Category: Events

Categories
Events General News News Releases

CMU Begins Fall Festival 2012 Celebration

 

September 28-29, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University’s Fall Festival 2012 celebration gets underway today at 500 Shaftesbury Boulevard, Winnipeg, as the University welcomes community members along with students and their families, alumni, and CMU supporters and friends to share in the weekend of fun, experiencing a taste of what CMU university life has to offer.

View a detailed, full weekend schedule online at www.cmu.ca/fallfestival   Event details are also on Facebook at Canadian Mennonite University, Fall Events tab

The weekend festival opens Friday at 7:00 p.m. with a celebration as CMU honours its 2012 Blazer Distinguished Community Service Award winner, Tall Grass Prairie Bread Company, recognizing company owners Paul and Tabitha Langel and Lyle and Kathy Barkman. Also recognized on Friday evening are winners of the 2012 Blazer Distinguished Alumni Awards: Bill Janzen (CMBC 1966-1967), Sarah Klassen(MBBC ’62), Patrice Nagant (CMU ’01), and Bonita Sawatzky (CMBC 1981-1982).

Following award presentations, CMU visitors are invited to enjoy an evening program of story and song, titled, “Coming Home: Eating as a Doxological Act.” The program features Terry Mierau (CMBC ’94), an opera singer turned farmer, and Kenton Lobe (CMBC ’95), a CMU instructor who spends summers farming and winters teaching about just and sustainable food systems.

Visitors with an interest in athletics can see the men’s exhibition volleyball games in the Loewen Athletic Centre from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, as the CMU Blazers play the UWinnipeg Wesmen in a preseason game.

The Festival’s Friday evening reception beginsat 9:00 p.m. in the Great Hall following CMU Presents. The reception provides an opportunity to reconnect with friends, congratulate award recipients, and meet the evening’s presenters.

Activities on Saturday get underway with the annual MennoCross bike races, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., where racers challenge themselves on a course that winds around CMU’s north campus. There are races for beginner and intermediate riders, along with the competitive classes, and races for young children.

Alumni scheduled reunions take place on Saturday. Gathering this year for their class events are MBBC and CMBC Classes of 1962, celebrating their 50th anniversaries, along with class reunions for classes from 1972 and 1982 (with 1981), along with CMU’s class of 2002, gathering for a 10-year celebration.

Campus visitors will have a wide range of activities to enjoy at CMU’s Fall Fair, which opens at 3:00 p.m.  The students’ annual “MPK Folkfest” takes place on the south side of campus, starting at 3:00, while bike races continue to draw crowds through the afternoon. Activities for children happen near the big tent on the north side, where folks can gather to relax. There will be lots of games and the popular children’s “bouncy house” is back to entertain the young ones. Returning by popular request for the Fall Fair is CMU’s “pie bake-off” with an added silent auction this year.

Visitors may enjoy taking a campus tour, taking time to view CMU student residences, campus buildings, and CMU’s beautiful grounds.

CMU faculty present “Class Samplers” from 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in two time slots. Irma Fast Dueck presents Deep Down on the Edge; John Brubacher and Candice Viddall present It’s Not Magic, It’s Science! and Gordon Matties focuses discussion around Difficult Conversations with Joshua.

CMU welcomes all to gather in the big tent to share conversation and a meal during the Fall Festival Supper (donations are invited), from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., and to take the CMU “farm tour” to the urban garden on campus.

CMU’s annual Opening Program celebrates the start of the new academic year. The program begins at 7:00 p.m., giving the audience an opportunity to hear performances by CMU’s renowned choirs, along with a time of sharing by students and an address by CMU’s Interim President Earl Davey.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

CMU Announces $11-Million Capital Project

June 15, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) President Gerald Gerbrandt today announced plans for a major new university capital project that will significantly enhance CMU’s infrastructure for delivering quality post-secondary education. This important new campus asset will also serve as a valuable resource to the broader Manitoba community.

 “In 12 short years since CMU purchased its buildings and land from the Province and merged the assets of existing Mennonite colleges, CMU has established itself as a dynamic university with growing credibility,” says Gerbrandt.  “Its Christian and Anabaptist commitments provide the foundation for a truly unique Canadian university serving church and community. Now, CMU is building on its momentum, putting in place the building blocks for increased future impact.”

Bringing congratulations to CMU around this capital project were Premier Greg Selinger and Acting Deputy Mayor and Charleswood Tuxedo Councillor Paula Havixbeck, along with a number of other guests and supporters of the project.  Two years ago, the University celebrated completion of another capital project that saw construction of a new CMU Science Laboratory on the University’s Shaftesbury campus. In fall 2011, CMU announced donor funding of $6.5-to $7.5-million to establish its CMU Redekop School of Business.

“Building the new CMU Library and Learning Commons, along with a pedestrian bridge linking both sides of CMU’s Shaftesbury campus, are key next steps in building a CMU for the future,” says Elmer Hildebrand, fundraising campaign chair for the capital project and CEO of Golden West Radio.

“CMU is grateful for the dedicated and effective fundraising leadership of the Campaign Executive of CONNECT: The Campaign for CMU,” says Gerbrandt. “We’re looking forward to our public campaign in the coming months and sharing further announcements from our Campaign team.”

Chair Elmer Hildebrand is joined in his efforts by the CONNECT Campaign Executive Members Art DeFehr, Philipp R. Ens, Bill Fast, Janice Filmon, Bert Friesen, Charles Loewen, Jake Rempel, and Tamara Roehr.

“Today, as we announce our plans to construct this library and learning commons along with the pedestrian bridge, we are pleased to name those who are helping us with this project,” says Gerbrandt. “The architects for the project are ft3. They have done much work designing both a functional and a simple and exciting design. We have selected Concord Projects as the contractor; they have been working closely with us and the architects in readiness to proceed with this project.”

 Features of the New Library and Learning Commons

The Library and Learning Commons will greatly enhance the CMU learning environment for students, faculty, and the general public.

  • Study carrels, worktables, and lounge seating in attractive setting will stimulate students to connect with ideas and thinkers from around the world.
  • Small group rooms will invite students to work together in teams at important questions and issues.
  • New computer, wireless, and peripheral technologies will support study, research, and collaboration.
  • A seminar room will enable small classes to meet in proximity to necessary library resources.
  • Significantly increased space with natural light and controlled temperature and humidity will allow future expansion and growth.

The Library and Learning Commons will include a prominent and welcoming entrance and gathering area (Library Centre), inviting students and the general public to make use of its resources.

  • It will feature a Bookstore and Resource Centre with the most extensive selection of theological resources anywhere in the province.
  • An inviting café will welcome students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to gather and discuss the issues of the day.

An attractive Pedestrian Bridge will link the two sides of CMU’s campus, currently partitioned by a busy thoroughfare, providing a safe, accessible route across Grant Avenue. It will also signal the presence of CMU in the community, serving as a symbol for an institution that connects people with ideas and each other over issues that matter.

The Campaign Executive has been actively fundraising in support of the project and expects to publicly launch the CONNECT campaign within the year. CMU anticipates beginning construction on the new facility and bridge in 2013.

Photo indenty: Canadian Mennonite University on June 15, 2012 announced an $11-million capital project – a new Library and Learning Commons, and Pedestrian Bridge. Joining in the announcement were: (front row, l. to r.) CMU President-Elect Cheryl Pauls, CMU President Gerald Gerbrandt, Premier of Manitoba Greg Selinger, CONNECT Campaign Chair Elmer Hildebrand, Acting Deputy Mayor Paula Havixbeck, Councillor for Charleswood Tuxedo; (back row, l to r), CMU Vice President External Terry Schellenberg, and Campaign Executive Members Tamara Roehr, Bill Fast, Jake Rempel, Bert Friesen, Charles Loewen, and Janice Filmon. (Missing from photograph: Campaign Executive Members Art DeFehr and Philipp R. Ens)

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Menno Simons College Celebrates Its Graduates

June 14, 2012 – On June 7, 66 students graduated having completed one of the two programs offered by CMU’s Menno Simons College (MSC) in International Development Studies (IDS) or Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS). At a special MSC celebratory event, Dr. Julie Pelletier, Chair of Indigenous Studies at The University of Winnipeg, delivered the keynote address in Convocation Hall following graduation ceremonies.

“This year, 28 new, returning, and international students received awards – among the highest number of awards given in the history of MSC – including bursaries and scholarships,” notes MSC Dean Dr. Richard McCutcheon. “Additionally, nine students received medals for achievement in a particular major or degree program.”

In addition to an inspiring address by Pelletier, the MSC Graduation Celebration included greetings by Canadian Mennonite University President Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt and by Dr. Fiona Green, UWinnipeg’s Acting Associate Dean of Arts. Invocation was given by MSC Associate Professor Dr. Ruth Rempel.

Also participating in the program were graduating students Andrea Blanchard, IDS graduate, and Joel Gonske, CRS graduate, who shared reflections on what their time at MSC has meant to them.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of a unique institution that exemplifies the principles it teaches by being caring, community-focussed, people-oriented, and respectful towards everyone,” says Blanchard, who will begin work in September 2012 on her Master of Science degree at the University of Manitoba. “Since living in India and then taking IDS, I realized I was interested in improving health worldwide by studying the intersection of social sciences and health issues that make certain groups more vulnerable to poor health. Being in the IDS program gave me some unique opportunities related to my future goals.”

After her third year of studies, Blanchard completed her MSC practicum at Mount Carmel Clinic. She then returned to India for her Honours Thesis on the benefits of empowerment of women in sex work for reducing their HIV vulnerability. “I’m really excited that I will be able to directly build on my IDS experience and my Honours Thesis research this fall.”

Says Gonske: “Graduation is a milestone, but it is also a beginning of learning to work and live to the fullest, with responsibility and commitment to impacting the world for good.”

“For me personally, Menno Simons College has been an integral part of my ongoing transition to life in Canada from life in Pakistan,” says Gonske. “With its concern for international issues, its openness to diverse worldviews, and its various counter-cultural perspectives, I found it to be welcoming of my international background and interests… The community-based approach to education is one of the fantastic and unique aspects of Menno Simons College, one which we students have experienced
both in classes and through various practicum and research opportunities.”

For McCutcheon, who is retiring from his role as Dean of Menno Simons, the graduation celebration for MSC students was particularly meaningful. “We are very excited about this year’s graduating class,” he says. “Our students are already engaging in the next step. They are aware of world issues and events, and they want to do something to make a difference.”

CMU’s Menno Simons College is one of the world’s largest centres for peace and justice studies. The College provides education flowing from Anabaptist Mennonite understandings of faith, peace, and justice while engaging other religious traditions and intellectual perspectives. MSC fosters a learning community that prepares students from diverse backgrounds for participation and leadership in local and global communities. Considered a pioneer in International Development Studies and Conflict Resolution Studies, MSC offers a wide range of courses and experienced faculty in these areas, along with practicum opportunities and supporting scholarships.

Canadian Mennonite University offers undergraduate degree programs and two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury campus, downtown MSC campus, and in its Outtatown international program. A member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), CMU operates a number of schools and institutes, including the Canadian School of Peacebuilding.

For MSC information, contact:
Ruth Taronno: r.taronno@uwinnipeg.ca; tel. 204.953.3846
www.cmu.cahttp://mscollege.ca

PHOTO, l to r:
Fiona Green, Richard McCutcheon, Andrea Blanchard, Joel Gonske, Julie Pelletier, Gerald Gerbrandt

Categories
Events General News News Releases

In Gratitude Shows Graduates’ Talents, Skills

April 25, 2012 – CMU’s annual In Gratitude service was a highlight for parents and visitors during CMU’s Graduation weekend.

At this event showcasing student accomplishments, representative s of the 2012 graduating class presented remarks or performed, demonstrating achievements in their respective fields of study, and illustrating the breadth and depth of studies at CMU.

In his remarks, host Tim Rogalsky, Associate Professor of Mathematics, commented, “This event is our way to say thank you to graduates, for your hard work to get to today; and to family and friends, for the way you’ve supported them along the way. We are proud of our students. The presenters offer a representative sample of some the fine work that our students have done for us this year.”

“Several CMU graduating students spoke into the heart of the CMU mission,” noted Cheryl Pauls, CMU Associate Professor of Music and one of the event planners. “Each one offered a unique glimpse into how his or her learning at CMU was as life transforming as it was intellectually rigorous. The group as a whole represented the wide array of CMU’s disciplinary offerings, and of the many ways that CMU grads will contribute to church and society as they move on from here.”

A Celebration of the CMU Graduates of 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2:30 pm

Presenters:

Melanie Kampen (BA, Honours, Four-Year, Major: Biblical and Theological Studies)
Daniel Paetkau (BA, Four-Year, Major: English)
Lori Schroeder (Bachelor of Music Therapy) and Abigail Graff (Bachelor of Music Therapy), sopranos. with Gabrielle Wiebe, piano
Paul Peters (BA, Three-Year, Major: International Development Studies)
Christina Scheerer (BA, Four-Year, Major: Business and Organizational Administration)
Nils Loewen (Bachelor of Arts, Three-Year, Major: Music) performing on guitar
Anna-Marie Janzen (BA, Four-Year, Major: Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies);
Cecilly Hildebrand (BA, Four-Year, Major: Psychology)
Rebecca Hill (Bachelor of Music, Concentration: Music Education-Early/Middle Years), soprano, with Catherine Richard, piano.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Annual Spring Concert Draws Full House

April 25, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University welcomed an enthusiastic audience to University’s annual Spring Concert, eld in the CMU Loewen Athletic Centre on April 21.

“The School’s choirs and ensembles entertained our audience with a delightful selection of songs from their vast repertoires,” said Dean of the CMU School of Music, Dr. Dietrich Bartel.

In his opening comments, Bartel drew attention to the healing power of music, inviting the audience to “actively participate, not just by listening to a showcase of what has been going on in CMU’s School of Music in the past year, but by allowing yourself to be taken to different places; different places around the world, but also to different places inside of yourself.”

Bartel reminded the audience that “we are all in need of God’s healing power, and we are all in need of music.”
School of Music Dean, Dr. Dietrich Bartel

All four choirs – the CMU Chamber Choir and CMU Men’s Chorus with Conductor Rudy Schellenberg, and CMU Singers and CMU Women’s Chorus with Conductor Janet Brenneman – were part of the evening’s entertainment.

The crowd showed their appreciation for the CMU choirs, and as well for the talented performances by the popular CMU ensembles: the seven-member CMU Guitar Ensemble (Willie Wiebe, Director), the CMU Jazz Band (Chad Pollard, Director) and CMU’s nine-member Wholly Jazz vocal group (Cynthia Wahl, Director).
Conductor Rudy Schellenberg leads the CMU Chamber Choir

CMU conductors featured a number of students performing as soloists throughout the evening, helping to represent and showcase the exceptional talent of CMU music students. Among these was CMU 2012 graduating student Daniel Trolly (Bachelor of Music) who conducted a performance by the CMU Chamber Choir.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

CMU Celebrates Class of 2012

April 24, 2012 – During graduation weekend held April 20 to April 22, 2012, a time filled with reflection, laughter, and tears, Canadian Mennonite University formally recognized the accomplishments of its students, awarding degrees to 84 graduates and presenting program certificates to two recipients during its 2012 Graduation Exercises.

Graduates and families, along with CMU faculty, staff, and current students, enjoyed times of sharing through stories, songs, presentations, and meals together.

The excitement culminated in the graduating service on Sunday afternoon, April 22, held at Immanuel Pentecostal Church, with the conferral of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Presiding over graduation ceremonies for the final time, retiring President Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt addressed the graduation class of 2012 with words of praise and appreciation for their efforts and accomplishments.

“We are extremely proud of the achievements of our 2012 Graduates,” said Gerbrandt, welcoming students and their families from a wide range of regions in Canada and the United States for the conferral of degrees and weekend festivities. In a weekend filled with both formal and informal gatherings, the CMU community honoured the graduating class and expressed appreciation to those whose supporting roles made it all possible.

The Valedictory Address was given by CMU graduate Helena Schroeder (BA, Four-Year, English Major). Schroeder, who during her student years enjoyed being a choir member and a varsity athlete on the CMU basketball team, likened the time of graduation to the moment of pause when a choral work has ended: “that space of time… in which the last note hangs in the air and the music is suspended in the collective memory of the audience…” The next song is imminent, she noted, but there is a time for closure that happens before the next song commences.

“Tomorrow,” said Schroeder, “we will be swept up into the next chapter, a new song; perhaps grand adventures, or work, or more school. The people of CMU and the ideals that shape this place have fostered in us more than just confidence in our abilities…; the place has modelled the possibilities for trust despite uncertainties, leadership in many forms, and service.”

Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, President of Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, ON, delivered the Graduation Address.

Introducing Huxman, Gerbrandt commented: “President Huxman combines in a unique way a love of teaching, a flair for academic research, and administration and leadership skills, with a commitment to the church.”

Huxman spoke eloquently of “(Pro)visions for the Journey,” emphasizing that students seek a balanced way of “seeing” and envisioning a way forward.

“Today I want to share with you a set of provisions that you will need for the long haul, the journey of life after CMU …the provisions of hindsight, foresight, and insight,” said Huxman. Of these, she said, if we do not have insight, “we have not captured the distinctive of Mennonite education, which says: knowledge is not sufficient; practice is not sufficient, unless it is connected to a witness grounded in Christ, committed to peace, and practiced in the community. It’s all about connecting received wisdom with visionary leadership in the context of relational and radical discipleship.

“And so, 2012 graduates, Canadian Mennonite University has prepared you with the provisions for your journey, for seeing in many balanced ways. Hindsight is built upon remembering strong faith and academic traditions, of telling and retelling your foundational stories, to honour your past here. It fortifies and grounds you. Foresight is built upon seizing the opportunities to maximize your liberal arts training, and chasing big aspirations. It employs and motivates you. Insight,” she says, “is built upon distinctive peace witness practiced in community. It awakens and transforms you.

“Looking backward, looking forward, looking inward, and beyond – these are the provisions, hidden in plain sight, all around you, all the time, and a way to envision the extraordinary value of your Canadian Mennonite University education,” said Huxman.

In conferring degrees, Gerbrandt, joined by Vice President Academic Earl Davey and CMU Registrar and Assistant Vice President Academic Wesley Toews, presented 78 Bachelor degrees: two students received their Bachelor of Arts, Four-Year Honours; 40 students earned their Bachelor of Arts, Four- Year degrees; 28 students earned their Bachelor of Arts, Three-Year degrees; two students received Bachelor of Church Ministry degrees; four students were awarded Bachelor of Music degrees; and two received Bachelor of Music Therapy degrees. In addition, six students earned their Master of Arts degrees: one with a concentration in Christian Ministry; and five with concentrations in Theological Studies.

Additionally, two students earned program certificates: one received an Undergraduate Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies; and one received a Graduate Certificate in Christian Studies.

“Each year, CMU awards the President’s Medals to two students recognizing their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service,” said Gerbrandt.

The President’s Medal award serves to recognize and celebrate students graduating with a CMU baccalaureate degree who represent the best ideals of the mission and vision of CMU. The award is shaped by CMU’s mission to “inspire and equip women and men for lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.” The selection process focuses especially on students whose academic achievements are matched by their growth as well as potential in the practical application of their education.

The recipients this year are Rebecca Hill (Bachelor of Music, with a concentration in Music Education) and Katherine Olivia Polle (Bachelor of Arts, Four-Year, International Development Studies Major).

Marlene Janzen of Calgary, CMU Board Chair, in a greeting conveyed by Vice President Terry Schellenberg, extended her congratulations to the Class of 2012.

The students’ formative experiences, she noted, have included classroom learning and also learning through sports teams, dorm life, choir tours, or practicum experiences. “All these have built a foundation for you, and they have been a gift of a Christian university rooted in the Anabaptist tradition,” said Janzen. “My prayer is that God’s Spirit will lead you as you encounter new and unexpected adventures, challenges, and rewards in your life journey – and so that you might make a difference in our world. Go with the best that CMU has inspired you to be!”

Janzen also highlighted the journeys of three people whom she described has having served as role models for the students: President Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, retiring June 30; CMU’s second president, Dr. Cheryl Paul, assuming her duties November 1; and interim President Dr. Earl Davey, appointed for the period July 1 to October 31.

Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt joined the faculty of Canadian Mennonite Bible College in 1969, became President of CMBC in 1997, and has served as a President at CMU since its inception in 2000. “Under his leadership, the university has grown in academic programming, in enrolment, and in reputation right across the country,” said Janzen. Gerbrandt completes his term as President on June 30.

“The Board is thrilled to name Dr. Cheryl Pauls as the university’s second president,” said Janzen. Currently on faculty at CMU, Pauls assumes her new duties November 1. “We anticipate God’s guidance as CMU continues the journey under her leadership,” said Janzen.

The CMU Board has appointed Dr. Earl Davey, Vice-President Academic, to the role of Interim President from July to November. “We are confident that he, together with senior administrators, will ably lead CMU through this transition,” said Janzen.

“Graduates, I trust that as doors open for you,” said Janzen in her closing remarks, “you will step forward, serve, and lead to the best of your abilities. May the Lord bless you!”

In addition to the April 22 Graduation Exercises, a number of other events made the weekend special for graduates and their families, and for current students and visitors. Weekend events included a gala dinner Friday evening, CMU’s annual In Gratitude presentation on April 21, the annual Spring Concert, also on April 22, and the Baccalaureate Service on April 22. (View other news releases in the Outtatown and Graduation Weekend series online at www.media.cmu.ca)

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,700 students, including MSC and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). CMU operates a number of schools and institutes, including The School of Writing at CMU and the Canadian School of Peacebuilding.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Outtatown Grads Share Stories of Discovery

April 20, 2012 – On April 14 and 15, 92 graduates from the 2011-2012 Outtatown program gathered on the Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) campus to celebrate their experiences in Africa and South America.  They shared their experiences through stories and music during their two-day graduation program attended by family and friends, site leaders, and Outtatown and CMU faculty and staff.

CMU’s largest-ever program for Outtatown featured four teams travelling to South Africa, Guatemala, or Burkina Faso. The many highlights from the different teams included a meeting with a conservation organization working among indigenous people in one of Guatemala’s high-altitude rainforests, and a rare visit with South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Students participating in the new French West Africa program discovered historic and cultural connections linking the cities of Winnipeg, Montreal, Paris, and Ouagadougou.

“One of the highlights for me was hearing students talk about their experience of community,” says Outtatown Director Cameron Priebe. In Burkina Faso, students encountered a culture in which one’s sense of identity is deeply rooted in family, community, church, and nationality.

 About a third of the graduates plan to continue their studies at CMU in the fall.

The Outtatown Discipleship School is a unique and enriching program of serving and learning for students seeking a life-changing experience of adventure, travel, service, and Christian studies.

Through participation in Outtatown, students may earn up to 18 university credit hours for the academic work completed during their programs. Outtatown offers two-semester programs at site locations in Guatemala and South Africa, and a one-semester program in French Africa.

 

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Janzen Competition Showcases Talent

April 9, 2012 – The 7th annual Verna Mae Janzen music competition at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) welcomed audiences for a public performance showcasing CMU’s talented instrumentalists and vocalists. The event required  a preliminary round of performances in the first week of March, followed by the competition finals that took place March 29 in the Laudamus Auditorium.

Competitors in this year’s finals were: Anna Bigland-Pritchard, soprano; Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, piano; Rebecca Hill, soprano; Daniel Bergman, tenor; Josiah Brubacher, tenor; Rocio Martinez, soprano; and Courtney Dugan, mezzo soprano.

CMU awarded first place honours to Rebecca Hill. Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe won second place, and Anna Bigland-Pritchard won third.                                                                From left: Rebecca Hill, Peter  Janzen,
                                                                                                                                                                                       Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Anna Bigland-Pritchard

The Verna Mae Janzen Competition is made possible each year through the generous contributions of the event sponsor and prize donor Peter Janzen, from Deep River, Ontario. Janzen established the competition in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989 at age 53 and who shared the joy of singing with her husband. This was Janzen’s seventh year of travelling to Winnipeg to attend the competition.

“As founder of the Verna Mae Janzen competition, Mr. Janzen takes an avid interest in the development of our students,” says CMU competition organizer Henriette Schellenberg. “We are grateful for his interest and for his support for our student musicians and singers. It is gratifying to see the quality of performances, and to see how much our students appreciate having an opportunity to showcase their talents in a competition of this level.” 

This year’s competition juror was distinguished conductor Henry Engbrecht, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies in the Faculty of Music at University of Manitoba. Engbrecht is a renowned conductor within the Manitoba community and abroad. He has trained a generation of conductors and teachers in Manitoba, acting as a model of excellence to them as well.

“CMU very much appreciated the privilege of welcoming Professor Engbrecht as this year’s juror,” says Schellenberg. “Receiving feedback from an expert provided competitors with an experience to grow and learn as musicians.”

The response from the audience to this year’s expanded program was very positive, says Schellenberg. “They really loved the variety, especially this year because of the different instruments.” 

 One thing that has not changed from previous competitions is the excellent performances of the competitors, especially those who reach the competition finals. Says Schellenberg: “I was pleased with the high calibre performances from CMU students and proud of the efforts that went into preparing for the Verna Mae Janzen competition.”

Categories
Events General News News Releases

CSOP Special Event with Piet Meiring, Cara Luft

March 30, 2011 – Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), an Institute of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), warmly welcomed Piet Meiring back to its campus for three days in March. Meiring presented  a workshop , participated in a special “Evening of Story and Song,” also featuring musician Cara Luft, and shared personal reflections of his faith journey, in conversation and a chapel presentation, during his visit.  

 “We are blessed to have Piet Meiring to share with us,” said CSOP Co-director Val Smith, introducing Meiring during his March 14 to 16 visit. “Piet has taught, spoken, and advised on reconciliation, restorative justice, and truth in settings worldwide – in Israel, Palestine, Rwanda, Ireland, Fiji, and Canada.  He is a wise and humble person who seems equally at home speaking a prophetic word to government leaders…and telling stories of African elephants to my kids.”

 For three decades, Meiring was involved with the church’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and he had to challenge his own denomination on this issue.  He served with Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).  Meiring is an emeritus professor at the University of Pretoria and an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church.

 “He has lived a life guided by his faith in Christ, a life that is a model of faithful living in difficult circumstances, a life through which God’s face has been allowed to shine,” said Smith.

 Participants in the March 14 day-long workshop had an opportunity to engage with Meiring during his session, titled, “The Perennial Quest for Truth and Reconciliation: Learning from one another’s experiences.”   

 The “Evening of Song and Story” on March 15 featured a time of sharing with Meiring, and performances by renowned singer, songwriter, and guitarist Cara Luft, who shared her music with an appreciative crowd. 

 An artist steeped in folk and traditional roots music, Luft enjoys stretching the boundaries, unafraid to bend genres and styles.  Luft is a former founding member of Juno award-winning folk music trio The Wailin’ Jennys.  Her sense of honesty, integrity, personality, and spontaneity permeate and resonate in her music and her live performances.

At the March 16 Chapel service, Meiring shared reflections on God’s “windows of faith, hope, and love” that sustained him during the apartheid period and throughout his TRC work.  He describes his time serving on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as “this painful, wonderful, agonizing journey through South Africa, (to) make sense of the past, and find our way into the future.”

 “The Lord opened my eyes in many, many ways – and made me look through his windows at the reality,” says Meiring.

 “The future of the world, of reconciliation,” says Meiring, “…does not depend in the first instance on better structures, important though they are.  It is dependent on people’s hearts, on personal relationships between people.  I came to realize that time and time again in South Africa.  It was love that reined:  the willingness to forgive. People astounded one another.  It was a painful but exhilarating experience.

 “…Stand at the window of love,” Meiring says, “and you are astounded at what God has done for us.  But you are also from time to time astounded if you see how people are translating their profession of love into action. And when that happens, you will know that swords are beaten into ploughshares and that spears are turned into pruning hooks… My prayer for you in Winnipeg is that Winnipeg will stand out as a place where a monument is erected for faith and hope and love for the world to see.”

 Canadian Mennonite University, through Menno Simons College (CMU’s campus at The University of Winnipeg) and through its south Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus, offers one of the most comprehensive undergraduate program in peace and conflict studies in the world. CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through its Outtatown discipleship program. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Youth Share Perspectives at Interfaith Conference

March 19, 2012 – Interfaith Youth Movement Held at CMU Draws Students Working Together for Social Change – On March 4, more than 80 students and other participants gathered at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) for Winnipeg’s first Interfaith Youth Conference. Targeted at youth ages 16 to 26, the event aimed to bring young people of faith together to think about, discuss, and imagine ways to understand each other and work together for social change.

Speakers included Obby Khan, a Winnipeg Blue Bomber starter; Michael Champagne, who spoke about his experiences growing up as an Aboriginal in Winnipeg’s North End; and Seunita Mahraf Sandhu, who shared some common misconceptions about Hinduism. The conference also included panel discussions and discussion groups where students from different faith backgrounds broke into small groups to explore an issue and develop steps to address it.

Melanie Kampen, a student at CMU and one of the conference organizers, said, “I was impressed by how articulate and creative the youth were. They are already leaders. We need to find ways to engage them, elicit their wisdom and imagination, and trust them with creating and organizing their visions for solidarity and justice.”

At left: CMU Student Melanie Kampen

Like the conversations it started, the conference itself was the result of many different groups and ideas coming together for a common purpose. The free day-long event was presented by the Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA), funded by Manitoba Multiculturalism Secretariat and the Winnipeg Foundation, and hosted at CMU. The organizing committee worked to find a date and time that could accommodate Muslim Friday afternoon prayers, the Jewish Sabbath, and Sunday morning Christian worship.

CMU was a natural fit to host this unique conference because of its commitment to educating for peace and justice, learning through thinking and doing, practicing generous hospitality and radical dialogue, and modelling an invitational community.

Elizabeth Beattie, a Booth College student who volunteered as a liaison between conference organizers and ISSA (who received funding for this project), said that “learning about similarities – instead of focusing on differences – is a way to bring people together for a common goal.” She called the conference a success, and an important step in building a bright future for faith communities in Winnipeg.

The conference organizers hope to hold more events like this one, and are hoping it will lead to the creation of an Interfaith Youth Council that would meet to continue the discussions started at the March conference and work to create a better understanding among young people of faith in Winnipeg and beyond.

Text: by Lindsay Wright for CMU