CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS
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Dr. Penelope IronstoneCatterall’s current research examines the cultural life of the H1N1 flu virus.
7ILFRID ,AURIER 5NIVERSITY s $ECEMBER
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Meet Sharon Brown, university librarian, bookworm and PhD student.
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A look inside the Maureen Forrester Legacy Collection.
Laurier reopens 50-metre swimming pool Major renovation project made possible through community partnerships The university celebrated the reopening of its 50-metre pool in November after completing a major five-month, $4.2-million renovation project. The pool renovations were made possible through generous donations from Laurier students, community users, the provincial and federal governments, and the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener. An official opening ceremony for elected representatives, community users, donor group representatives and the public was held last month. The event featured a ceremonial plunge by nine swimmers from Laurier and various community clubs. “The ceremonial plunge and official opening was a fun event where we as a community were able to celebrate the extension of the lifespan of the 50-metre pool for Waterloo Region,” said Ari Grossman, manager of communications and business operations for Athletics and Recreation. “We are excited to have a renewed aquatic facility for community and campus users to enjoy.” The key elements of the repair project included replacing the aging air-handling and de-humidification system and the curtain wall, repairing pressurerelief valves in the pool, and improving mechanical space and interior finishes, including the pool deck, walls, lighting, drains and equipment.
Next issue of February 2010
Photo: Mike Whitehouse
By Stacey Morrison
Nine swimmers from Laurier and local community clubs marked the reopening of the university’s 50-metre pool with a ceremonial plunge.
University staff help landscape townhouse complex for Habitat for Humanity Landscaping work completes four-year housing project By Mallory O’Brien A team of Laurier staff members volunteered to get down and dirty in November by working on the landscaping for a 19-unit townhouse complex for Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region. The charitable organization has been working on the project, located on Cherry Street in Kitchener, for four years. The group of volunteers from the university’s Alumni Relations, Development, Student Recruitment and Conference Services departments spent the afternoon moving and laying dirt, brick and sod. While they were feeling lots of aches and pains by the end of the day, it was for a good reason
— by avoiding the use of big machinery to do the job, Habitat for Humanity can keep housing costs lower. Roly Webster, acting director of Alumni Relations, spearheaded the initiative. He said the most rewarding part of the day was being able to work alongside one of the complex’s future inhabitants. “She was happy to be able to point out which townhouse would be hers,” he said. Now that the landscaping is done and the project is complete, each of the three-bedroom units will soon be home to families in need of affordable housing. “All of us in Alumni Relations and Development depend heavily on volunteers from our
Laurier staff members hard at work for Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region.
community,” said Webster. “So, we felt that we should give back and volunteer within our community.”
For more information about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity, visit www.habitat.ca.
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
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$ECEMBER
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Ensuring stable, continuous leadership at Laurier Brantford As Laurier Brantford celebrates its 10th anniversary, the energy, innovation and positive growth that characterized its first decade continues. The campus opened its doors in September 1999 with 39 students and one building. Today, there are nearly 2,400 students in 16 buildings, and the campus master plan now being developed will guide anticipated growth for another decade and more. Throughout this change there have been a number of constants, but none more prominent than the leadership of Dr. Leo Groarke. Since joining Laurier Brantford in 2000, Leo has inspired those around him with his enthusiastic vision for a vibrant and innovative campus in downtown Brantford. First as dean and later as principal/ vice-president, Leo forged effective partnerships with the surrounding community,
helping to make Laurier Brantford a model for new campus development and urban renewal. In fact, Leo is the author of a soon-to-be published book about the positive impact Laurier has had on the city, called Reinventing Brantford: A 5NIVERSITY #OMES $OWNTOWN Alas, even agents of change need change themselves. Leo announced recently that he will be leaving Laurier after
26 years — nine in Brantford and 17 at the Waterloo campus — to take on a new challenge as provost/vice-president academic at the University of Windsor. We wish him well and thank him for his tremendous service to Laurier. With Leo’s impending departure, it is important to plan for a smooth leadership transition at Laurier Brantford. Therefore, Dr. Lesley Cooper, current dean of the Faculty of Social Work, has been appointed acting principal/ vice-president of Laurier Brantford for a term of three and a half years, from Jan. 1, 2010 to July 2013. The extended length of this acting term will ensure stable and continuous leadership in a period when Laurier Brantford must focus on new program development to accommodate the kind of enrolment growth that is commensurate with
Laurier’s annual toy drive is underway There’s still time to add one more item to your Christmas shopping list and contribute to Laurier’s annual toy drive. Until Dec. 18 you can drop off a new, unwrapped and non-violent toy for children up to the age of 15 at Laurier’s OneCard office, located in the Concourse, or at the Accounts Payable office, located at 202 Regina St.
Items collected are donated to the Salvation Army, which distributes the gifts to thousands of disadvantaged children and families in Waterloo Region. “People should donate to help the kids in our region,� said Sarah Wilkinson, an accounts payable administrator who is the driving force
the extensive expansion of the campus’ physical capacity. A search to fill the principal/vicepresident’s position on a longerterm basis will commence by the fall of 2012. As dean of Social Work since July 2006, Lesley has demonstrated thoughtful academic and administrative leadership, especially as the Faculty of Social Work transitioned to its new home in the historic St. Jerome’s high school building in downtown Kitchener. I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Susan Cadell, an associate professor of social work and director of the Manulife Centre for Healthy Living, will serve as acting Dr. Lesley Cooper dean of the
Faculty of Social Work, starting Jan. 1. A search to fill the dean’s position on a longerterm basis will commence by the fall of 2010. Lesley and Susan each have solid administrative experience, and both are respected leaders in their fields of research. I am confident they will continue to provide the university with effective leadership at Laurier Brantford and in the Faculty of Social Work. Finally, as the fall term draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very restful and happy holiday season.
Dr. Max Blouw, President and Vice-Chancellor
Geography Awareness Week
behind the toy drive. “With the economic crisis, parents may find it hard to put even one gift under the tree for their children.� Wilkinson says last year the Laurier community filled nine large boxes with toys. “If we can help in a small way to brighten a child’s life, why wouldn’t we?�
Technician Scott Brown, left, and Dr. Michael English, right, demonstrate meteorological equipment during Laurier’s Geography Awareness Week in November.
Send us your news, events & stories
InsideLaurier is published by The Department of Public Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5
InsideLaurier Volume 2, Number 6, December 2009
Design: Erin Steed
InsideLaurier (circ. 2,500) 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.
Contributors: Tomasz Adamski, Kevin Crowley, Mallory O’Brien, Dean Palmer, Mike Whitehouse
Printed on recycled paper.
Editor: Stacey Morrison Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison
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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
Email: insidelaurier@wlu.ca Deadline for submissions: January 20
All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.
$ECEMBER What’s new and notable at Laurier
Author Russell Wangersky wins Edna Staebler Award Russell Wangersky has won the 2009 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for his memoir "URNING $OWN THE (OUSE &IGHTING &IRES AND ,OSING -YSELF Wangersky’s book offers a portrait of a man who, through his career as a volunteer firefighter, becomes addicted to the rush of danger. In a narrative stacked with house fires, car wrecks and various other human tragedies, Wangersky portrays the emotional contingencies and lingering trauma that slowly begin to pull his life apart. This is a powerful book that illuminates the darker natures of those whom we trust with our lives. Laurier hosted a reception and reading by Wangersky at the university’s Waterloo campus in November. A second reading was held at Laurier’s Toronto office earlier this month. The author lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland and is the editorial page editor for the daily newspaper 4HE 4ELEGRAM In addition to "URNING $OWN THE (OUSE the shortlist for the 2009 Edna Staebler Award also included: 4HE $ARIEN 'AP 4RAVELS IN THE 2AINFOREST OF 0ANAMA by Martin Mitchinson; Lost: A -EMOIR by Cathy Ostlere; and 4HE 2IVERBONES 3TUMBLING !FTER
%DEN IN THE *UNGLES OF 3URINAME by Andrew Westoll.
levels since the late 1980s. Doug Lorimer was involved in the certification of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) in 1988 and has been its chief negotiator since then. Joyce Lorimer has been engaged in virtually every important activity associated with WLUFA, CAUT and the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association.
Football coaches win awards Two Laurier football coaches have been recognized with Ontario University Athletics awards. Golden Hawks head coach Gary Jeffries is the Dave “Tuffy� Knight Award winner as OUA coach of the year. In his seventh season as manager of football operations and head coach of the Golden Hawks, Jeffries led a young team to a 6-2 record and second place in the OUA. This is his fourth coach of the year award, following three straight wins from 2003-2005 when he was named the CIS coach of the year. Ron VanMoerkerke, a former Golden Hawk player and MVP, was named the OUA volunteer coach of the year. He is in his 11th year coaching with the Golden Hawks. VanMoerkerke is the team’s defensive coordinator, a position he has held since the 2003 season.
Laurier professors honoured for promoting collective bargaining Laurier professors Doug and Joyce Lorimer were each awarded the Donald C. Savage Award at the fall council meeting of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). The award recognizes outstanding achievements in the promotion of collective bargaining in Canadian universities and colleges. Doug and Joyce Lorimer have promoted collective bargaining at the local, provincial and national
Olympic torch relay coming to Brantford and K-W
Photo: ŠVANOC/COVAN
NEWS
Brantford and KitchenerWaterloo are two of the more than 1,000 communities across Canada that will host the Olympic flame as it travels across the country carried by thousands of torchbearers in the 106 days leading up to the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. The torch will be in Brantford on Dec. 21 and KitchenerWaterloo on Dec. 27. Community members can cheer on the torchbearers along the relay route or attend one of the evening celebrations, which will be held in each city. For more information on the Olympic torch relay route or events being planned in your community visit www.vancouver 2010.com, www.brantford.ca or www.region.waterloo.on.ca.
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
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What are you reading
?
Name: Dr. Deborah MacLatchy Job Title: VP Academic and Provost Book Title: The Brief Life of Oscar Wao Author: Junot DĂaz
Whatare are you What listening to? you reading
?
This is a multi-layered book detailing the life of nerdy Oscar Wao and his family members, and their experiences in Rafael Trujillo’s Santo Domingo and as immigrants in New Jersey. The story is told from numerous viewpoints and uses language (English and Spanish) to beautifully evoke time, place and character. If you enjoy Oscar Wao, I also recommend Jeffrey Eugenides’s -IDDLESEX, a very different story but one with similar themes of identity, place, family and migration.
What are you listening to? Name: Patricia McLachlan Job Title: Assistant to the Vice-President: Development and Alumni Relations CD Title: The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Artist: Seu Jorge
Seu Jorge is a Brazilian singer/songwriter known for his pop/samba style. I first heard of him from the movie 4HE ,IFE !QUATIC with Steve Zissou. Jorge’s music is uniquely his own, whether performing cover songs or original material. He combines acoustic guitar with traditional Brazilian instruments, and the result is always beautiful music.
Laurier professor gives youth a ‘photovoice’ Dr. Robb Travers uses unconventional research method to engage LGBTQ youth By Mallory O’Brien Most of us have heard the popular saying, “a picture is worth more than a thousand words.� Dr. Robb Travers, assistant professor of community psychology has gone one step further and put this saying into action. With assistance from graduate students Katie Cool and Alix Holtby, Travers used the unconventional research method “photovoice� for his latest study of local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth. The study, called Teens Resisting Urban Trans- and Homophobia (TRUTH), asked LGBTQ youth in Waterloo Region to take photographs of things that represent their experiences living in the region. “The goal of TRUTH was to understand the ways in which LGBTQ youth experience ‘social exclusion’ — particularly
homophobia and transphobia — and how this impacts their lives, their health and their well-being,� said Travers. The youth then came together in multiple sessions and discussed the issues reflected in their photographs. While they expressed resilience in the face of considerable challenges, their concerns included isolation, safety, homophobic harassment and discrimination, family acceptance, and inaccessible health and social services. “This research method is a wonderful way of engaging LGBTQ youth and it provides rich and detailed insights into the concerns, issues and needs they share,� said Travers. “It also helps to break isolation and build community among youth as they share these very intimate and personal experiences with each other.� The study emerged out of findings from the Toronto
Teen Survey, a similar research project that Travers conducted with colleagues from York University, the University of Toronto and Planned Parenthood Toronto earlier in the year. In that study, over 1,200 Toronto teens were surveyed to study youth sexual-health needs. Some of the more curious findings that came out of the Toronto Teen Survey, such as higher rates of high-risk sex and higher pregnancy rates among non-heterosexual teens, spurred Travers to conduct the TRUTH study. He said researchers went in with a very broad question, using the photovoice research method, to find out what key issues and questions they should focus on for a larger, Ontario-wide survey of LGBTQ youth he hopes to conduct with his research partners in the future. “Some of the preliminary comparisons of issues between
the Toronto and Waterloo Region study groups are interesting,� said Travers. In Waterloo Region, LGBTQ youth expressed a desire to be themselves, to find supports, and to live their lives free from discrimination. “Unfortunately what we saw in both groups is that homophobic harassment is still rampant in schools, including in universities,� said Travers. “These photographs make the ‘invisible visible’ and paint a complex picture of life for LGBTQ youth.� The photographs were exhibited at the Button Factory in Waterloo in November, and will travel around to local businesses and organizations in the future. “The study and exhibit were a huge success,� said Travers, who was delighted that over 150 visitors came to see the display, including the mayors of Waterloo and Kitchener. “I am really happy with how
people are responding — it shows concern and support for the needs of vulnerable young people.�
Photos from the TRUTH exhibit.
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$ECEMBER
RESEARCH FILE
Seasonal flu to pandemic: the cultural life of a virus Dr. Penelope Ironstone-Catterall’s study of pandemics goes ‘real time’ with H1N1 By Lori Chalmers Morrison There is a new plush toy perched on the top shelf of Dr. Penelope Ironstone-Catterall’s bookcase. Snuggled in beside the all-butforgotten Mad Cow disease and the fork-and-knife-equipped Flesh-Eating disease is a cuddly, bright pink snout with a tag that reads — you guessed it — Swine Flu. The newest character in the germy gang is so popular that the company that makes the unusual line of toys says it’s on back order. The stuffed-toy version of the swine flu virus shows not only the sense of humour IronstoneCatterall carries with her as she conducts her research, but also just how quickly the “everydayness� of the flu has turned to the “spectacular.� For a long time, the communications studies professor focused her research on medicine and how people understand their bodies. She found her academic niche at the point where medicine and cultural studies meet: risk. Ironstone-Catterall is interested in how people change their perspectives and behaviours based on how they define risk, as well as how people resist difficult information, and the social and political consequences of their resistance. A few years ago, IronstoneCatterall began focusing on the cultural aspects of the flu as an extension of her doctoral work on HIV/AIDS. The research for her current study, “From Seasonal Flu to Pandemic Influenza: The Cultural Life of a Virus,� suddenly became “real time� with the outbreak of H1N1. “It’s standing room only now,� she says of the demand for space in conference presentations addressing the H1N1 pandemic. Ironstone-Catterall says H1N1 is a classic example of how the
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Dr. Penelope Ironstone-Catterall with her latest plush toy, the cuddly pink Swine Flu.
understanding of an illness changes when it becomes a spectacle. “Most people have memories of having experienced and survived the seasonal flu,� she says. “How do you then make people believe the everyday is serious?� She says the result becomes a story we end up repeating. “The great hope for the Spanish flu of 1918 was also the discovery of a vaccine.� Ironstone-Catterall is examining six pandemic events: the Spanish flu (1918), the Asian flu (1957), the Hong Kong flu (1968), the swine flu “mass vaccination debacle� (1976) and the H5N1 (Avian or bird flu). Since April, she has also been looking at H1N1. She is looking through newspaper archives and asking the classic journalistic questions of who, where and when to understand how the pandemics were represented and the effects of those representations, thereby illustrating the
influence of social discourse. The “who� Ironstone-Catterall is looking at is who is doing the communicating and who is the subject of communication. “I find it very curious with H1N1 that it’s not the people who are the subject — the virus is the subject,� she says. “We are the objects on which the virus works. What does that do to how we perceive the virus?� In this kind of discourse, she says, people become passive rather than active subjects who can do something to prevent it. The “where� question of pandemics is equally interesting to Ironstone-Catterall, and reveals the anxieties about the movement of people in today’s global society. Faced with discussions about the pandemic in a doomsday, alien-invader context, people tend to look at pandemics as always “happening over there and threatening to contaminate here.� “It’s like our own psychological
Photo: Lori Chalmers Morrison
sanitizer,� she says. “It’s the ‘not me, not here, not now.’ It’s a presupposed immunity.� But on the other side are those who feel they are constantly implicated. As for the “when,� IronstoneCatterall says people talk about a pandemic as something that is arriving imminently — a past that is always threatening to repeat itself in an anxious future. “In April, during the first wave of swine flu, people talked about how the second wave would be worse. Now guess what we’re talking about? The third wave,� she says. Ironstone-Catterall’s review of past pandemic events reveals what she calls the “once and future� pandemic. “What is always coming is something that has already been,� she says. People make sense of H1N1 by referencing the past, particularly the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-19. She says it is necessary to persuade people of the seriousness of the situation without scaring them so much that they turn off. Ironstone-Catterall is also exploring the moment when anti-vaccine sentiments crept into the discussions in response to the World Health Organization, public health and governments offering the vaccine as the only solution to the virus. “There are those who believe that the vaccine itself is not good, and there are those who are suspicious of state intervention,� she says. Today’s round-the-clock media coverage plays a big role in the cultural life of a virus. “It’s a paradox. We rely on news media to communicate information to us, but we don’t trust them to do it properly,� says Ironstone-Catterall, adding that we demand the facts from the news media without recognizing that reporters are like the rest of
us and likely don’t understand biochemistry, for example. So what are we learning? “Despite billions of dollars being pumped into pandemic preparation, we’re not prepared at all,� says Ironstone-Catterall. “But it’s not possible to blame the World Health Organization, public health or the doctors. It’s an endless loop of repeating the same story.� Ironstone-Catterall says people are faced with infinitely substitutable risks. “We rapidly move from one risk to another without properly assessing the outcome,� she says. “Before swine flu it was the financial meltdown. Before the meltdown it was nuclear weapons in North Korea, and it goes on.� It is difficult for people to tolerate uncertainty, she says. “You only need to go into the popular science section of Chapters to see it. There’s already a book called 3WINE &LU ( . 4HE &ACTS With the Avian flu it was ( . %VERYTHING 9OU .EED TO +NOW � she says. Yet uncertainty, she contends, is vital in science and medicine
“
I find it very curious with H1N1 that it’s not the people who are the subject — the virus is the subject.
’’
because it’s the very principle upon which discoveries are made. “By now we ought to have learned that magic bullets [like the anti-microbial business suits being sold in Japan] are temporary,� she says. For Ironstone-Catterall, the question now becomes how to communicate through the uncertainty and convey urgency without going to extremes. The public health messages delivered during the Spanish flu pandemic were the same as they are today, such as wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough and quarantine yourself if you are ill. “These messages were given in the context of having a responsibility to your community,� says IronstoneCatterall. “But the responsibility to others has been lost. Since the 1970s the onus has been on individuals to look after their own health, but this is a community responsibility.� It remains to be seen whether the next stuffed-animal virus to arrive on Ironstone-Catterall’s shelf will come with a different story.
$ECEMBER COFFEE WITH A CO-WORKER
CAMPUS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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CAMPUS CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY
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A look at staff and faculty across campus
Working by the book Name: Sharon Brown Job: University librarian
Photo: Lori Chalmers Morrison
Where you can find her: In her library basement office amid plants, books and Canadian artwork. How she takes her coffee: With milk. If it is from Tim’s, double milk.
University librarian Sharon Brown says the availability of electronic resources has made library materials more accessible.
Where were you before you became Laurier’s university librarian seven years ago? At the University of Toronto library. Right now I’m a part-time PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. I found an opportunity to combine French (Brown holds an MA in Medieval French) and books. I’ve moved up a few centuries since my masters; my PhD thesis explores French books in Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries. What is the biggest change you’ve seen in university libraries?
COMING EVENTS
Staff & Faculty Seasonal Stand-Up Lunch When: Dec. 15 11:30 a.m. – 1 :30 p.m. Where: The Turret Cost: Free
2360 BY $EC Mingle with coworkers and enjoy some holiday cheer. Donations for the Salvation Army Toy Drive and financial contributions to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region will be accepted at the door. Christmas Holidays — University Closed When: Dec. 25 – Jan. 1 Music at Noon When: Jan. 5 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall Cost: Free
The degree to which electronic materials are available now. No question. Is that a positive change? I know some people regret that there’s not as much print, but just from my own study experience I can access many 18th century books online. But not all of them — I still have a solid excuse to travel to Scotland! Do you visit libraries when you travel? As much as I can. Leaving aside the big impressive libraries like Beinecke (at Yale), the one that most impressed me — because it was perfect for Laurier and I
What is your favourite book? Charlotte Bronte’s *ANE %YRE And the Bible. It’s so interesting, rich and thought provoking (and at times uncomfortable!). The book you recommend most to others? Recently, Lawrence Hill’s Book OF .EGROES For light reading,
For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events
Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action (CCRLA) Workshop When: Jan. 13 4:30 p.m. Where: CCRLA
Laurier mathematics alumnus Stephanie Ratza (BA ‘89), chief financial officer of Descartes Systems Group, will share highlights from her career and dispense tips and tricks for finding success in life after Laurier. For more information, visit www.wlu.ca/science.
Learn about community-based participatory research and help determine how the CCRLA can best serve the university. There will be refreshments and networking opportunities. Please RSVP to Lisa at ext. 3950.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Speaker Series: Jim Clemmer When: Jan. 25 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Senate and Board Chamber Cost: Free
Making 2010 the Best Year Ever When: Jan. 19 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Where: Paul Martin Centre Cost: Free
Anyone can lead when things are smooth. It’s when the going gets tough that leadership is truly tested — and most needed. For more information, contact Victoria Larke at vlarke@wlu.ca or ext. 2998.
educational development website.
Voice Care for the Lecturer When: Jan. 13 10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Where: Senate and Board Chamber Cost: Free
Take a “balanced workout� using key self-coaching questions, and see how asking the right questions can change your life. Presented by lifestyle coach Michelle Cadotta. To register, visit www.wlu.ca/ ilovemyjob and click on the link for Employee Assistance Programs.
Explore exercises that can help the instructor avoid vocal fatigue and hoarseness, as well as instill good habits for vocal care. Presented by Debbie Lou Ludolph from the Faculty of Music. To register, visit the
Life After Laurier Science: It All Adds Up When: Jan. 22 4:30 p.m. Where: Science Building, Room N1002 Cost: Free
Bring your lunch and enjoy the music of Colin Lee on piano.
would have liked to transport it here — is Glasgow Caledonian University library. It’s a library and learning commons equipped with moveable LCD screens and lights and smart classrooms. Everything is accessible without being obtrusive.
Louise Penny’s detective books. They’re set in Eastern Canada and similar to Agatha Christie, but grittier. Can you tell us something people might not know about Laurier’s library? We just added 250,000 full-text e-books to the library catalogue, available free from the Hathi Trust, to supplement our nearly 12,000 e-journals and 16,000 (not free) e-books and reference tools that come to you from your friendly university library. What is your favourite item in the Laurier archives?
We have all kinds of treasures. We received a Lutheran hymnal published in Berlin (now Kitchener) in 1864 from the Bergen family. There are no other copies of it on record in Canada. If you could have coffee with anyone — living or dead — whom would it be? Voltaire. I want to talk to him about the acres of snow. (Voltaire famously dismissed Canada as “quelques arpents de neige� — just a few acres of snow — and thereby unimportant to France.) "Y ,ORI #HALMERS -ORRISON
Fireplace safety tips s Ensure the chimney is drawing well, There’s nothing more inviting than a so that wood smoke does not come warm fire on a cold winter night. Here into the room. are some tips to enjoy your fireplace safely. s Keep children away from gas s Always use a secure screen in front fireplaces. When in use, the glass of your fireplace. doors can become hot enough to cause serious burns. s Clean your chimney once a year. s Burn hardwood, which will leave less creosote in the chimney.
&OR MORE SEASONAL SAFETY TIPS VISIT THE (EALTH #ANADA WEBSITE AT WWW HC SC GC CA
s If using firelogs, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Use only one log at a time. s Make sure the fire is out before going to bed or going out.
Personality Dimensions: Implications for Teaching and Learning When: Jan. 27 12:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Where: Bricker Academic 305 Cost: Free Presented by Janet Wolstenholme from the University of Guelph’s Teaching Services. For more information, contact Mary Neil at mneil@wlu.ca or at ext. 3507.
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$ECEMBER
Maureen Forrester Legacy Collection celebrated
Photos: Tomasz Adamski
More than 100 guests, including Forrester family members, commemorate display
Clockwise from top left: Cec Joyal and Gail Vanderzee; Donors Gerry McGrath and Suzanne Bradshaw unveil a portrait of Maureen Forrester; family members and friends; enjoying the art collection and photos; guests mingle.
IN THE CLASSROOM
A look inside the lecture hall
Politically engaged Professor: Dr. James Cairns Class: CT345, Applied Democracy, Laurier Brantford Description: Examining the role of the informed and engaged citizens in democracy, and developing strategies for identifying key issues and organizing effective responses.
Dr. James Cairns says his primary aim as a teacher is to draw out the collective knowledge in the room. “This is a challenge because of the way the classroom is organized around the professor, and students have long been trained to assume that all the important knowledge resides in the expert at the front,” he says. In an effort to break down some of these traditional barriers, Cairns’ classes are designed to help students develop and learn to trust their analytical capacities. “Regardless of whether or not students think of themselves as being politically engaged, they tend to have a highly developed sense of liberty, justice, equality, and so on,” says Cairns. “This course provides a wonderful opportunity for students to build the confidence to engage in increasingly complex debates about their place in the political world around them.” "Y -ALLORY / "RIEN 6
Photo: Dean Palmer
Dr. James Cairns designs his classroom sessions to build students’ confidence and draw out the collective knowledge in the room.