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Weaver and Campbell Perform “Paraguay Primeval” at CMU

Weaver, on piano, and Campbell
Weaver, on piano, and Campbell

January 11, 2013 – CMU welcomed guest artists Carol Ann Weaver, composer and pianist, from Conrad Grebel College, University in Waterloo, Ontario, and Rebecca Campbell, singer and songwriter, to present their unique recital, titled, “Paraguay Primeval.” The recital took place on January 11, 2013 in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium before an appreciative audience.

“Paraguay Primeval” by Carol Ann Weaver is a musical work featuring stories of Mennonites who fled to Paraguay from Russian and Canada in the 1920s and beyond.

“The January 2013 Manitoba tour takes this music to some of the very people who were born in Paraguay but have moved back to Canada,” says Dean of CMU’s School of Music, Dr. Janet Brenneman. The hope is that the stories will be thus celebrated.

Recently released on CD, “Paraguay Primeval” helps to tell the extraordinary story of Mennonites finding new “Promised Land” by moving to Paraguay from Canada in order to retain their own schools, and from Russia to flee the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalinist regime. Once in Paraguay, theseMennonites settled in the “green hell” of the Chaco, suffering typhoid and other illnesses, but ever building colonies, growing crops, and maintaining livestock, while creating schools, churches, hospitals, and industries that lured back many indigenous peoples.

Weaver says about the work: “My brief visit to the Chaco, in July, 2009, following the Mennonite World Conference in Asuncion, Paraguay, was a moving experience. What stole my heart, while travelling to these colonies, was a sense of incredible dedication to this new land as voiced by these Mennonites in their strong singing. I was particularly struck by a statue of a woman behind a plow, representing women who had lost their husbands during Stalin years in Russia.”

Weaver notes that texts are derived from Rudy Wiebe’s Blue Mountains of China (with its vivid and poetically written Paraguayan sections), Dora Dueck’s Under The Still Standing Sun, and Henry and Esther Regehr’s translated Schoenbrunn Chronicles, compiled by Agnes Balzer and Lieselotte Dueck and written by Paraguayan Mennonite settlers. “Basic journal entries (in Schoenbrunn Chronicles) yield starkly perfect lyrics,” says Weaver, “especially those recounting deaths in the Harms family, or adventures of Uncle Hans in the well.”

Carol Ann Weaver is an eclectic composer, pianist, writer, and music professor atConrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo. Her music has been heard throughout North America, in Europe, Africa, Korea and Paraguay.  She has produced seven CDs and tours extensively with vocalist Rebecca Campbell, often doing African or Mennonite-themed music. She previously taught at WLU, at [then] Mennonite Brethren Bible College (a founding college of CMU) in Winnipeg, and at EMU in Virginia.

Acclaimed singer and songwriter Rebecca Campbell is one of the most evocative, exquisite vocalists in Canada. Singing professionally since 1986, she has toured extensively with Justin Haynes, Jane Siberry, Fat Man Waving, Three Sheets to the Wind, Lynn Miles, Ian Tamblyn, and Carol Ann Weaver. She has performed across Canada, the United States, England, Ireland, Spain, and Trinidad-Tobago. Her CDs receive high critical acclaim.

For a description of the project and performers, recital schedules, and information on purchasing CDS, visit

http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~caweaver/concert.html

 

 

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CSOP Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew – Activist, Peace Trainer, Role Model

CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew
CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew
CSOP 2012 Instructor Ouyporn Khuankaew

January 11, 2013 – Ouyporn Khuankaew travelled a long way to teach at the 2012 Canadian School for Peacebuilding (CSOP) at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) last summer – and she says that it was well worth her journey.

Khuankaew is a Buddhist feminist peace trainer who has been working with activists in South and Southeast Asia since 1995. In 2002, she co-founded International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice (IWP) which runs its own center and workswith activists in Burma, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, teaching Buddhist peacebuilding, non-violent action, counselling for trauma survivors, leadership for social change, gender, and sexuality, feminism and Buddhism for change, and meditation retreats for activists. On a personal level, she is a domestic trauma survivor – and that experience, along with the injustices and gender inequality she has witnessed in South and Southeast Asia – led her to pursue a life dedicated to peacebuilding, and to inspiring a new generation of women to do the same.

“My experience at the Canadian School of Peacebuilding was wonderful,” Khuankaew shares. “I loved how the event was organized, with an emphasis on small groups and integrating diverse groups of people. Everyone was so welcoming, so eager to know each other. We were really able to accomplish a lot in a very short period of time. The students especially were very analytical and engaged – especially the young women – and it was exciting to see.”

“I hope that the course that I taught inspired them,” she continues. “When I was young, we didn’t have role models for women doing this kind of work. I hope that I can be that kind of mentor, increasing women’s confidence and helping them connect with likeminded people so they don’t feel alone in their passions and their efforts. I feel a responsibility to help create a space for women to feel connected and empowered. No one is alone.”

“Peacebuilding has become one of the major issues of this generation. We are all in need of peace, whether in family conflicts or widespread war,” says Kuankaew. “I admire CMU’s commitment not just to peace, but to peacebuilding, and the way they are involving women in the solution. In my work, I have seen the impact of feminine involvement. In Burma, when we teach women to be peacebuilders, they can go back and teach men and women, and they help to increase the role and status of women in their communities.”

Khuankaew feels strongly about equipping women as leaders in the peacebuilding process. “In our culture, we assume that women are natural peacemakers,” she says. “We see this role at work in our families – and as important as that is, this role should not be confined to the home. We need it on a global level. A woman’s perspective and approach is different than a man’s. We are uniquely qualified to be peacebuilders. From a young age, we are trained through gender roles to be caring and loving, to share and listen and experience – and that is the foundation of peacemaking. It doesn’t need to be taught. We intuitively understand the emotional and psychological aspects of peacebuilding. We need to be committed to deliver the training required to empower women to take that understanding and use it to impact the world around them.”

“We need to use our hearts, and use more than intellect and logic to solve our issues,” says Khuankaew. “Our world is in trouble because we use our heads without our hearts. When we use our hearts, there’s no argument or anger there – it equalizes us. Women are more in touch with that. But in the end, we all need to work together. It’s not a matter of men versus women, it’s humans working toward a solution, together.”

Canadian Mennonite University, through its Menno Simons College (located at The University of Winnipeg) and its Winnipeg Shaftesbury campus, and through CSOP, offers one of the most comprehensive undergraduate programs in peace and conflict studies in the world. Located in Manitoba, CMU has over 1,600 students enrolled through its two campuses and its Outtatown discipleship program. CMU is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Visit www.cmu.ca

For CSOP 2013 information:
Visit www.csop.cmu.ca or contact: csop@cmu.ca

Article: by Linsday Wright for CMU

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Alumni Profiles Articles

Alumni Profiles – Kim Penner (CMU ’08)

December 13, 2012 – Kim Penner_webFor Kim Penner, studying biblical and theological studies and history at CMU provided a solid foundation for her graduate studies. From CMU, Penner went on to earn her Master’s degree in Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College (University of Waterloo) and she is now working towards her Doctorate in Theology at Emmanuel College (University of Toronto).

“My CMU experience was rich both in academics and in community life,” says Penner. “I was very involved in residence life as a Resident Assistant and the chair of the Social Activities Committee.”

“From an academic perspective, CMU prepared me very well for my graduate studies. I really enjoyed doing biblical exegesis of scripture to discern the historical and theological context of a passage, and studying female characters in scripture in history. My time at CMU provided my foundation in good research and writing skills that will enable me to be successful.”

“I have especially appreciated the support and mentorship of the CMU faculty,” she says. “I look up to them and hope to join them as a fellow academic in the future.”

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Articles Student Profiles

Student Profiles – Abram Thiessen (2012)

Abram Thiessen_webDecember 13, 2012 – In 2011, Abram Thiessen faced a sudden life threatening health condition while studying at CMU. Away from his hometown of Abbotsford, British Columbia, he learned quickly that he was far from alone in Manitoba.

“During my health crisis, the CMU community was always with me, through both prayers and their physical presence,” says Thiessen. “The instant I was taken out of my medically induced coma, I saw two gigantic ‘get well soon’ cards in my room that had been signed by CMU students – including many I had never talked to before. Over the next few weeks, I had so many visitors.”

“This support meant everything to me. It would have been so much more difficult to endure weeks at a time in the hospital without my friends at CMU. It was the community of CMU that kept my spirits up and kept me going,” says Thiessen.

“Today, I am very stable thanks to the medication I am using. I’m excited to come back to CMU this year to be a part of the community once again.”

 

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Student Profiles – Raven Nickel (2012)

Raven Nickel_webDecember 13, 2012 – For Raven Nickel of Altona, MB, who is working towards an education degree and majoring in French, coming to CMU after high school was the ideal choice to begin post-secondary studies. Receiving a scholarship helped make it all possible.

Upon graduation from Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna two years ago, Raven received a CMU Leadership Scholarship valued at $10,000 over four years.  The award recognizes both academic excellence and leadership, shown in her roles as camp counsellor, lifeguard, and aide to a younger student.

“That money was a huge help,” says  Nickel, who lives in residence at CMU. “The award gave me confidence in myself and sparked my interest in taking initiative to become a Residence Assistant – and helping other students also lets me give back to CMU.”

“I love living on campus, and having my own place to go between classes. I like the activities outside of class time, I enjoy the community of people here, and I like the dynamics between professors and students.”

In particular, Nickel appreciates the focus on theology and faith as part of her daily life.  “I’m looking forward to taking more BTS courses this year,” says Nickel, who hopes to teach, to travel, and to do mission work. “It’s really cool that faith can be worked into everyday things.”

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Student Profiles – Natalie Vander Zaag (2012)

Natalie Vander Zaag_webDecember 13, 2012 – Natalie Vander Zaag (OT’11) started at Canadian Mennonite University as a participant in CMU’s Outtatown French Africa program and stayed to study at CMU with a major in social sciences.

Vander Zaag had always been interested in psychology, but it was her work at an Aboriginal drop-in centre in Winnipeg’s North End that helped turn that interest into a true passion. “I am so interested in how the human brain works and the methods people use to heal. My work at the drop-in centre has made me even more passionate about healing and therapy,” says Vander Zaag.

“I love psychology because you can apply everything you learn to everyday experiences,” she says.

“The quality of teaching here goes beyond what you’d get at other schools because the faculty here are able to merge academics with an ability and a willingness to nurture the spiritual aspects of their students’ lives,” says Vander Zaag. “This is a genuine, caring place where people are supported and encouraged to grow in all areas of their lives. I have really enjoyed my CMU experience.”

 

 

 

 

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Graduate Student Profiles – Jose Moraga

005 Jose Morega Diaz WebDecember 13, 2012 – The decision to study at Canadian Mennonite University required a leap of faith for graduate student Jose Moraga and his family, who came to Winnipeg from their home in Santiago, Chile.

“Continuing my studies outside of my country has been a very important step in my spiritual journey. I chose to study at CMU because I identify with the University’s focus on service, leadership, and reconciliation, its program flexibility, and its theology with a strong emphasis on justice and peace,” says Moraga.

Living, working, and studying in a foreign country has been a challenge for Moraga and his family – especially because of the language barrier. Moraga credits the CMU community with helping to ease that transition.

“At CMU, we have found people who have cared for us not only academically, but also on a personal level. Living here among people of different cultures has been an excellent experience for our daughters,” says Moraga. “The professors have been patient and motivating, and a diversity of opinions and experiences is something that is welcomed in the classroom. The staff at CMU have quickly become part of our family.”

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Articles Student Profiles

Student Profiles – Kathleen McCullough

December 13, 2012 – A love of basketball brought CMU student and athlete Kathleen McCullough to CMU – and it’s what continues to motivate and challenge this student who is in  her third year both at the school and on the team.

“Our team is like an extended family to me,” says McCullough, who is working towards her Bachelor of Arts Kathleen McCullough_40KBdegree in Social Sciences and Counselling. “As the year progresses, each player develops, both personally and in our athletic ability. My coach really puts the players first and has helped push me to my optimal performance.”

Kathleen started out with less than a full course load, but quickly learned to balance life as a full-time student with her basketball career. “I believe anybody can balance academics and athletics here – and succeed in both.”

CMU athletes are supported by the entire community, cheering on their teams through wins and even through losses. “The fans here never stop cheering,” says Kathleen. “It doesn’t matter which sport is happening, there will always be fans coming out to support their team. That support keeps a team going through tough competition and it’s something I look forward to every basketball season.”

CMU athletes consistently perform well in the league’s scholar-athlete rankings, with nine student-athletes in 2012 achieving grade-point averages (GSPs) of 4.0 and up. Also recognized for academic awards are scholar-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 (80%) or higher – in 2011, 47 members of CMU’s six varsity teams received recognition for academic excellence, representing 69% of all team members.

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Students Thank Donors on Tuition Freedom Day

IMG_5247.JPG John,Katie Epp & grandd Becky Longhurst 144KBDecember 13, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University gathered on November 26, 2012 to celebrate Tuition Freedom Day, recognizing the assistance of donors and of the Government of Manitoba for their generous contributions in support of higher education throughout the year.

Tuition Freedom Day is the time of year by which revenues from student tuition fees would technically run out, in terms of   paying actual costs for the student’s university education, and support from the community essentially kicks in to pick up budget costs  for the remainder of the year. From Tuition Freedom Day forward, money from government grants, from donor gifts, and funds from University’s operating budget are utilized to make higher education possible for CMU students.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls welcomed guests and brought greetings to the event from Manitoba’s Minister of Higher Education and Literacy, Hon. Erin Selby. Pauls noted that CMU operates with a budget of $13.4-million, out of which approximately $4.7 M (35%) is paid through student tuition and fees.  The Manitoba Government supports CMU with an annual grant of approximately $4.0 M (30%) while $2.9M (22%) is raised through ancillary business, meal plans, and campus rentals. The final 13% of CMU’s budget, $1.8M, reflects the generous giving of individual donors and businesses along with the undergirding of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Brethren Church congregations, together supporting the Annual Operating Fund and designating support to student scholarships and bursaries. In sum, the combined gifting of government, donors, and the Church is truly significant in support of the learning of CMU’s students.

“I am honoured to be here on behalf of the CMU student body to say thank you to all of those who so generously support our education,” says fourth-year  CMU student Gabrielle Lemire, who iscompleting her Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Theology and Mathematics. “Education is so much more than just information or the way to get a job. Education has the potential to help us learn who God has created us to be in a supportiveenvironment. And this is exactly the kind of environment that CMU provides.”

“This is a time not only to celebrate what a great university CMU is; this is a time to highlight the importance of having a community to surround the students, staff, and faculty at CMU,” says Lemire, addressing the large Tuition Freedom Day gathering in CMU’s Chapel. “Going to CMU would not be possible for many of us if it weren’t for the financial support that our broader community has given. On behalf of all the studentshere at CMU, thank you for investing in us, and entrusting us with this precious gift.”

Dave Bergen, representing Mennonite Church Canada, spoke at the event on behalf of the church ownership bodies. In addressing CMU’s students, Bergen says: “It is a privilege to be here at this annual event celebrating the different partnerships and connections that make it possible for you as students to receive university education at CMU, and to be forming your understandings of vocation and life through the lens of Christian faith and theological understandings.”

MC Canada, he notes, is simultaneously an owner, a donor, and a huge cheerleader for the work of CMU. “We are one of a number of partners who believe in and support Canadian Mennonite University and its mission,” says Bergen.  “We are proud that CMU is deeply rooted in the church, and that its graduates are inspired to engage in the mission of God in many different ways. We thank God for the opportunity to be partners with you in this amazing educational endeavor.”

As part of this year’s Tuition Freedom Day 2012, CMU’s Development Office featured a special announcement of a generous endowment fund that has been created through donations from Portage Mennonite Church, which closed in July 2012. The endowed funds will generate two annual scholarships of $2,500 each for future CMU students. CMU Church Relations Director Abram Bergen was pleased to introduce Gerald and Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, Tony and Astrid Peters, and Margaret Thiessen, congregational members from Portage Mennonite Church who were present to represent their church for this important announcement.

“This ‘small church that could’ leaves a large legacy, as it will support the training of future leaders and musicians at CMU,” says Bergen.

Each year, over a thousand individualdonors support CMU. Representing this important group was retired pastor couple John Epp (MBBC ’53) and Katie Epp, former music faculty member at Mennonite Brethren Bible College. The Epps have served in a number of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg since 1976.

“We are thankful to be regular and faithful donors,” says John Epp. “We support CMU with prayer and finances because it is a place of learning committed to seeking, teaching, and living the truth, as a Christian university of the church for the world.”

In 2003, he comments, the colleges Mennonite Brethren Bible College, (MBBC, a CMU predecessor college) and CMBC jointly planned and celebrated their 50th anniversary on the CMU campus. “We were two small classes with a combined total of 27 graduates, which by 2003 had shrunk to less than 20.  At our 50th celebration, we established the Class of ‘53 bursary fund of $20,000. Over the intervening years,” says Epp, “we have assisted nine students with a total of $5,836.” Eligibility for this bursary is open to all disciplines of studies.

“Our personal support for CMU combines prayer and finances,” says Katie Epp. “Scholarship and prayer are mutually complimentary, so we support and pray that all life and learning at CMU will be imbued with the heart and mind of Christ. God bless you as you keep on making it happen.”

The Epps were joined by their granddaughter, CMU student Rebecca Longhurst, at the Tuition Freedom Day celebration.

CMU Student Council President Brent Retzlaff, in closing the event, thanked guests and the CMU community for their participation and support.

Photo: Long-time donors and friends of CMU Katie Epp and John Epp, with CMU Student and granddaughter of the Epps, Rebecca Longhurst

 

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CMU Students Thank Portage Mennonite Church

IMG_5240 Portage la Prairie donors 112KB webDecember 13, 2012 – Portage Mennonite Church in Portage la Prairie may have had a small congregation, yet the vision of its members in leaving a legacy for the next generation is both generous and far-sighted. As a gift to CMU, Portage Mennonite Church, which closed on July 1, 2012, has created an endowed fund  that will generate two annual scholarships of $2,500 each to support the studies of future CMU students.

This special announcement was made by CMU Church Relations Director Abram Bergen as the Canadian Mennonite University community gathered to acknowledge appreciation to donors on November 26, 2012 at its annual Tuition Freedom Day celebration. This special student-run event recognizes the assistance of donors and of the Government of Manitoba for their generous contributions in support of higher educationthroughout the year.

“Portage Mennonite Church nurtured a small and faithful community for over thirty-five years,” notes Church Relations Director Abram Bergen. Exceptionally active for its size, it sent members to work with MCC, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and Mennonite Church Canada programs, says Bergen.

Bergen was pleased to introduce Portage Mennonite Church congregation members Gerald and Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, Tony and Astrid Peters, and Margaret Thiessen, who attended the celebration as representatives from their church.

One of the two annual awards will be given to an international student or to a student who is involved with a first or second generation church in Canada, and who will be entering or continuing full-time studies in CMU’s Master of Arts (Theological Studies or Christian Ministry) program, with the intent of preparing for a church leadership role.

The other award to be made annually will be for a full-time student entering or continuing in the Music Therapy program at CMU.

Awarding of the scholarships will begin in September 2013, continuing annually.

“We are grateful that Portage Mennonite Church has established this significant endowment to fund scholarships for our students,” says CMU President Cheryl Pauls. “This is a wonderful legacy by a caring church that clearly understood the value of higher education in a Christian setting. Thank you, friends of CMU.  Your gifts are deeply appreciated.”

 

Photo: Portage Congregation members accompanied by students and faculty and staff at CMU during their November 2012 scholarship announcement. Back row, l to r: CMU students Sheralynn Neff, Angela Neufeld, Arlana Mueller, Andrew Brown, Dean of Music Dr. Janet Brenneman, Margaret Thiessen. Front row, l to r: CMU Graduate School of Theology and Ministry Director Dr. Karl Koop, Astrid Peters, Tony Peters, Gerald Loeppky, Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, and Church Relations Director Dr. Abram Bergen.