Category: News Releases

Canadian Mennonite University Celebrates Class of 2015

Post author By CMU
Post date April 29, 2015

Eighty-seven degrees, two certificates awarded during university’s annual commencement exercises

When Joseph Kiranto moved from Kenya to study at Canadian Mennonite University, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to major in. Each class he attended piqued his interest.

“Before long, the list of what I wanted to do became unrealistic for me,” Kiranto said. “I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself if it were not for the help of… the faculty and staff.”

Joseph Kiranto, CMU’s Class of 2015 Valedictorian

Kiranto told the story during his valedictory address at CMU’s graduation service, held on Sunday afternoon, April 26 at Immanuel Pentecostal Church. Kiranto (BA, Four-Year, Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies) was one of 89 students who graduated.

Referencing the Class of 2015’s graduation verse, James 3:17-18, Kiranto encouraged his fellow graduates to do the best they can in spite of the obstacles they might face.

“Here at CMU we have been challenged, we have been encouraged, we have been empowered, and we have been motivated,” Kiranto said. “I will do the best I can. Will you?”

It was an inspiring message delivered toward the end of a weekend filled with reflection, laughter, and tears as graduates and families enjoyed stories, songs, presentations, and meals along with CMU faculty, staff, and current students.

The graduation service culminated with CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls conferring 78 undergraduate degrees, nine Master of Arts degrees, and two graduate certificates in Christian Studies.

“With credentials, we honour the credibility of the tangible skills, transferable competencies, vibrant imaginations, and responsive hearts of the graduands,” Pauls said. “We also profess trust in their capacity and commitment to be agents of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.”

CMU President Cheryl Pauls (centre) with President Medal winners Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe (left) and Michael Wiebe (right)

Pauls awarded President’s Medals to Mike Wiebe (BA, Four-Year, Communications and Media) and Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe (BMus, Concentration: Performance – Collaborative Piano) in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

Earlier in the service, Rev. Dr. Hippolyto Tshimanga, a theologian and missiologist who works as the director of Mennonite Church Canada’s Africa, Europe, and Latin America Ministry, delivered the graduation address.

Tshimanga challenged graduates to face the obstacles they encounter with bravery.

“Believe in your God-given potential, believe in the education that you have received, and keep on moving,” Tshimanga said. “What you should have is unshakeable, unshakeable belief in what you are able to accomplish. Have the courage to act on your belief.”

At With Gratitude, a CMU graduation weekend event at which class members share their experiences through spoken word or musical performance, Clare Schellenberg (BA, Four-Year, Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies) reflected on her time at CMU, which included an independent study course that involved hiking the Camino de Santiago, an 800-kilometre pilgrimage route in Spain.

Schellenberg said that her time at CMU altered her understanding of peace and justice, and highlighted for her the importance of relationships in navigating the conflicts people face.

“I am leaving with an imagination to reach out to those I fear, to touch the heart of complexity, to imagine beyond what is seen, to risk vulnerability one step at a time, and to open my mind and heart as big as an ocean,” Schellenberg said.

Speaking at the same event, Kathy McCamis (Master of Arts, Theological Studies) reflected on how the costs of doing a graduate degree seemed high when she resigned from her position as a youth pastor to pursue full-time ministry studies at CMU.

McCamis, who was one of four graduates who earned their MA from CMU in affiliation with Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, also realized she was studying for her MA at a time when many people question the value of a seminary education.

McCamis does not regret her decision, though.

“I graduate having been formed as a person who is growing in my ability to love God and to love my neighbour, as well as to love myself,” she said.

“That to me is the greatest gift of seminary education, and that is worth infinitely more to me than any of the costs that I’ve incurred along the way.”

The Graduation Service and With Gratitude presentation were part of a number of events that occurred during graduation weekend, including a gala dinner on Friday, April 24, Spring Concert on Saturday, April 25, and Baccalaureate Service the morning of April 26.

The entire 2015 graduation service is available for viewing on CMU’s Youtube channel. (link)

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 about 900 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 Grad 2015, Graduation, President's Medals

General News News Releases

CMU announces addition of MBA program

Post author By CMU
Post date April 27, 2015

Highly differentiated business degree focuses on leadership for the common good

Canadian Mennonite University is pleased to introduce the second of two new graduate studies programs to launch for the 2015/16 academic year. In addition to the recently unveiled Master of Arts in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development, CMU announces its participation in a Collaborative Masters of Business Administration program.

The Collaborative MBA is an accredited online program jointly offered by Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, Bluffton University, and CMU. Built on six core values—honouring community, leading as service, upholding justice, planning for sustainability, global citizenship, and growing spiritually—classes are delivered in synchronous (live video conferencing) and asynchronous (online learning/information sharing outside of the constraints of time and place) to accommodate both learning and employment

“The world needs new sustainable business models. Call it ‘capitalism for the common good’. Models that focus on the triple bottom line of people, planets, and profit,” says Jim Smucker, program director.

Mating business principles with an emphasize on sustainability, self-awareness, and making a profit without harm to people or the environment, the Collaborative MBA program is unique in its approach.

The curriculum is based on the concept of “Leadership for the Common Good.” Divided into nine core courses and three courses directly related to one of the eight concentration areas, the 26-hour program is typically completed in 22-24 months. With global citizenship as a core value, a one-week international residency is integrated into the coursework to provide students with a global perspective and context for an on-going case study for the entire Collaborative MBA curriculum.

As a joint-program of four faith-rooted institutions, the program boasts a diversity of business professors with varied backgrounds, interests, and expertise.

“The Collaborative MBA is a logical extension to CMU’s Redekop School of Business,” says Zerbe. “CMU’s undergraduate and graduate business programs offer unique perspective on how business can be successfully carried out with a with a value-based sensitivity and outlook that considers more than just dollars and cents.”

For more information about the Collaborative MBA program, please visit www.cmu.ca/gradstudies.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Business, Business Admin, Collaborative MBA, Gordon Zerbe, MBA, Redekop School of Business, RSB

General News News Releases

CMU announces new graduate studies program

Post author By CMU
Post date April 22, 2015

New MA in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development builds on institutional expertise

CMU is pleased to announce a new Masters of Arts in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development, which will bridge the fields of peacebuilding-conflict resolution studies and development-transformational justice studies.

MAPCDlogo CMU’s new MA program builds on the institution’s strong undergraduate programming in the areas of peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international development and reflects one of CMU’s core values: educating for peace and justice.

“We are excited to be offering this new MA, which is at the heart of CMU’s mission and vision,” says Gordon Zerbe, Vice President Academic at CMU.

The MA is structured in a flexible way, granting students the ability to shape thematic tracks around their needs, goals, and areas of interest. Designed especially for practitioners and professionals who wish to be responsive to the needs of organizations and agencies, the MA retains academic rigour for those seeking traditional academic study.

“CMU’s faculty, with strong academic and practitioner backgrounds in the areas of peacebuilding and international development, both in Canada and around the world, will provide an excellent foundation for this distinctive MA,” says Zerbe.

The MA will draw on resources and networks established at its two campuses and with practitioner agencies. Currently CMU offers undergraduate studies in Peace and Conflict Transformation at its Shaftesbury campus and Conflict Resolution at Menno Simons College in downtown Winnipeg. Both locations offer undergraduate studies in International Development.

Initially the MA will be offered on a part-time basis, beginning with eligible courses at the 2015 Canadian School of Peacebuilding. As the program develops, students will have the option of completing full- or part-time studies. A thesis and non-thesis track will both be available.

The MA in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development provides a compliment to CMU’s existing MA, which offers concentrations in Christian Ministry or Theological Studies.

“CMU has developed expertise in the areas of ministry and theology and peace and justice,” says Zerbe. “This new MA will provide a nice complement to the other masters degree we currently offer.”

For more on the program, please visit the program’s webpage.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Gordon Zerbe, MA, Master of Arts, Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development

General News News Releases

Canadian Mennonite University announces three new faculty appointments

Post author By CMU
Post date April 14, 2015

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce three new faculty appointments.

Rachel Krause and Matthew Pauls will join CMU’s main campus faculty as Assistant Professor of Biology and Assistant Professor of Music, respectively. Jobb Arnold will join the faculty of Menno Simons College (MSC), a college of CMU, as Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution Studies.

All of the positions are tenure-track, and each person will begin work in time for the 2015-16 school year.

Gordon Zerbe, Vice President Academic at CMU, says he is pleased to have Krause, Pauls, and Arnold join the university.

“I’m excited about the way they will make their own unique contribution to CMU’s faculty culture and our programs,” Zerbe says. “They all fill in gaps in our program, and at the same time, they each bring something fresh and new.”

Zerbe adds that with these new hires, CMU has 31 full-time faculty members, 93 per cent of whom have earned PhDs.

“As evidenced by CMU’s number one ranking for academic quality in the recent CUSC survey of Canadian universities, we are dedicated to academic excellence,” Zerbe says. “Each of these professors brings an academic quality and background that will enhance our already robust interdisciplinary-minded faculty. They will provide our students with exciting new learning opportunities and expand the institution’s scope of research.”

About CMU’s new faculty:

Matthew Pauls is a CMU alumnus currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Western Ontario. Pauls’ speciality is Voice Performance and his research focuses on Argentine Art Song, a body of repertoire that is virtually unknown in the greater performance and scholarly communities.

An accomplished baritone, Pauls has performed as a featured soloist with ensembles such as the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional del Paraguay, Windsor Symphony, Canadian Chamber Choir, Winnipeg Singers, Guelph Chamber Choir, Windsor Classic Chorale, and the Windsor Symphony Chorus.

“The way that CMU makes an intentional effort to create a caring, supportive environment that really helps encourage intellectual and interpersonal growth in terms of relationships was one of the reasons I wanted to come back and be a part of the community again,” Pauls says. “I’m excited to be part of students’ experience at CMU and to try to make their experience as good as the one I had.”

Rachel Krause recently completed her PhD dissertation at the Institute of Parasitology at the McGill School of Environment at McGill University, and will defend it next month. For her doctoral research, Krause looked at how the health of preschool children in extremely poor rural communities in Panama has been affected by their families’ participation in a food security intervention based on agricultural development.

Krause’s background in ecology and environment has also led to broad experiences ranging from salmon habitat evaluation and restoration in her native British Columbia, to parasitism and pollution studies of fish in the St. Lawrence River.

Krause says she was impressed by the community she experienced during a campus visit while applying for the job.

“I get the sense that at CMU, there’s a strong desire to collaborate formally and informally across disciplines, which I love to do,” Krause says.

Jobb Arnold holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University and has research expertise in the comparative study of post-conflict cultures. Arnold specializes in genocide studies, the dynamics of social movements, and the role of aesthetics and public emotion in community building practices.

Arnold has a background in conflict studies theory and social psychology. His doctoral research took him to Rwanda and Northern Ireland.

Arnold’s research and teaching is motivated by a concern for social justice. He has taught in Conflict Resolution Studies, Development Studies, and Psychology departments.

“MSC has been a ground-breaking institute in developing Winnipeg’s reputation for progressive and engaged scholarship in the areas of conflict studies, human rights, and intercultural reconciliation,” Arnold says, adding that MSC’s core values of peace, service, and justice lie at the heart of much of his work. “I look forward to upholding these values and furthering the causes of peace and social justice in all my activities.”

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Faculty, Jobb Arnold, Matthew Pauls, Rachel Krause

General News News Releases

CMU instructor, MSC alumni named as CBC Manitoba Future 40 finalists

Post author By CMU
Post date April 6, 2015

Canadian Mennonite University congratulates one of its faculty and two of its alumni on being part of CBC Manitoba’s Future 40, a list of Manitobans under the age of 40 who are making a big impact on their community.

James Magnus-Johnston, Instructor of Political Studies and Economics, was named one of the finalists late last month after CBC Manitoba and Metro called on Manitobans to nominate people. More than 195 nominations came in.

Jamil Mahmood and Abdikheir Ahmed, two alumni of Menno Simons College – a college of CMU – were also finalists.

About the recipients:

James Magnus-Johnston, Instructor of Political Studies and Economics

Magnus-Johnston has a background in green economics, finance, and public policy. He has an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University and is the Canadian Director of the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy.

In addition to his work at CMU, Magnus-Johnston is one of five co-founders of Fools and Horses Coffee Company in Winnipeg. On-tap wine, compostable packaging and local products are all part of the coffee shop’s goal to be completely waste-free.

A portion of the money that Fools and Horses makes will be invested into RISE Urban incubator, a social enterprise he co-founded with his friend, Benjamin Gillies. Magnus-Johnston and Gilles were among the lead authors for Transition Winnipeg’s Energy Descent Initiative, entitled Winnipeg’s Great Transition: Ideas and Actions for a Low-Carbon, Climate-Resilient City. RISE Urban, a non-profit, was set up to initiate some of the demonstration projects that aim to reduce our ecological footprint found throughout the publication.

Magnus-Johnston, who triple-majored in Political Studies, Rhetoric and Communications, and Theatre as an undergraduate student at the University of Winnipeg, is also heavily involved in Winnipeg’s arts scene. He sings regularly with Antiphony, a seven-member acapella ensemble, and he has also performed with the Winnipeg Singers and Camerata Nova.

Jamil Mahmood (MSC, BA ’10, International Development Studies)

Jamil Mahmood is the executive director of the Spence Neighbourhood Association, an organization that works with the people of Spence to revitalize and renew their community in the areas of holistic healing, community, connecting, community economic development, environment and open spaces, and youth and families.

Mahmood works to address gaps or enhance the strengths within Winnipeg through a variety of different initiatives. He established Youth Programming at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre, which now sees over 100 children a day and includes a full meal and transportation.

At SNA, Mahmood implemented a basketball program, providing an opportunity for inner city youth to play basketball in an organized league. The True Sport Foundation has recognized this basketball program as a model program.

Ten years ago, Mahmood began with SNA by setting up community gardens. He continuously works to make the West End a healthy, safe, and welcoming environment for all.

Abdikheir Ahmed (MSC, BA ’07, International Development Studies)

Abdikheir Ahmed is a longtime advocate for newcomers to Manitoba. He is involved with the Social Planning Council’s Local Immigration Partnership, which brings together different levels of government to plan and research the best strategies to help newcomers.

Previously, Ahmed served as the executive director of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba where he helped support and advocate for newcomers. Ten years ago, Ahmed came to Canada as a refugee, and now regularly opens his home to newcomer youth who need extra support or mentorship.

He helped found Humankind International, a non-governmental organization that seeks to improve the lives of children in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya by supporting their education.

Ahmed was awarded the United Nations Fellowship as a People of African Descent Fellow at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva. He is the recipient of a Citizen’s Appreciation Award from the Winnipeg Police Service for his efforts to build relationships between the newcomer community and police.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Abdikheir, CBC, CMU, Future 40, James Magnus-Johnston, Jamil Mahmood, MSC

Events Lectures News Releases

Menno Simons College hosts insight mediation workshop

Post author By CMU
Post date March 24, 2015

Addressing the complexity of conflict

The workshop “Practicing Insight Mediation: Helping Conflicting Parties Make Wise Decisions” will be led by Dr. Cheryl Picard, professor emeritus at Carleton University and principle of Cheryl Picard & Associates.

The workshop will take place May 6-8, 2015 at MSC and will be available for university credit or professional development.

Insight mediation is a style of conflict intervention that was developed as a result of collaboration between two Canadian scholars, Dr. Picard, Carleton University and Dr. Kenneth Melchin, Saint Paul University. They extensively studied successful mediation practice and applied ideas from Bernard Lonergan’s theory of insight to develop the insight approach to conflict resolution and mediation.

The insight approach addresses the complexity of conflict, including the role of emotion and the importance of values, through the integration of theories of social action with micro communication skills and conflict resolution strategies.

Participants in this workshop will be encouraged to re-think traditional ideas about conflict and conflict intervention as they are introduced to the idea that conflict resolution involves the production of new understandings that help conflicting parties identify and understand the threat experiences and defense responses that create and sustain conflict.

Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills to de-escalate threat narratives through the mediation dialogue as this can change problematic patterns of interaction and enable parties to find ways to either resolve their differences or to live more peacefully with them.

Dr. Picard is an educator, mediator, and conflict coach specializing in interpersonal, workplace, and community-based conflict for over 35 years. Dr. Picard brings a relational ideology to her teaching and conflict resolution practice, which means she views people as connected to each other through complex webs of relationships, patterns of interaction, and meaning-making.

For more information or to register visit www.mscollege.ca.

About Menno Simons College
Menno Simons College (MSC), a part of Canadian Mennonite University and affiliated with the University of Winnipeg, has been offering programs in International Development Studies (IDS) and Conflict Resolution Studies (CRS) since 1989. MSC fosters a vibrant undergraduate learning community in its newly renovated facility at 520 Portage Avenue. It offers 3-year and 4-year majors and a minor in IDS and CRS, an honours program in IDS, and an extensive practicum program. MSC has over 1,000 students and hundreds of alumni working in the development and conflict resolution sectors in Manitoba, Canada, and internationally.

For additional information, please contact:

Joel Marion
Menno Simons College
204.953.3844
jo.marion@uwinnipeg.ca

Tags Cheryl Picard, conflict resolution, Menno Simons College, MSC, workshop

Events Lectures News Releases

Muslim scholar to speak at Canadian Mennonite University

Post author By CMU
Post date March 6, 2015

Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali of Qom, Iran to deliver lecture titled, “Characteristics of Shi’a Islam”

Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali, Founding Director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (IIIS) in Qom, Iran, will give a lecture titled, “Characteristics of Shi’a Islam: An Overview,” at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 13 in the Laudamus Auditorium (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.).

Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali, Founding Director of the International Institute for Islamic Studies in Qom, Iran, will give a lecture at CMU on March 13.

“It is exciting to have Dr. Shomali at CMU for the fourth time in as many years,” says Dr. Harry Huebner, Director of International and Inter-Faith Theological Initiatives at CMU. “He is a man of deep faith, an effective teacher, and an engaging storyteller. It is especially important in today’s climate to hear Islam explained by a scholar from within the faith.”

Shomali is a graduate of the Islamic Seminaries of Qom, and also holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Western Philosophy from the University of Tehran. He earned his PhD from the University of Manchester and wrote his doctoral thesis on ethical relativism.

Dr. Harry Huebner of CMU (left) and Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (middle) speak during a 2014 visit in Qom, Iran.

In addition to his work with the IIIS, Shomali is the Director of London’s Islamic Centre of England.

CMU is hosting Shomali as well as seven of his graduate students from Qom from Sunday, March 8 until Wednesday, March 18. During this time, CMU faculty will teach the students an intensive course in Christian Systematic Theology.

It will be the third time since 2011 that CMU has hosted Muslim students from Iran.

“Dr. Shomali believes it is important for his students to be trained in, and understand, other monotheistic faiths,” Huebner says. “He also believes it’s important for his students to be exposed to Western culture and Western societal dynamics.”

Dr. Harry Huebner of CMU (second from left) and Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali of the International Institute for Islamic Studies (third from left) participate in an interfaith dialogue in Qom, Iran last year.

The visit stems from a series of dialogues that began in 2002 that bring together Shi’a Muslim scholars from Iran and Mennonite scholars from Canada and the U.S. The goal of these dialogues is to improve understanding between Muslims and Christians.

Last May, four professors and six students from CMU travelled to Qom for the sixth dialogue. Afterward, the students spent 14 days in the cities of Isfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran. They travelled to significant sites to learn more about Iran’s history, people, beliefs, and culture.

The trip, as well as the Muslim students’ upcoming visit, was made possible in part by a grant Huebner received from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Huebner says he is looking forward to hosting Shomali and the students.

“These are students that will be the future clerics, professors, and Shi’a Islam leaders in Iran,” Huebner says. “For us to be in dialogue with them, and learn to relate to them as friends, is extremely significant for the future.”

Huebner adds that Iranian society is driven by intellectual pursuit and thus places a high value on academics, which makes possible a special relationship between universities.

He is excited to see what members of the CMU community can learn from these visitors.

“We need to remember that there is another world of scholarship out there,” Huebner says. “Our awareness and openness to that is important.”

He adds that Islam is often misunderstood in the mainstream media, and Muslim-Christian dialogues and exchanges like this help create better relationships.

“The news doesn’t give us a good understanding of what Islam is,” Huebner says. “Getting to know people from Iran is one way of cutting across that.”

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, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry. CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury campus and in its Menno Simons College and Outtatown programs.

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 Dr. Shomali, Harry Huebner, Inter-Faith Theological Initiatives, Iran, Iranian, Muslim

Events General News Lectures News Releases

Upcoming lecture to explore the animal kingdom in Canadian Mennonite history

Post author By CMU
Post date March 5, 2015

Dr. Royden Loewen to deliver 2015 John and Margaret Friesen Lecture at CMU

The 2015 edition of the John and Margaret Friesen Lectures at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) will explore how Mennonites have imagined the animal kingdom over the last 150 years.

Dr. Royden Loewen, Chair in Mennonite Studies and Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg, will give a lecture titled, “‘Come Watch This Spider’: Animals, Mennonites, and the Modern World,” at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 17 in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.).

The lecture will focus on the ethical dimensions of animal-human relations among Canadian Mennonites. Often overlooked, their rich literary traditions are filled with references to inter-species relationships. Their diaries, memoirs, and novels suggest a relationship that changed significantly over time.

“There is simply a deeper respect that humans had for animals in the pre-industrial times of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries,” Loewen says. “It’s not that humans were not dominant over animals… but that dominance was expressed in a different way.”

That fundamental respect during pre-industrial times was followed by an objectification and commodification of the animal during the mid to late 20^th century as Mennonites embraced the ‘modern’ world.

By the turn of the 20^th century, some writers from the edges of Mennonite society began to confront the very idea of animal subjugation.

Loewen hopes that those who attend the lecture are challenged to recover a basic respect that people once had for animals.

He also hopes that by learning about animals in the history of Canadian Mennonites, a greater understanding of the nature of the modern world can be achieved.

Ultimately, to study animal-human relations is to study human history more fully.

“A generation ago, Mennonite historians began writing ordinary people into the narrative – not just bishops and (other leaders),” Loewen says. “We did that to write a more inclusive history, so in the name of a more just and inclusive history, we also need to understand the creatures of the earth.”

Dr. Paul Doerksen, Associate Professor of Theology and Anabaptist Studies at CMU, says Loewen’s reputation as a world-class scholar made him an obvious choice to deliver the 2015 John and Margaret Friesen Lecture.

“Nobody’s better at social history than Roy,” Doerksen says, adding that as a Mennonite university, it is important for CMU to host Mennonite scholars of Loewen’s calibre.

“We have to have people like Roy here to help us learn and see issues in new ways,” Doerksen says.

In his capacity at the University of Winnipeg, Loewen is the editor of the Journal of Mennonite Studies and also serves as series editor of the “Ethnicity and Culture History Series” at University of Manitoba Press.

Loewen has authored or co-authored seven books covering a variety of aspects of Mennonite history. Over the years, he has been a research fellow and visiting scholar at academic institutions around the world.

He and his wife, Mary Anne, currently live in Steinbach, MB, where they are members of Steinbach Mennonite Church. They have three adult children: Rebecca, Meg, and Sasha. Loewen and his son operate a small grain farm near Steinbach.

The John and Margaret Friesen Lectures in Anabaptist/Mennonite Studies are co-sponsored by CMU, the Mennonite Heritage Centre, and the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

At the lecture, selected works by Manitoba artist Lynda Toews will be on display. These works are from “A Place in the Kingdom: Paintings and Stories Celebrating Farm Animals,” an exhibit the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery is hosting from March 13, 2015 to June 20, 2015.

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 John and Margaret Friesen Lecture, Lecture, Royden Loewen

Events News Releases

CMU Opera Workshop class presents The Merry Wives of Windsor

Post author By CMU
Post date February 25, 2015

‘Light, entertaining’ production the culmination of seven months of hard work

Canadian Mennonite University’s Opera and Musical Theatre Workshop is proud to present The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Directed by David Klassen, the production will run for four shows: Thursday, March 5 through Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, March 8 at 2:30 PM. The performances take place in the Laudamus Auditorium (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, and available at CMU’s main reception desk or at the door. Reserve by calling 204-487-3300.

Written by the German composer Otto Nicolai, The Merry Wives of Windsor is a three-act opera based on William Shakespeare’s comedic play.

After receiving identical love-letters from the repugnant Sir John Falstaff, Mrs. Alice Ford and Mrs. Meg Page play along with Falstaff’s love affairs in order to expose and humiliate him.

While all this scheming is going on, the beautiful Anne Page has fallen for the handsome Fenton, but Dr. Cajus, a quick-tempered doctor, and Slender, a brown-nosing coward, fight for Anne’s favour, while she finds both of them loathsome.

Somehow Anne has to get her happy ending with Fenton, even though Mr. Page promises Slender his daughter’s hand in marriage, and Mrs. Page desires Dr. Cajus to marry her daughter.

“The story is light and entertaining, and the characters are extremely colourful,” says Klassen, Instructor of Music at CMU. “It’s a production that will be entertaining for nearly all age groups.”

The four performances are the culmination of seven months of hard work for the more than 25 students enrolled in Klassen’s Opera Workshop course.

The course gives students an understanding of how much energy and effort it takes to communicate when performing operatic works, and students learn how to work as part of an ensemble.

Klassen says the course is made accessible to students of all levels, and adds that this cast is one of the strongest he’s ever worked with at CMU.

“My hope for this production is that students will walk away from the experience knowing that they have been held to the highest standard possible, and that they have created for themselves one of the most memorable experiences of their lives,” Klassen says.

He adds that as a professional himself, he remembers every show he’s ever been a part of.

“The cast becomes a family, and even within a university like CMU where community is a great focus, they build even stronger relationships through the preparation of something of this magnitude,” Klassen says.

“I hope that my guidance inspires, and that they take what they’ve learned with them into every musical endeavour in the community, staged or not—the understanding that these relationships are meaningful, and that the hard work is more rewarding than they could imagine.”

Opera Workshop students mount a full-scale production every second year. Past productions have included The Mikado, a comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, and Die Fledermaus, a German operetta by Johann Strauss II.

In the years in between, students present scenes from a variety of different works.

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 David Klassen, Merry Wives of Windsor, opera workshop, School of Music

General News News Releases

Canadian Mennonite University rates at top among 28 universities

Post author By CMU
Post date February 24, 2015

CMU’s students give top marks to faculty, academics, and community

Canadian Mennonite University students have given top marks to the faculty, academics, and community at the university.

A Maclean’s Magazine feature published this month gives a snapshot of the 2014 Canadian University Survey Consortium’s (CUSC) findings, in which CMU placed in the Top Four out of 28 universities in four categories highlighted in the article.

The statements reflect how students feel about their professors and how comfortable they feel at their university.

Link to Maclean's Magazine article — Link to Maclean’s Magazine article

When presented with the statement, “Generally, I am satisfied with the quality of teaching I have received,” 58 per cent of respondents from CMU said that they strongly agree—earning CMU the top spot out of the 28 universities surveyed.

Student responses to the statement, “Most of my professors treat students as individuals, not just numbers,” also put CMU at #1.

CMU placed second when students were presented with the statement, “Most of my professors are intellectually stimulating in their teaching,” and fourth when presented with the statement, “I feel as if I belong at this university.”

To obtain the results, the CUSC administered an online questionnaire to a random sample of middle-years students at each school.

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls says she is deeply encouraged by the way CMU students ranked their university.

“This affirmation is a form of gratitude, and helps us to keep providing this quality of education,” Pauls says. “We consider mentorship to be vital to the learning students receive, and the survey demonstrates that students see and appreciate that faculty take them seriously as individuals both inside and beyond the classroom.”

“I’m persuaded that our students will show a similar interest and care to others based on how they have been taught,” Pauls adds. “That bolsters our courage and humility at the same time.”

To view the Maclean’s Magazine article, visit www.cmu.ca/macleans.

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, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry. CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury campus and in its Menno Simons College and Outtatown programs.

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 Canadian University Survey Consortium, Cheryl Pauls, CUSC, Maclean's, Maclean's Magazine, student satisfaction