Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Bill Waiser was interviewed this past Saturday by Shelagh Rogers on her new CBC national radio show, "The Next Chapter", in the course of a discussion on stories from the Canadian past that still resonate with Canadians today. To hear a podcast of the show, click here.
The 12th Annual Michael Swan History Honours Colloquium is now history. Last Friday, January 23rd was a great day and our colleagues over in the History Undergraduate Director's office have asked us to pass on their sincere thanks to our friends at the Diefenbaker Centre for making us so welcome; to our own Ingrid Mcgregor for doing the program and posters and for arranging for our food, coffee, and cake; to the grad students who dropped by to lend support, relive past glories, and learn stuff; to the family and friends who turned out in support; to the faculty past and present who came out in record numbers; and, above all, to the sixteen honours students who presented such fine papers and participated in our daylong discussions.

This action shot from the Swan Colloquium captures the Honours students who presented in the afternoon just as the scale of their achievement begins to set in.

We salute, from left to right, James Ingold, Paula Bittman, Deana Diener, Derek Strelioff, Carolyn Bartlett, Shaun Fiolleau, Gayle Cluett, Mark Geldof, James Dobson, Ryan Winquist, and Adam Grieve.

Monday, January 19, 2009

My Fellow Historians,

The time has come for us all to embrace change. To admit that the era of the 11th Annual Michael Swan History Honours Colloquium is over. It served us well, but we cannot go back. We must, in these challenging times, push forward.

It is time, Historians, for us all to embrace change. To pull together so that we might all, every one of us, seize this moment to build anew!

"A new what?" you may ask.

A new colloquium for a new year and a new generation of prospective History Honours graduates, that's what.

And so, Historians, let us us all welcome and embrace and get with the program you can read simply by clicking right here!


For the

12th Annual Michael Swan History Honours Colloquium

is now upon us!


Friday, January 23rd from 10am to 4pm
in the friendly confines of the
Diefenbaker Canada Centre.


On that day, in that place,

in that hall of concrete, glass, learning, and cake,

Sixteen, possibly fifteen, of our top senior History Honours students will step forth

to present and take questions on their

best ... history ... papers ... ever.

Topics will include:

Victorian cartoons
Rwandan genocide
Fascism and The Sopranos
Gender and Sexuality in Nazi Germany
Buffalo Bill
The Bombing of Hiroshima

and much else...

JOIN US
for all or any part of the day.


The audience will comprise students, family, friends, faculty, and, we very much hope, YOU.

Absolutely everybody is welcome to spend as much or as little time with us as they wish.

So come join us at the Diefenbaker Centre this Friday, and see where History might lead you. Expect a warm welcome whatever the weather.

Plus, if you arrive in the noon hour you might just get a sandwich and a damn fine piece of cake.

Some things, after all, ought not to change.

Click here for the program, if you have not already clicked up there.