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Distinguished panelists debate, discuss limitations on freedom of speech at universities

A panel of highly distinguished speakers came together on March 4 to discuss and debate the question of whether there should be limits to freedom of speech at universities.

Co-sponsored by the Office of the Head of McLaughlin College and the York Collegium for Practical Ethics, the panel included: Professor Lorna Marsden, president emerita, York University (1997-2007); Professor Emeritus Saeed Rahnema, an award-winning teacher and the founding director of York’s School of Public Policy and Administration; and Justice Lorne Sossin, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and formerly, the dean of Osgoode Hall Law School and the Chair of the Freedom of Speech Working Group at York University.

The panel was chaired by University Professor Emeritus Ian Greene.

Collectively, this distinguished panel of speakers brought with them a wealth of knowledge and experience on the issue of freedom of speech, particularly, at York University.

Lorne Sossin
Lorne Sossin

Sossin explained the question came to the fore again 2018, when the Ontario Government issued a news release calling on universities and colleges to introduce free speech policies by Jan. 1, 2019, stating that universities and colleges not complying with this free speech policy requirement could be subject to a reduction in their operating grant funding.

York University already had policies that support freedom of speech, so it was a case of summarizing existing policies. The Canadian Criminal Code, Sossin noted, has provisions against the incitement to hatred that is likely to lead to a breach of the peace. In addition, there is the York University Act and University Senate policies. The resulting document summarizing York’s policy on free speech, he stated, was the consequence of an extensive public consultation process. The policy was  approved by the University’s Senate and Board of Governors on Dec. 14, 2018.

York University’s “Statement of Policy on Free Speech” defines the freedom of speech as “the right to seek, receive, share and impart information and ideas of all kinds, in a variety of forms, including orally, in writing, in print, and in the form of art or music, or through any other media of one’s choice.” Quoting the Task Force on Student Life, Learning & Community (2009), the policy states “the University has an unwavering commitment to fundamental values of free expression, free inquiry, and respect for genuine diversity of thought and opinion.”

It also states that students are responsible for upholding an atmosphere of civility, diversity, equity and respect in their interactions, and should strive to make the campus a safe place.

Sossin also referenced a recent Alberta Court of Appeal judgement that ruled that freedom of speech is protected by Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, there are conflicting judgments by the provincial courts of appeal and the question of Charter protection will ultimately have to be decided by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Lorna Marsden

Marsden said that universities have changed dramatically from 19th century, when students lived in residence on campus and were able to socialize during their studies. She noted the degree of mutual understanding and tolerance of opposing views and opinions among students is very different today.

Most university students are commuters who spend limited time on the campus, she said, and have limited face-to-face interaction with other students unlike themselves. This is highly relevant because being able to see someone’s expressions, body language and reactions during a conversation is meaningful.

She pointed out that freedom of speech in this technological age is mediated through social media and electronic devices and virtual realities. Given the diversity of our modern society, where cultural and identity issues prevail, this complicates the practice of free speech, making it more difficult to learn more understanding and tolerance in daily life.

Saeed Rahnema

Rahnema focused on the international context and stated that we live in a rapidly changing and deteriorating world with wars, regional conflicts, authoritarianism, financial crises, a widening gap between rich and poor, and refugee crises. This has led to a growing sense of insecurity, helplessness, despair and anger, which has in turn led to the rise of right-wing populisms, neo-fascisms and the growth of religious fundamentalisms. He suggested that as hugely important and divisive issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, abortion rights or global warming might be, the more intense disagreements in most North American universities, including York, center around the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and the religious fundamentalisms.

When he taught the course “War and Peace in the Middle East,” he said he dealt with many conflicts and confrontations in and outside of the class. Yet, the most controversial topics were discussed, and students were encouraged to openly challenge one another, with the belief that some of the animosity was due to misinformation and lack of knowledge. Nonetheless, with the deterioration of the situation in the region, student clubs on both sides, and their communities, took hardened positions and reacted rapidly and frequently to ongoing daily events occurring in the Middle East.

Rahnema concluded that we should all fight against all regressive and reactionary efforts by violators of human rights and cherish and use our freedom of expression responsibly to combat the political and religious and business forces that want to limit freedom of expression.

Ian Greene

Universities, he said, can neither end the conflicts in the region, nor can they have access to the inner workings of the communities, the media, and the influence they have over students. The only thing that universities are capable of is promoting critical thinking, facilitating open forums for discussions, educating and challenging obscurantist views, and encouraging doubting and questioning.

Following the presentations, Greene moderated a lively discussion on a broad set of concerns and comments ranging from why the Government of Ontario chose to pursue the issue of free speech on university and college campuses, to whether the issue centered on concerns of personal safety, vulnerability, and dignity to questions of the importance and necessity of leadership within the higher education institutional setting on the inviolability of freedom of speech, as it functions within the law.

Researchers solve mystery of Tuvan throat singing

research graphic

Researchers at York University and their team have uncoupled the mystery of how Tuvan throat singers produce what sounds like two different pitches at once – a low rumble and a high whistle-like tone.

Fascinated with how this form of throat singing, Khoomei, creates this dual tone, researchers studied members of the Tuvan performing group Huun Huur Tu to see first-hand how they do it.

A graph showing harmonic overtones

“They can produce two different pitches, which goes against the typical way we think about how speech sounds are produced,” says lead researcher Associate Professor Christopher Bergevin of the Faculty of Science. “It was a bit of a mystery how they did it and it’s something researchers have wondered about for the last two decades.”

Bergevin worked with Associate Professor and linguist Chandan Narayan of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and the team, including Professor Brad Story of the University of Arizona, an expert on the acoustics of singing, and Assistant Professor Natasha Mhatre of Western University. They found that the Tuvan singers were able to uniquely constrict their vocal tract in two key spots simultaneously – once at the front of their mouth using their tongue and another at the back of their throat. This had the effect of creating the dual sounds.

“We adjust our pitch, we change our loudness or amplitude, and we extend the vowels. These are all things that we do in normal speaking,” says Narayan. “What is interesting about this type of throat singing is that it does something different. It’s a highly unusual sound that you don’t hear in other forms of singing.”

Researchers recorded the singers in a sound booth and shot a series of images of one the Tuvan performers singing while in an MRI scanner at York

To figure out the mechanisms involved, researchers recorded the singers in a sound booth and shot a series of images of one the Tuvan performers singing while in an MRI scanner at York. Those images were sent to Mhatre, who helped reconstruct the vocal tract shape, as well as Story, who modelled and simulated the singing.

Birds and some frogs can produce two distinct tones, but it’s unknown in humans except in throat singers from Tuva and Mongolia.

“The question becomes, why are there two pitches heard when Tuvan singers sing? They don’t have two sets of vocal cords,” says Narayan.

In humans, vocal folds make sound by vibrating creating a buzzing noise. How fast or slow the vocal cords vibrate determines whether a high- or low-pitched sound is produced. The faster they vibrate, the higher the pitch of the voice. But they also produce a series of harmonics or “overtones.” The mouth and tongue shape theses overtones, creating resonances at certain frequencies called formants. Vowels in human speech are determined by the first three formants – F1, F2 and F3.

Each formant is usually distinct, but Tuvan singers can merge multiple formants to create one exceedingly sharpened formant.

An image showing different vocal tract shapes and dynamics

“The Tuvans are able to make this sound through such precise control of their vocal track that they can kind of tease these things out and create simultaneously sounds. One of the things that’s so remarkable about it is that it doesn’t sound like any human could do this, to have that degree of motor control,” says Bergevin.

The paper, “Overtone focusing in biphonic Tuvan2throat singing,” was published in full today in the journal eLife.

University Women’s Club of North York extends donor agreement to support student scholarships at York

Two women at a computer, smiling
Student Services Department Of University Providing Advice Smiling Looking At Laptop

For more than 60 years, York University has built its reputation on academics, meaningful partnerships and a strong sense of social responsibility. In the process, the school has established itself as an institution closely connected with its students, staff, external community organizations and several other networks.

As an affiliate of the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), the University Women’s Club of North York (UWCNY) is dedicated to ensuring that girls and women have equal access to education and career opportunities across several fields. Throughout its history, the club has built excellent connections with the community by raising awareness of women’s issues, hosting workshops, and assisting local students in reaching its academic goals.

“Previous members of our club have sought to establish STEM scholarships for women, which would help remove some financial barriers,” UWCNY Vice-President Barbara Cook said. “That’s something we want to continue to grow as we move forward.”

UWCNY has accomplished the educational aspect of its mission through funding awards for students at York University. Since 1986, the club has given out 167 awards supporting women enrolled in numerous programs at York – providing nearly $120,000 in donations. In recent weeks, the club agreed to terms extending this donor agreement for many years to come.

Between this academic year and 2028-29, UWCNY has pledged to donate a total of $84,500 to support eight different student awards for women in various disciplines.

These gifts include the UWCNY Beverley Jackson Prize (valued at $500 per year, beginning in 2020-21), in addition to the University Women’s Club of North York Award for Female Students with Disabilities (awarded to two students each year), the University Women’s Club of North York – Lee Robertson Memorial Award, the University Women’s Club of North York Award – Glendon, and University Women’s Club of North York Awards in Economics, Information Technology, Administrative Studies and Science – valued at $1,000 per year, respectively.

“As an organization, we want to support young women across the city who are choosing to study in the North York region,” Cook added.

In providing these awards, UWCNY is doing its part to help alleviate the pressures faced by women balancing academics and school expenses. With the goal of supporting tomorrow’s leaders in mind, prizes are given to deserving students who make the most of their studies – meeting specific academic and extra-curricular qualifications.

“This extended partnership means so much to our Faculty, and to our school as a whole. The University Women’s Club of North York has always shown tremendous support for our students,” Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Associate Dean, Global & Community Engagement, Lily Cho, said. “It’s wonderful to see their organization continue to provide financial assistance for girls and women pursuing their dreams at York University.”

About UWCNY

The University Women’s Club of North York is a thriving club founded in 1951. UWCNY has over 200 members who represent a wide variety of interests, disciplines, and professional achievements. Their club aims to advocate for the improvement of the status of women, early learning, and childcare, and to raise funds for local, national, and international charities and women’s scholarships.

For more, visit the UWCNY website.

Canadian Writers in Person wraps up season with award-winning author David Bezmozgis, March 17

Books

Immigrant City cover

York University’s Canadian Writers in Person Lecture Series will come to a close for the 2019-20 season with author David Bezmozgis as the final guest on March 17. He will read from his first story collection in more than a decade, Immigrant City, at 7 p.m. in 206 Accolade West Building, Keele Campus.

Latvian-born Bezmozgis is an award-winning writer and filmmaker and the current director of the Humber School for Writers in Toronto. His debut story collection, Natasha and Other Stories, won the Toronto Book Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book, and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. His first novel, The Free World, was a finalist for both the Governor General’s Award and the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His second novel, The Betrayers, was also a Giller Prize finalist and won the National Jewish Book Award. His writing has appeared in many publications, including The New Yorker, Harper’s, Zoetrope: All-Story and The Best American Short Stories. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a MacDowell Fellow, a Radcliffe Fellow, and a Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Fellow at the New York Public Library.

In the story collection Immigrant City, Bezmozgis presents immigrant characters with all their contradictions and complexities, their earnest and divided hearts. In the title story, a father and his young daughter stumble into a bizarre version of his immigrant childhood. A mysterious tech conference brings a writer to Montreal, where he discovers new designs on the past in “How It Used to Be.” A grandfather’s Yiddish letters expose a love affair and a wartime secret in “Little Rooster.” In “Childhood,” Mark’s concern about his son’s phobias evokes a shameful incident from his own adolescence. In “Roman’s Song,” Roman’s desire to help a new immigrant brings him into contact with a sordid underworld. At his father’s request, Victor returns to Riga, the city of his birth, where his loyalties are tested by the man he might have been in “A New Gravestone for an Old Grave.” And, in the noir-inspired “The Russian Riviera,” Kostya leaves Russia to pursue a boxing career only to find himself working as a doorman in a garish nightclub in the Toronto suburbs.

Canadian Writers in Person is a for-credit course for students offered out of the Culture & Expression program in the Department of Humanities in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. It is also a free-admission event for members of the public. For more information on the series, visit yorku.ca/laps/canwrite, call 416-736-5158, or email Professor Gail Vanstone at gailv@yorku.ca or Professor Leslie Sanders at leslie@yorku.ca.

York researchers receive $1.1 million in COVID-19 research funding

Image: CDC
An image of the COVID-19 virus. Image: CDC

Three York University researchers will receive more than $1.1 million in COVID-19 rapid research funding over two years to explore issues of trust, stigmatization and social perceptions of risk, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced Friday.

The results from these Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies research projects could affect the response to and management of COVID-19 now and similar outbreaks of disease in the future.

Image: CDC
An image of the COVID-19 virus. Image: CDC

Assistant Professor Aaida Mamuji, coordinator of the Disaster and Emergency Management (DEM) Program at York, will receive $499,121 to examine how Chinese diaspora communities in globalized urban centres are coping with COVID-19. Assistant Professor Eric Kennedy of the DEM program will receive $428,816 to track how Canadians understand and perceive the outbreak, while Assistant Professor of sociology Cary Wu will receive $176,256 to study issues of trust and how it hampers prevention and control measures.

“York University is delighted to learn of CIHR’s support for three timely projects from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies,” said Interim Vice-President Research & Innovation Rui Wang. “This exemplifies York’s leadership in public health response to COVID-19 and its impact. With this funding, York will provide essential insights in the rapid research response to contribute to the global effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.”

As the frequency of disease outbreaks increases in a connected world with rapid urbanization, there is a need to understand how public fears, stigmatization and attitudes, along with misinformation, affect public health efforts.

“LA&PS has always been about producing research that has real and immediate impact in the world, and we are incredibly proud of the work of our DEM and sociology researchers in their respective fields – especially as it concerns public issues as timely as the recent COVID-19 outbreak,” said the Dean of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies J.J. McMurtry.

More about the projects

Aaida Mamuji
Aaida Mamuji

Mamuji’s project aims to understand the consequences of COVID-19 as experienced by Chinese communities in Toronto and Nairobi, including the social impacts of discrimination and Sinophobia on personal well-being and livelihoods. Her team, which includes Associate Professor Jack Rozdilsky of the DEM program, plans to work with emergency management professionals in both locations to develop a culturally specific public education campaign and knowledge-sharing events to counter misinformation, disinformation, stigma and fear, and to promote community cohesion.

Eric Kennedy
Eric Kennedy

Kennedy’s project, which will include Associate Professor Claudia Chaufan of York’s Faculty of Health and Associate Professor Kieran O’Doherty of the University of Guelph, will mount a large-scale, two-year coast-to-coast survey to document how Canadians understand the outbreak. It will explore who Canadians trust for information on COVID-19, how they’re adapting their behaviours, and how their perceptions of risk changes throughout the next couple of years. To participate, people can sign up to be notified (cemppr.lab.yorku.ca) when the survey is released.

Cary Wu
Cary Wu

Wu’s research will bring frontline researchers from China together with experts in trust and public health in Canada and Sweden to explore people’s trust in government, health agencies, and in other people and groups during a time of crisis. He will look at how their level of trust shapes public responses to COVID-19, such as compliance with control policies and methods of prevention, but also, how disease outbreaks affect those levels of trust and can lead to a rise in xenophobia.

Postponed: 2020 Anthropology Lecture to feature renowned filmmaker John L. Jackson Jr.

John L. Jackson
John L. Jackson

This year’s Department of Anthropology Annual Lecture will be highlighted by a keynote presentation from University of Pennsylvania Professor John L. Jackson Jr., titled “What a Difference Filmmaking Makes: Autoethnography, Multimodality, and the Future of Scholarship.”

John L. Jackson Jr.

This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

York University students, faculty and staff are invited to attend this event. Organizers request that those interested in attending the reception RSVP through emailing crobins@yorku.ca.

Special guest Jackson has taught at the University of Pennsylvania since 2006 and is the Walter H. Annenberg Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. As an anthropologist of religion, theorist of race and ethnicity, urban researcher, and media ethnographer, Jackson’s academic work has been recognized with numerous teaching awards, funds and grants throughout his accomplished career.

In addition to various scholarly publications he’s authored – including his most recent work, Televised Redemption: Black Religious Media and Racial Empowerment – Jackson has contributed to anthropological research through writing, directing and producing films which have been screened at York University and in several cities across the United States.

In his remarks, Jackson will detail his journey as an ethnographic filmmaker, articulating the epistemological and ethical value of multimodal scholarship.

“We are delighted that Prof. John L. Jackson Jr. will be delivering our 12th Annual Anthropology Lecture,” Department of Anthropology Chair Shubhra Gururani said. “Prof. Jackson is one of the leading anthropologists who is rethinking the craft of ethnography in interesting and critical ways. He has authored several books and directed films that engage with the questions of race, diaspora, migration, and media in diverse urban settings globally. We are looking forward to engaging with his research.”

The annual lecture is a marquee event for the Department of Anthropology. The yearly address provides faculty, staff and students with a unique opportunity to meet eminent leaders in the field.

For more information, visit https://anth.laps.yorku.ca/2020/02/department-of-anthropology-annual-lecture-2020/.

Faculty of Environmental Studies surges into second place in the race for the NSSE Cup

NSSE_SurveyRespRates_4
NSSE_SurveyRespRates_4

Results posted for the fourth week of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Survey show a commanding lead for the Schulich School of Business in the race for the NSSE Champion Cup. The Faculty of Environmental Studies has jumped in front of the Faculty of Science and Glendon College, moving from fourth place to second place. The Faculty of Science is now in third place with a slim lead over Glendon.

Results for the fourth week of the NSSE Champion Cup Standings

From Feb. 10 to March 31, thousands of first- and fourth-year York University students are taking part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), or “Nessie”. Through NSSE, they’ll be able to contribute their insight and have input into York University’s future direction.

To add an element of fun to the survey and to encourage participation in the survey, NSSE organizers at York University challenged the individual Faculties (except the Faculty of Education and Osgoode Hall Law School) to compete for the NSSE Champion Cup.

The Faculty with the highest participation rate will win the NSSE Champion Cup and bragging rights until the next survey.

The online survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, allows students in their first and final years of a four-year degree to offer their insight into what York University does well and what it could improve. It will be used to determine how much time and effort students put into educationally rewarding activities and to what degree York University facilitates this involvement.

Updates on the progress of the survey and the NSSE Champion Cup will be published every week in YFile.

March events on the calendar for the McLaughlin Lunch Talk Series

McLaughlin College invites the York University community to come and listen to interesting speakers as they share their knowledge on a variety of topics, and enjoy a free lunch during the popular Lunch Talks Series. The long-running series continues through March with more events on the calendar.

Students who attend six or more Lunch Talks throughout the year will receive a Certificate of Participation, while those who attend 10 or more will receive a Certificate of Honour.

The free talks take place in the Senior Common Room, 140 McLaughlin College, Keele Campus.

March 10 – Harmonizing International Refugee and Migration Law Through International Professional Associations: The Case of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) annual Forced Displacement report indicates that there are more than 71 million people of concern, with more than 25 million of those who are refugees, and, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), states that there were more 270 million people who are on the move in 2019.

James Simeon
James C. Simeon

There has been much public discourse, dialogue and scholarly debate about the continually rising numbers of refugees, that some would say amounts to a “refugee crisis,” and migrants, who are looking to relocate elsewhere on a temporary or permanent basis, in the world today. Given there are presently 195 countries, 193 are members of the United Nations, with varying laws and legal systems dealing with migration law, in general, and refugee law, in particular, and despite the panoply of international instruments and, most recently, the non-binding 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and its two 2018 Global Compacts: one for “Refugees;” and, the other “for safe, orderly, and regular migration,” there is an overriding need to align states’ laws and practices for the protection of the fundamental human rights of migrants, whether voluntary or forced.

This talk by James C. Simeon, the head of McLaughlin College and an associate professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, will consider the role of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ), that recently held its 12th World Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, in harmonizing international refugee and migration law in an effort to bring about more just and accountable outcomes for both refugees and migrants in the world today.

Simeon’s areas of research interest include public international law and public policy and administration and he has published and presented widely in these disciplinary fields. Some of his edited book publications include: Critical Issues in International Refugee Law; The UNHCR and the Supervision of International Refugee Law; Forced Migration and the Advancement of International Protection; and, forthcoming, The Criminalization of Migration: Context and Consequences (edited with Idil Atak).

This event runs 12 to 1:30 p.m.

March 11 – The Global Refugee System is Broken

Presented by Allan Rock, senior advisor at the World Refugee Council (WRC), this talk explores how the global refugee system is broken and steps that can be taken to improve it.

Image result for allan rock
Allan Rock

Rock states there is a record number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide. Unresolved conflicts and a warming planet add to their number each year. There is little sharing of the responsibility to provide them with refuge: four out of five displaced persons are found in the world’s least developed countries. Chronic under funding means refugee services fall far short of needs. And there is no accountability for the states that are not doing their share. Climate change is about to force many millions more from their countries, and without major improvements, the current crisis will almost certainly become a catastrophe.

The World Refugee Council (WRC) published its report last year, A Call to Action, identifying dozens of concrete steps that can be taken now to strengthen the global response to forced displacement.

Come and hear the WRC’s prescription for reform. And learn how you can help by advocating for change. Canada should lead the effort to make the global refugee system more humane and effective.

Rock is president emeritus and a professor of law at the University of Ottawa. He is a former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, and served in several federal cabinet posts, including minister of justice and attorney general of Canada.

This event runs 12 to 1:30 p.m.

‘Inside Killjoy’s Kastle’ a grandiose presentation of queer feminist theory

Allyson Mitchell FEATURED
Allyson Mitchell

Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) associate professor Allyson Mitchell takes great pride in blending her knowledge of feminist issues with her knack for producing thought-provoking pieces.

Allyson Mitchell

Both in and out of the classroom setting, Mitchell explores gender politics in creative ways that never fail to inspire. As an artist and activist, Mitchell continues to push critical dialogue on subjects such as sexuality and queer feminist theory. Through video, film and large-scale installations, she examines historical and contemporary ideas about gender – putting a unique spin on them and urging her audience to ask questions not just about her work, but also about culture at large.

“It’s very important to challenge today’s accepted norms when it comes to gender and sexuality,” Mitchell says. “When you experience an artwork that challenges norms it can offer an opportunity to reflect on your own views and how they may have been shaped. I want my work to inspire these thoughts.”

Killjoy’s Kastle entrance

Mitchell’s production, Killjoy’s Kastle: A Lesbian Feminist Haunted House, is a travelling exhibit that exemplifies these notions, juxtaposing queer feminist ideologies with the methodological strategies of Evangelical Christian hell houses. Inspired by a documentary covering the nature of these elaborate settings, Mitchell and her partner Deirdre Logue worked together to find engaging ways to combine the architectural, fear-based methodology of hell houses with a bevy of lesbian and queer/trans feminist viewpoints.

Killjoy’s Kastle performers

Like many of Mitchell’s previous projects, Killjoy’s Kastle transforms a cultural phenomenon to open conversations aligned with her activism. Supported by the Art Gallery of York University when it was first exhibited in 2013 in Toronto, this large-scale art display finds its identity by playing with various haunted house caricatures and reveling in dark themes polished with feminist revisions.

In collaboration with groups of academics and artists, Mitchell merges theory and theatricality – critiquing the flaws of patriarchy, capitalism, homophobia, racism, ableism and other power structures. Throughout the 45-minute cost-free experience, the exhibition embraces sexuality and showcases a satirical vibe, all while educating visitors.

From costumed undead lesbian zombie folk singers and demented women’s studies professors to polyamorous vampiric grannies, Killjoy’s Kastle offers an immersive experience that includes sound, sculpture and scent. During each tour, the Kastle combines these parodies with clever and humorous displays to explore the ways in which women, trans and non-binary individuals are at times viewed as frightening “feminist killjoys” who refuse to accept the gender-based status quos established by society.

Killjoy’s Kastle performers

The project has been exhibited in Toronto, London, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. At each location, Mitchell and Logue have invited local groups to provide input on its setup, collaborated with community members, and aligned the exhibit with location based LGBTQIA+ themes. In fact, individuals from the hosting cities have participated in the exhibit, contributing as artists and performers (more than 40 in each performance) to bring the kastle to “life.”

“Killjoy’s Kastle isn’t a static art exhibit. The project relies on community stakeholders to collaborate in the making and performance of it. The experience that we’re trying to showcase is one that shifts, moves and grows based on local history,” Mitchell explains.

Now, more than six years since being introduced, the clever camp humour of Killjoy’s Kastle is presented in book format. Edited by Mitchell, Simon Fraser, assistant professor, and York University Communication and Culture graduate, Cait McKinney, Inside Killjoy’s Kastle: Dykey Ghosts, Feminist Monsters, and Other Lesbian Hauntings is available for inclusion in courses. The new publication from UBC Press features more than 80 stunning photographs that bring Killjoy’s Kastle to life, in addition to several chapters of written work from queer and feminist scholars – exploring the manner in which political art productions can transform our understanding of underrepresented communities.

Learn more about Inside Killjoy’s Kastle here.

Community screening of Canada Reads to show support for Jesse Thistle’s ‘From the Ashes’

Jesse Thistle
Jesse Thistle

Join students, staff and faculty for an on-campus screening of the first debate of Canada Reads 2020 and cheer on Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Assistant Professor Jesse Thistle and his memoir From the Ashes.

The screening of the debate will take place Monday, March 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Sound & Moving Image Library screening room located on the first floor of the Scott Library at the Keele Campus.

Described as a literary “Survivor-styled” program, Canada Reads is CBC’s annual Battle of the Books, where celebrity panelists debate and “eliminate” books until the one that is left is considered the book all of Canada should read.

One of only five books shortlisted in this year’s competition, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way is Thistle’s personal story of resilience, which he uses to explore difficult topics including racism, homelessness and addiction.

“My elder reminded me to present the book in a way that reflects that we are strong people; we resist,” Thistle said of the memoir when he delivered the 2019 Kitty Lundy Memorial Lecture at York University and spoke to his understanding of storytelling as a means of preserving culture, memory and identity.