Josh Quirion Realeases Debut Novella

Jeremy Audet, Features Editor » thecampus.features@gmail.com

A Welcome Message From the SRC

Enzo Evangelisti President, SRC

With the start of a new semester at the most BUtiful place on Earth, I, on behalf of the SRC team, wanted to take the time to update you all on what we have been up to this summer. As you can imagine, the SRC (Students’ Representative Council) has faced some unique challenges with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Our mission has always been and will continue to be to “assess, advocate and act on behalf of students’ interests in order to foster an exceptional university experience.”

How does one go about doing that during a global pandemic? We quickly had to find ways in which we could continue to support students this Fall and ensure that they have the best university experience possible. This included planning Orientation Week, focusing on the quality of education, exceptional student life experience, external advocacy, opening The Gait, and prioritizing communication and engagement with the student body. Though we worked hard to achieve all of these, we know there is still a lot of work to be done. Nevertheless, I thought I would highlight a few of the SRC Executives’ recent accomplishments.

Amelia Krallis, your Director of Events, alongside her incredible head judges, Ana Santos, Marie-Pier Allard, Quinn Ruby, Granton Patrick, Stephanie Edwards and Rachel Wilson, have planned and executed one of the few (and best) Orientation Weeks in Quebec and Canada, thanks to the help of so many volunteer judges and leaders. (Editor’s note: as of writing, O-Week is on its fourth day and running as smoothly, if not smoother, than previous years and the organizers and first-years seem to be having a great time.)

Hannah Wallace, your Director of Communications and Marketing, has worked hard to rebrand the SRC with a new logo as well as revamping our social media tools to better connect with the student body! Natalie Nyguen was also recently hired to oversee The Gait account and other SRC social accounts.

Bernard Duchesne, your Director of Finance, has worked tirelessly on making projections for our annual budget in addition to finding different ways in which we can support extracurriculars. This includes printing apparel for them at a significantly lower cost than anywhere else!

Izzy Audet, your VP Student Life, has passionately been finding ways to make the SRC more inclusive. She organized the first-ever anti-racism seminar at our orientation week with the support of Sufia Langevin, Alicia Moore-Iseroff, Shawna Jerome, Filder Achan, Wilton Burgos, Natalia Muñoz Gómez and Sabrina Kone.

Cedrik Moore, your VP External, has been working hard with external groups like the Quebec Student Union and the Lennoxville Borough to explore different ways in which we can provide students spaces where they can legally smoke cannabis.

Georges-Philippe Gadoury-Sansfaçon, your VP Academic, alongside Anne-Frédérique Naud, the Academic Affairs Manager, has also hired and begun training the Peer Academic Mentors all while working closely with the Student Senators to represent your needs at the Senate.

This will be an interesting year, to say the least, but the SRC is committed to doing what we can to not only support students through the pandemic environment but also advocate for students in all aspects of their university experience. This includes a club restructuring to better support all extracurricular groups, finding ways to improve The Gait with some special menu items, hosting fun, engaging and safe events, improving overall transparency, and advocating for a reading week in the Fall for 2021.

All in all, even a global pandemic has not slowed us down! The SRC is here for you, no matter what. If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments please feel free to reach out to us through social media, our website (busrc. com), or in person.

Your SRC President, Enzo

SRC logo by Karine Sirois

Josh Quirion Releases Debut Novella

Duncan Alderdice Contributor

Bishop’s University alumnus Josh Quirion released his debut collection Towners & Other Stories (Shoreline Press, 2020) in Ayer’s Cliff on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The release occurred in two distinct parts. During the day, a socially-distanced, driveby style event took place; copies of the book could be purchased and signed without leaving the car.

Those who chose to step outside their vehicles had the opportunity to meet and converse with the author himself and listen to him read excerpts aloud. Quirion’s booming voice spoke with great confidence and charisma, commanding each word to manifest itself vividly in the minds of those listening. Captivating his audience, the young author demonstrated the clever and unique style of his prose.

Despite the polar shifts in weather, vacillating between sun and rain, Quirion was more than satisfied with how the daytime portion of the release had played out.

The second part of the celebration featured a younger age demographic, a wide variety of hors-d’oeuvres, and a moderate-to-high level of alcohol consumption. Quirion’s friends from the surrounding areas came to celebrate his literary achievement in the Auberge of Ayer’s Cliff. The guest list included current Bishop’s University students who had played rugby alongside him, members of the Montreal-based Yolk Literary Journal, of which he is the Editor, and his family and partner.

Quirion was touched by everyone’s attendance. He expressed his gratitude before reading from his book one last time to mark the end of the night: “I really appreciate that you guys came, it actually means something to me.”

Quirion, a recent graduate of Concordia’s Master of Arts program in English, spent over a year waking up before the sun to write this book. Through his meticulous approach to writing, Quirion crafts a story in which no word is wasted.

This passion for precision flows prominently in Quirion’s book, though it felt especially palpable on the evening of the debut. The Auberge fell silent while admiring Quirion as he regaled the dining room with his short story “Young Creative,” in which a female amateur filmmaker ponders the importance of often-pornographic titles. Those who attended the event left feeling intrigued by what else the book had to offer.

While Saturday, Sept. 5 was a success, it was just one round of the much bigger fight that the life of a writer presents.

Good luck JQ.

Copies of Towner & Other Stories will be available for purchase online soon.

The Convocation Addresses of Principal Goldbloom, Valedictorian Maxim Jacques, and Chancellor Fournier

Hugh Godman Business & Economics Editor

On Sunday, Aug. 30, after a 24-hour delay due to technical difficulties, Bishop’s the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.” He highlighted the importance of being University conferred 577 undergraduate and 137 graduate degrees to the class adequately equipped when facing such challenges: “Preparation is of the utmost of 2020 in its first-ever virtual convocation ceremony. The addresses of Principal importance to face what is coming. And here, at BU, we have been fortunate enough to Goldbloom, valedictorian Maxim Jacques, and newly elected Chancellor Daniel be provided with the tools to succeed down the road.” Fournier respectively covered the state of inclusivity at the university, the convocating He closed with a call to action: “Right now, our world is in a critical state. Why go back to cohort’s ability to thrive in crises, and the value of a liberal normal when we can take this opportunity to do things education. differently? We have the tools and the ambition to

From behind the podium, Goldbloom drew attention do it. So, let’s show everyone our determination, and to a few of the achievements that were witnessed over let’s be the change.” the academic year. Specifically, he referred to the The convocation ceremony also highlighted the $22,000 raised in February by the student-run Fashion change of Chancellors from Brian Levitt, who had Show for a conservation organization that protects served in the role for the past seven years, to Daniel the Appalachian Corridor, the four Williams School of Fournier, now the 20th person to hold the title. Business students who won the Network of International According to the introduction given by Yolande Business Schools case competition in Germany, and the James, Chair of the Bishop’s Council, Fournier miraculous “last-shot victory” of the men’s basketball graduated from Princeton University and later team to claim the RSEQ provincial championship. attended the University of Oxford on a Rhodes

On a graver note, Goldbloom shared his critical take on scholarship, where he studied jurisprudence and the state of inclusivity at Bishop’s, admitting that, “There took a term off to play professional football for the are undoubtedly barriers to inclusion and opportunity Ottawa Rough Riders. Subsequently, he navigated at this university that must be removed.” He continued an “outstanding career in the real estate industry,” that, to improve matters, the university has “created a during which he served as the president of Ivanhoé joint board and senate task force on equity, diversity, Cambridge. Although Fournier never attended and inclusion… [whose] mandate will be to make Bishop’s, he is the father of three Bishop’s graduates, recommendations for actions in several areas, including Dr. Jack Eby congratulating the class of 2020. and so he does believe to have “lived the Bishop’s the curriculum, hiring, promotion, retention, training, Photo Courtesy of Bishop’s University 192nd Convocation (Virtual experience vicariously.” and governance.” The task force has been charged with Event) YouTube video Before officially declaring this first phase of the producing a report by the end of November of this year, convocation ceremony to be concluded—the second and the principal’s expectation is that “the report will phase is planned to occur on-campus on June 4, contain specific proposals that can be translated into concrete action.” That said, he 2021—Fournier spoke directly to the class of 2020 about the value of a liberal education. recognized that “the task force and the actions that will arise from it are first steps… We “What is so special about the liberal arts education you received at Bishop’s are the have a long way to go if we are going to be the truly inclusive and diverse institution we abilities you have developed to work collaboratively and cooperatively, to empathize, aspire to be.” to communicate effectively, to reason, to listen, to be resilient, to be innovative, and

Valedictorian Maxim Jacques, a B.B.A. graduate and one of the aforementioned ultimately to lead and help build communities. It is no surprise to mention, and I champions of the Network of International Business Schools case competition, [Fournier] also have to mention this, that you have also refined a considerable ability to claimed that the class of 2020 has been shaped by crises “like the significance of climate enjoy yourselves, and to use your most important asset, time, wisely.” change, like the stark reminder that we must fight systemic racism, and, of course, like

“How Old You Need to be to Change the World?”

On Sept. 4, Dan Seneker, Director of Student Recruitment & Retention, hosted a virtual talk with Dr. Heather Lawford of the Psychology department and two of her Research Assistants. The event was part of a series of videos Bishop’s University has organized on social media throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of which is to inform the university’s dispersed community about various academic subjects and organizations present on campus. During this tenth episode of the series, Dr. Lawford focused on the subject of generativity and its presence in youth engagement.

Dr. Erik Erikson was the first to use the term “generativity” in 1968, when he developed his eight-stage model of life span personality development. According to his model, “generativity” is a construct predominantly present in midlife (around 40-65 years old), representing the growing concern to leave a legacy for the next generations. It is considered “one of the most important crises that we face” and a “big predictor of adult well-being, relationship well-being, career success, [and] parenting,” among other things.

Although it is a sentiment usually observed in older generations, it can appear sooner in life. Dr. Lawford, through her work at the CandY Lab (Community and Youth Lab), has tackled the often-overlooked study of adolescent and young adult generativity and how it affects them. She questions “how old you need to be to change the world” or, at least, to have the desire to change it.

With the backdrop of strong social movements it is easy to remark the desire younger generations, like Millennials and Generation Z, have to change the world. With easy access to a platform on social media, the youth of North America has never had more power to amplify their voices. Although each generation has marked history in its own way, Gen Z is taking an interest in social issues sooner than most generations before it, and Millennials are recognized as one of the most informed generations to date. This notable behaviour is fuelled by generativity stemming from a desire to do better and improve the world for future generations.

Through her research, Dr. Lawford also noticed a correlation between generativity in young adults and “prosocial tendencies,” “higher self-esteem,” “lower levels of depressive symptoms,” “more initiative,” “empathy,” and a sense of “achieved identity.” In short, it leaves people with a sense of fulfillment in life.

However, Dr. Lawford adds that there is a “dark side of generativity,” citing mass shooter Alexandre Bissonnette as an example. Bissonnette attacked a Quebec Mosque in 2017 to, as he put it, “save people,” yet who he was saving remains unclear. Although he may have been self-disillusioned into believing he was helping others, his actions only propagated hatred and prejudice. Dr. Lawford warns against the dangerous consequences of

Justine Trempe Junior Copy Editor

“when people use violence to carry forward a legacy.”

The CandY Lab uses the results of their research for knowledge mobilization, thus “turning research into action.” The team can then intervene to promote the good side of generativity. They can also notice and study any changes in the way generativity presents itself. Everyone can get involved in the process of research, either by participating in surveys and studies or by becoming a Research Assistant. Dr. Lawford and her assistants recommend getting in touch with professors in the faculty to learn about opportunities.

The full episode is available on the Bishop’s University Instagram page, along with previous episodes.