Justin Trudeau to speak at the 2012 Vanier College Social Science Festival Oct. 22-26, 2012

Justin Trudeau, Liberal MP and party leadership contender, will be one of the highlights of Be Active, the 2012 Vanier College Social Science Festival, October 22-26, 2012. Trudeau’s presentation, which is co-sponsored by the Social Science Festival and the Business Administration Department Leadership Series, will take place at 11:30 am on Friday, October 26, and will cap off a weeklong program of guest speakers, presentations, films and several student panels.

“This year’s Social Science Festival will analyze the different ways in which people contribute to the betterment of their communities and themselves,” explains Religious Studies teacher, Sevak Manjikian, principal organizer of this yearly event. “Some guests have worked as political activists and others have focused on immediate concerns such as health, food, empathy and love. We hope the festival demonstrates to our student body and wider college community the important role individuals and groups can play in shaping the world around them.”

**The father of an autistic child makes a discovery and brings about change
**The week will kick off on October 22, with Jason Goldsmith’s presentation: Big Blue Hug - The Art of Special Needs Myth Busting which recounts how he discovered his autistic son could communicate through drawings and pictures, then developed a program now used by therapists and teachers throughout Quebec.
**Ron Charbonneau Memorial Lecture: _Quebec: Politics of Discontent
_**On October 23, at 11:30 am, Antonia Maioni, from the McGill University Department of Political Science, will deliver the Ron Charbonneau Memorial Lecture, with her talk entitled Quebec: Politics of Discontent.
**Student poverty, racial profiling, sustainability
**Later on Tuesday, students from The People’s Potato at Concordia University will address student poverty; Will Prosper of the Montreal-North Republik, will discuss racial profiling; and Richard Dugas, Vanier’s Sustainability Officer, will examine Vanier sustainability practices and how students can participate in sustainability projects on and off campus.
**Love, Amnesty International, and youth activism under the Nazis
**Wednesday events include psychologist Karen Tee talking about True Love vs. Infatuation; David Smith from Amnesty International; and Humanities teacher, Martha Bernstein, describing _Youth Activism in Nazi-Occupied France, 1940-44
**SOCM, cultural trends in India, black beauty and media images
**Thursday, features a presentation by Students of Colour Montreal, (SOCM); a talk by Jennifer Jalal on Urban Cultural Trends in India; and guest Cheryl Thompson speaking on black women’s self-care and hair care practices, and their representation in the media.
**Student athletes discuss their commitment to sport and their community
**Thursday’s high point will be a panel of Vanier Student Athletes discussing their commitment to sport and their community. Matt Barr is an AA Cheetahs basketball player who has been an aid volunteer in Haiti. Simon Mondor is a national and international level competitive ice dancer. Dorothy Yeats is a 2012 Wrestling World Championships Silver Medalist and current Junior World Champion. Hugo Richard is a starting Quarterback with the Vanier Cheetahs.
**A panel on how young people can influence environmental policy
**Another student discussion focused on how young people can change environmental policy through lobbying and action, will feature members of La Délégation de la jeunesse du Québec who participated in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Durban, South Africa in 2011.
**Justin Trudeau face-to-face talk with students
**The festival will come to a fitting climax on Friday morning, at 11:30 am, when Justin Trudeau, MP, will speak to students then invite them to ask him questions. This interesting exchange will take place in the Vanier Auditorium.
**Panel on _Quebec Student Unrest 2012
**Friday afternoon, a panel on Quebec Student Unrest 2012 should close off the festival with a lively debate on the merits, goals and future of the student unrest movement. Panelists will include Jérémie Bédard of CLASSE, Kyle Shaw of John Abbott College, Dimitri Zrajevski of Université de Montréal and Taruna Kaur of Vanier College.
All events take place in the Vanier auditorium, A-103. Check the complete schedule for details.