PACS Biweekly Newsletter March 10th, 2021

Hello PACS students! I hope that your term is going smoothly, and that you're finding time to enjoy yourself in this warmer weather!

Below, we've highlighted some of the important events, opportunities, and resources that are available.

Spring Term PACS Course: PACS 398: Research for Social Action

Instructed by Rich Janzen

This course will explore how research can be an intervention towards positive change in society. Through a combination of lectures, group exercises, and practical case examples, it will demonstrate how research that is community-driven, participatory, and action-oriented can contribute to transformative social change, including creating and sustaining conditions for peace. Students will learn the fundamentals of how to prepare, plan, and conduct social research. More importantly, they will learn how the research process itself can be used to mobilize people for critical reflection and social action. Students will apply these insights as they create a proposal of how research could facilitate social change within their own community.

If you love the intersection of research and social change, this course is for you! For more information, contact Ndagire Brendah.

C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest

The C. Henry Smith Peace Oratorical Contest was first established by the Director of the C. Henry Smith Fund in 1974, in the name of the late C. Henry Smith. This contest invites North American Mennonite & Brethren in Christ College students to discuss peace-building and social justice issues in an 8-10 minute speech format. It is administered by Peace and Justice Ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

The speeches will take place around March 17th, so students are encouraged to begin to prepare their speeches early.

The theme for these speeches is the application of the Christian peace position to contemporary concerns. These may include feminism, racial equity, justice, and inclusion, police brutality, non-violence direct action, peace as everybody's business etc.

There is a $1,050 cash award that will be administered to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd winners. The winner will get $500, and the second and third place will get $350 and $200 respectively.

If you have any questions, please contact Ndagire Brendah or Ed Janzen.

PACS Department Events

PACS Friday Morning Coffee Hangouts

Thank you for participating in our bi-weekly coffee hangout. You are invited again this Friday to be present and get to know other PACS students. These hangouts are drop-in and are intended to be stress-free. Join us on Friday, March 12th at 10 AM to 11 AM for 1 hr. and you are welcome to leave at any time.

Help Choose a PACS Valedictorian

Nominations for Valedictorian – Spring 2021 Convocation: The position of Class Valedictorian is an honoured one, and the PACS department urge members of the graduating class to nominate their best-qualified colleague. Nominations may be made by any member of the October 2020 or June 2021 graduating class in the Faculty of Arts here: Valedictorian | Arts | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca). Click here to nominate someone!

Virtual Events

Bechtel Lecture: Blackness, Whiteness and the Anabaptist 'Imagined Community' in Print and Mission

How did Anabaptists enter into the discourse of race in North America during the 19th and early 20th centuries? How did they negotiate, challenge and reproduce ideas of race in the forms of print, social interaction and mission activity? This lecture will focus on the racialization of Anabaptists, as reflected in denominational periodicals and newspapers, and on the ways in which preconceptions of blackness and whiteness informed Mennonite mission activity in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Timothy D. Epp from Redeemer University will give the virtual 2021 Bechtel Lecture in Anabaptist-Mennonite Studies. Featuring a special musical performance by accomplished vintage and classic blues & jazz performer Diana Braithwaite.

This lecture will premiere via YouTube on March 11 at 7:00 PM and is viewable without registration. A virtual Q&A will follow, and requires registration to participate. Please register here to participate in the Q&A.

Now Accepting Applications for the 2022 Rotary Peace Fellowship

The fully funded Rotary Peace Fellowship, which covers tuition and living expenses, increases the capacity of existing leaders to prevent and resolve conflict by offering academic training, field experience, and professional networking.

Up to 130 fellows are selected every year in a globally competitive process based on personal, academic, and professional achievements. Fellows earn either a master’s degree or a certificate in peace and development studies at one of the seven Rotary Peace Centers, located at leading universities around the world.

Applications for the 2022-2023 academic term need to be submitted by 15 May 2021. Please write to rotarypeacecenters@rotary.org with questions.

Canadian Japanese Mennonite Scholarship

This $2000 scholarship will be awarded to a student who is:

A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or an international student studying at a university in Canada;
Enrolled in a graduate program for the fall term following the application deadline; and
Engaged in research that will assist the protection of minority or human rights in Canada.

The application deadline is April 1st, 2021, so be sure to apply before then!

In Her Shoes

In Her Shoes (Youth) is an employment program for cis, trans and non-binary identifying women and femmes who are experiencing significant barriers to securing employment. In this program, participants receive technical training and work experience in our bricks & clicks social enterprise store, In Her Shoes, where we sell gently-loved accessories and shoes. Participants will earn minimum wage, equivalent to 30 hours/week.

As a participant, you will receive training in three primary areas to support you in securing employment upon completion from the program:- 1) Technical skills:-including digital literacy, computer operating systems and software, customer service and support, online business and e-commerce, retail work, point of sale systems and cash handling, marketing and photography. 2) Employability skills:- building a marketable resume, understanding the labour market, and job search strategies to secure employment. 3) Life skills:- to create a healthy lifestyle that will set you up for success to maintain employment.

Eligibility:

Cis, trans and non-binary identifying women and femmes between the ages of 15-30.
A Canadian citizen, or permanent resident or a protected person as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
Legally entitled to work in Canada;
In accordance with funding requirements, priority in hiring will be given to youth facing barriers to finding and keeping employment.

Program Details:

Program Time: Monday to Friday 12 pm - 6 pm
Program Duration: Each session runs for 18 weeks at a time
Program Location: 84 Frederick Street, Kitchener
Bus Pass, work uniform, and a meal are included.

Resources for Online Learning

UW Counselling Services

Counselling Services is a team of professionals that provides programming and services to help you lead a healthy and balanced life. Services are free for students and have transitioned to phone and video for Fall 2020. To book an appointment please call 519-888-4567 ext. 32655

Be sure to also look at the Uwaterloo Mental Health Resources page for more options and information.

PJ-Friendly Undergrad Writing Groups

Join a peer tutor and a group of your fellow undergraduates to:

meet other students
brainstorm ideas for your assignments
get some writing done
and celebrate your accomplishments!

Join us on Teams for our weekly writing group meetings, then check in with us throughout the week using Teams chat. Come to 3 writing group sessions this term and get a #WaterlooWrites mug! Come to 5 sessions, and we'll throw in some candy. Come to 8, and we'll fill your mug to overflowing with edible treats!

Mondays from 7 to 9 pm
Wednesdays from 10 am to 12 pm

Tutor Connect

If you're in need of a hand with one of your classes, be sure to check out Portal's Tutor Connect feature, which will connect you with someone who can give you a hand.