Monday, February 6, 2017

An open letter to the University community

A message from Associate Provost, Students Chris Read

Some of you will have heard that we have lost three students this term. One student passed away unexpectedly due to an unknown medical condition. Another took their own life. A tragic accident resulted in yet another student dying much too soon. Each of their families have suffered losses that will last forever. These students leave behind legacies and footprints on our campus community. They have left lasting impressions on their professors, the staff who knew them, and most importantly their peers. 

When we lose a member of the UWaterloo community, very often their families want to know, to understand and to feel the impact their loved one had during their time here. And this past month, you demonstrated why this community is so unique. In the aftermath of each of these tragedies, students led the way in rallying all of us to help and support each other and the families of these students. Your understanding and realization that we need each other to get through these unthinkably difficult times is remarkable.

This is an awesome community. I feel this more strongly than ever before, prompted by responses I have observed related to these events. Most of our students choose to study here when they could go almost anywhere - something about the University of Waterloo resonates with them. These students are amazing individuals before they decide to join our community and usually take advantage of the opportunity to better themselves and to have a positive impact on others. This is only possible because thousands of peers who share the same hopes, dreams and ambitions surround them. One thing that has become clear to me in the years I’ve worked here is that our students prove their resilience, their determination and their commitment to each other and to the University. Even when the worst circumstances stare them in the eye.

When things seem difficult and hopeless, we have each other, and professionals like counselling services, to rely on to help anyone who is struggling. Community is about knowing someone is there for you. Thank you to every one of you for the support and comfort that you lend to those around you – sometimes without knowing it’s when someone else needs it most. Let’s continue to be there for each other and know that we can come together and be a proud part of our great community.

P.S. If you, or someone you know needs someone to talk to, please visit Counselling Services or UW Mates.

Equity lecture looks at agri-biz mega-mergers

The next event in the Gender & Equity Scholarship Series takes place today and features Professor Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability, whose remarks are entitled "Bigger is Not Always Better: Implications of Recent Agribusiness Mega-Mergers for Equity and the Environment." The event takes place from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. in MC 5501.

"The global agrifood industry is undergoing profound upheaval, with a spate of mergers and attempted mergers that are consolidating the sector," says the talk's abstract. "The mergers announced in 2015 and 2016, for example—including Dow and Dupont, ChemChina and Syngenta, and Bayer and Monsanto—are poised to change the face of the agricultural inputs sector by reducing the number of companies that overwhelmingly dominant the sector."

"This presentation will examine the international political and economic dynamics surrounding these large agribusiness mega mergers and reflect on the broader implications of these mergers for the global agrifood system, in particular its impact on equity and the environment. It will examine the role of elite financial actors, in particular large institutional investors, in pushing for these mergers as a means to boost their financial returns."

Clapp is a Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability.

Public talks series in support of Psychology Month

Mental health difficulties touch the lives of many, yet finding the right sources for help is not always easy. The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Mental Health Research (CMHR) is planning public outreach talks that will provide clear, useful, and practical information to anyone interested in learning more about mental health. In partnership with Waterloo Public Libraries, the talks will be presented on Sunday afternoons in February at the main library branch.

The series coincides with Psychology Month, celebrated every February to teach Canadians how psychology works to help them live healthy and happy lives, help their communities flourish, help their employers create effective workplaces, and help their governments develop good policies.

Doctoral students in Waterloo’s Clinical Psychology program will present the talks , drawing upon their knowledge gained from years of study in psychology and their first-hand experiences working as mental health providers. The talks are:

• Mental Health 101, which took place on Sunday, February 5.  Dispelling myths about mental health and discussing what mental health care workers do and what resources are available in the region.
• Overcoming Anxiety and Depression - Sharing a modern psychological perspective on anxiety and depression, what maintains these common difficulties and what can be done to overcome them. Sunday, February 12, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Waterloo Public Library main branch
• Mental Health in Childhood - Focusing in on common problems children face in childhood and when and how parents can seek help and best support their child. Sunday, February 26, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Waterloo Public Library main branch

"For the past four years I have been so lucky to be training as a mental health care provider at the CMHR,” says Kevin Capobianco, a graduate student therapist and member of the team organizing the outreach talks. “I have learned about mental health from some of the most experienced and capable people in clinical psychology . Now, I am looking forward to sharing that back to people living in KW."

Depending on community feedback on this initial series, the CMHR hopes to offer more publicly accessible talks in the future. Dr. David Moscovitch, CMHR Executive Director, says “we’re delighted to partner with the Waterloo Public Libraries to provide this important service to our community during Psychology Month. The CMHR mandate is not only to offer accessible, effective mental health services for people of all ages in the Region of Waterloo, but also to provide mental health education and resources based on the latest research in our field.”

Monday's notes

The Waterloo Centre for German Studies will host the 2017 Grimm Lecture featuring bestselling author and historian Timothy Snyder, who will speak about how we have misunderstood the Holocaust and the essential lessons it should have taught us.

In his talk, “The Holocaust as History and Warning,” Snyder will explain how the world today echoes sensibilities of the early 20^th century more than we may realize.

Snyder is the Housum Professor of History at Yale University and a member of the Committee on Conscience of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is the author of five award-winning works of history, including Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, which received the Literature Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In response to the recent U.S. election, Snyder posted a list of 20 lessons Americans can learn from the 20th century.

The lecture takes place at 7:00 p.m. in the Theatre of the Arts. A moderated Q & A session will follow the lecture.

The Board of Governors meet tomorrow, Tuesday February 7 at 1:30 p.m. in Needles Hall 3407. Among other items, the agenda includes proposed tuition fees for 2017/18 and 2018/19. Questions about proposed tuition fees? Please visit the finance FAQs.

A public lecture will be held at St. Jerome’s University on Saturday, February 11 entitled "Confederation and Indigenous Treaty-Making in Canada 1871-1921."

In this keynote address, historian J.R. Miller, an Officer of the Order of Canada and recipient of the 2014 Killam Prize in the Humanities and the 2010 SSHRC Gold Medal for Achievement in Research, will discuss the historical foundation for relations between Indigenous peoples and governments in Canada.

"Focusing on the eleven Numbered Treaties concluded between 1871 and 1921, Miller will emphasize both Native and non-Native motivations in negotiating, the impact of treaties on the peoples involved, and the lessons that are relevant to Native-newcomer relations today," says the lecture's abstract. "By situating the treaties within the context of Confederation, he will foster awareness of why 'Indian' treaties are matters of concern for all Canadians, encourage understanding Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples’ rights and responsibilities, and provide a framework for mutually beneficial interaction that has particular resonance during Canada's sesquicentennial year."

This event is being held as part of the Confederation Debates.

TheGROOVE dance classes are happening on campus this term and are open to all faculty, staff, retirees and students:

• Tuesdays – 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesdays – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Both sessions are held in EV2-2002. The last classes for the term will end the week of March 27. Participants should wear clothes which are comfortable for moving around (t-shirts, shorts, yoga pants), shoes are optional, bring water for hydration, and perhaps a yoga mat for stretching and relaxing at the end of the class. Contact Cindy Howe at cindy@uwaterloo.ca for more information.