News

Helen Martens, Conrad Grebel University College’s first music faculty member, passed away on Thursday, April 9 at the age of 92, surrounded by family in Winnipeg. She last visited Grebel in 2013 during the College’s 50th anniversary.

Grebel staff and faculty remember Helen Martens for her extensive contributions to the Music Department and the College community.

The only visitors to the Grebel campus these days have feathers. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, students, faculty, and staff have settled into a new normal of working and studying from home.

When assignments pile up and due dates loom, the act of writing can become a stressful task for university students. Emilie Chase and her fellow GrebelSpeaks team have been working to change that. GrebelSpeaks is Conrad Grebel University College’s monthly publication that is written for Grebel students by Grebel students.

On March 11, three Grebel students competed in the C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest. This Peace Speeches competition invites students from Mennonite and Be in Christ colleges and universities across Canada and the United States to present speeches exploring the application of the Christian peace position to contemporary concerns.

The Mennonite Historical Society of Canada is utilizing the resources of Mennonite universities in Canada to research and write an updated history book on the history of Mennonites in Canada from 1970-2020. They have invited Conrad Grebel University College (Grebel) Archivist-Librarian Laureen Harder-Gissing to co-author this book with Brian Froese, Associate Professor of History at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU).

Facilitating engaging classes is just one of the ways that Lowell Ewert cares for and supports students in achieving their goals. Lowell is Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) at Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo. Originally a lawyer, he researches the ways that peace interacts with human rights, law, and civil society. His teaching and in-class discussions empower students to apply what they are learning in whatever vocation they find themselves.

The 2020 Bechtel Lectures in Anabaptist-Mennonite Studies at Conrad Grebel University College will examine Mennonite agriculture around the world and how this vocation directly impacts the lives of farmers. The Bechtel Lectures provide an opportunity to gain understanding of Mennonite history, identity, faith and culture across disciplines. “Food & Faith: Mennonites Farming Locally and Globally” will explore these themes in a film screening and a breakfast panel.

Music and Mathematics have been connected disciplines in the minds of psychologists and neuroscientists for years. An increasing number of studies have been carried out to link the effects of music on mathematical skills and vice versa. Many of these studies have found correlations between above-average musical abilities and above-average math performance.

The newest course offered by the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program at Grebel may seem more like a math course, but in fact, it is open to students from all faculties regardless of a student’s comfort (or discomfort) with math.

Every year, on September 21, the world celebrates the International Day of Peace. Established by the United Nations in 1981, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to build a culture of peace. Inspired by this initiative, the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College invites students, staff, and faculty at the University of Waterloo to attend peace events from September 16 to 22.