Date set for next gender and equality event

by Stephanie Chesser.

The Special Advisor to the President on Women’s and Gender Issues and the FAUW Status of Women and Equity Committee are proud to announce the next event in the Gender and Equity Scholarship Series.

Please join us on Thursday, February 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Lyle S. Hallman Institute (LHI/LHN), Room 1703 to engage with Dr. Bryan Grimwood (Recreation and Leisure Studies) as he presents "Disrupting ‘Nature’ and ‘Responsibility’ for Just and Sustainable Arctic Tourism."  

The Gender and Equity Scholarship Series intends to assist not only with the promotion of gender and equity research currently being conducted at Waterloo, but also with the creation of networking opportunities for equity minded faculty on campus. Light refreshments will be served at this event.

Please visit the FAUW’s SWEC Gender and Equity Scholarship Series page to register.

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Lacing up skates for Family Literacy Day

by Rebecca Bouwhuis. This is the latest in a series of #UWCommunity stories that feature Waterloo in the community.

The University of Waterloo Women’s Hockey Team partnered with the Waterloo Public Library during “Stories N’Skate for Family Literacy Day” to provide an afternoon of fun for the whole family. The Lady Warriors were able to interact with the children one-on-one through crafts, activities and stories before everyone headed onto the ice for the free skate. The purpose of this event was to help the community join together in nurturing future generations through literacy and activities. The Stories N’Skate encourages children to enjoy reading and to stay active throughout their lives, while also giving the Warrior athletes an opportunity to give back to their community that has supported them through their athletic careers.

One of the members of the Women’s Hockey Team, Maryn Caragata, commented that "events like these provide us with a chance to help families in our community. It was opportunities like this event that helped me get where I am today. I want to be able to provide those same opportunities for someone else.”

The Stories'N'Skate event had a great impact on local families. The presence of the Warriors showed children that you can accomplish your dreams when you pursue what you are passionate about.

Rebecca Bouwhuis, a goalie for the Women's team commented, "seeing how much these kids enjoy reading and skating reminded me why I play hockey. Sometimes you get so caught up playing your sport that it takes an event like this to remind you why you started in the first place".

The Waterloo Warriors Women's team also takes part in a Waterloo Ravens mentorship program that helps young girls in the hockey organization to improve their skills. “We try to be positive role models for all the kids that we see, in and out of the rink,” stated Siobhan Hewitt-Kenda, a forward for the Waterloo team. The Waterloo Warriors want to help create a supportive community where kids can learn to work hard and strive to be their best, not just in sport but also in school and in life. The team was able to do just that as nearly 150 people attended the Stories N’Skate event at Albert McCormick Rink on Family Literacy Day. The team hopes to continue providing many opportunities to support the Kitchener Waterloo community. 

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Students rethink economics

This piece was originally published on the Faculty of Arts news page.

“Economics is everywhere, it dominates our political discourse, and whether we want to or not, we all engage in the economy,” says Geoff Evamy Hill, co-founder of Rethinking Economics Waterloo. 

“We think everyone should have a basic and realistic understanding of how the economy works in order to participate effectively in economic issues that impact us all.”

Rethinking Economics Waterloo is a student-led movement, aiming to unveil, rethink, and give voice to diversity in economics education and thought. Part of the international organization Rethinking Economics, the Waterloo chapter is one of the few groups of its kind here in Canada. Founders Alexandra Kraushaar (MA Philosophy candidate, Bachelor of Knowledge Integration graduate) and Geoff Evamy Hill (Bachelor of Knowledge Integration candidate) attended the annual conference in New York City last fall and found a community of like-minded students, academics, professionals, and citizens.

“People were interested in asking questions that diverged from mainstream economics. We believe that pluralism can enrich learning in economics, but it took us a while to operationalize this belief,” Alexandra explains. “We want to give UWaterloo students, and the Waterloo Region community, a head start.”

Rethinking Economics Waterloo is hosting its inaugural conference on February 7 at St. Paul’s University College. The conference will cover diverse topics including ecological economics, feminism and economics, and economics curriculum reform. Speakers include faculty from York University, The Working Centre, and UWaterloo professors Dr. Patricia Marino (Philosophy), Dr. Lutz-Alexander Busch (Economics), and Dr. Jennifer Clapp (Canada Research Chair Global Food Security).

Alexandra and Geoff hope that this conference creates a space for positive, intellectual discussion about how economics is viewed today, how people are engaging in economics in diverse ways, and the benefits of thinking broadly about economies and economics. “We want to contribute to the worldwide economic pluralism movement by showcasing what Canada has to offer.”

“The Rethinking Economics movement is very critical of economics, but we are glad to have the opportunity to bring another voice to the table,” says Margaret Insley, chair of the Department of Economics. Rethinking Economics Waterloo has received generous support from the Departments of Economics, Philosophy, and Knowledge Integration. The group also received a grant from the Faculty of Environment Dean’s Special Projects Funding as well as funding support from the Waterloo Environment Students’ Endowment Fund (WESEF).

“Economics is not just about markets and math, it is also about people,” says Alexandra. “It is important to ask questions and think about economics in terms of narrative and politics. Economics cannot only be left to professional economists because it has impacts for us all.”

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Cameron Seth squashes competition

Men's squash player Cameron Seth was successful in repeating as the OUA men's individual champion at this year's OUA squash championship hosted by the Waterloo Warriors.

Seth came to play on the final day, winning two exciting matches to claim MVP honours while leading his team to an overall silver medal.

Also picking up an award was rookie Blake Reinson who won gold in the second flight while head coach Vinit Kudva was named the men's coach of the year.

Athletics has the full details of the OUA squash championships on its website.

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Tuesday's notes

Please note the following office closures taking place this week:

• The Finance-Student Accounts office will be closed from 12:30 pm. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5 for a staff retirement lunch.
• The Arts Undergraduate Office (PAS 2439) will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4 for a staff meeting. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," says a note from the AUO. "Please go to the Arts Undergraduate Office webpage for our regular office hours."

Participants in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition have until Friday, February 6 to register in the 3MT presentation coaching session and workshop. The workshop is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Participants can register on the 3MT site.

The Board of Governors meets today in NH 3001 at 12:30 p.m. with a guest lecture. The meeting will commence at 1:45 p.m.

Professor Robert Johnston, Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, will deliver the annual Sawatsky Lecture at Conrad Grebel University College on Thursday, February 5. His talk is entitled "'If you have Eyes to See...': God's 'Presence’ at the Movies."

Johnston is this year's Rod and Lorna Sawatsky Visiting Scholar. According to Conrad Grebel, the visiting scholar position is awarded to "renowned scholars, practitioners and performers whose expertise in their field represents a wide range of interests to the Grebel community. In addition to this year’s public lecture, Johnston will also speak in some Conrad Grebel classes and present at a Faculty Fellows Forum.

The visiting scholar position is named for Professor Rodney Sawatsky, who joined Conrad Grebel's faculty in 1974, and honours the leadership and contributions of Rod and his wife, Lorna, to Conrad Grebel, the University of Waterloo, the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada, and the Kitchener-Waterloo community during his years as faculty member, academic dean, and president. He died in November 2004.

The lecture takes place in Room 2202 at 7:30 p.m.

The Staff Relations Committee wants all staff to know that it has opened up the first portion of its meetings to members of the university community and regularly has agenda items of interest to staff members in all units of the University. At the meeting this Friday February 6 starting at 12:00 p.m., there will be presentations and discussion on planned initiatives of Organizational & Human Development for 2015 as well as on the experience of the Library in progressing through the Excellence Canada certification process.

The meeting will be in Needles Hall 3001 and the committee invites you to bring your lunch and join us in learning more about these terrific activities. The agenda has been posted.

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