Last month, Dr. Norman B. Sandridge gave an exquisite talk at Building 21 on the topic 'Can we truly lead without the humanities?'. 

The talk was so good that we decided to share it as a podcast! The handout he prepared for the 2026 Mila-B21 Fellowship cohort can also be found below.

"Dr. Norman Sandridge is an Associate Professor of Classics in the Political Science Department at Howard University and co-founder of Kallion Leadership, an organization dedicated to designing and developing learning communities for those committed to leadership development through the study of the humanities.

He is also the author of Rise of the Benevolent Octopus: On the Conditions and Practices of Leadership Development, which introduces the metaphor of the “Benevolent Octopus” as a model for cultivating humane and intellectually generous leadership."

Handout here

Read the article on building21.ca here.

In this episode of "I’m Not Sure?", produced at Building 21 at McGill University, science fiction writer Alexander Weinstein reimagines fiction structured by hope, joy, pure celebration.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Isabella Chiaravallotti

Read the article in English here.

In this episode of "I’m Not Sure?", produced at Building 21 at McGill University, literary historian Frédéric Charbonneau reflects on a life shaped by curiosity and doubt.

About "I'm Not Sure"

Co-hosted by: Ollivier Dyens & Isabella Chiaravallotti

Every story need a listener. Going from personal trauma healing to building a more peaceful and just society.

In March, we had the pleasure of a talk from Michael Lapsley, founder of the Institute for Healing of Memories in South Africa. Here we present the introduction of his talk; for the whole event, including questions from students, please visit our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxtHb7K3bPw

In part 1 of this series, we discussed what it means for a human to grow up. But we're not the only organisms who develop and grow older. And some of the others have much more extreme changes in their lives than even the most awkward of adolescences.

Dr. Morgan Jackson and Viola H. Ruzzier discuss insect development, memory, and what growing up means for this very different group of beings.

"All children, except one, grow up."

Thus begins the book Peter Pan, the story of the only boy who never grows up. But for the rest of us, what does that term mean, exactly? At what point have you grown sufficiently "up" to be considered an adult? What does the process entail? Is it a good thing or a bad thing (or both)?

Thank you to Souren Vahdatfarimani and Professor Paul Yachnin for their insightful thoughts on the subject.

In many ways, our lives are entirely dependent on others, both human and non-human. We constantly interact with coworkers, friends, partners, family, and complete strangers. But how exactly do all these different relationships affect us?

Listen to what B21 community members Shuting Wang, Arkana Fuentes-Pilafidis, Nakiya Noorbhai, and Viola H. Ruzzier think about the importance of others in the first B21 podcast episode of the year.

The idea of a soul, of the intangible something that makes up a person, has existed for millennia. But souls aren't confined to people -- we talk about soulful food, soulful music, soulful art, and we can describe both people and inanimate things as soulless.

But are we referring to the same concept every time we say the word "soul"? Is one person's definition different from everyone else's? How do religion and spirituality play into this? Can souls outlive people?

Join operatic tenor and McGill professor John MacMaster, archaeology student Katrina Kosyk, and B21 program assistant Viola H. Ruzzier for a fascinating discussion on the soul.

La question du sublime se pose depuis des milliers d'années. Nous le cherchons dans les paysages, les arts, les mathématiques. Nous le trouvons entre la beauté et la peur, le connu et l'inconnu.

Mais qu'est-ce que le sublime, exactement? Quand peut-on le ressentir? Peut-on en faire l'expérience ou simplement l'entrevoir? Réside-t-il à l'intérieur ou à l'extérieur de nous?

Rejoignez une discussion sublime et animée avec Ève-Marie Marceau, Antoine Poulin, Sarah Ambroise, et Viola H. Ruzzier, pendant laquelle nous essayerons de décortiquer ce sentiment vertigineux.