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President issues statement on University responses to world events
This is an excerpt of a message posted on President Vivek Goel's blog.
Since I last wrote to you about the violence occurring in Israel and in Gaza, many of you have reached out to share your thoughts about my words. Some have praised the comments, while others felt that they fell short of what was needed. I appreciate each and every person who shared their thoughts with us– the issue of Israel and Palestine and the recurring violence in this region galvanizes many of us to speak, but we must also listen.
I’d like to make it clear that the decision by the Israeli government to cut off food, water and electricity from the innocent civilians of Gaza has had, and continues to have, horrific consequences. I have watched the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the soaring death toll there with great sadness and horror. The number of innocent Palestinian citizens who have been lost in this conflict is unacceptable. The United Nations has called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and unimpeded access to deliver aid to the citizens of Gaza. All parties in such conflicts should abide by the rules of international law and the Geneva Conventions which establish standards for humanitarian treatment in war.
I reiterate my condemnation of the terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of many Israelis and the taking of hostages. This attack targeted innocent civilians because of their identity and because of where they live. These deaths were unacceptable and heartbreaking.
As I shared at Senate yesterday there are important questions for the University at times like this: when should an institution like ours comment on international events? How does the University decide when to speak, and what to say? Is the university taking political positions? Where is the line between the freedom to speak and the necessity of creating safe spaces on our campuses for all of the people who study, work and teach here?
We have heard from the Minister of Colleges and Universities on this issue. Minister Dunlop has shared her expectations with our community: that University leaders protect your ability to express your ideas without impediment, but also that alongside this freedom comes the responsibility for exercising it. The Minister has emphasized that the freedom to speak does not mean that there is freedom from the consequences of that speech. The University of Waterloo will continue to follow the requirements of the Ontario government for our free speech policy.
Read the rest of the statement on the President's website
Waterloo hosts Sustainable Aeronautics Summit today
The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) is hosting the 2023 Sustainable Aeronautics Summit today at the Bingemans Conference Centre.
Attendees will join experts from academia, government and industry as they share the latest insights and innovations driving sustainability in aeronautics. In addition to talks, exhibits and panel discussions, Summit attendees can take advantage of product demonstrations with corporate partners and visit a new student career fair with our next generation of talent.
Alumnus shares experiences making films with Disney and Netflix
By Olivia Vanderwal. This is an excerpt of an article originally posted on Waterloo News.
If you don’t recognize his name, you’ll probably recognize some of the movies Chris Williams played a key role in creating. From voicing Oaken in Frozen to writing for Mulan to directing Big Hero 6, Chris has acquired a long list of film credits since studying Fine Arts at the University of Waterloo. Most recently, he wrote, directed and produced The Sea Beast for Netflix, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Oscars.
The 2023 Arts Alumni Achievement Award winner joined the University community on Tuesday, September 26 for an online Q&A, hosted by Mike Farwell (BA ’97). Keep reading for some highlights from their conversation.
As a creator of so many highly successful films, what would you say are the key ingredients to engaging and delighting a diverse audience today?
“There’s a tension between setting up expectations … and having enough that is fresh, surprising and unexpected. You're trying to find that balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar. And I think at the same time, there's also a tension between the universal and the specific when we're talking about our stories, our characters and our themes. We want them to be universal enough that most people will see themselves in that story and be able to connect with and relate to it. At the same time, you don't want to tell such a generic story that it lacks any specificity of character and place. So you’re trying to walk a line between the familiar and the unfamiliar, the universal and the specific.”
You worked at Disney for 25 years and then moved to Netflix in 2018. By this point in your career, you have obviously played multiple roles in the creation of these animated features. Could you talk a bit about a role that you're especially excited about?
“Ultimately the thing that I love most about my job and really appreciate about animation is the fact that it's such a collaborative art form…. I love that when it comes to animation, no one person can actually tell you how an animated movie gets made. We are so deeply dependent on each other, and I think if you embrace that, if you understand that we're all going to be stronger if we work together and collaborate – and real collaboration, which involves honesty and at the same time respect for each other's points of view – if you can really find that place, then you will ultimately be able to make the best possible version of the film. So I think as far as the role that I that I value the most, I would say it's contributing to a collaborative environment.”
Could you share with us an experience from your personal or professional life that you would say has been critical to your success?
“As far as my career goes, I think one of the things that I most benefited from was actually turning down an opportunity early in my career…. There was a moment where [Disney] offered me a job as the head of story, and at the time I told them, no, I didn't want to. I wasn't ready. I didn't feel that I was good enough as a story artist to be in a position of looking at other people's work and starting to critique it and giving that kind of feedback. I still had so much to learn, and I still do…. And I think that was actually an important thing because it was in keeping with my general philosophy. I've never really had a grand design for myself, for my career. I didn't envision becoming a director necessarily. I just wanted to work hard on good movies with interesting people and get better at what I do, and everything was ultimately a just a by-product of that.”
Read the rest of the Q&A on Waterloo News.
Computer Museum hosts Hardware Day event
On Saturday, October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in DC 2585, the Waterloo Computer Museum is hosting an open-house event to display computer hardware, with the goal of having a number of older machines up and running that attendees can see and try out for themselves.
The event also features presentations by Cheriton School of Computer Science Professor Gregor Richards and Steven A. Garan, a Waterloo alumnus and the Director of Bioinformatics at the Centre for Research & Education on Aging.
At 11:00 a.m., Gregor Richards will give a talk titled “Unearthed or Exhumed? Obscure Computing and Gaming Trash and/or Treasure.”
At 2:00 p.m., Steven Garan will give a talk titled “How Silicon Valley became Silicon Valley.”
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Bridge opening ceremony to honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
You are invited to participate in the opening ceremony of Bridge: Honouring the Lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People on Friday, October 27 at 10:00 a.m. This annual installation is meant to create a space for all University community members to learn about the crisis, reflect upon their responsibilities, and share in speaking the names of the lives taken as red fabric is tied to the bridge between Environment 3 and United College. The ceremony will be followed by a catered soup lunch and creative reflection.
Unleashing the Power of 5G event and other notes
"Join us for an in-person ‘armchair chat’ with Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology and Information Officer of Rogers Communications and Vivek Goel, University of Waterloo President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Waterloo, hosted by Nenone Donaldson, Vice-President, Advancement of University of Waterloo," says a message from the Office of Advancement.
The Unleashing the Power of 5G event takes place on Wednesday, November 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Engineering 7's event space on the 2nd floor. Please register by Friday, October 27. A WatIAM login is required.
The Institute for Polymer Research (IPR) is hosting a Distinguished Lecture event today featuring Dr. Timothy Manning Swager , the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His lecture is entitled "Intrinsically Porous Organic Polymers in Sensing and Catalysis." The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. in QNC 0101.
The Noon Hour Concert series continues today with well-known pianist and singer Mike Janzen presenting The Psalms Project, a series of biblical psalms set to music. For this concert he will be joined by Shannon Knights on viola and Lydia Munchinsky on cello. The event takes place at 12:30 p.m. in the Conrad Grebel University College chapel. Admission is free.
Employers hosting Employer Information Sessions this week are Wiley Edge, MTE Consultants and Interac. Make sure to register through WaterlooWorks and check the calendar for any updates.