Monday, August 28, 2017

Help welcome new students to campus

September is almost here, and thousands of new students will soon be moving into residences and participating in an array of engaging Orientation activities. Orientation, a campus-wide partnership between many departments, runs from Friday, September 1 to Saturday, September 9. There will be targeted programming for the various groups coming to the University of Waterloo including first-year, international, American and out-of-province, transfer, exchange/study abroad, and graduate students.

Classes begin for all students during Orientation Week on Thursday, September 7 and will follow the normal Thursday schedule.

Staff and faculty are encouraged to participate in welcoming students to campus: 

Provide a helping hand

With the start of Orientation and a new academic year looming ahead of them, many new students are likely to feel simultaneously excited and overwhelmed. Remember to wear your “Here to Help” button! Say hello and take a few extra minutes out of your day to answer questions from students or their families. If you don’t know the answer to a question, please check the Here to Help page or direct students to the Orientation Ask Me Booth, located near the Great Hall inside the Student Life Centre (SLC), the Orientation social media accounts, or Student Portal.

Encourage students to get involved

It’s important for students to have a well-rounded university experience. This means being active outside the lecture halls to meet new friends and hone new skills. There are plenty of opportunities for students to learn how they can get involved within their faculty and the broader campus through volunteering, part-time employment, or by joining a club. Federation of Students (Feds), Waterloo’s undergraduate student union, hosts Welcome Week (September 11 to 15) and Get Involved Week (September 18 to 22), which will feature events such as the Feds Open House, Volunteer Fair and Campus Life Fair. Encourage undergraduates to attend these events and explore what Feds’ clubs, societies, and services have to offer.

Single & Sexy staff preview

Written by Waterloo students, the popular play Single & Sexy focuses on situations many students encounter while living away from home for the first time. The play will be put on in the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) and is open to everyone – including staff, faculty, and guests – to attend. The staff preview will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 1.

Questions about Orientation?

Send any questions to orientation@uwaterloo.ca, and connect with staff on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Single & Sexy returns to stage for round 29

The Single & Sexy cast are thrilled to be beginning the 29th season of their hit, annual production. The students, three of which are returning cast members, have been enthusiastically devoting themselves to countless rehearsals in preparation for Single & Sexy 2017.

Director James Miniou, a graduate of Waterloo's own theatre program, is becoming well known in the region. With an approach that is both witty and educational, the play confronts taboo subjects like sexuality, safety, homophobia, drugs, and many other tough topics. One student have commented “I wish my parents could see this. Entertaining - witty - it speaks to students, not at them.”

The show finds fans even in the upper generations, with one parent remarking, “I’m glad we saw it as a family. It gives us an opening now to discuss some of these things with our daughter.” The show comes just weeks after the University of Waterloo has launched its new position of Sexual Violence Response Coordinator, which has been filled by Amanda Cook.

Interested in experience the action firsthand? This Friday, University of Waterloo staff, faculty, and student leaders are invited to attend the premiere performance and provide their feedback on the racy musical that has been acclaimed by students, parents, and Planned Parenthood Waterloo Region. Family and friends are also welcome, and various community partners have been invited to this exciting premiere.

Register to attend the premiere performance of Single & Sexy 2017:

Friday, September 1 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m in the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) Gymnasium.

For more information and to register please click here: Single & Sexy 2017.

Taking optometric support to underserved communities

The ability to see well is important to the social, intellectual, and emotional development of children. The University of Waterloo’s Optometry Clinic (School of Optometry and Vision Science) partnered with the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (YAAACE) to provide vision screening and comprehensive eye examinations for children and youth. The summer day camp program in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto is in a neighborhood experiencing a variety of health and socio-economic barriers, including access to eye care.

The event took place over two days (August 14 and 15) at C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute and served approximately 175 children and youth. 58 pairs of glasses were prescribed to those who failed the screening. Over 50 optometry students, optometrists and staff volunteers provided care.  Essilor Technologies volunteered their services and donated glasses.  Innova Medical Ophthalmics transported and set up 3 full lanes of equipment for eye examinations.     

Devon Jones, lead for YAAACE expressed his gratitude on behalf of the children and their families: “Thank you for your commitment and generosity. This was truly an amazing opportunity for our students and community.”

Several options for ongoing optometric care were offered to the children and youth to whom corrective glasses were dispensed. Contact information for local optometrists was provided to facilitate follow-up eye care in their community. 

Clinic Director Dr. André Stanberry, spoke from the heart in expressing appreciation to the volunteers and corporate partners. The positive impact that our actions had on those in attendance at the event are long lasting. Dr. Stanberry also expressed an “ongoing commitment to undertaking further vision outreach initiatives for vulnerable populations.”

Community engagement is an invaluable educational experience that enables our students to broaden their perspective while providing a valued health care service,” said Dr. Stanley Woo, director of the School of Optometry and Vision Science. “I couldn’t be more proud of Dr. Stanberry’s leadership and the commitment and enthusiasm of our faculty and students.”