Inside APRIL 2012
WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY
Waterloo | Brantford | Kitchener | Toronto
Photo: Simon Wilson
Local Aboriginal musicans perform traditional songs on the Laurier’s Brantford campus to celebrate Aboriginal Awareness Week.
Laurier celebrates Aboriginal awareness Events on Brantford and Waterloo campus highlight Aboriginal culture and heritage as Reiki, reflexology and life readings, free of charge. “This week is an opportunity for both the Laurier campus and the community to celebrate the Aboriginal culture and heritage of this area,” said Bonnie Whitlow, Laurier Brantford’s Aboriginal student support coordinator. “We are celebrating not only the Aboriginal culture of Six Nations and the Mississaugas of the New Credit, but also the strong Aboriginal heritage on Laurier’s Brantford campus.” Throughout the week, visitors were encouraged to bring donations for a collection drive for the Third World Canada Adopt-a-Box campaign, which was established by Laurier Brantford alumna Maureene Ninham. Items being collected included non-perishable food, as well as clothing and items for children and babies (such as diapers and formula), to send to the fly-in community of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug in northern Ontario.
Laurier’s Waterloo campus celebrated Aboriginal awareness later in the month with a variety of events, including a drum circle and storytelling workshop, canoe teachings by Métis elder
and master birch canoe maker Marcelle Labelle, a free soup and fry bread lunch, and several talks and lectures for students, staff and faculty. Families were also invited to a
comedy hypnosis show by Darren Thomas of the Seneca Nation, Bear Clan from the Haudenosaunee, who works at Laurier as a coordinator with Community Service Learning.
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
A celebration of Aboriginal social dances and songs, a showcase of local musicians and artists, a variety of lectures and a collection of traditional therapeutic activities were highlights of the Aboriginal awareness events on Laurier’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses in March. On the Brantford campus, the week of events began with “Traditional Tuesday,” featuring the Sour Springs Singer Society performing traditional Haudenosaunee dances and songs, and leading workshops on these traditional cultural activities, including a smoke dance competition. An artist’s showcase also took place, where local aboriginal musicians and artists were invited to perform original and cover music, and display their artwork. The Brantford community was invited to campus to experience the sound and styles of these contemporary artists and artisans. On “Therapeutic Thursday,” healers and energy workers were on campus offering services such
Marcelle Labelle, a Métis elder and master birch canoe maker, speaks about the spiritual and technical aspects of native canoe construction on the Waterloo campus.
4
6
A large crowd learns about the business of film from successful industry insiders.
Meet Rebecca Barnes, staff member, student and roller-derby competitor.
7 Philippa Gates does some sleuthing about female film detectives.
Inside
APRIL 2012
president’s message
It seems there are so many challenges facing post-secondary education these days that we sometimes struggle to see the many good things we achieve as a university community. I recently had the privilege of participating in two events that reminded me of how important our educational mission is at Laurier, and how successful we are at working together to inspire lives of leadership and purpose. The first was the Awards of Distinction, an annual event to honour those students who have earned the university’s most prestigious scholarships and awards. As such, it is a celebration of many interconnected elements: the very high calibre of our students, the support they receive from family and friends, the quality of our faculty and staff, and the generosity of donors who provide the funding that allows us to deliver the highest level of programming and student support. This year’s Awards of Distinction included a video slideshow with a short biography of each of the more than 80 student awardwinners. As the slideshow played, I had the chance to speak with each student. I was impressed by what
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
Finding inspiration in those around us
Max Blouw chats with (l-r) Alaina Stewart, Pam Sadler and Anne Wilson at Laurier’s Top 40 Under 40 reception at Lucinda House.
these young people had already experienced and achieved in their lives. Many had travelled abroad, many had volunteered for various organizations and causes, and many had clear goals to pursue careers that would engage them deeply in the world around them. The evening filled me with a sense of optimism and pride. It reminded me of how privileged we are at Laurier to be part of an insti-
tution that, from its earliest days, has strived to instill the courage in people to engage and challenge the world in all its complexity. This feeling was reinforced a few weeks later as I hosted a reception to honour members of the Laurier community who had been named to The Record’s Top 40 Under 40 list for 2012. Laurier is always well-represented on this annual list of young
residents who have made a real difference in their communities. This year’s Laurier group included faculty, staff and alumni. Chatting with them, I was again filled with optimism and pride. Not only have they achieved personal success in their careers, they have made a real effort to engage with the world around them and provide leadership where it is most needed. Several years ago when the
university was endeavouring to articulate its mandate in a few short words, we came up with the line “inspiring lives of leadership and purpose.” This statement was based on a great deal of research and consultation within the Laurier community and we were confident at the time that it was an authentic reflection of the university’s distinct heritage, culture and ethos. Since then, many events such as the two described above have reaffirmed the appropriateness of our institutional proposition. Laurier truly is a community that inspires lives leadership and purpose, and our students, alumni, faculty and staff prove it day after day. I believe that knowing we are part of such a community will give us the inspiration, courage and determination to deal with whatever challenges lie ahead for Laurier and the broader postsecondary sector.
Max Blouw President and Vice-Chancellor
Congress 2012 set to kick off next month at Laurier Preparations for Congress 2012 are continuing to ramp up as Laurier and the University of Waterloo get ready to host the largest interdisciplinary academic conference in North America from May 26 to June 2. More than 7,000 academics, practitioners and policy-makers from the humanities and social sciences will gather in Waterloo to discuss a wide range of subjects revolving around the conference theme of “Crossroads: Scholarship for an Uncertain World.” Organized by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Congress is an annual “meeting of meetings” involving more than 70 academic associations whose members come together to share ideas, discuss
important societal issues and enrich their research. Registration is now open. Details can be found at the main Congress website www.congress2012.ca. Laurier is playing a lead role in organizing Congress 2012. Logistical planning has been under way for nearly two years, but preparations have moved into high gear in recent weeks. Some recent news:
• Laurier has created its own Congress web page at www.wlu. ca/lauriercongress to highlight Congress information specific to the university. • Volunteers are needed for a wide range of tasks, from campus ambassadors to special event attendants on campus and in the Waterloo community. Laurier staff members are encouraged to volunteer with the approval of their manager. If you are interested, visit the volunteer section of www.wlu.ca/lauriercongress or contact Congress 2012 project coordinator Sheldon Pereira at congressvolunteers@wlu.ca. • The universities are working with the City of Waterloo to create an exciting festival for delegates and community
InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM) Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 6, Number 9, April 2012 Editor: Stacey Morrison Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison Contributors: Tomasz Adamski, Courtney Clark, Kevin Crowley, Nick Dinka, Jamie Howieson, Sandra Muir, Mallory O’Brien, Dean Palmer
2
members from May 28-30 in the train station parking lot adjacent to the Perimeter Institute and the Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo. The festival will feature live music and food from local restaurants. Congress 2012 will also feature prominent writers and scholars
who will deliver free public talks as part of the Big Thinking lecture series. Speakers include writers Margaret Atwood and Jane Urquhart, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Chris Hedges, and leading scholars Thomas Homer-Dixon and Janine Brodie, Sidonie Smith and Mary Eberts.
Send us your news, events & stories Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca Deadline for submissions: April 16 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 welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories. Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: stmorrison@wlu.ca InsideLaurier (circ. 2,100) is published eight times a year by CPAM. Opinions expressed in InsideLaurier do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the university’s administration. Available online at www.wlu.ca/publicaffairs. Printed on recycled paper
May
Next issue of Inside May 2012
APRIL 2012 Inside What’s new and notable at Laurier
Laurier welcomes speaking tour about human rights issues in Mexico Wilfrid Laurier University, working collaboratively with five other Canadian universities and Amnesty International, hosted four respected human rights defenders from different regions of Mexico for two lectures in March. The lectures were part of a speaking tour titled “No More Blood: Struggles for Peace and Human Rights in Mexico.” The tour aimed to raise awareness in both the academic community and broader society in Canada about the deteriorating security situation in Mexico, as well as the failure of government strategies to address the crisis, growing mobilizations throughout Mexico for change, and the vital role that Canada can play. Each human rights defender had a compelling story to tell about the worsening public security and human-rights crisis experienced by Canada’s North American Free Trade Agreement partner. The speakers were: Vidulfo Rosale Sierra, lawyer for the Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre in Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero; Yolanda Moran Isais, from the United Forces for our Disappeared in Mexico in Saltillo, Coahuila; Dolores González Saravia, director of the Centre for Peace in Mexico City and Alberto Xicotencatl Carrasco,
director of the Migrants’ Shelter at the Human Rights Centre of the Dioceses of Saltillo in Saltillo, Coahuila. The Mexican visitors spoke in several cities in Ontario and New Brunswick in March. They also met with government officials and MPs during their stay.
Awards of Distinction celebrate academic excellence Laurier celebrated its annual Awards of Distinction with an evening event at Knox Presbyterian Church on March 7. With a total of 250 donors, recipients and guests involved, this year marked the largest Awards of Distinction ceremony ever held by the university. These scholarships and awards are among the most prestigious honours available to Laurier students. Each award has a minimum value of $5,000, an amount that is often life-changing for a student trying to finance his or her education. The event provided an opportunity for the donors to meet their award recipients and learn more about the impact of their gift on the student’s life. “Being recognized for one’s effort is always a great privilege,” said Bharati Sethi, a PhD candidate in Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, whose communitybased research focuses on
immigrant and refugee experiences in Canada. “The financial aspect of the award will assist me greatly in my path to achieve a doctoral degree.” The donors of the awards range from alumni who wish to honour a friend, colleague or family member, to corporations seeking to support Canadian expertise in global finance. The evening included a special video presentation of each student, with photos and comments demonstrating their work, studies and appreciation for support.
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
NEWS
Awards of Distinction recipients show their gratitude at the awards ceremony.
Toyota donates RAV4 to Laurier’s Special Constable Service
Photo: Tomasz Adamski
Rod Curran, director of Laurier’s Special Constable Service, left, and Special Constable Jeff Hunt, stand with the university’s new RAV4. It is one of 10 Toyota gave away to mark 25 years of manufacturing in the region.
Women’s curling wins CIS championship Empty Bowls fights hunger Hockey team wins OUA title, finishes fourth in Canada By Jamie Howieson The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s curling team captured their second-consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship in dominating fashion as they defeated the host Brock Badgers by a score of 9-2 at the Welland Curling Club. For the Hawks, who also defeated the Badgers in last year’s championship match in St. John’s, Nfld., it is the fourth national championship in the past five years and the 13th overall in the university’s history. “It feels amazing coming here and defending our national
championship,” said vice-skip Sarah Wilkes. “It was a little nervewracking but we knew if we played well we could do it, and it just feels great.” In other athletics news, the top-seeded Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women’s hockey team lost a hard-fought match against the second-seeded McGill Martlets in the CIS bronze-medal game at the University of Alberta. The tournament finish marks the second year in a row the Hawks have been forced to settle for fourth place at the national championship. “Obviously things could have ended a little bit better, but I’m
happy with how we played today,” said team captain Abby Rainsberry. “All the girls played their hearts out and it’s good to end on a note like you played well.” With the result, Laurier is now 1-4 all-time in bronze medal games at the CIS championship. The Hawks’ 33-games played at the national tournament is the third most all-time behind McGill University and the University of Alberta. Earlier in March, the team claimed the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) championship for the eighth time in nine seasons after defeating the Western Mustangs 5-1 to sweep the best-ofthree championship series 2-0.
The Robert Langen Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Waterloo Potters Workshop, will serve as a second-venue host for Empty Bowls 2012. This community initiative is designed to raise awareness of hunger, with all proceeds going directly to The Food Bank of Waterloo Region. For $40 you can select one bowl to keep, and enjoy a modest meal of gourmet soups and bread. The hope is that each time the empty bowl is taken from your cupboard at home, it will serve as a reminder that someone else’s bowl was empty and that on this occasion, you helped alleviate hunger. The lunch takes place May 10. To purchase tickets contact Sharline Doss at sdoss@wlu.ca. Available
bowls will be on exhibition at the Robert Langen Art Gallery from May 2-9. If you can’t attend the lunch, you can bid in an online silent auction for a bowl handcrafted by CTV National News anchor Lisa LaFlamme. To place your bid visit web.wlu.ca/emptybowls. Bidding will close on May 9 at 4 p.m.
The bowl created by Lisa LaFlamme.
Staff development day
The women’s curling club defeated the Brock Badgers to win their second-consecutive CIS championship.
Shevaun Voisin, publisher and editor-in-chief of Motivated Magazine, is this year’s keynote speaker for Laurier’s Staff Development Day, which will be held May 17 at the Waterloo campus. Participants from Brantford will be offered transportation to and from the event. This year’s theme is Inspiring Growth. There will be three break-out sessions featuring content created and presented by staff members. There will also be a barbecue lunch and two special
panels: one on Managing Your Career at Laurier and the other on The Most Interesting Jobs at Laurier. “This is really an opportunity to meet colleagues across campuses and a day to invest in personal growth,” said Melanie Will, event chair and manager of learning and organizational development in Human Resources, which is hosting the event. The event is free and open to all staff. For more details, visit www. wlu.ca/staffdevday. 3
Inside
APRIL 2012
Industry pros speak about success GIE gets design updates in the entertainment field By Sandra Muir
The Business of Film event at Kitchener’s IMAX Empire Theatre draws large audience Hot on the heels of Hollywood’s Academy Awards in February, Laurier alumni, students and friends packed into Kitchener’s IMAX Empire Theatre to listen to three seasoned industry professionals discuss how to make it in the entertainment industry. The Business of Film event was co-hosted by William Banks, acting dean of the School of Business & Economics, and Michael Carroll, dean of the Faculty of Arts, who introduced the evening’s speakers. Laurier alumnus Larry O’Reilly (’85), president of worldwide sales for IMAX, spoke about his journey from a Laurier business student to his current role, as well as the journey of IMAX as a company. O’Reilly knew he wanted to work at IMAX after seeing Stones at the Max, an IMAX concert film of The Rolling Stones. A few weeks later, he spied an ad in The Globe and Mail for a manager of international film distribution for IMAX. “It was the sales job of my lifetime,” said O’Reilly, recalling he had very few of the qualifications IMAX was looking for. But through a bit of luck and a lot of determination, including calling the hiring manager directly and convincing him the qualifications they were looking for were misguided, he convinced IMAX what they needed was a salesman, and he landed the job. O’Reilly currently oversees all aspects of theatre sales and marketing, as well as the development and design of IMAX theatres. “Take any job you can in your chosen field, whatever job you can get to get in,” he said. “Because when you meet with the people and you press them, who knows where it’s going to go.” Laurier alumnus Bruce
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
By Mallory O’Brien
From left: Larry O’Reilly, Bruce Morrison and Toni Myers.
Morrison (’86), senior vicepresident of retail sales and marketing for Disney, got his start at Hallmark as a greeting card salesman. After taking a risk and moving to Costa Rica for a job that didn’t pan out, Morrison moved back to Canada for a fresh start. Like O’Reilly, he saw an ad in The Globe and Mail for a company called BVA Video, which was Canada’s Buena Vista Home Entertainment division for Disney. “I sold Disney videos, which was the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Morrison. “The first video I sold was The Lion King, and we couldn’t make them fast enough.” Morrison became managing director for Disney Consumer Products Canada and then vice-president of retail business development in California, where he led the creation of U.S. key account teams against Walmart, Target, Toys “R” Us and Kmart. Morrison then spoke about the key strategies for Disney and what his current job entails. “Have some fun,” he told the audience. “Work hard, but take time to enjoy your family and friends, because that’s what it’s all about.” Acclaimed filmmaker and producer Toni Myers rounded
out the evening. Myers began her career as an assistant editor to Donald Ginsberg in Toronto, working on commercials, the CBC series Telescope and the National Film Board’s groundbreaking feature Nobody Waved Goodbye, among many other projects. In 1965 she met Graeme Ferguson, who later became co-inventor and co-founder of IMAX. Myers was invited by Ferguson to edit the first all-IMAX film, North of Superior, which aired at Ontario Place in Toronto. “I saw the first test of the projector, which was at McMaster (University),” said Myers. “I thought they were all completely nuts. There was this hulk of a projector that made more noise than a locomotive, and it was about the size of a locomotive, and it was chewing up and spewing bits of film all over — but that’s all history that has a happy ending.” Myers also brought along clips from some of the 14 films she has done in IMAX with Ferguson, including a deep-sea feature, the trailer for Space Station 3D and The Rolling Stones performing (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction — from the movie that inspired O’Reilly to work at IMAX.
Laurier’s new Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) building has an updated look and layout. To ensure the GIE project stayed within budget, the design was reconfigured into one building with a covered atrium in the middle. “Basically we just smoothed the two buildings together,” said Gary Nower, assistant vice-president, Physical Resources. “We still have the external drum feature, and the design changes will not impact the programs in the building.” Various user groups were consulted throughout the planning stages to ensure the GIE project was planned in accordance with the needs and requirements of the programs, and individuals who will be housed in the new building.
One of the many environmentally-friendly features of the building is a chilled beam cooling system, which uses water piped through a beam suspended from the ceiling to cool the area. Warm air rises and is cooled by the chilled beam. Once it’s cooled, the air falls back to the floor and the cycle starts over again. The system has a lower operating cost because it is more efficient to pump water than to blow air. It’s also noiseless and can be controlled more easily at the source. The building will be designed to achieve, at a minimum, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification. Construction will begin on the building in late 2012. The building is scheduled to be completed in February 2015.
A new rendering of Laurier’s GIE building.
Name: Christina Michener Job Title: Writing and Learning Consultant, Brantford campus Book Title: Sarah’s Key Author: Tatiana de Rosnay Sarah’s Key follows Julia Jarmond, a journalist living in present-day Paris, France, as she attempts to uncover the story of Sarah Starzynski, a young Jewish girl who lost her family during the Holocaust. As Julia discovers more about Sarah, she also learns about herself and her own family. I’m looking forward to seeing how Julia’s and Sarah’s stories will come together in the end.
What are you listening to?
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
Name: Jen Snively Job Title: Senior Administrative Assistant, Physical Resources Title: The Suburbs Artist: Arcade Fire
Audience members view film clips at Kitchener’s IMAX Empire Theatre for Laurier’s Business of Film event.
4
My boyfriend and I started a tradition where we buy one physical album a year to commemorate that year in music. Buying last year for 2010 was easy: The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. Our 2011 album is proving harder to choose. Over the last while I have been listening to Florence + The Machine, Feist, Bon Iver and even Jimmy Rankin, trying to decide. Until then, my recommendation for an excellent album you can put on repeat for a whole afternoon without getting sick of it is The Suburbs.
APRIL 2012 Inside
Unearthing the remnants of the War of 1812 Laurier archaeological dig at Fort Erie to commemorate event’s 200th anniversary soil, a six-week siege in August and September 1814, during which the British tried to recapture the fort from the Americans. Upwards of 1,500 combatants, including soldiers, Native allies and militia, died in the fighting. The team will first divide the site into a grid made up of two-byone-metre rectangles. Six to seven students will work on each area, carefully scraping away the soil to find items such as bones from food, dishes, clay smoking pipes, uniform buttons bearing regimental numbers, musket balls and artillery shell fragments, dominos and dice for gambling, and a wide array of other items that help paint a picture of camp life during the war. Triggs does not anticipate that any human remains will be found, since all bodies were likely removed from the battlefield and buried elsewhere. A Laurier professor who specializes in the archaeology of human remains, Bonnie Glencross, will be on hand to examine any possible cases. “We could easily find 10,000 artifacts on a dig like this, of all shapes and sizes, from smaller than a thumbnail to as large as a cannonball,” said Triggs. “People think of history as something
By Nicholas Dinka As Japanese haiku master Matsuo Basho once wrote, “Ah, summer grass / All that remains / Of the warrior’s dream.” Student archaeologists at Wilfrid Laurier University have a different take. For them, it’s what can be found beneath the summer grass that matters: precious clues about how such dreams played out two centuries ago. From May 14 to June 22, a team of 20 Laurier students will be carrying out the first-ever archaeological dig at Fort Erie, located on the Canadian side of the Niagara River across from Buffalo, NY, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. “Fort Erie is a high-profile site and it figured very prominently in the War of 1812 period,” said John Triggs, associate professor of archaeology, who is leading the dig. “This is an opportunity to learn more about Fort Erie than the historical documents alone can teach us, and to get people excited about the War of 1812 and how important it is to Canada’s history.” The dig will focus primarily on the American defensive positions during the bloodiest battle ever fought on Canadian
people at Laurier
written in books or gleaned from documents, but archaeology is another way to look at history, and it can tell us things that we couldn’t find out in any other way.” The Laurier dig could turn up new discoveries about the Native allies who fought alongside the British and about whom records are scarce. It could also uncover field hospitals or blockhouses not recorded in official documents. Gaps and omissions in documentation were a common consequence of the fog of war, and archaeology can correct or fill out the written record. “The British commanding officer described the conditions in the siege camp as like living in a lake,” said Triggs. “It’s hard for us to imagine how chaotic it was.” The dig at Fort Erie is being carried out as part of the Department of Archaeology’s field schools program, which gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in class to a hands-on, real-world archaeological dig, which in turn helps them to better understand their in-class courses. It is expected that hundreds of visitors to Fort Erie will have the opportunity to view the excavation as it progresses. The student archaeologists will
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
New appointments: Feda Bashbishi, manager, Enterprise Solutions (Waterloo campus). Rene Ellis, administrative manager, Faculty of Music (Waterloo campus). Mohammad Hakimjavadi, systems analyst III, Enterprise Systems (Waterloo campus). Bernie Hoogendam, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). KB Koo, coordinator EMTM program, SBE (Waterloo campus). Wendy Moore, external co-op coordinator, C0-Op Department (Waterloo campus). Ania Onichuk, coordinator: interior design and renovation, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus).
Richard Brown, academic program administer I, Office of the Registrar (Waterloo campus).
Aaron Mariash, technical coordinator, Performance Facilities (Waterloo campus).
Brooke Camp, accessible learning admin, Accessible Learning (Brantford campus).
Harriet Munroe, custodian leadhand, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus).
Beth Dempster, prospect researcher, University Advancement (Waterloo campus).
Sarah O’Donnell, development assistant, University Development (Waterloo campus).
Monica Duyvestyn, scholarship and awards officer, Student Awards (Waterloo campus).
Deborah Russell, graduate admissions and records officer, FGPS (Waterloo campus).
Andre Furlong, administrative assistant (associate dean), Faculty of Science (Waterloo campus).
Joseph Schaefer, custodian leadhand, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus).
Benny Gamble, custodian leadhand, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus).
Oleg Stukalov, universityindustry liaison officer, Research Services (Waterloo campus).
Heidi Haley, advisor, Service Laurier (Brantford campus).
Wendy Webb, intermediate administrative assistant, Athletics & Recreation (Waterloo campus)
Laden Heit, student management system project leader, Enterprise Solutions (Waterloo campus).
Kirstie Paterson Pedro, communications officer, Development & Alumni Relations (Waterloo campus).
Brenda Mann, administrative assistant, Global Studies (Waterloo campus).
Retirements: Hildegard Lindschinger, slide curator, Library (Waterloo campus).
Changes in staff appointments: Mieke Barette, national recruitment coordinator, Recreation & Athletics (Waterloo campus).
Photo: Sandra Muir
Diane Wiles, campaign director, University Development & Alumni Relations (Waterloo campus).
CPAM staff members try their hand at Wii bowling for a tournament at the Communitech Hub to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Waterloo Region.
The Niagara Peninsula theatre of war, 1812-1814.
be briefed on how to interact with the public, explaining and interpreting their findings in real time. For visitors to the fort, it will be a unique chance to learn more about Canada’s origins.
campus decoder
Got a question? Send it to ndinka@wlu.ca
Q
: In Laurier’s centennial coverage and elsewhere, the university says that it was known as Waterloo Lutheran from 1960 to 1973, but my uncle received a diploma from the university in 1962 that claims to be from Waterloo University College. Did your writers get their dates mixed up?
A
“The War of 1812 was such a turning point in our history,” said Triggs. “The capture of Fort Erie was the last invasion of the war, and the last in Canadian history. It helped unite us as a country.”
: Harvard University, founded all the way back in 1636, has always been Harvard, but in its 100-year history Laurier has gone through several name changes. Archivists and historians agree that the Waterloo Lutheran iteration of Laurier officially launched on July 1, 1960, in the wake of the doomed talks regarding Waterloo College, the university’s earliest incarnation, joining the fledgling University of Waterloo. At the time, Waterloo Lutheran referred to the institution as a whole, including both the Seminary and the broader
university, and there were two different degree-granting bodies under that umbrella. The Waterloo Lutheran Seminary granted the religious designations, while Waterloo University College doled out the degrees to general students. So, if you received a BA from Waterloo Lutheran at that time, it was technically from Waterloo University College — hence the language on your uncle’s diploma. The two names were used somewhat interchangeably in the new university’s early days — sometimes marketing materials would refer to Waterloo University College without even mentioning the parent institution, and there are letterman jackets from the period with Waterloo Lutheran on the front and Waterloo University College on the back. It was a bit of a hodgepodge, which is why the university keeps things simple today by referring to itself as Laurier. By Nicholas Dinka 5
Inside
APRIL 2012
coffee with a co-worker
A look at staff and faculty across campus
Name: Rebecca Barnes Title: Administrative assistant to the director of Campus Operations, Laurier Brantford Where you can find her: SC Johnson Building, Room 405, Brantford campus
Photo: Sandra Muir
Drink of choice: When I volunteered in Kenya a few years ago, I began drinking Chai tea made Kenyan style, which is made with cow, goat or camel milk.
Rebecca Barnes works as an administrative assistant at Laurier and is a student in the Concurrent Education program.
How long have you been at Laurier? I have been a student at Laurier Brantford since 2006 in the Concurrent Education program. I will graduate next spring. I worked in a number of different student positions throughout my undergraduate years, including roles in the Writing Centre and vice-president’s office. As a staff member, I filled a few temporary roles in Registrarial Services and Campus Operations, and now I am in a permanent position with Campus Operations. What is your typical workday like? My typical workday involves scheduling various appointments, working on projects, answering emails and making travel
arrangements. I’m also a liaison for Health and Safety, and Human Resources at the Waterloo campus. When they need to book training or other initiatives in Brantford, I help out with that. I’m also a recording secretary for a number of different committees. My role covers quite a few areas — it’s pretty diverse.
Check out what the Laurier community has been tweeting about at twitter.com/lauriernews. Laurier also has official sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurierNow and YouTube at www. youtube.com/LaurierVideo.
@LaurierTO Congratulations to everyone receiving their acceptance letters from #Laurier! bit.ly/ xkCbRy March 19, 2012 @WLUAthletics The #GoldenHawks are the 2012 #CIS #WCURL Champions!!!! Congrats @lcrocker19 @sarahhwilkes @jgates00, Kreviazuk and Feldkamp! March 18, 2012 @jc_lucking @LaurierNews I still vividly remember my visit when I was considering universities. My visit to campus persuaded me to choose #Laurier March 16, 2012 @BrandTannery What is brandtannery up to tonight? We get to hang out with inspiring Laurier students & chat with them about BRAND! pic.twitter. com/Djwn0zkG March 15, 2012
6
little bit scared of the full contact because I haven’t played full-contact sports before, but we wear a lot of padding — a helmet, elbow, wrist and knee pads, and a mouth guard. I just bought a bum protector too! My derby name is Wrecca and we’re still in the process of becoming accredited as a team. So far it’s been a lot of fun.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
What do you like most about Laurier?
I really love to travel. In February 2010 I went to Kenya to teach as part the teaching component for my degree, in partnership with the not-for-profit Free the Children organization. I was there for three weeks and taught a Grade 6 class. We also visited the homes of some of the children we taught and travelled with their mothers to
I recently joined a roller derby team in Woodstock, where I live. I’ve never rollerskated before or been part of a sports team because I’m not athletic. But I’ve always wanted to have a hobby with a group of friends who have a common interest. It was also appealing because of the physical aspect — it drives me to stay in shape. I’m a
I really enjoy working at Laurier, both as a student and now as a staff member. I find it’s a very positive environment, and that overall the people are friendly and happy. It creates a better work environment when people are willing to help others and collaborate. By Sandra Muir
coming Events
Heard on Twitter
the Mara River. The women filled up giant plastic bottles with river water and strapped them on their heads, carrying them home to do laundry or dishes. They did this about four times a day. Seeing that really made me think about how much we take fresh water for granted.
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
The Cartographer’s Mistake: Hockey Fields and Marigold Maps by Sarindar Dhaliwal When: Until April 14 Where: Robert Langen Art Gallery Cost: Free This multimedia installation takes viewers on a journey through the artist’s personal history of movement from her birthplace in India, to Britain and Canada. Retirement Planning Seminar When: April 14 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre, Waterloo campus Cost: Free Presented by the Financial Education Institute of Canada, this workshop is intended for those 45 years of age or older. Partners are also welcome to attend. To register, visit www.wlu.ca/hr/registration. Laurier Toronto Alumni Chapter Event: Steam Whistle Brewery When: April 18 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Where: The Gallery, Steam Whistle Brewery, Toronto Cost: $15 (includes two drink tickets, gourmet poutine and brewery tour) Cam Heaps (‘95), one of the founders of Steam Whistle Brewery, will share his journey from student to industry leader. This is a great chance to reconnect with Laurier alumni. For details visit www.laurieralumni.ca.
Social Media Tools When: April 19 Where: Paul Martin Centre, Waterloo campus Cost: Free Mark Thompson, president of McKinley Solutions, will speak about how organizations are using social media effectively. To register, visit www.wlu.ca/hr/registration. 45th Annual History Teachers’ Conference When: April 20 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre, Waterloo campus Cost: $40
columnist at The National Post, as keynote speaker. For more information, contact Melanie LaFrance at mlafrance@wlu.ca or ext. 3081. Golden Hawk Football Camps When: May 5-6 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Where: University Stadium, Waterloo campus Cost: $132.74 This two-day camp provides football players will the opportunity to improve their skills and increase their understanding of the game in a fun and challenging environment. For information contact Amanda Taylor at amtaylor@wlu.ca.
Development Day 2012: Inspire. Create. Lead. When: May 11 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Where: Bricker Academic Building, Waterloo campus Cost: $130 Invite family, friends and colleagues to join you for a full day of professional and personal development. Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to intriguing speakers and industry leaders, including the inspirational Frank O’Dea, celebrated entrepreneur and Founder of Second Cup. For more information, visit www. laurieralumni.ca/developmentday.
Laurier’s Department of History is hosting this event, with Jonathon Kay, managing editor and
In the media “They need money to support their family, and changing employers on your work permit is very difficult. Most end up working under the table and hoping that another employer with permission to hire foreign workers will hire them.” ~Jenna Hennebry, assistant professor, Sociology Department, associate director, Intnerational Migration Research Centre From “Canada’s migrant farm worker system — what works and what’s lacking,” published on CBCNews.com on Feb. 8, 2012. The article, by Kazi Stastna, discusses the migrant workers in Canada and the lack of enforcement when employers violate contracts. Laurier community members are frequently featured in the local and national media. To see more coverage, visit www.wlu.ca/Laurierin thenews, and find out about our Experts at Laurier program, visit www.wlu.ca/experts.
APRIL 2012 Inside research file
Investigating female detectives in film Philippa Gates discovers most progressive roles in low-budget films from the 1930s By Mallory O’Brien To write a history about female detectives in Hollywood films, Laurier’s Philippa Gates, associate professor of Film Studies, had to become a sleuth herself, digging through archives and libraries for films and their cultural influences. In her research of more than 300 detective films, Gates uncovered rare reels that had not been seen for decades. While the popular assumption is that images of women have become increasingly positive over the years, Gates discovered the most progressive and feminist models of the female detective existed in Hollywood’s more peripheral films, such as the low-budget “B” movies of the 1930s. The results of her research are detailed in her book, Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film (SUNY Press, 2011), which is nominated for a 2012 Edgar Award in the category of Best Critical/Biographical. The highly prestigious Edgar Awards are presented each year by The Mystery Writers of America. Named after writer Edgar Allan Poe, the Edgar Awards honour the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction, television, film and theatre. Gates will attend the award ceremony in New York on April 26. “I know it sounds cliché, but it is an honour just to be nominated,” says Gates. “So many of the crime novels I have read over the years had the Edgar Award/MWA seal on the cover. It feels wonderful to be recognized by the same organization for my critical work on the genre.” It’s a fine honour for a book that almost didn’t happen. “I did not intend to write a book on women,” says Gates. “I received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant to do a project, and originally I was interested in researching 1930s male detective series like Charlie Chan and The Falcon.” But when Gates travelled to
Philippa Gates’ new book, Detecting Women, chronicles her research about female detectives in films
were no female detectives of any a very good movie, but I really love importance until the 1980s — the fact that through my book, at except maybe Nancy Drew and least people can find out about Miss Marple, but we tend to kind these films, and maybe it will help of ignore them because one’s a their own research and inspire spinster and one’s a teenager.” them to find more films.” While in Los Angeles, Gates Of the 300 films about female worked at the Academy of detectives that Gates discovered, Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ more than 130 were from the 1930s Margaret Herrick Library and the and ’40s. For Detecting Women, UCLA Film and Television Archive. Gates focused on the lower-budget The latter has archival copies of “B” films, which represent about 75 many films not available anywhere per cent of the films made in the else. Sometimes she had to watch 1930s. “And yet, up until 10 years ago we thought studying ‘B’ films was like studying comic books — that they aren’t worth academic study because they’re low-brow, or for young people. We are just now moving into an era in scholarship where ‘B’ films are really getting their due.” In addition to housing the older, the films in a garage on an old forgotten films, archives like the film studio lot, which is now a Margaret Herrick Library also storage facility for pre-World War contain production information Two film prints made of highly and alternate scripts. combustible nitrate. “Sometimes I would read the first An archivist would loop each version of a script and think, ‘This reel — about eight minutes long is awesome! She’s so empowered!’ — into a large flatbed machine and And then there would be notes Gates would watch it on a tiny from Production Code Adminscreen with headphones. istration, which was in charge of “Sometimes the archivist would censorship, that say, ‘You shouldn’t say something like, ‘You’re the first have that lady make the cops person to watch this movie since look so bad. You know the police 1931!’ Now, it might not have been will write us letters complaining
Photo: Mallory O’Brien
that Hollywood always portrays cops really badly so maybe don’t make her so smart and the cops so stupid.’” Gates says it’s exciting to see the changes in different versions of the script — some movies can have up to 20 different versions. And when films just don’t exist, their reels lost forever (or collecting dust in someone’s basement), Gates can at least read the script and look at production photos to see what the actors,
“ I just got obsessed with
this idea that these women have been ignored. ” Los Angeles to do her research, she noticed a footnote in a film database that said, “This is a remake of a film that starred a female crime reporter.” Gates decided to do a little more digging, and by the end of the day she had discovered 10 films with women playing the roles of detectives. “I thought, ‘No one’s ever talked about this!’” she says. “I just got obsessed with this idea that these women have been ignored because we tend to think there
Gates’ book has been nominated for a Edgar Award.
sets or costumes looked like, or see how much an actor got paid or what the Production Code Administration didn’t like about the film. Gates found one 1930s film with two main characters who are lesbians, which was produced just before the establishment of the Production Code Administration. Otherwise, it would never have been allowed in classical-era Hollywood. Although no copies are known to exist, Gates was able to talk about the film in Detecting Women. “It’s kind of like being an archaeologist, piecing together information to give people a sense of the film,” she says. In the 1930s and ’40s, the majority of female detectives are represented by traditional sleuths and the “girl reporter” — the girl who wants to land the scoop at her newspaper. Then the female detective all but disappears until the 1980s, except for a handful of crime-fighting women in the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. “They’re really the only detectives of colour,” says Gates. “Jennifer Lopez plays one Latina detective in the 2000s and that’s about it.” The second half of Detecting Women focuses on the 1980s and 1990s, when women portray FBI agents or police detectives. “In some ways, these movies mirror reality. They are a reflection of real-life women moving into different aspects of the public sphere. But while there were female reporters in the 1930s and female FBI agents in the 1980s, these films are kind of fantasies of the possibilities. “In reality, most women who worked at newspapers in the 1930s were writing Dear Abby-type advice columns. They were called ‘sob sisters’ because they were always doing the human-interest angle on stories. They were not the ones doing a lot of investigative reporting. And how many FBI agents were women in the 1980s? Not a lot.” Although these roles for women may suggest more wishful thinking than being a true reflection of reality, Gates believes they still say a lot about the first half of the 20th century. “I think something more interesting was happening in the ’30s and ’40s than we give these decades credit for,” says Gates. “We tend to think that feminism was born in the ’70s, and while I don’t know how many of these early films are ‘feminist,’ there’s a sense that some of these women are proto-feminist models — they represent the possibility that women could really achieve anything they wanted.” 7
Inside
APRIL 2012
in the classroom
Mastering one’s voice Instructor: Daniel Lichti Class: Student Voice Instruction, Master Class Description: In addition to private, one-on-one lessons every week, students participate in a two-hour master class where they perform for each other.
By Mallory O’Brien
Photo: Dean Palmer
In the voice master classes, Associate Professor Daniel Lichti works with students to help them discover best performance practices and find what makes a performance of a song or aria effective or exciting. “Since each student has such a unique voice, and they bring their individual strengths or challenges to each lesson, I find it exciting as a teacher to find what will stimulate or inspire the student to bring the poetry/lyrics and music to life,” said Lichti. “I try to show them that beyond the composer’s guidelines, the interpretive variables are unlimited.” He adds that he wants his students to become aware of the growth in themselves and in their colleagues. “Pushing the boundaries is exciting, not only for the audience, but also for themselves. The literature is limitless and amazing, and with each student’s voice so unique and personal, one would have to be a stone not to become engaged in the process.” Music Professor Daniel Lichti enjoys the unique nature of each student’s voice and encourages students to push their boundaries.
Photo: Tamara Quigley, Sandra Muir
Prospective students visit campuses for Open Houses
Top left and middle: The Hawk, along with students and volunteers, welcome prospective students and parents to the Brantford campus for March Break Open House. Top right and bottom: Tours and information booths with student volunteers and ambassadors on the Waterloo campus.
8