Photo by Keila MacPherson
A clarion calls to students to tell your story about Trent, to share your vision, and shape the future of “Your Trent”.
The Your Trent Symposium is a student-run ingenuity in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Trent University.
All Trent students, including graduate students, part-time students, and alumni, are invited to submit papers for presentation at the symposium.
“It is a forward-looking exercise where we acknowledge the reality of the institution and the forces that shape it,” said the co-chair of the student task force, Jay Mackinnon. He said that there would be an exchange of ideas that will lead to actions in some form through policy or even community building.
“This idea comes from an experience I had when I was presenting a paper at this philosophy symposium for students at Trent,” said the other co-chair of the student task force, Duc Hien Nguyen.
Both the co-chairs, who were a part of that symposium, partook in a wonderful experience and felt it would be nice if all Trent students could have that opportunity. Thus, the birth of this unique platform, where the collective minds of the entirety of Trent students can come together and apply their academic rigor and unique disciplinary perspectives towards a common vision, which is towards a sustainable future of Trent.
It is important that it be student-run because it gives a bit of legitimacy among students and others, says Mackinnon, as opposed to being a top down exercise run by the administrators, which may not produce the same effect or quality.
Nguyen added that it is also intended to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
Most existing celebrations look at the broader perspective of the university. For instance, the book commemorating the 50th is very broad, it touches on various parts of the university, but it doesn’t reflect on how current students, or even recent alumni, think about Trent.
So instead of looking at the history, they thought that the focus should be on the present, because Nguyen feels the present is what will determine the future.
Despite there being a lot of other important issues worth talking about, they decided “My Trent” is the theme that is most important to invest time and energy thinking about, said Mackinnon.
“My entire reality has been shaped by this institution, the person I am today is affected by it, and I assume it will have an impact on where I go the rest of my life,” said MacKinnon.
This is not to say that this should be discussed extensively every day or even every year, but the 50th anniversary seemed like a good time to just pause, think about what the university is, and what it means, he added.
Furthermore, because it is real, and not just an arbitrary construct that houses those entirely different departments and all those people. “There is an emerging phenomenon on this campus, there is culture, community, and identity”, says Mackinnon.
Similarly, Nguyen said that the idea behind the current theme is based on the idea that “each of us has a story or a vision of what Trent is for us.” So this is the time to tell other students and a time to listen to other students, and their varying versions of what Trent is for each of them, he said. This will allow them to see how different versions of “My Trent”’ come together to form that organic identity that is Trent University.
It is important to do it during the 50th anniversary, to showcase the vision of Trent, and what it is, and how what it stands for has radically changed, pointed out Nguyen. This it is no longer the Trent Tom Symons created back in 1964.
“It is a good time to think critically about who we are as an institution, and figure out how we can thrive and flourish in the next 50 years,” he said.
According Nguyen, he understands how one can get so involved and hung up on the documents and policies on paper that they somehow become rather detached from the reality. This being a realization he had while serving for the senate that had both the co-chairs involved quite intensively on policy and governance, and student politics at Trent.
In support, Mackinnon added that even though he has faith in people who are in a position of power here, and they want to act for the benefit of everyone, sometimes it is hard to know what the right thing is and it can take years and years just to figure what is the right thing.
“We have 8000 minds in this university, and surely there is this collective wisdom where those minds can come together if we create this forum and formalize some of the opinions to do what we think and believe is the right thing to do,” said Mackinnon.
“I do think that they will take this seriously as long as the we ensure the integrity of the process and the quality of the paper submission,” believe both the co-chairs.
According to the ‘call for papers’ notification, the Symposium will be a one-day gathering that will bring Trent’s students, faculty, alumni, staff, and community members together to discuss the question “What is your Trent?”
All papers should be in the format of an argumentative essay not exceeding 2000 words, which is to be evaluated based on the academic rigor as well as pertinence of ideas to the Trent community, states the notification.
Further, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the submissions, particular attention will be given to clarity of thoughts, innovative approach, and a critical engagement with theories. An anonymous evaluation process will be conducted by a panel of referees representing different academic disciplines at Trent, reads the notification.
Up to ten papers will be selected for presentation at the symposium, and each successful student author will receive a $100 award.
But most importantly, the selected works will be published in the Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent, said Mackinnon.
This according to him is a huge incentive because being published in journal at undergraduate level is a colossal accomplishment.
“I plead to anyone who is interested in the school, or has vision for what our Trent should be, to make a submission,” requested Mackinnon.
While, Nguyen, who comes from a country with a politically oppressive regime, feels that as a member of an institution where an individual’s thoughts are valued and respected, “you have the right and responsibility to say something about Trent.”
“You are part of this already, whether you want it or not, you are a Trent member; Trent has shaped you and you will shape its future,” said Nguyen.
