Members of the Concordia community come together for the 50th-anniversary barbecue and shuffle.
Alumni, retirees, staff members, and students came together for the annual barbecue after watching the many participants cross the finish line of the Concordia Shuffle on Sept. 20. This year’s event stood out as it coincided with the celebration of Concordia’s 50th anniversary.
Shanna Parisien, the manager of events at University Advancement, who has been working in the department for 19 years, said they reached a record this year with over 900 people registering for the shuffle and a few hundred more for the barbecue to celebrate Concordia’s milestone.
“We’re trying to make it a little more festive because we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary,” Parisien said, explaining why they chose the barbecue format.
Among the dense crowd was Lillian Jackson, who has been assistant to the principal of Concordia’s Science College for 25 years. She has been participating in the shuffle since its very beginning. She said that she finds it important for her to give back to Concordia and its students through events such as these, because it is the only way to keep it [the university] alive.
“I do my utmost to be an attendee every year,” Jackson said. “You learn so much by attending it […] This is an event that 90 per cent of the people look forward to, including myself.”
Parisien explained that the shuffle and barbecue are to raise funds for student scholarships through the Concordia community’s help and support.
“[There are] lots of volunteers on-site, lots of staff on-site, lots of students working with us as well,” she said.
Brianna Klint, a current staff member and alumnus, said that these kinds of events truly help strengthen a community and sociability, as well as being a good opportunity to network.
“There just seems to be a huge sense of community here,” she said. “We’re very proud of the university.”
She added that students should participate more in these events, suggesting they come as a group to make it less stressful and more engaging.
Mélodie Le Siège, manager of strategic content, advocated for the 50th anniversary slogan, “Forever Foward.” She believes that it symbolizes the relationship between Concordia and its community.
“It’s both meant to mark the past, the 50 years of Concordia and the impact it’s had on the community, but also to illustrate the momentum that the university has, and its community, to move things forward for the future,” she said.
