PACS Bi-Weekly Newsletter - February 4, 2022

Friday, February 4, 2022
Image of the sea in winter with the text

Hello PACS Students,
I hope that everyone is doing well with their classes and that everyone is staying healthy and warm in this cold weather. Below, I have attached events, job opportunities, and resources you might use.

Highlights:

  • Grebel convocation forms are due no later than Tuesday, March 1. For more information about Grebel's Convocation, view our events section. 
  • The PACS Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest is being held on March 2nd, 2022 at 7PM in the Grebel Gallery. 
  • View our Internship and Job Opportunities section to learn more about PACS fully funded Internship opportunities. 

Important dates: 

  • The last day to drop a class with a grade of Withdrawn, no credit given is February 28th.
  • Reading week is from February 19th - 27th.

Upcoming Events

Grebel Convocation

If you have or are completing your studies, and plan to graduate, in Winter 2022, Spring 2022 or Fall 2022 then: 

  1. Fill in Grebel’s Convocation form –, no later than Tuesday, March 1.  This does not replace your University of Waterloo “Application to Graduate” form. 
  2. Fill in Grebel’s form even if you do not plan to attend our convocation event. We will list all graduating students in our program and transition you to Grebel alumni status! 
  3. All students who submit Grebel’s form (deadline is March 1) will be considered for and can participate in the selection of Grebel’s 2022 undergraduate valedictorian (see below for more information on valedictorians). 

If you do plan to participate in Grebel’s Convocation event then: 

  1. You should indicate your intent to participate on our convocation form. 
  2. The celebration will happen on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 2pm in the Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages Building 
  3. In advance of our celebration day please advise your family and friends of the date and time. You may direct them to Grebel’s Convocation Webpage for details. 

A Note Regarding Guests: We have booked the Modern Languages, Theatre of the Arts and hope to hold an in-person celebration there on the afternoon of April 10.  If we are allowed to have a live audience, each graduand will be provided with a limited number of tickets for their guests.  (Please note that the Theatre of the Arts is the largest venue University campus available for this event.  The Humanities Theatre is unfortunately closed for repairs.)  Additional guests will be able to view the event on a live stream in the Grebel dining room. The live stream will also be available for anyone who wishes to watch from home. 

When we are clear on how many in person seats will be available we will communicate with you about how to invite your family or friends.   

Grebel’s undergraduate Valedictorian On March 2, a link to an online nomination form for Undergrad Valedictorian will be sent to all undergrads who have submitted this form by March 1, 2022. Once voting closes, a selection committee will make decisions and contact the chosen nominee directly. 

For details, visit the Grebel Convocation webpage. If participating in the celebration this year, you will receive an email with details a week prior to the event. You can also talk to Pam Bartel in Student Services if you prefer to stop in. Hope to see you all at Grebel’s Convocation! It is a grand occasion! 

PACS Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest

The annual C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest, established in 1974 by the directors of the C. Henry Smith Trust, offers PACS students an opportunity to discuss peacebuilding and social justice issues on campus. The intercollegiate competition is administered by the Peace and Justice Ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Undergraduate students from every Mennonite and Brethren in Christ college in North America including Canada are eligible to participate. 

Henry Smith was an American Mennonite historian and professor at Mennonite colleges and the University of Chicago. Overall, he taught history for nearly 50 years at the collegiate level. He is well-known for his numerous books on Mennonite history and his particular attention to the peace commitments of the Mennonite tradition.  

On March 2nd, 2022, at 7 PM in the Grebel Gallery, PACS is organizing a speech performance and is inviting you to participate. The contest winners will be rewarded cash prizes of $500 in first place, $350 in second place, $200 in third place. For more information, reach out to the PACS Academic Advisor.

Critical Tech Talk 2: Discriminating Data - In Conversation with Wendy Chun

This event is happening virtually Feb 10, 2022, 7-9pm:
In her most recent book, Discriminating Data (2021), Wendy Chun reveals how polarization is a goal—not an error—within big data and machine learning. These methods, she argues, encode segregation, eugenics, and identity politics through their default assumptions and conditions. Correlation, which grounds big data's predictive potential, stems from twentieth-century eugenic attempts to “breed” a better future. Recommender systems foster angry clusters of sameness through homophily. Users are “trained” to become authentically predictable via a politics and technology of recognition. Machine learning and data analytics thus seek to disrupt the future by making disruption impossible.
A panel of students and professors will talk with Wendy about the implications of discrimination in data and the ways we can work together to reduce the negative effects of the technologies we design.

Full event details are available here. Visit the event website to register now. 

A roundtable discussion on women's leadership in the pursuit of peace and security | February 7 at 4pm EST

This event will feature experts working around the world to uplift and advance women’s voices, leadership and priorities in moments of instability, conflict, extremism, and crisis. Learn from women that deeply contribute to peace efforts in Jordan, Sudan, Guatemala, and via international movements through the event as they explore topics such as tech for social good, integrating a feminist lens into peace building, women's role in revolutionary movements, and transformative justice services. Click here to register.

Solidarity with Afghan school girls: Defending the right to education during and after the crisis in Afghanistan | February 10 at 10am PT

Join this webinar to learn about the realities facing adolescent girls in the context of the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It will cover the importance of education in emergencies and why access to quality, gender equitable education is more important now than ever before. You’ll hear directly from grassroots leaders in Afghanistan responding to girls’ education needs, and the actions Canadian youth have taken in solidarity with adolescent girls in Afghanistan. Our member organization, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan will also share advocacy tools and practical ideas for activists and allies to take up in their communities and networks. Click here to register.

Ujima: Black History Month events at Uwaterloo

The office of Equity and Diversity is planning virtual events and other initiatives with UWaterloo folks and guests speaking to a collective culture and identity, highlighting our shared responsibility for institutional and wider systemic change. 

They're updating their website as more events are confirmed. To register or join events, follow each event's link.

Prescription for Progress 

February 15, 2022, 10:30 AM

Prescription for Progress brings together leaders across sectors working on technology and innovation to advance global health.

Through illuminating journalism, expert analysis, and a series of discussions, it features — and inspires — partnerships between innovators and the global health community that are essential to accelerating progress on health outcomes for all. In February 2022, we’ll gather once again to dive into learnings about global health partnerships over the past year. What’s working, what isn’t, and what’s next?

Since the first edition of Prescription for Progress in October 2018, there has been growing awareness of the role Silicon Valley, and technology and innovation more broadly, must play to move the needle in global health. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing climate crisis have made it more critical than ever for cross-sector partnerships to leverage the power of technology in order to bridge gaps in global health. Innovation isn’t just found in the Bay Area, either, and is just as likely, if not more, to come out of Nairobi, Dhaka or Bogotá.

Prescription for Progress 2022 aims to connect the people at the center of these partnerships to bring solutions to scale in the COVID-19 response and long term recovery – and to accelerate progress on global health goals more broadly.

This year, Prescription for Progress will feature a series of invite-only breakout sessions for leaders in global health, technology, and innovation directly after standard programming. Apply for an invitation to participate in these exclusive virtual conversations.

Register here

Roadmap to Systems Thinking

Join Map the System Campus Lead, Leah Feor for a Workshop focused on offering you a step-by-step guide to Map the System. This workshop will provide: 

  1. An overview of the Map the System competition with key dates and milestones
  2. An understanding of systems thinking and systems mapping
  3. An overview of important resources that will help you along your Map the System journey
  4. A chance to ask questions and get feedback on your ideas

Register for this workshop on February 15, 2022 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, hosted on Zoom.

Internships and Job Opportunities

PACS Students looking for spring/summer co-op placements, consider the following fully funded NGO Placements.

Visit the organizational websites above to learn more about these NGOs, and contact Ndagire Brendah for more information about the positions and how to apply. Visit the PACS Internships website for more information about the program.

PACS 390: Internship Course

The PACS internship allows you to engage in experiential learning with an organization that works on peace and conflict issues, in either a Canadian or international context. The course integrates theory and practice while facilitating the development of attitudes, strategies, skills, and knowledge that support work in a Peace and Conflict Studies related setting. If you are thinking about taking PACS 390 in the spring term, please reach out to the PACS Undergraduate Academic Advisor for more information. 

Romero House Internships 

The Romero House Worker Program has two options - 4 month (summer), and full year (Sept 2022 - August 2023). Romero House is a community which has four transitional houses for refugee families. Workers act as live-in house coordinators as well as settlement workers, assisting refugee families and welcoming them to Canada! For more information, people can check out the Romero House website which describes the responsibilities of a Worker. 

Student Support Resources

Counselling Services
University of Waterloo Counselling
Campus Wellness Counselling Services
This service can be reached at 519-888-4567, ext. 32655. Offers same-day appointments for emergencies and can be found in Needles Hall North on the second floor.

Campus Wellness Health Services
This service can be reached at 519-888-4096. Offers walk-in appointments for urgent concerns and can be found in Health Services building.

The Writing and Communication Centre is an academic support unit that supports students, staff, and faculty as they build communication excellence at the University of Waterloo.

Virtual Appointments:
Feeling stuck? We can help with brainstorming, planning, writing, and revision. Our instructors are experts in communicating in all disciplines, including digital, technical, and scientific writing and communication. 
Asynchronous Workshops
The Writing and Communication Centre offers workshops on a variety of communication-related topics throughout the term. Developed and presented by our writing and communication advisors, they are designed to help students engage with a particular topic through participation and practice. Like all of our services, workshops are free for University of Waterloo students and postdocs.

Online Learning Resources:
 The Writing and Communication Centre is focused on providing students with useful feedback and strategies for their research and writing projects; we are also focused on all aspects of the communication process, including professional communication documents like emails and memos, as well as documents designed for the web, such as ePortfolios and blogs. Feel free to view and print the resources we currently have available. 

PJ-Friendly Writing Groups for Undergrads:
Meet with us on Microsoft Teams for our weekly writing sessions. Then check in with us on Teams throughout the week for motivation, resources, and solidarity as we navigate our assignment loads. For every 6 sessions you attend this term, you earn a #WaterlooWrites mug!

Email Tutoring for Undergrads:
Hey undergrads! Are you stuck on a draft and need some feedback? Working to a deadline but can’t book an appointment at the WCC? Want support but not up for talking to someone? We’re here for you with our email tutoring service. Get feedback over email on your papers, reports, resumes and cover letters, presentation slides, or any other writing or communication assignments! 

First-Year Undergrads: Learn to Write Like an Academic
Are you working on writing assignments and presentations? Are you wondering about your professors' expectations and how you can best meet them? Check out Waterloo Ready to Write, designed for first-year undergraduates like you!   

We’ve got workshops, learning resources, and individualized support to help you tackle papers, reports, presentations, and other assignments. 

The Centre for Career Action

The Centre for Career Action (CCA) is offering services in 2022. The Tatham Centre is open with front-desk support, limited in-person appointments, and co-op consults. Services are also available virtually. Book an appointment online or Live Chat with our Client Support Team. The CCA is here to help.

If you feel overwhelmed or anxious and need to talk to somebody, please contact the University’s Campus Wellness services, either Health Services or  Counselling Services. You can also contact the University's Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment. Good2Talk is a post-secondary student helpline available to all students.