Category: News Releases

“Festschrift” honours CMU President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt

Post author By CMU
Post date September 29, 2016

CMU Press is pleased to announce the release of a Festschrift honouring Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, who served as Canadian Mennonite University’s first sole President.

Titled A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift—a German word for a collection of writing that is meant to honour a scholar—is a series of essays that reflect on what it means to be a Mennonite university.

“The essays are high quality. The writers were clearly engaged in a labour of love that called forth their best efforts in honouring this leader and friend,” said CMU Press editor Dr. Paul Doerksen. “All of the essays have something to do with what it might mean to be a Christian university. On that level, it’s an important contribution.”

The book, which takes its name from a phrase Gerbrandt coined to describe CMU, was co-edited by Dr. Paul Dyck, Professor of English, and Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology.

Dyck and Huebner presented the book to Gerbrandt during CMU’s 2016-17 opening program on Saturday, September 24.

President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrant — President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt comments on *A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift*—a gift from CMU faculty presented to Gerbrandt at CMU’s 2016 Opening Program

Huebner noted that as president, Gerbrandt shaped CMU’s vision and mission, gave leadership in molding its faculty, and created a climate of open, free exchange of ideas and respect for difference.

“The essays in this book are all written out of a deep appreciation for this culture of open discussion, of open debate, guided by a commitment to the Christian faith,” Huebner said. “In a small way, it is an example of what a university of the church for the world might look like.”

Dyck added that the aim of the book was to bring together the various disciplines and activities at CMU and give readers an in-depth look at the life of the university.

It features 17 essays, including contributions from CMU faculty who teach international development, biblical and theological studies, music, English literature, biology, and math.

The book also includes essays on academic freedom, co-curricular activities at CMU, and CMU’s practicum program.

Additionally, the book features essays by University of Manitoba President David Barnard, Bluffton University President James Harder, church leaders David Wiebe and Robert J. Suderman, and more.

“We recommend the book to you as an example of the intellectual life of this university, both in the insights of its chapters and in the joyful interaction of them between these covers,” Dyck said at opening program.

Gerbrandt expressed his deep thanks for the book, particularly to the authors who took time to contribute essays.

“I really do look forward to reading each one of your reflections and seeing what I can learn from them,” Gerbrandt said, adding later: “I do trust that… the various contributions in it serve to help CMU and perhaps other universities to become more effective to serve the world and the church.”

Born in Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in Altona, MB, Gerbrandt earned his Bachelor of Christian Education from Canadian Mennonite Brethren Bible College (CMBC), one of CMU’s predecessor institutions. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana as well as a PhD in Old Testament from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.

After working for many years as a professor at CMBC, he was appointed the college’s Academic Dean, a position he held from 1982 to 1997. From 1997 to 2003, he served as President of CMBC, and from 2003 until his retirement in 2012, he served as President of CMU.

Gerbrandt and his wife, Esther, are active members at Bethel Mennonite Church, Winnipeg. They have three adult children, Nathan (Ang), Brad (Natalie), and Virginia (Andrew), and four grandchildren.

About CMU

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags CMU Press, Fall Festival, Gerald Gerbrandt, Opening Program

Events General News News Releases

CMU celebrates start of school year with Fall Festival and opening program

Post author By CMU
Post date September 28, 2016

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients:

For Eric Wiebe, attending Canadian Mennonite University’s annual Fall Festival event this past weekend was like coming home.

Wiebe, a retired high school physics teacher who lives in Kamloops, BC, graduated from Canadian Mennonite Bible College, one of CMU’s predecessor institutions, in 1966. He wanted to be at Fall Festival because members from his graduating class were gathering for their 50-year reunion.

“I haven’t seen many of them in the interim, so it was interesting to see what they’ve done with their lives,” Wiebe said, adding that attending Fall Festival was a reminder of “how significant CMU is.”

Wiebe was one of more than 1,000 people who gathered at Fall Festival Sept. 23-24.

FallFest2016 Celebrated at the end of each September, Fall Festival features opportunities for students, alumni, friends, donors, and community members to connect, learn, play, and celebrate the CMU community.

In addition to class reunions, the weekend included community meals, a farmers market, a folk music festival, a bicycle race, a CMU basketball game, and a Face2Face community discussion featuring Reserve 107: Reconciliation on the Prairies, a 30-minute documentary by alumnus Brad Leitch that explores Indigenous-settler relations in the small town of Laird, SK.

Fall Festival concluded with CMU’s annual opening program, a time of worship to celebrate the start of a new school year.

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls delivered a message based on CMU’s chapel theme for 2016-17, If We Walk in the Light (1 John 1:5-7).

“We seek to witness to the truth that God is light,” Pauls said. “My prayer is that the light of Christ will emanate through all who are touched by this learning community in some way—students, staff, faculty, board, council, alumni, friends, guests of all sorts, and many others.”

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients: — Distinguished Alumni Award recipients (l-r): Adrienne Wiebe, Peter Guenther, Ron Toews, and Brad Leith

The opening program included the presentation of the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards, which annually recognizes alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

Pauls presented the awards to Peter Guenther, who served as the head of numerous correctional institutions during a 39-year career; Adrienne Wiebe, an international development worker; Ron Toews, a pastor and professor committed to leadership development in the Mennonite Brethren Church; and Brad Leitch, a filmmaker and peacebuilder.

At its best, CMU’s impact is evidenced in the life stories of alumni, said Vice President External Terry Schellenberg.

“While we would never claim full credit for who our alumni become or the good they contribute, we know that CMU does open imagination and passion and skill, and that this university lays foundations for faithfulness,” Schellenberg said.

Later in the program, Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology, and Dr. Paul Dyck, Professor of English, presented a Festschrift honouring Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, who served as CMU’s first sole President from 2003 to 2012.

President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt comments on *A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift*—a gift from CMU faculty to honour Gerbrandt’s impact on CMU during his administration.

The book takes its name from a phrase Gerbrandt coined to describe CMU. Huebner noted that as president, Gerbrandt shaped CMU’s vision and mission, gave leadership in molding its faculty, and created a climate of open, free exchange of ideas and respect for difference.

Gerbrandt expressed his thanks for the book, particularly to the authors who took time to write essays for it.

Ultimately, opening program—and Fall Festival as a whole—was about gratitude; gratitude not only for the contribution of alumni and a former President, but gratitude for the community that supports CMU.

“CMU’s present and its future is nowhere if it’s not held within a network of friends and alumni, parents and grandparents, (and) congregations who undergird the possibilities of this university,” Schellenberg said.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Alumni Awards, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Face2Face, Fall Festival

Events News Releases

CMU Discussion Series Kicks Off with Screening of Award-Winning Documentary

Post author By CMU
Post date September 14, 2016

Directed By Alumnus Brad Leitch, ‘Reserve 107’ Explores Indigenous-Settler Reconciliation

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) will host the Manitoba premiere of the new documentary short Reserve 107: Reconciliation on the Prairies during its first Face2Face community discussion event of the 2016-17 school year.

The documentary explores Indigenous rights and title to the land in the small town of Laird, SK, where an old injustice is providing new opportunities for dialogue, friendship, and a fierce determination to right the wrongs of the past.

The public is invited to watch the 32-minute documentary on Friday, September 23 at 7:30 PM. The screening takes place in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). A Q and A with Brad Leitch, director of the film and a CMU alumnus, will precede the screening, and a panel discussion featuring people from the film will follow. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

“We are excited to screen Reserve 107 and host a discussion about the important themes of Indigenous rights, claims to land, and reconciliation that it explores,” says David Balzer, Assistant Professor of Communications and Media at CMU, who will moderate the discussion.

In Laird, Mennonites and Lutherans discovered that the land they live on is in fact the former reserve of the Young Chippewayan First Nation.

In 2006, Mennonites, Lutherans, and the Young Chippewayan First Nation gathered on the sacred hill of Stoney Knoll/Opwashemoe Chakatinaw. With goodwill and shared goals, they signed a memorandum of understanding, committing themselves to finding justice for the Young Chippewayan First Nation.

“Our film picks up the story a decade later to see what’s happened and how the communities are doing,” Leitch says. “I’m very interested in seeing what peacebuilding looks like in a practical sense, and film is a great tool for showing that.”

The discussion following the film will feature a handful of people who appear in the documentary, including Barb and Wilmer Froese, who run a family farm in Laird; Ray Funk of Prince Albert, SK, who is a board member with Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan, which helped fund the film; and Chief George Kingfisher, hereditary chief of the Young Chippewayan First Nation.

The audience will be invited to participate in the conversation.

Balzer notes that in each year of its existence, CMU’s Face2Face discussion series has included an event relating to Indigenous-settler issues in an effort to promote reconciliation and being good neighbours.

“Reserve 107 picks up on an element of the story that our discussion events at CMU haven’t addressed before,” Balzer says. “The people participating in the panel are on the ground level of what is happening in Laird, so it will give people who come to the event an intimate look at how people negotiate treaty relationships in their lives.”

A scene from the film Reserve 107 shows Chief George Kingfisher and Ray Funk discuss themes of Indigenous rights, claims to land, and reconciliation.

Described in reviews as “beautifully photographed,” “wonderfully accessible,” and “a valuable resource,” Reserve 107 was an official selection at this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver, BC, as well as the Speechless Film Festival in Mankato, MN, where it was given an award of merit. To watch a trailer and learn more about the film, visit reserve107thefilm.com.

Started in 2013, Face2Face is a series of conversations organized by CMU, designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

“Journey to Renewed Covenants” is the first of four Face2Face events CMU will host during the 2016-17 school year. For details, visit cmu.ca/face2face.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Brad Leitch, Face2Face, Fall Festival, Indigenous Relations, Reserve 107

General News News Releases

2016 Fall Enrolment Numbers Show Stability at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date September 8, 2016

Preliminary fall enrolment at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) shows stability of student registrations across all programs, with an overall Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 829.

Fall registrations at the university’s Shaftesbury campus have increased over last year by 2%, with 630 students and a FTE of 601. Marginal growth reflects an increase in international student enrolment.

Registrations at CMU’s downtown site, Menno Simons College, also are stable with a FTE of 268.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

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CMU Recognizes Distinguished Alumni with 2016 Awards

Post author By CMU
Post date September 7, 2016

A former penitentiary warden, an international development worker, a pastor-academic committed to leadership development, and a 30-year-old who combines filmmaking with peacebuilding are the recipients of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls is pleased to present the awards to Peter Guenther, Adrienne Wiebe, Ron Toews, and Brad Leitch on Saturday, September 24.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

“It is in the stories of the lives of alumni that the good of a university education is made true,” Pauls says. “CMU is honoured by the generosity of thoughtfulness with which this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are feeding church and society.”

Pauls will present the awards during CMU’s Opening Program at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 24 in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.) as part of CMU’s Fall Festival.

Prior to the Opening Program, the public is invited to meet and interact with Guenther, Wiebe, Toews, and Leitch during an event at 4:00 PM in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). During this hour, each recipient will be introduced, and each will reflect on their personal and professional journeys. There will be time for questions and interaction.

Information about the award recipients:

Peter Guenther (CMBC ’69) worked for 39 years in corrections, serving as the head of numerous correctional institutions including director of the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, warden of the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, and executive director of the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon. He is known as a compassionate, principled, and respected leader who worked to reduce harm, violence, and recidivism. Guenther’s volunteer work includes service on the board of Saskatoon Community Mediation and the advisory committee for Circles of Support and Accountability. He and his wife, Marilyn, live in Saskatoon and attend Nutana Park Mennonite Church. They have three adult sons.

Adrienne Wiebe (MBBC 1976-78) has spent the last 30 years working in international development. Her career includes earning a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Alberta, as well as working in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Wiebe has also worked with a variety of organizations in Edmonton that help refugees and Indigenous communities. She currently works for Oxfam Canada, doing evaluation and learning related to the organization’s global programs and campaigns on ending violence against women and girls around the world. Wiebe and her husband, Arturo Avila, attend Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton. They have two adult children.

Ron Toews (MBBC ’84) is the Director of Leadership Development for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. His focus is serving pastors and churches by making tools available to leaders that are based upon their needs and ministry contexts. Toews holds a DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. From 1987 to 2002, he and his wife, Dianne, pastored two churches. Afterward, he became Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at the MBBS-ACTS seminary in Langley, B.C. After a short stint as interim principal at ACTS, he transitioned to his current role. Toews and his wife live near Abbotsford, B.C. and attend The Life Centre. They have nine grandchildren.

Brad Leitch (nee Langendoen, CMU ’13) is an award-winning filmmaker and peacebuilder who approaches difficult topics with empathy, compassion, deep listening, and boundless energy. He is the executive producer and founder of Rebel Sky Media, a film and video production company in Winnipeg, MB. His directorial work has explored topics of peace and justice in Canada, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Israel, Palestine, and the United Kingdom. His work is currently featured in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, and in a permanent exhibit at the Pier 21 Museum of Immigration in Halifax, NS. Leitch and his wife, Adrienne, attend Hope Mennonite Church.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Adrienne Wiebe, Brad Leitch, Distinguished Alumni, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Fall Festival, Opening Program, Peter Guenther, Ron Toews

General News News Releases

CMU thanks philanthropic men’s group for advancing Christian education

Post author By CMU
Post date June 29, 2016

Christian Investors in Education makes final donation before disbanding

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is thankful for the generosity of a Winnipeg-based group of men known as the Christian Investors in Education (CIE) who contributed more than $80,000 to the university over the past 30 years.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls receives a cheque from Henry Neufeld, chair of the CIE

The group recently disbanded due to aging membership and a recognition that the group had run its course, but not before making a final donation that will amount to more than $115,000 over the next 20 years.

“Working with (CMU) on this level over many years has given us a great deal of satisfaction,” said Henry Neufeld, chair of the CIE. “(We) trust that the spinoffs of this support might continue to be a blessing for all involved.”

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls praised the group’s generosity.

“People who invest in education demonstrate trust,” Pauls said. “They are not trying to control immediate outcomes, but invest in people and in the ongoing generation of faithful imaginations through time.”

CMU will use $8,000 from the donation annually for the next two decades to fund new and ongoing Indigenous initiatives, bursary support for international students, and practicum support for students doing an intensive, cross-cultural practicum, particularly students involved in practica in Indigenous communities.

The CIE started its operation 52 years ago with the goal of assisting various forms of education.

The Christian Investors in Education: (left to right) Henry Schulz, Gerald Neufeld, Henry Neufeld, Tim Dirks, John Wiebe, Alvin Wieler, Arthur Driedger

Projects included buying and operating a trading post in Pauingassi, a First Nation community located 280 km. northeast of Winnipeg, to assist Indigenous persons living there.

The CIE also purchased a property in Winnipeg’s North End for a Mennonite Central Committee outreach project.

After selling its properties, the CIE invested the proceeds.

Starting in 1984, earnings from the proceeds, plus additional donations by members, supported cross-cultural practica at CMU as well as bursaries for international students.

Some years, as many as 30 members were active in the group. By 2016, that number had dwindled to 10 and the CIE decided to cease operations.

“We have come to the decision to gracefully dissolve our organization,” said Neufeld, who joined the CIE in 1970. “To disperse the remaining funds, we have selected several appropriate projects to support… We would like to hand over to (CMU) the balance of our funds.”

In addition to being a philanthropic endeavour, the CIE served as a fellowship group for its members, who met monthly. Each of their meetings included scripture reading, prayer, and time for sharing personal concerns.

Group members also met twice each year with their spouses for a summer barbeque and a Christmas banquet.

“We developed a very meaningful relationship with each other,” said Alvin Wieler, who joined the CIE in the 1960s and was its longest standing member. “We all grew together.”

Arthur Driedger, a CIE member for 15 years, added that he enjoyed hearing reports from students who were supported by CIE Funds. Driedger is sad to see the group disband.

“Every report (the students) gave us was just so well done,” he said. “It was encouraging for us older people.”

Pauls said that she has been inspired and encouraged by the good that resulted from the CIE’s fellowship.

“I love the multi-dimensionality of what this group has been,” she said. “Through nurturing one another personally and spiritually, they have advanced Christian education collectively.”

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Christian Investors in Education, CIE

General News News Releases

CMU announces 2016 High School Essay Contest winners

Post author By CMU
Post date June 15, 2016

CMU is pleased to announce the winners of its 2016 Essay Contest for High School Students. Congratulations to Nathan Dueck, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate; Luke Olfert, Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute; and Ben Shelton, Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute.

Students were asked to respond formally in a 950–1,100 word essay to one of three questions.

How can truth be served by fiction?
Can faith be best understood as a noun or a verb?
Is religious commitment a threat to diversity? If so, should Canadians think twice before opening our doors to refugees with strong religious commitments?

Dueck’s essay “How can truth be served by fiction?” placed first, earning him $300 in cash and $200 in tuition credit. Second and third place of $100 cash and $200 in tuition credit were awarded to Olfert for his essay “The duality of faith” and Shelton for his essay “Fiction’s role in truth.”

Associate Professor of English Paul Dyck, who organized the contest, says the essay contest questions are designed to have a broad appeal yet be specific enough to draw out particular responses.

“Essays are where students think their way through things,” says Dyck. “In an essay, students are discovering their thoughts on a topic and working through them in a focused way.”

This year CMU received the highest number of essay submissions in the contest’s history.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Ben Shelton, CMU Leadership Scholarship, Leadership, Luke Olfert, Nathan Dueck

General News News Releases

Graduates receive award from CMU president

Post author By CMU
Post date June 2, 2016

Kathleen Bergen and Jonas Cornelsen are the 2016 recipients of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) President’s Medal Awards.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls presented the awards during CMU’s 2016 Graduation Exercises on April 24. Bergen and Cornelsen received the awards in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

“I feel very honoured,” Bergen says. “CMU has challenged me and expanded my thinking.”

Bergen, 21, and Cornelsen, 22, were chosen from a group of 84 graduates.

Bergen, who is from Edmonton, AB, graduated with a four-year Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biblical and Theological Studies.

2016 President’s Medal winners Kathleen Bergen and Jonas Cornelsen with CMU President Cheryl Pauls

She immersed herself in university life by serving on CMU Student Council, singing in choirs, and performing with worship bands.

This past school year, Bergen was involved with Emerging Voices, a group formed by CMU students in an effort to respond to Mennonite Church Canada’s Future Directions Task Force.

Bergen is an active member of First Mennonite Church in Edmonton and has spent numerous summers working as a camp counsellor at Camp Valaqua, located one hour northwest of Calgary, AB.

Cornelsen grew up in Winnipeg and graduated with a four-year Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Political Studies as well as Communications and Media.

Receiving the President’s Medal was the culmination of an impressive undergraduate career that began in Grade 12 when Cornelsen won a CMU Leadership Scholarship, worth $14,000 over four years.

During his time at CMU, Cornelsen worked as a residence assistant, sang in choirs, played bass in chapel services, served on student council, and provided colour commentary as an announcer for the university’s athletics department.

An active member of Hope Mennonite Church in downtown Winnipeg, Cornelsen also volunteered with the music program at West Broadway Youth Outreach, helped with the Manitoba Children’s Museum summer day camps, and worked as the Bible instructor at Camp Koinonia, one of three camps run by Mennonite Church Manitoba’s Camps with Meaning ministry.

Cornelsen was also chosen by his Class of 2016 classmates to be their valedictorian.

Cornelsen says it is the “threads of hospitality” and graciousness that ran through his time at CMU that stick out the most when he looks back on the last five years.

He recalls a powerful moment he experienced as a first-year student during a foot washing ceremony in a chapel service.

“My choir conductor washed my feet,” Cornelsen says. “I thought it was remarkable that someone with that much authority showed that hospitality and Christian service to (a) lowly first-year.”

For Bergen, highlights of studying at CMU included growing deeper in her faith and exploring her interests in ministry.

She points to touring through Alberta and Saskatchewan with the CMU Chamber Choir in spring 2015 as a highlight of her undergraduate experience. The tour stopped at churches where Bergen knows many people.

“It was really exciting to sing for those people who love me and know me and support me, and to share with them in that way a big part of what I’ve been doing at CMU,” Bergen says.

Now that graduating is over, Bergen has moved back to Edmonton. She will begin studying for her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta in September 2017.

“I’ve always been really interested in the way the human body works, particularly how it heals,” Bergen says. “Being an occupational therapist will allow me to build relationships with the people I work with and use my creativity to problem-solve.”

Cornelsen will spend the coming year living with his 97-year-old grandfather in Vancouver, BC, where he will serve as his grandfather’s caregiver.

“It’s another one of those things that makes perfect sense to me now, but if I hadn’t gone to CMU, I’m not sure if I’d be that interested in doing it,” Cornelsen says. “I’m really hoping I learn a lot and come away from it somehow changed.”

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Grad 2016, Jonas Cornelsen, Kathleen Bergen, President's Medals

General News News Releases

CMU announces its 2016 Leadership Scholarship winners

Post author By CMU
Post date June 1, 2016

CMU is pleased to announce the recipients of its Leadership Scholarships: Claire Hanson, Rosthern Junior College/QSI; Liam Kachkar, Paul Kane High School; Amelia Pahl, Mennonite Collegiate Institute; and Isaac Schlegel, Mennonite Collegiate Institute.

Four Leadership Scholarships are offered to students who demonstrate significant leadership ability, academic excellence, personal character, service, and vision. Worth up to $14,000 distributed over four years, the Leadership Scholarship is awarded to recent high school graduates.

“As in past years, CMU again received many outstanding submissions for the Leadership Scholarship,” says Lois Nickel, Director of Enrolment Services. “I found this year’s recipients especially wise and articulate in their essays. As readers of the applications, we were highly impressed with not only their writing abilities, but their extended community involvements and vision for the future. We very much look forward to having them contribute to our CMU community this coming fall.”

Students applying for the Leadership Scholarships are required to provide a resume of their leadership involvement in a variety of areas, along with two letters of recommendation, and an essay reflecting on a leader who inspires them.

Claire Hanson aims to lead by guiding people from within, rather than commanding people from above. Inspired by Harriet Tubman, the American abolitionist who was one of the key orchestrators of the Underground Railroad, Hanson identifies Tubman’s self-sacrifice and empathy key aspects of leadership. Serving on student committees, worship teams, and volunteering as a teacher’s assistant has provided Hanson with opportunities to lead by example and encourage others as they develop their own leadership skills.

“My motivation is trying to allow people to have a better chance in life, so that they can become leaders themselves. By being a good leader, and leading by example, I am able to show people the characteristics of a good leader, and am able to inspire them to follow my lead. This thinking is what has motivated me, not only to lead, but to serve others while doing so, and to do the best that I can in all areas of life.”

Liam Kachkar believes one person can make a difference and this belief motivates him as he leads in his school, church, and as a camp counsellor. The positivity and passion of Craig Kielburger, who founded Free the Children when Kielburger was 12 years old, has inspired Kachkar to make a difference from a young age. Local and international volunteer and learning experiences with We Day, Mennonite World Conference, and others, have helped shape Kachkar into the leader he is today and he looks forward to continuing to develop his skills on Outtatown.

“I want to serve and lead others as God has taught me to do so well. With the passion and voice that I have been given, I want to strengthen my self-confidence and my motivation. I want to be a leader who can learn from criticism, by becoming a more patient and thoughtful listener. As Jesus and Craig Kielburger have, I will continue to serve my brothers and sisters—not only as a follower but also as a leader. For it is certain, one person can make a difference.”

Amelia Pahl desires to create positive change through facilitating dialogue and interactions between people with humility and respect. She’s been inspired by Steve Heinrichs, director of Indigenous Relations at Mennonite Church Canada, and the interfaith initiatives and dialogues he has been a part of. Through experiences in school and church including serving on committees, teaching Sunday school, and leading worship, Pahl has had the opportunity to share her passion for bringing people together in community.

“At CMU, I hope to continue developing my understanding of what it means to be a leader. I want to nurture humility and respect both as a leader and participant in dialogue, and I know I will benefit from the opportunity the university gives to be a part of a diverse and caring community. I desire to learn more about my place in the Kingdom of God and what it means to serve the “least of these,” and my hope is that God will show me ways to serve all those I meet with humility and love.”

Isaac Schlegel hopes his leadership will inspire others to love their fellow humans wholly and without reservation. He draws inspiration from Tenzin Gyatso, the 14^th Dalai Lama, whose commitment to love, respect, and nonviolence models a leadership style that emphasizes equality. A desire to improve the environment he’s in and bring people closer to equal footing are two of the reasons Schlegel has pursued leadership roles, including serving as Student Council President.

“God’s love gives me an irrefutable, unconditional value. This love is also an assurance that at the end of things, as Martin Luther King would put it, the arc of the universe will bend towards justice. Knowing that humans are made in the image of God, the good that I see in the world reflects upon its creator. One cannot disservice something made in God’s image without indirectly refuting God… Christ taught and demonstrated concrete values of justice, and pushed people to practice the law to its fullest extent. This commitment to ideals reminds me as a leader to preserve my integrity and be deeply rooted in Christ’s law of love.”

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Amelia Pahl, Claire Hanson, CMU Leadership Scholarship, Isaac Schlegel, Liam Kachkar

Events General News Lectures News Releases

John Ralston Saul to speak at CMU’s Canadian School of Peacebuilding

Post author By CMU
Post date May 24, 2016

‘Living with Uncertainty: The Road to Peace’ title of lecture

Respected public intellectual and award-winning writer John Ralston Saul will give a lecture exploring refugees and immigration at the Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP) next month.

Ralston Saul will present the lecture, titled, “Living with Uncertainty: The Road to Peace,” at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 14. He will speak in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.) at Canadian Mennonite University. Admission is free, and all are welcome. A book signing will follow the lecture.

“We are excited to have John Ralston Saul at the 2016 Canadian School of Peacebuilding,” says Wendy Kroeker, co-director of CSOP. “His writing and thinking is incisive and provocative. He pushes us as Canadians to consider our national values as well as the actions that should emerge from those values, and calls us to remember our Aboriginal heritage.”

The lecture arises from Ralston Saul’s observation that Canada is more and more isolated from its allies because, without exception, the United States and European countries are shaping themselves towards internal divisions and external fear.

One of the curiosities of the continent is that every year over the last 70 years, it has received large numbers of immigrants, and yet it has never been able to admit that this would require massive changes in how they imagine themselves.

In many ways, this crisis is all about an immigration continent, which cannot admit that reality, and so, has no immigration policy. In the lecture, Ralston Saul will posit that only by embracing concepts of uncertainty can they find ways to live together, both within their countries and with their neighbours.

Declared a “prophet” by TIME magazine, Ralston Saul is included in the prestigious Utne Reader’s list of the world’s 100 leading thinkers and visionaries. His most recent book, The Comeback—an examination of the remarkable return to power of Aboriginal peoples in Canada—has greatly influenced the national conversation on Indigenous issues in the country.

CMU caught Ralston Saul’s attention last year when he heard about a few significant events at the university, including a forum about the possibility of an urban reserve at Kapyong Barracks and the university hosting Iranian students from the International Institute of Islamic Studies in Qom, Iran.

“The work faculty and students have been cultivating is remarkable,” Ralston Saul tweeted. “Creating bridges and fostering dialogue.”

In addition to delivering the public lecture, Ralston Saul will co-teach the CSOP course “Reconciling Our Future: Stories of Kanata and Canada” with Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair.

“That John is co-teaching with Niigaan speaks of the importance of friendships in working through challenging issues,” Kroeker says. “John’s participation indicates a strong interest in furthering people’s grappling with the violent legacy of negotiations with Indigenous peoples in Canada.”

An institute of Canadian Mennonite University, CSOP is a learning community of diverse peacebuilders who come together to learn, network, and engage in peacebuilding. CSOP offers a selection of five-day courses each June that can be taken for professional or personal development, or for academic credit. CSOP is for peacebuilders from all faiths, countries, and identity groups. Learn more at csop.cmu.ca.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I9UCqvsN4c[/youtube]

Tags Canadian School of Peacebuilding, CSOP, John Ralston Saul