News

Food insecurity is a growing equity issue at the University of Waterloo, disproportionately impacting racialized, Indigenous, international, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities due to systemic barriers tied to income, housing, and access to resources. Addressing it requires collective action from reducing stigma to supporting programs like WUSA’s Food Support Service to ensure everyone on campus has access to the resources they need to thrive.

Imagine this: you’re an athlete who menstruates. You’ve been training hard for a big race just days away, but your period is heavy, and the pain makes it hard to even get out of bed. On top of that, your race uniform includes white biker shorts, and the fear of leaking is real. You don’t feel like you can talk to anyone because no one talks about periods. So, you push through in silence. 

Living in a diverse environment is more than grabbing shawarma from the corner shop or dancing to Caribbean music at a summer festival. Our introduction to different cultures may begin there—but it shouldn’t end there. Diversity isn’t a playlist or a plate. It’s people

During the Community Corner hosted by the Office of EDI-R, this is where we wanted to center our reflections on Pride Month and Pride events on campus. What is the story of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Kitchener-Waterloo? What did community, progress, and dissent look like before, during, and after calls for legal recognition and equality? And what do milestones and celebration for the community look like outside of institutional acceptance?

The Trans and Non-Binary Equity Strategy was informed and co-created by members of our 2SLGBTQIA+ communities—students, staff, and faculty who showed deep courage in sharing their experiences and speaking up in the hope of sustainable change. They didn’t just point to problems—they helped imagine solutions. They spoke up not only for themselves, but for those who couldn’t, or didn’t feel safe enough to. That is leadership. That is community in action. 

As of June 2, 2025, University of Waterloo students and employees have the option to set or add pronouns (i.e., words we use to replace someone’s name in a sentence, such as “he”, “she”, or “they”) to their Microsoft 365 profile card (the card with your picture or initials in the circle). It may take up to 24 hours before this feature is visible on your Microsoft 365 profile card.

In Canada, we celebrate Asian Heritage Month during the month of May, an initiative introduced in the 1990s and made official by Senator Vivienne Poy in 2001. The Asian population of Canada has established itself over the past two centuries, adding to Canada’s rich diversity across the provinces.  

The Government of Canada’s theme for Asian Heritage Month 2025 is: “Unity in Diversity: The Impact of Asian Communities in Shaping Canadian Identity”. This theme recognizes the profound and enduring ways in which Asian communities have helped shape Canada’s social fabric. From the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway by Chinese labourers in the1880s, to the election of Douglas Jung as the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament in 1957, to trailblazing figures like Adrienne Clarkson, the first Asian Canadian Governor General.

We are constantly surrounded by headlines, data, and official stories about how the world works. But how often do we stop to ask: Where do these ideas come from? Who benefits from them? What’s being left out?

Today marks International Pronouns Day, an annual event that raises awareness on the importance of respecting and using individuals' chosen pronouns. Observed on the third Wednesday of October each year since its inception in 2018, the day encourages the proper use of pronouns and their role in affirming identities to create an inclusive society.