Oct 2011 – insideLaurier

CAMPUS | COMMUNITY | CONNECTIONS VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008

CAMPUS | CONNECTIONS | COMMUNITY VOL. 1 | NO. 1 | APRIL 7,2008







7 Hard-core logo: Laurier Branding Chair Brad Davis studies corporate identity.

• October 2011

2 Acclaimed recording artist K’naan performs at CIGI Campus grand opening.

8 O yeah! Orientation week a festival of fun and silliness

By Sandra Muir

It’s no secret that post-secondary students are experiencing increasing levels of stress and anxiety, and Wilfrid Laurier University is proactively helping to support faculty, staff and students with the creation of emergency response procedures and the work of student support and crisis teams.

The Student Support Team in Waterloo recently unveiled a set of Student Crisis Response Proce-dures that outline the best course of action for faculty and staff to take if they encounter a student who may need additional levels of support. Those procedures are listed here: www.wlu.ca/respon-seprocedures.

“It’s important that faculty and staff have a place to go if they have concerns about a student,” said Leanne Holland Brown, dean of students at Laurier’s

Waterloo campus and the chair of the Student Support Team.

“These procedures provide a course of action on how to best deal with those issues.”

In Brantford, the Campus Safety and Support Team also has a number of resources for faculty, staff and community members to refer to, including a response chart and online reporting forms: www.wlu.ca/brantford/csst.

“We want to keep channels of communication open,” said David Prang, director of Student Services and co-chair of the Campus Safety and Support Team on the Brantford campus.

In addition to discussing specific student concerns, the crisis teams at both campuses meet every three to four weeks to discuss emerging trends and themes facing students

Michael Lee-Chin appointed Laurier chancellor

CRISIS PROCEDURES see page 2

A homecoming celebration for a hundredth

New crisis response procedures give guidance to staff and faculty

By Nicholas Dinka

Renowned businessman, investor and philanthropist Michael Lee-Chin has been appointed chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University.

The appointment was unani-mously approved by Laurier’s Board of Governors, with the unanimous support of the Senate, and will take effect Oct. 28, 2011 at an official instal-lation ceremony at the univer-sity’s fall convocation. Lee-Chin succeeds John A. Pollock, who has served as Laurier’s chancellor since March 31, 2008.

“Michael Lee-Chin epito-mizes Laurier’s institutional proposition of inspiring lives of leadership and purpose,” said Max Blouw, Laurier’s president and vice-chancellor.

“His internationally recognized achievements in the business and investment arenas are matched by his astonishing record of philanthropic work.

He is an ideal choice for this key role as the university celebrates its centennial and lays the groundwork for a bold and influential second century.”

Blouw also thanked Pollock for his contributions to the university.

“John Pollock has been a strong advocate for Laurier in the role of chancellor, and he has delighted in his connection with our students,” he said. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to him for his unflagging belief in the importance of post-secondary education, and for his leadership and hard work on behalf of the university.”

Lee-Chin is Laurier’s eighth chancellor since the university became a public institution in

1973. As chancellor, Lee-Chin will be a member of the Board of Governors and Senate, and will serve on the Senate

Michael Lee-Chin’s tenure as Laurier’s chancellor will take effect at an installation ceremony Oct. 28.

LEE-CHIN see page 3

A record-breaking number of Laurier Golden Hawks came back to the Waterloo campus Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 to celebrate the university’s centennial at homecoming 2011. Awash in purple and gold, Laurier’s Waterloo campus

welcomed enthusiastic students, alumni and football fans. A celebration dinner honoured 100 of Laurier’s high-est achieving alumni, while 520 people laced up for the fourth-annual Laurier Loop charity run.





October 2011

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A very special academic year at Wilfrid Laurier University is off to an excellent start. We are celebrating 100 years of exceptional service as an educa-tional and research institution in Ontario and Canada, and recent events and celebrations have been exceptional.

Orientation Week provided an exhilarating welcome to the 4,700 new students who arrived on our Waterloo and Brantford campuses; we announced a new chancellor, Michael Lee-Chin, who epito-mizes Laurier’s institutional proposition of inspiring lives of leadership and purpose; and our centennial celebrations — including another sensational Homecoming weekend — continue to engage and inspire members of the Laurier family and the broader community.

The events of the past few weeks have again highlighted the many assets that Laurier enjoys as an educational insti-tution. We have a well-deserved

reputation for teaching and research excellence, we have a rich and deep institutional heritage, a lively spirit, anda level of interpersonal and institutional engagement that, in combination, distinguish Laurier as a vibrant university with an exciting.

These assets, which every one of you nurture on a daily basis, make Laurier an attractive choice for talented students, accomplished faculty, skilled staff, and generous supporters.

An excellent example of this is the 100 Alumni of Achievement centennial initiative, which concluded with a wonderful gala dinner at Homecoming.

Last year, our Development and Alumni Relations office sent out a call asking people to nominate graduates of Laurier and its predecessor institutions who had demonstrated true leadership and purpose in their lives, their communities and

their professions. The response was

tremendous. The selection committee had a real challenge in narrowing the Alumni of Achievement list to just 100. However, guided by the criteria of leadership and purpose, they did an excellent job in producing a truly inspiring roster of exceptional Laurier alumni. The full list can be found at www.laurieralumni.ca.

Another good example of how successful Laurier is as a university can be found in the quality of our chancellors. Laurier has a wonderful track record of attracting accomplished and committed individuals to the role of chancellor, each of whom has generously shared their knowledge and unique leadership talents for the betterment of the university.

Our incoming chancellor, the successful entrepreneur and noted philanthropist Michael Lee-Chin, has a particular

affinity for Laurier’s emphasis on community engagement, leadership and purpose. His own motto is the Latin phrase prosperitas cum caritate, which speaks to his belief that businesses must “not only do well, but also do good.”

Finally, I would like to thank our outgoing chancellor John Pollock, who has been a strong advocate for Laurier, a

wise counsel and invaluable sounding board for me personally, and who has taken great delight in his connection with our students, faculty and staff.

Dr. Max Blouw, President and Vice-Chancellor

Send us your news, events & stories

Email: [email protected]

All submissions are appreciated, however not all submissions will be published. We reserve the right to edit all copy for accuracy, content and length.

Deadline for submissions: October 15

InsideLaurier

Volume 5, Number 4, October 2011

Editor: Nicholas Dinka

Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison

Design: Erin Steed

Contributors: Sandra Muir, Mallory O’Brien, Lori Chalmers Morrison, Kevin Crowley, Erin Klassen, Sara Lawrence,

Samantha Dzikewicz, Vanessa Parks

InsideLaurier is published by Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing (CPAM)

Wilfrid Laurier University 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5

InsideLaurier welcomes your comments and suggestions for stories.

Tel: (519) 884-0710 ext. 3341 | Fax: (519) 884-8848 Email: [email protected]

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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

Next issue of

November 2011





New academic year gets off to an inspiring start PRESIDENt’S MESSAgE

at Laurier. And in a spirit of collaboration and best practices, the two teams provide support and advice to one another in an effort to help students experi-encing difficulties.

“This is an attempt to bring together a group of people who are aware of students experi-encing various challenges so we can provide timely support and help mitigate future risk,” said

Holland Brown. “We want to help provide the best circum-stances for students’ success.”

Prang, whose co-chair on the Campus Safety and Support Team is Special Constable Service Supervisor James Yuhasz, agrees it is a collaborative and supportive environment.

“It creates a level of community and develops trusting relationships across campus,” said Prang.

CRISIS PROCEDURES continued

Laurier President Max Blouw speaks at the Centennial Alumni Celebration dinner at which the university’s 100 Alumni of Achievement were honoured.

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Internationally acclaimed Somali-Canadian recording artist K’naan performed Sept. 16 before a crowd of 200 guests at the grand opening of the CIGI Campus building in Waterloo.

The new building, designed by KPMB Architects, was built by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), an independent, non-profit think-tank founded by Jim Balsillie of Research In Motion. The CIGI Campus is home to the Balsillie School of International Affairs, a unique academic partnership involving CIGI, Laurier, and the University of Waterloo.

K’naan, who recently returned from a goodwill mission to Somalia, performed three songs at the CIGI Campus opening, including “Wavin’ Flag,” a version of which became the anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Before K’naan took the stage, Jim Balsillie welcomed the 200 guests for the opening and thanked a number of supporters,

including the governments of Canada and Ontario.

Balsillie School Director David Welch, who was among a number of guest speakers, said he was lured away from a “very comfortable position” at the University of Toronto by the mandate to make the Balsillie School of International Affairs the best school of international affairs in the world.

The event also marked the

10th anniversary of CIGI. Led by experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improve-ments.

Founded in 2007, the Balsillie School currently offers three graduate programs, including a Master’s in International Public Policy administered by Laurier.

K’naan opens CIgI Campus building

Wavin’ the CIgI flag: K’naan performs at the opening of the CIgI Campus building.





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October 2011

CENtENNIAL

University to launch centennial history book, new visual identityThe Laurier community is invited to attend ‘Turning the Page’, the joint launch of the university’s centennial history book and the unveiling of the university’s new visual identity on Oct. 21.

Simultaneous events beginning at 3:00 p.m. will be held on both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses. Specific locations will be announced in the near future on the Laurier homepage.

The history book — Leadership and Purpose: A History of Wilfrid Laurier University — was commissioned by the university and written by historian Andrew M. Thomson, a Laurier alumnus and who has frequently taught at Laurier as a contract academic.

Thomson will read from the book and talk about the research that went into it. Copies of the book will be for sale at the event and later in the Laurier bookstores on the Waterloo and Brantford campuses.

The event will also include the unveiling of Laurier’s new visual identity. The university hired renowned design firm Scott Thornley and Company in 2010 to create a centennial logo and to review the university’s overall visual identity.

The centennial logo was launched last fall. Scott Thornley and Company then spent several months meeting with a wide range of groups within the

Laurier community — including students, faculty, staff and alumni — to discuss the univer-sity’s existing visual identity. A webpage was also launched to invite additional comment.

A draft design was developed and those who participated in the initial consultations were invited back to comment on the proposed look. The draft design was then finalized and will be unveiled at the events on Oct. 21.

Edna Staebler Award winner announcedHelen Waldstein Wilkes has won the 2011 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction for Letters from the Lost: A Memoir of Discovery. A ceremony for Waldstein Wilkes was held in the Senate and Board Chamber on the Waterloo campus Oct. 4, with author readings on the Brantford campus and Toronto office.

At age 60, Waldstein Wilkes opened a small box that was left by her father in their southern Ontario home. The box held

“letters from the lost” – letters from family members left behind in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Her book follows the letters’ trail back to Europe to discover “the lost” – her homeland, past and family.

The $10,000 award was and is administered by Laurier, the only Canadian university to bestow a nationally recognized literary award.

Ontario Heritage trust unveils centennial plaqueThe Ontario Heritage Trust has honoured Laurier with a provincial heritage plaque that commemorates the contribution made to the province over the past 100 years by the university and the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, from which the university evolved.

The plaque, unveiled Sept. 23 before a delighted crowd of staff, faculty, alumni, students and guests, has been situated along a walkway between the seminary and the university library on the Waterloo campus.

The message on the plaque, written in both English and French, speaks to the origins of the seminary in 1911 and how the institution that was eventually called Wilfrid Laurier University grew from it over the course of a century of devel-opment and change.

Reception held in honour of 100 Years of ResearchAs part of its centennial activities, Laurier hosted a reception on Oct. 3 to celebrate its long tradition of research, scholarship and creative activity.

The 100 Years of Research event was held at the Communitech Hub in downtown Kitchener and featured remarks by Laurier President Max Blouw and Vice-President Academic Deborah MacLatchy, as well as an address by Vice-President Research Abby Goodrum entitled, Why Research Matters.

“As we celebrate our centennial anniversary at Wilfrid Laurier University, we proudly honour our institution’s history of research, scholarship and creative activity,” said Goodrum. “That history has long been deeply rooted in meeting the needs of our society, our economy and our community.”

NEWS What’s new and notable at Laurier

LEE-CHIN continued

honorary degree committee and the Board Development Committee. He will also preside over graduation ceremonies and will officially bestow all degrees and diplomas. Chancellors of the university generally serve for a term of four years and may be appointed to a second term.

“It is a great honour and a pleasure for me to accept this position as Laurier’s chancellor,” Lee-Chin said. “I have been impressed by the university and by the track record and energy of its people. I look forward to doing whatever I can in my new role to help the university continue to build its reputation, differen-tiate itself from other univer-sities, and do a great job of meeting students’ needs in the 21st century.”

One of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, Lee-Chin has frequently been included on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires. As a philanthropist, he has contributed to a wide range of causes, including his 2003 donation of $30 million to the Royal Ontario Museum for its renovation by architect Daniel Libeskind.

Lee-Chin is chairman of Portland Holdings, a privately held investment company that owns businesses in the media, tourism, health care, telecom-munications, financial services and other sectors. Portland manages the Advantage group of mutual funds for Manulife Financial, and is also owner of the National Commercial Bank of Jamaica, the country’s largest bank, with more than 2,400 employees.

Born in Port Antonio, Jamaica in 1951, Lee-Chin worked in his youth in his stepfather’s grocery store and in the engine room of a cruise ship. He came to Canada at age 19 to study civil engineering at McMaster University on a scholarship.

Lee-Chin came to promi-nence after purchasing mutual fund company AIC Limited in 1987 and developing it into the Berkshire group of companies, which ran a number of leading Canadian mutual funds, among other activities. Manulife Financial acquired Berkshire in 2007 in exchange for stock, making Portland one of Manulife’s largest shareholders.

Lee-Chin has won numerous awards and honours for his business and philanthropic achievements, including the Order of Jamaica, Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year (services category), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. He holds several honorary degrees – including honorary doctor of laws degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University, McMaster University, and the University of Toronto – and sits on the board of the Trust for the Americas.

Upcoming EventsBook launch: I Remember Laurier: Reflections by Retirees on Life at WLU – Oct. 13, 4 p.m. Paul Martin Centre, Waterloo campus

gwynne Dyer, “A New Middle East” lecture – Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m. RAC West, Room 002, Brantford campus

Sir Wilfrid Laurier Statue Unveiling Ceremony – Tuesday, Oct. 18, 1 p.m. Waterloo campus Amphitheatre

Jill Bolte taylor Lecture – Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m. Commu-nitech Hub, Kitchener

Re-Imagine Conference: the Role and Future of Universities in a Changing World – Thursday, Oct. 20, all day, Senate and Board Chambers

turning the Page: centennial history book launch and visual identity unveiling – Friday, Oct. 21, 3 p.m., locations TBA

Centennial Opera gala – Friday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m. Knox Presbyterian Church, Waterloo

Ahead by a Century: the Final Evening – Saturday, Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. Bingemans Ballroom

Sunday in the Hall with Jane – Sunday, Oct. 30, 2 p.m. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campus

Rae surveys a century of Canadian politicsPh

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One of Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s most important legacies as a politician was his ambitious vision of Canada’s potential as a country—a vision he acquired in part from his rival Sir John A. Macdonald, says Bob Rae, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

“Macdonald had a big vision, a big sense of the country’s possi-bilities,” Rae said during a recent public lecture at the university’s Waterloo campus. “Laurier learned from MacDonald to see Canada’s potential as bigger, grander, bolder than the individual communities that made up the sum of the parts.”

It is a vision of Canada that the country could use more of today, said Rae, observing that current forces seem to be driving apart different geographic regions, ethnic groups and religious communities rather than bringing them together.

A former chancellor of Wilfrid Laurier University, Rae returned to campus Sept. 22 to deliver a public lecture as part of a series entitled “100 Years after Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier: Canada’s Political Landscape.” The series celebrates the univer-sity’s centennial in 2011 and the 100 years since Sir Wilfrid

ended his 15-year term as prime minister on Oct. 6, 1911.

During Laurier’s time, Canada experienced rapid growth and dramatic change, much of which involved a growing tension between the country’s colonial ties to Great Britain and its burgeoning economic ties to the United States.

What helped Laurier navigate these challenges, Rae said, was his keen understanding that foreign policy was an extension of domestic policy, and that government actions abroad had to be sensitive to public issues at home.

Bob Rae gave a public lecture as part of the centennial celebrations on Laurier’s Waterloo campus on Sept. 22.

the golden Hawk poses with students at the Laurier Brantford homecom-ing baseball double-header vs. the guelph gryphons, Sept. 24.

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October 2011

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What are you reading?

What are you eating?

What are you watching?

What are you listening to?





Name: Becca CarollJob title: Dean of Students, Laurier BrantfordRestaurant: Warmington’s BistroDish: asiago chicken wrap

Being new to Brantford, I asked people about great lunch spots near campus. Many students and staff were polled in my experiment, but it took a colleague’s warm welcome (Learning Services Centre Coordinator Jenna Olender) to introduce me to my favourite spot – Warmington’s Bistro. The asiago chicken wrap is delightful.

Name: Vanessa ParksJob title: Publications CoordinatorBook title: The English PatientArtist: Michael Ondaatje

I am currently re-reading one of my favourite books, The English Patient. It’s the story of a young woman, Hana, and the burn patient she’s caring for in an abandoned and dilapidated Italian villa near the end of the Second World War. I love the way Ondaatje strings together the distinct stories of the four main characters – Hana, the English patient, Caravaggio and Kip – in a fragmented but rich reflection on love, loss and belonging. I’m looking forward to breaking the spine on my copy of Ondaatje’s latest novel, The Cat’s Table.

Laurier staff load up the Golden Hawk varsity bus Sept. 21 – the United Way’s Day of Caring and official campaign kick-off – with donations to the Food Bank of Water-loo Region. Laurier donated over 1,500 pounds of food to the cause.

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Hawk bus gets a special cargo

Author Yvonne Shorter Brown coming to LaurierAuthor, educator and social justice advocate Yvonne Shorter Brown will be leading a public lecture and reading from her critically acclaimed memoir Dead Woman Pickney: A Memoir of Childhood in Jamaica Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. in Laurier’s Senate and Board Chamber.

Brown’s visit – organized by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Education – comes as the United Nations marks 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent.

“This is an opportunity to honour the aims of that UN initiative and to open up a dialogue about how relevant her story is today,” said Carol Duncan, co-organizer of the event and an associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies.

Dead Woman Pickney (WLU Press 2010) is a coming-of-age story that takes place in Jamaica from 1943 to 1965. The author’s personal experiences parallel the political stages of Jamaica’s transition from the richest Crown colony of Great Britain to an independent nation within

the British Commonwealth of Nations.

“Dr. Brown is able to skillfully move between autobiographical narrative and historical context in a way that is very engaging,” said Duncan.

In addition to the public

lecture and reading, Brown will visit Duncan’s class, Religion and Culture of the African Diaspora, Nov. 1. She will also facilitate a workshop on autobiography, narrative and memoir for faculty members and graduate students in the Faculty of Education and in graduate programs associated with the Faculty of Arts.

“One’s autobiography is what so often dictates how we view the world and can influence

research, but it often goes unana-lyzed,” said Kristiina Montero, co-organizer of the event and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education. “Brown will provide a broader-lens view of education.”

Brown is a retired public school teacher, university lecturer, researcher, writer, and social justice advocate. She recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship on “Slavery, Memory, Citizenship” at the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migration of African Peoples. Her research, writing and workshops deal with

how the legacies of the transat-lantic slave trade and plantation slavery on the continent of Africa and in its diasporas are remem-bered in various struggles for citizenship.

The Oct. 31 event is free and open to the public. The Department of Religion and Culture, the Faculty of Education Dean Colleen Willard-Holt, the Office of the Dean of Arts and the Diversity Office are sponsoring this event.

Yvonne Shorter Brown will visit Laurier on Oct. 31.

Scholars Commons a new academic resource for staff and studentsBy Lori Chalmers Morrison

Laurier has launched Scholars Commons @ Laurier – an online digital repository of academic work that serves as both a research tool and a showcase for faculty and graduate students.

Scholars Commons provides free, public access to the intel-lectual, creative and academic work of the Laurier community, including graduate theses and dissertations, conference and symposium materials and online journals.

“Digital repositories are designed to supplement, not replace, academic journals,” said Deborah MacLatchy, vice-president: academic. “By becoming part of Scholars Commons, faculty and graduate students’ academic work can become publicly available, which not only makes knowledge more accessible for students and community members conducting research, but also increases exposure for Laurier scholars and their research efforts.”

Launched in September, Scholars Commons is a third-party hosted site, maintained by the Wilfrid Laurier University Library and WLU Press. The project received Strategic Investment Funding, and has ties to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Office of Research, the Office of the Vice-President Academic and the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.

Digital repositories are used by a large number of universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. In Ontario alone, McMaster University, Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario all have digital repositories hosted by the Berkeley Electronic Press, the electronic publishing firm chosen for the Scholars Commons initiative.

“Scholars Commons already contains over 1,200 existing documents from the Library’s archives, and we are working to make the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disar-mament Studies’ academic journal available electronically,” said Caitlin Bakker, digital content projects coordinator. “We will begin to request research from faculty members in November, which we expect to upload beginning in December.”

Faculty members interested in submitting research before November are welcome to contact Bakker at [email protected].

Coinciding with Laurier’s centennial year, Scholars Commons will also feature archival issues of The Cord on the site, dating back to 1926.

“Scholars Commons serves as a public gallery of Laurier’s academic work,” says Bakker.

“Current and future researchers can now preserve, share and promote their work worldwide for years to come.”

Authors will receive monthly download reports and a

permanent URL for each of their items featured in the repository, which can be included on CVs and blogs. Scholars Commons will also be fully searchable through search engines such as Google, and entries can include multimedia and supplemental data files.

Beyond the benefits of promoting research through digital repositories, a growing number of funding agencies are adopting policies that require that research be publicly acces-sible.

All graduate students in the departments of Biology and Chemistry must now submit their theses through Scholars Commons @ Laurier, with other departments and faculties expected to follow in the future. Ultimately, the electronic submission process will be less time consuming and less expensive for students and administrators than the current paper process, which requires students to pay for four bound printed copies of their theses or dissertation.

Laurier’s library will work closely with researchers and academic journals regarding copyrights. Authors retain all rights to their work, which means that no transfer of copyright will occur by depos-iting research in Scholars Commons.

For more information about the project, please contact Caitlin Bakker at [email protected] or visit http://scholars.wlu.ca.





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New Appointments

Cindi Wieg senior administrative assistant, Department of History

Shannon Dub advisor, Service Laurier

Robyn Cook communication coordinator, Toronto Office

Dennis Karn custodian, Physical Resources

Marc Bauer production cook, Food Services

Megan Lott residence life facilitator, Residence Services

Stefan Todoroff education technology administrator, Educational Technology

Dara Pappas counselor, Brantford campus

Tara Velanoff manager, Brantford Retail & Printing, Printing Services, Brantford campus

Michael Bittle administration assistant II, History Department

Sandra Davidson director, Budgets and Business Office, Financial Resources

Joanne Baria-Lai co-op co-ordinator, Co-op Office

Joey Clayfield production cook, Food Services

Brent Carpenter project co-ordinator (Renovation and Construction), Physical Resources

Aundrea Massengale custodian, Physical Resources

Roopa Reddy external co-op coordinator, Co-op Office

Janice Maarhuis designer II, CPAM

Jocelyn Jacob supervisor, Stedman Bookstore, Brantford

Jessica Buckle academic receptionist, Dean’s Office, Brantford

Kirsten Pries administration assistant II, Sociology

Changes in staff appointments

Victoria Bain RLAC, Residential Services

Richard Brown admissions specialist II, Admissions & Recruitment

Catherine O’Brien welcome centre co-ordinator, Brantford campus

Janell McGill access services assistant, Library

Kristina Huff-Malecki academic programs assistant, Brantford Campus

Megan Piticco co-ordinator: digital media hub, University Community Relations

Carolyn Morrison technical support specialist, ITS

Christina Kerr prospect researcher, Advancement

Jordan Packham ESL facilitator, Brantford campus

Mark Dettweiler director: Planning, Design & Construction, Physical Resources

Ray Robichaud director, Business & Facility Operations, Physical Resources

Steve Simone custodian, Physical Resources

Denise MacDonald leadhand, Peters Tim Hortons, Food Services

Irm Lorfing leadhand, Peters Tim Hortons, Food Services

Carolyn Marchand FSA – catering, Food Services

Ben Waite grill cook, Food Services

Malgorzata Zych FSA – Dining Hall, Food Services

Charlene Mark administrative assistant, Laurier International

Retirements

Lynne Doyle senior administrative assistant, Department of History

For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hrPEOPLE At LAURIER

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Q: I often walk down Bricker Avenue and have always wondered about the house between Bricker Residence and the parking lot off Chancellor Drive. What’s the story?

A: It’s easy to miss amidst academic and residence buildings, but the house at 46 Bricker Ave. remains the only non-university property on the Laurier block bordered by Bricker Avenue, Albert Street, University Avenue and King Street.

Who lives in this residential oasis in the middle of campus? 46 Bricker Ave. is the home of Mary Jo Guy, a retired teacher origi-nally from Wisconsin who also happens to be a former Waterloo College student.

The house was purchased in 1952 by Mary Jo’s mother and stepfather, and became Mary Jo’s home as well in 1953 when she came to Waterloo to study for a year before moving to New York.

Mary Jo recalls the laying of the Arts building cornerstone shortly after she arrived in Waterloo. “At

that time,” she notes, “the campus was just starting to expand, but we weren’t expecting the kind of growth that has happened since.”

After nearly 40 years in the U.S., Mary Jo returned to Waterloo in 1990 following her mother’s death to reconnect with friends she’d met here while visiting. “I love being here,” she says, “and I love this house. I came back to be among friends.”

And now she’s surrounded by them. Today, 46 Bricker is tucked neatly into the campus and across the street from a number of off-campus residences. “I live in a ghetto,” Mary Jo jokes, but the truth is, aside from occasional parking challenges, she likes her neighbourhood. She enjoys chatting with students and maintaining connections with the university community.

Next time you’re walking by 46 Bricker Ave., stop in and introduce yourself. Mary Jo can tell you something about the history of the thriving campus that has grown up around her little home.

CAMPUS DECODER Got a question? Send it to [email protected]

In spring 2011 Laurier launched the “100 Words” Centennial Drabble Contest to celebrate the university’s 100th anniversary. Participants were asked to write a fiction story exactly 100 words long that explored one of the following topics: “inspira-tion,” “leadership” or “purpose.” More than 200 entries from staff, faculty, students and com-munity members were received.

Associate English Professor Tamas Dobozy, Director: WLU Press Brian Henderson and As-sociate English Professor Tanis MacDonald judged the contest. The winners were announced this fall, and celebrated at an event Sept. 29.

“We were pleased to discover the variety of approaches that writers took to the challenge of composing a drabble; the stringency of that hundred-word limit forced the writers to sharpen their diction and focus their intent,” said MacDonald.

“The entries explored a range of topics in each of the assigned categories, and the winners all showed their ability to adhere to form while demonstrating innovative or strikingly original use of language.”

Including the winning drabbles, 48 entries were published in an official book available at the Laurier bookstores on the Wa-terloo and Brantford campuses.

100 words for 100 years: Centennial drabble contest winners announced

Overall winner:

PieceBy Emily Bednarz

Get an idea. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen: a van and SUV change lanes in tandem. A smooth transition, a sweep of motion across the highway. Things move together after all. Wednesday morning, the guts of a university – waste management workers bring coffee to each other, shining spring light. Library assistants shelve books only named by number, sullen grey clouds. Students of various hue and disposition trudge and stretch the campus, still in darkness, looking for daylight or sunset or raincloud or hurricane. Balancing along the ridgepole of the farmhouse, attempting to reach the weathervane.

“Inspiration” category winner:

LauriferBy Eileen Morouney

How she dreaded the encounter. She’d endured 1,285 kilometres of trepidation accompanied by humming rubber. She would never be free of his relentless demands and threats – a meeting to negotiate, he’d said. Last week a process server had materialized with a gift from the Halls of Justice, resplendent with stamps, seals and fancy signatures.

The crumbling front steps looked completely unchanged. A cold sweat broke as she rang the bell and listened. A rusty spade, jagged edges encrusted with dirt, was propped by the door. As it opened, she swung with all her might. The drive home would be better.

“Leadership” category winner:

Leap of FaithBy Brian Gabriel Smith

“Awrrright! Who’s with me?”One lemming cleared his throat. “Gee, Frank, it’s… pretty far

down.”Frank pointed his tiny paw skyward. “You think that crow’s

thinking, Boo-hoo, it’s so far down!”Heads shook, no.

“Know why?”“Cos he’s a bird?”“But not a chicken!” Frank clarified.The troublemaker peeked over the edge. “It’s just… all those little

carcasses down there.”Staring down the crowd, Frank spoke softly. “You wanna sit here

forever overthinking this, fine! I’ll send you a postcard from the stars!”That pride felt while plunging earthward, surrounded by the others’

screams – it gave Frank wings. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

“Purpose” category winner:

Peach TreeBy Nicholas Dinka

At roadside there stood a peach tree, and one fine summer day while cycling past he reached out to pluck ripe fruit from branch. Juices drabbling down his chin, he crested hilltop, one-handed. But he’d gained excessive speed, and missed a stop sign coming down, slick fingers slipping from the brake. When the paramedic bent to admin-ister CPR, her eyes widened as she tasted nectar on his lips. The peach, half-eaten, landed roadside; picked clean by ants, it endured wind and snow, heat and cold, became a tree. On summer days its branches, laden with fruit, overhung the road, beckoning.





October 2011

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“In our modern age the distinction between war and peace has become a whole lot less clear. What is required is more candour from the politicians to the public. They have to say, ‘We are making this important move and it is an important commitment.’”

– Roger Sarty, Department of History

From “There are reasons why Obama wanted to Sanitize Libya involvement,” published in the National Post on August 27, 2011. The article, by Charles Lewis, discusses Western countries’ use of euphemisms such as “operation” and “inter-vention” to describe the war in Libya.

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.

What is your typical workday like?I start my day at around 7 a.m. – usually working at home first – and then I go to either the Brantford or Waterloo campus for meetings. I spend a fair bit of time travelling back and forth between both campuses to attend meetings, work on multi-campus projects, and consult with Waterloo-based specialists.

About 30 to 60 per cent of my workday is spent in various meetings. These meetings could be related to financial, admin-istrative, or facility activities including capital planning and the growth of the campus. Campus growth is a priority right now, and I spend a lot of time looking at different kinds of properties that the university

might be interested in and how we might be able to use them. We may or may not buy those properties, depending on whether they fit the vision of the campus master plan.

The rest of my time is spent managing financial and human resources operations, special constable services, and health and safety. I also spend a lot of time volunteering on a number of committees both internally and externally. I’m on the committee for the President’s Innovation Seed Fund, as well as Brantford’s Downtown Action Committee.

What do you like to do in your spare time? One of my hobbies is renovation. I’m currently renovating my

basement, which includes a recreation room, exercise area and a library. A passion of my entire family is book collecting. For me, I like anything from science fiction to “How To” books, and even a few ghost books. We’ve tried to pare down our collection but I would guess it’s in the 500-book range right now. I have tried reading books electronically, but it doesn’t have the same feel as picking up a great paper book, although it certainly would free up some space!

Sailing is another passion in my family. We have a number of sailboats. They range in size, but most are small single-handed sail boats or ones that can handle five or six people. They are all primarily day sailors. We

belong to the Oxford Sailing Club in Woodstock, and we try to get out to events there at least a couple of times a month.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?I like to ride motorcycles, generally sport bikes like Yamaha with 500 and 1,000 CC engines. My 25-year-old son also likes to drive bikes. My two daughters (aged 24 and 22) prefer to ride on the back, although my youngest daughter has been debating getting her license.

In the early 1980s, I rode out to Winnipeg and back. That was probably the longest trip I’ve ever taken on a bike.

What do you like most about working at Laurier?What I think I like the most is the opportunity to get involved in so many different types of activities and projects. Laurier has an environment that welcomes participation. Working in the post-secondary sector is also very positive because it’s an environment that offers positive and life-changing activities for most people.

What are your plans for the future?I’m currently working towards a master’s degree in Integrated Studies in Leadership. I think it will be a great addition to my business background.

By Sandra Muir

COFFEE WItH A CO-WORKER

Name: Tony Araujo

title: Director, Campus Operations at Laurier Brantford

Where you can find him: The SC Johnson Building, Room 406

Drink of choice: I drink probably two to three cups a day of dark roast coffee with a splash of milk.

How long have you been at Laurier: I joined Laurier on February 11, 2008.

A fan of do-it-yourself home renovation projects, tony Araujo also enjoys both sailing and motorcycling.

In the media

Roger Sarty

COMINg EvENtS For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events

Music at NoonWhen: Nov. 17, 12 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campusCost: FreeEnjoy Marcus Scholtes, violin and piano, in this edition of the weekly Thursday concert series.

Teaching and Technology Community of PracticeWhen: Nov. 16, 10 a.m.Where: GSA Grad Lounge, Waterloo campusCost: FreeThis community in practice is a forum where faculty and educators from multiple disci-plines can come together to share experiences and lessons learned about how to engage and interact with technology in the classroom (or as the classroom). Contact Mary Neil at [email protected] or visit http://wluteachingandtechnology.wikispaces.com/ for more information.

Physical activity discussionWhen: Nov. 16 12 p.m.Location: 111 Darling St., Brantford campusCost: FreeJoin the Aboriginal Student Association and the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI) as they discuss physical activity. Learn activity tips, some facts, and meet someone new. Contact Marnie Antoniow at [email protected] for more information.

Laurier Brantford Brown Bag Faculty Research TalkWhen: Nov. 22, 12 p.m.Location: CB 100, Brantford campus TKCost: FreeKate Rossiter of the faculty of Health Studies gives a talk on using theatre to engage bioethical thinking. Contact Gary Warrick at [email protected] for more information.

Dr. ZhivagoWhen: Nov. 24, 7 p.m.Where: BA 101, Waterloo CampusCost: FreeAs part of its popular Free Film Series, the Department of English and Film Studies presents Dr. Zhivago. Organized around the theme “Cinema With a Social Conscience,” the ten films selected for this term emphasize social and political subjects that have shaped the distinctive spirit of particular times and places.

Music at NoonWhen: Nov. 24, 12 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, Waterloo campusCost: FreeThis edition of the free weekly concert series features Ton Beau String Quartet.

Writing CircleWhen: Nov. 25, 11 a.m.Where: Hawk’s Nest, Waterloo campusCost: Free

The writing circle is meant to provide a open forum where Laurier faculty and educators can come together from multiple disciplines to share experiences, best practices, and lessons learned about how to develop and integrate writing assignments into the learning environment. Contact Mary Neil at [email protected] or visit http://wluwritingcircle.wikispaces.com/ for more information on the group.

WLU Symphony Orchestra: NUMUS SeriesWhen: Nov. 26, 8 p.m.Where: Theatre Auditorium,

Waterloo campusCost: $10 - $24 NUMUS, one of Canada’s foremost new music organiza-tions, joins with the Wilfrid Laurier University Symphony Orchestra for a show that features a stellar collection of virtuoso instrumentalists performing major recent works for soloists with orchestra.

Laurier GMAT Information SessionWhen: Nov. 29, 12 p.m.Location: Laurier Toronto Office, The Exchange Tower | 130 King Street West, TorontoCost: Free

Heard on twitter

Check out what the Laurier community has been tweeting about at twitter.com/lauri-ernews.

Laurier also has official sites on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LaurierNow and Youtube at www.youtube.com/Lauriervideo.

@LauriertO Very excited to welcome Katharine Schmidt from @foodbankscanada to the office! I will be tweeting during the event so stay tuned #nonprofit Sept. 21, 2011

@LaurierFootball The @CFL has named #Laurier-Football’s Shamawd Chambers the #2 prospect in their September rankings: bit.ly/lxnPV8 #OUA #CIS Sept. 19, 2011

@LaurierNews Are you in Laurier’s Faces of O-Week Facebook album? Check out the friendly faces of Laurier! on.fb.me/oOzx5Z #Laurier #wluoweek Sept. 9, 2011

@Careertips2go Got quick & helpful service from Laurier Library in Brantford today. Thanks @LaurierNews Sept. 6, 2011

@MacBerry I was there RT @LaurierTO: RT @LaurierNews: Today’s #Laurier100 fact – Neil Young performed at Laurier’s Theatre Auditorium October 29, 1973 Aug. 29, 2011





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October 2011

By Sandra Muir

While we may never see a Nike swoosh on a cave drawing or find a polo horse on a prehis-toric tunic, the need to identify with a brand has a place in evolution – and is one of several areas of research that Brad Davis will focus on in his new role as Laurier’s inaugural chair of Brand Communication.

“So much of what we do as consumers is hard-wired into us,” says Davis. “Every culture we have ever examined through history has put intangible value on to material objects. Materi-alism didn’t used to be a dirty word. It was just the idea that certain objects possessed special meanings or conveyed a social standing.”

As humans have evolved so has our connection to brands, says Davis. In today’s consumer culture where there is even more choice, brands have become much more important in defining who we are and what sort of different tribes we belong to. One test, he says, is to time how long it takes for someone to identify with a brand in a conversation. Typically, it doesn’t take that long.

“Brand possession is often an expression of our social standing and groups we belong to, and those are elements of society that have always been there in one form or another.”

The human connection to objects is not the only thing that has evolved. Brand communi-cation is also still evolving, and Davis plans to help prepare future leaders for what’s ahead.

“We are seeing real techno-logical change. Passive commu-nications is gone,” he says. “If we can produce students that understand that, then they can lead change.”

Davis, who has an MBA and PhD in advertising, started out as an “advertising guy.” When the traditional advertising model began to die out in the 1990s, there was a move toward integrated marketing commu-nication (IMC), which was intended to be more strategic in perspective. He remembers a pivotal moment at an IMC conference in Denver in 1994 that opened up the idea of brand communication.

“The essence of the discussion [at the conference] was that IMC had failed; that the industry had really just seen IMC as consis-tency across media. They still didn’t get the strategic part of it.”

He says there was a lot of discussion about what IMC should evolve into, and the general consensus was that brand communication was the future. In contrast to IMC, brand communication encompasses all communication content and the idea that everything your

organization does reflects the brand.

“As a business, you can do a multi-million-dollar ad campaign and then as a client you can call and get a real snotty receptionist and that ad means nothing,” says Davis.

“Consumers absorb all sorts of experiences and we read things and hear things and we create brand identities that way. So you have to be conscious of every single thing your organi-zation does in terms of what that says about who you are.”

When asked if there are any brands that do really well, Davis says there are a few – Dove, Coke, Cirque du Soleil, Campbell’s, Nike…. unfortunately there aren’t many Canadian brands on the list.

“Most of the brands that are successful have been around for quite a while. They have a real understanding of what their brand is and what it means to consumers, and they keep true to that,” Davis notes.

You also have to be consistent about your brand. For example, Nike is a lifestyle brand, which means it can put its swoosh on almost anything as long as they remain consistent with that lifestyle attitude. Virgin is also a brand that stands for an attitude or lifestyle, says Davis. In contrast, Roots, which is more closely tied specifically to apparel, tried to brand hotels and airlines and consumers said no.

“If you know who you are then you know how far you can go with this and what you stand for.”

Surprisingly, studies suggest the most powerful Canadian brand is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – and Davis says the lack of other strong brands here is a problem. But he plans to help change that. Shortly after being named Canada’s first chair in Brand Communication in the summer of 2011, he began working on plans for new undergraduate and graduate curricula at Laurier that will combine theory and practical experience.

He will also continue to watch the evolution of brand by staying connected to the marketing community. He foresees big changes ahead. The emergence of social networking has killed passive communica-tions. Today, companies can track customers much more easily than in the past, and the timeline is faster and much more condensed. Anyone who tries to apply the old model to new media won’t be able to compete.

“Laurier has one of the strongest marketing faculties among Canadian universities,” he says. “This gives us an opportunity to be a flagship brand ourselves.”

RESEARCH FILE

Brad Davis studies brand communication, its effect on businesses and its evolutionary rootsSchool of Business and Economics gets a brand-new chair

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Brad Davis, Laurier’s inaugural chair of Brand Communication, says that corporate brands taps into deep human instincts. “So much of what we do as consumers is hard-wired into us. Every culture we have ever examined through history has put intangible value on to material objects.”

What is a brand?One quick definition is that it is the sum of a consumer’s experiences. So it’s not the Nike logo, it’s what you feel when you see the logo. It’s a much more complicated structure than just awareness of a trademark or logo.

Why are brands important?Social networking gives consumers a voice they never had before. But even before social media there was this idea that physical changes to your product were not a sustainable competitive advantage. Innovation is too easy to copy. So you can get into this loop so that every six months you have to add an attribute and re-launch – or

you can understand that with a lot of these brands it’s more about the intangible appeal.

How do brands evolve?Often you start on a physical level, building a product that solves a problem, and then you involve the intangibles around it. You have to satisfy the functionality of your product’s market, and you cannot overlook the quality aspect – but you also can’t underestimate the other side. It’s tangible plus intangible attributes that create strong brands.

What makes a brand successful?Most of the brands that are successful have a real

understanding of what their brand is and what it means to consumers, and they keep true to that. If you know who you are, you know how far you can go. Otherwise it just looks like a cash grab and today’s consumers won’t accept blatant marketing hype.

What is an obstacle to successful branding?There is pressure on managers to expand rapidly so they usually push brands too far, too fast. Consumers say, ‘Hey wait a minute,’ and then they start to pull themselves back. Brand extensions have almost as high a failure rate as a new product launch.

Q&A: how branding works





October 2011

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IN tHE CLASSROOM A look inside the lecture hall

Photo: Tomasz Adamskiginette Lafrenière (centre) emphasizes authenticity in her teaching, and encourages students to speak up when they encounter injustice.

Caring for communities

O yeah! Orientation week a centennial festival of silliness

this year’s Orientation Week, Sept. 5 to 10, greeted Laurier’s largest-ever incoming class of first years: nearly 4,000 on the Waterloo campus, and about 700 on the Brantford campus. Red Ninjas, Blue Bots, green

Phantoms and gold Buccaneers for the title of loudest and most absurd posse on campus. Meanwhile, Shinerama, founded by Laurier students 50 years ago this fall, raised $147,823.90 for cystic fibrosis.

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Professor: Ginette Lafrenière

Class: SK501 Community Inter-ventions (master’s level)

Description: This course provides an introduction to concepts, theories and methods associated with social work practice in communities.

Associate Professor Ginette Lafrenière says it’s important to be authentic when teaching graduate social work students and to encourage them to criti-cally examine what is going on around them.

“Social workers often contend with rigid and oppressive systems which may contradict the values of empowerment and mutual respect which are inherent in social work practice,” she says. “To understand the textured nature of social work, students are encouraged to work with seasoned social workers on a variety of projects.”

Because they are based in Kitchener’s downtown core, students can work with agencies on a variety of community development projects regarding domestic violence, homelessness and poverty. Lafrenière hopes her students will not be afraid to speak up and dismantle unjust systems everywhere they go.

“The future of social work depends on it,” she says.

By Mallory O’Brien

Oct 2011 – insideLaurier

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