Alchemy's Fall 2014
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Alchemy fall 2014 Sinclair, and Mikal Radford, who continue and Alchemy extend the strong tradition established by Sarah Sheridan’s Faculty of Humanities and Tsiang and her colleague, Anna Boshnakova. Social Sciences Newsletter fall 2014 Looking into the metaphorical rear-view mirror, we gather some interesting clues about how far the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Welcome to Alchemy’s Fall 2014 issue. Picking up has come over the past year in developing and on the great work done by founding editor Sarah promoting creative learning and research Tsiang and her team of Anna Boshnakova and opportunities for our students. Milestones such as Mikal Radford, our new editorial team is excited to the PEQAB submission of the Creative Writing introduce our slightly reformatted newsletter; and Publishing degree, the launch of the Board Alchemy will be accessible in its original blog Undergraduate Certificate in Creativity and format, but also as a PDF which can be read as a Creative Problem Solving, the offerings of varied more traditionally unified issue. and extensive co-curricular activities, the support ESL faculty are providing to international students, Please note that we will be publishing the partnership between Academic Upgrading and Alchemy once per semester and have established Home Sweet Hope, and the formation of the some guidelines and deadlines for submissions as General Arts and Science student-led group, we move forward. Check out the documents on our Sheridan Generals, to name a few examples, serve as website, http://fhass.wordpress.com/, for more very tangible outputs of our talented and inspired details. faculty. —Owen Percy, Sarah Sinclair, and Mikal Radford The current issue of Alchemy captures some recent activity of note. As always, the Faculty of Table of Contents: fall 2014 Humanities and Social Sciences aims to help students expand their intellectual and global From the Dean’s Office ….1 consciousness, and to transform their mental Features ….2 landscape by encouraging learners to interact with (articles by Mike McNamara, Nicolette Little, concepts and real-life challenges in creative and Christian Knudsen, Sara Cumming & Jessica Pulis) thoughtful ways. Perhaps William Blake’s Intersections ….8 insightful and cautionary observation that the “man (articles by Ranya Khan & Carol Appleby, Lukasz who never alters his opinion is like standing water, Kurowski) Milestones …10 and breeds reptiles of the mind” is apropos here, as Student Spotlight …12 we collectively work to shape and educate the next (featuring Nattasha Wray, Ainsley David, 2013-14 generation of leaders. FHASS Award Winners, Rujing Wang) Faculty & Staff Spotlight …15 (featuring Glenn Clifton, Gail Benick, Kavita Mathew, Mike Baker, Jack Leung) Has Malik Cool Stuff …20 Dean, Faculty of The Hub …21 Humanities and (the photography of Peter Grevstad) Social Sciences From the Dean’s Office returns this year, vibrant and focused, Alchemy * * * under the editorial leadership of Owen Percy, Sarah 1 Alchemy fall 2014 Features post-secondary institutions throughout the United States (see: Buffalo State, Drexel University, Creativity… with friends like these Saybrook, Texas A&M, University of Georgia, and the University of Massachusetts, Boston). And so by Michael J. McNamara, Professor of Creativity and yes, while I have indeed suspended my bid for Creative Thinking Prime Minister, I have been working with colleagues at Sheridan to develop and deliver Who amongst us hasn’t enjoyed a little good- Sheridan’s Board Undergraduate Certificate in natured ribbing at the hands of friends and family Creativity and Creative Problem-Solving. To my members? Having spent the vast majority of my knowledge, this is the first program in Canada to adult life in the Academy, these friendly jibes have focus explicitly and directly on the theories, included my having been introduced at dinner science, processes, methods, history, and socio- parties as “the full-time student who can’t get economic structures underpinning creativity. So, if enough of frosh week” and, a personal favorite, the words “maverick” and “trail-blazer” come to “the guy who sits in his pajamas and writes all mind, I completely understand. day.” If you happen to be a political scientist like me, you’ve also probably been asked on occasion about your upcoming bid for Prime Minister or I actually TEACH students how to enhance their how things are going at the unemployment office. creativity. Now, don’t get me wrong---I give it as good as I get I don’t doubt the premise that everyone is it. But things have gotten a little more complicated creative. But I also know that our creative since I assumed my role as Professor of Creativity capacities can be enhanced and refined by using the and Creative Thinking. In fact, just last week, one established methods of creative problem-solving. of my closest childhood mates (who also happens These methods include abstracting problems to to be CFO of a major company) peered into my their essence, rephrasing and categorizing problems work bag and… there it was, staring out like a dirty as questions, segmenting the stages of thinking into secret: the sticky notes, the elastic bands, the discrete steps, deploying divergent and convergent popsicle sticks, and the Play-Doh. Ohhh, how am I thinking strategies, the use of story and thinking by going to explain all this Play-Doh? analogy and metaphor. Each semester, I witness students using these methods to overcome self- I thought I might get out in front of this imposed constraints on their thinking in order to incident by sharing what it is I actually do with improve their fluency, flexibility, and to discover these materials during 9-5/Mondays thru Fridays new ideas, solutions, and innovations. (and yes, despite the opinions of my wife and friends, this actually IS my schedule). Towards Apparently, creativity matters—a lot! that end, I offer the following points. IBM’s 2010 Chief Executive Officer Study cites creativity as the single most important My academic discipline IS creativity. leadership quality for organizations seeking to It goes without saying that ‘creativity’ negotiate the complexities of a global world. And touches all disciplines and points of academic Einstein famously quipped that “we can’t solve our inquiry. Moreover, ‘creativity’ is infused problems with the same thinking we used to create throughout the hallways, meeting rooms and them.” So, if you happen to see the papier-mâché programs of Sheridan’s Creative Campus. But that and newspaper towers in the back seat of my car, said, it is also apparent that the study of creativity know that these projects are helping students itself has emerged as a distinct, academic discipline, develop their capacities for finding the new ideas, albeit a very interdisciplinary one. In fact, solutions, and thinking that will be needed to “Creative Studies” have been popping up as course negotiate and address the challenges of the 21st offerings and academic credentials at a number of century, including global warming, the spread of 2 Alchemy fall 2014 disease, the challenges of a new economy and new authorities’ attention, with victims proving technologies, and growing poverty and income increasingly reticent to report occurrences in recent inequality in our country. So take that! years. Unfortunately, then, the actual number of women who face violence is much, much higher Or perhaps I’m missing the point of all this than we imagine, and such violence has a massive good-natured banter between friends. Perhaps, in and lasting impact on victims’ lives. writing this article, I have instead revealed myself to be the academic fuddy-duddy I really am. And Holiday Hamper Drive 2014 perhaps the contents of my work bag present my (November 24th—December 13th, 2014 – B219, closest friends with an opportunity that is just too C227, and STC A23) delicious to pass up. If so, I’ll need to get used to my new moniker, “Dr. Play-Doh.” And if that’s Since December 2011, FHASS has collected six to the case, I’m good with it. seven FULL laundry hampers PER YEAR of goodies for women who, with their children, must spend * their holiday in a shelter. This year, The Basketeers Working Together to End group has approached FHASS to participate again, Violence Against Women making reference to the amazing generosity our faculty has shown, and the great number of women by Nicolette Little, Professor of Communication & (twenty-one, at over four different shelter locations) Literary Studies and 2013 & 2014 Hope in High Heels organizing committee member we’ve helped over the past three years. Over the past three years, FHASS has actively This year, you will again see the Holiday worked to promote the safety and well-being of Hampers set up at Davis (B219), Trafalgar (C227), th women. This year, with Sheridan’s recent support and STC (TBA). As of November 24 , you will be of Oakville’s Hope in High Heels walk and the able to bring in a new, unused item that can help a upcoming 2014 Holiday Hamper Drive, FHASS woman in need treat her dependants to a special has again showed its supportive stripes. holiday experience or surprise, prepare for re-entry into the workforce, or feel special in some way. Gift The Facts: Domestic Violence in Our certificates (to purchase new professional wear, Communities take her children to a movie, or get groceries, for In “Measuring Violence Against Women: example) are welcome, as are items like toiletries, Statistical Trends” (2013), Statistics Canada reports warm winter or professional clothing items (new), that, “[v]iolence against women in Canada is a or other things she might need as she sets up a new serious, pervasive problem that crosses every social life and career. boundary and affects communities across the country.” Apparently, “[i]t remains a significant If you have any questions, please feel free to barrier to women’s equality and has devastating contact Nicolette Little at impacts on the lives of women, children, families nicolette.little[at]sheridancollege.ca.