Tuesday, October 13, 2015

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• Viceregal Consort to visit campus for author event
• Wear orange for mental health
• Green Office Program seeks input at sessions
• Tuesday's tales amid turkey leftovers

Viceregal Consort to visit campus for author event

Please join Retail Services and the Bookstore in welcoming Her Excellency Sharon Johnston to discuss her new book Matrons and Madams, a novel that spans the decade following the Great War. The book details the lives of two women as they struggle to provide care to wounded soldiers and heal from the effects of the war, all the while being in the thick of a growing public health issue in the town of Lethbridge, Alberta.

The event will be held on Friday, October 30 at Federation Hall. The reading will commence at 3:00 p.m., followed by a Q&A session and discussion. To conclude the afternoon, at 4:00 p.m. Her Excellency will also conduct a book signing.

Sharon Johnston is the Viceregal Consort of Canada and the spouse of current Governor General of Canada and former University of Waterloo President David Johnston. Born in Sault Saint Marie, she studied physiotherapy at the Universities of Toronto and Western Ontario, and graduated as Doctor of Philosophy in rehabilitation science at McGill.

Matrons and Madams will be the first of three in a trilogy whose overall theme will be to show the long lasting effect of war on a family, beyond just the deaths in war, over the course of multiple generations. Matrons and Madams is based on Johnston’s own research into her grandmother’s actions in a Lethbridge hospital and the surrounding community.

You can register to attend the event online. There is limited seating available so sign up now to ensure your spot.

Sales from the book will go to support Mental Health at the Royal Ottawa Hospital. 

Wear orange for mental health

The orange wave is coming to campus on Tuesday, October 20 for Mental Health Wellness Day (MHWD).

Do you have your orange t-shirt yet?

Every year the University of Waterloo campus turns orange in October to signify support for mental health wellness. This annual campaign reminds us that one in five Canadians will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime. If you have participated in MHWD before, dig that orange t-shirt out of your closet (it should be easy to find!) And if you haven’t participated before, request an orange t-shirt and we would be happy to send it to you on campus.

The Recreation and Leisure Wellness Team will also host the second annual spin for mental health event on October 20 in the Student Life Centre Great Hall. Interested participants can sign up as a group or as an individual for 20 minute blocks of spinning (or take one of two 50 minute spin classes offered at 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.). Registration information is available on the MHWD webpage.

Professors who are teaching classes on October 20 are encouraged to download a Mental Health Wellness Day powerpoint slide to include at the beginning or end of their lecture to remind our students that UWaterloo is a caring community, a safe place to ask for help and there are resources available.

Green Office Program seeks input at sessions

Are colleagues always asking you what goes in the recycling bins?  Do you enjoy networking, taking a leadership role, and mobilizing your peers?  Are you passionate about the environment? If so, the sustainability office invites you to two upcoming consultation sessions for the University of Waterloo’s pilot green office program.

As the University continues to improve our collective sustainability efforts, we recognize the need for broad involvement from all areas of campus.  A green office program can function as a hub for interested champions to share their experiences implementing initiatives in their own areas, receive support and tools from Waterloo’s Sustainability Coordinator, and celebrate successes.

We are looking to design a program unique to the University of Waterloo, and for that we need your input.  Any interested staff and faculty are encouraged to attend two upcoming consultation sessions:

• Green Office Program - The Big Picture
• Green Office Program - The Details

Our hope is for attendees to shape the program at these sessions, and encourage their departments to join the pilot in January 2016.

Snacks and Fair Trade coffee will be provided for attendees. Space is limited, so please register for each session!

Tuesday's tales amid turkey leftovers

Professor Idrisa Pandit, director of Studies in Islam at Renison University College, was named a recipient of a K-W Oktoberfest Women of the Year award in the Community Service category. 

"Idrisa Pandit exemplifies what it means to be truly engaged in one’s community as a tireless educator, organizer and social justice worker," says her nomination citation. "She brings communities together to discuss issues of social justice and helps people to overcome prejudices. Idrisa has a strong commitment to empowering marginalized women in our local community. She has organized panel discussions and workshops on faith, diversity, environmental sustainability, mental and physical health, trauma, and creating safer families."

K-W Oktoberfest Rogers Women of the Year celebrates the achievements of women living and working in Waterloo Region in nine separate categories. 

Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation will be making an announcement today at 11:00 a.m. on the Village Green. The Honourable Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and President Feridun Hamdullahpur are inviting members of the University community to an announcement regarding automated vehicles in Ontario.

The 2015 Optometry Rack Pack team completed the 'CIBC Run for the Cure' on Sunday, October 4 to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

"The Rack Pack was honoured with the ‘Post-Secondary Team Challenge Award’ for the institution with the most funds raised to support the cause - our current total is $7258!" says a note from Marie Amodeo. "The team would like thank everyone in Optometry who joined in Friday's "Think Pink Day" - the second year class impressed us with almost their entire class wearing pink!" 

"The Run for the Cure was inspiring to all who attended – so be ready to tie up your laces for next year’s event. Way to go, team! Donations are still being accepted if you would like to sponsor our team. 

Let's play ball: As the United Way campaign continues, academic support units and departments across the University are getting in on the act. The staff at the Registrar's Office was able to combine a dress-down fundraising day with pride in the Toronto Blue Jays.

Quest will be down and unavailable the morning of Wednesday, October 15 due to scheduled maintenance. The maintenance window will be from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday.

The Ring Road pedestrian access between east campus and central campus will be closed for about one week as ION work continues.

And finally, a reminder that the Library Service Road is closed as of today, October 13. Reconstruction of the service road running from the Dana Porter Library and Biology greenhouse to the Ring Road has begun, and during this time, there will be no access available to Lot D underneath Needles Hall, and all parking will be temporarily relocated by UW Parking Services.

Access to the interior of campus will be available via the EV3 roadway. Plant Operations anticipates construction to take approximately 8 weeks, or less than that if the weather holds.