Thursday, September 12, 2024

Memories From the Past: Student Council Presidents

by Jennifer Konkle

To capture the spirit of Grebel residence life over six decades, we reached out to former Student Council Presidents to reflect on their time in office. We asked about the student body’s key concerns, Grebel’s biggest challenges, and their most significant achievements. They also shared memories of the social and political climate on campus, key traditions, and unexpected moments. While memories may have faded, these reflections offer a window into Grebel’s past and may spark your own recollections. You can catch up with some of Grebel’s earlier Student Council Presidents as part of our 60 Alumni Stories project, including Corwin Cambray (BA 1967, MA 1973), Ron Thiessen (BA 1969), Peter Harder (BA 1975), and Dorothea Funk (BA 1976). 

Mark Lichty (BA 1983)

Student Council President 1980-81
Now: Retired, Shakespeare, ON

Some of my favourite Grebel memories include Frosh Week, Commie Supper, Talent Nights, Fed Flicks with Grebel friends (especially “Rocky Horror” night), progressive supper at faculty and staff homes, and “tobogganing” down Grebel’s hill on dining room trays. The National Club at 11 pm watching The National with Knowlton Nash was an essential nightly ritual.  

Campus life was generally quiet during the early 1980s. While climate change, artificial intelligence, and foreign interference had not entered the conversation, concerns about Reagonomics, the Cold War, and the arms race were top of mind during this era. The Peace Society organized a disarmament symposium, even managing to attract the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the day to Grebel for a panel discussion. With reference to the Doomsday Clock, the theme of the symposium was “7 Minutes to Midnight.” 

For a crazy late-night out, we played broomball versus the other Church Colleges. Unlike our opponents, who must have doubted the bit about Mennos as plain people, Grebelites dressed up in outlandish garb, such as garish pyjamas with a flowing technicolour scarf. In other sports memories, I have a vintage Conrad Grebel jersey with a cartoonish, professorial-looking duck, the campy Grebel mascot of the era. 

After 30+ Years as a desk jockey around offices in the GTA. I've retreated to a rural life among the trees, birds, and wildlife on a farm near Shakepeare, Ontario. I've made peoace withunbiquitous weeds by counting the colorful ones as wildflowers, as long as they're not prickly or full of burrs. I enjoyed the city though haven't missed Canada's businest highway. I'm still ahibitual viewer of the National, which mercifully now steams at 9 PM.

black and white portait of Mark Lichty resting his head on his fist

Paul Penner (BA 1983)

Student Council President 1982-1983 
Now: Retired, Waterloo ON

paul and two other students sitting together

The primary concerns and priorities of the student body were the quality of food and a burgeoning associate program. The “new” academic wing was only six years old but the need for more space was already a big concern. Other issues the College was facing were resident students not taking Grebel courses despite the requirement to do so and the decline of Inter-College cooperation. My biggest achievement as president was establishing a new “Day Student” program for students who wanted to associate with Grebel yet were willing to go without Community Supper. 

Nuclear disarmament was top of mind for everyone because the Cold War was intensifying. To combat the political climate, Grebel started a recycling program and hosted a showing of Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography—a film critiquing the porn industry. 

The key traditions and activities during my time were In Search of Connie G, the All-College Retreat at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp, broomball wearing crazy outfits, singing in the stairwells, playing Nylons music for sheet change on Monday nights, throwing people in the shower on their birthday, pranking Louise Wideman (often stealing her bathrobe), dancing til dawn following the Term-End Banquet and then going to Smitty’s at Westmount Mall for breakfast, and Geoff Gladwell cooking on weekends, making omelets to order. 

A funny or unexpected moment from my presidency involved Joan Weber, Grebel’s receptionist, who was always very serious in the workplace. I didn’t even know she liked me, but I got invited to her house, with about a dozen other students, to sing hymns. She had an organ in her apartment which she played with gusto and we students belted out hymns over top of her accompaniment. 

Now, I’m newly retired and enjoying traveling, playing squash and pickleball. I also enjoy going for walks and having coffee with friends 

Monica Scheifele (BA 1991)

Student Council President 1990-1991 
Now: Office Administrator for a Lutheran Church, Waterloo, ON 

I think the environment was a primary concern during my time as Student Council President. I don’t really remember what the political climate was like at that time, although I think there were protests against the Gulf War. During this time, the Student Council also put forward a motion or resolution to the Grebel community that part of resident and associate fees going forward would be put toward future Grebel building projects, and the student body passed it. Dealing with the grief and shock following the death of Timothy Sutherland, a Grebel resident who was killed in a bike accident, was another challenge that we faced in the fall. 

I’m not sure if it was funny then, but we put the new Grebel logo on that year’s Grebel T-shirt without permission from the Grebel administration. Some activities at the time were the Peace Society, Community Suppers, Chapels, sports teams, Winter Retreat, many small groups (knitting, euchre, Star Trekkies), many practical jokes, lots of couples becoming engaged that year, and a conservation committee was formed to explore ideas for “greening” the College. 

monica posing at a desk in conrad grebel sweater

Carol Berkhout (BA 1995) 

Student Council President 1991-1992 
Now: Religion Teacher, Fenwick, ON 

I think the primary concerns of the student body then continues to be the same concerns today—how to build community within a residence space that includes students from many different backgrounds, studying different disciplines, who have diverse interests and views. We placed a priority on planning a variety of events, and then being as invitational as possible to entice students to participate. I remember a particular challenge was how to best accommodate and continue to include co-op students and those living off campus. The associate program was very popular, but having enough physical space for everyone to attend Community Suppers was tricky—a frequent conversation was how to ensure that associates felt part of the community. Also, at that time the residence and academic buildings were not connected, so there were numerous conversations about how to build more social connections between the faculty and the residents. One solution was to form small groups of students who would be hosted by faculty members at their houses. 

It was a time of guarded optimism. On one hand, the Berlin Wall had just come down, leading to increased freedoms and openness in/with other parts of the world. However, the after-effects of the Montreal Massacre were still felt on campuses. Groups like OPIRG were raising awareness of environmental issues by distributing reusable mugs on campus, and many groups (including Grebel) were making efforts to increase recycling programs (Student Council had a Recycling Rep). 

black and white side portrait of carol berkhout

Our main goal was to work together to plan fun and creative events amidst busy schedules. Key traditions included Orientation Week—Frosh Wash + ‘In search of Conrad and Connie G, All-College Retreat at Silver Lake, annual talent shows (Charles on his banjo, Lisa tap dancing, Al on his saxophone were highlights), movie nights in the common room, and weekly Chapel and Community Suppers, of course! Our council developed some very good skills at using coasters to score goals across the boardroom table! Clearly, our meetings were not always serious and on task. 

After graduating in 1995, I worked as a TA at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate for two years, then earned my BEd at U of T and was hired by Niagara Catholic Board of Education to teach at the high school I had attended, Notre Dame College School in Welland. I have been a Religion teacher there since 1998. I live in Fenwick with my husband, Dave Augustyn (SJU ’95). Our two children, Lucas and Krystyna, both study/work in Toronto.

Jaby Jacob (BMATH 1998)

Student Council President Spring 1996
Now: working in insurance, Long Island, NY  

I was co-president with Kenneth Friesen for the spring term, which was a much more laid-back term than the fall-winter. As such, our primary concerns were more social in nature. In addition, we helped the incoming team with Frosh Week activities and arrangements. I don’t remember many of our traditions from that time, but patio dining, square dances, and sand volleyball featured prominently. 

Now I’m living on Long Island, NY, working in insurance, I’m active in my local church and on the boards of a couple national para-church ministries. I still keep in touch with many of my Grebel friends and get together with them once/twice a year, and I follow many more on social media. Grebel was my happy place and many of my deepest friendships were established there. Even though we don’t keep in touch as much, when we get together, we pick up where we left off. (Jaby is pictured in the bottom right, along with other members of “The Secret Service.”) 

Jaby Jacob posing with friends outside in the snow wearing red jumpsuits

Jennie Wiebe (BES 1999) 

Student Council President 1996-1997 
Now: Resilience Facilitator and Energy Practitioner at a wellness clinic, Waterloo, ON 

When I was on Student Council, the world was still reeling from the genocide in Rwanda and Earth Day was starting to be a thing. At Grebel, we were adjusting to a new Dean of Students (Mary Brubaker-Zehr), and reduced hours for Student Services (John Fast’s role as Chaplain had just been reduced to half-time). John Toews was the new College President, hired to get Grebel out of debt, so everyone knew there was going to be (and had to be) a shake-up in how Grebel operated. Things were flavoured with an undercurrent of tension and uncertainty. 

As part of a search for more classroom space, John Toews tasked me with assessing student spaces (the old basement alumni lounge, mailboxes, morgue, along with the Student Services offices under the Chapel) and student needs, and how the use of all these fit together. Shauna Leis (VP, pictured right with Jennie on the left) and I gathered the exec for an intense brainstorm session. Equipped with building drawings and coloured markers, we eventually came up with some options that felt workable. As a result, the alumni lounge was converted to classrooms, the businesses under the Chapel were relocated, and Student Services and lounge spaces were consolidated into one area, much closer to where the students live. 

We also restructured Student Council from one giant group of 20+ people to an executive that was better equipped to make decisions, with a larger advisory group that guided, shaped, and gave leadership to student life. Figuring out how to get co-op students more accurately represented was a conversation that we started, but didn’t complete. Most Council roles at the time required a fall-winter resident space, which left out co-op students. 

Jennie in a white dress is posing with Shauna in a blue jacket wearing a cardboard car

Some traditions from my time were Frosh Wash, Penny Event, DQ Walk, Silver Lake Retreat, End-of-Term Banquets, recording the second Chapel Choir CD, Ultimate Frisbee in the field in front of St. Paul’s, and “Feats of Humanity” (sometimes involving campus security). We played patio hockey in the winter, moving the snow with shovels we probably “borrowed” from Sylvan, or perhaps with Sylvan’s help, and piling it around the edges like boards to keep the puck in. 

Today I’m a Resilience Facilitator and Energy Practitioner at a wellness clinic in Waterloo (Functional Medicine Uptown). I help my clients get out of chronic fight-or-flight, access more peace and calm, release stored emotion and trauma, and build resilience to better withstand the stresses—big and small—of living. 

Douglas Friesen (BMath 2001, PhD 2015)

Student Council President Spring 2001
Now: applying machine learning in finance, Edmonton, AB 

I was the Grebel summer Student Council President in 2001, as well as Vice-President in fall 2000 (with Jocelyn Burkhart as President, pictured with Douglas below). A major win for us around that time was getting wired internet connections in every room, which replaced our tradition of wiring computers together throughout the residence every term. Grebel had building expansion plans, so this was a major area of focus for the year. There was also the incoming double cohort on the horizon to prepare for as Ontario eliminated grade 13. The summer was always a time of fun and great relationship building, as there were fewer residents and everyone in the summer term lived on one floor. A highlight was a summer retreat at the start of the term that a majority of residents attended, and this was great for building a foundation for relationships over the summer. The annual summer reunion was a highlight as well. 

Since my time at Grebel, I’ve focused on improving healthcare and have led research experiments in understanding biological electrical information processing while doing my PhD at the University of Alberta, with applications in understanding consciousness and enabling organ regeneration. I’m currently working in applying machine learning in finance at a startup in Edmonton, Alberta. 

Joycelyn and douglas posing in formal wear

Caleb Boyd (BBA 2005) 

Student Council President 2003-2004 
Now: working in equipment finance, Charlotte, NC

Our priorities as Student Council were centred around enhancing the overall campus experience at Grebel by organizing fun activities and events. During Grebel’s 40th year, the campus took on a new look with the completion of the atrium and apartments. This was an exciting time but also challenging as we navigated campus life in the midst of a major construction project. Grebel’s first musical production (Godspell) and the Blue Mountain Ski Trip were some highlights. The climate at Grebel was in a really good place overall. Without the distractions of social media, real authentic community thrived. Our only “Facebook” at the time was an actual book of faces that was mailed to us prior to term. 

Key activities from the time were Commie Supper, GrebelBowl, DQ Walk, Jumanji, Silver Lake Retreat, Talent Show, Ultimate Frisbee, Stairway Jam Sessions, and of course going to see The Educated Skeptics perform on campus (my band at the time)! A funny moment from my presidency was when my roommates and I converted our quad room into the “Narnia Quad” by removing the back of the dresser closet and placing it in front of the entrance to our bedroom so that you could only access the room by crawling through the closet. People always wondered where we slept! 

After graduation, I moved to Charlotte, NC to pursue a career in equipment finance and I have been here ever since. I am married and have two boys ages 10 and 12. I got into running, completing 20 marathons including 10 Boston Marathons.  (Pictured left below.)

Caleb Boyd playing guitar with a group of students siting in a stairway

Justus Kauffman Zimmerly (BA 2010) 

Student Council President 2006-2007 
Now: marketing for The North Face, Denver, CO

black and white portrait of Justus Kauffman Zimmerly

I think the general priority of Student Council at the time was the facilitation of a strong community for residents and associates through activities and programming. I don’t recall any major challenges, but the College was thinking about how to maintain and modernize its facilities with an eye on its future health. One of our biggest achievements during my term was voting to increase residence fees to cover expenses for a refugee student to live at Grebel. There was a lot of support from students, and I think this was a strong indication of the community putting its values into practice. Having lived in the US for the last 12 years, I remember the climate on campus as one that was far less polarized! While students wrestled with current events and a sense that the world was changing, conflicting viewpoints were generally engaged in good faith. 
Key traditions during my presidency were Commie Supper, campus games like Menno Run, and dorm movie nights. A funny memory was when a significant chunk of the student council got in trouble for an escapade that was inspired by the movie “School of Rock”! 

I currently live in Denver CO with my wife and 5-year-old daughter. I moved to the States twelve years ago and currently work in marketing for The North Face.

Morgan Grainger (BMath 2009) 

Student Council President Spring 2008 
Now: full-time Software Developer at Apple and part-time graduate student at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

At the time, spring term student council was run independently from the fall/winter student council. The main goal of spring Student Council was building cohesion and belonging among the much smaller group of students. Grebel as a whole seemed to be doing well. From a student perspective, the coming and going of different conference groups required constant flexibility, including having a picnic for dinner one night to free up the dining hall for the Shad Valley banquet! I served on the committee that hired Sara Cressman, who is still at the College as Director of Finance, and who I regularly work with now in my role as Finance and Development Committee Chair on the Board. 

Students were interested in environmental issues, like Canada’s progress towards emissions targets in the Kyoto Protocol and potential withdrawal. There was also talk of Indigenous issues like the then-recent Residential School settlements and land disputes. Students were also concerned about the rising cost of higher education and the debt that often resulted. Some key traditions from my time: “Heat Week,” summer reunion for fall/winter students, College-wide games of Gotcha and Mafia, Feats of Humanity, and pick-up Ultimate Frisbee. 

Morgan Grainger posing holding a plaque with his name inscribed

Emily Mininger (BA/PACS 2014)

Student Council President 2012-2013 
Now: Manager of Internal Communications at 
the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

Emily Mininger looking at camera in front of valley landscape

Our priorities were pretty similar to most years, I imagine—create opportunities for our community to engage meaningfully with each other, have fun, and build relationships while also improving Grebel through various projects and pursuing new ideas. One of our biggest projects that generated a lot of discussion was working on updating our constitution to define what clubs were part of the Larger Leadership Team and were given a budget each year, versus clubs that needed to apply for money. It seemed like a simple project at the beginning, but quickly evolved into a complex discussion. We wanted to create a process and criteria that were fair, transparent, and meaningful. It was a learning experience on how to build consensus and work through differing opinions! The thing that sticks out to me the most was how unexpectedly challenging this work was. I remember at one point thinking there was so much disagreement on how to structure clubs and LLT that I broke Grebel! Clearly, that was not the case and Grebel was very much not broken, but it certainly felt like we had created a bit of a mess. Looking back though, it is quite humorous how dramatic that all felt. 

For Frost Week, we collaborated with the other University Colleges to do a cross-college event. I’m proud of our Council for trying to build connections outside of Grebel—as wonderful as our community was, I thought it was important to branch out too. Solar Grebel also put solar panels on the roof during my term, which was a really exciting project. Some traditions from my time were Walk-a-Mile, Frost Week, Make-a-Difference Market, Grebel Musical, GrebelBowl, the Penny Event, Trick or Eat, Apartment Mocktails, Blue Mountain Ski Trip, Associate Flap Jack Fridays, Val-o-week, and Secret Cupid. 

Currently, I live in Guelph with my husband Jeff Weber and I work at the University of Guelph as Manager of Internal Communications. I also volunteer with Wyndham House, a local organization that supports vulnerable youth, serve on the executive for the University of Guelph Professional Staff Association, and play clarinet in the Guelph Concert Band. I still enjoy baking new things, having board games nights, and playing music. 

Jono Cullar (BES 2015) 

Student Council President 2013-2014 
Now: President and Co-owner of Electraform Equipment, 
New Hamburg, ON 

headshot of Jono Cullar

The main focus of the student body was Grebel’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate Grebel’s birthday, Student Council started three projects: building tables and benches (which used lumber from trees cut down for the library addition to make benches), a mural, and a commissioned painting by Margaret Gissing. Jim Pankratz also retired as Dean during this time, and the new library and peace center were being built–noise was a big concern. 

Determining funding between official clubs and non-official clubs was an issue the Student Council faced. Gents, a social group for men, was inducted into the Larger Leadership Team (LLT) on a probationary basis. LLT facilitated handball tournaments, blood donations, bingo nights, documentary screenings, forums, the clean plate club, protests, and a myriad of other shenanigans. The Executive Team hosted events like pizza parties, mocktails, Grebel-wide games like Assassin, Froyo night, Olympics, Valo-week, and many more. Through the 100+ officially sponsored events, there seemed to be a nice variety of opportunities for student involvement. We also received $6,700 from SLEF funding to help fund new tables and chairs for the Morgue. 

Some of the memorable moments from that time were craving Community Supper bread, beach volleyball in the summer, Camp Trillium, off-campus dinner (where students living at Grebel had dinner with Grebel associates living off campus), Sock Wrestling, and the Gourmet Mac and Cheese competition. Another thing of note was that because of the construction project, the fire alarm went off what felt like weekly. A funny memory for me happened when I was meeting with Mary Brubaker-Zehr in her office, there was suddenly a loud crash, and a soccer ball shattered through her window. 


I am currently President and Co-owner of Electraform Equipment, which strives to accelerate the adoption of electric powered landscape equipment. 

Kayla Burmaster (Expected BA 2025)

Student Council President 2023-2024 
Now: current student at UWaterloo, Waterloo, ON 

During my time as StuCo President, the student body was primarily concerned with the discomfort that comes from years in isolation due to the pandemic. Students in their final year were itching to get back to the Grebel they loved in their first year, while some younger students felt more socially anxious about events or were avoiding them altogether. Despite this, the spirit of Grebel was still found in these students as they navigated supporting their friends. 

One of the biggest challenges faced at Grebel during my term was high rates of turnover in major staff roles at the College. I never thought I would be involved in StuCo, but as I was elected President in my fifth year, I found confidence in the sense of stability I brought to the people in new roles at Grebel. StuCo’s biggest achievement during my term was signing a new yearbook contract with Friesen’s. This also involved a lot of organizational work in our banking system (also a notable achievement). 

The social and political climate was fairly positive overall. Invigorating discussions happened at meals and late into the night when we should have been studying. Otherwise the community is still adjusting to life after a pandemic. Some discourse was created by disagreements over when people should wear a mask and if they should “fill the table.” Our traditions were Fort-Night, StuCo: Who Said It?, dances, coffee houses, club photo contest (StuCo recreated the last supper, featuring Conrad Grebel and a non-StuCo member posing as Judas. We won!) (Pictured below with Kayla on the left.) The funniest part of being on StuCo was the hilarious things people would say in meetings. The idea of a Grebel hot tub was often brought up and always shut down by lines such as “no, we will not have Grebel soup” and “no, we have a hot tub at home.” 

Currently I’m still living at Grebel, preparing for To Be Honest/TBH (the student orientation musical that used to be called Single & Sexy), and getting ready to do my final year of my undergrad in Music, Psychology, and Theatre and Performance.

student council dressed in togas around a conference table referencing the last supper painting