In 1972, Vic Winter decided to live at Conrad Grebel College while studying English at the University of Waterloo. This decision, influenced by friends from Leamington, shaped the lives of Vic, his wife Marilyn, and their children Art, Jessie, and Ben. Two generations of Winters have now made Grebel their home, where they discovered the importance of community, the joy of tradition, and the enduring impact of lifelong connections.
In 1974, Marilyn also found a home at Grebel while studying music at Laurier. Vic was Student Council President in ’73-’74, and then “we got married in the summer of ’75,” explained Marilyn. “After a year in the married student apartments, we were back to live at Grebel as Senior Residents in ’76-’77.”
“We never overtly advertised Grebel to our kids, but we maintained Grebel friendships over the years, perpetuating the old Grebel stories, and showed them the campus,” shared Vic. “Our positive experience must have rubbed off. However, each of the kids chose Grebel independently.”
“I feel that I had some of the responsibility for carrying on the family tradition, being the oldest and thus first to head to Grebel of the second generation,” said Art, who studied pre-health. “Certainly, I was encouraged through the stories of various shenanigans that Dad had gotten up to.”
“I had watched Art and Jess both have great experiences and felt a great deal of longing to experience something similar when I moved away from home,” reflected Ben, a science grad. “I had seen friendships built at Grebel, heard numerous stories, and knew it would be a place where I would feel comfortable.” Many of Ben’s closest friendships were forged at Grebel, and it’s where he met his wife, Sarah (Good).
“My Grebel years were at a time of several transitions—the addition to the ‘short end’ and the building of the apartments and atrium,” reminisced Art. “Building community and friendships at Grebel seems to happen immediately and easily,” he added. “I think the focus on community, the open-door tradition, and all the Frosh Week activities contribute to that.”
“During my time, the open-door tradition was how we built a sense of community,” agreed Jessie, who studied Kinesiology. “Grebel was 100% the right choice for me. 20+ years later, and the connections I made there are still some of my most important. It’s also where I found my husband (Brandon Gingerich).”
Many of Grebel’s traditions have stayed the same across decades. The Winters recalled All-College Retreats, coffee houses, sports teams, singing with Professor Len Enns, and late-night conversations and activities. Ben and Art each noted their participation in the student musical: Ben in Footloose and Art in Godspell. And the second generation noted GrebelBowl, patio hockey, and ultimate Frisbee games as memorable activities.
“And skybunks!” added Jessie. “It was neat to see them passed on with the names written of those who had used them before.”
“I also lived in the Grebel apartments, before spending my last year at Waterloo off campus as a Grebel associate.” noted Ben. “These were both great experiences as well—I enjoyed staying in touch with Grebel even as I was preparing to move on.”
The Winters agree that Grebel is much more than just a place to live or study. “My community and social life were centred at Grebel and some of the friendships I made there are lifelong,” described Marilyn.
“In a lot of ways, I think Grebel is a unique place in the way that it invites second year students to continue to live in the residence mixed amongst the first years,” added Ben. “This is what keeps these great traditions alive. From what I can tell, my parents, my siblings, and even students today are still experiencing a remarkably similar experience living at Grebel. This would only be possible with returning students to ‘show the way’ and pass on the traditions.”
“The lasting friendships made at Grebel feature in all our lives,” summarized Vic, who also served on Grebel’s Board of Governors for seven years. “Two of our children found their life partners there. Marilyn and I came to know many of our kids’ Grebel friends (who sometimes were children of our friends) and that web of connection and experience made the Grebel experience palpable and strong.”
