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Tuesday, Mar. 23, 2021

Well-being for all

Walk and talk challenge from Phys. Ed. colleagues

The temperature is becoming milder, and the smell of spring is in the air. Dawson's Physical Education Department encourages everyone to get out and walk.

Dawson PE challenges you to call some friends from your department and organize a walk and talk! Remember to practice smart social distancing and follow the guidelines set out by Santé Publique. Take a group selfie and send it in to D News.

This photo was taken by Wayne Acton at Pine Beach in Dorval. Dawson colleagues, left to right: Cathy Nickson, Venus Di Genova, Cindy Cantin-Starzenski, Tim Miller, Marcela Donoso.

Walking in its simplest form is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise.  In these trying times when most of us are fully teaching online, we need to disconnect and get outside.

Among the vast array of benefits, walking releases dopamine and endorphins in the brain, which make us feel good! Aside from boosting our mood, the physical benefits also include improving our heart health, our sleep, our bone density. Walking also helps us fight off illnesses by building up our immune system.

Walking is underrated, it is a simple and very accessible activity. Remember, exercise is the most under-utilized anti-depressant in the world!

Registrar's Office

Applications update

Dawson College received a record 12,810 applications for the Fall 2021 semester, a 16 per cent increase from last year. There was higher demand for both the five pre-university programs and the 22 technical programs. There was a great response to the new Medical Ultrasound Technology Program, which was open to applications for the first time this year. Dawson is the first CEGEP to offer the program in English in Quebec.

Dawson's applications were part of a trend of increased demand across the CEGEP network in Montreal.

Academic News, Dawson Foundation, Homepage news, Sustainability, Well-being for all

Students go to Cuba on virtual field trip

The North-South Studies Profile students are currently on a virtual field trip to Cuba.

Click Read More to go to the homepage news story and learn about the experience, what the students think about it and how you can support them.

Read More - Students go to Cuba on virtual field trip

Campus Life, Decolonization, Events

First Peoples’ Week is March 29-April 1

Monday, March 29:
10 a.m.: Traditional Opening with elder Otsi'tsaken:ra Patton

various time slots available for reservation: Storytelling with Sam Ojeda, Honouring the Red Road. Sam is Yoreme from the North West of Mexico. Sam is a multi-talented artist, a storyteller, a traditional dancer, a ceremonialist, a social worker, a painter, and a musician.

1 - 2:30 p.m. Indigenous Fashion and Arts, a roundtable with Ceder Eve Peters and Louisa B. Saganash. Moderated by Dayna Danger.

2:30 to 4 p.m.: Indigenous Voices in Academic Writing with Charlie O'Connor.

3 p.m.: Paint Night hosted by Carmen Joseph, a Cree artist from Big River Saskatchewan. Supplies will be provided to student participants.

March 29 (4-6 p.m.)-30 (3-5 p.m.)-31 (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.): From Trees to Weaves. "As a 19-year-old Mi’kmaq student, I am proud and thrilled to share my culture with others. I will present a 30-minute video tutorial demonstrating how to craft traditional Mi’kmaq black ash baskets, with a focus on the historical significance and the importance for young Indigenous peoples to continue their cultural practices."

Tuesday, March 30:
11:30 am to 1 p.m.: Pow Wow Dance workshop with Barbara Diabo

1 to 2:30 p.m.: Daphne Art Centre presentation featuring Lori Beavis. Daphne is the first Indigenous run art centre in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal), it is named after the late artist Daphne Odjig.

2:30 to 4 p.m.: Immigrant Settler Responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples in the time of Reconciliation hosted by the Dawson Peace Centre.

Wednesday, March 31:

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Introduction to Kanien'kehá:ka ceremonies and worldview with Aronhiaes Herne.

2:30 p.m.: Screening of Rustic Oracle in the presence of Kanienkehaka Director Sonia Bonspille Boileau and actor and Cinema | Communications student McKenzie Deer Robinson. Set in the late 90s, Rustic Oracle is a dramatic feature about Ivy, an 8-year-old girl trying to understand what happened to her big sister who has vanished from their small Mohawk community. With minimal clues, Ivy and her mother Susan embark on an unwelcome journey to find Heather which ultimately brings the pair closer together despite challenging circumstances. Behind the story of desperation, told through the eyes of a child, lies one of hope, growth, awakening and love. The film was shot in Rustic Oracle was filmed in Kanesatake.

6 - 7 p.m.: Prairie Fire is a Métis Cultural Family dance group performance. Learn the Métis jig with the dance group who shows audiences how to dance through live teaching during their performances. All of the dancers, Hunter, Riley, and Jacob are siblings, and their mother is Jaime Morse who helped them get started in the performing arts.

Thursday, April 1:

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: First Peoples' Post-Secondary Storytelling Exchange (FPPSE) presentation featuring Pasha Partridge, Alexandrea Matthews, and Kahawishon Horne.

2:30 to 4 p.m.: Traditional closing with Otsi'tsaken:ra Patton

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Virtual Comedy Show featuring Tai Leclaire (Dawson's Class of 2009, Professional Photography), a Kanienkehaka and Mi'kmaq actor, writer, comedian from Kahnawà:ke, Quebec. He is a writer for the upcoming NBC Peacock sitcom Rutherford Falls.

Click Read More to register for the events.

Read More - First Peoples’ Week is March 29-April 1

#DawsonProud, Book/article/video recommendation, Dawson Talent

Dawson teacher’s film opens March 30 across Canada

From writer-director Jesse Noah Klein (Faculty, Cinema | Communications), LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE stars Sarah Sutherland, Jared Abrahamson, Hubert Lenoir, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Margaux Vaillancourt, Amanda Brugel, Sheila McCarthy and Michael Riley.

Distributed by Entract Films, LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE is produced by Colonelle Films and Woods Entertainment.

Dara returns home to reconnect with her husband and her young daughter, whom she left two years earlier. When she arrives, she discovers that a woman who is seven months pregnant has taken her place.

LIKE A HOUSE ON FIRE will open in select theatres March 26 and be available on-demand across Canada in English and French on March 30.

Click Read More to see the trailer.

Read More - Dawson teacher’s film opens March 30 across Canada

Book/article/video recommendation, Decolonization, In the news/in social media

Video addressed to teachers from the First Peoples’ storytelling (FPPSE) project

“…as a teacher, I think you don’t have the sole responsibility of teaching a curriculum, you have the responsibility of being acquainted with your student, and knowing their strengths as well as the emotional pitfalls or whatever struggles that they’re going through. Because if you don’t, then you’re not reaching them. It just takes a bit of your time, compassion and understanding.“

“My first year I never went to see my teachers. I was too shy, I never had that role before. I never had to ask an adult for help for something so serious like school. After a year, I realized that teachers are nice. And I can actually go ask them questions.”

“Your language and how you speak, it’s the simplest things in the world that could really affect a person’s educational outcome so it’s really important that our identities are considered.”

-Quotes from First Peoples' Post-Secondary Storytelling Exchange (FPPSE) storytellers 

In this 20-minute video produced by the First Peoples' Post-Secondary Storytelling Exchange, Indigenous students and families share experiences of post-secondary education, offer suggestions for teachers and make recommendations for creating safe learning environments.

Click Read More to watch the video.

Read More - Video addressed to teachers from the First Peoples’ storytelling (FPPSE) project

Academic News, Well-being for all, Women’s/Gender Studies

Reclaiming Spaces, Sex and Other Pleasures

Wonderful, inspiring, motivating… these were just a few of the superlatives that the more than 90 students and faculty from the Women’s/Gender Studies Community shared after attending the International Women’s Day event, Reclaiming Spaces, Sex and Other Pleasures. Our talk with artist-activists Jasmeen Patheja and Paromita Vohra was hosted by Cinema | Communications’ Dipti Gupta…

Read More - Reclaiming Spaces, Sex and Other Pleasures

Campus Life, Dawson Foundation, Dawson Gives, Dawson Talent, Events, Student Services, Sustainability, Well-being for all

Seeking artist contributions for Earth Week event

Dawson's Earth Week is fast approaching. We are reaching out to any staff, faculty or student who would like to contribute a piece of art: canvas painting, digital painting prints, photographs, sculptures, etc. to this year's Earth Week fundraiser. The theme for the pieces is anything nature, animals, sustainability, Earth. They will all be put up for sale online between April 19 and April 30. Your name and/or social media accounts will be mentioned, and all the money raised will help fund Dawson's beautiful Peace Garden.

No pieces will be turned away. Thank you in advance for caring for our garden!

Please contact campuslife@dawsoncollege.qc.ca if you would like to be part of this wonderful cause.

Working from Home Wellness

Working from home wellness tips

At Dawson, we are fortunate to have a variety of in-house expertise on so many topics. The Health and Safety Committee feels that it would be valuable to offer our colleagues tips for Working from Home Wellness. Until we all return to the College, we will be presenting these tips in D News.

Here is the first batch of tips from our Dawson colleague Michelle Mangal, Psychologist:

Routine tips:

  • A morning routine can help you distinguish a work day from a day off.
  • An after-work routine helps you separate work from your personal life. Leave the house, take a walk, do anything that gives you a cue that your work day is over.

Balancing your “have-to’s” and “want-to’s”:

  • Make sure you have a balance between your “have to’s” and “want to’s.” “Have to’s” are responsibilities. Doing only “have-to’s” can lead to burn out. “Want to’s” are self-care activities. When we only engage in “want to’s” without accomplishing our “have-to’s”, we may feel bad.
  • Self-care is important fuel. Plan for your wellness, know how you will take care of yourself in advance, and make self-care part of your plan for the day.
  • Take control where you can, make your work environment pleasant, move around the home if possible or needed throughout the day.
Sustainability, Well-being for all

Show us Spring!

Happy Spring Dawson! This year Spring conditions actually arrived on the official calendar date of the Spring Equinox and it was glorious! Take a walk, snap some photos of Spring's arrival in your neighbourhood and send your best photos to cparsons@dawsoncollege.qc.ca . We will share them in the next D News. This photo was taken the morning of March 23 and shows a budding tree by the river in Verdun.

Campus Life, Decolonization

Students make earrings and learn about beading

The Beading Together project offered 40 students the opportunity to connect to Indigenous cultures and ways of learning through guided beading workshops with artist Cory Hunlin on March 15 and March 17.

Dawson students enrolled in the Decolonization and Indigenization Studies Certificate and those who participate in the First Peoples' Centre activities were invited. The funding was provided by SSAP and the Certificate. Students received beading kits in the mail from Nicia's Accessories in Kahnawake.

Jennifer Smith (Faculty, Anthropology and Coordinator of the Decolonization and Indigenization Certificate) reported that the students loved the workshop. "While frustrating at first (about three meters of thread are used for one earring) as knots are commonplace, students reported feeling relaxed and peaceful afterwards," she said.

Workshop leader Cory Hunlin is a Tsilhqot'in artist originally from B.C. who is now based in Tio'tia:ke (Montreal). He taught the students to make a beaded pair of earrings. Beading as a group is a common practice for many Indigenous peoples and is central to relationship and skill building. These workshops opened up a collaborative space for students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to work together and learn about beading, Jennifer said.

Student Mia Kennedy shared her experience: "This workshop showed me how accessible beading is. Anyone can bead. Also, it felt really special to explore and participate in an artform that is so fundamental to Indigenous communities. I felt like I was able to further appreciate the work of Indigenous artists by seeing how long it takes to complete a piece of beadwork. It took me three hours to complete a single earring. ... It takes a lot of skill to make beadwork as clean and beautiful as Cory can. I admire their skills and their patience. All in all, this was a wonderfully positive experience for me."

Human Resources

GOS – April 1, 2021

All non-permanent teachers are strongly encouraged to submit the General Offer of Service (GOS) for all available day or continuing education teaching assignments for 2021-2022.

The online application will be available from April 1, 2021 and must be received by Human Resources no later than April 30, 2021 at 23:59 PM.

Stay safe and healthy,
Human Resources Department
hrfaculty@dawsoncollege.qc.ca

Continuing Education and Community Services (CECS), Learning opportunities, Perks for Dawson Employees, Promotional

Spring courses at the Centre for Training and Development

Learn something new this spring at Dawson's CTD. Online courses in languages and technology are open for registration.

There are also some exciting new courses in development for this summer, be sure to check back.

Don't forget: courses at CTD are free for Dawson employees. Chat with reception (ctd@dawsoncollege.qc.ca) for more details.

Read More - Spring courses at the Centre for Training and Development

Learning opportunities

New language partner program

You are a non-francophone who would like to practice French? 

You are a francophone who would like to practice another language?

Le Centre de langue écrite et orale (CLÉO) of Dawson College is launching a new language partnering program for the Winter 2021 semester. Open to the whole Dawson community, this program will allow you to be matched with a francophone or non-francophone with whom you can practice French (or another language) over a nice cup of coffee in the comfort of your home. 

Information and registration on our new website : https://cleodawsoncollege.ca/jumelage-linguistique

Faculty Hub

Over at the Faculty Hub

Please join us for these Hub virtual events! Access all events from the Faculty Hub website.

March 25, 2 - 3:30 p.m.: Curating and Contextualizing Contentious Classroom Materials and Challenging Conversations: Part II

Presenters: David Austin (John Abbott College) and Shana Haines (Tidewater Community College) with Guest Facilitator Dr. Sabrina Jafralie (McGill). Join in a conversation where tools and resources that can be used when having challenging conversations in the classroom will be shared. We will explore intention and impact in teaching and learning settings. Hosted by Human Resources, the Peace Centre and the Faculty Hub.

March 26, 1- 2 p.m.: E-Learning Drop-in: Asynchronous Lesson and Homework, What is the Difference?

E-learning fellows Selma Hamdani (Psychology) and Catherine Braithwaite (History) will facilitate a constructive discussion about this topic, guided by your questions, experiences and feedback. Together we investigate queries, explore solutions and learn, in an ongoing endeavor to strengthen on-line pedagogy.

March 30, 2:30 - 4 p.m.: Immigrant Settler Responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples in the Time of Reconciliation

Facilitated by Deanna del Vecchio (University of Toronto), Nisha Toomey, (University of Toronto, OISE) and Jade Ho (Simon Fraser University). Hosted by the Peace Centre.

March 31, 1 pm - 2:15 p.m.: Poetry & the Art of Black Resistance

Shanice Nicole, Faith Pare and Lindsay Young will showcase their talents. Deana Smith will moderate a discussion on the need for inclusion of Black authors and artists as a part of the western artistic & literary canon and how the art is a means of resilience & resistance. Hosted by the Peace Centre.

Dawson Research, Faculty Hub, Professional Development

Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research on March 24

On Wednesday, March 24, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., CRISPESH will give a workshop in French regarding the responsible conduct of research. This internal workshop is offered to employees of CRISPESH, Dawson College and Cégep du Vieux Montréal, as well as to our project collaborators. To register, send an email to: inscriptions@cripsesh.ca

Milestones

Thank you from Giovanna Rico

Words cannot express the immense gratitude that I feel towards all of you. Thank you so much for your generous gifts and warm wishes for my retirement.

A special thank you to my wonderful library colleagues (past and present).  I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of wishes and the incredible gifts!  I will forever cherish the memories of my life at Dawson College.

I will miss entering this historic building and interacting with all of you, but I certainly will not miss getting up at 5 a.m.!

Take good care of yourselves,
Giovanna

From Student Services:

“Giovanna Rico retired March 5 after 39 years of exemplary service to the Dawson College Library. If you have ever borrowed a book from our library, there's a very good chance it was the subject of her loving attentions."

Book/article/video recommendation, In the news/in social media

DawsonAI coordinator in Billie Holiday film

Myriam Dimanche of the DawsonAI team (pictured in costume) had an interesting experience in the Fall of 2019 and now you can see her on film! In her own words:

I was an extra in the Lee Daniels film The United States vs. Billie Holiday and it's finally available for rent or purchase in Canada!
Fun facts:
  • Yes, I did meet Andra Day. 
  • The director Lee Daniels was pretty easy to work with. He gave nice pep talks, especially when we were shooting long hours.
  • My scenes were basically cut. You just see my faded figure cross behind as Jimmy Fletcher enters the jazz club Café Society (at approx. 00:05:10). And there's another scene where you can see my blue dress (at approx. 01:12:35).

Click Read More to see some of Myriam's costumes on her Instagram post. 

Read More - DawsonAI coordinator in Billie Holiday film

Campus Life, Student Services

Seeking judges for D Voice

The Campus Life and Leadership (CLL) team is looking for 2-3 judges to choose the winners of a singing competition, co-hosted by the Dawson Student Union. In addition to prizes, the winners will be entered as Dawson's representatives in the annual intercollegiate Unplugged singing competition. The judges are provided with a criteria sheet, along with the rules and guidelines that the students receive. They will have at least five days to review all the submissions in the comfort of their own home. Winners will be announced April 19.

Contact Michelle Lee or Billi-Jo Poirier to volunteer as a judge.

S.P.A.C.E.

Photography Contest! Science Meets Art

Please promote photo contest to your students!

ScienceFest and SPACE present their third annual photography contest! Take a photo that relates to science and to this year's theme "SPACE S", submit it online, and earn a place in a virtual photography exhibit. You may even win a prize!


Criteria:

  • Artistic value of the photograph
  • Scientific value of the photograph
  • Relevance to the theme
  • Caption writing

The contest is open to ALL Dawson students. Deadline to submit: March 30 at 5 p.m.

Read More - Photography Contest! Science Meets Art

Communications Office

Next D News is April 7

The next issue of D News is coming out Wednesday, April 7 following the long weekend.

Everyone in the Dawson community is welcome to contribute news and information to D News. Deadlines are usually the Friday before at 12 p.m. For the next issue, the deadline is end of day Thursday, April 1. You can share your idea or content by contributing through the Submit News button on the D News  page or emailing cparsons@dawsoncollege.qc.ca

DawsonITE

DawsonITE Newsletter # 505

DawsonITE is your weekly curated news related to IT and Education prepared by Dawson's Rafael Scapin. In this issue:

• Three Active Learning Techniques to Try in Zoom (and How)

• These apps use A.I. to automate your life and save you time

• Over 27,000 students share how colleges and universities could improve digital learning

Read More - DawsonITE Newsletter # 505

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Last Modified: March 23, 2021

 

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