Table of Contents
A Festival of Friends
Rotary Scholarship Winner Committed to the Field
When Generosity Does Not Make The News
Celebration in Song
Music Department Moves In
Sound in the Land 2014
MEDA Trip
Flashback Community Supper
John Paul Lederach to Receive Grebel's First Honorary Doctorate
MPAC Student Rewarded for Leadership
2013-2014 Award Recipients
Student Life
Extending the Table
Development
We're Moving In!
People
Calendar
A Festival of Friends
Canadian music icon, Bruce Cockburn, kicked off a seven city Ontario tour with a sold out solo concert at the Theatre Centre at UWaterloo on February 13th, 2014. “When our alumni committee brainstormed about having a special concert to celebrate our 50th anniversary, Bruce Cockburn was at the top of the list,” said Fred W. Martin, the College’s director of development. His music has always been popular with students and alumni at Grebel. His humanitarian work and his voice for social justice in places like Mozambique, Nepal, Central America and more recently in Iraq, have always struck a chord at Grebel.
The atmosphere in the theatre was electric, as 700 Grebel friends, alumni, and community members visited and reminisced before the concert. Cockburn thrilled the audience with a mix of old favourites, crowd pleasers, powerful social justice ballads, and some newer pieces, proving that after four decades of singing and song writing, Bruce Cockburn remains a world class musician.
The halls of the Grebel residence always echoed with Bruce Cockburn tunes. Over the years talent shows included Cockburn covers, letters in student newspapers discussed his newest albums, and many students explored deeper understandings of spirituality as the result of his music. A few years ago students even created a “Cockburn Vespers” service in the chapel. The link between music and peacemaking - both in lifestyle and academic programs - is a natural focus for the College.
In my second year, there was this crazy dude who developed a habit of crashing my dorm room after a hard run at the Bombshelter, because in that state, all he wanted to do was belt out Cockburn tunes and I was a willing accompanist. That friendship turned into a business partnership that remains strong to this day.
And throughout my university years, my fondest memories include my bass-playing friend and I lugging our guitars to whatever coffee house or open stage would let us on – always to play Cockburn tunes.
But when I consider Cockburn’s work, the thing I feel most is gratitude – for what it meant to us personally, for bringing us to consciousness, and for its own merits as just plain fantastic music. May there be many more years of it! It’s an honour, with these recollections, to be able to say, “Thanks, Bruce.”
Photos top to bottom:
1. Bruce Cockburn Performing
2. Brent Klassen gets his program signed by Bruce Cockburn
3. Lowell Ewert, Susan Schultz Huxman, and Laura Gray joke around with Bruce Cockburn after the concert
Shinjita Alam may be new to the Masters of Peace and Conflict Studies program, but she is certainly not new to the field of peace and conflict studies.
Born and raised in a fundamentalist Muslim family in Bangladesh, Shinjita denied an arranged marriage at the age of sixteen in order to pursue her education past high school. In 1992, she graduated from the University of Dhaka with a Masters degree in Social Welfare, in a class of few female students. Her own childhood experiences with gender-based discrimination led her to work with Families for Children, a non-profit, non-sectarian agency helping women and children in India and Bangladesh. In July 1993, Shinjita met members of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and began working with their programs in women’s income generation. She noticed immediately that community relationships were often strained because of constant quarrelling between individuals: mothers and their children, husbands and wives, and women among each other. To increase the women’s income but to do so without peace was not helpful, she observed.
Encouraged by MCC’s nonviolent approach to conflict resolution, Shinjita began to use her university training in order to transform these arguments. In 2007, she began the MCC Peace Program in Bangladesh and served as the administrator and program leader, training many MCC volunteers in conflict transformation strategies through workshops and larger forums. In 2008, she was nominated by the University of San Diego as one of four Woman Peacemakers of the Year. Since 2000, Shinjita’s desire for more education in conflict transformation has sent her to many parts of the world, including Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and the University of Pannasastra in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Shinjita plans to return to Bangladesh after completing her degree, and hopes to continue her work for non-profit organizations. “This degree will make me more confident to do the same work,” she said, adding that she might even serve in other parts of the world. grebel.ca/mpacs
When Generosity Does Not Make the News
by Susan Schultz Huxman, President
During the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Canadian speed skater, Gilmore Junio, made headlines with an extraordinary act of generosity. In the high-stakes competitive world of elite athletics, he did the unthinkable and he gave up his spot in the 1,000 metre long track race to a teammate. Not because he was injured or ill, but because he thought
Denny Morrison would give Team Canada a better chance to do well overall. For this noble, personal sacrifice, many in Canada called for Junio to carry the Canadian Flag in the closing ceremonies!
Deviant, unusual and novel behavior makes the news. And certainly Julio’s generous, selfless spirit was that. But viewed from the lens of Christian liberal arts education, these acts of kindness that make the news are understood as less random and less deviant than they are gifts of grace we learn to receive from a loving God and extend to others. It’s part of educating the whole student.
As 2 Corinthians teaches: “Each of you should give from your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” At Grebel we aim to support cheerful givers and outstanding scholars so that when generosity happens, it’s not viewed as a deviant news event!
You have to be an excellent student in the classroom to get into Conrad Grebel—we use the same admission standards as UWaterloo. But once you’re admitted, we don’t just care about marks! We support a culture of care and kindness. For example, these are some of the acts of kindness our students have been engaged in recently:
- A college wide paper airplane race to benefit the victims of the Tsunami in the Philippines, led by a student who was born there.
- The MAD (Make-a-Difference) Market sponsored by the Grebel Peace Society raised significant funds for Mary’s Place in Kitchener.
- At Ray of Hope, 12 students committed to going once a month to buy groceries, prepare the food and serve the food to over 200 homeless people.
- Several students are tutoring every Tuesday afternoon at House of Friendship.
- A group of Grebel students are helping our refugee student from Kenya (who has never seen snow) learn how to skate!
- Over Reading Week, 16 Grebel students went to St. Catharines to assist at a women’s homeless shelter and 15 students went to Staten Island in NY with Mennonite Disaster Service to repair storm damage there.
These simple and profound acts of generosity that happen every week continue long after Grebel students graduate.
Last month, two young alums stepped up “out of the blue” and sent us cheques to move us forward in our Annual Grebel Fund goal. Both just out a few years—still in their 20’s—still getting started—both gave us a cheque for $3,000 saying “we’re so thankful” for our time at Grebel.
You might be surprised at how few schools, especially post-secondary schools, do not mention kindness, generosity, or compassion in their campaign materials as part of their educational mission. All too eager to showcase academic excellence and scholarship opportunities—important features to be sure—few demonstrate what a culture of care looks like on campus and why it’s so very important to nurture.
In the spirit of broadly educating the whole student, our Mennonite schools, Grebel included, define success by how well we very intentionally nourish head, hands ….. and heart!
Celebration in Song
According to composer Tim Corlis, the Psalmist in Psalm 150 expresses the
“HalleluYah” with “instruments – trumpets, organs, cymbals, harps, strings, tambourines – many of them loud instruments, and then ends with the word, neshamah (נשׁמה), translated as breath, spirit: ‘Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!’ This is the same breath or soul that God gives in the Genesis creation story.” In setting Psalm 150 to music, Corlis describes the piece as “a journey up the mountain. We share earnest prayer and devotion in the beginning, and follow it by exuberance and excitement as we push on towards the summit. We may face fears of the unknown and the mysterious… wonder and awe as we climb higher. Life, breath, worship all at once, indistinguishable.”
This piece, commissioned by Conrad Grebel University College, was made possible with the Henry A. and Anna Schultz Memorial Fund. The fund, administered by the Mennonite Foundation of Canada, was established in 1982 by Lena Williams of St. Catharines, Ontario, in memory of her parents, Henry and Anna Schultz. Henry Schultz was a church music conductor and self-taught violinist, and all members of the family participated actively in singing and the playing of various instruments. Music, especially sacred music, was an important part of the life of the Schultz family and of their participation in Mennonite church life in rural Saskatchewan.
A recording of Corlis’ Psalm 150, performed by the Grebel choirs, is available online at www.timothycorlis.ca/composition/psalm-150/
Music Department Moves In
On December 27th, Grebel received long-awaited news – the first floor of our new addition
was ready! One student remarked that the new facilities are “awesome”, that there are lots of spaces to practice individually and as ensembles, and he appreciates the location of the new spaces close to the rest of the department. It already feels like a home.
President Schultz Huxman uses the mantra of “people, programs & facilities...in that order.”
“It also takes our generous donors – past, present and future – who are important partners in this endeavour. They are people who have been inspired by music and who have inspired others: their love of music and their inspiration lives on in tangible ways for our students. So we want to thank you, Diane (Daniels) & David Conrath, the Marshman family, John H. & Helen Dick, Fred & Pat Gray, the Persoage family, and Erma & Ervin Steinmann, as well as your families, on behalf of all the students, staff, and faculty. Thank you for your part in positively impacting the lives of our students who are a joy and inspiration to all of us.”
Photo: Diane Conrath (‘88) plays a tune while her husband David listens in the practice room named for them.
Gamelan Concert
Music Professor, Maisie Sum, has spent her first terms at Grebel teaching the courses of World Music and Understanding Music. And much to the delight of Music students, she is also leading a Gamelan ensemble. The ensemble has been well-received at their public performances, including in a local Mennonite church, at Community Supper, and at a Noon Hour Concert.
“In Bali, the idea of community and spirit of interaction is highly valued, and this extends to and is reflected in their music-making,” explained Maisie. “The ultimate goal of an ensemble is to achieve a unified musical expression. The notion of interlocking musical parts [within gamelan music] is a way to share work, which reinforces and reflects the practice of mutual help so important to community life.”
The Gamelan Ensemble will perform on April 1 at 1:30pm in the UW Student Life Centre, April 2 at 12:30pm in the Grebel Chapel, and April 3 at Luther Village Great Hall at 7pm. You can see footage of the Gamelan at youtube.com/ConradGrebelUC
Bechtel Lectures
The 2014 Bechtel Lectures in Anabaptist/Mennonite Studies invited two guest speakers this year. Steven Nolt, professor of History at Goshen College, spoke on Writing the Amish into North American History, reflecting on the ways scholars have written the Amish into narratives of life and meaning in North America.
Royden Loewen, Chair of Mennonite Studies and Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg, presented about Writing low German Mennonites into a history of Canada. In this lecture he considered how the concept of ‘transnationalism’ can add depth and complexity to nation-centric histories of Canada and its Mennonites. Watch online at grebel.ca/bechtel
Steven Nolt stands with Lester Bechtel and Royden Loewen.
Look Behind You!
The Peace and Conflict Studies Department and the Centre for the Study of Religion and Peace at Conrad Grebel hosted Northern Irish singer songwriter, Steafán Hanvey for several days in February. While on campus, Steafán captivated students as a guest speaker/performer in Chapel, Community Supper, a music class, and a “Thursday Talk” with the PACS department. He also presented Look Behind You! - a multimedia performance that detailed how a father and son negotiated the personal and political landscapes of Northern Ireland during “The Troubles,” presented through photograph and song.
Lecturer Provides a taste of South Africa
Carol Muller (left in the photo above), Professor of Music (ethnomusicology) at the University of Pennsylvania, was the 2014 Rod and Lorna Sawatsky Visiting Scholar. Muller has published widely on South African music. Her intellectual interests include the relationship between music, gender and religious studies, migration and Diaspora studies, and critical ethnography. During her visit, Muller spoke in several classes, presented in a Faculty Forum, and gave the Sawatsky Lecture entitled, A Voice in Exile, a portrait of the South African born jazz singer Sathima Bea Benjamin. Most memorable to Music students however, was the Gumboot dance workshop (pictured above), where students learned some basic steps to the South African dance - a communication method originally employed by gold miners, and now a cultural ritual. The Sawatsky Lecture recording is available at grebel.ca/sawatsky
Sound in the Land 2014
Musicians and environmentalists will be in dialogue, as we discover new ways to listen to the earth and create musical and verbal responses to the planet in this stressed time of climate change, overwhelming human population, and shrinking natural habitats.
Photos:
1.Tilly Kooyman, clarinetist, environmental music performer
2.Margie Mills, Naturalist from South Africa
MEDA Trip
by Emily Mininger, Peace and Conflict Studies student
On November 7th, four students flew from Waterloo to Wichita, Kansas to attend the annual Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) convention. Sponsored by Conrad Grebel and the local MEDA chapter, students were able to attend the 4 day convention and engage with the work being done by MEDA and their supporters, as well as compete in a case competition against teams from other Mennonite universities. Grebel’s participants (pictured right) were Drew Warkentin (a Systems Design Engineering student), Eric Tichbourne (an Economics student), Jono Cullar (an Environment and Business student), and Sarah MacKeil (an English Arts and Business student).
The team of Grebel students participated in a Student Case Competition. Six teams analyzed the business practices of a real business in Newton, Kansas and came up with proposals of how to improve these practices. The proposals were then presented in a 30 minute pitch to one of the business owners and two MEDA staff, who picked the best proposal and awarded winners $100 each. The diverse team put much hard work and effort into the competition, meeting to work on their proposal for a month prior to the convention. Although Goshen College won the competition, the Grebel team recognizes that it was still a great opportunity to put the theories they have learned in class into practice through analyzing an actual business and inventing creative solutions.
Flashback Community Supper
Esther Etchells (‘67) and Richard Dyck (‘67) shared some of their memories from their time as students in the 1960s, giving current students great new/old ideas for pranks and helping them realize just how amazing their food is today.
Richard recalled “pennying” or “clotheslining” the doors of residence rooms to lock people in (particularly the girls), completely filling rooms with newspaper, and the time they moved an entire VW car into the building. With no personal computers or calculators, students used a slide rule. And in computer classes it was necessary to run programs through a punch card reader at the main frame IBM computer. Richard also spoke of “romantic rendezvous” in “the Passion Pit” - also known as the lower lounge.
“There was a lot of fun,” commented Esther. “A lot of creative ideas were sparked amongst students in terms of life changing beliefs through discussions, chapel, and Dr. Klaassen’s interactions, as well as the deep example of service and sharing that Dr. Fretz, first president, modelled in so many ways. Grebel helped to shape our young beliefs and future. And Grebel has since helped to create a very large number of visible and not so visible leaders that the world can benefit from. Grebel gave us a sense of community and its importance. For some of us it has also given us friends that we’ve stayed connected with for almost 5 decades.”
Richard Dyck and Esther Etchells
Sixties Era Reunion
On Saturday, September 27th, sixties era alumni are once again invited back to the College to see old friends, reminisce about old times, regale each other with stories, and to partake in some delicious food. Watch for your invitation in the mail. grebel.ca/reunion
John Paul Lederach to Receive Grebel’s First Honorary Doctorate
Conrad Grebel University College will confer its first honorary doctorate to John Paul Lederach at its Convocation ceremony on April 13, 2014.
At Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute, where he has taught for 13 years, Lederach also directs the Peace Accords Matrix. He is the author of 22 books, most recently When Blood and Bones Cry Out: Journeys through the Soundscape of Healing and Reconciliation (with Angela Lederach).
An internationally recognized figure for his pioneering work in conflict transformation, Lederach is involved in conciliation work in Colombia, the Philippines, and Nepal, plus countries in East and West Africa. He has helped design and conduct training programs in 25 countries across five continents.
“Lederach is an exemplary scholar and innovative peace practitioner on the world stage,” said Grebel President Susan Schultz Huxman. “He is a natural fit for Grebel’s first honorary doctoral degree because he embodies the best of our signature academic areas in peace and conflict studies, religion and theological studies, and music and the creative arts. He emphasizes the importance of Anabaptist/Mennonite education and is an inspiring teacher and storyteller.”
Appropriately, Lederach will offer the address at this year’s convocation ceremony as the College celebrates the first graduates from the new Master in Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) at Conrad Grebel and the University of Waterloo. Degrees will be conferred to Master of Theological Studies graduates at this ceremony while undergrads from the Grebel residence, Music and PACS programs, who receive their degrees at the University of Waterloo convocation services, will also be recognized.
Join us for a public forum with Lederach:
Conrad Grebel is pleased to announce that Janelle Saldanha, a first year student in the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies, is the inaugural winner of the Landau Family Scholarship. Janelle completed her Honors Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science at the University of Toronto last year. While at school she worked with the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Mississauga, The Ontario March of Dimes, the Centre for Education and Training in Mississauga, and most recently has been volunteering as a mediator at the Dixie Bloor Conflict Resolution Centre. Janelle’s long term goal is to work more directly in the field of mediation and conflict management and she is looking forward to her upcoming internship placement at Community Justice Initiatives in Kitchener.
This Award honours the legacy of Sy Landau, a highly respected member of the Alternate Dispute Resolution community. The award promotes training for students working toward the Conflict Management Certificate. It particularly helps participants who have an interest in mediation and dispute resolution and who are giving leadership or have potential to provide leadership through application of mediation or dispute resolution skills and knowledge, with a goal of constructive social change.
Susan Baker, Manager of the Certificate Program in Conflict Management at Grebel, said “We are delighted to be recipients of scholarship funding for our continuing education program. The Landau family has had a significant impact in the mediation and peace field, and we believe that Janelle represents many of the qualities that will uphold the values and work they embrace.”
Awards
Rotary Award Winner Creates a Hope-filled Society
Currently, Marg is the Executive Director and Community Leader for L’Arche in Stratford. Having been involved with L’Arche in various capacities for 24 years, Marg whole-heartedly believes in their motto, “change one heart
at a time.” L’Arche participants inspire Marg with their resiliency and hopefulness.
Initially studying in the field of Applied Social Science and Theology, Marg worked for a number of years as a Pastoral Minister for Youth in both Canada and the United States. She also became an affiliate of the Society of Mary (Marianists) whose mission is to build communities of faith at every stage of life’s journey. “Building community through relationship is a passion of mine and something I feel called to do both in my work and in my volunteering activities,” reflects Marg. “My interest lies in how conflict provokes growth and therefore builds resilience in people and organizations. This in turn, I believe, can create a more hope-filled society and move towards positive community change.” uwaterloo.ca/conflict-management
Congratulations to our scholarship and award winners. Thank you to all those who have set up memorial scholarships and awards to honour family members, as well as friends who have given freely.
Jean Caya Music Award
Jane Honek, April Mansfield
Clemens Scholarships in Music
Jacob Degroot-Maggeti, Hannah Dotzert, Melissa Pettau, Nicole Simone
Agnes Giesbrecht Choral Music Scholarship
Sae Lon Lee
Rudolf and Hedwig Rempel Music Award
Michelle Dao, Laura Easson, Niamh Kinsella, Ingira Reimer, Janelle Santi
William Dick PACS Field Study Award
Emily Mininger
Becky Frey Student Scholarship
Rachel Krueger
Global Conflict Management and Transformation Award
Babina Kharel
Walter and Mary Hougham PACS Award
Chantal Davidson, Claire Davies, Kenneth Hildebrand, Kailee Hilt
Vic and Rita Krueger Family PACS Award
Hari KC Bahadur, Katrina Draper, Wali Muhammad
Elliot I. McLoughry Fund Scholarship
Claire Davies
PACS Certificate Bursary
Benjamin Bauman, Senduran Bhakthakumaran, Kelly Brown, Brent Charette, Patricia Dorsey, Rod Friesen, Adam King, Sarah Klassen, Michael Quartermain, Lorena Rodriguez, Victoria Lynn Walker
PACS Internship Award
Kristina Bartold, Jenna Bott, Jessica Burns, Rebekah DeJong, Katrina Draper, Kiara Elliott, Kaitlyn Gingerich, Katiana Konig, Emily Mininger, Stephanie Myers
Peter C. and Elisabeth Williams Memorial Fund Scholarship
Hannah Enns
Lina Wohlgemut Award
Babina Kharel, Janessa Mann
Landau Family Scholarship
Janelle Saldanha
MPACS Internship
Melody Chen, Noe Gonzalia, Babina Kharel, Rachel Reist
MPACS Student Support
Hari KC Bahadur, Benjamin Bauman, Alexandra Bly, Kelly Brown, Melody Chen, Patricia Dorsey, Jessica Dyck, David Eagle, Martha Ferguson, Cristian Fox, Rod Friesen, Noe Gonzalia, Yelena Gyulkhandanyan, James Janzen, Babina Kharel, Darren Kropf, Wali Muhammad, Kaylee Perez, Rachel Reist, Khan Salahuddin, Janelle Saldanha, Ellen Sikorski, Marijana Tomic, Soroosh Vafapoor, Jahan Zeb
Rotary Peace Scholarship Award
Shinjita Alam, Margaret Van Herk-Paradis
Magdalena Coffman Scholarship
Chris Brnjas
J.H. Janzen Award
Stuart Blyde, Michael Turman
Full Time TS Tuition Award
David Alas, Stuart Blyde, Isaiah Boronka, Chris Brnjas, Rafael Duerksen, Sean East, Julie Eby, Thomas Fisher, Melanie Kampen, Maxwell Kennel, Zacharie Klassen, Alvis Pettker, Carmen Ramirez, Rebecca Thomson, Michael Turman, Heike Walker, Kyle Wijnands, Dustin Zender
MCEC Pastors Award
Jonathan Brubacher, Ben Cassels, Ken Driedger, Norman Dyck, Sean East, Randell Neudorf, Joshua Penfold, Michael Turman
Jane Plas Scholarship
Michael Turman
AJ Reimer Award at TMTC
Kim Penner
Reimer Scholarship in Theological Studies
Isaiah Boronka, Zacharie Klassen
Clifford Snyder Memorial Bursary
Carmen Ramirez
Stephen Family Theological Studies Entrance Award
Thomas Fisher
Jacob Andres Achievement Scholarship
Kerstin Balzer-Peters
Dorothy E. Bechtel Award
Abby Neufeld Dick
College Anniversary Legacy Award
Kerstin Balzer-Peters, Emily Brubaker-Zehr, James Cober, Jonathan de Leyer, David DeVries, Johnny Friesen, Jonna Gladwell, Nathan Henderson, Michelle Koop, Luna (Xiaowan) Lu, Maggie MacDonald, Sarah MacKeil, Christine Maiolo, Marnel Muller, Daniel Rabinovitch, Janelle Santi, Emily Shuh, Rebecca Skolud, Robin Taves, Leah Toews
Eby Leadership Award
Erin Scott
Alice Eisen Leadership Award
Peter Brown, Nathan Henderson
Arnold C. Gingrich Memorial Fund Award
Rachel Dyck, Hannah Enns, Margaret Gissing, Robert Gooding-Townsend, Sara Harder, Vanessa Lachance, Marnel Muller, Robin Taves
Good Foundation Scholarship
Jonathan Cullar, Hannah Enns, Kenneth Hildebrand
Grebel Student Award
Sara Harder, James Loewen, Selina Long
Hildebrand Family Award
Jessica Clancy, Cameron Deweerd, Michelle Good, Liza Klassen, Ryan Martens, Rebekah Winter
Out of Province Mennonite Entrance Award
Anna Cullar, Mika Driedger, Erik Weber, Joel Wiebe Neufeld
Robin Coupland Jutzi Scholarship
Tess Fleming
MCEC Quizzer of the Year
Brett Kropf
David Regier Student Award
Stephanie Bauman, Kristen Bonney, Sawyer Hogenkamp, Clara Hoover, Laura Martin
Residence Entrance Award
Liam Palmer
Lucinda Robertson Scholarship
Gibo Shim
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate Diploma Award
Micah Brubaker-Zehr, Micah Diller Harder, Robyn Gossen
Sauer Family Award
Kaitlyn Norris, Harvey Tang
George E. and Louise Schroeder Award
Perry Everett, Emily Mininger
Stauffer Entrance Award
Mack Gingerich, Ingira Reimer
Student Council Award
Felicia Abbruzzese, Katy Moes, Emma Reesor, David VanderWindt
Upper Year Residence Award
Timothy Greenwood,
Anneke Pries-Klassen
Volunteerism Residence Entrance Award
Fnane Berhane, Zab Cope, River Wong
Joan Weber Award
Margaret Gissing, Natasha Martin, Austin Penner
Nathan Paul Krueger Wiebe Award
Jacob Winter
Kim Penner wins the A. James Reimer Award at TMTC
Thanks to the financial support of the A. James Reimer award, this semester Kim is pursuing her passion for academia and furthering her research by attending and presenting a paper at the Mennonite Church USA Women’s Conference. The title of her paper is: “Sacred yet Insufficient: The use of Scripture as a source in a Mennonite-Feminist approach to Sexual Ethics.” The award also makes it possible for Kim to progress more quickly through her degree by allowing her to focus primarily on her studies.
The A. James Reimer award is awarded annually to a Mennonite student completing an advanced degree program at TST. The award recognizes the work of Jim Reimer in establishing the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre. TMTC provides a Mennonite presence at the University of Toronto in order to engage in theological conversation at an advanced degree level and to support Anabaptist students.
Student Life
God and Goodness Revealed
by Emily Hunsberger, English and History student
On Tuesday we joined in a weekly rock-climbing outing with shelter residents, volunteers, and staff. There were only two rules: climb hard and cheer hard. On Saturday we joined the shelter residents for a euchre tournament and games night and even taught our new friends how to play Dutch Blitz! Sunday morning we gathered with residents, volunteers, staff, and church members to watch the Olympic gold medal hockey game. These encounters forced us to confront our own stereotypes and even fears that some of us had had about homeless people. Homelessness is not and cannot be an “us and them” relationship. We are all the same.
Every day we heard from various former residents of the shelter who told us their stories. Through these stories, we witnessed both brokenness and beauty. We learned that telling your story is a fundamental aspect of humanity, and that every person’s story is significant, even our own. After a week of hearing these dramatic and beautiful stories, many of us found ourselves trivializing our own stories, thinking that our lives are not as meaningful. But you don’t need to have sorrow in your life to make it worth something. Any life is one of great importance. We found that once you acknowledge your self-worth you can then devote your life to working for others and forming meaningful, honest relationships.
The shelter has a number of core values, one of which is beauty, in which they realize the need to balance beauty and brokenness. This polarity reminds me of the psalms, many of which are lamentations. It is often in these sorrowful poems that the power of beauty, God and goodness reveals itself most beautifully.
Rebuilding Hope
by Katrina Plenert and Jonna Gladwell
On our last day, our entire group was very fortunate to participate in a “home dedication,” where we blessed a house MDS had helped to rebuild. There was a short service which involved some reading of scripture, as well as song and prayer. It was encouraging for our team to see a family settled in their home - possible because of hundreds of hours of teamwork.
We sincerely enjoyed and valued volunteering with MDS. Our team learned about the impact and trauma a hurricane can cause on a city as a whole, as well as on individuals. We came home from our trip with a new set of handy skills, which we look forward to using in the future to rebuild more homes, and more hope!
Grebel’s weekly Community Suppers have long been a staple of life within our walls. Now bringing supper to the Ray of Hope community is also becoming a vital Grebel tradition.
A Christian organization started in 1967, Ray of Hope serves nightly hot meals to around 250 guests out of their community centre in Kitchener. The meals are all prepared by volunteers and cooked in homes or church kitchens. Their outreach programs began by offering support to men serving prison sentences, but now extend a supportive hand to those “struggling with crime, addiction, or homelessness.”
The support has been overwhelming. Around ten students gather on the last Monday of every month to chop onions, peel potatoes, and fry veggies for jambalaya, chilli, or shepherd’s pie - dishes that can be prepared quickly, reheated easily, and are filling. Volunteers meet the following day at the Ray of Hope community centre to make final preparations on the food, to butter mountains of bread, and to serve it in the Ray of Hope dining room.
Recent changes to Waterloo Region’s public health policy now make it imperative that food served to the public is prepared in a kitchen that has undergone a health inspection. This has complicated the cooking process for Ray of Hope’s large home and church-based volunteer core. Now even more important under these new circumstances, Grebel students have seamlessly continued their contribution to the program, cooking in Grebel’s industrial kitchen. While Ian is away on co-op this term, second year Grebel associate Emma Carroll has taken over the job of shopping for ingredients and managing volunteers.
With committed participants and consistent new interest, the student organizers plan to continue cooking, serving, learning, and living out their faith. It is a true “Community Supper” when the table extends outside the walls of our College.
A Time to Work and a Time to Play
Above: Peace Society organized the annual Make-A-Difference Market, to support local artisans and raise money for Mary’s Place, an emergency shelter.
Below: Students and Faculty/Staff faced off again for their much anticipated annual patio hockey game.
Development
Celebrating 40 years of philanthropy
by Brent Thornhill, Communications Associate, University of Waterloo
George and Louise Schroeder are passionate about helping university students get a great education. Through a fund they established in 1973, the Schroeders have been helping students at Conrad Grebel University College for four decades. The George and Louise Schroeder Residence Award was one of the first to be established for students living in residence at Conrad Grebel.
“Back then, Grebel was in its early stages of development. We thought one way to help grow the school’s population was to support students through scholarships,” explains George.
“Our campus is a close-knit community and this award recognizes students who enhance the Grebel experience of those around them,” says Conrad Grebel President Susan Schultz Huxman. Previous recipients have been involved in campus orientation week, student council, the Peace Society, and have served as residence Dons.
Although the Schroeders themselves are not Grebel alumni, two of their children lived at the college and are Waterloo alumni.
The couple enjoys the opportunity to connect with students who have received their support over the years. “It is so gratifying to hear from students who have benefited from our giving,” says Louise. “We enjoy attending events where we get to talk with students who come from all over the world to attend this great institution. We feel very much a part of the Grebel family.”
During Conrad Grebel’s annual Scholarship and Bursary Awards celebration, George and Louise were recognized for their outstanding philanthropy. “We are proud that, over the years, we have helped more than 80 students to have a wonderful university experience,” says George.
Next Chapter Campaign Update
The response to the Next Chapter Campaign has been unprecedented and we are deeply grateful for your support and the gifts from over 1,000 alumni, donors, parents and students. Already $6.2 million has been raised toward our estimated expenses of $8.7 million. We have worked hard to control our costs and as we wrap up our campaign, support is needed to help purchase furnishings and to reduce our carrying costs.
Photo: Music donors visited the first floor to check out the finished facilities! This is the large music classroom.
Estate Bequest Fulfilled
The highlight of her university experience was a Music and Culture travel education course in Vienna where she met and became lifelong friends with Grebel music professor Bill Maust and his wife Miriam. Bill and Miriam recall Liz as a student with a wonderful mind and spirit.
Liz considered the travel course to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and included a planned gift for music and travel education in her will.
On December 13, 2012, Liz passed away at the age of 93. Thanks to her generosity and love of travel and adventure, the Helen (‘Liz’) Lane Music and Culture Award was established in her name. This award will support travel expenses for students who want to participate in a University of Waterloo Music Department Music and Culture course.
We’re Moving In!
This bright space on the first floor is used for a variety of small instrumental ensembles and is now home to our Gamelan. The studio is connected to the Digital Music Lab so our musicians can record their work on the equipment in the lab. Naming opportunities remain for the Rehearsal Studio, the Digital Music Lab, and an additional study room.
Last week, Grebel’s 6th President, Henry Paetkau, stopped in to check out the finished Henry Paetkau Seminar Room. It will be used primarily for our graduate courses and is adjacent to the John Toews Atrium and the new reception area.
The new section of the Milton Good Library, named for Grebel’s founding board chair, is open for business and the old section is getting renovated.
The Mennonite Archives of Ontario are at the core of our new facilities. The movable shelving has tripled our capacity to store treasures of our Mennonite heritage. Archivist-Librarian, Laureen Harder-Gissing is pleased to be using this space.
The Frank and Helen Epp peace incubator is taking shape. It will provide 6 work spaces that can be used for flexible periods of time.
The Curwin and Jill Weber Friesen Study Room
Graduates of the University of Waterloo, Curwin and Jill Weber Friesen, have fond memories of Conrad Grebel, where they met. Curwin completed a BA in Economics in 1993 and Jill a BA in Social Development Studies in 1992. They make their home in Altona, Manitoba and feel that it is important for alumni of all eras to remember Grebel and support future generations of students. The new “Curwin and Jill Weber Friesen Study Room” will be located in the renovated section of the Milton Good Library, overlooking Laurel Lake.
A Grand Opening for the new facility is scheduled for Sunday, June 22 at 3PM.
For photo and updates visit:
grebel.ca/building
Grebel is coming to a town near you!
Niagara Alumni Event
May 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm
The Good Earth Food & Wine Co.
Beamsville, ON
Join us for visiting and wine tasting with Grebel Friends & Alumni from Niagara!
$10/person
grebel.ca/reunion
Waterloo Region Alumni Event
Wednesday, May 21st at 5:30 pm
Brubacher House
North Campus, UWaterloo
We invite local KW Friends & Alumni to enjoy a family BBQ with Commie supper bread, games on the grass, bouncy castle, and Brubacher House tours.
$10/person, $25/family
grebel.ca/reunion
People
Lisa Weidner Adams (‘88) received her Master’s Degree in Education in School Counseling. Lisa lives in Lancaster with her husband Scott and daughters Sydney (10) and Emma (7).
Diane Holtby (‘11) graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2013 with a B.Ed for Junior/Intermediate with specialization in Vocal Music. Diane now works at Scholars’ Hall, a private school in Kitchener, as a French and Music teacher.
Brian Orr (‘98) and Steven Brenneman (‘98) won the 2013 “Team Alumni Achievement Medal” from UWaterloo Engineering. Together with Tony Jedlovsky, Brian and Steve started a software company, Jedor. Later purchased by Sonic Foundry, and then by Sony, the company remained committed to developing cutting-edge software products and dedication to growing a dynamic team that includes Waterloo Engineering co-op students and alumni.
Patrick Quealey (’02) and family recently relocated to Toronto from Ottawa to take on a new challenge as Manager of Policy and Aboriginal Affairs at Environment Canada’s regional office. Despite numerous attempts to leave the federal government, the opportunity to lead a team of six policy officers, build a network of Ontario based stakeholders, work on key policy issues and build/improve relationships with First Nations and Aboriginal peoples, was too good an offer to refuse.
Sabotage plots? Innocent people interned in camps? The danger hits close to home for battling siblings Saara and John. Can they work together to save their family? Sabotage is an adventure tale based on real espionage, sabotage, and paranoia in Canada during the First World War.” Karen lives with her husband Will (’80), a software developer with Integrity Software Solutions, in Kelowna, BC.
Deanne (Gingrich) Antoine (‘09) completed her MA in Ethnomusicology at York University in Toronto in June 2012. She is now working at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) in Waterloo as an Office Assistant. Deanne got married in October 2011.
Master of Peace and Conflict Studies student, Hari Bahadur, was the 2013 recipient of the Helmut Braun Memorial Scholarship Award. Helmut Braun was strong student and activist at Grebel in the 80’s, as well as a local advocate for the rights of people with mental health and other life struggles. Hari has an MA in English from Nepal and has worked for the BBC World Service Trust, Carter Centre, and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. His interests include conflicts in South Asia, conflict resolution, transitional justice systems, civil society, social justice and diplomacy.
Grebel Faculty
Jeremy Bergen has been approved for tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Religious and Theological Studies, beginning in July. He will also assume the position of Director of Theological Studies starting in May.
Troy Osborne has been renewed for another 3 year appointment on his continuing contract as Assistant Professor of History.
Ed Janzen was renewed for 4 years as Chaplain.
President Susan Schultz Huxman released the 5th edition of her book, The Rhetorical Act: Thinking, Speaking, and Writing Critically. Co-authored with Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Thomas R. Burkholder, this textbook is used internationally.
Alicia Batten recently published two articles. “Rotting Riches: Economics in the Letter of James,” in Vision explores passages in James which centre on the rich and the poor, with attention to some of the ancient criticisms of earning money from money and storing up wealth. “The Urban and the Agrarian in the Letter of James,” published in Journal of Early Christian History argues that James drew from the Roman literary practice of contrasting the urban with the agrarian, and uses such a contrast to undergird some of the moral teaching in the letter.
New Music Professor, Maisie Sum, has published an article, “Music for the Unseen: Interaction between Two Realms During a Gnawa Lila” in African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music. “Moroccan Gnawa music is intended for sacred rituals called lila,” Maisie writes. “This paper investigates how variation in musical processes correlate during a single performance of trance.”
Calendar
Including Some of our 50 Events for 50 Years
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 7:00pm
“Limits to Force: Why
Contemporary Wars Are Rarely Won”
Friday, March 28, 2014 at 7:00pm
Leamington Alumni Wine Tasting & Reception
Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 2:00pm
Stage Band Concerts
Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 7:30pm
Instrumental Chamber Ensembles
Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 7:00pm
Gamelan Ensemble
Friday, April 4, 2014 at 8:00pm
Earth Teach Me: UW Chamber Choir Concert
Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 2:00pm
Convocation
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 5:30pm
KW & Area Alumni BBQ at Brubacher House
Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 4:00pm
Niagara Alumni Wine Tasting & Reception
May 28-30, 2014
Mennonite Education Agency
Marpeck Conference
June 5-9, 2014
Sound in the Land 2014
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Ribbon Cutting for New Building
Thursday, June 26, 2014 at 6:30pm
Ralph and Eileen Lebold Fundraising Banquet
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Celebrating International Day of Peace:
PACS Lecture featuring Lisa Schirch
Friday, November 14, 2014 at 9:00am
Spirituality and Aging Seminar
Show your Grebel spirit!
aenns@uwaterloo.ca 519-885-0220 x24217
Fleece blanket-$20, Umbrella-$15, Grebel mug and coaster-$5, Bridging Mind & Spirit book-$20, Women’s red zippered hoodie-$50, Men’s black zippered hoodie-$50, Women’s lilac t-shirt-$10, Unisex dust or blue t-shirt-$10, Kids Future Grebelite t-shirt-$8
Ralph and Eileen Lebold Fundraising Dinner
June 26, 2014
Tickets $50 with a $25 receipt
For tickets, register online at
grebel.ca/lebold
or contact Alison Enns at
519-885-0220 x 24217 or aenns@uwaterloo.ca