Highlights
- PACS Society has their first event this week. Look under upcoming events below for more details.
- Apply to PACS scholarships before September 23.
- Peace Week takes place September 17-25.
- The PACS department invites you to participate in the Blanket Exercise observe Peace Week on September 23.
Important Dates:
- The last day to add a fall class is September 20.
- Not Fees Arranged holds apply September 21.
- PACS Scholarship application deadline is September 23.
- Winter 2023 Course Selection is open from September 23 to October 3.
Upcoming Events
Canada and the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
Project Ploughshares is hosting a virtual workshop focused on Canada, the growing nuclear threat, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
There are nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons active today. Each presents an existential, yet preventable, risk. Now is the time for decisive Canadian action towards nuclear abolition.
This event takes place Thursday, September 15, and will include expert commentary on the August 2022 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, and on the relationship between the NPT and the TPNW.
PACS-Grebel MCC Blanket Exercise
On Friday, September 23, 9:30am to 12:30 am, the Peace and Conflict Studies Department and Grebel Student Services are inviting you to particiapte int eh Mennonite Central Committee's Blanket Exercise Event to observe Peace Week.
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a workshop that explores the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Blankets arranged on the floor represent land and participants are invited to step into the roles of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. The workshop helps people to understand how the colonization of this land impacts those who were here long before settlers arrived. It engages people’s minds and hearts in understanding why the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is often broken and how we can take action together (source: KAIROS Canada).
The deadline to register for this event is September 22, at 1pm.
PACS Society Bonfire
PACS Society is hosting a PACS Bonfire Friday, September 16, from 7pm to 9pm. Stop by to make s'mores and play icebreakers! Check out their Instagram (@pacs.society) for updates on more events.
Participate in Peace Week
Peace Week 2022 takes place from September 17 to 25. The goal of Peace Week is to celebrate and promote peace, community, and justice. During this week there will be many opportunities to engage, get involved, and reflect. Click here to view the full calendar for Peace Week.
Exhibit: Unmasking, Breathing, Moving Forward
The Grebel gallery has a new art display in place from September 6 to December 16. There is an opening event September 21 at 7pm to launch the exhibit at the Grebel gallery. Registration and more information is below.
This exhibit is made up of 17 Black, Indigenous, and racialized artists responding to their experiences during COVID-19. Unmasking aims to offer insights into a way forward that is perceptive to marginalized voices.
The Gallery is open from 8:30am to 10pm Monday to Friday.
PACS Society Bi-Weekly Hangout
PACS students are welcome to attend the PACS Bi-weekly Hangout. These take place every other Thursday, starting on September 29 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Make sure to stop by and say hello!
Check out PACS Society's Instagram (@pacs.society) for updates/events.
Internship/Volunteer Opportunities
Renison's Conversation Partner Program
The Conversation Partner Program pairs English language learners with volunteers to provide an intercultural experience through conversations and activities.
As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to learn about various cultures around the world and gain a memorable intercultural experience while helping an international student practice their English. Now is your chance to explore the world even more with your conversation partner and have fun while making a new friend!
Learn more and apply here.
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.
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.
Writing and Communication Centre
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.
Check out the website here.
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.
Check out these resources here.
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!
Check-out the website here.
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.
Disclaimer: Events and opportunities above are not all endorsed by the PACS department; this newsletter includes opportunities that we think PACS students may be interested in, but are not sponsored by PACS. Please use your own discretion to determine if an opportunity is right for you.