Category: News Releases

Menno Simons College Celebrates Accomplishments of 66 CRS and IDS Graduates

Post author By CMU
Post date June 23, 2011

On June 9, 2011, Menno Simons College celebrated the achievements of 66 Class of 2011winter and spring graduates in Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS) and International Development Studies (IDS). The Menno Simons College (MSC) celebration was held in UWinnipeg’s Convocation Hall, following the morning convocation services.

MSC 2011 graduate Jared Wheeler, BA 3-Yr, CRS/IDS Double Major, and Dr. Ray Vander Zaag, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of International Development Studies

Menno Simons College is the downtown campus of Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) and is located at and affiliated with The University of Winnipeg.

“We gather to acknowledge years of hard work, laughter, and friendship at this celebration of light and hope,” says Dean of Menno Simons College Dr. Richard McCutcheon. “We are proud of our graduates and we want to welcome them into our Menno Simons College alumni group. We look forward to following their careers in peace and justice work, international development, and conflict resolution.”

In the tradition of MSC past graduations, students and families shared a luncheon meal followed by a graduation program. Among the year’s graduates were seven MSC students with majors in CRS or IDS who in total earned nine medals at UWinnipeg’s morning convocation.

The MSC program opened with a heartfelt invocation by Dr. John Derksen, Associate Professor, Conflict Resolution Studies, and opening remarks by CMU President Gerald Gerbrandt, who expressed his confidence in the Class of 2011 having “a passion for issues of justice and mercy, and skills to make a difference in the world.”

Guest speaker Lois Coleman Neufeld, Executive Director, Mediation Services, remarked, “I believe you have learned the basics of leadership through your courses, and have the skills of leaders.” She highlighted having a profound respect “for the other” as being of great importance, along with the qualities of passion and compassion. “Take the best of what you have learned and use it for others,” she advised the graduates.

Sharing student reflections were graduates (Roberta) Bobbie Whiteman, 4-yr. IDS and Human Rights graduate, and medal winner Zoë Gross, 4-yr. CRS graduate, majoring in Women’s Studies.
Whiteman expressed her appreciation for MSC tuition and travel awards that helped the single mom complete her education. Gross commented, “What is special about MSC is that even if you don’t enter with a concern for conflict resolution and justice, you leave with passion and hope for a (better) world.”

Academic Advisor Gina Loewen, Associate VP Ruth Taronno, and Dean McCutcheon. presented the 2011 Graduating Class.

Graduate Jared Wheeler (3-Yr., CRS/IDS Double Major) originally expected to take one course at MSC as an option. Says Wheeler: “I was hooked on the program right from the introductory course. MSC offered such a welcoming environment. And happily, that first course led me on to International Development Studies. It opened to me the thinking that we could change the world. It is possible.”

In addition to MSC’s graduation class of 66 students, CMU earlier this spring graduated 78 students at its southwest Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus, for a total of 114 graduates. An additional 64 Outtatown students completed international programs, returning from sites in South Africa and Guatemala.

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
http://mscollege.ca

For information on MSC award-winning students, contact:
Gina Loewen, Academic Advisor: g.loewen@uwnninipeg.ca
Menno Simons College Tel. 204.953.3848

For CMU information, contact:
Nadine Kampen, CMU Communications & Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca ; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621

Tags Grad 2011, Graduation, MSC

General News

CMU Breaks New Ground with On-Campus Community Farm

Post author By CMU
Post date June 1, 2011

Urban Farm Collective Launches First Season of Two-year Plan

Spring 2011 marks the first season of CMU’s new on-campus Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) Farm, a two-year collaborative urban farm project of the university and the CMU Farmers’ Collective.

“The farm is a place of learning in which emerging farmers can practice the craft of land stewardship while growing healthy, local food for sharers,” says Kenton Lobe, CMU International Development Studies (IDS) instructor and Farmers’ Collective member. “I am ecstatic with the level of commitment from the farmers working on the project.”

This project is the realization of a dream of Lobe and alumni DeLayne Toews and Megan Klassen-Wiebe, who are members of CMU Farmers’ Collective and who, over several recent summers, worked on several small-scale farms in Manitoba and the East Coast and imagined what an urban, campus farm might look like at CMU, bringing the idea to fruition. Other members of the Collective committed to farming this season are alumni Karin Coleman Neufeld, Kurt Lemky, Corinne Klassen, and MSC practicum student Jeanette Sivilay.

“The farm provides a real place in which to engage the issues of food security, land stewardship, and project development—all areas that I teach,” Lobe says. “Having a place to experiment and imagine what the work looks like provides a rich context for learning by doing that really supports the academic curriculum of the university.”

For this season, the CMU Farmers’ Collective is selling 25 shares at $450 each, providing each sharer with a weekly box of fresh, seasonal vegetables starting mid-June for a projected 12-week timeframe. The farm is also growing a plot of corn to sell at a corn roast to support the work of Mennonite Central Committee, and will host a fall harvest celebration. Next year’s work will involve clarifying linkages with university courses.

“The CMU Farm holds the potential to link the issues of global hunger with local and small-scale agriculture and to help us explore how the food we eat opens us to God’s creation and connects us with others,” says Lobe.

To read the Winnipeg Free Press July 30, 2011 article on the CMU community garden, click here.

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is a Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, offering undergraduate degrees in arts and science, and such disciplines as business and organizational administration, communications and media, peace and conflict resolution studies, music and music therapy, theology, and church ministries, as well as graduate degrees in Theological Studies and Christian ministry. CMU is a Member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through Outtatown.

For more information or to reserve your share, contact:
The CMU Farmers’ Collective, cmufarm@gmail.com

For CMU information, contact:
Nadine Kampen, Communications and Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca
Tel. 204.487.3300, Toll free 877.231.4570
Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 2N2

Tags community farm, Kenton Lobe

General News

CMU Announces Appointment of Cam Priebe as Outtatown Director

Post author By CMU
Post date May 30, 2011

Priebe to Assume Role July 1, 2011

President Gerald Gerbrandt is pleased to announce the appointment of Cameron Priebe as Director of the Outtatown Program, effective July 1, 2011.

“Cameron Priebe will take on leadership of this program at an important time, with fall plans for Outtatown programs firmly in place,” says Gerbrandt. “Cam brings a strong background in pastoral care and leadership of high school and university-age students. We feel he is particularly well suited to take on leadership of this important CMU discipleship program.”

“It is great to be welcoming Cam Priebe to CMU,” says Paul Kroeker, CMU Dean of International Programs and Outtatown Director (2005– 2011). “We look forward to continued growth in the Outtatown program through the skill sets and perspectives of a new director. May he experience the Lord’s blessing. ”

Priebe holds a Master of Arts degree in Christian Ministry from Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno. His previous experience includes an appointment at Bethany College where he provided pastoral care and leadership for student leaders and residence staff. He also served with the Ministry Quest program, in which he was responsible for developing intentional retreats and ministry experiences for high school students.

Currently on staff with the Mennonite Brethren National Conference, Priebe assists young leaders and churches to be intentional about the development of their relationship with God and their understanding of how they are uniquely gifted to serve and love God.

“We welcome Cameron to CMU and look forward with anticipation to the contribution he will make to the Outtatown program and to the University at large,” says Earl Davey, Vice President (Academic).

Outtatown’s mission is to inspire and nurture students in their life of discipleship with Jesus Christ in a journey towards: knowing God in truth and relationship; knowing yourself in personality, character, abilities and gifts; and knowing the world in its beauty, diversity and pain. Outtatown offers a choice of two-semester programs at site locations in Guatemala and South Africa, for which students may earn up to 18 credit-hours, and new in fall 2011, a one-semester French Africa program.

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is a Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, offering undergraduate degrees in arts and science, and such disciplines as business and organizational administration, communications and media, peace and conflict resolution studies, music and music therapy, theology, and church ministries, as well as graduate degrees in Theological Studies and Christian ministry. CMU is a Member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through Outtatown.

For information contact:
Nadine Kampen, Communications and Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca
Tel. 204.487.3300, Toll free 877.231.4570
Canadian Mennonite University, 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 2N2

Tags Outtatown

General News News Releases

Renowned Peacekeeping Instructors to CSOP 2011

Post author By CMU
Post date May 19, 2011

First Session Instructors McKay, Burch Lead Courses June 6 -10, 2011

Excitement is building as Canadian Mennonite University prepares to welcome renowned instructors and dedicated students its third annual Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP) June 6 to 24, 2011.

CSOP instructors bring great depth of experience and personal insights and perspectives to CSOP’s summer program. Through its intensive courses for professional development and academic credit, students have an opportunity to learn from those with first-hand experience and advanced training.

First session instructors are Stan McKay, who will address First Nations perspectives on living in covenant, and Mark Burch, who will focus on living in voluntary simplicity.

“We are delighted with the line-up of instructors for CSOP 2011,” says CSOP Co-Director Jarem Sawatsky. “At CSOP, our aim is to create opportunities for people from different backgrounds and perspectives to connect in positive and respectful ways—learning together, supporting each other, and creating networks of engaged peacebuilders.”

“CSOP offers a collaborative learning community for people from all backgrounds and faith traditions,” says Co-director Valerie Smith. “We want participants to feel nurtured and better equipped through experiencing various forms of peace practice and exposure to significant emerging ideas and teachers in the field.”

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. Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, 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.

Session I Instructors – June 6-10

Covenants of Peace and Justice with Stan McKay
This course will introduce a Cree Christian perspective on living in covenant relationships. An examination of biblical covenants, historic First Nations treaties, and contemporary struggles for justice will be the focus for exploring the role of peacemakers in a global context.

Aboriginal educator Rev. Stan McKay, was Canada’s first Aboriginal Moderator of the United Church of Canada (UCC), Canada’s largest Protestant denomination. He sought reconciliation and understanding both within and outside the UCC, and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Stan comes from Fisher River, Manitoba, a Cree First Nation community. He is the former Director of the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Centre. He received a career National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1997.

Study of Voluntary Simplicity with Mark Burch
Within International Development Studies, development is increasingly understood as a participatory, deliberate process aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals within community. This course examines the concept, theory, and practice of voluntary simplicity as a means of development for individuals seeking alternatives to consumer values and culture.

Author, educator, and group facilitator, Mark Burch has practised simple living since the 1960s and offers workshops and courses on voluntary simplicity. He is a lecturer at UWinnipeg, former director of UWinnipeg’s Campus Sustainability Office, and co-director of the Simplicity Practice and Resource Centre. He has been a featured guest on CBC-TV Man Alive, and What on Earth?, CBC Radio Ideas, and Vision TV’s The Simple Way, and was a regular radio columnist on Discovering Simplicity for CBC-Winnipeg. Author of four books on voluntary simplicity, Mark’s most recent book is, De-junking: A Tool for Clutterbusting.

Visit www.cmu.ca/csop
For CSOP information, contact:
CSOP Co-director Valerie Smith
csop@cmu.ca; Tel. 204.487.3300 Ext. 316
CanadianSchool of Peacebuilding at CMU
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

For CMU information, contact:
Communications & Marketing Director Nadine Kampen
nkampen@cmu.ca; Tel. 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Canadian School of Peacebuilding

General News News Releases

This Hidden Thing By Dora Dueck Wins 2011 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award

Post author By CMU
Post date May 12, 2011

CMU Press is pleased to announce that Dora Dueck’s novel This Hidden Thing has been named the McNally Robinson Book of the Year, as announced at the Manitoba Book Awards held April 17, 2011 at the Franco-Manitoban Cultural Centre in St. Boniface.

This Hidden Thing is the first novel to be published by CMU Press, which is an academic publishing initiative of Canadian Mennonite University.

“If you are surprised, so am I,” said Dueck in her acceptance speech. “I’m happy to be in the company of these wonderful writers.” Dueck, who lives in Winnipeg, also paid tribute to local booksellers McNally Robinson for their dynamic support of Winnipeg’s literary community.

This Hidden Thing is a “humane and fully satisfying depiction of times, places [and] communities,” according to jurors Joan Barfoot, Trevor Cole , and Richard Lebrun. Elsewhere, the jury for the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, for which This Hidden Thing was shortlisted, describes Dueck’s novel as “a testament to the pleasure of pure storytelling.”

Dueck’s novel follows almost the entirety of the life of Maria Klassen, a young Mennonite woman who immigrates to Manitoba in the 1920s. Maria works for a prosperous family while navigating the intricate experience of life in a new country. The story examines the powerful themes of silence and hiddenness within the Mennonite community, as well as offering realistic portrayals of passion, poverty, war, and family – the everyday experiences of an ordinary yet remarkable woman.

The Manitoba Book Awards are organized annually by the Manitoba Writers’ Guild (MWG) and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers (AMBP). This Hidden Thing was nominated for the Book of the Year Award alongside Curiosity by Joan Thomas, A Cycle of the Moon by Uma Parameswaran, Out of Grief Singing: A Memoir of Motherhood and Loss by Charlene Diehl, and Walking to Mojácar by Di Brandt. The award is sponsored by McNally Robinson Booksellers. It is awarded each year to the author of the English-language book by a Manitoba author that is judged the best-written by a jury comprised of writers, scholars, publishers, and journalists. The prize carries with it a cash value of $5,000.

To order, visit or contact any of the following:

CMU Bookstore
Tel. 204.487.3300; toll free 1.877.231.4570
Email: cmubookstore@cmu.ca
Visit: http://www.cmu.ca/cmupress for information, including book club questions

Mennonite Publishing Network
Visit: www.mpn.net

McNally Robinson
Tel. 204.475.0483
1120 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg, MB

For CMU PRESS information, contact:
cmupress@cmu.ca
204.487.3300
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

For CMU information, contact:
nkampen@cmu.ca

Tags CMU Press, Dora Dueck

General News News Releases

Outtatown Celebrates Experiences of Students Returning from International Sites

Post author By CMU
Post date May 12, 2011

GuatemalaAfter three months of service and learning in some very challenging and rewarding situations, 64 Outtatown students and eight leaders returned home in April from South Africa and from Guatemala, completing a challenging and rewarding eight-month Outtatown program. They were joined by their families and friends and CMU staff during a weekend of dialogue and celebrations, closing with their Outtatown graduation service on April17 at CMU.South Africa

“Change was evident in each one of our students – change that went deeper than the tans and the smiles on their faces,” says Paul Kroeker, Dean of International Programs and Outtatown Director. “These students had been challenged deeply as they encountered beauty and brokenness in so many different ways along their journey. It was evident in their eyes as they began to share what they had learned and experienced.”

On the days following their arrival back in Manitoba, the teams and leaders took time to debrief and share their experiences.

“Their eyes glistened as stories began to pour out of them, sharing insights which had transformed them on this journey. They had stayed with families who lived in houses smaller than their bedroom back home, but who hosted them in that humble setting with love, joy, and acceptance,” says Kroeker. “This had been very moving to receive and experience. They saw extremes in wealth and poverty, and knowing which group they were in, had to ask some profound questions about international justice and the basic question that was once asked of Jesus, “and who is my neighbour?”

Kroeker notes that, for most of the Outtatown students, Christian community was the most significant part of the journey. It helped to define the transformational learning that had taken place. Within the context of a well mentored experience, each student had been challenged to new levels of self-acceptance, and accountability. “They had learned to deal with the issues of beauty and brokenness within, just as they were dealing with similar issues in the world around them,” says Kroeker. “This combination gave hope that the change was not superficial, nor momentary, but something which they would continue to process in the years to come.”

Graduation on Sunday, April 17 concluded the program’s debriefing process and gave opportunity for a celebration of learning and achievement. In addition to students and leaders, countless ministry partners across Canada, in Guatemala, and in South Africa were part of the journey.

“Through stories, music and in the spirit of the place, God’s grace and goodness was celebrated by parents and friends who came to the graduation,” says Kroeker. “They had been part of a large prayer support network throughout the year, and wanted to be part of the process as one story of transformation came to its conclusion, and the next story of God’s grace would begin.

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

Outtatown’s mission is to inspire and nurture students in their life of discipleship with Jesus Christ… in a journey towards: Knowing God in truth and relationship; Knowing yourself in personality, character, abilities and gifts; Knowing the world in its beauty, diversity and pain. Outtatown offers two-semester programs at site locations in Guatemala and South Africa, for which students may earn up to 18 credit-hours, and new in Fall 2011, a one-semester program with a French Africa site location.

For information, contact:
Nadine Kampen
Communications & Marketing Director
Tel. 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
nkampen@cmu.ca
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Grad 2011, Graduation, Outtatown

General News News Releases

Students End Academic Year with Parting Gift

Post author By CMU
Post date May 10, 2011

Boxes of Books Collected and Donated for Better World Books

Kirsten Hamm, CMUSC 2010-2011 President

Amidst the pressures of finishing essays and studying for finals, CMU students found time in April to look up from their books and conduct a book drive for

those with fewer resources, lending their support to “Better World Books.”

Student Council members launched their book campaign as a way to support world-wide literacy while also helping people find a way to recycle text books, novels, and other books they no longer planned to keep.

“Better World Books is an organization that partners with Books for Africa, Invisible Children, Worldfund, and the National Center for Family Literacy to promote literacy around the world,” explained the Student Council 2010-2011 President Kirsten Hamm. “Any donated books that cannot be used directly in classrooms are sold and the proceeds are used to fund teaching programs in Africa.”

Students established two collection stations on the Shaftesbury campus, and collected a total of 30 boxes with more than 1,000 books donated by students, faculty, staff, and friends of CMU.

“What better way to end the semester than by getting rid of books that you don’t need, for others in need?” asks Hamm.

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is an accredited Christian university offering undergraduate degrees in the arts, music, music therapy, theology, and church ministries, and master degrees in theological studies and Christian ministry. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through Outtatown, CMU’s adventure and discipleship program.

www.betterworldbooks.com

Tags Kirsten Hamm

News Releases

Canadian Author Dr. Rudy Wiebe, OC Addresses CMU Class of 2011

Post author By CMU
Post date May 10, 2011

On April 17, 2011 Canadian Mennonite University held its annual Convocation, celebrating the accomplishments and earned degrees of 78 graduates. CMU President Gerald Gerbrandt, faculty, staff, and guests joined in celebrating their successes. Guest speaker for the Graduation Service was distinguished Canadian author and CMU alumnus Rudy Wiebe (MBBC ’61).

At the morning’s Baccaluareate Service, graduates David Attema and Jill Siemens shared reflections with fellow students, and retiring professor, Dr. Titus Guenther, used the theme Living in Bold Humility, based on 1st Timothy 1:7, the text chosen by the graduating class. CMU’s Worship Band, Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus, and Jazz Band contributed to the celebration.

At the Graduation service President Gerald Gerbrandt addressed an audience of CMU students, families and friends. “We offer our congratulations to the graduates, in the hope that their journey at CMU has helped prepare them for exciting futures. Graduation is the harvest, one might say, to the academic year. It is a day of joyous celebration, a day of fellowship, a day of praise to God for what God has done. Graduation is an important milestone and a significant occasion in the life of this year’s graduates.”

Of particular note was the presentation of the inaugural President’s Gold Medal to Rebecca Reesor (BA Music, with concentrations in Performance and Music Ministry) and Erin Weaver (BA 4-Yr. in International Development Studies) in recognition of their scholarship, leadership, and service. Other Graduation Service highlights included the Valedictorian Address by graduate Michael Harms, performances by the CMU Combined Choirs and the Graduation Address, “Working in Hope,” by Dr. Rudy Wiebe.

Gerbrandt remarked on the significance of having Dr. Rudy Wiebe as this year’s Graduation speaker as it is 50 years since Wiebe graduated from Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC, a founding college of CMU). “It is a privilege and honour to welcome Rudy Wiebe to CMU as our guest speaker,” he said. “I suspect he is one of a very few who graduated from MBBC already having earned a Masters degree from the University of Alberta.”

Gerbrandt also noted Wiebe’s significant professional accomplishments. Following his first novel Peace Shall Destroy Many, published while Wiebe was editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, and two subsequent novels : First and Vital Candle; and The Blue Mountains of China, in 1973 Wiebe was awarded his first Governor General’s Award for fiction for The Temptations of Big Bear. In 1994, he won a second Governor General’s Award for A Discovery of Strangers and in 2000 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. After teaching four years at Goshen College, in 1967 Wiebe moved to the University of Alberta to teach English and creative writing. He was made Professor emeritus there in 1992.

Wiebe congratulated the Class of 2011, commenting on their chosen theme, “Living in Bold Humility.” He stated: “We celebrate you on this memorable day for who you are and for what you have achieved. After years of hard work, you are graduating from a school of venerable tradition, of excellent learning, of serious questioning of the status quo, of living and working in the world with an Anabaptist Christian commitment. You face the future not in the spirit of timidity, but in a spirit of power, love, and of self-discipline. That is a truly courageous commitment to make in this year 2011.”

Wiebe shared with the graduates how his university experiences helped shape his career direction. It was while studying at the University of Alberta that he was challenged by a professor to write a novel about his people, the Russian Mennonites in Canada. Out of this grew his first published work, “the book that began my writing life,” says Wiebe. And looking back to his graduation with a Bachelor in Theology from MBBC, Wiebe noted: “It is impossible to imagine my life of writing without MBBC.”

Commencement, he said, is both an ending and a beginning, and in keeping with the challenge he received many years ago, he issued his own challenge to the Class of 2011.

“Is there something specific that you feel within yourself that you are called to do?” he asked. “Find that, face that, dare to explore that gift, that intimation of calling, that God has given specifically to you. Fan into flame the gift of God that is in you. You and you alone can develop that gift into its most blazing expression.”

Wiebe concluded by reading a verse of poetry from Emily Dickinson, then paraphrased in closing: “This is my wish and prayer for you – hope, singing its continuous and wordless song in our souls, as we steadily work our way forward, each one of us, into our unique God-gifted future.

Wiebe and his wife Tena, whom he met at MBBC, have one daughter and one son, also alumni of MBBC.

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.

For information, contact:
Nadine Kampen CMU Communications & Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

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CMU Co-sponsors New Rosamunde Summer Music Academy

Post author By CMU
Post date April 28, 2011
1 Comment on CMU Co-sponsors New Rosamunde Summer Music Academy

Canada’s Newest Summer Strings Program Features Top Instructors

Music students of all ages have the opportunity this summer to study with some of Canada’s finest string teachers at CMU as it hosts the inaugural Rosamunde Summer Music Academy, Canada’s newest summer music program. RSMA, which will run from August 21 to 26, 2011 is the brainchild of Yuri Hooker, Artistic Director, and Elation Pauls, Managing Director.

“I have always wanted to offer Manitoba’s aspiring string players an opportunity to learn in an intense and supportive program,” says Hooker, who also serves as Principal Cellist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. “I’m very excited about the possibilities that our partnership with CMU will inspire.”

RSMA is attracting students from across the country, Hooker says. It is the first program of its kind in Winnipeg, emphasizing each student’s individual growth with an eye to inspiring them with new ideas and approaches as well as setting them on a good path for their year of musical study. Qualities that make the program unique are its inclusiveness and its holistic philosophy to music making.

The RSMA offers programs for string players of all ages and skill levels, from young ones just starting out through to advanced teenagers and university age students all the way to keen adult amateurs.

“I love the idea of young kids being mentored by the older students, and the mutual inspiration that will be sparked between the more mature and the younger students,” says Pauls, Assistant Principal Second Violin in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

“I want students to see how music can be an integral part of their daily lives, regardless of whether they choose to pursue it as a career,” she says. “Often times, young kids and adults don’t get the opportunity to study with performers/teachers at the top of their career—when I’ve seen it happen it has invariably sparked a greater joy in their music making as well as a depth and freshness of experience that they can then take back to their studies with their primary teachers.”

Pauls and Hooker believe music should flow as an outpouring of each individual’s daily experience. For that reason, they’ve devised a schedule that will emphasize the development of music as a natural part of daily life, as an infectious expression of the soul. Before the official start each morning, drop-in yoga classes will be offered on campus.

Hooker enthuses: “Yoga helps people to get in touch with what is essential: breathing well, moving through space thoughtfully, thinking clearly, observing oneself objectively. At RSMA, students will have an opportunity to begin each day meditatively with a progression toward the more interactive large ensemble rehearsal at the end of the day.” Hooker notes that individual study can often be an isolating experience, and the work alone is essential, but adds, “What we’re aiming to do is to bind everyone’s solo efforts together in music-loving community throughout each day of study.”

The overall program structure is based on the model that Hooker refined during the four years of his Winnipeg Summer Cello Institute, which RSMA now replaces. Each student will have the opportunity to participate in daily technique and master classes, a generous amount of private lesson time, accompanying sessions with experienced coaches, chamber music and string orchestra rehearsals, and Alexander technique sessions.

“Having performed and taught at summer music festivals around the world, I am a great believer in their power to inspire students to new heights of music making and give them a great head start on their studies,” says Gwen Hoebig, one of RSMA’s faculty members and Concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. “I am thrilled to see the establishment of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy here in Winnipeg and I’m excited to be a part of this new project!”

“A week of intensive study in this kind of nurturing environment can really fire up a student’s interest and commitment level, sustaining them throughout the year,” adds Pauls. “The rate and quality of improvement during one intense week is often miraculous.”

Out of town students will stay at CMU’s excellent dormitory facilities. The week will kick off with a faculty recital on August 21 and culminate with a student recital on August 26.

RSMA 2011 Faculty (See online biographies at www.rosamunde.ca)

Elation Pauls, Violin/Managing Director Assistant Principal Second Violin, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Gwen Hoebig, Violin Concertmaster, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Daniel Scholz, Viola Principal Viola, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Yuri Hooker, Cello/Artistic Director Principal Cello, Winnipeg Symphony Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Andrea Bell, Cello Cellist, Rembrandt String Quartet

Meredith Johnson, Double bass Principal Bass, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Michelle Mourre, Conductor/Collaborative Piano & Ensemble Coordinator Former Conductor-in-Residence, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

The vision of the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy is:

tune: to tune in, tune the body, tune the instrument, fine-tune abilities, harmonize musical and interpersonal relationships

train: to be afforded the opportunity to learn with innovative teachers at the top of their careers who are dedicated to the development of the whole musician

try: to gird up each student as they try out new ideas, letting them fail or succeed in a supportive, non-competitive environment, finally enabling each student to

“Tear It Up!”

Visit www.rosamunde.ca

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is a Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, offering undergraduate degrees in arts and science, business and organizational administration, communications and media, peace and conflict resolution studies, music and music therapy, theology, and church ministries, as well as graduate degrees in Theological Studies and Christian Ministry. Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through its Outtatown discipleship school. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

For RSMA information, contact: info@rosamunde.ca

For CMU information, contact:
Nadine Kampen, Communications & Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca
Tel. 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University | 500 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 2N2

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Events

Great Line-up of Authors at CMU Spring Literary Festival

Post author By CMU
Post date April 25, 2011
1 Comment on Great Line-up of Authors at CMU Spring Literary Festival

Keynote Speaker Warren Cariou One of Eleven Guest Authors on Campus in May 2011
Canadian Mennonite University’s Spring Literary Festival, an event held in conjunction with the School of Writing at CMU, this year features eleven authors from across the prairies, visiting the CMU campus between May 9 and 13, 2011.

Guest authors on Monday, May 9 are Winnipeg’s Charlene Diehl, Ian Ross, and Deborah Schnitzer. On Wednesday evening, May 11, Edmonton’s Marina Endicott, Winnipeg’s Christina Penner, and Saskatoon’s Lloyd Ratzlaff will be speaking.

Keynote speaker this year is Winnipeg’s Warren Cariou, who will share his insights and stories on Friday, May 13.

Cariou has published two books, the memoir Lake of the Prairies and the fiction collection The Exalted Company of Roadside Martyrs. He has also co-directed two films about Aboriginal people in Western Canada. His address is entitled “Life into Stories and Stories into Life.”

Warren Cariou
Cariou is Canada Research Chair in Narrative, Community, and Indigenous Cultures at the University of Manitoba, where he also directs the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.

Special Publication Celebration at 2011 Festival
Writers Di Brandt, Diane Driedger, Joanne Epp, and Sarah Klassen will be part of a May 10 special event celebrating the publication of Tongue Screws and Testimonies: Poems, Stories, and Essays Inspired by the Martyrs Mirror. This anthology, edited by Kirsten Eve Beachy, contains numerous poems, creative essays, and fiction associated with the Anabaptist tradition.

“Tongue Screws and Testimonies is for the young woman who remembers hiding behind the couch at her grandparents’ house to look at Jan Luykens’ engravings, and who still gets chills thinking about it,” says Beachy, a professor at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. “It’s for the man who, drawn into a Mennonite congregation in middle age, is trying to get a grasp of Anabaptist history. It will serve as a conversation starter with theologians of many traditions who are concerned with the difficulties of living faithfully.”

Based on the Martyrs Mirror, a book published in 1659 by Thieleman J. van Braght that graphically relates the accounts of more than 4000 Christians of many generations who were tortured and killed for their faith, Tongue Screws and Testimonies explores the relationship between faith and martyrdom, showing how stories from the Martyrs Mirror connect with the authors’ lives.

The anthology, published by Herald Press, features both new and established writers, including Rudy Wiebe, Di Brandt, Jeff Gundy, Jean Janzen, Julia Kasdorf, John Ruth, and Rhoda Janzen. John D. Roth, professor of history at Goshen College, calls the collection “a witness to the collective memory and spirituality of a people. Read it to be informed, stirred, and possibly even provoked.”

May 9-12 events begin at 7 pm each evening; the May 13 keynote event begins at 7:30. The CMU Spring Literary Festival events are free and open to the public, and all take place in the Great Hall on the north side of the CMU campus. Festival readings are made possible with the support of the Manitoba Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers Union of Canada.

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is an accredited Christian university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,700 students at its Shaftesbury Campus in Southwest Winnipeg, at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg, and enrolled through Outtatown, CMU’s adventure and discipleship program.

For more information on the Spring Literary Festival and featured speakers, visit www.cmu.ca/schoolofwriting/specialevents.html
Or contact The School of Writing at CMU
schoolofwriting@cmu.ca

For CMU information contact: Nadine Kampen, Communications and Marketing Director
nkampen@cmu.ca Tel. 204.487.3300 Toll free 877.231.4570
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3P 2N2

Tags school of writing, spring literary festival