Occasionally I allow myself to indulge in posts unrelated to gender equality or social justice. This is one such post. I first saw the Sheepdogs accidentally at Pop Montreal last year and then again on purpose at the Dakota Tavern in Toronto sometime in March. Although I am not known for my love of Southern Rock / Boogie, these guys are from Saskatchewan and because I love the prairies, self-deprecation and guitarmony, I heart them. They are in the final round of a competition to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and they need your votes at http://www.rollingstone.com/choosethecover. I appeal not to your sense of nationalism, but to the fact that these dudes are so awesomely dorky. Please see Exhibit A below.



There will be some Sheepdoggery (guitarmony!) in North Bay later in the summer on Friday, July 29 at the Summer in the Park Festival.

As many of you now know, Mohawk scholar Patricia A. Monture died of cancer on 17 December at the age of 52. Below are some recent reflections and retrospections on her life and work:

Thunder in her soul – Remembering Patricia A. Monture by Malinda S. Smith, Fedcan Blog (7 December 2010)

Her Mohawk name was ‘Aywahande,’ or “the one who speaks first or gets things going with words.”
http://blog.fedcan.ca/2010/12/07/thunder-in-her-soul-%e2%80%93-remembering-patricia-a-monture/

Audio: An interview with Patricia Monture
Speaking about inclusion within the academy
University Affairs (6 December 2010)

0:00-1:47  The student experience for aboriginal and other racialized students
1:47-4:25   Native studies as a discipline
4:25-7:22   The classroom community
7:22-12:16  Equity and equity policies at universities

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/an-interview-with-patricia-monture.aspx

and in

Harriet Eisenkraft, "Racism in the academy" (November 2010)
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/racism-in-the-academy.aspx

Aboriginal, indigenous, native? She preferred Haudenosaunee, or
'People of the Longhouse' Activist worked to help reclaim authentic
identity for her people, and learned that Canadian law was not the
answer

RON CSILLAG, Special to The Globe and Mail (December 2, 2010)
http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20101202.OBMONTUREATL/BDAStory/BDA/deaths

Our Time to Lead – Racism and Exclusion in the Academy
Malinda S. Smith,

Fedcan Blog (2 December 2010)
http://blog.fedcan.ca/2010/12/02/our-time-to-lead-%e2%80%93-racism-and-exclusion-in-the-academy/

Letter of Sympathy for the family and friends of Patricia Monture
Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell, President, Native Women's Association of
Canada (November 22, 2010): http://www.nwac.ca/media/release/22-11-10

L’Association des femmes autochtones du Canada est profondément
attristée par la mort de Patricia (Trish) Monture,
http://www.nwac.ca/sites/default/files/imce/F_Letter%20of%20Sympathy%20-%20November%2020%202010%20final.pdf

AFN National Chief Offers Condolences on the passing of Patricia Monture
National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, Assembly of First Nations
(November 19, 2010): http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=5285

Le Chef national de l’APN exprime ses condoléances à la suite du décès
de Patricia Monture
http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=5287

Obituary - Dr Patricia Anne Monture
http://yourlifemoments.ca/sitepages/obituary.asp?oid=441034

oh.
em.
gee.

has it really been four years? 
is it the end-of-term already? 
can an event held in an owl's nest really be called a party? 

Profoundly meaningful questions aside, we in GESJ have a special invitation just for you, delivered by our new administrative assistant Simon. Please CLICK HERE 

The details, again, for those of you thrown off by an intelligent and well dressed primate:

Who: GESJ students and friends of GESJ, as well as any friends, family or dates you would like to invite. Children are always welcome.  

What: You are invited to the 4th Annual GESJ End-of-Term Party which will consist of snacks and re-gifting (see below). I have also been informed that it is Kimmie Demers' birthday that day and that Alexandra Archibald's birthday is a few days later. Like you need more reasons to celebrate... c'mon. 

When: Friday, December 10, 2010, 5-6:30 

Where: In the Owl's Nest Lounge (H102) 

Why: To build community, share food and smash the state - not necessarily in that order 

What to bring (optional): The Honours students are in the mood for a potluck so please bring any snacks you would like to eat and share, and a re-gift (see FAQs below). If you do not bring any of these items you will still have an amazing time, I promise.  

For those of you new to the GESJ End-of-Term Party, here are the usual FAQs: 

Q. "I take GESJ courses but I am not a GESJ major. Can I still come to your party?" 
A. What you mean to say is I am not a GESJ major yet - and of course you are welcome. 

Q. "What is a re-gift?"  
A. A re-gift is a gift that you have received, but wish you hadn't. This is a chance for you to re-gift something horrible to someone special. In the absence of a true re-gift, something from around the house is fine. Once Rosemary re-gifted a brand new stainless steel microwave. Seriously.   

Q. "What if I don't have time to make snacks?"  
A. We are so not above Fudgeos and Timbits (and thank you to Fudgeos and Tim Hortons for sponsoring that question). Also, please come with or without snacks. We always have way too much food.   

Q. "Is this going to be socially awkward?"
A. It's entirely possible, especially if you don't know many people. That said, the more we get together the less awkward it will be the next time, and the next time, and the next...  

Q. "Will there be alcohol?" 
A. No, and quit asking me that. 

We are pleased to announce the continuation of Cinema Politica at Nipissing University. The upcoming FREE film No Impact Man will be screened on Monday, November 22 at 7:00 pm in Room H131. It documents the efforts of one New York family to live “off the grid” for one year. Click here to watch the trailer.

As part of a project called Women on the Inside, initiated by Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing, three recent Nipissing graduates and current employees of the North Bay AIDS Committee, Kat Jodouin, Shannon Elissa (GESJ Grad 2009) & Caitlin Don (GESJ Grad 2008), are collecting books for prisoners at the North Bay Jail. This project was a huge success last year with over 300 books donated and this year they are looking for more soft cover books (no hardcover, no magazines) to be added to the North Bay Jail book cart. 

This year Shannon has also set up an amazon.ca wish list of recommended books: http://www.amazon.ca/wishlist/3HGA5SKNX341C

Softcover books can be dropped off at the AIDS Committee at 269 Main Street W., Suite 201, by Friday, December 10, 2010. You can also drop the books off to me in class or during office hours on Wednesdays between 11:20 and 12:20 in room A310 and I will deliver them. 

As Shannon explains, "North Bay Jail is one of only a few correctional facilities in Ontario that combines both pre-trial and already sentenced individuals. While North Bay Jail is a provincial facility (for offenders serving less than 2 year sentences) it is not unheard of for individuals to serve more than two years in pre-trial custody. Inmates serving pre-trial time do not have the same access to rehabilitation programs or counselling as those who have already been sentenced. This is often called 'dead time' as there is literally very little to do. As part of the Women on the Inside program, they  noted that many of the women they visited had already read all of the books in the Jail library collection. In response, they have set out to collect new and used books to donate to the Jail library. 


Gender Equality and Social Justice graduates Shannon Elissa (2009) and Caitlin Don (2008) with some of the books collected as part of the book drive last year.

Here is the most recent Newsletter Nov 2010 from our friends at the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre. It includes details about Nipissing - NBDMC partnerships, as well as an upcoming podcast featuring GESJ graduate K’Sah Woodley discussing her work with Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

If the video below inspires you, consider going to the next Homohop on Saturday, November 27, 2010, 9:00 pm-2:00 am at Les Compagnons des francs loisirs.

I want to go to that school.

Nipissing University’s department of History is pleased to announce Dr. Anne Clendinning’s presentation, titled Seduced by Empire: Women and the Politics of Display at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.  The presentation takes place on Friday, November 5, from 2:30 – 4 p.m., in room A122. 
The lecture is part of the History Seminar Series. It is free of charge and all are welcome. It should be of interest to all GESJ students.

I have finally reached the end of my massive "to do" list. After only eight months (I am accepting Congratulations cards), I have posted the IWW photos from the night Tracey Deer visited our fine campus. This means that you - yes YOU - may be featured on this page. The photo of Lieann and Robinder is a clear winner, but there are so many good photos. From peering over our spectacles to making (fake?) gang signs, we are very photogenic. Congratulations.

For those of you interested in ongoing discussions of the ways in which Indigenous knowledges continue to be marginalized in relation to Western research, please see the following news, podcast and news links on the new documentary Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change:

Here is the official description of the project from www.isuma.tv:

"Nunavut-based director Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat The Fast Runner) and researcher and filmmaker Dr. Ian Mauro (Seeds of Change) have teamed up with Inuit communities to document their knowledge and experience regarding climate change. This new documentary, the world’s first Inuktitut language film on the topic, takes the viewer 'on the land' with elders and hunters to explore the social and ecological impacts of a warming Arctic."

Read more about the film in The Globe and Mail here.

Click here to hear a recent interview with Zacharias Kunuk and Ian Mauro on CBC radio's The Current.

Students at the University of Winnipeg protest the Honorary degree given to Vic Toews. Click here for video coverage.

News from our beloved friends at the WKP Kennedy Gallery on Main Street in downtown North Bay:

"We have two fantastic and amazing events coming up soon! The first is Circus Wonderland...a series of exciting solo and collaborative performances in the Capitol Centre theatre, Saturday, October 2, beginning at 7 pm. This is a fundraising event for the gallery and will feature music, visual art, literature, video, and other media and electronic arts. Performing will be singer-songwriter and filmmaker Bob Wiseman; singer, musician, and performance artist Pandora Topp; Metcalfe-Rooke award-winning writer Rebecca Rosenblum; First Nations multi-media and performance artists Aanmitaagzi Collective; visual artist, performance, and installation artist Tanya Read and her band Ethel and the Mermen; visual and performance artist Gustave Morin; Toronto folk rock alternative band Bellewoods; plus more to come.
 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW THROUGH THE CAPITOL CENTRE BOX OFFICE! Call 705-474-4747 or click http://www.capitolcentre.ca to buy online."

Check out http://beta.freerice.com/. Many of us play online games, but freerice.com harnesses this time spent - for good. For each answer you get right, freerice.com donates 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help end hunger. The rice is paid for by the banner ads you see at the bottom when you get an answer correct. Choose different subject areas at the top of the homepage.

Perhaps the most shocking part of this headline is that this is the FIRST ever Pride event at the Wall. While most universities have had Pride groups and Pride parties for quite some time, we've been a little slow to act. Northern Pride has been holding homohops and parties in North Bay for ages, but this is the first time it will be happening on our campus. PLEASE, please show your support on Thurs, Sept 16 for Northern Pride and the Nipissing-Canadore Pride Group at the: big.gay.party.

For those of you interested in Graduate School for 2012, Research Services and Graduate Studies will be holding Graduate Studies Scholarship workshops in the week of September 20 - 24, 2010.   
 
The date and times are listed under the Current Events link on the Graduate Studies website found under the Current Students link on Nipissing's Website:
 http://www.nipissingu.ca/graduatestudies/graduatestudies_currentevents.asp
 
 This year the students must sign-up for a specific time and date by September 17, 2010 or workshops without attendees listed will be cancelled.
 
Contact janetr@nipissingu.ca or 705-474-3450, ex. 4558

Women's Worlds is a global feminist conference and it is being held in Canada for the very first time. Please visit the website and consider attending if you can afford it. http://www.womensworlds.ca/

Low-waged and student rate is $100 if you register before March 1, 2011. Everyone else pays $385... zoiks.

http://lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com/

Puh-lease. Invert that web address, obvs.
Lesbians are the original, Bieber is the copy.

Welcome to the future, GESJ. 

We know how everyone loves "social networking" and 3-D, and this is why GESJ and FAVA are joining forces to bring you social networking in 3-D!

That's right, combat the post-Avatar / Alice in Wonderland depression by attending a 3-D event featuring real people making surreal conversation. Not only will we facilitate conversation between real 3-D humans, we will also work co-operatively to silkscreen t-shirts. Am I blowing your mind? 

Bring yourself, your friends, and your pre-loved or "new" t-shirts from a local thrift shop to the Monastery on April Fool's Day. Then, and only then, you can silkscreen the Tiger or Typewriter GESJ designs onto your shirts - and we are working hard to bring you brand new FAVA and GESJ designs. Spring is here and we are turning over a forest's worth of new leaves. 

We also know how you appreciate the great value of peer-to-peer networks and that is why we will be announcing the first ever recipient of an official GESJ / FAVA crush. Everyone knows that GESJ has a crush on FAVA, and that we non-monogamously "date" Religion and Cultures, the Near North Mobile Media Lab and History (the Department, not the past). That said, FAVA and GESJ have developed a shared crush on yet another one of our peers and, frankly, we're not shy. We'll be publicly announcing who and why at the end-of-term party. Oh yeah, pizza, did I mention there will be pizza?

Thursday, April 1, 2010
5:00-7:00-ish
at the Monastery in the basement
free, as always, and all welcome 

Please join us to say good-bye to the 2009-2010 school year and chart a course for new adventures, over-ambitions, and a grand conspiracy. 

The North Bay Nugget featured an article about the Truth, Reconciliation and the Residential Schools Conference. Read it here.

Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing is looking for female artists wishing to showcase their art and participate in their celebration of women’s talents: EVE-olution Saturday March 6, 2010. All submissions to be submitted in photographic format, all media welcome. Forward to suzanne@ameliarising.ca, or drop off at Amelia Rising 101 Worthington St. E Suite #11, by February 28 at 4:00pm.

The event listings for International Women's Week 2010: The Art Of Resistance are now online. Please ch-ch-check them out and forward the link to your family, friends, neighbours and anyone who might be interested in attending the many free events we have planned for GESJ students, Nipissing University students, and the larger community - www.nipissingu.ca/iww/artofresistance. On this webpage you will find links to the films we are screening, as well as details about the speakers and the workshops. All events are open to everyone and they are free!

Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing and The North Bay and Area Disabled Adult and Youth (DAAY) Centre are teaming up to raise money for their non-profit organizations. On May 15th they will make it possible for young women in our community to attend their proms and formals in a gorgeous, but extremely affordable dress. This will be a fun and informative event for our youth. Organizations throughout the community are on board to help inform our youth about having a safe yet fun graduation celebration! They are collecting clean dresses of all styles, colours and sizes at the following drop-off Locations:
• Amelia Rising - 101 Worthington St. E, Ste. 11, lower level
• DAAY Centre - 239 Main St. E
For pick-ups, please call Andrea at the DAAY Centre at 474-3851 or email daaycentre@cogeco.net. If you want to bring them to class, I will happily arrange a drop-off.
Please help support Amelia Rising and the DAAY Centre.

This week, February 8-12, 2010 - The Nipissing University Women's Centre will host its 5th Annual Bathtub Project. Please help to fill up their kiddie pool in front of the Library with personal-hygiene products. What to donate: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, feminine hygiene products, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, razors, etc... They are also in need of bags and/or totes to deliver the products successfully. These will be bagged and delivered to the following locations:  True Self, The Nipissing Transition House, Sturgeon Falls Family Resource Centre, Amelia Rising, Mattawa Women's Resource Centre, Ojibway Family Resource Centre, North Bay Crisis Centre, North Bay Food Bank, North Bay Indian Friendship Centre, The Gathering Place and the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area.

AMAZING FILMS, IN THE GORGEOUS CAPITOL CENTRE THEATRE, WITH GATEWAY CITY DERBY GIRLS AS USHERS.... CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

The Department of Gender Equality and Social Justice is very pleased to announce that Tracey Deer is the invited speaker for the annual Gender Equality Lecture Series to celebrate International Women's Week 2010. Clear your schedule for Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm and meet us in the Nipissing University Theatre. All GESJ students are expected to attend! Tracey Deer is a Mohawk filmmaker with multiple credits to her name, as a producer, writer and director. She currently resides in Kahnawake, her home reserve in Quebec.

Deer began her professional career with CanWest Broadcasting in Montreal, and later joined Rezolution Pictures to co-direct One More River: The Deal that Split the Cree, with Neil Diamond (Cree), which won the Best Documentary Award at the 2005 Rendez-vous du cinema québécois in Montreal and was nominated for Best Social/Political Documentary at the Geminis.

She next wrote, directed and filmed Mohawk Girls, about the lives of three teenagers, and herself as a teen, growing up in Kahnawake, which won the Alanis Obomsawin Best Documentary Award at the 2005 imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival.

Her recent documentary, Club Native, focuses on the issues of community membership and blood quantum, and was an official selection of Hot Docs 2008, won the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Documentary at DOXA/Documentary Film and Video Festival, and won additional awards at imagineNative, First Peoples’ Festival (Land InSights) and Weeneebeg Film Festival.

She has also teamed up with director Paul Rickard (Cree) of Mushkeg Media to co-write and co-direct a feature documentary for APTN about a grass roots Mohawk language immersion school in Akwesasne called Kanien’kehaka: Living the Language.

Deer formed Mohawk Princess Pictures in 2006, which produced her first short fiction called Escape Hatch, a dramedy about the romantic misadventures of a Mohawk woman on her quest for love.

In the fall of 2009, Tracey teamed up again with Rezolution Pictures to transform her short Escape Hatch into a pilot for APTN, which is scheduled to air in the spring 2010.

Currently, she has multiple projects in development, including a reality show, a health show and a feature documentary on the residential school era.

Tracey received a B.A. in film studies from Dartmouth College in 2000, graduating with two awards for excellence. In 2009, she shared the Don Haig Award with colleague Brett Gaylor for overall career achievement as an emerging filmmaker. In 2008, Playback Magazine declared her one of the 25 rising stars in the Canadian entertainment industry. She is also a member of The Writer’s Guild of Canada.

"Tracey represents the next wave of native filmmaking," says Adam Symansky, NFB producer of Mohawk Girl and Club Native. "It isn't based on the past so much as on native communities taking responsibility and control of their future. That is the challenge she is putting out in her films."

Here is a note from our friends at the Kennedy Gallery:
 
"The time is fast approaching...Ice Follies 2010 is on it's way! That's right, the Kennedy Gallery is once again hosting Ice Follies, making this the 4th biennial site-specific exhibition of it's kind out on beautiful Lake Nipissing. This year the exhibition opens on Saturday, February 13th, and we are currently looking for volunteers to work with us to make this year's Ice Follies as grand as it ought to be. Do you have any time to spare between February 2nd and 13th? If so, think about joining the Ice Follies 2010 volunteer team. You'll have the chance to work with national and international artists, their works, and (of course) the always entertaining Kennedy Gallery staff. This is a great opportunity for students and art supporters in our community alike."

Interested? Come out to our volunteer orientation meeting to learn more.
When? Tuesday, January 26th at 5:30 pm.
Where? WKP Kennedy Gallery, Capitol Centre, 150 Main Street East, North Bay.
What? For more information on this year's Ice Follies visit http://www.icefollies.ca.
 
Best,
Alex Maeve Campbell
Gallery Coordinator, WKP Kennedy Gallery
705-474-1944 ext 231
info@kennedygallery.org

Many thanks to GESJ grads Shannon Elissa and Caitlin Don for initiating the project of donating new books to the North Bay Jail Library. This was a genius idea! Thanks to the AIDS Committee for supporting the Women on the Inside project, and thanks to all who donated! Any further donations can be given to me or dropped off at the AIDS Committee at 269 Main Street W. Great work team.

"Concordia-based film collective Cinema Politica received a threatening letter on Jan. 11 from the lawyers for Coca-Cola stating that the network’s planned film tour for documentary The Coca-Cola Case violates a confidentiality agreement. The film follows two American lawyers and union leaders as they attempt to bring a case against the soda pop giant for its alleged complicity in the murders of union leaders at Colombian bottling plants. Cinema Politica founder Ezra Winton said the letter claimed the film was “defamatory” and included details of private negotiations between the company and the people who are the focus of the documentary. Cinema Politica, in cooperation with the National Film Board of Canada, plans to screen The Coca-Cola Case at Cinema Politica locals, first stopping at Concordia on Jan. 18 before touring over 20 cities across the country and abroad." From an article by Madeline Coleman, to read more click here. Coke graphic by Vivien Leung.

If you know me, then you know that I LOVE food. It is for that reason that I love the idea that I can eat for a good cause. Basically, it's a dream. You can support the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Sponsorship Program by eating great food at the International Food Fest for $10. Enjoy the entertainment, silent auction and snacks from around the world! Eat delicious snacks, support WUSC and, in turn, support the fine WUSC students at Nipissing University.

Where and When:  Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, Education Centre Cafeteria. Doors open at 11:30AM, Food Sampling begins at 12:00 noon, and the Silent Auction closes at 2:00PM.  $10.00 per 10 food samples.
 

Northern Ontario's Queer Film Festival has received $8,000 from the Ontario Arts Council to fund three eight-hour workshops from Tuesday, March 23rd to Thursday, March 25th for 10 queer youth (under 30 - a generous definition of "youth") from in or near Sault Ste. Marie. Each youth selected will create a digital storytelling film of 2-5 minutes in length to be screened at the 5th annual Voices of the North Film Festival. Read more about the Queer Voices Digital Storytelling Projects in the SooNews here.

Visit http://www.queervoices.ca/ for more information and to apply by February 1, 2010.

If you are an artist, singer, dancer, musician, band, poet, multimedia techie artist, or choir, Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing is looking for you! They are hosting a Variety Show for International Women’s Day. The performance will feature many talented women performers and will be held on March 6, 2010. The deadline for auditions is January 31, 2010. If you are interested in auditioning please contact Amelia Rising at (705) 840-2403 or email suzanne@ameliarising.ca.

Together with the WKP Kennedy Gallery, the Near North Mobile Media Lab and the Fine Arts Department at Nipissing University, GESJ is planning The Art Of Resistance Exhibition in honour of International Women's Week 2010. “The Art of Resistance” exhibition will explore art as a means for activism and political resistance. We are looking for art that decolonizes, inspires change, cultivates dissent and creates pause for thought in all areas relating to gender equality and social justice.

Please click here for details and to SUBMIT.

The Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) brings you the NUFA Recession Buster Textbook Relief Bursaries. Students can, with textbook receipts, obtain up to $100 to offset the rising cost of textbooks. Application forms can be obtained at the NUSU Office or downloaded from the NUFA site at http://caut.ca/nufa/forms.htm

GESJ graduates Shannon Elissa and Caitlin Don are looking for soft-cover novels and non-stapled magazines to be donated to the North Bay Jail for the benefit of female inmates. This seems like a great and necessary idea! Books and mags can be dropped off: at the AIDS Committee at 269 Main Street W. by Friday, January 15; or bring them to class; or drop the books off to my office hours next week on Wednesday between 2:15 and 3:15 in room A310, and I will deliver them. For more info, please see email below from Shannon E. - recent and beloved guest in GEND 1025:

As you may be aware, former GESJ and Women's Center-ers Caitlin Don and I work with the Women on the Inside program at North Bay Jail. In this capacity, we do programming with the up-to-ten women at a time that North Bay Jail houses. North Bay Jail is one of only a few correctional facilities in Ontario that combines both pre-trial and already sentenced individuals. While North Bay Jail is a provincial facility (for offenders serving less than 2 year sentences) it is not uncommon for individuals to serve more than two years in pre-trial custody. Inmates serving pre-trial time do not have the same access to rehabilitation or programming as those who have already been sentenced. This is often called 'dead time' as there is literally very little to do.

This week many of the women expressed concern about the lack of reading material that they have access to. And, upon closer inspection, I must say that the book-cart full of Harlequins did not particularly impress me either.  So, we are trying to hustle up some reading materials for them. We are currently seeking any donations of soft-cover books and magazines (magazines may not be bound with staples, paper clips, etc.) that you may have lying around.

For practical reasons, we ask that you don't donate anything particularly violent, sexual, or anti-police (ie. no "Prison Escape for Dummies" etc. etc.). We've been advised that many of the women enjoy biographies, poetry, and The Twilight Series.

If anyone has any books they would like to graciously bring by the AIDS Committee office before Friday, January 15th, that would be delightful!

Thanks,
Shannon E.

For more information please email shannonelissapalmer@gmail.com.

The Nipissing University African Canadian Culture Club will host its third annual Black History Month presentation on Feb. 26 in the university theatre. This event will have a range of performances including poetry, dancing, skits and singing. There will be an open call for auditions for the performance on Saturday, January 23, 2010. Also, a casting call for models interested in taking part in a fashion show will be held January 22, 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, call Monique London 492-4850 or e-mail accc@auditions@live.ca.

Greening Nipissing and the Hibou Boutique present a free screening of the documentary WATERLIFE about the Great Lakes. The film is narrated by The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie and features music by Sam Roberts, Sufjan Stevens (xo) and Sigur Ros. Ch-ch-check it out on Monday, January 11, 2009 at 6:30 in the Auditorium of the North Bay Public Library. The film also has a pretty amazing website: http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

OUT North is a free monthly get together for queer (and not queer) people in North Bay who enjoy conversation, games and cupcakes.

This month's coffee hour is rocking (and yes that is a curling reference) an "Olympic" theme and will include olympic sports, snacks, and fun times located in the lounge at the AIDS Committee office at 269 Main St. West, Suite 201 on Monday, January 18th from 4pm-5pm. For more information contact Caitlin at 497-3560, or join the facebook group "AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area".

Beloved friends of GESJ, the Near North Mobile Media Lab (N2M2L) has relaunched their website and redesigned their physical home base beneath the Kennedy Gallery on Main Street. Learn more at http://www.nnmedialab.com/.

Gayly forward into the New Year!
Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com for details.

Click here for more.

Christy Ferguson, two time International Women's Week guest and panelist for last year's Activism 101 event, has the lead interview on Power and Politics with Evan Solomon after Greenpeace activists breach security at Parliament and hang a banner reading "Harper / Ignatieff: Climate Inaction Costs Lives." For details and videos of the action click here and to watch the interview here.



Also organizers of "The World Wants a Real Deal" have co-ordinated worldwide events -- including North Bay -- to demand action in Copenhagen. They write, "Over the next two weeks, our leaders will negotiate the most important agreement of our time – one that must stop a climate catastrophe. But they will only aim as high as we demand. That's why on the weekend of December 12th we will gather at thousands of climate vigils in every corner of the planet to send a clear message: The World Wants a Real Deal! Over 1500 events are already registered across the world, but we are just getting started." Click here to find out what is taking place in North Bay and to add your own event.

Dearly beloved,

We are gathered here today because soon you will be so burned out from weeks of essay writing that you will not be able to deal with the prospect of studying more. "Whatever shall I do for the next few hours?" you may ask yourself between the end of classes and the start of exams. Well, why not let GESJ do its part in contributing to your productivity loss.

Today we unveil a project of colossal proportions. Epic epicness! Next week on the date that commemorates the first time the Nobel Prizes were awarded, the anniversary of women in Tasmania winning the right to vote, and the birth date of Meg White - the drummer in the White Stripes, we too will be breaking the mold of GESJ history with the first end-of-term party to include the silk-screening of GESJ t-shirts. 

That's right. You heard me. Brush away those tears of happiness, listen up and look alive: it's the most wonderful time of the year. We know that you thought it was good enough to just be involved with GESJ - to simply know that we exist and therefore ontologically make the world a better, kinder and physically more attractive place. We know all that and yet we are offering you more. We are acknowledging that, in spite of our evident greatness, we cannot go it alone. Like us, you are inspiring, good-looking and impressively intelligent. We aim to flatter your awesomeness by inviting you to the 3rd annual GESJ end-of-term party with the explicit intention of branding you with our love / logo. Together, with the much needed help of the Fine Arts Department (xo), let's seize the means of production:

Who: GESJ students and friends of GESJ, as well as any friends, family or dates you would like to invite. Children are always welcome. 

What: The 3rd Annual GESJ End-of-Term Party which will consist of Sweet Justice (snacks!) followed by an Art Attack (silk-screening!) 

When: Friday, December 11, 2009, 2-4 in the afternoon - Arrive on time if you want to silk-screen because the ink needs time to dry.

Where: The basement of the Monastery at Nipissing University

Why: To build community, share food and smash the state - not necessarily in that order

What to bring (optional): cotton or cotton-poly blend t-shirts (flat, not ribbed - and bring more than 1 if you like) or canvas bags that you want to silk-screen GESJ logos onto and a recognition that not everything will turn out perfectly; any snacks you would like to eat and share; and a re-gift (see FAQs below) - if you do not bring any of these items you will still have an amazing time, I promise. 

Below are the Tiger and Typewriter designs that will be available for screening. We have light and dark inks. 
Please invite anyone who loves GESJ and RSVP to Wendy P. at wendyp@nipissingu.ca - basically if we know people are coming, we will be even more excited. 



For those of you new to the GESJ End-of-Term Party, here are the usual FAQs:

Q. "I take GESJ courses but I am not a GESJ major. Can I still come to your party?" 
A. What you mean to say is I am not a GESJ major yet - and of course you are welcome. 

Q. "What is a re-gift?"  
A. A re-gift is a gift that you have received, but wish you hadn't. This is a chance for you to re-gift it to someone special.  
In the absence of a true re-gift, something from around the house is fine.  

Q. "What if I don't have time to make snacks?"  
A. We are so not above Fudgeos and Timbits (and thank you to Fudgeos and Tim Hortons for sponsoring that question). Also, please come with or without snacks. Last year we had way too much food.   

Q. "What if I have no idea how to silk-screen?"
A. No probs. Neither do we, not really. This is a chance for us all to learn and practice. Basically it goes like this: lay down t-shirt; cover with screen; place squeegee at 90 degree angle and pull ink down the screen and then back up; lift screen and squeal with delight / cry with disappointment; let the ink dry; then iron for 5 minutes. 

Q. "Why does GESJ keep holding events with the Fine Arts Department. Do you like them or something?"
A. It's true, GESJ and Fine Arts do spend a lot of time together, but GESJ is monogamously committed to being single. If GESJ were to date another Department, Fine Arts would certainly be a contender. 

Q. "Where is the Monastery?"
A. By bus: Get off the bus at the first stop at the top of the College Road hill and walk down Monastery Road for about 5 minutes until you get to the Monastery. Walk in the front doors, turn left down the hallway, and then take the stairs down to the basement and you will find us there. For those of you with cars, please park in the visitor parking outside the Monastery.  

Q. "Is this going to be socially awkward?"
A. It's entirely possible, especially if you don't know many people. That said, the more we get together the less awkward it will be the next time, and the next time, and the next...  

Q. "Will there be alcohol?" 
A. No, and quit asking me that.  

The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconcilation Commission will be speaking at the University of Toronto on Dec 11th from 5:00-7:00 pm. His talk will examine the Indian Residential School experience and legacy. Question and Answer session to follow.
Location: St. George Campus,Faculty of Law, Flavelle House, 78 Queen's Park Circle, Bennett Lecture Hall. To register for this event, please send an email to: conferences.law@utoronto.ca **Please put TRC in the subject line.** This event will also be webcast live at: http://www.law.utoronto.ca/conferences/sinclair.html

Bruce Erickson is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of History at Nipissing University. He has completed a PhD in Environmental Studies at York and as a "Post-Doc" he gets to write, think and help out around here for a while. I have had the pleasure of meeting Bruce and I hope his talk will be of interest to students in GESJ. He is interested in questions relating to Whiteness, masculinity, postcolonialism, nature and nationalism - and frankly, so are we. Here is a description of the talk that he will be giving on Friday, December 4 at 2:30 pm in Room A226 (I may be a bit late 'cause I have a Library Committee meeting starting at 1:30):

Recreating History, Consuming Nature: Canoeing, Suffering, and the Nation’s Past: "It is often said that the canoe routes established through the fur trade carved out the material dimensions of the Canadian state. Following watersheds from east to west, European explorers, entrepreneurs, and their labour force became entangled in the production of the nation. Some attempts to reconnect with this period have started to follow the material practices of the time, canoeing “a la mode du pays,” retracing key voyages across the continent. This talk examines these recreational re-creations as an aspect of the narration of national space in Canada. For these paddlers, the path of the voyageur leads them to an encounter with the true Canada, embodied by the wilderness travel that was the voyageur’s bread and butter. Within these encounters, minimalism and the attempt to ‘go without’ is designed to help them encounter the character of the nation. This voluntary renuncition is an attempt to present an intimacy with the land and articulate belonging outside of the anxieties of colonial settlement, but it often eclipses the real history of the colonial encounter. As such, suffering, as a mode of encountering the nation, overrides the history of colonialism and presents an authoritative connection between nation and nature. Canada then becomes a nation held in the nature of the landscape, as opposed to an entity created by the multifarious networks of power over the last four centuries."

On Monday, December 7 at 7:00 pm in R308 Cinema Politica will be screening the documentary Taking root: the vision of Wangari Mathai. According to the write-up: "Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy—a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration." For more on Nipissing University's Cinema Politica click here and for more on the upcoming film click here. FREE! All Welcome.

You can order yourself a cozy Nipissing hoodie with Gender Equality and Social Justice written across your back by contacting Amanda Jones at mah13_@hotmail.com. The bookstore requires a minimum of 12 hoodies to be ordered. They are pricey, around $80, but they are very warm for northern winters. In fact, I am wearing mine right now. It's true!

Next homohop is Friday, November 27, 2009, 9:00 pm - 2:00 am.
All queers and their friends are welcome. Details here.

The North Bay & District Multicultural Centre is always looking for volunteers. They also have an excellent track record of hiring GESJ graduates. Read more about their volunteer placements here.

The Centre is also hiring a Settlement Counsellor Intern and a Community Awareness Facilitator Intern. Pay is $16.75 per hour for a 35-hour week and the deadline for applications is noon on November 20. Read more about these positions here.

The North Bay and District Multicultural Centre has a new anti-racism lending library. You can check out their holdings here. Resources are organized in the following categories: K-8; Grades 3+' Grades 5+; Grades 9+; and Resources for teachers, parents & organizations. This lending library of cultural awareness, diversity and anti-racism resources was developed through a grant from the Community Builders program, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Resource descriptions, organization and web design are by Emily Jusic, volunteer Kaushal Kumar Singh and Tara Gillies of the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre. Resources are available free of charge to teachers and community groups. Please email Don Curry at doncurry@nbdmc.ca for information on how to access the resources.

The Nipissing Branch of the Canadian International Council invites the campus community to participate in an event with Dr. Alistair Edgar, who will be speaking on the subject of "Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation: Peacebuilding in Cambodia, Kosovo, and Uganda." This event will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 24 from 7-8 pm in the Weaver Auditorium. It is free and open to the public and we hope to see everyone there. Here is some information about the speaker: "Dr. Alistair Edgar is the Executive Director of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), a member of the Advisory Team to the UN DPI-NGO Committee on Deweaponization and Civil Society, and the President of the International Jurist Organization for 2008-2010. He is an Associate Professor of Political Science (International Relations) at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada. His research, teaching and publications address issues including United Nations peacekeeping, transitional justice and post-conflict peacebuilding, Canadian and US defence and foreign policy, and global defence industry and defence trade policies" (from asiapacific.ca).

For those of you interested in volunteering or working for local Gender Equality and Social Justice related agencies and organizations, the Women's Centre on campus has organized its first Resource Tour of the year at Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre on Friday November 27. You can visit the centre and see what they are all about. Also if you visit their website you can learn more about volunteer positions at Amelia Rising.
 
What? Resource Tour of Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing  (101 Worthington St. E., Suite 11)
Where? Meet at the bus station downtown at 2 pm and walk there with the group.
When? Friday November 27 at 2 pm

For the International Day Against Violence on November 25, the Women's Centre on campus will be screening the New Zealand film Once Were Warriors at 6:45 in room A224. NZ on Screen describes the film as: "Lee Tamahori's visceral and hard hitting depiction of gang and domestic violence amongst an urban Māori whānau was adapted from the best-selling Alan Duff novel by screenwriter Riwia Brown." The heart wrenching film will be followed by speakers, including GESJ's Dr. Robinder Kaur Sehdev, and a mediated discussion. Admission by donation to the campus food bank.

Backdoor Broadcasting records and makes available a range of academic talks primarily in the U.K. - webcasting meets philosophy, cultural theory, experimental music and sound art. If you enjoy podcasts and cultural theory, ch-ch-check it out.

The Nipissing-Canadore Pride group will be holding a fundraiser Bake Sale on November 25 in the Education Centre hallway. To donate baked goods sign up on the sheet outside the Women's Centre in A244a right beside the Treehouse Student Lounge. To buy delicious homebaked goods - get in line. This is a fundraiser to support Nipissing-Canadore Pride group social events. Please note that 1 in 10 cookies sold at this event might be gay.

OUT North is a free monthly get together for queer (and not queer) people in North Bay who enjoy conversation, games and cupcakes.

This month's coffee hour is rocking a "Bowlarama" theme and will include bowling, snacks, and fun times located in the lounge at the AIDS Committee office at 269 Main St. West, Suite 201 on Wednesday, November 18th from 4pm-5pm. For more information contact Caitlin at 497-3560, or join the facebook group "AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area". Tell all your friends!

Essential reading for GESJ students and faculty:
For a very recent update on the fight against gender discrimination in relation to "status" provisions within the Indian Act click here.

And for those interested in a very recent update on First Nations families and Child Welfare Law click here.

Thanks to GESJ student / superstar Laura Mayer for forwarding these articles along to me and for being involved in these important meetings regarding new Anishinabek Nation Child Welfare Laws.

For detailed information on the Collective Bargaining process to date, click here. In terms of assessing "spin" please note that the linked website represents the position of the Nipissing University Faculty Association. In contrast, the emails that you are receiving from the university appear to more closely reflect the position of the Administration with which NUFA is bargaining.

Attention scholars who are interested in representations of, and representations by, First Nations girls and women - someone wants to publish your work. Click here for information on the upcoming anthology First Women and the Politics of Looking: Gender, Indigeneity and Representation.

How To Find A Masculine Halloween Costume For Your Effeminate Son

NUSU Canadore / Nipissing Pride will have weekly meetings on Mondays at 11:30 in the Women's Centre in A244a right beside the Treehouse Student Lounge. The first event being run by CanNip Pride is a pumpkin carving contest on October 31st before the Northern Pride Halloween Homohop (scroll down for details). For a $4 donation come carve a pumpkin and support CanNip Pride. For details contact: cannippride@hotmail.com. Suggestions for other events are welcome.

The Nipissing University Women's Centre is screening the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday, October 30th at 6:30 in A224. Admission: Donation for the Nipissing University Food Bank. This is an interactive showing and supplies such as rice, newspapers, toilet paper, rubber gloves and party hats are welcome. Prop bags will be available at the door for a donation. Dress in drag. Prize for best costume.

That's right. All your dreams have come true. North Bay is hosting its own Zombie Walk on Friday, October 30 from 6:00-7:00 pm and the proceeds go to the North Bay Food Bank. Donations of non-perishable food items will be collected for the North Bay Food Bank at the Wyld St. Bus Terminal just before the walk begins, or at the White Water Gallery (109 Main St E above Subway) Oct 27 – 30 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm and during the Night of the Zombie Monologues Oct 30 starting at 7:00 pm. Dreamy combo. Details here.

The 2009 survey of 1700 students shows that queer youth feel unsafe at school. For details see the report.

We are pleased to announce the continuation of Cinema Politica at Nipissing University. The first slate of films focus on environmental issues. The films will be screened once a month in Room R308 in the new research wing. The upcoming film is Blue Gold: World Water Wars and it will be screened on Monday, November 2 at 7:00 pm. To read more about Cinema Politica and the film to be shown in December click here.

Don we now our gay apparel...
Halloween madness on Saturday, October 31, 2009.
Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com for details.

North Bay Film will be screening Food, Inc on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 7:30 pm at the Galaxy. Admission is $8 and $6 for students. Click here for the official website of the film.

Take Back the Night March to promote safe streets for everyone! The Women's Centre is ambitiously organizing a march on campus and one downtown. There is a Poster + T-Shirt Making Party in the WC / Treehouse Lounge: Tuesday, Oct. 22nd @ 6:30. You are invited to bring your own black t-shirt and write/paint on it with glow-in-the-dark fabric paint/markers (provided by the WC). As for the Marches on Thursday, October 21:

5 PM - Walk upper residences
5:45/6 - We have booked a bus to bring everyone downtown to The Underground.
6:30 - Speeches
7- Walk downtown
8- Regroup at The Underground for Potluck and beverages
For more information about Take Back the Night visit: http://www.takebackthenight.org/history.html

See the Women's Centre's NEW Website for updates or find them on Facebook

Nipissing's Pride Group meets today, Monday, October 18, 2009 at 11:00 am in the Women's Centre. Thank you to all who have supported the formation of this group on campus. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning and straight allies are all welcome.

Did you know that the American Library Association celebrates Banned Books Week? And they have events where these books are read aloud? And that the book And Tango Makes Three about gay penguins and their baby Tango was the most banned book of 2009? It's all true.

A court in Ontario is due to consider a Charter challenge to Canada's prostitution laws this week. Three female sex workers are arguing that current laws "violate their constitutional rights and threaten their physical safety." Read more at the Osgoode Hall Law School website and on the Globe and Mail website.

"Graydon Nicholas was installed Wednesday as New Brunswick's 30th lieutenant-governor during a ceremony at Government House in Fredericton. "New Brunswickers are grateful to you for your outstanding contributions to our society as a provincial court judge, an advocate on behalf of First Nations, a community leader and a proponent of aboriginal and human rights," said Premier Shawn Graham, who hosted the ceremony. Nicholas took the opportunity to outline some of his priorities during his speech. "I will use this new role as lieutenant-governor to advance the benefits of education, to promote lifelong learning, and to visit every school in our province to listen to young people to hear their stories, and to make education a worthwhile experience — at every age," he said. "I also hope to encourage people in New Brunswick to celebrate our diversity. It is our differences that make New Brunswick such a wonderful place to live and be." Nicholas, who is Maliseet and was born and raised in the Tobique First Nation, was the province's first aboriginal lawyer and judge." For the rest of this CBC article click here.

The Native Women's Association of Canada elected a new president on September 28, 2009. Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell was elected at NWAC's 35th Annual General Assembly in Ottawa. According to the press release, "NWAC President Jeannette Corbiere-Lavell is a strong Anishinabe woman who hails from Wikwemikong, Ontario. She is a proud mother and grandmother and has previously distinguished herself by leading a Supreme Court challenge of the federal government's system of determining Indian Status, and is the first Anishinabek Nation Commissioner on Citizenship. She is a founding member of the Ontario Native Women's Association and has served NWAC in the past, volunteering as Interim President. President Corbiere- Lavell has worked as a teacher, consultant, and counselor and is the co-author of a book.

'NWAC continues to be the only national voice for Aboriginal women in Canada and I look forward to the work ahead during my three year term to see gains to advance the physical, spiritual, economic and social status of Aboriginal women of Canada,' concluded President Corbiere Lavell."

Visit the NWAC website at http://www.nwac-hq.org/

Dr. Rosemary Nagy and Dr. Robinder Kaur Sehdev of the Department of Gender Equality and Social Justice are organizing a conference to be held at Nipissing University from March 5-7, 2010 on truth, reconciliation and the residential schools.  Please see the pdf of the Call For Papers below.  You may also access conference information at www.nipissingu.ca/TRCconference.  Please circulate this call for papers to any persons you think might be interested in attending or submitting an abstract.  We also urge you to consider participating in the conference--it will be a good opportunity to showcase Nipissing University's research talent.  Student submissions are welcome.

The conference organizers are also seeking volunteers to assist in the planning and staging of the conference.  They are especially in need of persons to assist in web and logo design, to help arrange an artistic / cultural exhibition on Aboriginal art as resistance and resilience, and to administer and plan the conference.  Please contact rnagy@nipissingu.ca or robinder@nipissingu.ca if you would like to join the organizing committee.  

Click here for the pdf: CFP Commissioning Possibilities

The Women's Centre would like to help start a Pride group on campus. If you are interested in joining or supporting this group please email nuwomenscentre@hotmail.com.

The fourth Annual Polaris Prize Winners 'Fucked Up' announce that they will use the $20K prize to make a benefit album to further "raise awareness about missing aboriginal women." "There are over 500 missing aboriginal women in Canada and we're going to put out a benefit record to try to draw attention to this and raise some money..." Abraham said. "It's a marginalized group, it's a racialized crime, it's ignored. So we're putting out a benefit Christmas record with some really funny guests and we're gonna pay for it." from cbc.ca

"The Gay Pride Parade to be held in Belgrade was cancelled this week when two anti-gay groups threatened to disrupt the event -- by planning their own march for the same time and location. For years, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender -- or L.G.B.T. -- community has been trying to organize such an event, without success. The very first parade, in 2001, provided some pretty clear signs of the tough road ahead: participants in the march, and Serbian police, were attacked by a huge crowd... Dozens were injured."
from cbc.ca

The Writing Centre is still looking for more applications for the 4 paid student positions in the Writing Drop-in Centre. Apply to Georgia Lyons, Co-ordinator, Academic Skills Program, Room A201.

Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com.
Next dance is September 26, 2009.

The fourth annual Welcome Back Powwow will be held on Friday September 18 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. beside the Education Centre Pond. With more than 500 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students enrolled at Canadore and Nipissing, there are many people to meet and much to celebrate. Everyone is welcome.

We are pleased to announce the beginning of Cinema Politica at Nipissing University. The first slate of films focus on environmental issues. The films will be screened once a month on Mondays at 7:00 in Room R308 in the new research wing. The first film is The World According to Monsanto. To read more about Cinema Politica and the films to be shown in November and December click here.

The Nipissing University Women's Centre has moved to A244a right beside the Treehouse Student Lounge. Please visit them there and find them on facebook. Meetings will be on Mondays at 11:00 am beginning September 21st. All welcome.

Please come out and walk, roll or ride in the AIDS Walk for Life North Bay & Area on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at Lee Park. Your support will help increase awareness about HIV/AIDS and provide essential services for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in our community. If you would like to donate money, GESJ grads and students are participating. Please consider sponsoring Caitlin Don and Lisanne Roy. For more details visit http://www.aidswalkforlife.ca/.

Can Change is back on Saturday September 19th at the Kiwanis Band Shell at the North Bay Waterfront. This local Green festival includes local vendors, great snacks and live entertainment. What more could you want? Great weather, I suppose.

The line-up:
11:00am- Coordinators’ welcome
12:00pm- Old Shores
01:00pm- Jes Roy
02:00pm- Kyle Fowle & Eric Tessier
03:00pm- Open Jam/Junk Jam with GESJ heartthrob Rev. Trevor James Cresswell
04:00pm- Mr Something Something (Toronto)
06:00pm- Yer Blues (local)
07:00pm: Feels Like Yesterday (local)
08:00pm: Hometown Hecklers (local)
09:00pm: Gunsmoke (Ottawa)

I am told that the P.A. will be powered by pedal power. See it to believe it.

Today the U.S. Department of Labour released a list of 122 goods from 58 countries that are produced by forced labour and child labour. Find out more and see the list here. For further information on this topic and how you can get involved, visit the International Labour Rights Forum.

A working Guide Dog provides mobility and independence to the visually-impaired user. This year we will have a student in residence and on campus with a working Guide Dog, Credit, a Golden Retriever. 

Please note that  Credit is not to be acknowledged when he is wearing his harness (with a leash), this means he is WORKING.

When Credit is on a leash (without the harness) this means he is NOT WORKING and he can be acknowledged and touched with permission from his handler.
Welcome Credit!

Nipissing University is pleased to welcome Chancellor and Regional Grand Chief Shawn Atleo to campus for a special presentation on Aboriginal education on Monday, March 30, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Nipissing University Theatre (F213).

The residential school experience has had a tremendous impact on Aboriginal and First Nation communities, peoples and learners in Canada. Titled Turning the Page Towards a New Era of Aboriginal Student Success, Atleo’s lecture will discuss the community of Aboriginal learners in today’s classrooms and educational settings. The presentation will be of special interest to individuals who work with Aboriginal learners in educational institutions.

Atleo is a Hereditary Chief from the Ahousaht First Nation, the Chancellor of Vancouver Island University and the British Columbia (BC) Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Dedicated to improving the lives of BC First Nations people, he has long been a community activist who works tirelessly for the rights and freedoms of his people.

The presentation is sponsored by the Aboriginal Council on Education.

It is free of charge and open to the public.

You are invited to attend the final presentations of the students in the GESJ fourth year Honours Seminar. Each presenter will give a 10 minute presentation summarizing their final research essay for the Seminar, followed by 5 minutes of questions. The presenters are:

Jessica St. Peter
Lori Renaud
Georgia Villeneuve
Celina Kingshott
Jen McCreadie
Amanda McCall
K'Sah Woodley
Shannon Elissa
Sarah Feige

Date: Wednesday April 1, 2009
Time: 12:00-2:30
Room: M106 at the Monastery

The AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area is hosting their annual drag show featuring Toronto queens Robin Loren, Georgie Girl and Chris Edwards as Cher, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Madonna and more.

Friday, March 27, 2009
at Cecil's Eatery
Doors at 8:00, Show at 9:00 pm
Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door
Only 250 tickets - sells out every year
Tickets at ACNBA 201-269 Main St. W.
497-3560

You are invited to attend a public presentation “Sharing Our Global Connections,” where Nipissing undergraduate students who have returned from studies or internships abroad will share their experiences. Students, staff and faculty who attend will gain a better understanding of the politics of international sojourns. The featured international activities that our returning students have participated on include:
 
Study Exchange Programs at five of our partner institutions:
Kensey Butkevich  (University of Limerick, Ireland)
Jenna Shermet   (Kansai Gaidai University, Japan)
Chantel Surtees  (IFI, at ESC Rouen, France)
Kelly Snobelen  (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Ben Brzezynski   (Växjö University, Sweden)
                                      
International Youth Leadership Conference in Prague, Czech Republic:
Monique London
Kelsey Piper 
 
AUCC/CIDA sponsored Students for Development Internship in Ghana, Africa:
Matt Morris
                                      
WUSC Summer Seminar in Ghana, Africa: 
Lindsey Gradeen
 
Ubuntu Study Tour in Cameroon, Africa: 
Matt Procunier
Matt McManee
Danielle Cass
 
Monday March 23, 2009
Weaver Auditorium B201
5:30 – 7:00PM
 
If you are interested in participating in an international exchange, you should attend.

You may have seen ads for the film Milk posted around campus, and you should also note that this film is also being screened for FREE, that's right FREE, on Monday evening, March 16 at 7:30 pm at the Capitol Centre on Main St. The rating is 14A: http://www.capitolcentre.ca/Movies.aspx

Thank you so much to Laura Peturson for planning and leading the Printmaking and Bookbinding workshop, with extra special thanks to the FAVA students and Andrew who made everything run smoothly, even when the photo emulsion threw us off the rails. Also thanks to everyone who participated and showed great patience and creativity under pressure. For more photos please click here.

Thank you to Lieann from the Near North Mobile Media Lab and the Whitewater Gallery for hosting us! And thank you to the participants who made it a fun and thought provoking afternoon. For more photos please click here.

For more photos please click here. Thanks so much to our speakers Jessica St. Peter, Laurel Mitchell and Christy Ferguson, and thanks to everyone who came out to the talk!

For more photos, please click here. Thanks so much for the Women's Centre for planning and hosting, thanks to all the performers and speakers, and thanks to everyone who came out!

Because I am organizing International Women's Week, I will not be holding office hours this week. You can, however, find me at nearly every event and can talk to me there. Click here for a list of IWW events.

Christy Ferguson (pictured at left) will be discussing activist strategies as part of Activism 101 on Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at the Monastery from 7:00-9:00 pm. Christy is currently a Climate and Energy Campaign Co-ordinator for Greenpeace and worked for many year as a Boreal Forrest campaigner. She is the author of several important reports on Canada's boreal forrest available in the Nipissing Education Library:
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/boreal/recent-developments/turninguptheheat

The Turning Up the Heat report:
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/canada/en/campaigns/boreal/
resources/documents/turninguptheheat.pdf

Her recent work has taken her to Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands, Austria, and all over the U.S. and Canada. We are very pleased that Christy has accepted our invitation to speak at International Women's Week 2009. The event is free and all are encouraged to attend.

*Attend Activism 101, Video Activism and Press for Change in order to receive a Certificate of Activist Practice and Process from the Department of Gender Equality and Social Justice. 

If you are interested in taking Spring or Summer courses, GESJ will be offering three:

GEND 2305
Women and Cinema (6 credits)
Description:
This course examines the portrayal of women in both mainstream and alternative cinema, including the influence of social, economic and political forces on developing roles of women in film and a comparison of the representation of women on the screen with the actuality of their lives in society. These issues are studied in the context of the representation of gender in American and European films, the Hollywood star system, acting styles, narrative forms, and theories of spectatorship and identification. A wide variety of significant films are screened and discussed, including the work of women directors. This course may be credited towards English Studies.

GEND 3506
Gender and Environmental Justice I: Issues and Concepts (3 credits)
Description:
This course provides an overview of contemporary environmental issues, as they relate to gender equality and social justice challenges and initiatives. Interdisciplinary and cross-cultural in approach, this course will familiarize students with social relations that underlie various environmental problems and with social movements that respond to ecological crises. Global in perspective, topics may include water and forestry management, energy consumption and climate change, and sustainable development.

GEND 3507
Gender & Environmental Justice II:  Sustainable Development and Environmental and Activism
Description:
Through a selection of local, national and international case studies, this course will enable students to analyze the structures of power and modes of exploitation that threaten the sustainability of communities and their resources. This course will also acquaint students with social, environmental and animal activism, aimed at the fair distribution and sustainable use of natural resources.

If you are an artist, singer, dancer, musician, band, poet, multimedia techie artist, or choir, Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing is looking for you! They are hosting a Talent Show for International Women’s Day. The performance will feature only women performers and will be held on March 8, 2009. The deadline for auditions February 13, 2009. If you are interested in auditioning please contact Amelia Rising at (705) 840-2403 or email suzanne@ameliarising.ca OR brenda@ameliarising.ca.

The Fine Arts Department will be holding an Exhibition and Sale in support of Nipissing University Fine Arts gallery trips for students. Featuring paintings, drawings, etchings and sculptures by students, faculty and special guest artists, $50 includes an artwork of your choice, selected when your ticket is randomly drawn. You can preview the artwork from 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Or for $10 you get an unseen "brown bagged" artwork. Admission to the party is FREE.

Thursday, March 12, 2009 at the Monastery Hall. Contact Leah Symington for tickets 474 3450 x4652 or leahs@nipissingu.ca.

Aboriginal Services and Programs is looking to match up high school students with some volunteer university mentors (that's you) as part of the Aiming Higher Project.

Here is a note from the organizers: We realize as students you are all very busy, however, whatever time you can commit to the event will go a long way in demonstrating to the High School students that they can be successful at Nipissing. We will be providing Hoodies for the volunteers and will need to get the final list of volunteers together by early next week. I would like to have a meeting in the Aboriginal Student Lounge on Monday Feb, 2nd at 4:30 to finalize schedules, sizes and event details at that time. Please contact dougd@nipissingu.ca ASAP on your availabilty to participate during the two days:

Feb 26th, Thursday, 7:45am- 3:00pm (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided)
Jennifer Podenski (Aboriginal Producer)
Derrik Starlight Puppeteer/ Comedian (Granny and WindDancer)
Derek Chum (Aboriginal Lawyer)
Plex ( Rap and R& B Artist)
Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas Actor)
Waneek Horn-Miller (Aboriginal Olympian)
Will be facilitating a discussion panel/Town Hall followed by a dinner and entertainment by Derrik Starlight.

Feb.27th, Friday, 7:45am- 2:30pm (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided)
All students will be attending pre-scheduled classes they have chosen between 8:30am and 2:30pm. Groups will also be doing Nipissing/Canadore Tours during this timeframe. Students will break between 2:30 and 4:30 at which time we will come together for dinner followed by entertainment by Don Burnstick at 6:00pm-7:00PM. Some of you have already confirmed your willingness to volunteer. We will require help in a number of areas, taking students to classes, tours, assisting facilitators, registration and various other tasks.

P.S. BRING A FRIEND WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET
Respectfully,
Doug Dokis
dougd@nipissingu.ca
  

You can order yourself a cozy Nipissing hoodie with Gender Equality and Social Justice written across your back by contacting Amanda Jones at mah13_@hotmail.com. The bookstore requires a minimum of 12 hoodies to be ordered. They are pricey, around $80, but they are very warm for northern winters.

As part of International Women's Week 2009, activist Laurel Mitchell will take part in the Activism 101: "How to" Tips From the Pros workshop. Laurel is originally from North Bay and is perhaps best known for her activism with The Miss G Project. Please check out the Miss G Project at http://www.themissgproject.org/about/. Laurel's work should be of interest to all GESJ students, but especially those in, and interested in, a B. Ed.

Aboriginal Services at Nipissing University and Canadore College have established a new initiative known as ALI (Aboriginal Leadership Initiative) and the goal is to create an Aboriginal Student Executive Council to represent the voices of Aboriginal students on campus and to mentor high school students in the area to encourage them to attend Nipissing and / or Canadore. The is a very important development that you can read more about in the most recent issue of Our Voice, the Women's Centre's magazine. Volunteers are needed! If you have any questions regarding ALI please contact hillorytenute@yahoo.ca, charlottehoelke@hotmail.com or lmayer625@community.nipissingu.ca.

Dear readers and writers, artists and activists,

Have you seen the first issue of Our Voice? It's been available for almost two weeks. Check out the Women's Centre bulletin boards for your copy! Issue two is already in the works, and will be released as part of this year's International Women's Week. A launch party will be held on Monday March 2nd where you can pick up a copy of the publication, and have the chance to discuss with other readers/writers/artists/activists some of the issues raised in the 'zine. Keep a look out for more information about the launch party as we draw nearer to first week of March. The theme of this issue will be a Call to Action. Both similar to and different from the theme of issue 1 (local activism), this theme is all about bringing it home, and considering the significance of activism in our everday lives. What is your activism? Got any tips for organizing or creative mass production that you can share with us? Put this theme to work for you. But don't feel limited by it either -- you can write or make art on any topic you like. Everyone is welcome to contribute any written work or any art (in colour or in shades of grey). Please send your contributions to ourvoice1@live.com. Digital formats rock my world, but there will also be a place for paper copies in the Women's Centre (A223). I can make sure that any submission is anonymous if you are shy or fear persecution. Just let me know :) And for you oppositionally minded folks, I welcome you to voice your concerns in letters to the editor. The DEADLINE for all submissions for the second and final edition of Our Voice for the 2008-9 school year will be Wednesday February 18th 2009 at MIDNIGHT. But feel free to send them earlier than this. Let's make this issue great!

Sarah Feige, Editor, Our Voice 2008-9

On Tuesday November 25, 2008, a celebration of contemporary Aboriginal talent was presented at Revival in Toronto. The recorded concert will be screened this week on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at the Galaxy Cinema in North Bay. The event coincides with Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards Week and presents six top Aboriginal musicians along with the folk tales and comedy styles of emcee Winston Wuttunee.
See http://www.largerthanlifeshowcase.com/event.html
for more details.

This year's first issue of Our Voice, the Nipissing University Women's Centre official magazine, is available! Pick up a copy at one of the Women's Centre's two bulletin boards, either outside the Women's Centre (A223) or at the far end of the H-Wing on the first floor. The Women's Centre would like to thank all contributors! And we would like to thank the Women's Centre for all their hard work!

You are invited to take part in the 5th Annual International Food Fest! All proceeds go to the WUSC Student Refugee Sponsorship Program. The organizers are still looking for food donors, entertainers, general volunteers and donated items for the silent auction. If you would like to get involved or make a donation please review and complete the attached registration form below.  

Should you have any questions, ideas, suggestions and/or if you would like to discuss how you can take part in this event, please do not hesitate to contact Melissa at ext. 4540.  

Saturday, February 7th 2009
Tickets are $10 at the door
Doors open at 11:30am
Food will be served from 12:00pm - 2:00pm (while quantities last)

Food Fest Registration Form

If you are interested in donating, or volunteering for the Bathtub Project, please contact the Women's Centre at nuwomenscentre@hotmail.com.

Gayly forward into the New Year people!
Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com for details.

The New Year's Eve Homohop will be held at the Elk's Lodge, off Trout Lake Road at 2151 Barker St.
December 31, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Buy your tickets in advance - $15 each or 2 for $25
Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com for details and to contact about ticket sales.

For more photos click here.

This is big news and we caution you before reading on. DO NOT read the following message if:
Your boss is next to you. You will pass out.
You are standing on a ladder. You will falter.
You are driving. You will drive off the road.
You are writing an essay. You will not be able to concentrate.
You are making out. You will lose your game.
You are cuddling your new kitten. You may be tempted to re-gift it.

You are invited to the 2nd Annual GESJ End-of-term Party. 
We know, you're flattered.

When: Thursday, December 4, 2008 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Where: H102 "Owl's Nest"
What: Desserts, Re-Gifts and the return of the Photobooth, because what is a party without snacks, presents and a computer that distorts your face and preserves the image for all of eternity? Exactly. Please bring a dessert and a wrapped re-gift. At the very least, just show up and have a great time.
Who: You and your friends. Children are welcome, but may be bored. A critical mass of kids might entertain themselves. 
RSVP to wendyp@nipissingu.ca by Tuesday, December 2, 2008. 

New this year: GESJ Academy Awards

Do you know someone who deserves an award? Nominate a friend, a classmate or someone you don't know. Nominate them for anything you want, big things or small things and most importantly unimportant things.

Choose the nominees and invent the categories. There are two rules and only two rules - your nominations have to be true and they have to be short (a paragraph is great). Send your nomination to wendyp@nipissingu.ca and if we select your nomination it will be read aloud at the GESJ party. 

We will read whatever you send us, and we may even form a committee, which would be composed of whoever happens to be around the H-Wing, probably including: sassy Sal Renshaw; ruthless Robinder Sehdev;  mysterious Rosemary Nagy; and waggish Wendy P. 

For those of you new to the GESJ End-of-Term Party, here are the FAQs:

Q. "What is a re-gift?" 
A. A re-gift is a gift that you have received, but wish you hadn't. This is a chance for you to re-gift it to someone special. 
In the absence of a true re-gift, something from around the house is fine. 

Q. "What if I don't have time to make a dessert?" 
A. We are so not above Fudgeos and Timbits (and thank you to Fudgeos and Tim Hortons for sponsoring that question).  

Q. "Can I bring a friend?"
A. If you have a friend, please bring them. Just let us know by Tuesday, December 2, 2008. 

Q. "Will there be alcohol?"
A. No, and quit asking me that. 

Q. "Are the GESJ Academy Awards blatantly ripping off the Vinyl Cafe's Arthur Awards?"
A. You can speak to my lawyer about that.

WUSC is having a meeting this Friday from 2:30pm-4:00pm in room A251. All Welcome.

Agenda:

• Next BIG event: Food Festival (Saturday, Jan.31, 2009)
• AGA Overview (participants will be asked to make a short 5min presentations)
• Fair trade booth during Food Fest and International Development Week (IDW)
• Debrief movie nights and plan our next movie event during IDW (Feb. 1-7)
• WUSC listserve
•  Poverty Awareness Campaign

WUSC is also looking for volunteers to take part in:

#1. CONDOM BLITZ 
There will be condom blitzes taking place at The Wall on the nights of Tuesday Nov. 25th and Friday November 28th.  The bar usually opens around 9 or 10 and the event can go as late as we wish.  If you are able to come out for either one of those nights please reply to Lindsey Gradeen with your availability.
Email: Lindsey Gradeen xhug_a_treex@hotmail.com

 #2. WUSC INFORMATION TABLE IN NUSU HALL 
The North Bay AIDS Committee will have a booth set up in the NUSU hall way and WUSC have been invited to put a booth up as well to promote AIDS awareness and protection. WUSC will have a information booth set up about our club and we will be handing out ribbons and condoms as well as education on the importance of protection against HIV.  Please REPLY BACK with possible dates and times that you will be available to be at our WUSC table to hand out Ribbons, condoms, etc.
Email: Lindsey Gradeen xhug_a_treex@hotmail.com

WUSC had an amazing week last week with the movies and we thank everybody who directly or indirectly particpated to such a good cause, International Education!!!

Our friends at the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area will be on campus for AIDS Awareness Week and they have planned an HIV / AIDS Educate-a-thon on December 1, 2008 in the Library Lecture Room. All are welcome and encouraged to attend:

9-10 AIDS Committee of North Bay
10-11 Video - Through a Blue Lens: Life on Vancouver's East Side through the eyes of Vancouver Police
11-12 Team to Gumaini-Kenya Project - Don and Kathy McCallum
12-1 Lunch and learn: Stacey L. Mayhall, Executive Director of the AIDS Committee of North Bay
1-2 Amy Van Mielo - North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit - Sexually Transmitted Diseases
2-4 Jody Cotter - Union of Ontario Indians
4-5 AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area
5-6 Video - In our own words: Teens tell stores of "coming out"
6-7 Christine Fortin - PATRICK4LIFE

GEND 3207 
The United Nations and International Justice 
Winter term - 3 credits 
Thursdays 3:30-6:30 pm 
Dr. Rosemary Nagy 
Students will learn about the structure and function of the United Nations and other international organizations, courts and tribunals designed to protect human rights. Attention will be paid to the strengths and limitations of these international approaches to justice.  

GEND 3057 (NEW)
Special Topics in Gender Studies: Apartheid and the New South Africa
Winter term - 3 credits 
Mondays 12:30-3:30 pm 
Dr. Rosemary Nagy 
This course examines the history of apartheid and its legacy in the transition to democracy in South Africa.   

Please Join the Nipissing Women's Centre to Commemorate the Montreal Massacre










The 6th of December commemorates the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, as well as the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. On this day the Nipissing University Women’s Centre will be hosting their annual Candle Light Vigil to pay tribute to women who have experienced violence. The Montreal Massacre has strong importance within the educational system and for people apart of this system. On the 6th of December 1989, 14 women were killed at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. These women were singled out simply because they were women striving for an education. As a university with a high female population this day of commemoration is especially important for Nipissing, not only in honouring the lives of women lost to violence, but also in raising awareness about violence against women within our community.

The Vigil will be taking place on the 6th of December at 10:30 AM in the Conference Room of the Nipissing Public Library. This event will include biographies and speeches, as well as refreshments afterwards. We invite all people to attend this event, and to make announcements to your classes. A White Ribbon Campaign has also begin this week. If you wish to wear a white ribbon please stop by the table booth outside the Pals variety store and down the hall- on the Nipissing University Campus- starting this Wednesday, November 17, 2008.

If you have any questions please contact the Nipissing Women's Centre at nuwomenscentre@hotmail.com

Samantha Rice,
Women’s Centre
Secretary, 2008-09

Dear friends and fellow activists,

Prepare yourselves for 2008-2009's first issue of OUR VOICE!!!

Our Voice, the official newsletter of the Nipissing University Women's Centre, has been provoking thoughts and debate (and just generally stirring up sh*t) around the campus for the past five years.

In order for this fabulous trend to continue, I need your short essays, poems, short fiction pieces, rants, zine pages, and artwork (cartoons, portraits, landscapes, anything!!!).

In exchange for your thoughtful writing and creativity, I will bestow upon you the prestige (not to mention the CV and resume padding) of having your work published, and the distinct pleasure of partaking in bitchin' feminist action.

The theme of this issue is "Changing North Bay: local activism". Phew! When I find myself in need of inspiration, I find it helpful to ask myself questions. (Usually I do this out loud on the bus. I find it makes people really uncomfortable -- try it sometime). For this theme, you might ask yourselves questions like these:  

* Is there a revolutionary spirit stirring in North Bay, and where can it be seen?
* What has my experience at NU or CC been like so far? Anything that could be changed for the better, i.e., in my program?
* Why is anti-racism an important component of feminist action in North Bay, or what might a local anti-racist feminism look like?
* How might feminism be an ally to the current need for environmental action?
* Why do we need feminist action in the first place?
* Why do we need the Women's Centre?
* Any local businesses in need of a feminist slap in the face, or a pat on the back? Why?

If you find yourself uninspired by the local scene, think about why, and then write about or artistically render your reasons and feelings.  

If you simply cannot muster a cultural production on the topic of local activism, you can freestyle a piece on the topic of your choice. Writing about movies, TV shows, or music (e.g. Heroes, Iron Man, Beyonce's "If I Was a Boy") and what they have to tell us about women, men, gender, or sexuality is also a great option.

Anybody can submit to Our Voice (it is ours after all), so please tell all your friends and classmates (from both NU and Canadore) about it!

I can make sure that any submission is anonymous if you are shy or fear persecution. Just let me know :)

And for you oppositionally minded folks, I welcome you to voice your concerns in letters to the editor.

DEADLINE for submissions is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 at MIDNIGHT. All submissions received after this time will be considered for the next issue.

Please send all submissions to the address  ourvoice1@live.com

So now, my friends and fellows...let us go forth and CREATE!!!!!

Sarah Feige
Editor
Our Voice, 2008-9

During International Education Week, WUSC: Students for a Better World will be hosting movie events at Chancellors House and Governors House to promote international development issues. They will be screening:


http://www.thirstthemovie.org/

and


http://www.wardancethemovie.com/

and


http://www.foxsearchlight.com/water/

Movies will take place on Monday November 17th, Wednesday November 19th and Saturday November 22nd at the times and places listed below:

Monday Nov. 17th
Location: Chancellors House
Movie: Thirst at 9:30pm

Location: Governors House
Movie: War Dance at 9:30pm
With a special discussion led by WUSC member, Yves Kalala. Yves is a Nipissing student who has first hand information about the war in the great lakes region and many other facts about Africa.

Wednesday November 19th
Location:Chancellors House
Movie: War Dance at 9:30 pm.
With a special discussion led by WUSC member, Vicky Samuel. Vicky is a Nipissing student who has first hand information about the war in the great lakes region and many other facts about Africa.

Location: Governors House
Movie: Water at 9:30pm

Saturday November 22nd
Location: Chancellors House
Movie: Water at 2pm

Location: Governors House
Movie:Thirst at 2pm

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=702777559&k=XZM32XQ3UZ6MWABEVEYZV
The event is open to the general public, but you will need to contact someone at WUSC to let them know who is coming from outside the residence as you will need someone to let you in.
Free popcorn will be provided!

Dr. Monia Mazigh, the 2008 keynote speaker for International Women's Week's annual Gender Equality Lecture Series at Nipissing, has published a new book titled Hope and despair: My struggle to free my husband, Maher Arar. For more information click here.

Listen to a podcast of Sherene Razack's talk "Fighting Sexism with Racism: Feminist Dilemmas in the War on Terror." Click here.

zine: pronounced "zeen," a homemade magazine

The Women's Centre brings you yet another amazing Zine Workshop
Friday, November 7, 2008
12:00-3:00
Room A241
Theme: Sexual Health

we will be making one collective zine on the theme of sexual health.
bring along, or drop-off, any writing or images that you would like to contribute.
we will lay everything out together in one collective zine.
try to create / select images that will photocopy well (B&W and simple are best).

Stacey Mayhall from the AIDS Committee of North Bay will be there AND there will be coffee, tea, and snacks! To see photos of a recent zine workshop click here.

Don we now our gay apparel...
Halloween madness on Friday, October 31, 2008.
Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com for details.

The Near North Mobile Media Lab is hosting their annual Halloween bash at the Kennedy Gallery. There will be costumes, prizes, cash bar and snacks!  Best costume, most creative costume, better luck next year costume, sexiest costume and best couple costume are all on the radar this year.  They will also be screening their new flim "Ephemeroptera" at 10pm! Doors open at 8:30pm and cost is $5 at the door.

The new Faculty Council is being struck and the first meeting is Friday October 24 at 1:30 in F210. All faculty are encouraged to go and on top of that, we need two students to represent GESJ. If you are interested please speak to Sal, Robinder or me and we will sign you up. Please, please, pretty please. Your help will be much appreciated.

NUFA Learning Opportunity Awards

Do you have the opportunity to participate in a learning experience or project that is outside of the classroom but can’t find the funds? NUFA Learning Opportunity Awards are presented to upper year undergraduate or graduate students to encourage the continuation of learning experiences and projects that are not part of course work. You must have at least an overall “B” average and you must be participating in a project/learning experience that is self-initiated and not related to course work.
Maximum award: $800
Contact Student Awards & Financial Aid for more information, additional eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
Apply online at: www.nipissingu.ca/financialaid
Final deadline to apply: APRIL 15, 2009

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship deadline has been extended to October 20, 2008 in order to accomodate reading week. Applications must be submitted to Jennifer Mercer in the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office. This scholarship is for fourth year students who are applying for Graduate School for 2009-2010.

For those of you considering Graduate school, Melinda Kent from Student Services sent me this website which helps you search for Graduate programmes at Canadian Universities that might interest you:
http://oraweb.aucc.ca/

All are invited to participate in the annual Women's Safety Audit on Campus. This is your opportunity to voice any concerns you have about safety on campus. While the external funding for this audit is tied to "Women's Safety," the university is generally concerned with all students' safety and welcomes input from everyone on campus. If you cannot attend, you are invited to send concerns, kudos and suggestions to the manager of Health and Safety, Andre Rivet at andrer@nipissingu.ca.

If you would like to participate, the annual Women's Safety Campus Audit will begin with a meeting to discuss safety issues on campus at 3:00 in the Boardroom (F303) on Thursday, October 9, 2008. The Campus Audit will be after the meeting at 6:00 p.m.
 
If you would like to participate in the safety audit, please meet other Nipissing University community members in front of the receptionist/operator area at the main Education Centre entrance at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, 2008.
 
Previous audits have taken approximately three to four hours as we walk around the campus and down the Monastery Trail to the residences.  Accordingly, if you are going to participate, please wear comfortable walking attire (e.g. comfortable shoes with good tread, comfortable pants, warm sweater/jacket, etc.).
 
Human Resources has a small booklet (quick read) regarding how to conduct a women's safety audit.  If you would like to pick up a booklet to review before the audit, please stop by the Human Resources office at A218.

Come and meet your 2008-2009 Women's Centre Executive.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Room A213 accross from the OSAP office
All Welcome.

Unfortunately, this is not an actual photo of the Women's Centre Executive. They work tirelessly and rarely have the opportunity to bowl with their magic 8 ball. They are much too busy consulting it. "Magic 8 ball will the Women's Centre Meet and Greet Tea be a success?" Magic 8 ball: "Without a doubt."

The Writing Centre is still looking for more applications for the 3 paid student positions in the Writing Drop-in Centre. The positions pay $10.56 per hour and you can choose your own schedule of 5 hours per week. They would like to open the Drop-In Centre next week, but need to find students willing to work. Apply to Georgia Lyons, Co-ordinator, Academic Skills Program, Room A201.

On Wednesday, September 24, 2008 from 11:30-12:30 in Room A143, all interested GESJ students are invited to a short workshop to discuss the process of applying to Graduate Schools. While the workshop is geared primarily for fourth year students, the tips and general information will be useful to GESJ students at all levels who can begin learning about this process sooner rather than later. We will discuss scholarships, references, transcripts, the application process and fees, and more. Since we have only one hour, we will begin promptly at 11:30.

We have some graduate schools and their websites listed at
http://nipissingu.ca/gesj/graduateprograms.asp.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) internal deadline for Nipissing is October 19, 2008:
http://osap.gov.on.ca/eng/NOT_SECURE/Plan_Grants_full_sepapp_OGS_12345.htm

The SSHRC internal deadline for Nipissing is December 10, 2008:
http://www.sshrc.ca/web/apply/students_e.asp

See also: http://nipissingu.ca/graduatestudies/graduatestudies_funding.asp

And for First Nations, Inuit and Metis students:
http://www.nipissingu.ca/aboriginal/Scholarships.asp

The third annual Welcome Back Powwow will be held on Friday September 12 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. beside the Education Centre Pond. With more than 500 First Nations, Inuit and Métis students enrolled at Canadore and Nipissing, there are many people to meet and there is much to celebrate. Everyone is welcome.

If you are planning to apply to attend graduate school for the 2009-2010 school year, you will want to apply for two important scholarships, SSHRC and OGS. The details and deadlines for these scholarships can be found at http://nipissingu.ca/graduatestudies/graduatestudies_funding.asp.

The Nipissing University Research office is offering workshops to prepare you to apply for these scholarships. The deadlines for these scholarships are in October and November, and the workshop dates are September 15 and 16. More details can be found at
http://nipissingu.ca/graduatestudies/graduatestudies_currentevents.asp

Are you new to Canada? Join us for the Newcomers Picnic! If you are new to Canada and North Bay you are invited to join the North Bay and Distict Multicultural Centre for food, fun and friendship. The picnic will be held on Saturday, September 20 from 11 am - 3 pm at the North Bay Waterfront near the Kiwanis Bandshell. Free pizza, chips and drinks! Games for everyone wishing to play (frisbee, badminton, volleyball, etc.). Bring your family, friends, and a blanket.

For more information contact the Multicultural Centre at 495-8931 or email reception@nbdmc.com

For other NBDMC events see http://www.nbdmc.ca/

Ch-ch-check out www.northernpride.weebly.com.
Next dance is September 19, 2008.

The Flip-A-Cup project is a reusable cup sharing project aimed at reducing the amount of Tim Hortons waste produced on campus. Mugs will be available for students, faculty, and staff to borrow, and then returned to Aramark to be washed. Look for this project to start in mid-September.

Also, the 2nd annual Can Change Festival, created by the Environmental Action Committee, will be taking place Saturday September 6th from 11:00 am - 11:00 pm. This is a great family event that will take place at Kiwanis Band shell (waterfront). The purpose of this festival is to raise public awareness on current local and global environmental issues. This is an all day event that will include local vendors, activities for young and old, a BBQ, local musicians, and a corn roast! Mark this day in your calendar and bring out the whole family!

For more details see www.canchangefestival.tk

GEND 1025
Introduction to Gender Equality and Social Justice
F / W - 6 credits
Tuesdays 3:30-6:30 pm - Dr. Sal Renshaw
Wednesdays 6:30-9:30 pm - Dr. Wendy Peters
If you have taken any GESJ courses, but still have not enrolled in Intro, it is not too late. You will learn the basics of the social constructions of gender, sexuality, race and class, and how these social categories relate to our knowledge and experience, our public and private relationships, and the quality of our lives. 

GEND 2166
Women, Media and Representation
Winter term - 3 credits
Tuesdays 6:30-9:30 pm
Dr. Wendy Peters
In this course you will learn the basics of critical cultural analysis in order to actively analyze how women are differentially represented along the lines of race, class, sexuality, religion and ability. This year students will pick up the tools of semiotics and narrative analysis to look closely at current representations of women and war, White and Black women in music videos, Muslim women in the Western news (including watching the film Persepolis), women with disabilities and Others. 

GEND 2055
Race, Class and Sexuality
F / W - 6 credits
Mondays 3:30-6:30 pm
Prof. Robinder Sehdev
This course offers an integrated understanding of women's diverse and often conflicting social / political locations. Students will learn analytic tools, conceptual frameworks and historical / comparative perspectives for understanding how all women's lives and experiences are framed by social difference. 

GEND 2206
Sex, Body and Identity I
Fall term - 3 credits
Fridays 8:30-11:30 am
Prof. Robinder Sehdev
Sex, Body and Identity I provides students with a forum for thinking critically about how individuals learn, perform and experience their gendered identities. 

GEND 2207
Sex, Body and Identity II
Winter term - 3 credits
Tuesdays 8:30-11:30 am
Prof. Robinder Sehdev
While Sex, Body, and Identity I endeavors to look closely at how specifically gendered ways of being are sustained in and through the every day lives of women and men, this course proposes to delve deeper into the underpinnings of gender identity.

GEND 3207 
The United Nations and International Justice 
Winter term - 3 credits 
Thursdays 3:30-6:30 pm 
Dr. Rosemary Nagy 
Students will learn about the structure and function of the United Nations and other international organizations, courts and tribunals designed to protect human rights. Attention will be paid to the strengths and limitations of these international approaches to justice.  

GEND 3057 (NEW)
Special Topics in Gender Studies: Apartheid and the New South Africa
Winter term - 3 credits 
Mondays 12:30-3:30 pm 
Dr. Rosemary Nagy 
This course examines the history of apartheid and its legacy in the transition to democracy in South Africa.   

GEND 3055 (NEW)
Special Topics in Gender Studies: Canada, Colonialism and the Politics of Resistance
F / W - 6 credits
Wednesdays 3:30-6:30 pm
Prof. Robinder Sehdev
Through a range of critical perspectives and practices, students will examine central problems of colonization: nationalism, community and belonging, violence and resistance.  

POLI 3535
Women and Politics in Canada 
F / W - 6 credits
Fridays 8:30-11:30 am 
Dr. Stacey Mayhall 
Students will examine the role of women in politics, focusing on how and to what extent women participate, possible barriers to women's involvement and how the political system treats women's issues.

GEND 4205
Honours Seminar
F / W term - 6 credits
Wednesdays 12:30-3:30 pm
Dr. Wendy Peters
This course is available in fourth year to those ambitious individuals who major (or double major) in Gender Equality and Social Justice. This year we will focus on theory and practice. Students will learn feminist epistemologies such as empiricism, standpoint, postmodernism and poststructuralism, alongside research methods such as interviewing, ethnography, surveys and discourse / textual analysis.  

For even more GESJ courses on the 2008-2009 roster please see WebAdvisor.

The Amelia Rising Youth are launching their Be in the NO campaign on Friday, May 30th at the North Bay waterfront at 6:00 pm. Live Music.

The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation is accepting applications for their post-secondary education bursary awards. The purpose of this program is to meet the increasing needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students for financial support and to assist them in the pursuit of excellence in every discipline.

Eligible Fields of Study
Business, commerce, science, law, engineering, information technology, education, social work, social sciences and technical studies.

Eligible Programs of Study
Post-secondary programs of at least two academic years at recognized Canadian technical institutes, CEGEPs, colleges and universities. Certificate or diploma programs, undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible for consideration.

Their website is http://www.naaf.ca/

The application can be found at:
http://www.naaf.ca/docs/e/PSE%20Application%20Package%20-%202008-2009.pdf

Christy Ferguson, who participated in the "Everyday Activist Panel" as part of IWW 2007, authored a major report on the boreal forest that was released today. It is amazing and so pretty - the prom queen of environmental destruction reports. Check it out.

The news:
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/boreal/recent-developments/turninguptheheat

The report:
http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/canada/en/campaigns/boreal/
resources/documents/turninguptheheat.pdf

The genius:

Join the Host Program and feel at home in Canada and North Bay!
 
We can help you practice English or French, make new friends, find a job, or learn more about the community.
 
The North Bay and District Multicultural Centre is holding an information session on Friday, April 11th from 9:00am - 11:00am.  Please come by and find out more about how we can assist you with making North Bay your home. 
 
Volunteers are also needed to share time and friendship with newcomers.  Anyone interested in volunteering or just learning more about our Centre and our Programs is encouraged to attend this information session.

Please come to the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre
374 Fraser Street (Between McIntyre and Main Street)
Friday, April 11, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
 
Food and drinks are being provided by TW Foods and Euphoria Smoothies.
 
For more information, please call Oweeny at 495-8931.

The Diversity Committee at Nipissing University is looking for new members for the 2008-2009 academic year.

The first Planning Committee meeting for 2008-2009 will be:

Thursday April 3rd, 2008
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Room M217 Monastery

The Diversity Committee was created to raise awareness and promote inclusion and diversity within Nipissing University and the North Bay community. The Committee organizes yearly events to help our campus community develop the skills to critique and challenge examples of prejudice and discrimination that people witness in school or in the community.

You are invited to attend the final presentations of the students in the GESJ fourth year Honours Seminar.

Date: Wednesday April 2, 2008
Time: 3:30
Room: A117

Click here to see a larger image of the poster:
PROOF_final_IWW_poster_2008



On Monday, March 3, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Nipissing University Theatre (F213) the Gender Equality Lecture Series is proud and honoured to present Dr. Monia Mazigh's public lecture "Migration and Women, Struggle and Challenges: a personal account."

Dr. Mazigh moved to Canada from Tunisia in 1991, first to Montreal, and then to Ottawa in 1997 with her husband, Maher Arar. Dr. Mazigh became a passionate advocate for human rights in 2002 when Maher Arar was deported to Syria by US authorities. She mounted an extensive campaign to bring her husband home, and then successfully pressured the government to call a public inquiry into his deportation. Her unrelenting efforts reminded all Canadians not just of her own family's struggle, but the dangerous impact of security legislation on the rights of all citizens. Her leadership and dedication garnered her nomination as The Globe and Mail's 2003 "Nation-builder of the year" and she was selected as one of the Canadian heroes by Time Magazine in June 2004. In June 2007, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Nipissing University. Dr. Mazigh lives in Ottawa where she is writing her memoir. Please join us on Monday to hear her discussion of women, migration and borders. All welcome. 



On Saturday, March 8, 2008 Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Center is hosting a free Performance and Celebration of women's talents.

And please join us at the IWW finale party...



We have worked hard to bring you an exciting range of International Women's Week 2008 events. Many GESJ students have the week off from our classes and we hope that you will enjoy all of the events.

Art and Historical Exhibit - Call for Participants
“Bridges to Home: an exhibit on migration and culture”

Nipissing University is hosting its annual International Women’s Week in March. Our theme this year is ‘Migrations and Borders’ which we hope will illustrate women’s struggles in immigration, naturalization, acclimatization and the refugee system.

North Bay has a rich cultural history which we would like to explore. If you are a newcomer to Canada or if you have strong ties to an older generation of immigrant women, you are invited to share your photos and keepsakes for an exhibit exploring cultural diversity and ties to your home country.

Which mementoes or artefacts symbolize your cultural upbringing? Do you have a particular piece of artwork, photo album or gift which reminds you of home?

If you are interested in participating, please contact Jennifer Buell at the Discovery North Bay Museum:

Jennifer Buell
Director – Discovery North Bay
100 Ferguson St.
North Bay, ON. P1B 1W8
705.476.2323 ph
705.476.9300 fx
education@heritagenorthbay.com

The always impressive team at the Nipissing Women's Centre is asking for your donations to their annual Bathtub Project from January 14-18th in the front hall of Nipissing U.  A kiddie-pool will be stationed there to collect all your donations of health and beauty items.  These items will be bagged and delivered to the local women's shelters.
 
As well, anyone interested in volunteering to (wo)man the tub/table, create and put up posters and to sort and bag donations are asked to come to see the Women's Centre in their amazing new space A213.

They are also hosting a house-warming party on Wednesday, January 23 in A213 from 11:00 - 2:00 to celebrate their new home.



What: Queerical Up North's Game-A-Thon fundraiser for the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area. We will be playing board games, video games and card games. Feel free to bring in your favourites!

Who: Anyone and everyone who wants to play; an area will be set up for children to play as well (though they can come without pledges)

Where: A246 (small cafeteria)

When: Saturday, January 19, 2008

Time: Main session 12-5 pm; 9am to 9 pm for hardcore game players

Other details: Parking will be limited due to other Carnival weekend activities, so please consider carpooling and busing

Pledge sheets are available in H330, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (please call ext 4209 for organizer Johanna K.). We ask that each participant have a minimum of $10 in pledges. There will be a prize for the most pledges!

Donations (monetary or games) can be dropped off to H330 or at the event (receipts can be issued for $10 or more).

The always impressive team at the Nipissing Women's Centre is asking for your donations to their annual Bathtub Project from January 14-18th in the front hall of Nipissing U.  A kiddie-pool will be stationed there to collect all your donations of health and beauty items.  These items will be bagged and delivered to the local women's shelters.
 
As well, anyone interested in volunteering to (wo)man the tub/table, create and put up posters and to sort and bag donations are asked to come to see the Women's Centre in their amazing new space A213.

They are also hosting a house-warming party on Wednesday, January 23 in A213 from 11:00 - 2:00 to celebrate their new home.

The next planning meeting for International Women's Week 2008 (March 3-8, 2008) will be:

To Be Announced

ALL WELCOME

Please join us.

The next planning meeting for International Women's Week 2008 (March 3-8, 2008) will be on:

January 10, 2008 
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Nipissing University, Room F214
ALL WELCOME

Please join us.

And thanks everyone for coming to the GESJ end-of-term re-gift and dessert party. It was amazing. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me. Special thanks to the Photobooth geniuses, especially Jordaan:





and the impressively prolific and (for now) nameless woman whose astonishing highlights include:







I am so impressed. Please see the "Events" page for more impressive and disturbing photos.

I will be in Winnipeg until January 2008. If you would like to reach me, please email. Please expect some delay in response as I will be on holiday.

Students, staff and faculty are invited to join in the planning of International Women's Week 2008 on the theme of Migration and Borders. 

In an increasingly mobile world, the flow of ideas, goods, and people across borders brings transformation and new dialogue. In a Canadian context, policies of multiculturalism and open yet managed immigration have created spheres of interpretation and understanding, from welcoming and inclusive to anxious and ethnocentric.

International Women’s Week 2008 will explore ideas related to the creation and management of borders, movement through and/or around these boundaries, and the inherent reshaping of both those who have crossed and those who have been “entered”.

In selecting the theme of Migration and Borders we want to address border crossings that include movements across international, political, cultural, economic and identity borders. 

Events may address, but are not limited to:

- Ways of migrating – including immigrants, refugees, temporary residents, international students, domestic workers, illegal migrants
- The differential treatment accorded to people who migrate through these different modes
- The effects of race, class, sex, gender, sexuality, ability, religion, and health status on migration and settlement
- Reasons for migrating: employment, education, forced migration, marriage, family reunification
- Migration / immigration to North Bay / Northern Ontario
- Cultural borders when migrating between countries and between cultures within Canada
- Mixed "race" and bi-cultural identities and families within Canada
- Globalization and economic borders
- First Nations communities and provincial / national borders
- Immigration, nationalism and anxiety (the imagined “White” Canada)
- Citizenship
- Immigrant women: success and achievement, activists and leaders
- Transformation (cultural, national, border, identity)
- Language and immigration, including language used to define (ie: immigration terms) and language as a barrier to settlement
- Settlement and integration

If you are interested in contributing to the direction and planning of IWW please join us on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 from 6:00-7:00 in the Boardroom (F303). At this meeting we will outline the theme of IWW and discuss ideas for possible events. As well, you are welcome to stay after the meeting for a Gender Equality and Social Justice end of term get-together in the boardroom for students, staff and faculty.  

If you are interested, but unable to attend, please email wendyp@nipissingu.ca and we will alert you to all future meetings. 

If you have any students who might be interested in helping to plan International Women's Week, please pass this information along to them. 

We hope to see you at the meeting.

Your co-chairs and contacts for IWW 2008:

Oweeny De Silva - Diversity Coordinator, Young People's Press -
oweenydesilva@ontera.net
Wendy Peters - GESJ Faculty - wendyp@nipissingu.ca
Ann Welsh - Project Researcher, North Bay Newcomer Network -
annwelsh@ontera.net



GESJ end of term dessert and re-gift party

As feminists and social justice activists, fun is our sworn enemy.
We hate fun, fun hates us.

For one night only, we will try to bridge that gulf in the boardroom of Nipissing University.

Come and witness this historic event.
If you will, bring a dessert and a wrapped re-gift.

Who: You
Why: Because we like you and you like GESJ
When: Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 pm, after the IWW planning meeting that you are also invited to
Where: Nipissing Boardroom F303

Please RSVP to wendyp@nipissingu.ca  

FAQ:

Q. "What is a re-gift?" 
A. A re-gift is a gift that you have received, but wish you hadn't. This is a chance for you to re-gift it to someone special. In the absence of a true re-gift, something from around the house is fine. 

Q. "What if I don't have time to make a dessert?" 
A. We are so not above Fudgeos and Timbits (and thank you to Fudgeos and Tim Hortons for sponsoring that question).  

Q. "Can I bring a friend?"
A. If you have a friend, please bring them. Just let us know by Friday, Nov. 30. 

Q. "Will there be alcohol?"
A. No, and quit asking me that. 

zine: pronounced "zeen," a homemade magazine

on nov 14 2007
3:00-6:00
location: A227

learn about zines
and make one together with the nipissing women's centre
and me.

we will be making one collective zine on the theme of sexuality on campus.
bring along, or drop-off, any writing or images that you would like to contribute.
we will lay everything out together in one collective zine.
try to create / select images that will photocopy well (B&W and simple are best).

please contact me with questions or just come by.

share food, build community and be naughty

On Thursday, October 25, I will be at the North Bay Public Library Auditorium celebrating the contributions that immigrant women have made in our communities. Thanks to the North Bay Newcomer Network, Young People's Press, Nipissing University Women's Centre and the Nipissing Diversity Committee for planning this event.

All are welcome.
6:30 - 8:30 pm
271 Worthington St. E.
Free child minding provided
Registration is requested: Call 495-8887 or oweenydesilva@ontera.net

There is nothing to report.

GEND 2166 is cancelled for September 19, 2007. The deadline for the critical response papers will be pushed back to October 17, 2007. For next week, please come to class having completed the readings for this week only ("What is popular culture and why study it?"). If you wrote a critical response paper for this week, please hold onto it and submit it in class next week.

The GEND 2055 readers are now for sale on the Nipissing bookstore shelves. One reader is also available for two day loan on reserve in the Nipissing library: call #PC2668.

There is nothing to report.