Category: News Releases

Categories
Events News Releases

Next event in conversation series to explore ‘the science of complexity’

How we think about matter impacts on understanding of the world, professor says

How does current thinking in physics and chemistry affect how we experience and understand other areas of life?

Candice Viddal, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Candice Viddal,
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics

That is the question Candice Viddal, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), will discuss during the university’s next Face2Face event. Face2Face is a series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

Titled “It’s Not Only About Atoms: Embracing the Science of Complexity,” this Face2Face conversation will take place on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:00 PM in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

“Since the ancient Greeks, the dominant conception of matter is that it consists of simple building blocks – that the whole can be described as the sum of the parts,” Viddal says.

She adds that scientists have come a long way in revealing exquisite detail about matter at many different length scales, from the incredibly small, like quarks and leptons; to atoms; to larger conglomerations of atoms such as proteins that perform a wide variety of tasks in living organisms; to genes that are the molecular units of heredity.

“Using examples from physics to chemistry, I’ll show that putting the parts back together again to describe complex systems as a whole – whether they be magnetic materials, neural networks, or even social behaviours – is proving to require new ways of thinking,” Viddal says.

“This is leading modern scientists to slowly embrace the idea that the whole may indeed be more than the sum of parts.”

Both ways of thinking about matter have had an impact on our understanding of the world around us, and ourselves.

“No one doubts that we are composed of atoms, but some say that we are ‘merely’ a collection of atoms, while others believe we are more than that – using descriptors such as mind, spirit, and heart,” Viddal says.

“I’m looking forward to exploring this dichotomy.”

“It’s Not Only About Atoms: Embracing the Science of Complexity” is the fourth of seven Face2Face events CMU is hosting during the 2013-14 school year. For the complete Face2Face schedule, please visit www.cmu.ca/face2face.

Categories
General News News Releases

CMU Announces New Vice President Academic

Dr. Gordon Zerbe selected to assume academic leadership role in June 2014

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) announces the appointment of Dr. Gordon Zerbe as Vice President Academic, effective June 2014. Zerbe replaces Dr. Earl Davey who retires in June following six years of service in this role.

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls is delighted to announce Zerbe’s appointment.

“Dr. Zerbe brings visionary rigour and analytical imagination to the role,” says Pauls. “At the same time, he enjoys quality relationships with students and faculty.”

G.Zerbe
Dr. Gordon Zerbe

The VP Academic is responsible for advancing CMU’s mission as a thriving liberal arts university in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition through its BA, BBA, BMus, and MA degree programs at the Shaftesbury Campus as well as its two programs at Menno Simons College.

A key member of senior administration, the VP Academic works closely with the President and other VPs to create a synergistic flow amongst academic activities, community partnerships, university operations, and long-term planning.

“Dr. Zerbe is whole-heartedly committed to the mission entrusted to CMU and he is well-suited to lead the ongoing design of its programming,” says Pauls. “Gordon’s scholarship and teaching demonstrate exemplary depth and breadth, and he is effective in translating these qualities into academic and faculty development.”

“I think CMU has a great future, and I’m excited about the prospect of working with CMU’s engaged faculty and committed administrators, as we move into the next phase of its life, matching creative and relevant programming with the interests of our dynamic and diverse student body.”

Zerbe’s appointment follows a six-month search process involving external stakeholders as well as faculty.

About Dr. Gordon Zerbe

Zerbe served a term as Vice President and Academic Dean for CMU’s Shaftesbury campus from 2004-2007. A professor at CMU since 1990, he has taught a wide range of subjects including Biblical Studies, Early Christianity, Greco-Roman History, World Religions, and Peace Studies.

Zerbe is also the General Editor of CMU Press, an academic publisher of scholarly, reference, and general interest books. Within the past year he has completed two books, Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics, and Philippians (forthcoming in 2014), part of the Believers Church Bible Commentary series.

Zerbe holds a PhD in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Western Washington University, a Master of Arts Biblical Studies (New Testament) from Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Tabor College.

In his spare time, Zerbe enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, tennis, theatre, and tinkering around in his 100-year old house.

Categories
Events News Releases

University Students Thank Donors, Churches, and Manitoba Government on Tuition Freedom Day

Canadian Mennonite University celebrates end of fiscal year costs covered by student tuition fees

“Tuition Freedom Day has become a wonderful way for CMU students to celebrate and express their appreciation to the government, church constituencies, and individual donors for the valuable contributions they have make to their education,” said Marilyn Peters Kliewer, Dean of Student Life at CMU. “Students realize this financial support helps make their post-secondary education a possibility!”

Screen shot 2013-11-23 at 7.38.27 AMCMU’s Tuition Freedom Day was established in 2007, inspired by a similar event held at Goshen College in Indiana. This recurring date in November marks the end of the fiscal year paid for by student tuition, and the beginning of the year covered by grants and donations from government, church groups, and individual donors.

“The tuition fees students pay  only go so far, and celebrating Tuition Freedom Day acts as a reminder for us,” said Amber Neufeld, Vice President Activities for CMU Student Council. “A lot of students don’t really know that their tuition only covers a portion of the costs, and this event is a great opportunity to acknowledge our generous donors and put a face to who is donating to CMU.”

Tuition Freedom Day will take place on Nov. 25 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at the CMU Chapel at 600 Shaftesbury Boulevard.

Curtis Nordman (Advanced Education’s Chair of Council on Post-Secondary Education), Mary Anne Isaak (Pastor at River East Mennonite Brethren Church), and Terrell and Jenna Wiebe (CMU alumni) will present on behalf of this year’s donors.

Categories
Events News Releases

Community Invited to Celebrate Christmas at CMU

Annual concert features more than 100 musicians performing in a variety of styles

Canadian Mennonite University invites the community to celebrate the joy and anticipation of the holiday season at its annual Christmas concert.

Christmas at CMU takes place on Saturday, Nov. 30 at the university (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). There are two concerts: one at 2 PM and the other at 7 PM. Admission for both concerts is free, and all are welcome to attend.

The concert is CMU’s gift to the community, says Rudy Schellenberg, Associate Professor of Music.

Christmas at CMU 2013

“We want this to be our thank you to the community for supporting us,” Schellenberg says. “The concert creates a wonderful atmosphere for meeting friends, meeting former classmates, and hearing beautiful music.”

Performances will feature CMU choirs; vocal and instrumental jazz; flute, guitar, and handbell ensembles; music faculty; readings and drama for kids; and an audience carol sing.

Christmas at CMU is a multi-generational, interactive event that allows family, friends, and neighbours of all ages to mingle in CMU’s beautiful heritage building.

Music ensembles will be stationed in different parts of the university, allowing attendees to create their own concert by walking around the festively decorated campus.

“There’s a huge variety of music, and of course, there’s homemade cookies and hot apple cider, too,” Schellenberg says.

He adds that all of CMU’s departments come together to create Christmas at CMU, which features more than 100 performers.

“It’s an all-campus contribution to our family, friends, and constituency,” Schellenberg says.

For the complete Christmas at CMU schedule, please visit cmu.ca/christmas.

Categories
General News

Scholarship Winner Aims to Make a Difference Through Business

‘Business can be about more than just making a profit,’ says Benjamin Shantz

Business is in Benjamin Shantz’s blood. While his friends spent their summers in high school working shifts at local fast food restaurants, Shantz was running his own lawn care operation, Benjamin’s Lawn Mowing and Services.

The business earned Shantz enough spending money during each summer, and while his friends were obligated to work the hours their supervisors scheduled for them, he enjoyed the flexibility making his own schedule afforded him.

2013-11-07 - Ben Shantz [2]But Shantz says one of the biggest benefits of running his own business was relational.

Today, Shantz is in his first year of studies at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU). He received a full tuition scholarship for his first year of study from CMU’s Redekop School of Business as well as Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).“Mowing lawns in my neighbourhood allowed me to build relationships and get to know people in the community,” the 19-year-old says. “I always enjoyed that, as opposed to having a job where I didn’t interact with anyone.”

Shantz says he gets his entrepreneurial spirit from his family.

“My grandfather and dad were involved in business, and my dad was big on teaching my brother and I how to manage our money,” he says.

His grandfather, Glen, was an electrician with his own contracting company who also owned a number of rental properties. Meanwhile, Shantz’s father, Rick, owned his own IT consulting firm for a number of years.

Participating in CMU’s Outtatown Discipleship School last year also influenced Shantz to study business, and it gave him a new perspective on what running a business can look like.

While in Guatemala at the beginning of 2013, he and his fellow students worked with a ministry called Solomon’s Porch. The ministry includes a café, and the income generated by the café is used to further the Solomon’s Porch ministry.

“I saw how business can be about more than just making a profit,” Shantz says. “It can also be used to give back to a community – in this case, to finance a missional organization that builds houses for people.”

As a result of his experience abroad, Shantz is working towards a double major in Business and International Development Studies at CMU.

While he’s not sure what sort of business he wants to be involved with after he graduates, he knows it will be the kind of business that reflects the things he has come to value over the past few years.

“It will be a business that’s tied to the community and relationships and helping people,” he says.

Categories
Events News Releases Uncategorized

Conference Inspires Youth to Pursue Peace and Seek Justice

‘The great adventure we get to be on is following Jesus,’ speaker says

How do we practice peace and justice in our daily lives? That was the question acclaimed activist Shane Claiborne explored at Peace It Together (PIT) 2013, Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) conference for youth focusing on biblical and Anabaptist themes of peace.

Shane Claiborne at PIT 2013
Shane Claiborne at PIT 2013

Over the course of three worship sessions, Claiborne challenged the more than 100 youth, youth sponsors, and pastors from across Canada who gathered at PIT to see that being a Christian isn’t about what happens to us in the afterlife, but rather, it’s about the way we spend our time on Earth.

“Jesus didn’t come just to prepare us to die, but to show us how to live,” Claiborne said.

Claiborne, author of a number of books, including The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, told stories from his various ministry experiences, including working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India; a trip with a Christian Peacemaker Team to Iraq in 2003; and living with The Simple Way, a community he helped start in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighbourhood.

He told listeners that there are a variety of ways to pursue peace and seek justice in their daily lives, and that everyone is invited to do something with their gifts that contributes to the redemptive work God is doing in the world.

He added that ultimately, more important than what you do or accomplish in this life is who you are becoming as a child of God.

“In the end, the great adventure we get to be on is following Jesus,” Claiborne said.

On Saturday afternoon, youth participated in a variety of different workshops to put into action the things they learned from Claiborne.

Youth had the option to visit a L’Arche community; visit Cedar Lane Farm, an organic farm located in a house-barn in rural Manitoba; spend the afternoon at Neechi Commons, a supermarket, bakery, and fish market in Winnipeg’s North End that fosters neighbourhood revitalization; visit House Blend Ministries, an intentional community in downtown Winnipeg; build instruments; or create and distribute a broadsheet newspaper with recent news stories rewritten from the perspective of peace

PIT also included times for small group reflection; opportunities to play sports or create art; and social events like square dancing, karaoke, and a talent show.

Robbie Friesen, a Grade 12 student from Vineland, ON., said the conference gave him a new understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Christ

Shane Claiborne addresses youth at one of his three speaking sessions
Shane Claiborne addresses youth, youth leaders, and pastors at one of his three speaking sessions

“When Jesus said, ‘Give up everything and follow me,’ there are different ways you can look at that,” said Friesen, 17, who traveled to Winnipeg with his youth group from Vineland United Mennonite Church. “I’ll definitely remember Shane’s stories of active peace and following Jesus.”

Hannah Thiessen, a Grade 11 student from Cambridge, ON., agreed.

“Shane makes it easy to wrap your brain around actually doing these things,” said the 15-year-old, from Wanner Mennonite Church. “I hope that I can act on what I’ve learned and contribute to my community in some way.”

Lois Nickel, Director of Enrolment Services at CMU and one of PIT’s organizers, said that was the goal of the conference.

“We wanted to show youth that you can live out peace wherever you are,” Nickel said. “We hope youth pastors and leaders will be taking ideas and inspiration from this weekend to go and try new things with their youth groups.”

CMU will host the next Peace It Together youth conference in October 2015.

Categories
Events Lectures News Releases

Discussion Led by IDS Professor to Explore Sweatshops and North American Clothing

“When Cheap Is Costly” is the third of seven Face2Face events hosted by CMU

The April collapse of the Bangladeshi clothing factory, which produced for Loblaw’s Joe Fresh label, and which killed more than 1,100 workers, raises important questions about where our clothes come from, and what conditions they are produced in.

JF1With the publicity given to garment factories, like the Loblaw contract-location in Bangladesh, how can North Americans show concern in their consumer behaviours for workers overseas?

Are we too concerned with fast fashion? Do constantly changing fashions trends encourage us to buy too many ‘cheap’ clothes that only need to last for a fashion season?

What is the ethical responsibility of business people in how they source the goods they produce, as well as how they market and advertise them

And how does social change happen for complex, diffuse problems like this?

Ray Vander Zaag, Assistant Professor of International Development Studies at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), will discuss those questions and more during CMU’s next Face2Face event exploring the intersection of faith and life.

Vander Zaag will host a conversation, titled “When Cheap Is Costly: Sweatshops and the Clothes I Buy,” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 PM in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Vander Zaag says he is interested in the topic because it links to Haiti, where he worked with his church’s development agency  from 1985 to 1993. Garment factories, some with poor working conditions, are common in the Caribbean country, and are still  being promoted as a key development strategy for Haiti.

“The topic of sweatshops affects my day-to-day life here in Winnipeg, because I do think about things like how many shirts I need to have in my closet,” Vander Zaag says. “It’s also interesting linking this topic to places I’ve lived in and care about, like Haiti.”

Vander Zaag hopes his talk will lead to a nuanced discussion about the topic, because it is a complex issue with no easy answers.

“At the same time, it’s pretty clear that there are people being hurt,” he says.

A lot can be, and is being done, to work toward solutions.

“There are fair trade clothing shops in Winnipeg, there are advocacy groups working in solidarity with labourers in the global south, and Loblaw is concerned about this,” Vander Zaag says. “There are many pieces to the puzzle of a fairer global garment industry, and all these initiatives can slowly make that ocean liner move in a new direction.”

“When Cheap Is Costly: Sweatshops and the Clothes I Buy” is the third of seven Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2013-14 school year.

Face2Face events are a series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life. For the complete Face2Face schedule, please visit www.cmu.ca/face2face.

 

Categories
Events News Releases

CMU School of Music in Partnership with Professor Bach Project Present Bachtoberfest: An Evening in Leipzig

For the fifth annual Professor Bach Project, co-artistic directors Rosemarie van der Hooft and Mel Braun have teamed up with Dr. Dietrich Bartel, Musicology Professor and Dr. Janet Brenneman, conductor and Dean of Canadian Mennonite University’s School of Music, to offer a unique experience of Bach’s music.

Bachtoberfest Web PosterHosted by Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), Bachtoberfest: An Evening in Leipzig will transport audience members to 18th century Germany. Beginning in the Laudamus Auditorium with Vespers at Thomaskirche, Bach’s Cantata BWV 78 Jesu, der du meine Seele will be presented in its liturgical setting.

Then, as was customary upon leaving the Thomaskirche, the audience will retire to Zimmermann’s Kaffeehaus (also known as CMU’s Great Hall) for coffee and dessert, along with varied interpretations of Bach’s secular music – think solo Bach, Hercules, Jazz, and Beatboxing.

Following the mentorship model of the Professor Bach Project, performances will feature professional and student musicians and singers collaborating together, and new for this year, a CMU alumni choir.

Experience Bachtoberfest: An Evening in Leipzig at Canadian Mennonite University (500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg) on Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 PM.

General Admission $10 | CMU Students $5

For more information, please contact:

Rose van der Hooft, Music Instructor
School of Music, Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB  R3P 2N2
Phone: 204.487.3300

Categories
Events News Releases

Farmers, Hunters, and Urban Eaters to Gather for Conversation About Food and Faith

Germinating Conversations: Eating Together at the Table takes place on World Food Day

Eating is one thing that all people have in common, but what do we eat when we are together? Who grows it? How did it get to our table? What was the impact on the land? Does the food nourish us? Is there enough? Does it taste good? How might these questions be informed by our faith?

These questions will be part of a roundtable conversation at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) with food growers and eaters who think hard about these questions.

Titled “Germinating Conversations: Eating Together at the Table,” the conversation takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in CMU’s Great Hall (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). The event starts at 7:00 PM and all are welcome. Admission is free.

It’s the fifth in the Germinating Conversations series on food, faith, eating, and the land presented by a partnership of CMU, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, A Rocha Prairie Canada, and Food Matters Manitoba.

1237099_10151862489501866_1361437829_nThe conversations invite growers and eaters to the table to listen to one another, and are intended to help bridge divides among people of faith.

Kenton Lobe, instructor in International Development Studies at CMU and one of the event’s organizers, says that Germinating Conversations aims to promote an understanding of how land stewardship and food ethics are understood in both urban and rural contexts.

“As farmers markets expand and the interest in ‘eating local’ surges, there remains a tension between those who grow food and those who eat it,” Lobe says. “Germinating Conversations explores what it means for people of faith to eat. How does one’s understanding of food as a gift from God impact daily decisions in the supermarket and in our kitchens?”

Lobe will facilitate the Oct. 16 conversation along with Deanna Zantingh, a student from CMU’s Graduate School of Theology. The panel will include Ron Krahn, a third-generation grain farmer from Rivers, MB; Terry Mierau, an opera singer-turned-chicken farmer from Neubergthal, MB; Tina Hildebrand, a cattle farmer from the Pembina Valley; Aaron Epp, an urban eater who has lost 100 pounds over the past two years through diet and exercise; Melanie Unger, Spiritual Life Facilitator from CMU; and Matthew Dueck, a CMU student, urban farmer, and avid hunter.

“Germinating Conversations: Eating at the Table Together” is the second of seven Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2013-14 school year. The Face2Face series of conversations with CMU faculty designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life. For the complete Face2Face schedule, please visit cmu.ca/face2face.

“Germinating Conversations: Eating at the Table Together” falls on World Food Day, an annual event meant to encourage attention to agricultural food production, and strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

Categories
Events General News News Releases

Class of 1953 Gathers for 60-Year Reunion

‘God only knows how much impact they have had on society,’ organizer says 

Graduates from the 1953 classes of two of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) predecessor colleges gathered at the university’s Fall Festival Sept. 28 for their 60th class reunion.

Seven alumni from Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC) reunited for a time of sharing, remembering, fellowship, singing, and prayer.

“A good number of us are still alive and with it—we can’t take that for granted,” said John B. Epp, who helped organize the reunion.

John Unger, another reunion organizer, said that a highlight for him was a “ministry map” the committee put together indicating the places in the world where 1953 graduates have worked and served.

Of the seven CMBC graduates and 20 MBBC graduates from that year, seven went into pastoral ministries and four went into church conference ministries. Twelve went into education, with seven acquiring PhDs in fields including mathematics, sociology, and history, and teaching throughout North America.

At least five went into missions, with their work taking them to countries that include Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Israel, China, and Japan.

Almost all are or were affiliated with a church congregation where they served as well.

“We’re amazed at what God can do with 27 people if they really are the salt of the earth and the light of the world,” Unger said. “God only knows how much impact they have had on society.”

The organizing committee wanted to plan a 60th reunion after hosting a successful 50th reunion in 2003. At that reunion, the Class of 1953 established a $20,000 endowment for a student bursary. To date, more than $6,000 has been distributed to CMU students in need.

By now, members of the Class of 1953 are in their 80s. Eight class members have passed away, and some were not able to make it to the reunion due to health concerns.

Still, those who were there enjoyed connecting with one another.

“I’m glad we can celebrate together,” Unger said. “My bottom line is the thought that was mentioned in Job 19:25 – ‘I know that my redeemer lives.’ We have to keep our central focus on the Lord, and He is still ruling, and we want to live by faith day by day until He calls us.”

Henry Visch, one of the organizers of the CMBC/MBBC Class of 1953 60-year reunion, stands with a “ministry map” he created. The map indicates where members of the Class of 1953 have worked and served, including Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Israel, China, and Japan.
Henry Visch, one of the organizers of the CMBC/MBBC Class of 1953 60-year reunion, stands with a “ministry map” he created. The map indicates where members of the Class of 1953 have worked and served, including Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Israel, China, and Japan.
Members of CMBC’s and MBBC’s Class of 1953 gathered at CMU on Sept. 28 for their 60th class reunion. From left to right: George Wiebe, Hedy Sawatsky, Leo Driedger, Henry Visch, John Unger, John Epp, and Peter Penner.
Members of CMBC’s and MBBC’s Class of 1953 gathered at CMU on Sept. 28 for their 60th class reunion. From left to right: George Wiebe, Hedy Sawatsky, Leo Driedger, Henry Visch, John Unger, John Epp, and Peter Penner.