Memorandum for Memorial

In Nipissing University's history, and certainly in the lifespan of Canadore College, we have often said goodbye to peers who have, unfortunately, left us too soon. Whether by illness, or strife, or the too-often cruel game of chance, we have been forced to say goodbye when we were least ready.

Our brothers and sisters have left to us their legacy. And though it is with great pride that we take this burden upon ourselves, it is important to remember that our work is never done alone, and never done in absence of those who first spurred us on.

Nipissing University is made up of students whose dedication and love has made possible great things. We have always been proud of the volunteerism shown by these men and women, and I think it is our turn to honour them.

I propose a day dedicated to remembering those among who never made it home, but who were loved and without whom we continue to seek a greater understanding. I propose we illuminate the halls with our candlelight vigil and bring this light to the pond so that our inexact grieving is made wholesome to nature. I propose we stand shoulder to shoulder and share stories and laugh about the sometimes farcical nature of life. I cannot promise to allievate pain, but I can hope our efforts will keep our memories vivid. What say you, friends? When shall we light our vigil?

Update: Just today, a discussion about creating a memorial wall, garden or vigil was prompted by Ingrid Bajewsky to best remember our peers who have left us. I am inclinded to believe that a tree -- standing strong against the pond, which shadows the geese and makes its mark into our horizon -- is a perfect symbol. Trees grow from fertile green shoots to echo a certain grace in their leaves, creating homes, food and of course, life.

For certain is death for the born
And certain is birth for the dead;
Therefore over the inevitable
Thou shouldst not grieve.

-- Gita

Twenty Years of Simpson-mania: The Hidden Language

This Sunday’s “Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes” marks the 20^th season for The Simpsons, long Fox Network’s favourite animated family and certified cash cow. Since the inaugural Christmas episode in 1989, the exploits of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa (along with a cast of hundreds) have eerily paralleled the decline and resurgence of American culture in ways never before thought possible of an animated show. Written by a team of Ivy Leaguers who cast aside the usual professions bestowed upon them, the show has been a cornerstone of social connectedness for a generation of youth.

Over the past two decades, Matt Groening’s brainchild has been castigated by President George H.W. Bush while also ushered in as mandatory family viewing, all the while a renewing faith in adult-themed animation and elevating Fox’s bank account with a billion dollar Simpson’s industry. Truly, without The Simpsons, and its peers of the early 1990s, The Ren & Stimpy Show and Beavis & Butthead, the prosperity of the Cartoon Network and fellow network shows Family Guy might never be certain. In the past twenty-years, the show has gone head-to-head with Frasier (when positioned on Tuesday nights) and Friends (counter-programmed to ‘Must See TV’) before finally finding a home on Sunday nights, where its lead-in was, for a brief time, the now-defunct Futurama. And despite the fluctuation of its weekly timeslot, The Simpsons gained an impossibly tight-knit cult following, with its adorers and its critics, with each episode rated against the last. Interestingly, the most devout have nearly always had a home on the internet, the first ‘alt.net’ groups discussing the show’s decline as early as season seven. Since then, though, the impact of the show has been much bigger than ever thought possible. There is, in short, a hidden language which binds us.

Human males may be the only animals to survive their surroundings by mimicry of pop culture, and so when it became possible to quote from a highly credible and clever source, an entire generation was elevated. Suddenly, lines such as “To alcohol: the cause of and solution to, all of life’s problems,” or “Look, the thing about my family is there's five of us. Marge, Bart, Girl Bart, the one who doesn't talk, and the fat guy. How I loathe him” became the bartering chips of friendly conversation. At the same time, it became acceptable to be a nerd, at least in the confines of mainstream television.

This is part one in a two-part feature. Until next time, see the video below.

The Simpsons has always been expert in reflecting the culture around us, as seen in this video clip from "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind"