By Jillian French – Contributor

As exam season dawns on students, the English department ramps up with several ambitious undertakings, culminating in an after-eclipse party on April 8, inviting students to socialize and celebrate Bishop’s through the creative arts.

Montreal-based rock duo Lucy Niles and Josée Caron (who created the band Partner in 2014), will debut the brand-new commissioned “Bishop’s Song” in celebration of BU.

The two musicians connected with Bishop’s through English professor Shoshannah Bryn Jones Square who “fell in love with their music… I DMed Lucy telling her how much I loved it.” Prof. Jones Square told The Campus that “recently, they came to mind because of the protests against tuition hikes . . .  I was asking myself, ‘what are some of the ways in which we can support BU?’ I thought it would be cool if Partner could write a rock anthem”.

A departure from the traditional anthem that has echoed the halls of Bishop’s, Prof. Jones Square explained why rock appealed to her: “When I was thinking of this song, I was thinking of protest and social justice. So many rock bands in the past have used their music for change in society to bring about awareness.”

Moreover, the song is a product of interdisciplinary student collaboration. Niles described how stories from students alleviated the challenge of writing a song about an unfamiliar university. Prof. Jones Square mentioned how this promoted “students as mentors, in collaborative spirit.” Although this is the duo’s first commissioned song, Niles told The Campus that “we’re always down for any request or collaboration that’s outside the box.” 

Bishop’s literary journal, The Mitre, will also launch its 131st annual edition on April 8. The student-run publication, edited by English literature student Lucie Casinghino and Hispanic studies student Manu Bissonnette, features poetry, prose and visual art contributions. Bissonnette described this year’s theme, “Lenses and Light”, to The Campus: “Different lenses mean different perspectives, and we got a lot of contributors with really diverse perspectives… throughout the pieces, you can really see how different people view the world.”

Casinghino mentioned that while she originally associated the theme with artificial light, “a lot of contributors wrote about nature and the environment, which is a unique feature of how we live in the 21st century.” The publication offers a unique opportunity for students to gain experience in professional writing, editing and publishing in collaboration with other students and faculty.

Bissonnette encouraged students to attend the launch, adding that it’s “a great opportunity to explore the arts!”

Bishop’s poetry club Wit and Whimsy, led by second year students Emmett Tinning and Arielle Leclerc-Fortin, wraps up the year with open-mic readings for the event. Leclerc-Fortin reflected on the year, emphasizing the value of a “network of people that you get to know” from Bishop’s tight-knit community. She hopes the event will be “validating to have the opportunity to showcase everyone’s talent and to be part of this small community as poets.”

The event, coordinated by Prof. Steven Woodward and Prof. Jones Square, will showcase students’ unique opportunities to celebrate Bishop’s through the creative arts. Prof. Jones Square, who is leaving Bishop’s for a teaching position at Mt. Allison next year, will accompany the performance on piano.

She told The Campus that “I’d like it to be my thank you to Bishop’s! This place is so cool, and the students are so engaged, creative and smart.” If you’re looking for a couple hours of entertainment after the eclipse, head down to Bandeen Hall tonight at 7 p.m. for a night that promises poetry, music and most importantly, free drink tickets.