées … » (Aimé Césaire). Mercredi 27 février 13h30-15h ; Salle N-226

Danielle Altidor, Département de français

Beware of Email Spam and Phishing Scams on Campus Please note that email spam and phishing scams can take many different forms. For example, most recently some members of the Vanier

community received a fraudulent email asking whether they wanted to purchase gift cards for their supervisors. Next week there could be

another email spam and phishing attempt using a different hook to try to get individuals to disclose personal information such as credit card

numbers and passwords.

Vanier’s ITSS is constantly working to block these types of emails. However, scammers are always trying to remain one-step ahead by finding

new ways to try to extract valuable information to them.

Therefore, when opening your emails please remain vigilant at all times and always remember:

• Any email you receive to your Vanier email account that requests your credentials (username & password), requests you to provide details

to any “system administrator”, “webmaster”, or “IT admin”, or any similar variation are to be considered as spam or phishing and should be

deleted right away;

• Neither IT Support Services or any Vanier entity will ever request your username and password by email, and any such-requests should be

discarded;

• Impersonal greetings should be a red flag;

• It is important to check the link destination;;

• Always check the return email address and look for any spelling errors.

For more information regarding spamming and phishing please visit Vanier’s ITSS website or call extension 7259

Darren Becker, Communications, Corporate Affairs

Vanier Students Participated in Le Forum Étudiant

In early January, a delegation of 6 Vanier students took part in the Forum Étudiant,

an annual parliamentary simulation that takes place at the National Assembly in

Quebec City. CEGEPs from every corner of the province participate in this yearly

weeklong event. All proceedings at the event are held in French, and Vanier

College was 1 of the only 2 English language CEGEPs represented at the 27th edition

of the Forum. The Vanier delegation included Social Science students Yasen

Angiozov, Juan Bautista, Agathe Plez, Andrew Poynee, Naïmée Ramaglia and Geeta

Tewari; our students were accompanied on their trip by Political Science teachers

Melissa Paradis and Ara Karaboghossian.

The initiative to take part in the event was spearheaded by Juan Bautista. In the

fall, Juan approached his Intro to Politics Teacher, Melissa Paradis to propose

organizing a Vanier delegation to send to the Forum. Melissa and fellow Political

Science teachers Ara Karaboghossian and Angelo Philippas recruited 5 other students. Melissa then organized 6 sessions during the fall

semester to prepare the Vanier delegates. All 3 Vanier politics teachers contributed during these preparatory sessions, which covered a variety

of aspects relating to parliamentary and lawmaking processes. Among other elements, the sessions covered how to prepare and formulate a

bill to be considered by the Assembly; briefings about ideological frameworks and parliamentary processes; how to prepare speeches and

answer inquiries from the media; and how to initiate and respond to queries during question period.

In their first experience at the Forum, our students were evidently not content with the idea of being average backbench participants; many

took on key roles and impressed. Before departing to Quebec City, Yasen Angiozov and Naïmée Ramaglia presented their candidacies and won

their bids to be assigned as journalists covering the simulated session of the Assembly. There were only 15 journalist positions available to

students across all the CEGEPS participating in the Forum. Once in Quebec City, in comparable and highly competitive contexts, Juan Bautista

won his bid to be elected as the Whip of the governing party, while Agathe Plez won her bid to become the Deputy Minister of Education. In

addition, Yasen Angiozov took on the role of Editor-in Chief of 1 of the 2 newspapers covering the proceedings of the simulated parliamentary

session. Finally, Andrew Poynee and Geeta Tewari sat on parliamentary commissions to debate about – and negotiate amendments to –

proposed legislation.

Our students got a taste of the grueling schedules that our politicians are subject to when the Assembly is in session, starting their days at

8:30 and finishing around 23:00 (and sometimes beyond!). Among the many inspiring activities meant to introduce students to the life of

provincial democratic politics, each student was afforded the opportunity to sit and speak in the Salon Bleu, in the very same chairs that our

elected MNAs sit.

Congratulations to the Vanier delegation for an impressive showing, and thanks to the benefactors (Student Success Initiatives, the Co-op and

Vanier Foundations) that provided assistance for this project/trip.

Ara Karaboghossian, Political Science Department

Referral Form: Early Alert Support The Early Alert Support referral form is available online for teachers to refer at-risk students to the Academic Success Advisor. Teachers are

encouraged to fill out the online referral form as soon as it becomes noticeable that a student is likely to fail and requires support beyond

help understanding course content.

Referred students will be invited to meet with me, the Academic Success Advisor. Depending on a student’s situation, I will either work with

them directly, or refer them to the relevant resource(s), and follow up to help ensure the student receives the necessary support.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you want further information: extension 7568 or cloughc@vanier.college.

Referral form: Early Alert Support: https://goo.gl/forms/k2MxXEMbkFwjVXyd2

Cari Clough, Tutoring and Academic Success Centre, E-308

VConnect Peer Mentoring

VConnect is a new college-wide peer mentor program that aims to offer a supportive, non-judgmental space for new students to build

connections within the Vanier Community. First year students are encouraged to seek guidance and advice from their second or third year

peers regarding their college success.

Our goals are to:

Support the transition to CEGEP life

Create an inclusive, empowering, supportive learning space

Create a safe, non-judgmental space for students to seek advice

Guide and support students through their learning journey

Refer students to the resources and services available to them

If you know of any students who may benefit from a mentor, please refer them to the program.

For more information, please contact zafirio@vanier.college or check out our website:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/mentoring/mentors/vconnect/

Ourania Zafiri, TASC

Train Your Brain to Relax

Weekly one-hour relaxation sessions for students. Friday 2:30-3:30

(January 25th, February 1st, 8th, 22nd, March 1st, 2019) Students may attend one or all sessions.

Thanks for telling your students to contact Leanne Rondeau at rondeaul@vanier.college to sign up.

Leanne Rondeau, Student Services, Counselling Centre

Humanities Symposium: February 4-8, 2019

The Humanities Symposium on Empathy will take place February 4-8, 2019. Check out the full program of events at the end of Intercom.

Sheila Das, Humanities

The Vanier College Learning Commons groups together three key academic student-oriented services, the Library, the Tutoring & Academic Success Centre (TASC), and the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Centre.

LaunchBox Poster Showcase on January 30th Hello all teachers! We would like to invite you to vote on the Teachers’ Favourite Prize for the Launchbox Poster Presentations in Jake’s Mall on Wednesday, January 30th during Universal Break. Vanier’s Launchbox is funded by the Ministère de l’éducation to give guidance and $50,000 to students to run projects that they are passionate about and that help Vanier the community. This year, we have teams doing great projects like making an outdoor classroom space, developing a free text-based tutoring system and organizing a fundraiser for cancer patients. There are nine total teams presenting their posters and their elevator pitches this upcoming Wednesday. Therefore, we would love for you to come out to Jake’s Mall during UB and vote for whom you think should win the Teachers’ Favourite Prize. It can take less than 10 minutes of your time. Please email Avery Rueb or Natalie Carlino if you have any questions.

Vanier College Library – F-300 Reminders:

To place material for Course Reserves:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/library/files/2017/01/reserves-request-form.pdf

To reserve a film / DVD:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/library/video-bookings-request-form/

To order new material for the Library:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/vc-library/faculty/collections-form.php

To schedule a Library Classroom (E-303) session:

http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/vc-library/faculty/session-request.php - Susan Bissonnette will contact you to confirm a date and time with

you.

Tutoring & Academic Success Centre – E-300 Ensuring Student Success in University with Elizabeth Johnston on Wednesday, February

6th at 12pm in E-303

“Getting your acceptance letter from university is a moment filled with pride and

excitement, but are you really ready for your new life? There's more to making a successful

transition from CEGEP to university life than you might expect. Join author and Professor

Elizabeth Johnston in this interactive presentation to get the scoop on the top three things you need to know in order to succeed at

university.”

Interested students must register online by February 4th: https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/stem/activity-registration/ Light refreshments will be served. All students are welcomed.

Haritos Kavallos, Learning Commons

Save the Date! International Women’s Week, March 4-8, 2019 Our theme this year centres on learning, teaching, and education. Speakers, panels and workshops will help us explore the intersection of

identity and knowledge. Confirmed speakers include:

Carrie Rentschler, McGill University professor and lead researcher on a major SSHRC Partnership Grant about responses to rape

culture on university campuses

Cynthia Hammond, Concordia University, Lead Co-Director, Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling

David Garzon, Community Engagement Manager, White Ribbon

Kim Simard (Dawson College) and Julie Podmore (Concordia University), on Montreal’s early Lesbian activism

Kimberley Manning, principal of Concordia’s Simone de Beauvoir Insitute

Lance McCready, University of Toronto professor specializing in health and well-being of urban youth

Malek Yaloui, founder of Sisters in Motion

Patricia Kearns and Deborah VanSlet of Studio XX

Shanly Dixon, co-coordinator of the “Addressing Gender-Based Sexual Violence on College Campuses” project

Sophie Labelle, author of the Assigned Male comic series

Talia Martz-Oberlander, McGill University, Women in Physics Outreach program

Panels on Women’s Studies History at Vanier, Being Racialized at Vanier, and Maintaining your Mental Health in the Age of #MeToo

If you would like to be involved in this and other activities organized by the Women’s and Gender Studies members, please let me know. Our

next meeting is Thursday, January 31 at 2:30 p.m. in the Women’s and Gender Studies Resource room (A573). Everyone—and I mean

everyone!—is welcome!

Maggie Kathwaroon, Coordinator, Women’s and Gender Studies, https://www.facebook.com/womensandgenderstudiesvaniercollege/

PSI NEWS

PED Day On January 16th, a record number of Vanier employees gathered for Meet Me Where I Am: Teaching the 21st Century Student, a PED Day devoted to reflection on how Vanier’s educators can most effectively respond to the diverse needs of our students. When asked to sum up this PED Day in one word, attendees called it:

Many thanks go out to everyone who came out to PED Day, including attendees, workshop leaders, activity facilitators, panel members, and kiosk animators. Your dynamism and dedication are what made this day such a success.

Call for proposals: SALTISE Mini-Grants Winter 2019

This grant supports efforts to develop materials and tools that enrich the student learning experience and promote the use of active learning instruction at the post-secondary level. Projects must begin in Winter 2019 and be completed by Fall 2019. For more information and for access to the application form, please follow this link: https://mailchi.mp/5d16df801cfa/post-conference-newsletter-1509841

The online submission deadline is February 5th, 2019 at 5pm.

Should you have any questions regarding the application process or the suitability of your project, please contact Angela Vavassis (vavassia@vaniercollege.qc.ca). Please submit your completed application to Angela by January 29th, 2019 to ensure a full review and approval by the Academic Dean.

Development and Support Opportunities (DSOs) at Vanier Development and Support Opportunities at Vanier offer support in the form of release time for teachers with a daytime load wanting to engage in one of three types of projects: Research, Pedagogical Innovation, and Student Success. Please visit the following link for more information: https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/psi/development-and-support-opportunities/

Please contact Angela Vavassis (vavassia@vaniercollege.qc.ca) if you would like to discuss a possible project idea.

Applications are due February 12th, 2019. If you would like a full review of your completed application, please submit it to Angela by January 29th, 2019.

PART - Programme d'aide à la recherche et au transfert (PART), volet innovation technologique (IT)

Through this grant, the Ministry of education makes financial resources available to college researchers to conduct applied research in the technological domain. Please follow this link for more information: http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/le-ministere/programmes-de-soutien-financier/programme-daide-a-la-recherche-et-au-transfert-part/part-volet-innovation-technologique/

The college’s submission deadline is February 14th, 2019. Please submit your completed application to Angela Vavassis (vavassia@vaniercollege.qc.ca) by January 31st, 2019 in order to ensure a full review and approval by the Academic Dean and Director General.

CCDMD If you are interested in submitting a proposal to CCDMD for producing educational materials, please follow this link for all the necessary information: https://ccdmd.qc.ca/eng/call-projects The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2019. Should you have any questions regarding the application process or the suitability of your project for CCDMD, please contact Angela Vavassis (vavassia@vaniercollege.qc.ca). If you would like a full review of your completed application, please submit it to Angela by February 15th, 2019.

Haritos Kavallos, Pedagogical Support and Innovation

THUPTEN JINPA LANGRI (School of Religious Studies, McGill University; Compassion Institute, CA)How the Courage to be Compassionate can Change our Lives12:00-1:30 My early life as a Tibetan monk and serving the Dalai Lama as his principal English translator provided me with valuable opportunities to appreciate the role of compassion in my own life, as well as that of larger society. Compassion turns out to be the common ground where the ethical teachings of all ma-jor traditions, religious and humanistic, come together. I define compassion as “a sense of concern that arises when we are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to see that suffering relieved.” Compassion is a response to the inevi-table reality of our human condition—our experiences of pain and sorrow—and offers the possibility of responding with un-derstanding, patience, and kindness. While sharing how com-passion might be the key to happiness, I will also share some practical tools from a formal compassion training I helped de-velop at Stanford, aimed at guiding us to connect with our own better selves, others, and the world around us from a changed mindset and habit.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8

CATRINA FLINT (Music, Vanier College)Speaking to the Heart: Musical Gesture and Human Empathy10:00-11:30 In 1791, the German composer Carl Junker wrote that the then young Ludwig Van Beethoven was endowed with “great clar-ity and profundity of ideas, and more expression—in short, he speaks to the heart.” While the idea that music might com-municate directly to the listener on a purely emotional level may seem commonplace to us today, Beethoven’s elders were much more likely to appreciate music on an intellectual level, as something to “instruct with delight.” In this paper I discuss the musical gestures that grew out of the music of Beethoven and the Romantic generation of composers and their musical codes that ultimately came both to evoke and to provoke empa-thetic responses from listeners.

MEGAN DURNFORD (Director)Film screening: I am Still Your Child (Catbird Films, 2017) 1:00-3:30 This documentary will be screened, followed by a panel discus-sion with film director, Megan Durnford, and a film participant who, at a young age, was a caregiver to a parent with mental ill-ness. In Canada, a growing number of youth provide an increas-ing level of care to family members with chronic illness, disabil-ity, mental health or substance use issues and problems related to old age. While caregiving can have many benefits, there are often negative outcomes for young carers (e.g. social isolation, heightened stress, and post-secondary-education challenges). Reaching out to young carers and providing them with proper

support would mitigate the negative consequences of caregiv-ing in the present and also in the future.

With sincere thanks to the Faculty of General Education, the MEES, the VCSA, the VCTA, the Diversity Centre Grant, the Vanier Coop Grant and Vanier Communications for their

instrumental and valued contributions.

EMPATHY VANIER HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM 2019

Feb. 4 -8, Auditorium, A-103

Empathy, generally recognized as the entwined ability to understand and to share the emotions of the other, has elicited wide-ranging interest today. For many, empathy has come to represent even a panacea, in the hope that it will change the tide in a world awash with suffering and crises. Empathy, like compassion, can uplift one’s spirit, enrich relationships, solidify the societal fabric and even bridge international divides. But what at first seems like an obvi-ous good, merits probing and, upon reflection, elicits many questions. Can empathy be fostered or discouraged? Is em-pathy necessary for or possibly detrimental to improving our society? How may empathy and compassion affect us dif-ferently? How may we reconcile the need to be empathetic with the need to maintain healthy emotional boundaries? The Humanities Symposium will showcase a range of posi-tive and negative perspectives in an array of fields in order to highlight the complex nature and interdisciplinary rel-

evance of empathy in our world.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Opening speaker PAYAM AKHAVAN (Law, McGill University)To All Millennials in Search of a Better World11:30-1:00

As a UN prosecutor and human rights scholar, I encountered the grim realities of contemporary genocide throughout my life and career. Deceptive utopias, political cynicism, and public apathy have given rise to major human rights abuses: from the religious persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís that shaped my personal life, to the horrors of ethnic cleansing in Yugo-slavia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the rise of the Islamic State. At the same time, I will reflect on the inspiring resil-ience of the human spirit, the reality that we need each other, and on how we can act to go about building that better world.

STEVAN HARNAD (Psychology, UQÀM & McGill University) Empathy: How to Deepen It or Deaden It2:30-4:00

The “other-minds” problem in philosophy is the fact that the only one you can be sure feels is yourself. Everything else — rocks, robots, rhododendrons, rabbits and your best friends — could all be feelingless zombies. Yet we can all mind-read: we can’t be absolutely sure rocks don’t feel and that rabbits do, but we can be sure enough. This is because we are mammals, and mammals need to be able to mind-read our young so we can take care of their needs; otherwise they can’t survive, which means our genes can’t survive. So empathy comes with the territory, if you are a mammal (or a

bird). Are all of us empathic? Alas, no. Most of us are born that way, but then we learn to ignore it. I’ll talk about how we learn to deepen empathy — or turn it into psychopathy.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

BRIAN ABOUD, RUTH BELFER, LUKE JERZYKIEWICZ, INGRID MITTMANNSGRUBER, MIKE TILLI (Vanier College) Teacher Causerie: AI and Empathic Illusions 8:30-10:00

AI is achieving the stature of “personhood,” and this is likely to intensify in the future. What is the effect of this AI humaniza-tion and the consequent expression of empathy on human life? Empathic semblances between people and machines give rise to the following issues which will be addressed by the presenters:

• How different empathic sensibilities of the designers of AI- capable machines affect what such machines decide and advise when assessing risk (potential harm and loss)• Will people develop empathy for AI and how might this affect empathy between people• Whether humanity would necessarily deserve empathy from an artificial super-intelligence• Does it change anything for us that we are sharing our innermost feelings with a machine whose empathy is fake • Would AI mimicking human empathy exploit the emotional vulnerability of the human, as in the strong AI named HAL 9000 in Stanley’s Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

JULIAN MENEZES (Spiritual Care Professional, Royal Victoria Hospital)The Sound of One Hand Clapping: A Buddhist response to the problem of empathy deficit disorder in health professionals11:30-1:00

Researchers have associated empathetic openness in health pro-fessionals and caregivers who are regularly exposed to and share in the suffering of others with emotional disorders, such as vicari-ous traumatization and compassion fatigue. While scholars differ on whether this is best understood as a ‘natural consequence’ or a ‘vulnerability,’ the suggestion seems to be that empathy is a liability, a quality that makes us susceptible to emotional dis-tress. In this talk, I will reflect on my work as a Spiritual Care professional and Buddhist spiritual practice. I will introduce the Buddhist principles of the non-duality of self and other and com-passion, examining how these allow us to reframe empathy. My suggestion will be that empathy is not a liability; it describes how existence takes place and, as such, our being in the world.

SUSAN DION (Indigenous Education, York University)Wüléelham: Make Good Tracks4:00-5:30 We are informed by their sounds, transported by their images, and, finally, moved to contemplate the implications of what we

have been told. Their words are powerful and persuasive. They are creations that create listeners in the process of the tell-ing. (N. Scott Momaday, 1989, p.78) Exploring their experi-ences of being Indigenous and being in school the nIshnabek de’bwe wIn digital storytellers provide a compelling invitation to listeners. Their stories create possibilities for hearing Indig-enous voices address questions of identity, survival and school-ing. Stories shared by Indigenous allies investigate experiences of knowing/not knowing and the work it takes to understand what it means to recognize relationship and responsibilities in relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. During this talk I will share a series of digital stories and explore the concept of empathic listening.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6

SAVANNA BOBANNA, ALEXANDRE CECILE, CHLOE ME-DINA, GIDEON SCOTT (Vanier College)Student Panel: Empathy and Social Media10:30 – 12:00 We live in an age where technological communication domi-nates our social interactions. From selfies, texting to instagram, and from twitter to online news, we share and learn about oth-ers in an increasingly mediated way. How does empathy fit into all of this? In what ways can technology promote an empathic connection between two or more parties? In what ways may it make empathy more difficult? These and other themes concern-ing social media and empathy will be examined.

STUDENT WRITING PRIZE FOR CHARITY and the HUMANITIES WRITING PRIZEWriting Centre at TASC, E- 30012:00 – 1:30

• The student who most powerfully demonstrated empathy for those who would benefit from their chosen charity will be announced and the $600 donation to the winning char- ity will be awarded. We thank the donor for his generosity in making this possible.• The student whose original piece of academic writing was selected for excellence will be given the award.

Refreshments will be provided.

KATE POLAK (English, Wittenberg University)What is Empathy in the Age of the Selfie?1:30 – 3:00 How do we appropriately feel? In Shahak Shapira’s photo art project entitled “YOLOcaust,” he superimposed selfies taken at Holocaust memorial sites onto archival photographs of the Holocaust, using photograph editing software to create .gifs that flipped between the original portraits and portraits with corpses in the background. While often inappropriate (and sometimes explicitly anti-Semitic), the original photo-graphs and Shapira’s project open up a space for questioning

how the selfie/digital portrait, narcissistic culture, the me-morial, empathy, and ethics come together. My talk will use the YOLOcaust project as a basis for exploring how selfies and other phenomena of our digital social lives create prob-lematic engagements with history, and how our very human impulses filtered through technological lenses can be cruel, but also hold the prospect of greater emotional engagement.

SHAHEEN SHARIFF (Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University)Making an IMPACT: Addressing Sexual Violence and Cyberbullying in College and University Contexts3:30-5:00 I will discuss a 7-year research partnership entitled “IMPACTS” that engages students, academics and community partners in addressing: a) the role of law in sexual violence policy; b) the role of Arts and Popular Culture in tacitly condoning or mobiliz-ing change in responses to sexual violence and cyberbullying and; c) the role of news and social media in tacitly condoning or mobilizing change in these areas. The presentation will con-sider how to address empathy among students.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Keynote speaker PAUL BLOOM (Psychology, Yale University)Against Empathy8:30- 10:00 Many psychologists, philosophers, and laypeople believe that empathy is necessary for moral judgment and moral action—the only problem with empathy is that we sometimes don’t have enough of it. Drawing on research into psychopathy, criminal behavior, charitable giving, infant cognition, cognitive neurosci-ence, and Buddhist meditation practices, I’ll argue that this is mistaken. Empathy is a poor moral guide. It is biased, short-sighted, and innumerate—we should try to do without it. We are much better off, in both public policy and intimate rela-tionships, drawing upon a combination of reason and distanced compassion.

THE TERMITE COLLECTIVE (a group that exposes the increasingly repressive nature of prison through writing, workshops, political parody, and criminal cabaret).Prison Conditions and Prison Abolition10:00-11:30 This presentation will give a brief overview of the history of pris-ons in Canada and describe some of the conditions facing pris-oners today. We will discuss the role of empathy and solidarity in movements for justice for prisoners, including in the move-ment for prison abolition. Finally, we will highlight moments of resistance in prison today and the role that people on the outside can play to amplify the voices of prisoners and bring us closer to a world without prisons.