Tag: reading week

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Strike in motion: Concordia students share their thoughts

Students share their opinions on the strike for a reading week in the fall semester

As of Oct. 2, 13 member associations (MAs) within the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) have passed a mandate to strike from Oct. 3 – 7 for a fall reading week. The growing awareness of the reading week strike has spread across Concordia, resulting in some students having strong thoughts on the subject.

The Concordian interviewed students across both Sir George Williams and Loyola campuses to get their opinions regarding the upcoming reading week strike: 

Concordia students Amélie (left) and Lennie (right) at the Loyola campus. KAITLYNN RODNEY/ The Concordian

Amélie (left) and Lennie (right) 

“I think it should happen because we have one in the winter, and other schools have them, so I think it only makes sense to have the whole week off to catch up on studies and have time for midterms,” said Lennie.

“I think it is a good idea because it’s important to have time to catch up on school, but it’s important to have time for other stuff than school like leisure, family or anything else in your life. I feel like when you’re in school you have less time for that,” said Amélie.

Concordia students Luca Quol (left) and Sofia Pofizkus (right) at the Loyola campus. KAITLYNN RODNEY/ The Concordian

Luca Quol (left) and Sofia Pofizkus (right)

“I honestly just learned about it yesterday. I am in support of it. I think it’s kind of ridiculous that we don’t have a reading week, it seems like every other university in Canada does,” said Quele.

“I think it’s a good idea, honestly, since everyone else has one. We also need a break in the fall, not just the winter,” said Pofizkus.

Portrait of Concordia student Emma Megelas at the Loyola campus. KAITLYNN RODNEY/ The Concordian

Emma Megelas

“I think that it’s beneficial for students to do the strike and the reading week. Not only will it give us more time to study and be prepared, it will help to spread out our schedule so that you’re not crammed with other exams you have to do. You also won’t feel so stressed with work or getting a good grade, so you can be feeling a lot more confident with what you got,” said Megelas.

Concordia students Luca Safar (right) and Exael Cormarie (left) at the Loyola campus. KAITLYNN RODNEY/ The Concordian

Luca Safar (right) and Exael Cormarie (left)

“I think it’s fair enough, you know what I mean? Reading weeks are important and they said that they would give one,” said Safar.

“I think it’s interesting and motivating to see everybody wanting to do this. I am an international student, so I don’t really know what a reading week is, but I do like the idea of having extra time to relax. We don’t seem to have that many breaks already throughout the term,” Exael said.

Portrait of Concordia student Mohammad Abdullah at Sir George Williams Campus. ANTONY FALCONE/ The Concordian

Mohammad Abdullah

“No, I am not against it. I wasn’t sure about the reading week strike but now that I heard about it,  I’m sure that students should get the time to participate. They can get their homework done. It’s good to have a strike. I’ll probably catch up with my homework, my labs, assignments, and get ready for midterms,” Abdullah said.

Concordia students Francisco Ceballos (left) and Cesar Delossantos (right) at Sir George Williams Campus. ANTONY FALCONE/ The Concordian

Francisco Ceballos (left) and Cesar Delossantos (right)

“I think it should happen because other schools have a reading week in the fall term. I’m gonna need to study and catch up on my other classes,” said Delossantos, a civil engineering student.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity for students so they can catch up. Some students might have fallen behind on classes so it also gives them the opportunity to catch up. It has also been really crazy since we’ve been back in school. It’ll be great for everyone to relax, not stress out and settle down a little bit to use that time to catch up with notes and things like that,” said Ceballos, who is currently pursuing a degree in civil engineering.

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BREAKING NEWS: Concordia approves fall reading week

The week-long break will be implemented in fall term of 2023

The newly-approved fall reading week break is scheduled to happen each year in the second week of October, during the same week as the Thanksgiving holiday, according to Isaiah Joyner, student senator and general coordinator of the Concordia Student Union (CSU).

The two-year delay to implement the break is due to the adjustments that will need to be made to the fall academic semester schedule. As a result of the break, the fall term will be shortened to a 12-week academic term, instead of the current 13-week academic term.

This change will mean the winter and fall semesters will both have a week-long break, and an equal amount of academic weeks.

Passed with overwhelming support by senate members on March 19, Joyner explained the initiative took three years of student-led work, calling it a ‘generational’ project.

Former Advocacy and Academic Coordinator Sarah Mazhero presented the motion to implement fall reading week during her mandate as senator in 2018-2019. In 2019, a majority 86.6 per cent of students voted in favour of the CSU referendum question, which proposed enacting the week-long break.

Joyner said the success of the initiative was not possible without the support from students, stating, “Students voted overwhelmingly in support, which is what supplied pressure to make this happen.”

Following the voting results and Mazhero’s initiative in the senate, an ad hoc committee was created to carry out the proposition. Joyner, who was a member in the committee, said they “continued to work with the administration to make this a reality.”

Initially, second-year Journalism student Maria Bouabdo did not support the fall break in the referendum, because it was unclear about what the new semester with the break would look like. “The [referendum] question didn’t say whether the semester would go longer or shorter because of the break,” said Bouabdo.

Now that it has been approved, Bouabdo says she supports the initiative, explaining “We need a break during the middle of the semester when everything’s intense during midterms and [with] assignments.”

Her only concern was what having a shorter academic semester would mean for students — whether the material would be condensed and students would have more work, or whether the extra weeks’ worth of course plans would be cancelled altogether.

These are questions that will be presented and worked on in the upcoming months. Going forward, Joyner explained that “Administration would work with staff and faculty to begin seeing how to make the shift, but students will remain involved in the process in some way.”

 

Logo courtesy of the Concordia Student Union (CSU)

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Student Life

Some reading week reads reviewed

A touching war story, an inspiring self-love book and a guide to not giving a f*ck

L’Orangeraie- Larry Tremblay

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Larry Tremblay’s French-language book is more than just a novel about war and terrorism–L’Orangeraie is a story about faith and commitment.

The story follows two children, Ahmed and Aziz.  For the twins, the same religion that taught them how to love, will tear them apart. While their native land is being bombarded, a mysterious man approaches the family with an uncanny decision: one brother will have to sacrifice his life for Allah.

This book is an amazing reflection on war from a child’s perspective. The author addresses timely topics such as terrorism, suicide bombers and love with nuance and delicacy. Tremblay does so without falling into heavy melancholy. L’Orangeraie is the kind of book that leaves you speechless. This ethic drama will easily tear at the core of your morality.

While this book is available in English, I recommend reading it in French. This fictitious story takes place in the Middle East, in a region with a French colonial background. Reading the novel in French will make you feel closer to the characters, while giving the whole story more realism.

By Sandrine Pelletier

The Mastery of Love– Don Miguel Ruiz

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The Mastery of Love, by Don Miguel Ruiz, is a self-help book that centres on human relationships. The book explores how humans possess certain fears and assumptions that undermine their ability to love themselves and those around them.

When my friend lent me this book, I was skeptical and unsure about the insight it would give me. I was wrong—I completely adored this book. The author really knows how to convey his message through a personalized vocabulary that made me feel comfortable and serene. Ruiz’s writing is straight-forward and educational. He has this ability to show compassion and love towards the reader. His analogies were helpful, enabling me to reflect on my life and surroundings.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It alleviated some of my personal fears about self-consciousness, social pressure, love and expectations. Ruiz is excellent at making you look at yourself and your loved ones throughout a brighter lens.

By Mina Mazumder

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck– Mark Manson

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This gem is the antihero of the self-help section. In a charmingly crude manner, Mark Manson sheds light on something he believes is holding us all back in life: giving too many f*cks about the wrong things. Manson breaks down certain life situations, social constructs and behaviours people get wrapped up in, to show us how toxic we can be to ourselves. The writing style of the book is concise, raw and humourous. In just under 200 pages, Manson reminds you to pick your battles, that you’re not special and that mortality is inevitable. This book is the perfect light read to help you keep yourself in check. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a tough-love friend that you can conveniently carry around in your bag.

By Danielle Gasher

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