“Grebel is beyond what I wanted; it’s what I needed,” said Elizabeth Ahing, a current resident at Conrad Grebel University College. She is also an upper-year student at Wilfrid Laurier University, working toward a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in Leadership.
The nominations for the 52nd Annual Juno Awards were announced this week, naming some of Canada’s top musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, and more. Included in the nominations is Mark Vuorinen, Associate Professor and Chair of Music at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo, along with The Elora Singers!
As the Artistic Director and Conductor of The Elora Singers, Vuorinen and the choir have been nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble) for their release of Radiant Dawn: Music for Advent and Christmas.
Dr. Darla Schumm will give the 2023 Sawatsky Visiting Scholar Lecture at Grebel. Dr. Schumm’s lecture will speak on “The Power of Misfitting: Disrupting Sinner, Saint, and Super Crip Controlling Images.” Pulling from theories outlined by Patricia Hill Collins, Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, and others, she will identify the mechanisms in today's religious communities that systemically designate disabled people as inferior. Schumm will raise the concept of power that comes with misfitting and redefine preconceived notions.
The vocal music sphere at Conrad Grebel University College welcomes a new scholarship for passionate students taking Music Studio in Voice, and who sing in a Music Department choir at the University of Waterloo and Grebel. The “Lichti Voice Studies Scholarship Award” was graciously established by Daniel Lichti, an Associate Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University (1998-2017).
To look back on Issa Ebombolo’s (MPACS 2017) career thus far is to look back on a journey of leadership, collaboration, and great accomplishments. From developing a peace curriculum, helping develop programs and support for refugee camps, and now, in his current role, working with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as Peacebuilding Coordinator for Zambia and Malawi, he has helped promote peace and restorative justice in all that he does. It is fitting that he has been chosen as the 2022 recipient of Conrad Grebel University College’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
Grebel Professor Derek Suderman is passionate about connecting with global Anabaptist churches and contributing to cross-cultural teaching. This summer, he taught courses in Cuba and Thailand to resource the Global Mennonite Church.
“When our students think about the future, climate change is their single greatest concern,” noted Conrad Grebel University College President Marcus Shantz. “Grebel must respond in ways that generate hope and inspiration for our students.”
At the Annual General Meeting held on October 4, Conrad Grebel University College President Marcus Shantz provided an overview to Grebel’s new Strategic Plan. Entitled “Renewing an Inspired Community,” Shantz noted that, “the main hope our stakeholders expressed was for Grebel to thrive in the future. No one advised us to radically change our identity, our programs, or our mission. Rather, they encouraged us to be good stewards of the College in the face of various challenges and pressures, so that it endures for the benefit of future generations.”
During orientation week this year, master’s students in Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) and Theological Studies (MTS), plus faculty and staff at Conrad Grebel University College were invited to participate in a tour of the Brubacher House Museum on the University of Waterloo campus, followed by a virtual tour of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, offered by the Woodland Cultural Centre. Participants were encouraged to stay afterward to discuss anything that may be coming up for us after these two tours.
The air was buzzing at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo on September 3, as new students moved into the residence, accompanied by their parents and welcomed by enthusiastic upper-year students. The energy that comes with starting something new continued all week and was evident across the entire University of Waterloo campus, with groups of new students – many on campus for the first time – navigating new friendships, locating classrooms, and adjusting to life on their own.