Friday, August 11, 2023

Pharmacy students make like a tree and leaf a legacy behind

Kyla Agtarap and Maher Jibrini (front row) attended the University of Waterloo Sustainability Office awards ceremony to accept on the School’s behalf the Silver Sustainability certificate.

This is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared on the School of Pharmacy website.

In an age where most items are disposable, Waterloo Pharmacy students and sustainability champions Kyla Agtarap (Rx2023) and Maher Jibrini (Rx2023), gifted the School of Pharmacy a tree as a thank-you gift.

Agtarap and Jibrini were the first students to be a part of the Sustainability Team at the School. 

With a sister majoring in Environmental Science, Agtarap was exposed to sustainable living practices in her personal life early on. It was experiencing the versatility of a paperless pharmacy management system during co-op that sparked her interest in building sustainable practices in pharmacy.

“Instead of reinventing the wheel completely, which is difficult to do, I wish to find one way to do one thing correctly that will work long-term that is sustainable,” says Agtarap.

Jibrini was inspired by Agtarap. Watching her trailblaze doing work with the Green Team made him realize that from a pharmacist’s perspective, he can incorporate sustainability into the healthcare field, within pharmacy and his patients’ lives along with his own.

“What we do now impacts the future. Ensuring that future generations, whether it be my own or others, get to experience everything we experience and more,” says Jibrini.

Volunteering on the Sustainability Community  

For both students, thinking about sustainable practices led them to join the Sustainability Team at Waterloo Pharmacy. Building greener practices in the realm of pharmacy and the School is important to them both in order to live a sustainable life personally and professionally.

Jibrini’s goal was to bring awareness to other pharmacy students to familiarize them with practices in which they can partake to make their pharmacy career more sustainable. Jibrini laid the groundwork for a legacy tree project, planting a tree on campus grounds for every graduating pharmacy cohort, leaving a lasting mark for all future pharmacy graduates.

Agtarap created events that ensured future student involvement within the committee to give future students an opportunity to work with the committee. She implemented the battery drive, where old batteries were collected for proper disposal.  

A rewarding and sustainable experience

For both Agtarap and Jibrini, connecting with other people on the Green Team gave them a sense of community within the School. The support from faculty and staff to implement their ideas and plans was a positive and rewarding experience.

“We were surprised how little outreach initially existed for the students but appreciated how the sustainability committee facilitated the students’ involvement at the School by collaborating with Kyla and I,” says Jibrini.

Read the rest of the article on the School of Pharmacy website.

Conrad Grebel to host Ontario Mennonite Music Camp

Conrad Grebel University College is hosting the Ontario Mennonite Music Camp (OMMC) at its campus beginning August 13. The OMMC is supported by Mennonite Church Eastern Canada in partnership with host institution Conrad Grebel.

Ontario Mennonite Music Camp provides a camp adventure for 12- to 17-year-olds from a wide variety of backgrounds, pairing exceptional musical instruction with traditional camp activities. Campers will find a safe and supportive community to explore their love of music, strengthen their leadership skills, and deepen their faith.

The 40+ attendees will stay in residence rooms, eat delicious home-cooking, improve their musical skills, make new friends, and most importantly, have fun.

"Campers will experience many of the usual camp activities, such as campfires, ensembles, recreation games, and musical productions, all in a safe, cautious environment," says a note from Grebel. "Camp is available for students who have finished grade 6-12, with a Leader-In-Training program available for students who have finished grades 11 or 12."

The 2023 camp dates run from August 13 to 25.

GSA to hold garage sale on August 22

The Graduate Students Association (GSA-UW) will be hosting a garage sale on August 22 and are looking for donated items to sell. According to the GSA, garage sale revenues will be donated to the WUSA food support service after the event.

If you're an employee have items currently cluttering your basement or garage that you'd like to donate, please bring them to the GSA office on the third floor of the Student Life Centre (Room 3222) during regular business hours by Wednesday, August 16. Alternatively, you can arrange a drop-off in your home department or unit, and the GSA will collect donated items on Wednesday, August 16. The deadline for donations is 12 noon on Wednesday. Contact gsa-international@uwaterloo.ca to arrange for pickup.

Students who wish to get involved can be a seller at the garage sale by filling out a registration form no later than Wednesday, August 16, or they can donate items to GSA if they can’t participate as a seller. 

If you're considering donating an item, make sure the items are cleaned before before bringing them to the GSA office or drop-off area in your department. Also please note that the GSA cannot accept edible items, canned goods, or sharp objects (e.g., kitchen knives). Any consumable item can be donated directly to the WUSA food support service instead.

GSA volunteers will determine the sale prices for the donated items, so you don't need to be present at the garage sale unless you'd like to go bargain-hunting yourself. The garage sale will take place on August 22 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Grad Lounge at SLC 3216.

For more information, send an email to gsa-international@uwaterloo.ca.