Monday, June 17, 2024

W Store launches UW Retro Collection

A message from W Store.

The W Store is launching the UW Retro Collection in collaboration with University Relations, the Library and Alumni Relations.

This collection is a nostalgic nod to the vintage spirit that has graced the University of Waterloo, affectionately known by many as “UW”. It all started when a W Store student model donned a vintage Waterloo jacket, sparking a wave of excitement and engagement on social media (pictured below). The overwhelming response and inquiries inspired us to bring back those cherished styles.  

Our UW Retro Collection features timeless designs and classic pieces that capture the essence of the past, blending retro vibes with contemporary comfort. Whether you’re a current student, alum, or a fan of the iconic UW brand, these pieces are perfect for showing off your Waterloo pride with a dash of nostalgic flair. Come and explore the collection that’s not just clothing, but a walk down memory lane!

The post that inspired the collection.

For this special collection, we asked interested UWaterloo staff and faculty that are proud alumni to meet with us to showcase the products and share something about themselves and their time as a Waterloo student. This included:

• Adrienne Gilbert – first graduating class of Recreation and Leisure Studies in 1973. Received her M.A in Recreation Studies in 1981. Went on to become a professor for AHS in Therapeutic Recreation for her entire career before retirement.
• Brent Gilbert – first graduating class of Kinesiology in 1971 and Captain of the UWaterloo football team. Recently inducted to the Football Ring of Honour.
• Norm Klassen – B.A. Honours English in 1987 and now works at St. Jerome’s University as an English Professor.
• Colin Jones – Started at UWaterloo in 1977, but did not complete his degree. He re-enrolled 2 years ago and is a student once again, aiming to finish what he started in ‘77! He is currently working at UWaterloo at the Centre for Extended Learning as an Examinations Specialist.
• Maureen Jones – Graduated from the Faculty of Arts in 1983 and is now Director of Student Awards and Financial Aid. Colin and Maureen met at UWaterloo, started dating in 1978 and have been married 44 years.
• Barbara Daly – Graduated in 1995 with her Bachelor of Arts. She is an Instructional Support Coordinator in Computer Science at UWaterloo.
• Michelle Gilbert – Graduated with her B.A. in Applied Economics in 2003. She currently works at UWaterloo as an Undergraduate Awards Officer with Student Awards and Financial Aid. Michelle is the daughter of Adrienne and Brent.
• Carry Derome – Graduated in 2017 with an Honours B.A. in Psychology and double majored in French. She is now Student Advisor, Co-operative and Experiential Education at UWaterloo.

Pictured left to right: Maureen, Michelle, Brent, Adrienne, Colin, Barbara, Carry, and Norm.

While this collection is a nostalgic nod to the past and the UWaterloo alumni who have paved the way, it was designed with current students in mind, to embrace their future. Blending timeless style with Waterloo pride to create new memories while honouring the rich history and spirit of “UW”.

Special thanks to UW Library for providing the archival photos and unique vintage apparel from their collection, helping us bring the UW Retro Collection to life. Visit us in-store at W Store in South Campus Hall to view archival clothing items as well as the new UW Retro Collection. Follow us on Instagram to see more archived photos (like the ones below), product photos and interviews with UWaterloo alumni and current students!

Top Left: The OG campus bookstore, then known as Open Door gift shop. Jan Blackburn, a staff member, reps some spirited sportswear in South Campus Hall, modelling one of the university’s many sweatshirts. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Archives. Graphic Services fonds. University of Waterloo sweatshirts at gift shop. 90-01-22_001)

Top Right: Showing your school spirit by wearing Waterloo jackets has long been a tradition on campus as shown by these engineering students in Fall 1961. Excited for the opening of the new engineering building, Waterloo would see the first group of undergraduate engineers convocate in Spring 1962. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Library. Special Collections & Archives. Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negative Collection. University of Waterloo. Engineering Building. 61-1425_011)

Bottom Left: Waterloo cheerleaders sit with the Athletics department’s Equipment and Facilities Manager, Donald Brown, in their uniforms, ready to cheer on the Warrior football team in 1968. Brown was a popular figure at games, dressing up as a Warrior, the team’s mascot, arriving in his 1914 Model T. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Archives. Graphic Services fonds. Football mascot. 68-09-05_001)

Bottom Right: Engineering student Olatokunboh (Toks) Oshinowo (1939-2015). Formerly of Nigeria, Oshinowo served as President of the University of Waterloo Engineering Society and co-founded the International Student Association. Drawn to Waterloo because of its co-op and chemical engineering programs, he came to Canada in 1962. He graduated with a BASc in Chemical Engineering in 1967. (Photo provided by University of Waterloo Library. Special Collections & Archives. Kitchener-Waterloo Record Photographic Negative Collection. University of Waterloo, H&S Toks Oshinowo in Engineering Jacket. 63-1737_003)

The UW Retro Collection is also available to shop at wstore.ca.

Waterloo student shines on a national stage

This article was originally published on the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement website.

Fiona Li, a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies student at Conrad Grebel University College, and the winner of the University of Waterloo’s Map the System campus finals, earned the second-place prize at the Map the System Canada competition in Calgary on May 27.

Map the System is an opportunity for students to research complex social and environmental challenges using a systems thinking lens. Fiona partnered with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario to investigate the significant over-representation of Indigenous women in Canadian prisons.

The competition began with a semi-final round on May 26 hosted by the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, where six out of twenty individuals and teams from across the country were selected to present the following day at the Bella Concert Hall at Mount Royal University. Watch the recording of Fiona’s presentation (17 minutes, starting at 2:22:18) and her receiving the prize (40 seconds starting at 5:06:00).

Fiona was awarded a cash prize of $3,000 for her efforts, and is also eligible for up to $10,000 in “apprenticing with the problem” funding from Map the System Canada.

The overall winner was a student from the Humber Institute for Technology and Advanced Learning; the third-place prize went to a team from the University of Sherbrooke. Additional prizes went to students from the University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, Centennial College, the University of Manitoba, Memorial University, and the University of New Brunswick.

Explore the Grand River with Water Cycles and other notes

"On Saturday, June 22, explore the hidden wonders of the Grand River by bike with a free guided tour from Water Cycles," says a note from the Sustainability Office. "The ~20km ride will start and finish at the University of Waterloo and is open to all rider levels, from families (kids must be over 10) to seasoned cyclists. This ride is in collaboration with the Sustainability Office for Waterloo’s annual Bike Month in June."

For more information and to register, visit the Waterloo Ride with WaterCycles event page.

As part of National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Office of Indigenous Relations hosting an Indigenous Community Concert featuring Waking Through the Fire at Federation Hall tonight from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. "Walking Through the Fire" is billed as "a musical multimedia event unlike any other." It's the hottest ticket on campus this week as the show has been sold out for some time.

Information Systems & Technology (IST) has published the latest in its Atlassian Blog series, which is entitled Atlassian updates: Adding Issues to Epics.