News

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.

Apartment-dwellers visit with Grebel’s Director of Operations Paul Penner outside their window and with Director of Student Services Mary Brubaker-Zehr via video chat.  Photo by Anna Kuepfer

Most of our lives have shifted dramatically in the past few weeks as we grapple with social isolation, educational upheaval, job changes, pandemic preparations, and health care emergencies surrounding COVID-19. Over the course of two weeks, the situation moved rapidly at Conrad Grebel University College

For complete information on Grebel and the University's response to COVID-19, visit UWaterloo's Coronavirus website.

A Message from the President

March 20, 2020

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.

Lukas Wormald of the Waterloo Warriors swim team has called Conrad Grebel University College home for the last two years. Lukas is in his second year of mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo and appreciates how living at Grebel suits his busy schedule.

Conrad Grebel University College on the University of Waterloo campus is known for its community ethos. While many students experience this atmosphere richly as a resident, there is another way to engage with Grebel’s community - the Associate program.

Grebel Students have supported the Homework Help initiative at Chandler Mowat Community Centre for more than five years. Currently about six Grebel students travel to Kitchener each week to tutor children in a variety of subjects at the community centre’s homework club. Ananya Xavier has been volunteering with Homework Help since her first year at university.

Engagement within the University of Waterloo and its University Colleges has been a defining element of Lorena Diller Harder’s university experience. Lorena is in her fourth year as a French major with a Teaching Specialization and a minor in History. She is also a candidate for the Global Experience Certificate, which recognizes student experiences in intercultural living and study. After studying abroad in France for her third year, Lorena decided that Conrad Grebel University College held the community she wanted to return to as she finished her university career.