The second Donald Lecture of the year was hosted on Monday, Nov. 21. The speaker was Eva Kuper, a Polish Holocaust survivor and educator who lives in Montreal. She spoke for an hour about her personal experience in the Warsaw Ghetto, the stories of her family members and the ways in which her children have been affected by the loss of their family. Kuper works at the Montreal Holocaust Museum, preserving stories like her own.
Principal Michael Goldbloom hosted a reception for Kuper at his home before the lecture, inviting students and professors to gather an hour and a half before the lecture began. Attendees had the opportunity to meet and talk to Kuper in a more casual setting, to thank her for coming and to introduce themselves. Students and professors met with Kuper and asked her questions about her life and experiences, which she then detailed at the lecture. Those invited to the reception attended the lecture together.
Kuper’s presentation detailed her family’s experience fleeing from Poland to Canada. She talked about losing her mother and how her aunt intervened to save her from the same death. In addition to sharing personal stories, she provided statistics on the number of people living in the Warsaw Ghetto and the loss of life in her home country.
Kuper spoke about her attempts to track down her own family history and explained that her father had rarely discussed what he had experienced and witnessed. Kuper worked with genealogists to track down relatives and people who helped her family to escape. She concluded the lecture with a message of hope in times of adversity
and called on the audience to take part in remembering the Holocaust and preventing future human rights abuses.
After her speech, audience members asked questions about how she coped with what she had experienced, many relating personal stories about losing family members to genocide and being unable to uncover their family histories. Kuper encouraged the audience members to research their families and document the stories they discovered.
Kuper called on the crowd to remember her story and share what she had said with others. She emphasised the importance of storytelling in remembering history and cautioned audience members against being glib about history. She reminded the crowd that they were the last generation of people to be able to talk to WWII and Holocaust survivors personally.
The opportunity to speak with Kuper personally at the principal’s reception enhanced the content of the lecture. Kuper spoke against forgetting about the humanity of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, which was furthered for those who had the opportunity to speak with her beforehand.
On Nov. 22, the BU Fashion Show organisation held its fundraiser “Rubber Ducky Golf Tournament” for the first time in two years – the fashion show having been put on hold since the pandemic first began. In 2021, the organisation was able to raise a total of $3,400 and donated the funds to Grace Village Retirement Home despite the cancellation of the fashion show. This coming year, the raised funds from the tournament will go towards materials needed at the fashion show and towards supporting the chosen charity. The event will be held in February 2022.
In an interview with Duncan MacIsaac, on the winning team of this year’s Rubber Ducky Golf Tournament, he explained that during his first year at Bishop’s, he was unsure of the purpose of the tournament and how to participate. Later in his university career he was glad to eventually participate in the fundraiser.
This year’s course started at Bishop’s University and navigated
through Lennoxville, visiting places like the Golden Lion pub and Square Queen, before segueing into the areas of New-Con, Cool Ranch, and Animal House. In addition to ensuring that participants become more familiar with the campus and Lennoxville, the course also creates an environment where friends can bond and support the charity event.
Being able to raise money for the fashion show helps the organising staff and models to be better prepared for the event and also builds a better experience for students who plan to attend the show. This year’s fashion show will follow the same structure that was used in past years; it will be a ticketed event held at Centennial Theatre where models will walk the runway wearing different wardrobes from stores across Sherbrooke. The dance team will also perform between runway models’ sets.
Bishop’s dance club has once again been hard at work this past semester. The dancers have been practicing different dance styles like jazz, hip-hop and pop since Septem ber, and after dedicated practices all semester, the dance club performed on the stage of the Gait this past Saturday, Nov 26.
The past couple months of rehearsals have been a great op portunity to develop dance skills for club members. These rehearsals consist of three aspects, a warmup; across-the-floor exercises; and choreography. Warming up is very important, as it stretches your muscles and gets your heart-rate up
before exerting yourself. Exercises across the floor allow the dancers to develop more technical skills that will be eventually integrated into the group’s performance piece. The jazz club had Kayla Vardy as coach and choreographer.
The dancers had a dress rehearsal on the stage of the Gait on Nov 25. This rehearsal gives one last opportunity for the dancers to come together and put finishing touches on their pieces. Lights and sounds were finalized during rehearsal to make sure everything would go smoothly during the main show.
Show night at the Gait was a success with over 120 tickets sold.
On Thursday Nov. 10 at 7 p.m., a large group of Bishop’s students and faculty gathered on Optimist Field for the fifth annual Take Back the Night event in support of survivors of sexual violence –particularly violence against Indigenous women and two-spirit people – and to protest the ongoing issues of rape culture in the community. The night began with a land acknowledgement and speeches from members of the Sexual Culture Committee (SCC) about the progress since last year and the road ahead. SRC President Camilla Rizzi shared her experiences as an Indigenous woman living with the horrifying disappearances of so many Indigenous women, children, and two-spirit people.
The night began with a slight delay caused by the passage of trains, during which the crowd practised chanting: “No means no, it doesn’t mean maybe. Don’t touch me, I ain’t your baby”, “My body, my choice” and “No more violence, no more silence!” The march then commenced around Lennoxville to a cacophony of support from drivers and community members. There was a safe space at BUnited available and a quiet zone at the back of the march with earplugs available for people who were sound sensitive.
Concluding at the white gazebo, the SCC closed with a speech and Vicky Boldo, Special Advisor of Indigenous Student Support, led the crowd in the Wildflower song; a song Boldo has shared with us, which many have learned and sing boisterously.
This march stands as a small-scale
symbol of taking control and providing a safe campus and community for everyone in the near future.
Students and family members filled out the room very quickly, and after a slight delay, the show began. The audience was cheering and danc ing on their seats while watching the seven performances. It was an intimate experience and allowed the performers to connect with their audience because they were dancing close to the public. During a short intermission, Caroline Homet, the dance club lead, announced an exciting fundraising raffle, and drew a winning ticket for a gift-card from Strom spa.
The night concluded with a cypher on the dance floor, a type of dance circle where performers show
case their special moves. Audience members were also asked to join us on the dance floor.
Thanks for coming out to support BU Dance, Gaiters.
a 24/7 helpline at 819-563-9999 that provides support to survivors and those who support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
The second-year practicum in the education program at Bishop’s creates a barrier for students hoping to graduate from the program. In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Education, students must complete four practica, increasing in hours and workload. The first-year practicum consists of scheduled visits to schools as a class, and the professor works with students to arrange carpools, with the visits taking place during the scheduled class hours. The second-year practicum consists of seventy hours of time in the classroom, including the successful implementation of a minimum of five lessons, with planning and reflections. The seventy hours are scheduled on the students’ own time, and they are to arrange their own transportation to and from their schools. Unlike the first-year, third-year, and fourth-year practica, the professor, Practice Teaching Office, and School of Education do not support the student with transportation or costs, upholding barriers for students to be able to successfully complete the program.
The seventy hours of practicum can either be completed in full days of seven hours or half-days of three and a half hours. Therefore, the practicum can be completed in ten full days. However, students with packed course schedules may not have full days that they can spend in the high school or elementary classroom. They will likely rely on half days, taking up to twenty days to complete the practicum. Scheduling ten to twenty days to spend in practicum can be made more difficult when the student also works. Working while completing the practicum causes difficulty with scheduling, but is practically
unavoidable, considering the cost of participating.
The course has a required fee of $62.68, on top of the tuition fees. For an in-province student, the tuition for the three-credit course would cost $279.69. For out-of-province students, it would cost $873 and for international students, it would cost $1934.19. The minimum amount of tuition and fees that a student can pay for this singular course is $342.37 and can cost up to $1996.87. All of this so far does not factor in the cost of transportation to the schools for visits and implementing lessons. The closest high school is Alexander Galt Regional High School. For students without cars, there is no reliable bus to take them to and from the school, especially if they are working on half-days as opposed to full days.
Carpooling is also inefficient since everyone operates on different schedules based on their jobs and courses. I have found that the most reliable way to get to Galt is by taxi. While this is the closest available high school, the taxi costs $30 for a round trip. Between full and halfdays, transportation can add $300-600 to the cost of the course. The least expensive scenario still costs $642.37 more than a normal course. The median price is $1385 and the highest cost is $2596 to take the course. With a range from $642 to $2596 with a realistic estimate of almost $1400, it would not be unreasonable to expect the School of Education to provide support for students, especially with transportation costs contributing to the issue, and with the estimated costs in this article being calculated for the closest high school.
Furthermore, the fact that students are expected to cover these extra costs
on their own is not well advertised before registering in the course, which is necessary to graduate. The information can be found in the Practicum Handbook on page 9 of 21, under “Do I have to pay for my transportation and accommodation costs during practicum?” As indicated above, the 2021-2022 Academic Calendar explains on pages 69 and 70: “In addition to the costs listed in the Fees section of this Calendar, students are responsible for all travel and accommodation costs related to the required student teaching practica in the Bachelor of Education degree. Placements are made in schools throughout the province according to criteria established by the School of Education. Student teachers may have additional travel and accommodation costs during a practicum”.
This document is given to students when they are registered in the practicum course and is also available on Bishop’s website, but it is difficult to find unless a student knows what they are looking for. It is otherwise a surprise to the student that they could have to cover triple the cost of tuition for an ordinary course in order to be transported to and from their practicum, a course required to complete the program.
The cost of completing this practicum and the fact that support only becomes available during the third-year practicum makes it a barrier for students to graduate from Bishop’s School of Education.
Bishop’s University should form a creative writing club. While there is an English literature club, it is focused largely on events such as escape rooms. I believe that the addition of a creative writing club could allow students to focus on their individual projects with the help of their peers. There is a class next semester on creative writing. However, it will likely be focused through the lens of assignments and is not offered every semester.
Having a club that allows students to work on long-term projects could also increase the number of submissions to The Mitre. Similarly, professors from the English department can be invited to the meetings to help foster growth in students’ creativity. This club would not replace the English literature club, since it would be focused on another element of literature and writing. I believe it is important to form clubs that are based around a shared hobby rather than a shared identity. The reason for this is that unless there is an obvious activity to do, the club must constantly come up with new activities that often don’t relate to their theme.
Without a strong unifying hobby, clubs can decline in popularity until they have very few members.
For instance, the skating club is experiencing exponential growth because they have a strong and unique activity for its members. A creative writing club would function similarly since it holds a wide range of types of creativity. The inherent variety that comes with creative writing allows students to connect with the club through many different forms of writing. In addition, the club would require almost no budget at all. With the presence of teachers occasionally joining meetings for talks, the club can offer a high-quality experience at a very low cost.
I believe this club would be beneficial to campus culture and would produce far more creative writing on the Bishop’s campus. This would increase submissions to The Mitre as well as the Arts and Culture section of The Campus newspaper. Similarly, it could bring about the presence of live readings during events on campus that focus on art and creativity.
I believe that this
club’s finances could eventually focus on publishing collections of creative works by students several times a year, enriching campus culture and sparking the careers of aspiring writers.
For some people, the end of daylight saving time on Nov. 6 gives the gift of an extra hour. For others, it’s the official start of seasonal depression. The time shifts an hour back, and sunset comes an hour earlier, noticeably early for those who live far from the equator.
Due to the unpopularity of the time change, there has been discussion of making daylight saving time permanent. The U.S. Congress has recently introduced a bill that would extend daylight saving time all year, keeping the clocks on the summer schedule and theoretically preventing those gloomy winter evenings. According to NBC, 71 per cent of Americans are in favor, although the bill is unlikely to pass.
I am in favor of having only one schedule throughout the year because it prevents having to adjust to a time change in the spring and fall, when seasonal change is already pronounced. Like many people, I’ve often thought that daylight saving time is preferable. Having an extra hour of light in the evening makes the afternoon commute easier and allows for more daylight in an average person’s schedule. For instance, most courses and commitments occur in the mid-day, between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., which makes it difficult to get outdoors before dark. Other daylight saving supporters argue that evening sunlight saves energy because people turn their lights on later.
However, I recently learned that the schedule in the winter is standard time and daylight is actually being “saved” in the summer. Methods of measuring time are arbitrary, but standard time is closer to a natural rhythm, with 12 p.m. approximately corresponding to the height of the sun. Some proponents of
standard time, including the magazine ScienceNews, claim that it is easier to wake up on standard time, since the sun is already up by the time most people have to prepare for school or work. If daylight saving time was extended through the winter, sunrise could be as late as 9 a.m. in Sherbrooke.
The crux of the problem is that people are trying to get as much daylight in the winter as in the summer, which is impossible unless you live on the equator.
The capitalists of the industrial revolution divided the clock into shifts of work, with no regard for whether it was natural for the human circadian rhythm. With a lot of activism and union bargaining, work has returned to eight hours a day for most people. However, we still have a productivity-oriented society which insists that November and early December need to be a crunch time for students and faculty because it’s the end of term.
Neither plan can materialize more daylight, nor can a time change address the real issue of why it’s difficult to get up in the morning, which is usually a deficiency of sleep. After researching the issue, I would prefer standard time all year, since many of the original reasons for daylight savings time are obsolete (it was proposed by Ben Franklin as a joke). Year-round standard time would make the shorter days come more gradually and the early evenings would feel more natural, since summer evenings would also be an hour earlier. I also appreciate having sunlight and tolerable temperatures on winter mornings.
After viewing The Children’s Hour on the night of Nov. 18, the advantages of a more intimate stage are apparent. The play itself was fantastic, the acting was very moving and the format of the stage proved to be a boon for the play’s themes. The physical proximity of the actors allowed for high visibility of the actors’ expressions without the heavy ap plication of makeup that usually accom panies the theatre. This closeness went very well with the realistic setting and grave subject matter of the play. Theatre typically exercises a certain degree of camp due to its format, often to its ben efit. While the presence of camp can be very charming, it would feel out of place in this production. The closeness of the actors removes the need for exaggerated
performances and enhances the dramatic nature of this play.
I believe that this proximity creates a more desirable stage than the conventional larger theatres. Dramas become more intimate, and performances feel more realistic by the nature of their authenticity. The play feels more like a film in its closeness while maintaining the magic that clings to live performanc es.
Beyond the most recent production, comedies would also do very well in this format because there is more room for nuanced humour. At times, humour in plays feels as though it must be campy or exaggerated. This format allows for better comprehension of fast speech which often facilitates a more witty style of humour. By having the performers and
Bishop’s boasts a wide variety of events, parties, and conferences hosted in the Gait. One of the most anticipated events each year is Gait Gatsby, a 1920s-themed party hosted in November. Gait Gatsby has been advertised on the UBishops Instagram, in the student viewbook, and on the SRC website. Last year, students queued outside the Gait for over an hour to get admitted to Gait Gatsby. This year, students did the same — now having to pay for tickets.
Gait Gatsby should not be a ticketed event. Students should not have to pay to be admitted to the Gait, especially when the school cannot guarantee that all students who purchase tickets will be admitted and able to order at the bar. Students who attempted to purchase tickets at the door of the Gait waited in lines for upwards of 45 minutes before being admitted.
While the school posted that tickets would be sold from 1-6 p.m., they ran out of tickets at 3 p.m., putting students who do not live on campus at a disadvantage. This is reflective of a wider problem of campus events at the Gait ending early — the recent information fair for graduate schools ended over an hour before the posted end time, and the Imaginus poster sale routinely closed 15 minutes before the advertised end time. Student engagement suffers when event times are not adhered to, and since there have been few events on campus this semester, engaging students should be a priority of the school. Additionally, students who lived on campus were offered free tickets to the event, but students off campus had to pay $5. On-campus students who claimed their tickets but did not use them prevented off-campus students from getting tickets.
Rachert - News EditorTickets were sold with an accompanying promise of a photo booth and live band — the photo booth ultimately being a selfie wall and the live band finishing their set early. Students were not given what they paid for. Making students pay for admission involves the Gait in a guarantee that they cannot keep.
The school also did a poor job of preventing the scalping of tickets. The Gait posted a warning that counterfeiters on campus were selling fake tickets to Gait Gatsby, but did not post any information about what the fake tickets looked like, how much they were being sold for, or who was selling them. Instead, they promised to sell tickets at the door for people attempting to get last-minute tickets, worsening the aforementioned problem of students queuing to get tickets.
The Gait is a student bar, and admission should be free for students. Selling tickets to events hosted at the Gait goes against the spirit of the school, and the ticketing was poorly organised. If events must be ticketed, they must be better organised to allow students to better plan their days. The poor communication with students about the events of the night made Gait Gatsby an inaccessible event for many students.
the audience closer together, actors don’t have to compensate as much for the dis tance with overly enunciated dialogue. These points are not to say that conventional theatre is bad or limited by any means. It seeks only to explore how a different format may be superior. Cen tennial Theatre’s size provides the ad vantage of holding more content onstage at any given moment. This magnitude does have the shortcoming of having a cluttered scene at times. This means that if there are many actors onstage at once, then every detail must be shown through large movements or reactions in order to draw the audience’s focus to important information. While actors can often over come these demands with more precise and masterful performances, it does limit the performer’s full range. This does
not limit the performances in a way that necessarily makes them worse, but rather in a way that forces the actors to behave in particular ways that remove their full agency. I believe that Turner Studio’s limited size may seem like a disadvan tage at first glance, but actually offers a wonderful opportunity for a more nuanced performance out of the actors.
- Contributor
The Bishop’s women’s basketball team had another great weekend, bringing home two big wins. On Thursday, Nov. 17, the Gaiters played in our very own Mitchell Gym against the University of Laval. The team came out strong leading the scoreboard 48 to 38 against the Rouge et Or going into the second half. As the opposing players from Laval worked to close the gap on the Gaiters, the women’s team didn’t back down and pushed back even harder on the offensive and defensive end. With a few special shout out performances from Amaiquen Siciliano (21 points), Jael Kabunda (19 points), and Victoria Gauna (12 points), the Bishop’s team came out on top, winning 82-73 against Laval.
The men’s team followed up the strong performance by the women, taking care of business at home and improving the record to 2-0 thus far in the regular season. They also played a strong Laval team who has been performing well and looks like the team to beat in the RSEQ. Bishop’s set the tone early with aggressive play and urgency that led to a commanding 11-point lead going into the second half. An efficient third quarter from the Rouge et Or would see them coming within striking range, but the speed and persistence of the Gaiters would prove to be too much. Bishop’s took the game by a score of 95-85, with a strong performance by Obi Dike-Nwagbara, who scored his career high with 25 points, shooting 75 per cent from the field. Étienne Gagnon also showed his prowess by flirting with a double double, with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Following their double victories at home, the Gaiters hit the road to Montreal to play UQAM just two days later. Facing a slow start in the first quarter and struggling to find their usual shot selection, the women’s team went into the second half up 36-35. Matching the Citadins’ physicality and adjusting their game plan, the Gaiters began to pull away from their opponents. Special shout out performances go out to Victoria Gauna (16 points), Deborah Aboagye (16 points) and Jael Kabunda (11 points and 15 rebounds), who led their team to a 67-55 victory over UQAM.
The men’s team came out strong with good offence and intensity on defence which would see them up by as much as 10 points in the first half. Scrappy and aggressive play by the Citadins would prove to be formidable as they came back and controlled the game for a considerable amount of time. A late push by the Gaiters saw them come within a chance of tying the game late in the fourth, but they were not able to capitalise on the opportunity, leaving them motivated and hungry to prove themselves again.
The Gaiters are looking forward to their next match at home against the
Concordia Stingers, where the men are looking to improve to 3-2. The women are looking to stay undefeated and continue moving up in the national rankings, where they currently sit at second overall.
Following a nearly three-year hi atus, your BU men’s hockey team finally had the opportunity to play a game at home on Nov. 17 against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. The team came into the weekend looking to continue their strong start to the season, which saw them go 3-0 in their first weekend of games. They are currently ranked the eighth team in the CHF. Taking on the Wildcats, who were only three spots behind them, the team came prepared for a hard-fought battle with a desire to stay undefeated.
As the game got underway, it quickly became clear that the UNH side was no match for BU, something visi ble on and off the scoreboard. Bishop’s dominated in all aspects of the game,
showing their strength through big hits and well-timed plays that their oppo nents simply did not have the firepower to match. After the final whistle blew, BU came away victorious, posting an 8-2 win over UNH to move to 4-0 on the season and 9-0 all time in the CHF.
Following the game in an inter view for the CHF podcast, the captain of the UNH team took the time to call BU men’s hockey the best team in the league in his opinion.
Standouts from the game include a four goal performance by star forward and Concordia U-Sports transfer Will Leclerc, boosting his stats to 19 points in the team’s first four games and a league-leading 4.75 points per game. Veteran goalie Callum Churchill-Baugh had his first win in the CHF, only letting
in two goals in his season debut. Other notable standouts include performances from Jack McGowan, whose physical presence could be felt everywhere on the ice, as well as two rookies getting their first taste of action with BU men’s hockey, Leighton Geraghty and Kieran Pike. Following a large break between games played at home, it could be seen how much anticipation had built up in the community for the return of BU men’s hockey games. The atmosphere was incredible, with clear excitement amongst everyone in the rink, as well as amazing engagement from the crowd. The fans brought a dynamic and lively energy that had been sorely missed by players and students alike. BU men’s hockey will look to continue their early success in the CHF
For their second home game of the sea son, the women’s hockey team hosted the Carleton University Ravens in front of an excited and supportive crowd. This was the second time these two teams played each other this season, with the Gaiters taking the win during the first match-up. With a scoreless first and second period and both goaltenders saving seventeen shots on both ends, Carleton managed to squeeze one by sophomore goalie Aglaé René de Cotret. The Gaiters picked up their momentum but were not getting any luck. It was looking like the Ravens were going to take home the win until #8 Maude Pépin scored with 1:23 left in the third period. The crowd was pumped to see the women hit the ice for some overtime action, but the Ravens were not going to back down without a fight. With 1:36 left, Gaiters’ freshman Justine Tur cotte sealed the 2-1 win over Carleton.
Just two short days later, the Gaiters hosted the Stingers who, at the time, were the third ranked team in the division. Still proud of their win from Friday, the Gaiters were looking forward to being at home again. After a goal from Bishop’s Regan Garreau in the first period, the Stingers tied it up during the second. When Ann-Sophie Bedard found the back of the net with four minutes left in the third period, the crowd was positive they were going to seal another BU victory. Unfortunately, Concordia scored an impressive goal shortly after, leading the teams to an overtime period. Concordia ended up winning 3-2 after a
hard-fought game from both teams.
Nov. 18 @ McGill University
After a week of rest, the Gaiters drove the short distance to Montreal to play the Martlets for the second time this season. The first period had a lot of action with McGill leading 2-1 going into the break. The Gaiters came back, dominating the other team with seven teen shots on net and tying the score 2-2 in the third period, causing yet anoth er overtime game. With no successful shots on net during the 4-on-4, it came down to a 3-on-3 overtime. That was when Ann-Sophie Bedard scored the game-winning goal, and the Gaiters happily headed back to Lennoxville to prepare for their next game.
Nov. 20 vs Université de Montréal
The Carabins scored first to open up the game at the Jane & Eric Molson Arena on Sunday night. With a delayed penalty and an extra player on the ice for the Gaiters, they managed to tie the game 2-2. Sophomore Jamie Aspropotamitis had a phenomenal game, scoring both goals for the Gaiters, but the team sadly fell to the Carabins 3-2.
The Gaiters are looking forward to their back-to-back matchup playing the two Ottawa teams the weekend of Nov. 26-27 and then continuing their season with two games the first week of December before heading into the Christmas break.
in their next home game against Mas sachusetts Maritime Academy. Tune in for a physical and hard-fought game against them on Dec. 9 and 10 at the Jane & Eric Molson arena, with times to be announced at a later date.
On Monday Nov. 21, in Centen nial Theatre, I attended the second lecture of the 2022-23 Donald Lectures Series. Centennial Theatre, almost at maximum capacity, was filled with students, faculty, administrators, and community members to hear Eva Kuper’s story. Kuper’s direct, frank, and sometimes funny speaking style combined with pictures made for a captivating evening.
Born in 1940 in Poland, at the start of the Second World War, Kuper is the daughter of Jewish parents, Anthony and Fela, and a Holocaust survivor. In 1942, when Kuper was only two years old, she and her mother were rounded up for deportation. When Fela’s husband learned what had happened, he notified Regina Baker, Eva’s aunt. Baker went to the train loading docks and started screaming that she was Eva’s mother. In an act of bravery and selflessness, Fela handed over her two-year-old baby through the openings of the cattle car to Baker, knowing that something terribly wrong was going to happen. Kuper’s mother was deported to Treblinka, a few hours from Warsaw, Poland, where she was murdered along with over 900,000 Jews during the Second World War. Living in a ghetto with her father, and avoiding deportation on many occasions, the two of them finally escaped via the underground sewer system. Through friends and family connections, Kuper was kept safe. At the age of three, and for the remainder of the war, she was cared for by Franciscan nuns.
Once the war ended, she was reunited with her father. Eva was raised Catholic and knew nothing of her Jewish heritage. Her father remarried, and they immigrated to Montreal in 1948. It was during the crossing of the Atlantic that her father told Eva that she was Jewish. She explained that it took her many years to process her story and finally be proud of her heritage.
Hearing her recount her story of courage, perseverance, and determina tion was very enriching for all audience members who attended this Donald Lec ture. Kuper, now 82, volunteers for the Montreal Holocaust Museum and gives lectures, like the one we were so fortunate to attend.
Learning about her experience, similar to many others during the Holo caust, will be something I will not forget anytime soon. If you are new to Bishop’s like me, I encourage you to attend the next Donald Lectures. We are very lucky to have such great speakers come to our campus.
On Wednesday Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., all Bishop’s students could attend Grad School Day in the Gait. All day, tables were set up by many graduate schools, including Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Western University, University of Victoria (UVIC), Concordia University, University of New Brunswick (UNB), and MacMaster University’s Engineering program. A table was also set by Bishop’s University to offer more information to students who might be considering graduate studies.
Throughout the day, all the schools had a table, with most of them handing pamphlets and being available for questions. Each table had between one to three representatives to talk about the programs offered as well as handing out contact information for additional questions. Students could come by the Gait and stay for as long as they wanted according to the information they wanted to gather.
Although this event looked like a promising opportunity for students to gather information on graduate studies, the majority of students encountered were disappointed by the organization of the forum. Nonetheless, many students were grateful for the universities that took to the road after the
first major snowstorm of the winter. Most students who attended believed the event was not advertised enough, and therefore did not attract as big of an audience as it could have.
Second-year economics student Jean-Philippe Jeske took a look at a few tables to get an overview of his career opportunities after graduating from Bishop’s. He mentioned, “I wanted to look what future was in store for me.” Although eager to gather further information about Canadian and American graduate schools, Jeske said: “Unfortunately, the information I was looking for was not there. However, I left with information that will help me nonetheless form my future.”
The main recurring comment shared by all students interviewed that day was that many are struggling to decide if they want to pursue graduate studies after completing an undergraduate degree. Indeed, students were not only looking to ask questions to different university representatives, but also to learn about the benefits of attending their university and choosing their program over others. Jeske mentioned, “It is really hard to find what you are looking for when you yourself do not know what you are looking for.”
Fortunately, all university
representatives outlined the programs as best as they could, giving an overview of graduate student life at their organization. Grad School Day was a noteworthy initiative to offer Bishop’s students the opportunity to discover more possibilities after completing their undergraduate degree. The spread of this information can only improve with more advertising prior to the forum to encourage increased student participation.
Gabrielle Liu - Junior Copy Editor
Between discussions on studded tires, tire widths, and whether to buy a winter bike, “the best bike is the one you have,” Olivier Coutu – a representative from Vélo Quebec – reminded the audience. The Sustainable Development Office hosted a winter biking conference at the Gait on Nov. 22 at 4:30 p.m.
Coutu and Micheline Piché from Vélo Quebec, a Montreal-based nonprofit biking organisation, put together a presentation on a five-step process to beginning winter biking. The conference was also part of Bishop’s University’s Vélosympathique certification, which is taken on by cities, businesses, and campuses building bike-friendly cultures and design.
According to Vélo Quebec, cyclists who continue to cycle in the winter have increased from 8.4 per cent in 2016–2017 to 13.6 per cent in 2020–2021 in Montreal. These numbers pale in comparison to European cities like Copenhagen where 80 per cent of cyclists continue in the winter, but goes to show that winter cycling is a sport that can be normalized. “15 years ago, I was the crazy guy,” Coutu later said when asked about public perception of being on the road during the winter. But now, he said, it’s normal to see winter bikers in Montreal. During the presentation, Coutu shared that a search of Facebook groups will reveal multiple winter biking communities in Quebec. Laurence Williams, the sustainable development advisor, pointed out that while Sherbrooke may not have a dedicated winter biking club, Vélo Urbain Sherbrooke’s Facebook page continues to be an active community in the winter season.
Vélo Quebec shared that the first
of the five steps in winter biking is to be visible. This includes having active lighting like attachable strobe lights and headlights. Quebec laws require all bikes that are rented and sold to have reflectors, and cyclists can receive tickets for lack of visibility. Coutu brought various active lighting examples, as well as a reflective vest.
Second, “stay dry, but not too warm.” Gesturing to Piché’s winter coat, Coutu said that if you wear something similar, “you are going to cook.” Instead, just like with ski wear, he recommends starting with a base layer, adding a warmth layer, and then a windbreaker or waterproof shell. Eye protection against the cold wind can be crucial. Coutu himself wears a ski helmet, since it’s built to be warm and hold ski goggles in place, but points out that some people wear $5 lab goggles.
Third, equip and maintain your bicycle. Coutu explained that most people first winterize their existing bike before buying one dedicated to the winter. Fairweather bikers who only bring out their bike on sunny, dry-road days may not need to change tires, but as a daily commute, studded tires are the way to go, especially in hilly areas like Sherbrooke, or for trail biking. He also pointed out that bikers lower their seats in the winter to make sure they can get a sure footing on the ground. While he explained details on fenders that prevent the splash of mud and slush onto clothes, Piché rolled a winter bike to audience members for them to get a closer look. The snow, slush, and salts take a toll, so extra maintenance to lubricate gears, chains, and cables is necessary. Bike locks should be oiled as well lest you want them to seize up, Coutu added, recalling some explicitly unrecommended examples of
What is Classics Cafe? Well, for one, it is not a physical cafe on campus. The first time I heard about it was in the fall of 2020 when classes were online due to COVID. I had taken the course Food, Community and Culture in the Greek and Roman World with Dr. Catherine Tracy, and she had mentioned Classics Cafe in her class. Of course, at the time, it was happening on Teams. Lots of people attended, including BU alumni. We made silly polls in the chat and talked about TV shows and movies, cooking, novels and sometimes even classics! There were a few live-streamed movie nights with or without a classics theme such as Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, a marathon of The Hobbit movies, and we even watched some episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess and Ancient Aliens.
Dr. Tracy started Classics Cafe in 2007 to provide a casual social group for anyone who likes Classics, regardless of whether they were a Classics student or not. In her own words: “I’ve tried to make Classics Cafe live up to its name by providing coffee, but most people
who come prefer tea. We also have sweet treats to eat, and a pizza party once every semester. One year, one of my Latin students (Tristan Matheson - we miss you!) decided we needed to play Latin Scrabble at the Cafe, which we did, and it was a blast. Then, for several years, we always played some sort of board game; Latin/multi-lingual Scrabble, Cribbage, Cranium, and Pictionary. Another student at the time (Austen Metcalfe - we miss you too!) even donated the game Funglish.”
Fourth year classics major Hailey Swift mentioned how she did not go to Classics Cafe in her first year. She only started attending when it was taking place online because it was convenient for her. She said: “I got to know some of the people who [regularly] attend, which is why I attend in person now that it’s available. Being able to talk to a group of people with similar interests in and out of my program is very fun, and every time I go there’s something new to do, whether that be the conversation topic, a board game, the flavor of tea, the types of treats, etc.”
Emily Long, third year classics
people using a blowtorch or boiling water to unfreeze their locks.
Fourth, adapt your riding style and itinerary. Coutu pointed out that even when taking small roads, be wary of cars expecting you to move into snow banks while they pass– the hard-packed ice is slippery and is not an area you’d want to be on. Major roads have dangers of their own, but an upside is they’ll have less ice. Williams shared that while turning, she puts her feet out just in case she hits a slippery patch. A low bike seat and prepared “stance” will likely prevent you from tough falls.
Vélo Quebec’s last instruction was to have fun. The experience of riding in fresh snow – that is, riding not despite of the winter, but because of the winter – is a thrill for Coutu given the proper precautions.
student, described how Classics Cafe has been a staple of her university experience over the past seven years since she previously did a BA in modern languages. In her words: “It had a cozy and welcoming atmosphere even before I officially joined the department. I know there’s always at least once a week when I can go and enjoy a hot beverage with friends.” Another third year student mentioned how Classics Cafe has been a great opportunity to socialize with classmates and fellow students. As an introverted person, they felt that the small cozy environment of the cafe has given them an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone. For them, the interaction has been especially welcoming after the past few years of quarantine.
As for myself, I have been attending Classics Cafe every week of every semester since Fall 2020 and it is what I often look forward to the most in my week. This semester is the first time that the group has been fully back in person. It is now held every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Morris House lounge, though the date and time changes every semester
depending on the attendees’ schedules. Anyone is welcome!
The Caribbean African Students Association (CASA) organized a movie night at the cineplex in Sherbrooke to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Nov. 11.
The blockbuster is a master piece because the director, Ryan Coogler, speaks about family, grieving, moving on and being reborn. It’s a homage to Chadwick Boseman, the main character from Black Panther, who died in August 2020. Indeed, he was a pillar for the Caribbean and African communities be cause he received many awards including a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Movie Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Black Panther: Wakanda For ever is more than just another Marvel movie, it’s more than just a movie with a Black superhero, it’s a movie that rep resents justice for the Black community. Coogler shows on screen Black people who are not just criminals or villains. He also pictures Africa and the Caribbean as powerful entities.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forev er is the definition of representation. In this blockbuster, the community can see themselves on screen. This is the reason why everyone should watch it, especially in a group. For us, CASA, this movie shows that western civilization hasn’t changed much since slavery ended. It is a
political piece since Wakanda, the titular African country from the movie, is a major player in the international political sphere.
We study in a predominantly white institution (PWI) where racism is so institutionalized that people don’t realize it exists. This movie brings the community closer, despite our differ ences, since we are watching our heroes fighting and succeeding for our rights. We see them standing strong against the bullying of western societies. The movie lets us dream of a world where Africa and the Caribbean can rise again and be free of corruption, poverty, and every single ache left by colonization.
Originally finding its form as a novel in 1929, written by Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front has been released as a film. This film offers a glimpse into the final hours of the German military during the First World War. In an attempt to dispel the glorified view of war that nationalism cultivates, the film explores the journey of a young man from his enlistment through the horrors of war. This anti-war film has been referred to as one of the greatest war movies since Saving Private Ryan. Between the commitment to realism, a moving soundtrack, and strong cinema tography, it is no wonder that Germany has submitted All Quiet on the Western Front for consideration for the Acade my Award for Best International Feature Film. The film has also achieved a near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film retains many political elements that are in the likes of Jojo Rabbit, as well as the gruesome real ism that has made Saving Private Ryan so well known. The opening scene of trench warfare is very clearly a reference to Saving Private Ryan’s opening scene
of the beach landings in Normandy.
Since being released on Netflix, All Quiet on the Western Front has found its way to the top 10 films on Net flix and the best non-English film after two weeks.
The content of the film is fictionalized but is based largely on the experiences of the original author. It is notable that this is not the first adap tation of the novel, but it is the first German-made version of the novel. This allows a more varied perspective in war cinema since films that depict Germa ny’s defeat are often non-German films.
This film opens conversations about the value of honor and national ism. While these themes are sometimes considered to be problems of the past, they grow more prominent every day with the current conflicts going on in the world.
Similarly, All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the futility of war and how life after war is not always accessible for veterans. Particularly in conversations between soldiers, it is made clear that war changes people in
ways that cannot be easily undone. By resurrecting conversa tions about these quandaries, the film succeeds in perpetuating the necessary conversations brought about by the book.
All Quiet on the Western Front can be found on Netflix and contains a great deal of violence and mature themes.
Bishop’s students would be well served to watch this film, particularly in light of the recent Donald Lecture. While the Donald Lecture focused on the Holocaust and the Second World War, All Quiet on the Western Front provides a strong perspective on te militaristic aspect of war in the early twentieth century.
CASA wants to be there for the people of color at Bishop’s University and we aim to bring their stories to BU communities.
We acknowledge the Abenaki people and the Wabanaki Confederacy, the traditional stewards and protectors of the territories upon which we are learning. In performing land acknowledgement, we make what was invisible visible, and invite the land, the First Nations people, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into our conversations. This act of naming - of inviting something into language - is an underlying principle of advocacy and lies at the heart of higher education. The etymology of advocacy is ad (to add) + vocare (call or voice): the origin of the word’s meaning is to give voice to something or to call out in order to initiate dialogue. The “ad’ prefix makes explicit the importance of multiple voices - and by extension multiple perspectives. In this sense, advocacy compels us to acknowledge a diversity of thoughts and opinions as a starting point rather than as an ideal outcome. In institutions of higher learning, we have a responsibility to honour spaces for emerging and established voices to engage in productive, respectful, and sometimes even uncomfortable conversations where individuals are safe to speak truth to power, explore and challenge dominant ideologies, and call out injustices and inequalities in order to imagine new ways of existing.”
—Dr. Jessica Riddell
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the Bishop’s Alumni Association hosted the annual Beyond the BUbble event. It’s designed to show students in the Williams School of Business what opportunities are available to them once they have become Bishop’s graduates, or in other words, move out of the Bishop’s Bubble. Hosted in the Mon treal Racket Club, speakers were invited to discuss their experiences at BU as well as their experiences beyond BU. Students had the opportunity to hear details of accom plishments, insights, and lessons from five alumni speakers.
Opening the speeches was former business administration student Tomas Gautier, who graduated with a concen tration in finance. In his Bishop’s days, he was involved in The Campus newspaper in 2004, which kickstarted his motivation to be an entrepreneur. Since graduating in 2007, Gautier has become the proud owner of TG Capital, Liquid Crowd, and TG Consulting. He spoke to students about the trials and tribulations that come with being an entrepreneur. His main advice to Bishop’s students was to “take the risk” and to always challenge yourself.
The second speaker of the event was Gina Auray. She graduated with a BA in psychology and human resources. After graduating in 2013, she worked with CAE –
an aviation, defense, and healthcare compa ny – in human resources for three years and with Bombardier, a business jet manufac turer, for five years. She spoke to students about her love for HR, and also discussed the importance of having a healthy worklife balance. Today, Auray has taken the role of entrepreneur and has started her own business, Vicci Consulting. Her HR consulting business has allowed her to have more freedom, more time with family, and time to teach two classes at Bishop’s.
After a quick break, the students heard from marketing graduate Laurie Tanguay. While still a student she climbed up the ladder at PepsiCo. After gradu ating in 2017, she was launched into the PepsiCo corporate world as a sales leader, representative, analyst and associate with the company. She stayed with PepsiCo for seven years. Currently, Tanguay is a brand portfolio manager for the Dandurand group and remains involved with the Bish op’s University Alumni Society as the Mon treal chapter leader. Her main suggestion for Bishop’s students is to always say yes to opportunities that scare them.
Following Tanguay, guests heard from Anna Cutland, an accounting and finance graduate. During her time at Bish op’s, she was a part of the SEED portfolio, a teaching assistant and remained involved
with other extracurriculars in her four busy years as a student. Since graduating in 2018, Cutland completed her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation all while working as a senior associate on the mergers and acquisitions transactional services team at Deloitte. Today, she works at Novacap as a private equity analyst and is a board observer for Accurate Group. Her main advice for current students was that you can never be too involved at Bishop’s!
To close out the event, students heard from Tyler Jensen Smith. Smith is known on campus for being very involved and for his contagious energy. During his BBA in economics at Bishop’s, Smith was involved with SEED and BUCS. After graduating in 2019, Smith completed his CPA and Cer tified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designations with PwC Canada, a business consulting service, for two years before moving on to the tech world with Keboola as a data consultant. Alongside being immersed in tech, Smith is a Bishop’s case competition coach and an accounting professor. Smith’s presentation left students inspired and with the advice to make connections with their peers, since they are the basis of a successful personal network.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Bishop’s Univer sity received the official Fair Trade desig nation to become Canada’s 43rd Fair Trade Campus. This movement was a part of the actions being taken within the Bishop’s University 2020-2024 Sustainable Devel opment Plan. This plan of action involves many different objectives to create a more sustainable campus, including reducing car traffic on campus, campus carbon neutrali ty by 2030 and reduction of waste going to landfills.
The process of becoming a desig nated Fair Trade campus took about a year. A steering committee was formed by staff, directors, students, and faculty. Through frequent meetings, they discussed the steps required to obtain a designation. Many of the changes they had to complete revolved around the food services at Bishop’s. A main ally was Deborah Langford, director of ancillary services at Bishop’s University. Langford is the person who is responsible for the contract with the food service pro viders on campus, such as Sodexo. With her help and discussions with the managers at Sodexo, the team reached the point where all coffee served on campus is now Fair Trade.
Another requirement of the desig nation was that at every service point where chocolate and tea are sold on campus, there had to be Fair Trade options available for purchase. For chocolate, there is a mini mum of one Fair Trade option, and for tea, there is a minimum requirement of three
options. Bishop’s exceeds this at all points of sale, including Doolittle’s Co-op and Sodexo.
When asked why this matters to students, Danielle Storey, one of the sustainable development student interns stated, “I think it’s important because it promotes sustainability on campus and it also promotes small-scale organic farms to be producing at a less corporate level.”
One of the challenges in becom ing a Fair Trade designated campus was to find providers that fit with Sodexo’s procurement system and adapt to how their logistical sourcing system works. Since the coffee on campus is sourced from a local roaster, Faro, the process involved having Sodexo approve Faro as a provider to Bish op’s.
From an economic view, this new Fair Trade designation has a positive im pact on farmers and other food producers. It is normalized in our society not to fully understand the value of food. The lowpriced chocolate bar you can buy at most checkouts may be a good price, but this fails to consider the non-economic costs of human resources, natural resources, transportation, and other factors. Laurence Williams, the sustainable development advisor at Bishop’s University, mentions how people are used to buying cheap and industrialized foods. As a society, people have lost the concept of what food is worth.
The changes in price to offer a FairTrade cup of coffee, as opposed to
uncertified coffee, are usually insignificant to the consumer here in North America. However, this small increase makes a big difference for coffee producers, commonly located in South America. Fair Trade pro ducers are required to prevent exploitative labor and environmental harm, among other issues they must monitor for, such as gender inequality and poor working con ditions. Exporting services must have no history of human rights abuses or violation of land rights to be considered for certifi cation. Consumers have a responsibility to use our buying power to encourage more sustainable systems wherever we can.
Once the speeches were conclud ed, the event had only just begun. Students, alumni and faculty moved into another section of the Racket Club for networking opportunities, allowing students to con verse with the speakers and other alumni. Along with the five invited speakers, many Bishop’s alumni were invited to attend the event to get to know current students and reconnect with fellow former students. This event was highly motivating for WSB students and left them looking excitedly into their futures.