Concordia's Thursday Report

A 13-part documentary series called Into the Fire, about the making of the Cirque de Soleil show Varekai, has started on Global TV, on Sundays at 7 p.m. Prominent in the series is Michael Montanaro, who took leave from his post as chair of the Department of Contemporary Dance to choreograph the internationally successful production. You’ve only missed the first episode.

Patricia Posius (Administrator, Vice-Rector, Services) was quoted in an article in the National Post on Sept. 16 about efforts being made on campuses across Canada to improve service. A presentation will be given Oct. 1 to Concordia employees in the D.B. Clarke Theatre by SST Communications, a Chicago theatre company specializing in employee training programs. (We said in our last issue that it would be a video presentation, but in fact, it will be live. The editor apologizes.)

Several profiles were published this spring of Ned Goodman, Concordia adjunct professor, alumnus and benefactor via the Goodman Institute of Investment Management in the John Molson School of Business. Montreal Business Magazine described his approach to running Goodman Private Wealth Management. Diane Francis, writing in the Financial Post, described his rise to success, his development of Dundee Bankcorp, and his investment philosophy. “I didn’t believe in the tech bubble; I didn’t participate,” he said. The Internet is changing the world, but where’s the benefit for investors? “Highways are good, too, but nobody makes money with them either.”

Christine Webb, director of the Institute for Co-operative Education, was a guest on Tommy Schnurmacher’s show on CJAD a while back, talking about how co-op education creates excellent job opportunities and happy employers.

Harold Chorney (Political Science) was interviewed on Global TV in the wake of conflict-of-interest attacks last spring on members of Gérald Tremblay’s municipal government. Chorney also wrote an essay for The Gazette in June recommending that instead of paying down the $547.4-billion national debt, the Canadian government should invest this year’s surplus of $7 to 10 billion in the health care system and the military, and spend comparable amounts next year on urban infrastructure and education. Given a growth rate of 2 to 3 per cent in the economy, the debt-to-GDP ration would fall in any case.

The work of Brian Smith, a researcher in the Psychology Department, attracted widespread media attention last spring. Smith’s research, which was published in the journal Alcohol, indicates that the rats who are quickest to learn their way through a maze also become the most skilled at drinking alcohol without binging. He observed that the smart rats in his study learned to pace themselves when offered more alcohol, and did other activities rather than taking another drink. The research could have implications for addiction treatment.

Lawrence Kryzanowski (Finance) was quoted in a story in the National Post when it was announced that Henri-Paul Rousseau would succeed Jean-Claude Scraire as chairman and CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement de Québec. Scraire had recommended that the Caisse be more transparent. Kryzanowski agreed, saying that the Caisse’s accounts should be subject to scrutiny by the Quebec auditor-general, and its priority should be to earn from its investments.

When Basem Boshra, The Gazette’s new TV columnist, got fed up with seeing the same commercials on TV over and over again, he turned to Harold Simpkins (Marketing), who assured him he wasn’t alone. Maybe the answer, Simpkins said, is to produce more commercials at lower cost, and retire them before they wear out our patience.

Christopher Gray (Philosophy) wrote an essay in The Gazette on May 25 about Quebec’s proposal to sanction same-sex marriage. It would further weaken the already weak commitment of Quebecers to the marriage bond, and needs more discussion. “Most citizens are profoundly tolerant and open to the rights and dignity of gay and lesbian persons; yet many feel a deep and inarticulate unease about these proposals.”

Reeta Tremblay (Political Science) was a guest on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show on CJAD, talking about the protracted conflict between India and Pakistan over the Indian state of Kashmir.

Ian Irvine (Economics) doesn’t think much of the proposals to alleviate poverty proposed by both the Parti Québécois and the Action Democratique. In an essay in The Gazette, he called both plans holdovers from 1970s that would simply make it easier to to get welfare. He looked to Alberta, which made it harder to get welfare and redirected potential recipients into education.

Sherry Simon (Études françaises), interviewed by Jeff Heinrich for La Presse, noted that increasing numbers of Montrealers, including students in her translation courses, don’t have a single mother tongue. While this degree of bilingualism (and often trilingualism) is positive, it presents some challenges to the translator. Simon said that while being open to others languages, the translator must lay claim to a primary language and have a strong command of it.