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EUC’s Eco-Arts & Media Festival explores environmental, social issues through creative lens

hand painting Earth planet

York University’s Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC) invites all York community members to the 27th annual Eco-Arts & Media Festival. The festival begins Monday, Feb. 13 and concludes Friday, Feb. 17.

Founded in 1994, the Eco-Arts & Media Festival is a week-long event featuring an array of art media and workshops that express perspectives on environmental and social issues.

This year’s festival, titled “MENDING,” will examine how art and art-making can be a catalyst to repairing relationships with the self, with others and with the world around us. MENDING encourages attendees to explore ways in which repairing those relationships can foster a more sustainable and just approach to tackling the environmental crises, systemic challenges and social inequity in our everyday lives.

Organized by EUC undergraduate student, Thereza Eric, and Environmental Arts & Justice Program Coordinator Sarah Flicker, the festival includes a mix of in-person and online sessions. The festival commences with opening exhibit “Unite and Liberate,” followed by hands-on collaborative mural and sustainable fashion workshops, then an evening speakeasy showcase at The Moonlight Lounge in Kensington Market. The festival then closes with an interactive online session by community arts organization, The Alcove, who will share ways to make positive change by increasing accessibility in urban spaces.

“As we return to in-person learning and gathering after three long years of the pandemic, some of our threads may feel especially tattered and frayed. But with love, care and attention, we can find new joy, creativity, possibility and life in old traditions,” says Flicker. “Whether you participate in a workshop, meal, mural, sewing circle or story – we invite you to consider your role in strengthening the fabric of our community. We hope you join us for a week-long celebration of the arts at the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and explore the power and possibilities of food, dialogue and art-making.”

Festival events feature:

Poster: Eco-Art & Media Festival: visual art, workshops, music and performance, community events, story telling, and more, running from Feb. 13 to 17, presented by the Wild Garden Media Centre.

Unite & Liberate opening exhibit and artists’ talk
Date: Monday, Feb. 13, 5 to 7 p.m.
Location: Crossroads Gallery (HNES 283)

Join the artists and curators of the Unite & Liberate exhibit for an evening of snacking, sharing and collaborating. In this exhibit, you will explore ways in which we can mend relationships, bring people together, see the good in each other and rediscover our own humanity. We hope to unite and liberate, to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities and to relocate humanity’s relationship with nature from one of extractionism to one of stewardship. Refreshments will be included for attendees.
Registration required.

Collaborative art mural
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: EUC Student Lounge (First floor, outside of HNES 137)

Come enjoy lunch, paint and be a contributor to the next mural going up in EUC. All participants will be given a section of a large mural to paint. The result: a communal mural representing the various identities of EUC. Refreshments are included for attendees.
Registration required.

Eco-Fashion and mending workshop
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 14, 3 to 5 p.m.
Location: HNES 141

Learn about the cost of fashion and participate in a hands-on mending workshop. Participants will be given a canvas bag to “patch up” and decorate with various fabrics and techniques. Refreshments and materials will be provided for all participants.
Registration required.

Expressions of Mending showcase
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 11:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m.
Location: HNES 140

Come support your fellow student artists during this course-based showcase on the theme of MENDING. This event is a showcase of various student works by the fourth-year students in EUC’s Arts in Action (ENVS 4122) course. Refreshments are included for attendees.
Registration required.

Telling Food & Eating Stories
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 1 to 3 p.m.
Location: HNES 141

Bring a dish and a story associated with that dish to share with peers! It can be a family recipe, a traditional dish, or even your favourite dessert. This food and story-sharing fiesta will be a celebration of the various cultures and identities of York University. 
Registration required.

Speakeasy night
Date: Thursday, Feb. 16, 7 to 10 p.m.
Location: The Moonlight Lounge: 319 Augusta Ave.

Come out for an exciting evening of singing, dancing and connecting with other students. This night will be a celebration of community and mending relationships with peers and creativity lovers. Refreshments will be provided.
Registration required.

Community arts workshop with The Alcove
Date: Friday, Feb. 17, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Online (zoom)

Tune into this exciting online workshop with the non-profit community arts organization The Alcove. This workshop is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about increasing accessibility to the arts in urban settings. The Alcove is a non-profit organization aiming to increase accessibility to the arts in urban settings. This online workshop will give students a look and taste of collaborative and accessible community art.
Registration required.

Jewish Music @ York returns with The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet

music notes and keyboard

The Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies and the Department of Music in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) present The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet, part of the Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York series, on Feb. 16.

The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish Quartet offers an inspired blend of jazz and Jewish folk melodies. Hoffman is an internationally renowned oud virtuoso and innovator; Lemish is a multi-faceted, world-class pianist-composer and assistant professor at York’s AMPD. For years, Hoffman and Lemish have been collecting Jewish melodies from different parts of the world including Kurdish, Yemenite, Moroccan, Ladino, Russian and Israeli songs. The quartet’s lyrical and vibrant reimaginings of beloved Jewish melodies have been captivating audiences all across North America.

Sound and Sense: Jewish Music @ York featuring The Amos Hoffman & Noam Lemish

In their work together, Hoffman and Lemish create a refreshing and compelling sound, filled with vibrant sonorities, unique instrument combinations and compelling arrangements. The renditions are simultaneously faithful to the songs’ origins and rooted in African American and Caribbean musical traditions. The result is texturally rich music filled with lyrical melodies and outstanding solos. For this special concert, Hoffman and Lemish will be joined Andrew Downing on double bass, Ethan Ardelli on drums along with special guests Jacob Gorzhaltsan on clarinet and Beth Silver on cello.

This Jewish Music @ York presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Tribute Communities Recital Hall. Free tickets are required for admission, click here to register.

Call for nominations for Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award

Five people putting their hands in a circle while standing on a grassy field

The Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award recognizes students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of York University. All York students, faculty, staff and alumni are encouraged to submit nominations for this award.

Established in 2012, the award is named after Robert J. Tiffin who served as York’s vice-president, students, for nine years. Through his strong leadership, dedication and integrity, Tiffin transformed his operation into one of the most professional student service organizations in the country, serving one of the largest student populations in Canada.

Award nominees must be current undergraduate or graduate students who exhibit leadership, dedication, integrity, enthusiasm and the pursuit of excellence through their endeavours. Selection will be based on leadership and/or involvement in the York community and outstanding academic achievement. Recipients will be honoured at an award reception, have their name permanently added to the awards display in the Vari Hall Rotunda, receive a certificate and have the award noted on their transcript.

Nomination packages are submitted online, using templated questions, and must include:

  • a primary nominator submission (maximum of 500 words);
  • a secondary nominator representing one nominating constituency (York University students, staff, faculty or alumni) not represented by the primary nominator (maximum of 350 words);
  • a candidate submission that describes how co-curricular involvement at York University has affected their post-secondary experience and helped to enhance the quality of life on campus (maximum of 500 words); and
  • a current resumé/CV, including detailed descriptions of involvement at the University, submitted by the student.

The nomination package deadline is Monday, March 13. Submissions must be completed online through the online submission form.

Visit the Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award website for more information.

For any questions, email the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students at vpstudents@yorku.ca.

York Libraries hosts edit-a-thon to improve digital coverage of Black excellence

Three people looking at a laptop screen

A joint campaign that seeks to address gaps in Black content on Wikipedia and Wikidata will run throughout February and will feature an in-person edit-a-thon session at York University Libraries on Feb. 15.

The Black Histories Wikipedia and Wikidata Edit-a-thon is a collaboration between York University, University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and the Toronto Public Library, and brings together a group of interdisciplinary scholars and students to improve the coverage and quality of Black content online through weekly synchronous sessions.

Scott Library Black Histories Wikipedia & Wikidata Edit-a-thon, Feb. 15, 2023 - Join us to enrich Black histories

To build an understanding of care for the editing sessions, the month started with a kickoff panel event discussing Black community archives. This event featured Debbie Ebanks Schlums (York PhD student and Vanier Scholar in Cinema and Media Studies) as a panelist, alongside Jonsaba Jabbi (co-founder of Building a Black Archive) and with Funké Aladejebi (York University alumni and assistant professor at the University of Toronto) as moderator.

The campaign invites the public to participate, and those interested will receive editing training through documentation and during the synchronous editing sessions which will primarily be led by trained student facilitators.

The edit-a-thon will teach critical information and data literacy skills while diversifying online content. It aims to foster open scholarship and intentionally provides programming to engage with Black and racialized students. The campaign is built upon partnerships across multiple institutions to provide experiential education for students (both event facilitators and participants) on current technologies.

“For us at York U libraries, our librarians and archivists are able to provide a deep knowledge of our collections and resources that we can provide to our students and communities,” says Alexandra Wong, data visualization and analytics librarian, York University Libraries. “We also bring our vast experience with working with primary, secondary and tertiary sources, and how to use those sources to structure knowledge, metadata and citations in Wikipedia and Wikidata to create a better system where the sum of all knowledge is well-sourced and well-structured.:

On Feb. 15, Black History Wikipedia and Wikidata Edit-a-Thon: York University Libraries Edit-a-thon invites community members to drop into York’s Scott Library anytime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The event is a beginner-friendly editing session to improve representation in the information and data online and will focus on improving online content around the theme of “Black Love and Joy.”

This year, the Black History Edit-a-thon team has expanded with the addition of two public history placement students, from the HIST4840 class. The two students placed at York U Libraries – Leena Hussein and Alanna Brown – are involved in public outreach, co-leading the task lists of what is to be edited during the event, learning Wikidata and Wikipedia themselves to teach it to others, and facilitating in-person event and online events.

“Growing up in Canada our education system for Black history stops at the Underground Railroad and there’s so much more to Black history than that, it includes stories of Black excellence, Black agency, and Black joy, so I find that joining this placement is very important in the sense that I’m helping to bring more information to Black history that’s outside of Black struggle and enslavement,” says Brown.

Hussein, partly inspired by her experience in the program, has just applied for a master’s in information science.

“We’re seeing a lack of Black spaces and if we look at platforms like Wikipedia where we have editors and people helping and corresponding daily, we see less than a percent of those people aiding in these edits who are Black,” says Hussein. “As a result of this, we see biases on these platforms where Black voices, Black events and organizations are just not seeing any visibility.”

Through this experiential education initiative, the students will gain familiarity and appreciation for open knowledge and metadata, learn how they influence the public’s interaction with history, and understand the slow and careful labour involved with producing open knowledge on important subjects.

“What I’ve learned through this program has much to do with the tangible skills I’ve learned, such as editing, and understanding how software in these databases are run,” says Hussein. “I’ve also gained intangible skills such as just understanding how biases are created in media and in these platforms. I found that in having this knowledge, I’m better able to understand why things are the way they are and how I as an individual can help to make things better.”

This edit-a-thon builds off the success of the previous 2020, 2021 and 2022 Black History Edit-a-thons, annual Ada Lovelace Day Edit-a-thons and 2019’s International Women’s Day Edit-a-thon.

“We hope to make Wikipedia and Wikidata editing accessible for our students, as we feel that all voices should be able to meaningfully contribute to and see themselves represented in public history platforms,” says Priscilla Carmini, scholarly communications librarian, York University Libraries.

The in-person York University Libraries Edit-a-thon session:

During Black History Month, join us for a drop-in, beginner-friendly editing session to learn more and to help improve coverage of Black histories in Wikipedia and Wikidata. No experience necessary. 

Date and time: Feb. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Scott Library Atrium (2nd floor, at the top of the escalators)

Weekly synchronous online sessions:

Every Friday in February, participants can join facilitated editing sessions on Zoom and can learn the basics or get a refresher on editing Wikipedia and Wikidata, then learn and write alongside others who are passionate about improving digital coverage of Black histories and experiences. Participants can also join the event and edit at their own pace throughout the month.,

Dates: Every Friday in February
Register for a session online.

York continues to uphold vision for service excellence

Students entering Vari Hall during winter

In 2020, York University introduced its vision for service excellence. Developed after extensive community consultation, the vision affirmed the University’s commitment to provide exceptional services for students, faculty, instructors and staff and enable the successful delivery of its University Academic Plan (UAP).   

At this time, York also introduced the Service Excellence Program (SEP) – an initiative focused on improving processes, structure, systems and culture by introducing sector-based best practice approaches to administrative service improvements.  

Over the last three years, SEP has delivered a wide variety of improvements to embed a culture of service excellence at York and make the University a better place to learn, teach and work. These improvements have included several initiatives to streamline finance, human resources, and IT processes, as well as the implementation of the University Services Centre (USC), a shared services centre that will over time make accessing high-volume administrative services simpler, faster and more consistent.  

Three years into its implementation, much consideration has been given to the future of SEP and where to best situate this work within the University’s structure to ensure its success as we enter the next phase.   

Effective Feb. 1, 2023, SEP’s Program Management Office (PMO) shifted from the Office of the VPFA (OVPFA) to the Provost’s Office, reporting directly to Senior Executive Officer Richard Ooi. The work of the PMO will continue in collaboration with the University Services Centre (USC), and service provider departments in all divisions. The program’s current Executive Sponsors will also remain the same.  

Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps noted, “Our commitment in the University Academic Plan to Living Well Together includes embracing a culture of service excellence, in which we all are responsible for supporting each other’s success. Upholding this vision for service excellence is fundamentally important to how students, faculty, instructors and staff experience studying and working at York. It is a vital underpinning for advancing all the other priorities in the UAP.” 

Following the announcement of current Director, PMO, Service Excellence Denise Mirabelli’s retirement, the program will also welcome new leadership. Mario Verrilli, formerly assistant vice-provost, resources and strategic planning, has been appointed as the new executive director of SEP. Verrilli will be supported by Azeez Dawodu, who is responsible for organizational change management, and Matt Zilli, who will continue to lead the Process Improvement stream.

To ensure success, the program is being put on a slower track to give immediate and focused attention to the highest priority areas for service improvement in HR and Finance. These areas are being identified through discussion with Faculty and division leads and addressed through cross-functional tables that include service users and providers. Supported by the PMO, these tables will leverage information already gathered from service users to map related end-to-end processes from a user perspective – identifying pain points, redesigning, piloting new approaches and evaluating their impact on service standards – with the end goal of scaling as appropriate and articulating clear targets for improvement that will be monitored over time.  

As this work progresses, SEP will continue to keep the community informed of progress on key initiatives and seek to provide engagement opportunities to develop solutions together.  

For up to date information, visit the SEP website or FAQ page. 

York postdoctoral Fellow is Holland Bloorview’s first EMBARK scientist

Recognized for his exceptional contributions to pediatric health care, York postdoctoral Fellow De-Lawrence Lamptey has been named Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s inaugural EMBARK scientist. The first program of its kind in Canada, EMBARK (Empowering Black Academics, Researchers and Knowledge creators) fills an important gap in amplifying diverse Black voices in disability research.

Launched in partnership with the Black Research Network, an institutional strategic initiative at the University of Toronto, the EMBARK program addresses barriers that researchers from Black communities face in order to set them up for successful academic careers. Specifically, the network’s mission is to promote and propel the interdisciplinary work of Black scholars at the university and beyond through investment and mentorship.

De-Lawrence Lamptey close-up portrait
De-Lawrence Lamptey

Lamptey was selected from a competitive pool of qualified applicants from across Toronto and surrounding areas. The important work that he will perform at the hospital will support children and youth with medical complexity, illness and injury.

“I am thrilled to join Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and be part of the outstanding work going on here in the field of childhood disability. I look forward to making a positive impact on children and youth with disabilities and families through this exciting opportunity,” said Lamptey.

The EMBARK program offers two scientists the following over a three-year term: start-up funds for their research; principle investigator status; access to advisors from a diverse range of backgrounds; connections to networks and career support; and media profiling to build their personal brands. In his new role, Lamptey will develop and lead an independent research program that advances scholarship in childhood disability, with a focus on meaningfully engaging Black communities.

Previously, Lamptey was one of the inaugural recipients of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars at York University. The program supports up to four scholars every year in any field of study and provides the successful applicants with a salary of $70,000 annually for a two-year term. The important initiative seeks to address underrepresentation in many disciplines and fields, by providing Black and Indigenous scholars the ability to dedicate their time to pursue new research, while accessing the collegial resources, faculty supervision and mentorship. While at York, Lamptey’s research focused on the intersectionality of race/ethnicity and disability among children and youth in Canada, providing him the necessary expertise to succeed in his new role.

Programs like EMBARK and the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars actively address the systemic barriers that researchers from Black communities experience in advancing their careers by providing them the opportunities and resources to push the boundaries of knowledge, said Anesa Albert, associate director, communications, recruitment and digital engagement in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

“Work performed by Black scholars in these programs results in better science as well as positive change,” said Albert.

Lamptey will formally begin in his position as EMBARK scientist on Sept. 1.

‘Black Ice’ director, producer join Black History Month screening at York

Wide angle perspective of antique-looking cinema, lit by film projector and screen

Oscar-nominated director Herbert Davis and Vinay Virmani (BA 2008), film producer and York alum, will attend a special screening and Q-and-A for the critically acclaimed Black Ice at York’s Tribute Communities Recital Hall on Feb. 13.

Debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2022, Black Ice captured the attention of critics and casual moviegoers alike, earning Davis the TIFF People’s Choice Award in the documentary category that year.

Executive produced by Lebron James, Drake and Maverick Carter – and produced by Virmani – the film explores the sordid history of discrimination against Black hockey players in leagues across North America. Spanning from the inception of the Coloured Hockey League (CHL) in 1895 to the turbulent desegregation of the NHL and beyond, Black Ice features testimony from current players across multiple leagues including P.K. Subban, Akim Aliu, Saroya Tinker, Mark Connors and Wayne Simmonds.

Still from Black Ice (2022) film by director Herbert Davis
Black Ice (2022) by director Herbert Davis

This screening is a collaborative event hosted by York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD); the York U Black Alumni Network (YUBAN); the Office of the President; and in partnership with the Athletics & Recreation Department; York’s student engagement team; and the Jean Augustine Chair in Education.

York University’s Framework and Action Plan on Black Inclusion continues to serve as both a roadmap and reminder of the work that must still be done to respond to anti-Black racism and to lay a foundation for a more equitable future.

Following the film’s screening, AMPD Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng will lead a Q-and-A featuring Davis, Virmani and Tinker.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the screening will proceed at 7 p.m. Free registration is required for admittance to this event. For more information and event registration, click here.

York celebrates Markham Campus construction milestone and major gift

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop, York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton and Metropia Founder and CEO Howard Sokolowski
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop, York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton and Metropia Founder and CEO Howard Sokolowski

A milestone event at the Markham Campus involved a ceremonial signing and installation of the final structural beam and a $5-million donation from Metropia.

Markham topping off
The final beam for the Markham Campus structure was moved into place during a topping off ceremony

York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton, together with dignitaries, University leadership, local community members and philanthropists, marked an important phase in the building of its new Markham Campus with a topping-off ceremony Feb. 1 and the announcement of a $5-million donation toward capital construction costs from Metropia, presented by Howard Sokolowski, a York alumnus and the company’s founder and CEO.

The milestone was recognized with a ceremonial signing of the final beam of the Markham Campus structure. The final structural I-beam was then lifted and placed by a crane – completing the building’s frame. 

The $5-million donation from Metropia and Sokolowski will go toward the capital construction costs of the campus. In honour of this gift, the student success centre on the first and second floors of the new building will be named the Metropia Student Success Centre.

Watch the video below for more on the topping off ceremony and gift announcement. The Markham Campus is set to open in Spring 2024.

Winter reminder: keep windows closed

Vari Hall Winter scene showing the Harry Arthurs Common

As the temperatures get increasingly colder, we are asking for help from the University community to avoid potential freeze-ups in all buildings.

Please remember to keep windows and doors closed when temperatures are below freezing, especially when leaving for the night or weekend, to prevent potential water damage to university spaces.

Thank you for participating in the stewardship of our campuses.

Sincerely,

The Property Management team

York ’s Centre for Jewish Studies debuts series exploring multi-ethnic religious community

Jewish Parts Unknown: Jewish And watercolour art banner

The Israel & Golda Koschtizky Centre for Jewish Studies, Hillel York, Hasbara Fellowships, and Jewish& have collaborated for “Jewish Parts Unknown: Jewish And,” part of the student-forward series, which will examine ethnic diversity of Jewish communities at York’s Zac Kaye lounge.

Half-Jewish? Quarter-Jewish? How does an ethno-religious community accommodate members who see themselves in layers, not fractions? Hear from York students whose religious, cultural and ethnic identities include, but are not limited to, “Jewish.”

The event includes a panel discussion led by Lauren Schreiber Sasaki, founder and director of Jewish& at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre. Her program seeks to gather and support interfaith, multi-cultural, and mixed heritage folks and families, bringing them together for Jewish exploration, education and celebration.

The event takes place on Feb. 7 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in room 442 of the Student Centre. Free tickets are required for admittance, click here to register.