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Archeology professor Dr. Gerry Schaus helps solve an ancient Greek mystery.
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Meet Erin Steed, graphic-design maven, arts lover, and part-time Laurier student.
Laurier welcomes 4,000 visitors for the university’s annual spring Open House.
Staff and faculty celebrated for long service CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY Event recognizes 250 employees, three with 40 years service | NO. VOL. 1 of 1 | APRIL 7,2008 |
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their long service. The event honours employees who have reached a milestone of 10, 15, In 1969, the five-storey Central 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of Teaching Building (now the full-time employment. DAWB) opened at Waterloo “It’s nice to be recognized,” Lutheran University, and a said Brito. “I have worked here record-breaking crowd of for more than half my life.” 11,000 people watched the A lot has changed at the Supremes perform at the university in 40 years — from Kitchener Auditorium for fashion to the food itself. Winter Carnival. “Today there is a lot more The same year, Food Services | | COMMUNITY CAMPUS CONNECTIONS emphasis on vegetarian employees Margaret Barfoot, options,” said Barfoot. Margarida Brito and Florence “Back then, everything was Nadrofsky started work at the homemade — even the desserts university. were baked here on campus. Today, the three women can We did everything,” said Brito. still be found hard at work in That included preparing food the dining hall. Together, they for Laurier’s annual Boar’s have a combined 120 years of Head dinner. experience working at Laurier. “We would start two weeks in The women — who each advance, doing whole turkeys reached 40 years of service and all the baking,” said Brito. at the university in 2009 — were among 250 staff and faculty recently recognized for LONG SERVICE see page 4
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By Mallory O’Brien
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
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Margaret Barfoot, left, Margarida Brito, centre, and Florence Nadrofsky were each recognized for 40 years of service.
Author sheds new light on race to South Pole Dining Hall Adrian Raeside speaks at Laurier about the ill-fated 1910 expedition By Mallory O’Brien Could a 23-year-old Canadian physicist have prevented the tragic outcome of the 1910 expedition to the South Pole? According to author Adrian Raeside, it’s very possible. Raeside’s grandfather, Canadian physicist Charles Wright, was among the surviving members of the expedition. Armed with his grandfather’s diary and his own experiences from a voyage to Antarctica in 2008-09, Raeside offers his unique perspective on the events that occurred 100 years ago in his new book, Return to Antarctica. Raeside recently spoke at Laurier about the ill-fated journey to the South Pole in 1910, which was led by Englishman Robert Scott. Scott, who became the second man to reach the South Pole, perished on the return journey with four of his men. The famous expedition has been a source of controversy:
Should Scott be blamed for the blunders and conflicts that plagued the journey? “Over the years I grew up with the stories, of course,” said Raeside. “There were portraits of these very hairy, grizzled, icicle-covered men hanging on the walls … I never gave them a lot of attention until I got old enough to know my granddad a little better, and he also opened up a little more about his time in Antarctica with Scott.” Raeside realized his grandfather was reluctant to speak about the expedition because it wasn’t the story Raeside was brought up to believe — the story that was in all the textbooks. “There was more to it and I think granddad chose to keep quiet about it because he was the last surviving member of the expedition, and he felt that to talk about what really did happen might be a little disconcerting to the living relatives of those who were dead.”
But Raeside wanted to tell the story the way it really happened. Charles Wright was studying at the University of Cambridge in England with his friend Griffith Taylor when they heard Scott was putting together an expedition to the South Pole. They both wrote letters to Scott, but only Taylor was accepted. Wright was devastated, so the two friends walked 80 kilometres from Cambridge to London to speak to Scott in person and try
to change his mind. “Scott asked granddad if he knew anything about glaciers because they needed a glaciologist. Well, granddad knew nothing about glaciers — the only ice he had experience with was in his drink, but he said, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, I’m Canadian, of course.’” Scott’s 1910 expedition was the second time the Englishman had tried for the South Pole — his ANTARCTICA see page 2
will close for summer
A significant renovation to Food Services has been approved that will increase service to the Laurier community. In order to effectively spend the renovation dollars, Food Services will complete all of the renovation projects over the next 3.5 months. This means all retail operations that were traditionally open in the summer (Tim Hortons Science, Tim Hortons Peters and Fresh Food Company in the Dining Hall) will be closed. Catering and conference business will remain unchanged for the most part. Renovations in the Dining Hall will include the addition of a new Halal food station that requires work to the ventilation system, improved access to cold beverages and express food items. The Tim Hortons coffee outlets will also be updated with expanded menu offerings FOOD SERVICES see page 3
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April 2010
president’s message
Province provides budget relief, but challenges remain that some employees will have their compensation constrained immediately, resulting in bottom-line savings. The university recognizes that our various employee groups are affected by these provincial budget measures in different ways and at different times — some immediately, others at various points as current collective agreements expire in the future. The province indicates that it will work with universities and bargaining agents so that future negotiated agreements are of at least two years duration and do not include net compensation increases. Much clarification is still required from the province about the implementation of compensation restraint (for example, whether merit, or career-development increments, will be exempt, as is currently suggested by the draft legislation). The
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kilometre journey — was not as helpful as he imagined, failing after only 80 kilometres. Equipment issues weren’t the only problems. A rival expedition led by Norwegian Roald Amundsen was also on the ice and planning to make a run for the pole. What was originally going to be a stroll across the ice was now a race. “Everyone knew Amundsen was tougher,” said Raeside. “He was a professional polar explorer, he was using sledge dogs and wasn’t relying on slow ponies or man hauling.” Scott’s plan was to carry everything, and drop provisions off at depots along the route, so when returning parties came back they could pick up the provisions. The ponies would be shot at certain intervals and their meat fed to the sledge dogs. “Granddad looked at this theory and
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
first attempt was in 1901-04. “What to me is fascinating is that everything that went wrong in 1901 was repeated again in 1910,” said Raeside, noting that even the same type of equipment was used. “As granddad once said, ‘It’s a pity Scott went to the Antarctic in 1901, because he learned all the wrong things there.’” For example, Scott was convinced that white-coated ponies would withstand the cold better, which, said Raeside, “was complete rubbish.” Scott’s “secret weapon” — using motorized sledges for the first 320 kilometres of the 1,450-
Adrian Raeside speaks at Laurier.
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
The provincial budget announced in late March delivered some good news for Laurier: increased funding will be available in the coming fiscal year to fully support our core activities in teaching and research. The budget announced an increase of $310 million for Ontario’s post-secondary education system, of which Laurier will receive an appropriate share. It is now clear there will be enough money in the upcoming 2010-11 fiscal year to avoid the 1.5 per cent cut to the university’s overall budget that had been forecast and planned. We can celebrate that our anticipated resources will be sufficient to cover costs for the fiscal year immediately ahead. The increase in resources comes from new funds provided in the provincial budget, but it also comes in part because the Ontario government has legislated
Dr. Max Blouw speaks at the President’s Awards ceremony, which recognizes student scholarship recipients with high academic achievement and community leadership.
university will consult with government, the Council of Ontario Universities, and other organizations as appropriate to gain clarity as quickly as we can around these and other matters.
thought, ‘There is something wrong here … why don’t we take the meat from the ponies and cache that at regular intervals for the returning parties, and instead carry more cooking oil on the sledges because you’ll need more cooking oil to boil the frozen meat.’” Wright went to Edward Wilson, Scott’s second-incommand, and asked him to tell Scott that his plan wouldn’t work. It is unknown if Wilson relayed the message. Scott didn’t change his plans. At the top of Beardmore Glacier, less than 480 kilometres from the South Pole, Raeside’s grandfather was taken aside by Scott and told he wouldn’t be one of the five men taken all the way to the pole. When Scott arrived at the South Pole he found that Amundsen had beaten him by more than a month. Problems plagued the group’s return journey, and led to the deaths of all five men. The seals on the oil tanks left at the provision depots had shrunk in the cold and the oil evaporated,
Substantial budgetary challenges remain for the years beyond 2010-11. Our pensiondeficiency payments will add approximately $10 million per year in costs for the indefinite future, and post-retirement benefits, deferred maintenance and other cost pressures remain unaddressed. We will work toward solutions to these challenges over the coming months, and we will also seek ways to fund strategic priorities in our new Academic Plan. A mechanism for reallocation is currently under discussion that would see one per cent of the previously planned 1.5-per cent cut being restored to base, with the remaining 0.5 per cent being made available for reallocation. In other words, there would be no decrease in the overall university budget, but up to 0.5 per cent of the budget may be redistributed. Increasing the total funds available within the Presi-
leaving them with a shortage of fuel. The only proof of their final moments came from Scott’s diary, but pages were removed before it was made public. Meanwhile, after surviving being stranded for eight months with minimal provisions, Raeside’s grandfather struck out with a search party the following spring to learn the
dent’s Innovation Fund, an initiative that was announced last year, is also under consideration. Vice-presidents will be providing more detail in the weeks to come. We will keep the Laurier community informed of any significant changes as more information becomes available and as the budget forecasts for 2010 through 2013 are refined for review by the Board of Governors in June. The immediate good news is that we have the opportunity to balance the university’s overall budget for 2010-11 without the previously forecast cuts.
Dr. Max Blouw, President and Vice-Chancellor
fate of Scott’s party. They found three bodies — Scott included — and erected a cairn, which today is completely buried. Because the ice barrier where they died is moving, experts estimate the bodies have travelled about 40 kilometres toward the sea since they died. “One day, they may actually end up making it back to the coast after all,” said Raeside.
Send us your news, events & stories
Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca Deadline for submissions: May 14
All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.
InsideLaurier is published by The Department of Public Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 2, Number 9, April 2010
Design: Erin Steed
InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published nine times a year by the Department of Public Affairs. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration.
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InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca
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April 2010
Laurier partners with the Golf Management Institute of Canada to offer online courses The Golf Management Institute of Canada (GMIC) is partnering with Wilfrid Laurier University’s Continuing Studies department to offer its golf management courses. The partnership began in March, with the first of 10 courses made available to GMIC students through Laurier’s online course delivery system. After completing the program, students will obtain a graduate studies diploma in golf operations management from the GMIC.
“This is the first golf management program of any kind to be delivered in partnership with a Canadian university,” said Grant Fraser, GMIC present and Laurier alumnus. “Laurier’s reputation as one of Canada’s leading universities will allow us to continue expanding our program in golf operations management around the world.”
Community Service-Learning hosts students For youth facing significant
barriers to graduating from high school, the pursuit of postsecondary education can seem next to impossible. In March the Laurier Centre for Community ServiceLearning (CSL) hosted 31 youth from Pathways to Education, a charitable organization devoted to lowering high school dropout rates and increasing access to post-secondary education. The event provided a taste of Wilfrid Laurier University life and the support available to students. In addition to organizing the event, Laurier’s CSL students act as tutors and mentors for Pathways, and last year developed additional curriculum for the mentoring program as part of their Cultural Studies in Action course project. Pathways students enjoyed presentations from a variety of Laurier groups, ranging from the Department of Athletics & Recreation and the Office for Student Diversity, to Radio Laurier and LSPIRG.
Laurier’s Young Alumni Challenge a success Laurier’s first-ever fundraising campaign aimed at encouraging young alumni to give back to their alma mater was a success, raising more than $50,000. Launched last May, the Young Alumni Challenge sought to
engage recent graduates and was championed by Laurier’s Alumni Association, which pledged to match gifts one-to-one to a total of $25,000. The campaign encouraged young alumni to pick their passion and give back to an area that had a significant impact on their lives while at Laurier, helping to pave the way for future generations of Laurier students.
Call for entries for 2010 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction Entries are being sought for the 2010 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction, a $10,000 literary award that recognizes excellence in Canadian creative non-fiction. Designed to encourage new Canadian talent, the Edna Staebler Award is open to authors who have published a first or second book with a Canadian locale and/or significance. The 2010 award is open to works published in the 2009 calendar year and distinguished by first-hand research, wellcrafted interpretive writing and a creative use of language or approach to the subject matter. Self-published books are not eligible.
Entries must be received by April 30, 2010 to be considered. For further infor-
Liz Knox wins Outstanding Woman of Laurier award
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
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What’s new and notable at Laurier
Female athletes honoured Knox is a member of the Golden Hawks hockey team, which has won four OUA championships, and two CIS silver medals and one bronze. She also played on a national stage for the Canadian National Under-22 Women’s Hockey team at the MLP Nations Cup in Germany. This season, Knox was named the CIS player of the year in women’s hockey. Knox is also a coach for the Laurier women’s hockey summer hockey camp and an assistant coach for an atom girl’s spring hockey team. Off the ice, she will be a guest speaker at the Woolwich Girls Hockey Association year-end banquet and at Laurier’s Healthy Hawk Day. Knox is an assistant instructor at The Zone Training, an assistant coach for the Waterloo Ravens midget AA women’s hockey team and a summer volunteer at the Sun Life Financial Liz Knox accepts her OWL award with finalists (from left) Movement Megan Gilmore, Danielle Inglis and Brittany Shaw looking on.
Varsity hockey player Liz Knox has had many successes both on and off the rink during her time at Laurier. The fourth-year sociology student’s achievements as a student, athlete and volunteer were recognized when she received the 2010 Outstanding Woman of Laurier (OWL) award at a gala luncheon for more than 250 people at the end of March. “I feel fortunate to be up here — it’s a result of what I truly love to do, academically, athletically and in the community,” said Knox. “I especially love working with young athletes — they help you to remember why you are here in the first place.”
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Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre at Laurier. Laurier launced the OWL award in 2006 to recognize female students who combine athletic and academic achievement with an active commitment to leadership and the development of young athletes through community teaching or coaching. Knox received a gold pendant and $1,000 for her accomplishments. Eleven women competed for the prestigious award this year, including three who joined Knox as finalists: Megan Gilmore, a member of the varsity women’s volleyball team; Danielle Inglis, who plays for the varsity women’s curling team; and Brittany Shaw, captain of the Laurier swim team. The ceremony was hosted by Daiene Vernile, anchor and producer of CTV Southwestern Ontario’s current affairs program, Provincewide. Carole Bertuzzi Luciani, a motivational speaker and humorist, delivered the keynote address. This year’s event raised $23,000 to help support women’s athletic initiatives, scholarships and the mentoring program at Laurier.
mation, or to obtain an entry form and a complete list of submission guidelines, visit: www.wlu.ca/staebleraward. Relay for Life raises money for cancer research The Waterloo campus hosted a Relay for Life event in March, raising more than $15,000 in support of cancer research. The 12-hour, overnight walk brought together 150 students, staff, faculty and friends to celebrate cancer survivors and honour the memory of loved ones. If you would like to contribute to the cause, donations are still being accepted online at http:// convio.cancer.ca/site/TR?fr_ id=8040&pg=entry. Laurier takes part in Earth Hour The Laurier community took part in events to celebrate Earth Hour March 27. Organized by the EcoHawks, the daylong event featured live music and a free barbecue in the quad. Later that evening, many of the lights on campus were dimmed or turned off, including some in MacDonald House residence, Dining Hall, Terrace Food Court, Fred Nichols Campus Centre and Alumni Field.
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and additional cash points to move customers through faster. Additional changes and updates will be happening in the Concourse and King Street Residence. The closure will take effect at the end of April. The renovations are expected to be complete by mid-August. “Our management team has been working hard to continuously improve the experience of our customers, and we feel this investment will significantly enhance this experience,” said Ryan Lloyd-Craig, director of Food Services. To compensate for the closures, the Students’ Unionoperated Wilf’s restaurant will remain open for the summer, as will several outlets in the Terrace Food Court, including Williams, Union Market, Pizza Pizza and Harvey’s.
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
NEWS
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The Tim Hortons outlets on campus will be closed this summer.
Desire2Learn will replace WebCT at Laurier Beginning in August, Laurier will implement a new learning management system to support teaching and learning. Desire2Learn (D2L), a local company, has signed a five-year contract with the university, replacing WebCT, the system that has been in place at Laurier since 1998. “The contemporary university environment needs solutions that allow learning to take place both inside and outside the classroom,” said Tom Buckley, assistant vicepresident: academic services. “We believe that D2L provides a solution that will support our faculty and students in this regard.” With more than 94 per cent of Laurier’s classes incorporating an online component, the university’s teaching, learning and technology steering committee explored alternatives that would best meet Laurier’s needs, now and into the future. “We will take advantage of D2L’s hosted solutions offering,” said Buckley. “This arrangement will allow us to focus on content development, delivery and pedagogy and not the technical management of
servers and availability.” Spring/Summer 2010 courses will be completed on WebCT during the transition to D2L. Teaching support services will make numerous training opportunities available to faculty and students. John Baker, president and CEO of Desire2Learn, says the company is thrilled to be working with Laurier. “We look forward to working collaboratively with the university to help transform the teaching and learning experience,” said Baker. “Desire2Learn is committed to ensuring a smooth transition, and we will help the university to leverage technology in support of improved student outcomes and strategic objectives.” Desire2Learn (www.desire2learn.com) was established in 1999 in Kitchener-Waterloo. The company provides e-learning solutions to hundreds of post-secondary education institutions throughout North America and around the world. More information about the transition to the D2L system will be made available to the Laurier community as plans develop. 3
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people at laurier
A book co-authored by assistant political science professor Dr. Chris Alcantara has received national media attention. The book, Beyond the Indian Act: Restoring Aboriginal Property Rights, was written with University of Calgary political scientist Tom Flanagan (known for running Stephen Harper’s election campaign in 2004), Manny Jules, chief of the First Nations Tax Commission, and economist André Le Dressay. It argues that private ownership of land can help lift Canada’s aboriginal peoples out of poverty. The book has been covered in the National Post, Toronto Star, Winnipeg Sun and on CBC Radio. Languages and literatures professor Abderrahman Beggar was a guest of honour at the recent Salon International de l’Edition et du Livre, an international book and publishing fair held in Casablanca, Morocco. Beggar presented the Arabic translation of his francophone book L’Amérique latine sous
LONG SERVICE continued
“They were fresh turkeys too, which we would pluck, de-bone, put on trays and freeze,” said Nadrofsky. “It was the only way they would be ready for the feast.” They have also seen a lot of campus shenanigans over the years. “Music students would always take our big ketchup jars,” said Barfoot.
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
une perspective maghrébine, which translates to “Latin America from a North African perspective.” The book is a collection of essays that covers topics from human rights and social justice to globalization and the influence of Moorish culture on Latin America. Assistant professor Alexandra Boutros has co-edited (with professor Will Straw from McGill University) the collection, Circulation and the City: Essays on Urban Culture, which is published by McGillQueen’s University Press as part of the Culture of Cities Series. Circulation and the City investigates the city as a space of circulation by taking into account not only the physical displacement of people but the circulation of cultures, things, and ideas. Assistant English professor Dr. Madelaine Hron’s book, Translating Pain: Immigrant Suffering in Literature and Culture, has been shortlisted for a prestigious book prize. The Aid to Scholarly Publications Program (ASPP) shortlisted five books for the Raymond Klibansky Prize, which honours the best ASPP-supported book in the
“And when we first started, every year there would be a big food fight,” said Brito. “Every year, you could feel it coming.” “Students would start purchasing all the soft foods,” Barfoot explained. “When mashed potatoes were gone within the hour, we knew it was time,” said Nadrofsky. Despite their high jinks, it’s the students who have kept Brito, Barfoot and Nadrofsky at their posts all these years. They
humanities. A book published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press joins Hron’s work on the shortlist: Harmony and Dissent: Film and Avant-garde Art Movements in the Early Twentieth Century by Bruce Elder of Ryerson University.
Bookstore sidewalk sale
New appointments: Patrick Azeitona, part-time grill cook, Food Services. Chasity Stewart, manager, Printing Services and Document Solutions.
Retirements: Dennis Willfang, special constable.
Do you have a personal or professional milestone to share? Email insidelaurier@wlu.ca.
all say interacting with students is the best part of their jobs, and seeing familiar faces return to the university as professors is even more gratifying. Brito recalls seeing business professor Laura Allan come through the dining hall as a student. Although they have enjoyed their time at Laurier, after four decades of employment, the women say they are all looking forward to retiring soon.
Students spend five days being homeless
Students shop for sales at the Laurier Bookstore’s annual spring sidewalk sale on the Waterloo campus.
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
What are you reading
?
Name: Wally Gabler Job Title: Coordinator of Interuniversity Sport, Athletics & Recreation Book Title: The Road Author: Cormac McCarthy
What are you reading
?
What are you listening to?
I couldn’t put this book down. McCarthy, in my opinion, is one of the best contemporary authors (No Country for Old Men, The Crossing) and with The Road he captures the essence — mentally, emotionally and physically — of a father’s love for his son as they try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. In the end, it left me in tears and in need of a big hug from my own son.
What are you listening to?
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
Name: Dan Robert Job Title: Development Officer, Annual Giving CD Title: Love Songs Box Set Artist: Gregory Isaacs
Sarah Splinter, above, helps raise money for the 5 Days for the Homeless Campaign. Participating students lived on campus for five days, obtaining money for food through donations and sleeping outdoors each evening. The Laurier campaign raised almost $8,000.
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For more than 30 years, Gregory Isaacs has been one of the kings of “lovers’ rock,” a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. From the deep and powerful lyrics, to the tranquil melodies, listening to this album is the perfect way to wind down on my commute home to Burlington. With 60 songs to choose from in this compilation, there is bound to be at least a few that appeal to everyone.
April 2010
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RESEARCH FILE
Unravelling an ancient Greek mystery After a six-year dig, archeology professor Dr. Gerry Schaus makes a surprising discovery By Lori Chalmers Morrison To complete the sixth of his 12 labours for King Eurystheus, the Greek hero Hercules traveled to Stymphalos in southern Greece to drive away a flock of man-eating birds. With the help of the goddess Athena’s noisy bronze krotala (castanets), Hercules scared the birds from the trees and killed them with his arrows. Thankfully, when archaeology professor Dr. Gerry Schaus travelled to Stymphalos for a six-year excavation adventure, he wasn’t at the mercy of King Eurystheus or any man-eating birds. But his trip, which also involved Athena and some bronze artifacts, was just as successful. In 1995, Schaus wanted to give his archaeology students some field experience, so he contacted fellow archaeologist Dr. Hector Williams from the University of British Columbia. Williams completed a geophysical survey of Stymphalos in the 1980s and was beginning to dig. He agreed to welcome Schaus and his students to excavate a small sanctuary on the acropolis of the ancient city. “We weren’t looking for anything special, and the site wasn’t architecturally interesting,” said Schaus. “Hector was interested in Stymphalos as an orthogonally planned town, and I was interested in providing students with some hands-on experience.” Before Williams and Schaus arrived, the last person to excavate the site was Greek archaeologist Anastasios Orlandos in the 1920s. At the time, Orlandos found a rectangular block on the site inscribed with a single word, “Poliados.” The word was a genitive form of a common epithet, “protectress of the city.” The epithet is for the virgin goddess Athena, meaning “I belong to the city protectress.” Since then, it has been accepted that the sanctuary on the acropolis was devoted to the worship of Athena Polias. On the first morning of their six-week excavation in 1995, one of Schaus’ team members was cleaning out weeds inside the
An overview of the sanctuary at Stymphalos, above, and Dr. Gerry Schaus, below, at the excavation site in Greece.
temple before starting to lay out a trench when he hit a piece of marble. “I was sitting in my ‘office,’ an uncomfortable rock under a nearby pomegranate tree, when the student brought the marble fragment over to me and asked if it was anything,” said Schaus. “I could see immediately it was a piece of sculpture, but it was our architect who identified it as a woman’s elbow.” It became clear that Orlandos hadn’t found everything on the site by the time he left in 1930, so the team began digging a trench inside the temple. By noon, they began to uncover a group of stones protected by the west wall. “Lo and behold in this pile of stones was a Kore (a sculpture of the Archaic period). It was fragmentary, but we recognized that it was from a much earlier period than we expected,” said Schaus. “We thought 350 BC, but this was a young woman from 500 BC, so this was a big surprise.” Schaus and various teams of students and experts completed six-week excavation periods over the following six years (19952001). Their next find was a marble hand holding a baby hare. “Finding a young Kore like this in a temple was appropriate for Athena,” said Schaus. “But it was
The marble base of the temple boy statue, showing two hands and a foot.
unusual to find one holding a hare.” As they dug further, they found other parts they knew couldn’t have belonged to the Kore. “We found another chunk, and I flipped it over a number of times and thought it was a dog’s chest, but others recognized it right away as a bare butt!” laughed Schaus. They then dug up an arm and a foot from the base of a statue. “I had a look at the arm, and there was a crease in it,” he said. “The only person who has a crease in their forearm is a baby.” To further support Schaus’ theory, the team found a hand with dimples at the knuckles and a chunk of head with a baby’s ear. It was soon identified as a young temple boy, a type given in thanks by mothers to a deity. “It’s pretty rare in most places to find statues of babies,” said Schaus. “But it’s almost unheard of to find a temple boy in a sanctuary of Athena, a warrior and a virgin goddess who has nothing to do with child-rearing.” The find was the first clue calling into question the 80-year belief that the temple was devoted to Athena, and the beginning of a mystery that
would take more than a decade to solve. The next significant discovery was five aniconic pillars, all in-situ. They were found in an area of Arcadia known for worshipping Greek gods by placing sculptures of their heads on rectangular pillars. But the pillars at Stymphalos had no heads and no inscriptions. A Greek travel writer, Pausanias, had described five such pillars at Megalopolis, an Arcadian city south of Stymphalos. He identified them as Athena, Apollo, Hercules, Hermes, and the Greek goddess of childbirth, Eileithyia (little known in modern times but important in antiquity), who was not commonly worshipped in the area. “We didn’t suspect that we would be able to identify any of the five pillars,” said Schaus. That was until 2004, when coin expert Robert Weir from the University of Windsor examined a strange silver coin that had been found on-site during the excavation. The coin had been punctured by a nail to hang on a wall. There were two letters punched into the surface: “EL”. Among the thousands of items the team excavated, they had discovered an inscribed potsherd from a drinking cup given as a dedication. Again, they weren’t confident it would give them much information until Schaus re-examined it in 2008. He could just make out the letters of a female name in the dative case (a gift to a goddess?) that spelled out “…ithyai.” The inscriptions prompted Schaus to seek permission from the Archaeological Society in Athens to examine Orlandos’ field notebooks, which had been private since 1930 (Orlandos died in 1985). Like Schaus’ team,
Orlandos had put in six seasons of work, but had only published very brief reports. Orlandos’ notebook contained plans, but no record of finds, except the Poliados inscription. It became clear that he hadn’t really excavated the sanctuary at all. Schaus then re-examined the only other significantly inscribed object from the site — the broken rim from a bronze vessel discovered in 1999 with the Greek letters “ELEIOY”. To test a growing theory, Schaus made a special trip from Athens to Stymphalos in 2009 to check the fifth letter. Just as he had suspected, the letter turned out to be a theta “ ” (“th”) and not an omicron “ ”. Since 2001, Schaus and a team of scholars had been studying the Stymphalos artifacts in preparation for final publication. But when Schaus determined the theta was an omicron, it brought with it the revelation that all three inscribed pieces — the coin (EL), the drinking cup (“…ithyai”) and the bronze rim (ELEITHY) — seemed to be dedications to the goddess Eileithyia. The discovery “threw a wrench in the works.” “That of course brought us back to the statue of the baby, which fit much more comfortably with Eileithyia (the goddess of childbirth) than Athena (a virgin warrior),” said Schaus. Based on the dedications, they concluded that the women of Stymphalos visited the sanctuary to worship Athena and Eileithyia, and several still unknown gods (as indicated by the aniconic pillars), but that Eileithyia may have been the main focus. The discovery was significant not only because it put in question an 80-year belief, but also because it provided a rare example of Arcadian pillar worship. “This is the best example of aniconic pillars in a religious context in Arcadia,” said Schaus. “The sanctuary is probably as well-preserved and untouched as any.” The Canadian Institute in Greece, of which Schaus is president, is now responsible for the site. Schaus still travels there every year with Williams, and often with students, to continue studying the ancient remains. This summer, all the finds will be moved to the new Museum of the Environment overlooking Lake Stymphalos. Schaus will present some of the team’s findings in Athens in May, and welcomes the excitement of the people of Stymphalos, who are anxiously awaiting the first volume of results. A Herculean effort to be sure. 5
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April 2010
University awards outstanding teachers Winners will be included in Laurier’s Teaching Hall of Fame By Lori Chalmers Morrison To receive a teaching award from a university devoted to teaching excellence carries with it not only recognition and prestige, but for the recipients of the Wilfrid Laurier University 2010 Awards for Teaching Excellence, it also means accolades from colleagues and students. Peer and student praise abounded for this year’s award recipients: Dr. Eileen Wood in the full-time faculty category and Dr. Fiona Rawle in the part-time contract academic staff category. A psychology professor, Wood is respected by her colleagues for her teaching strategies, curriculum development, research excellence and her ability to connect with a broad range of students. The departmental nomination letter for Wood recognizes her deep commitment to the highest possible standards of education and describes her as a “master teacher from whom all professors can learn and a
very competent researcher who brilliantly integrates scholarly activity with classroom instruction and thesis supervision at an exceptional level of performance.” Colleague Dr. Kim Roberts, who considers Wood a mentor, offered her highest recommendation in her nomination letter. “(Wood) excels in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, maintains a thriving research program… and even educates educators! She has committed her career to helping people learn.” Wood was selected as Laurier’s Research Professor in 2009. She has authored two textbooks, which both received the Pearson Book of the Year Award in their categories. “I’m fortunate to have had great role models whose commitment to excellence in
instruction excited my own interest in educational research and my desire to become a good educator,” said Wood. “I’ve also received encouragement from students regarding new instructional approaches. It is a great honour for me to be acknowledged and I am thankful to my mentors and students for their guidance.” Many current and former
Report details improvements for campus technology By Mallory O’Brien
the university’s information technology. CGI worked with more than 200 members of the campus community to complete an inventory of Laurier’s investments and resources, including hardware, software, processes and people, and to review projects, governance models, processes and service models. After the strategic assessment was completed, various university groups were consulted to create the ICT report and transformation plan. For more information, and to download the report, visit the ICT Review website: www.wlu. ca/ICTreview.
has been transmitted to my students,” said Rawle. “I love teaching, and as always, it is the great faculty and students I work with that make teaching worthwhile.” Current and former students appreciate her dedication to student learning and her compassion. “Dr. Rawle has gained the reputation of one of the nicest and most approachable teachers at Laurier,” reads a student nomination letter. “For a professor to be as knowledgeable yet as humble as Dr. Rawle is extremely rare. She not only brings biology to the classroom, she brings biology to life!” The teaching assistant category had not been announced at the time of printing. Wood and Rawle will receive their awards at Laurier’s spring convocation in June. Photos of the award recipients will be placed in the Teaching Hall of Fame in the Bricker Academic building.
Laurier celebrates World Water Day According to a recent United Nations report, more people die from polluted water than from all forms of violence, including war. The report, entitled “Sick Water” says about two billion tons of waste water, including fertilizer run-off, sewage and industrial waste, is being discharged daily, harming ecosystems and spreading disease. Laurier helped spread awareness about the plight
of the world’s most valuable resource by holding a day of events for World Water Day March 22. Staff, faculty and students also had the opportunity to learn about the university’s water research. Presentations, research displays, community booths and activities took place throughout the day, concluding with a screening of the documentary Poisoned Water by Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Hedrick Smith.
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
Wilfrid Laurier University has released a report that will act as a roadmap for improving information and communications technology (ICT) on campus. The report, titled “ICT Strategy,” details new standards and actions for improving everything from network capacity to user programs, such as replacing WebCT with Desire2Learn software. “Our goal is to make the technology on campus easier to use, more reliable, and more appropriate,” said Tom Buckley, assistant vice-president:
academic services. “By doing this we can better support and enhance the teaching and learning environment at Laurier.” Systems scheduled to be improved over the summer include student email, learning management, and the mylaurier. ca student portal website. Long-term plans include updating campus wireless, streamlining systems by removing redundant applications, and introducing new solutions to meet the university’s future needs. The ICT overhaul began in April 2009 with the hiring of consulting firm CGI to assess
students credit Wood with her passion and ability to engage them in course material. “Dr. Wood delivers the material in her class with enthusiasm and passion,” reads one student nomination. “She’s extremely patient, and is willing to explain a concept multiple times to ensure that everyone has understood it.” Biology professor Dr. Fiona Rawle’s departmental nomination letter recognizes her as being at the forefront in using new technologies, and for her willingness to share her expertise by mentoring colleagues, instructional assistants and graduate students in teaching techniques. The letter describes her as “a dedicated, passionate and effective teacher who is able to get the best out of her students.” “It’s an honour to receive this award and a great pleasure to see that my passion for biology
Students taking part in the World Water Day activities paint a yellow fish beside a storm drain as a reminder of the pollution that gets into our water systems.
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April 2010 coffee with a co-worker
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A look at staff and faculty across campus
Art and design Name: Erin Steed Job: Graphic Designer II
Photo: Lori Chlamers Morrison
Where you can find her: In front of her Mac under the “inspire” sign on her office wall in Alumni Hall. How she takes her coffee: Black.
Graphic designer Erin Steed with some of the publications she has designed for the university.
How long have you been at Laurier? I became a part-time student in 2001, long before I started working here in 2006. I try to take one online course a term. I’m really enjoying the psychology courses. How did you get into graphic design? I’ve always enjoyed sketching, especially people — I find it fascinating. I can’t paint to save my life, but give me a pencil and I’m happy! Fine art is subjective, but graphic design isn’t. What I like about graphic design is the thought
coming Events
process and the fundamental principles of design, and the chance to be creative while working within those. What has been your favourite design project at Laurier? The one I’m working on right now — the President’s Report. It’s a very simple and clean piece that highlights the important messages. It features great people through strong photos. Its simplicity is what will drive home the message. What’s your go-to font? Frutiger. It’s a sans serif font with a much nicer shape to it
Label Reading When: April 28 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: DAWB 2-105 Cost: Free
Enjoy an evening of entertainment in support of the Sun Life Movement Disorders Research and Rehabilitation Centre. For more information, contact Dr. Quincy Almeida at qalmeida@wlu.ca.
Learn how to effectively read food labels to make healthier choices at the grocery store. To register, visit the Taking Care of You section of the Training & Development web page.
Volunteer for a few hours and help make downtown Brantford sparkle! Register at 8:45 a.m. in Harmony Square. iClicker Demonstration & Information Sessions When: April 21 9:30 a.m. (Waterloo) & 1:30 p.m. (Brantford) Where: BA210 (Waterloo) & CB206 (Brantford) Cost: Free Representatives from iClicker and Teaching Support Services will show how clickers can be used in the classroom. For more information, email Mary Scott at clickers@wlu.ca or visit the Teaching Support Services web page.
Laurier won a gold award for an ad you designed. Can you tell us about it? It was the “Be Inspired” reputation ad that ran in The Globe and Mail’s University Report card. We kept it clean with a strong photo and a lot of white space. Keeping it simple is what makes it powerful. We won gold in the international Education Advertising Awards. (InsideLaurier won bronze!) What kinds of ads inspire you?
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
Physician Talent Night When: April 16 7:30 p.m. Where: Bingemans Cost $25
Downtown Brantford Clean-Up When: April 21 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Where: Harmony Square Cost: Free
than Helvetica and the bold isn’t offensive.
Reaching Potential: Assessment as a Transformative Process When: April 29 – 30 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Where: Bricker Academic Building Cost: $149/WLU and presenters This conference will facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies, and challenge participant to re-examine their teaching, learning and assessment practices. For information, contact Mary Neil at mneil@ wlu.ca
Development Day 2010 featuring Peter Mansbridge When: May 14 8 a.m. Where: Bricker Academic Building Cost: $110 (includes all sessions, coffee breaks and lunch) Peter Mansbridge, anchor of CBC’s The National, will share his insight about Canada and Canadians in a changing world. For more information or to register, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/developmentday.
I like to find examples of really creative work and post some in my office to inspire me. Right now I have a series of Special Olympics ads on my wall. There’s one that shows two identical ski hills — one photo has Olympic Slalom written on it and the other has Special Olympics Slalom. That’s it. It gets the message across with few words. If the concept is strong, then you don’t need to say a lot to get the message across. What’s your ideal project? I’d love to build a 12- to 18-month ad campaign.
What poster was on your bedroom wall as a teenager? Robert Smith from The Cure, and I had black baseboards, black blinds and a black bedspread. And posters of Corey Haim (RIP). If you weren’t a graphic designer, what would you be? A child-advocate lawyer. That’s what I wanted to be when I was 10 until people told me I was talented and should be a graphic designer.
By Lori Chalmers Morrison
Heart health You can minimize your risk of developing heart disease by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle. Here are a few tips: • Be a non-smoker. • Incorporate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity into your everyday life. More is better. • Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by adjusting the amount of food and type of food you eat. Start by reading Canada’s Food Guide (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an).
about your risk factors for heart disease. Early detection and treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes can greatly reduce your risk. • Teach your children heart-healthy habits and lead by example. Adopted from Health Canada. To learn more, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
• Learn how to manage stress. • Talk to your health-care provider
Personal Ergonomics When: May 19 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre Learn how you can reduce the risk factors for ergonomic disorders. To register, visit www.wlu.ca/hr/registration/ index.php.
Getting Rid of Clutter When: May 10 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre Cost: Free
Laurier Golf Classic When: May 25 8:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Where: Brantford Golf and Country Club Cost: $450/person or $1,800/ foursome
Learn tips and inspiration to help you unclutter your life. To register, visit the Employee Assistance Program Workshops section of the Training & Development web page.
Space is limited to 128 golfers. Proceeds will go to the Student Horizon Fund and the Golden Hawk Scholarship Fund. For information or to register, visit www.laurieralumni.ca/events.
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April 2010
In the classroom
A look inside the lecture hall
Teaching teamwork Professor: Dr. Tracy Snoddon Class: IP601, Public Sector Economics and the Global Economy Description: Examining tax and expenditure policies, in particular the constraints imposed on policy choices of national and sub-national governments.
When teaching the core economics course for the International Public Policy master’s degree program, Dr. Tracy Snoddon understands students often do not see the relevance of economics to policy issues. “So, I try to focus on contemporary international policy debates, and use Copenhagen Consensus Challenge papers to help students understand key economic concepts and tools,” she says. Students work in teams for the term, and each team is assigned a different Challenge paper. “Students have diverse backgrounds and bring different skills to class. By teaming up, they can share their expertise or strengths with each other, and they also become more aware of their comparative weaknesses. In a policy environment, individual contribution is important but knowing how to extract all the benefits of a team is essential.” By Mallory O’Brien
Photo: Dean Palmer
Dr. Tracy Snoddon says it is essential for students to know how to extract all the benefits of working in a team.
Laurier welcomes 4,000 visitors
Photos: Mallory O’Brien
Students and parents attend annual Open Houses at Waterloo and Brantford campuses
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