Monday, March 13, 2023

Black Film Festival runs March 15 to 17

A message from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Office (EDI-RO).

The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism Office (EDI-RO) and the Congress of Black Women, Waterloo Region are hosting Black at Waterloo: Black Film Festival—an inaugural celebration of Black cinematography, highlighting the diversity and creativity of Black filmmakers­­—from March 15 to 17.

Tickets for Black Film Festival viewings can be purchased online or in-person at the Princess Twin Cinema, located at 46 King St N, Waterloo. Join us in supporting the Black film industry in Canada.

Turning a spotlight on mental health with art

A message from Campus Wellness.

Campus Wellness Peer Health Education will be hosting its Spotlight on Mental Health event in the Davis Centre on March 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This showcase will be promoting artwork that is inspired by the impact and importance of mental health.

Art Submissions

We encourage UWaterloo students, staff, and faculty to submit their own original artwork (poetry, drawings, visual art, and more) to highlight how mental health impacts them.

We accept photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, poetry, stories, or any other creative piece that is inspired by the significance of mental health. Be sure to submit your artwork by Friday March 17 to have the opportunity to have it showcased at this big event. To submit your piece of artwork to Spotlight, please fill out this form.

Collaborations

On top of showcasing the artwork of UWaterloo students, staff, and faculty, there will be a variety of interactive activities and booths to engage in, including Changing the Flow, who will be promoting menstruation equity across campus.

Be sure to follow Peer Health Education on Instagram (@uwhealthyu) to stay up to date on all of our events. We hope to see you all there.

Person-centred and trauma-informed career advising

By Tracelyn Cornelius. This article originally appeared in The Catalyst.

Eden Mekonen is a career advisor at the University of Waterloo’s Centre for Career Action (CCA), and one of two harassment advisors who are working with students to help them identify career paths and make decisions.

Having worked at the University for the past six years, Mekonen recognizes the need for trauma-informed career advisors to support students who have been affected by trauma, while helping to create a safe, non-judgmental place to explore and discuss career-related challenges. Along with other colleagues, she also helps students address harassment, whether it be physical, psychological or emotional.

Eden Mekonen. Photo by Jessica Kalman

“I work with students to help them identify, understand and manage the impact of trauma on their work life, develop strategies to cope with traumatic experiences, and work to create an environment that is safe(r) and affirming,” she says. “A large part of my role involves helping Black students navigate systemic barriers and processes in co-op and petitions, which can impact their further education.”

According to the CCA career advisor, the majority of the students accessing her services are racialized students who often face barriers, which can include discrimination in the hiring process, lack of access to employment networks and lack of access to mentorship or career guidance. Many Black students face language barriers, lack of access to education and training opportunities and lack of knowledge about the hiring process and opportunities for further education.

“Advocating is a large component of my role when I am meeting with Black students,” she says. “I advocate for changing systems and processes that are not serving racialized students. By highlighting systemic barriers that students may face in pursuing their career goals and further education, I help to eliminate obstacles to their success.”

Mekonen also advocates for racialized people outside of the institution. She has been volunteering in the Waterloo region for several years with the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre and ACCKWA. Mekonen is working as a research assistant with Wilfrid Laurier University and Toronto Metropolitan University on a project which explores how the City of Kitchener meaningfully engages with Black and Indigenous communities. She is also a board member of Project Up (Unleash Potential), a non-profit organization committed to empowering young Black Muslim women by bridging talent with opportunities, and was a co-organizer in the Waterloo Region Black Lives Matter March in June 2020.

She holds a BA in History and Philosophy from Wilfrid Laurier University and is completing a MA in Sociology at UWaterloo. Mekonen draws from her academic and practical experience and links to the community to provide access to resources, such as job training, educational support and financial assistance, to help individuals achieve their career goals.

Asked about her hopes for anti-racism and anti-oppression at the University, Mekonen says, the world thrives on racial capitalism. She says, “our systems and processes are built on it, and that includes the University of Waterloo.” Mekonen believes that not everyone can be their true self at the institution. She often questions herself, asking, “how am I meant to thrive in a system that was never built for me, or people like me?”

She challenges members of the University community to engage with different stakeholders and rightsholders and to ask themselves this important question: how am I creating space for those who do not have the privilege to change systems and policies in an organization/structure/system that was never built with them?

Read more about anti-racism work on campus

Our anti-racism newsletter, The Catalyst, showcases the many staff, faculty and students who are engaged in anti-racism work each day on campus. Subscribe to receive each issue directly to your inbox.

Nutrition Month: how can Registered Dietitians support you?

By Courtney Wilson, MScFN RD, Registered Dietitian, Health Services, Campus Wellness.

March is Nutrition Month! This month is a time to celebrate the diverse field of nutrition and the many ways that Registered Dietitians (RDs) strive to help Canadians understand the connections between food, nutrition, and health. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Unlocking the potential of food: Find a Dietitian.”

Last week, we looked at the role of RDs and what RDs do (Refresher available here, under Monday’s Notes: https://uwaterloo.ca/daily-bulletin/2023-03-06). This week, let’s take a deeper dive into how RDs can be of support to you. The nutrition landscape is diverse and RDs work in many areas. Today, we will focus on RD roles that directly support individuals.

RDs can offer support in the following ways:

• Counselling on nutrition strategies for the prevention and/or management of chronic diseases or other medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart health, ADHD, thyroid and hormone disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, liver health, bone health, and more!) 
• Support with mental health challenges that may impact one’s ability to obtain adequate nourishment
• Provide nutrition strategies to support physical activity, an active lifestyle, or related to specific sport/athletic endeavours
• Support people from a nutrition perspective throughout the lifespan, from infancy, through the developmental years into adulthood, to the senior years and beyond
• Help to create a positive and supportive home food environment for you and your family
• Help to address complex barriers that exist with respect to nourishing our bodies optimally

Do you think meeting with an RD might be a helpful to you? Stay tuned for next week’s post where we will look at how you can access RD services.

Campus clocks have changed too, just...just give them a minute

A message from Plant Operations.

Clocks moved forward one hour on Sunday, March 12, and as a reminder, the University of Waterloo clock system operates as a synchronous connected parent/child unit with the parent or master clock connected as a component of our larger building automation systems.

All things not being perfect, individual clocks can slowly fall behind due to age or power interruptions to the clock power circuit. There is a corrective signal from the parent/master clock at set times during the day (about 0600 a.m. for a 12-hour correction and at set intervals at about 0700, 0900 and 1300 for hourly corrections). What this means is that it can take up to 2 full days for a clock to read the accurate time.

Please allow this time prior to reporting to Maintenance Dispatch that clocks are not working on campus. As an additional reminder if the clock in your area is not linked to this master clock system, this is a billable request.

Monday's notes

Auditions are open for the 2023 production of "TBH: To Be Honest." The successor to the erstwhile "Single & Sexy" play performed at Orientation, "TBH: To Be Honest" started its run in 2022 and follows students though a ‘year at a glance,’ including issues such as homesickness, consent, academic integrity, imposter syndrome, and features many supports for students. In an effort to embrace students, TBH: To Be Honest is uplifting and welcoming, and has a strong theme to build connections and develop resiliency while attending university.

Auditions will be held Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15 in the Black and Gold Room in the Student Life Centre. Fill out the application form online.

The Secretariat is reporting that the Senate elections for Faculty and Graduate student representatives closed last week and the results of the elections are now available. 

Visit the Secretariat website for the results.

Finally, just a reminder that there will be a Türkiye and Syria Earthquake Vigil tonight from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the SLC's Black and Gold Room.