Dec. 2010 insideLaurier

Journalist opens Laurier Brantford lecture seriesJournalist, author and documentary film producer Debi Goodwin visited Laurier Brantford’s Odeon Building Nov. 16 as the first speaker in the new Laurier Brantford Lives of Leadership and Purpose centennial speaker series.

Goodwin shared stories from her latest book, Citizens of Nowhere, which grew out of an award-winning documentary of the same name she produced for CBC’s The National. The book tells the stories of 11 Somali refugees, following them from a cluster of Kenyan refugee camps through their journey to Canada to their eventual enrolment at Canadian universities.

“I’m hoping those who read (the book) get to know them as individuals,” Goodwin told the Laurier Brantford audience.

The students featured in the project were sponsored to come to Canada by the World University Service Canada.

“In Debi’s writing we witness

the challenges these individuals face during their first year in their new home,” said Andrew Robinson, associate professor of Human Rights and Human Diversity at Laurier Brantford.

“Further, in Debi’s effort to illus-trate the human side of global migration, we see one exampleof the kind of life of purpose that

SPEAKER SERIES see page 2

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

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



3 Centennial play Remembering for the Future dramatizes university’s history.

8Wilfrid Laurier University • December 2010

Have a seat next to Sir Wilfrid Laurier

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Laurier community shows off its moves at November Open House.

Campus Decoder: Why is there a lawn on the roof of the Terrace?

By Sandra Muir

Standing on Barry Ries’ desk in Laurier’s Research Services Office is a small, colourful figurine of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. It is the same miniature that Ries, a former member of the Laurier Board of Governors, took to a board meeting a few years ago.

“I reached into my bag and pulled out my plastic figure of Laurier and said, ‘This is the biggest statue of Laurier on campus. I think it’s time for us to get a life-sized version,’” said the editorial/communications officer.

Last year he proposed the idea to Laurier’s centennial planning committee, and in October 2011 Ries and everyone else in the Laurier community will be able to sit down on a granite bench next to a life-sized bronze statue of Sir Wilfrid. The statue, designed by Canadian artist Marlene Hilton Moore, will be unveiled next year as part of the university’s centennial celebra-tions.

Laurier’s Centennial Statue Committee, chaired by Ries, selected the statue concept in late November from among five designs by three artists, the concepts featuring Sir Wilfrid at different ages and in various poses. The committee ultimately chose Hilton Moore’s seated bench statue for its accessi-bility, its approachability, its playfulness, and its youth.

“It has to be somebody you can get photographed beside. It has to be playful enough that students want to put a scarf around his neck,” said Ries.

“But despite his rather casual appearance, we still know who he is and what he will become.

LAURIER STATUE see page 2

Design by artist Marlene Hilton Moore wins Waterloo campus statue commission

By Mallory O’Brien

Laurier has received its first ratings from two different North American organiza-tions dedicated to improving environmental sustainability on university campuses.

The first rating is a grade from the College Sustainability Report Card, an annual evaluation of North American colleges and universities. Laurier received a B- in the report, with strong scores in the categories of food services and recycling and composting programs.

The second rating is a bronze score from the Sustain-ability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustain-ability in Higher Education. Laurier excelled in sustain-ability research, dining services and water consumption, and creating a diverse community and culture of inclusivity.

“The completion of the STARS program and the grade received from the College Sustainability Report Card recognize the hard work of Laurier to become a leader in campus sustainability,” said Laurier’s Sustainability Coordinator Sarah English. “It shows that even though we have room for improvement, we are

making a real effort to minimize our environmental footprint. It’s a positive first step that reflects all the accomplishments Laurier has achieved in only one year.”

Laurier’s Sustainability Office opened in January 2010 with a

mandate to improve sustain-ability on campus. Last year’s

“Going Greener” report by the Council of Ontario Universities recognized Laurier both for developing its sustainability policy and for adapting a green cleaning program and energy management plan.

Laurier has also been making strides with new sustainable building designs, such as the Laurier Brantford Research & Academic Centre, which was designed to achieve LEED certification, as well as with improved food waste and sustainable transportation programs.

The results of the STARS assessment and the College Sustainability Report Card will aid in the development of Laurier’s Sustainability Action Plan in 2011. The information can also be used to chart the university’s environmental

SUSTAINABILITY see page 3

Laurier makes strides in sustainabilityMarlene Hilton Moore’s winning concept for the Laurier statue. The bronze statue is due on the Waterloo campus in late 2011.

These assessments will

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New environmental ratings show positive first steps





December 2010

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International engagement essential for the health of a universityI recently had the opportunity to participate in a delegation of 15 Canadian university presidents who traveled to India to meet with educators, government officials and business leaders.

Our goal was to lay the groundwork for opportunities that will enrich the academic experiences of our students and faculty, and advance research collaboration in one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

What I learned during the seven-day mission affirmed my belief that international partner-ships are essential for the health of a university and the good of the societies in which they operate.

Knowledge is a universal commodity that transcends the boundaries of individual states. Scholars, researchers and students have known and benefited from this for centuries, sharing their views and discoveries and steadily adding to humankind’s body of knowledge. In today’s hyper-connected world, infor-

mation technology has escalated the sharing and advancement of knowledge exponen-tially.

On the level of pure research, universities can reap enormous benefits from strategic collaboration with universities in other parts of the world, and by seeking to attract the most talented researchers and graduate students from around the globe.

The same holds true on a more practical level. The knowledge sector of the global economy is the force driving prosperity in Ontario and elsewhere. Therefore we must continue to provide our domestic students with the best education possible, and increasingly that requires us to attract the best researchers and graduate students from wherever they are to be found, within Canada and abroad.

It also requires us to establish mutually beneficial partner-ships with foreign universities,

especially in countries that understand the importance of the knowledge sector and are providing substantial support to their universities.

India is one such country. With a fast-growing economy and a population of more than one billion people, there is a huge demand for higher education. India has responded by increasing post-secondary spending by 40 percent. This has given a tremendous boost to the research capabilities of Indian universities, with reports suggesting that India could surpass the research capacity of

each G8 country within the next decade.

However, India has determined that it cannot meet its popula-tion’s demand for higher education on its own. Consequently, it is encouraging interna-tional partnerships.

While in India, I had the honour of chairing a roundtable discussion on how university-

industry partnerships could contribute to innovation. I also had the pleasure of announcing a new scholarship, valued at $5,000, to be awarded to a qualified Indian under-graduate student for entry into any program at Laurier. In relative terms, the scholarship is a modest gesture. But it is just one of the many steps taken to raise Laurier’s profile in India and build relationships with a country that, like Canada, places great value on higher education and academic collaboration.

The importance that Laurier places on international

engagement is reflected in our Academic Plan and in the university’s statement of Values, Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles. As you may know, our international strategy goes beyond a single country and includes an office in Chongqing, China, and a variety of other exchange programs and academic partnerships, such as the NAFTA Mobility Exchange Program, which enables Laurier students to spend a term at one of our partner campuses in the U.S. and Mexico.

We cannot lose sight of the need to provide financial support and sufficient space in our universities for domestic students, but we must also understand that we can enrich our students’ educational experience by enhancing our relationships with the wider world.

Dr. Max BlouwPresident and Vice-Chancellor

PRESIdENT’S mESSAgE

InsideLaurier

Volume 3, Number 6, December 2010

Editor: Nicholas Dinka

Assistant Editor: Lori Chalmers Morrison

Design: Erin Steed

Contributors: Sandra Muir, Mallory O’Brien, Lori Chalmers Morrison, Kevin Crowley, Dean Palmer

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

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February 2011





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deadline for submissions: January 17

LAURIER STATUE continued

We are going to be very proud of our Wilfrid Laurier for genera-tions to come.”

Hilton Moore’s seated concept also had tremendous support from members of the Laurier community, who were invited to comment on the proposals to help the committee in its decision-making.

“It’s not just students who want something that is untradi-tional. This is everybody,” said Ries, who noted the majority of comments on the designs came from faculty and staff.

The winning concept features a dignified Laurier in his mid-30s, when he served as a Quebec Member of Parliament, between 1874 and 1878. The granite for the bench will be quarried near his birthplace in Quebec. “I chose the younger Laurier because this is going to be in a university setting, and to me it was very important that the people of the university, who are predominantly

students, have a relationship with him,” said Hilton Moore.

“I love to think someone could sit down on the bench and have a personal conversation with Laurier.”

Hilton Moore aimed for the same type of interaction when she designed life-sized statues of key figures in Canadian military history for The Valiants Memorial in Ottawa, which are situated at ground level rather than on tall plinths.

“It allows you to think you are at one with the historical person,” she said.

In the preliminary search for a realistic life-sized statue of Sir Wilfrid, the Centennial Statue Committee approached five notable Canadian sculptors. Four expressed interest in the project and submitted examples of their work. The committee shortlisted the group to three. Those three artists were invited to submit formal proposals.

The bench statue was one of two proposed by Hilton Moore, who also suggested a standing

Sir Wilfrid. “Although I proposed both,

I feel the seated option is more suited to a university atmosphere. It’s more casual and this is a setting in which students are serious, but they are also full of life.”

The statue will be located in the amphitheatre area in front of the John Aird Building on the Waterloo campus. The exact location will be determined in consultation with the artist.

SPEAKER SERIES continued

Laurier seeks to inspire.”The Lives of Leadership and

Purpose speaker series features speakers with expertise on human rights, social justice, and peace – topics that support the civic engagement, justice and internationalization elements of Laurier’s academic plan.

The next speaker in the series is Anas Aremeyaw Anas, aGhanian investigative journalist who has done under-cover documentaries on topics that include human trafficking, corruption in orphanages, and the mistreatment and human rights abuse of patients in a mental health facility. He will speak in late January.

Marlene Hilton Moore

Correction: On page five of the November issue, Sunil Kuruvilla’s title was misstated. His correct title is Marketing and Promotions Co-ordinator.

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Professor to study impact of early childhood education in madagascarColleen Loomis, associate professor of Psychology, will be traveling to the African country of Madagascar this January as part of a research team studying the impact of a new preschool and early childhood education program in the island nation.

The program, which is being established by Aide et Action, an international NGO, will provide schooling for 12,000 children.

“We will run parallel with Aide et Action, and assess this intervention to see its effec-tiveness in preparing kids for school and changing parents’ and policymakers’ perspec-

tives,” said Loomis, who is partnering on the project with Abdeljalil Akkari, a colleague from the University of Geneva where Loomis was a visiting scholar. They will conduct interviews with teachers, parents, and stakeholders in public education.

The research team – including scientists from the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

– will provide measurement tools on the program’s effect on children’s cognitive, social, emotional and psychological development.

Nominees sought for honorary degrees and Order of LaurierThe university is inviting members of the Laurier

community and the general public to nominate worthy individuals for honorary degrees and for membership in the Order of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Honorary degrees are awarded honoris causa (“for the sake of the honour”) and are intended to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions locally, nationally and globally.

The Order of Wilfrid Laurier University honours worthy recipients who have a record of exemplary and distinguished service to the university. All members of the university are eligible.

Nomination forms can be found on-line at www.wlu.ca/senate. Nominations are reviewed at various times throughout the year.

Homeless among most vulnerable to climate change, study findsResults of a study conducted by researchers at Laurier and the University of Waterloo suggest that people experi-encing homelessness are among the most vulnerable in Canada to the effects of global climate change.

A public workshop on Nov. 29 examined the implications of the study’s findings for Waterloo Region. A second workshop on Dec. 6 focused

on long-term planning for Regional Municipality of Waterloo strategies.

“Right now we have a window of opportunity to prepare for the expected changes to avoid human catastrophes in the future,” said Manuel Riemer, the study’s co-principal investigator and a Laurier professor of Psychology.

Library trades fine reductions for food donationsThrough Dec. 17 you can help support the Laurier Student Food Bank – and reduce your Laurier library fines – by donating non-perishable, non-expired food items at the Library Circulation desk.

Since 2005, more than 1,800 kilograms of food have been donated to the Student Food Bank through the program. Library fines will be reduced by $2 for each item that is brought in, with a maximum $10 reduction. Additional food items are welcome, as well as donations from people without library fines who wish to participate.

The program is running at both the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, and at the Faculty of Social Work in Kitchener. For more infor-mation, visit http://waterloo.wlusu.com/services/ foodbank.htm

NEWS What’s new and notable at Laurier

By Sandra Muir

Standing in the quiet courtyard of the current site of the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, it’s hard to imagine hearing voices raised over educational, financial, ethnic and gender issues. But it is these challenges and tensions that are fully explored in the musical play Remembering for the Future.

English professor and veteran playwright Leslie O’Dell was asked by the seminary in 2009 to write and collaborate on a play exploring the history of the Eastern Synod, the Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo College, Waterloo Lutheran University and Wilfrid Laurier University. The play was presented Nov. 5 and 6 at the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall and helped to kick off Laurier’s centennial celebrations.

“This is the seminary’s gift to Laurier,” said O’Dell. “I think it’s a great way to get [the centennial celebrations] started.”

The story is told through a cast of four actors – Michael Rouse, Carol Ann Treitz, Dale Mieske, and Robb Wilson. O’Dell said the intent was not to provide a comprehensive history but to recreate key moments in that history with a particular significance for the

community.“Out of that came more of

the dramatic vignettes that exemplify those times when either the church or seminary

– or both – might have experi-enced tension or change or conflict and how there is much to be learned from the choices people make,” she said.

One of those choices involved Gerald Hagey, who in 1957 had to choose between leading Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) and the science and engineering faculties he had established, which broke away to become the University of Waterloo. He

chose the future University of Waterloo, but with a heavy heart.

In the play, O’Dell dramatizes a fictional meeting between Hagey (Rouse), Nils Willison (Mieske), who was the first graduate of the seminary, and Flora Roy (Treitz), an English professor and department chair at Waterloo College for more than 30 years. Tempers explode over the future of the seminary and direction of the school.

“There will always be people who say, ‘But I liked it better when we were like this,’ and others who say, ‘Come on. We need to change to accom-

modate the future,’” said O’Dell.

The scenes span from the First World War to the present, and include popular music to match each era. Songs such as The Sheik of Araby and Brother Can You Spare a Dime? were contemporized by musical director Bradley Moggach.

O’Dell included music in the play for its emotional impact, and because it is linked to the story. Ulrich Leopold, who fled Nazi Germany to come to Waterloo, helped create Laurier’s music program and was a specialist in Lutheran music.

“His particular story resonates very powerfully with lots of people who have come to Canada as immigrants,” said O’Dell.

In addition to Laurier’s centennial, the play marks the 150th anniversary of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The Synod will sponsor perfor-mances of Remembering for the Future at Lutheran Church conferences in the Maritimes and Ontario in 2011.

“The future holds all sorts of challenges,” said O’Dell. “We don’t know quite what they will be, but we should look to our past not as a burden, but rather as an inspiration.”

Centennial play Remembering for the Future dramatizes the story of the university and seminary

Centennial EventsWhat You Can Do With a Laurier Degree in English and Film StudiesAlumnus and playwright Sunil Kuruvilla will speak about his career in the theatre on Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Bricker Academic Building. Admission is free.

100 Alumni of Achievement Laurier’s Alumni Relations office is seeking nominations for its 100 Alumni of Achievement program. Nominees should embody Laurier’s ideal of inspiring lives of leadership and purpose. Nomination forms are available at www.laurieralumni.ca

100 Hours for 100 YearsLaurier has issued a challenge to staff, faculty, students, alumni and retirees to log 100 volunteer hours during our 12-month centennial celebration. Registration forms are available on the centennial website, LAURIER100.ca.

(l-r) Dale Mieske, Robb Wilson, Michael Rouse and Carol Ann Treitz Photo: Sandra Muir

Laurier Associate Psychology Professor Colleen Loomis (right) and colleague Abdeljalil Akkar are travelling to Madagascar to study new education program.

SUSTAINABILITY continued progress from year to year and to compare sustainability efforts with those of other universities.While more than 200 higher education institutions are registered as STARS participants, Laurier is one of the first five North American universities to receive a STARS rating.

“These assessments will help advance Laurier’s efforts to become a recognized leader in sustainability,” said English.

“By identifying the university’s strengths and weaknesses in terms of sustainability, the Sustainability Office will be able to better allocate its resources and minimize the university’s environmental footprint more efficiently.”

The College Sustainability Report Card is the only independent sustainability evaluation of campus operations and endowment investments. Published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, it uses 52 indicators to assess over 300 colleges and universities from Canada and the United States.

STARS participants report achievements in three overall areas: education and research; operations; and planning, administration and engagement. Respectively, Laurier achieved 45 percent, 31 percent and 40 percent of the credits available in each area.

Finding hope for the future in an unvarnished look at the past





December 2010

4

What are you reading?

What are you listening to?

What are you reading?

What are you listening to?

Name: Justin Ogilvie Job Title: Designer, Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing Book Title: The Walking DeadAuthor: Robert Kirkman

Zombies aren’t the only danger in Kirkman’s continuing series – sometimes the real threat comes from the desperate survivors who will do whatever it takes to stay alive. Kirkman’s complicated and believable characters are faced with these horrors and their own personal struggles as they fight day to day for survival. Even if you’re not a fan of zombie literature, you’ll enjoy this intense, addictive story.

Name: Maria LocacciatoJob Title: Manager, Administration & Marketing, Laurier TorontoCd Title: SpotlightArtist: Jann Arden

Arden is not only one of Canada’s most amazing musicians but also one of the funniest people on stage and on Twitter. I have to restrain myself from singing out loud when I’m using my iPod on the train, but in the car – look out – I can belt out Good Mother like a pro. Give Arden a listen – you won’t regret it. Or better yet, go see her live!

Jorge Heine, a Laurier political science professor and the Chair in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of

International Affairs, has been named one of the “10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians

– 2010” by a panel of executives and journalists.

Allan Culham, Canada’s ambassador to the Organization of American States, presented the awards at a recent Toronto Board of Trade event to a group that included entrepreneurs, artists, community leaders and researchers.

“The Hispanic community contributes much to Canada’s economic and cultural vibrancy. I feel proud to be part of it and deeply honored by this award,” said Heine, who is a native of Santiago, Chile.

Winners were selected by journalists and executives from The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, the CBC, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, Ottawa’s FOCAL, the Canadian Council for the Americas, the Canadian Hispanic Congress, the Hispanic Press Association of Canada and by previous award winners.

New AppointmentsKaren So, Coordinator: Executive Masters in Technology Management, SBE.

Leanne Hagarty, BBA Projects Research Assistant, SBE.

Solange Gratton, ESL Facilitator, (Brantford).

Carolin Wilson, Housekeeper, Campus Operations (Brantford).

Vicky Connell, Coffee Associate, Food Services.

Karley Doucette, ESL Facilitator, Brantford.

Ron Astl, Custodian, Physical Resources.

Aaron Miller, MBA Marketing Coordinator, SBE.

Changes in staff appointmentsVanessa Parks, Development Assistant, Development.

Karilynn Olsen, Information Specialist, Registrar’s Office.

Eleftharia Edmunds, Coordi-nator, Communications & Marketing, Teaching Support Services.

Monica Duyvestyn, Financial Aid Assistant, Student Awards.

Leonard Kitchen, Leadhand Custodian/Maintenance, Campus Operations (Brantford).

Suzanne Dawson, Manager, Parking Services.

Jordan Rocha, Grill Cook - King St., Food Services.

Wioletta Szablewski, Grill Cook - Dining Hall, Food Services.

RetirementsJanet Bannister, Intermediate Administrative Assistant, Graduate Studies.

Marion Barnaby, Manager, Material Management.

Michael Belanger, Director: Residential Services.

John Durst, Manager, Media Technology Resources, Media Technology Services.

Steven Brown, Faculty, Political Science.

Gladys Brubacher, Adminis-trative Assistant, Counselling Services.

PEOPLE AT LAURIER

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Second World War veteran Arnold Polzin, a member of the Highland Light Infantry Association, gives the keynote address at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11 in the Concourse on the Waterloo campus. The ceremony also included the traditional minute of silence as well as a reading of In Flanders Fields by David McMurray, vice-president: student affairs.

Remembering the sacrifice

Laurier Toy drive is back for 2010

Photo: Laurier AthleticsCIS rookie-of-the-year Kelsey Tikka winds up for a kick.

Soccer Hawks nab silver at nationals

Even Santa needs a little help on occasion.

Laurier’s annual toy drive is now in full swing. Through to Dec. 17, you can drop off new, unwrapped toys at the Accounts Payable office at 202 Regina St., Room 227, or at the OneCard Office in the Waterloo campus Concourse. Donations can also be left at the Seasonal Gathering on Dec. 14. Donors are asked to note that there is a special need for toys suitable for older kids, aged 10 to 15.

“The numbers who need help are increasing each year,” said Sarah Wilkinson, an accounts payable administrator who spearheads the annual drive.

“It’s hard times right now for a lot of people.”

The toys collected in the Laurier drive are donated to the Salvation Army, which distributes them to disadvan-taged children in the tri-cities area. Last year’s toy drive collected eight large computer boxes filled with several thousand toys, helping over 2,000 families.

“It’s such a good community here at Laurier,” said Wilkinson.

“They’re just very generous with their donations.”

Wilkinson first volunteered for the position of Laurier toy czar in 2004, spotting an unmet need and deciding to pitch in.

“You just don’t want to see anybody being left out – especially kids,” she said.

The Laurier Golden Hawks women’s soccer team placed second in the 2010 CIS national interuniversity championships, after winning the Ontario OUA championships a week earlier.

The Hawks fell 1-0 to the Queen’s Gaels in the Nov. 14 CIS final, after the Gaels’ Riley Filion scored a dramatic goal in the game’s 107th minute, with an arcing shot from mid-field that hit the net’s crossbar and bounced down and in.

“It’s been a great season, I don’t think we could ask for any more from our players,” said head coach Barry MacLean.

“We fell a little bit short at the end and one goal wins the game.”

A week earlier, the score

between the two teams was reversed, with Laurier defeating the Gaels 1-0 to claim the OUA title. Laurier forward Ali McKee headed the game winner into the net off Alyssa Lagonia’s corner kick.

The team then went on to win the first two games of the CIS tournament, held at the University of Prince Edward Island, before falling to Queen’s in the final. CIS rookie of the year Kelsey Tikka of Thunder Bay, Ont. was named the tournament MVP and a tournament all-star.

Some good news for the team: all of the Hawks who played this season are eligible to return next year for another kick at CIS gold.





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December 2010

By Sandra Muir

Communicating the impact of climate change to leaders, and helping organizations implement a strategy, were the focus of two discussions facili-tated by Laurier PhD candidate Bradley May at the Climate Change Adaptation Leadership Conference in Maryland in November.

The conference – organized by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) – is one of the first of its kind to bring together leaders in the business, government, not-for-profit and academic sectors to discuss climate change issues. Approximately 80 organiza-tions participated, including the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Exxon Mobil, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

“This is one of the few times when everyone comes together across several areas of interest to focus on climate change leadership,” said May, who is doing a PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies at Laurier. He is also program

manager in the Adaptation and Impacts Research Section for Environment Canada.

In the session “Communi-cating Climate and Science Impacts,” May helped facilitate discussions on the importance of a dedicated climate change officer and on how to present climate change science to business leaders in an accurate and balanced way in order to build support for overall sustainability.

“The one goal of ACCO is to identify what is the best way for businesses and organiza-tions to approach climate change,” he said. “And you use that information to convince CEOs that climate change is an important aspect of overall sustainability.”

In the roundtable on devel-oping adaptation strategies, participants were encouraged to share ideas on how to build climate-resilient businesses and institutions, rather than mitigating greenhouse gases, which many organizations already understand.

Some of the ways to do this include ensuring strong

executive-level support, having a dedicated climate change officer, and incorporating climate change response into job descriptions. There is also a focus on “mainstreaming,” which refers to updating current policies and procedures, and adapting the engineering and design of buildings that exist today, to address sustain-ability – rather than reinventing the wheel.

“It’s about identifying where you are climate-vulnerable and updating [where needed].”

Coming out of ACCO’s first Climate Change Adaptation Leadership Conference, the organization is going to develop a formal adaptation working group to help establish best practices related to climate change adaptation. It also plans to create webinars, blogs and wikis to encourage more discussion.

Back at Laurier, May is hoping to study the overall process of how adaptation works and the role leadership plays in the evolution of ideas and strategies.

Climate change puts critical

infrastructure at risk, and affects competitiveness, said May.

“What’s a big focus now in Canada, the United States and Europe is the idea of not waiting for the impacts of climate change to manifest –

to think about how to build climate-resilient businesses and institutions,” May said.

To read the takeaway notes from the various sessions, visit http://www.accoonline.org/ccls/Summit2010/

CAmPUS dECOdER

Q: I recently noticed that some sort of lawn has been installed on the roof of the Terrace. Is that available for barbecues?

A: If you’ve been up to the Turret recently and looked out the window, chances are you’ve seen the “green roof” on top of the new addition to the Terrace. If you were envisioning a prime spot for a get-together, sorry to dash your hopes: the roof is only acces-sible to maintenance staff.

Green roofs, also known as “living roofs,” “vegetated roofs” and “eco-roofs,” generally come in three flavours: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive. Extensive green roofs – of which the Terrace roof is an example – are self-sustaining and require minimal maintenance. They don’t even need to be mowed.

In addition to the green roof, the Terrace extension will have other sustainable features such as insulated windows and heated floors, which minimize

energy costs and consumption. The Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union (WLUSU) and Laurier Physical Resources worked together to ensure the addition is as environmentally sustainable as possible.

“The new green roof will not only help reduce heating costs for the building and provide a longer warranty on the roof, but it will also offer a positive step forward for sustainable initiatives in the Fred Nichols Campus Centre,” says Kyle Walker, president and CEO of WLUSU.

Although you won’t see any sunbathers lounging on it or croquet matches being played on it, the Terrace’s grassy cap has many other benefits. Covering a roof in a light layer of vegetation helps absorb rainwater, lower urban air temperatures and insulate the building while providing a hospitable recreation facility for creatures like birds and insects.

Sorry, humans.

Phd candidate facilitates discussions at climate summit

By Sandra Muir

In what promises to be an “interesting sonic experience,” a concert featuring the Laurier Singers and five other Canadian university choirs will be broadcast on CBC Radio 2’s The Signal on Dec. 11 at 10 p.m.

The Mystical Worlds of Pärt & Schafer was originally performed Nov. 7 in Toronto as part of Soundstreams Canada’s 10th anniversary of its university choir concerts. It featured the music of Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer and Estonian composer Avro Pärt, and will be broadcast on 90.7 FM in Kitchener-Waterloo.

“The Laurier Singers, as ambassadors of the university’s excellent Faculty of Music, are privileged to be showcased on the national stage through the CBC,” said Lee Willingham, director of the group and a Laurier professor of music.

Soundstreams Canada is a Toronto-based international centre for contemporary music that features programming by living composers. Every alter-nating year since 2000 it has brought together Canada’s top university choirs. In addition to the Laurier Singers, the 10th anniversary concert included choirs from the Universities of Ottawa, Winnipeg, Toronto, Alberta, and Guelph.

“Performing with choirs from universities across the country enlarges our students’ perspectives in the study of

music and at the same time affirms Laurier’s place among the leading music programs in Canada,” said Willingham.

The Nov. 7 concert culmi-nated in the world premiere of Schafer’s The Soul of God. The voices of 140 singers from six university choirs were divided into four groups and placed strategically in each corner of Toronto’s Koerner Hall. Conductor Tõnu Kaljuste stood in the middle.

“The broadcast should be an interesting sonic experience. It certainly was live,” said Willingham.

The Laurier Singers is a volunteer ensemble that was

re-established by Willingham in 2006. The 24-member chamber choir is comprised of students from the music program and other areas of study at Laurier. The choir will be performing at Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran’s New Year’s levee on Jan. 9.

The four Laurier choirs – WLU Concert Choir, Laurier Singers, Maureen Forrester Singers, and Chapel Choir – along with soloists and the WLU Orchestra will perform the Vespers by Claudio Monte-verdi (composed in 1610) at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Kitchener, on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.

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Bradley May, Laurier PhD candidate and Environment Canada researcher, participated in the ACCO Climate Change Adaption Leadership Conference with over 80 organizations.

Laurier Singers hit the airwavesUniversity choirs come together on CBC Radio

The Laurier Singers rehearse prior to their CBC performance.

Got a question? Send it to [email protected]

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What is it like to work in the SC Johnson Building?I love working in this magnif-icent repurposed building. My office window overlooks downtown, and the view is amazing. I also appreciate that the building is easily accessible for all; my son is physically challenged, which makes me attuned to accessibility issues.

What’s a typical workday like for you?My typical day starts with finding out what Groupwise has in store for me. Email requests can steer my day in many different directions. My position deals with customer service, working with internal and external contacts, liaising

on behalf of Lesley Cooper (Acting Vice-President/Principal) and scheduling meetings and appointments. I also enjoy bringing my administrative skills to support various committees. Every day offers variety and brings new challenges – and I embrace that!

What do you like about working at Laurier Brantford?I’ve worked at Laurier Brantford since August 2008 and truly value working with dynamic people who are passionate about their jobs. I pinch myself every day because I love my job and the people I work with. And yes, I plan to retire here.

Do you live in Brantford? I live 15 minutes away in Burford. I was raised in Toronto, so living in a small farming community is something I could never have imagined.

Is there anything you miss about Toronto?Nothing. I love living in a small community and raising my kids there. I love the simplicity of where I live…one traffic light, and you know everyone when you go to the grocery store.

Tell us about your family.I’ve been married for 19 years and we have two children. Nicole is 17 and has her

sights on attending Laurier’s Waterloo campus next year. Vincent is 15 and has been an excellent sledge hockey player for the past nine years. He has cerebral palsy, which challenges him physically but not cognitively.

Can you explain your part-time business?I’m a Spice Girl! I’m an independent consultant for a Canadian gourmet food company. We do in-home taste-testing parties, fundraising and community events. I started it when I turned 40 and was looking for something else to challenge me. I enjoy nurturing in others the ability to be successful on their own terms

and teaching others to put fun back into the kitchen.

Any favourite foods?I love chickpeas with tuna, a bit of olive oil and garlic. It’s healthy, simple and oh so delicious! Also, I’m crazy about peach mango habanero salsa.

Do you travel?My husband and I have taken our kids to Hawaii, Portugal and on two cruises. I’m hoping the next trip will be another cruise – it’s the ultimate pampering!

By Lori Chalmers Morrison

COFFEE WITH A CO-WORKER

Name: Janice Vilaca

Job: Executive Assistant to the Vice-President/Principal, Laurier Brantford.

Where you can find her: On the fourth floor of Laurier Brant-ford’s SC Johnson Building.

How she takes her coffee: Williams large latte, two raw sugars in the bottom before they make it. No foam and no topping. Williams knows exactly how I like it.

2010 Laurier Staff & Faculty Seasonal Lunch When: Dec. 14 (Waterloo); Dec. 13 (Brantford)11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.Where: The Turret (Waterloo); Research and Academic Centre Lobby (Brantford)Cost: FreeTake a breather from the pre-holiday rush and enjoy some seasonal cheer with co-workers.

Christmas Holidays: University ClosedWhen: Dec. 24 – Jan. 4

Laurier GMAT Information SessionWhen: Dec. 14Where: Laurier TorontoCost: FreeLearn tips and techniques for how you can prepare yourself for the Graduate Management Admissions Test.

Voice Care for the LecturerWhen: Jan. 6Noon – 1:15 p.m.Where: Paul Martin CentreCost: FreeJoin leading Canadian mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber for an exploration of vocal exercises that can help equip the instructor to avoid vocal fatigue and hoarseness. To register, visit http://www.wlu.ca/events_listing.php

Music at NoonWhen: Jan. 6Noon – 1 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester

Recital HallCost: FreeEnjoy the music of Ben Bolt-Martin, a Laurier graduate and principal cello at the Stratford Festival.

Managing Your Weight Without Going on a Diet When: Jan. 10-11Noon – 1 p.m.Where: Laurier Brantford RCW 324Cost: Free to staff and facultyParticipants will be empowered with tips and tricks on how to manage their weight without having to go on a diet. To register visit https://www.wlu.ca/hr/registration

Life After Laurier Science Speaker SeriesWhen: Jan. 142:45 p.m. - 4 p.m.Where: N1001Cost: FreeJoin Libby Norris, the founder and chief energy officer of Inspired Energy, one of Canada’s leading health and fitness consulting firms.

Maximizing Your Produc-tivity: Professional Communi-cations CertificateWhen: Jan. 188:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Where: Paul Martin CentreCost: Free to all Laurier Staff and Faculty (registration required)Tackling the daily challenge of managing priorities and personal responsibilities

requires a strategy designed to meet your individual needs

– learn how to develop an effective one. For more infor-mation, visit http://www.wlu.ca/ilovemyjob

Using and Developing Your WLU Faculty Website to Support LearningWhen: Date: Jan. 191:45 p.m.Where: BA305Cost: FreeKevin Crowley and Mallory O’Brien of Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing discuss tips for maximizing the impact of your faculty website. You will also have the oppor-tunity during this session to join “Experts at Laurier.” RSVP at http://www.doodle.com/uakunqdcf9qhcufe

The OECD, the World Bank and the ChildWhen: Jan. 212:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.Where: DAWB 3-106Cost: FreeDr. Rianne Mahon, CIGI Chair in Social Work and Professor at BSIA, speaks at the Political Science Dept. Colloquium.

WLU Jazz EnsembleWhen: Jan. 237:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.Where: Maureen Forrester Recital HallCost: $10 (adults), $5 (students/seniors)Contact Kathryn Ladano: [email protected], 519-884-0710 x2150 for info.

COmINg EvENTS For a complete list of events visit www.wlu.ca/events

Save on heating this winterDid you know that installing a pro-grammable thermostat can save you two percent on your heating bill for every 1°C you lower your thermostat? Here are a few other tips to help you save energy on heating this winter:

• Deciduous trees lower your energy bill all year, providing shade in sum-mer and sunshine in winter.

• Air leaks are common at the joint between the chimney and the wall. Use heat-resistant caulking to seal.

• V-shaped weatherstripping cre-ates an excellent seal by making contact with the edge of the door. It maintains a good seal even if the door warps.

• Foam gaskets made to fit behind the cover plates of electrical receptacles, switches and lighting fixtures reduce air leakage.

• Low-growing evergreen shrubs planted beside basement walls help keep warmth in and winter winds out.

Adapted from Natural Resources Canada. For more information, visit www.nrcan.gc.cagc.ca.

Janice Vilaca says every day her job offers variety and brings new challenges.





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December 2010

By Mallory O’Brien

For those planning to complete their Christmas shopping early this year, take heed: it probably won’t happen.

Just ask Roger Buehler, professor of Psychology, who knows a thing or two about planning and prediction. Buehler has been studying the human phenomenon known as “the planning fallacy” for almost two decades. First coined by psychol-ogist Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate, and his research partner, Amos Tversky, the phrase refers to the human tendency to under-estimate how long it takes to get things done.

“Kahneman and Tversky discussed it at a theoretical level,” says Buehler. “But when I looked into it more, I saw that no one had done empirical research to try to understand the phenomenon. I’m trying to understand what some of the problems and issues in making predictions are, and what might be done to improve them.”

Buehler’s research has been continuously funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council since 1993. Although the specific focus of his work has changed over the years, he has generally found that people lack the ability to make accurate predictions about their future selves.

“Whether it’s academic assign-ments or personal projects around the home, we found very similar patterns of results,” says Buehler. “The most common bias is that people underestimate how long a task will take to complete

– that’s the predominant bias and we’re trying to understand what’s behind it.”

To do so, Buehler identifies the types of information people focus on when they are making their predictions and the types of information they neglect or ignore. His goal is to pinpoint the specific cognitive processes linked to accurate predictions and those linked to bias or inaccurate predictions.

Some of the cognitive processes that contribute to bias in people’s predictions include the following:

Not giving enough weight to relevant past experiences.

“To a large degree, people’s personal histories can be pretty predictive of what their outcome will be again in the future,” says Buehler. “Yet when people are making their predictions they often fail to pause and think about what has happened before in similar situations, either to themselves or to others.”

Underestimating the potential for obstacles and problems.

“People get focused on a best-case

scenario that involves only what they’re planning and hoping to do, and how they’ll do it,” Buehler says. “In getting engaged in that kind of thinking, we often neglect the likelihood of other problems and interruptions taking place.”

Becoming too focused on planning one event or task.

“People often don’t pay enough attention to the host of other things in life that are going to be going on at the same time. They neglect to realize that they’re going to have to prioritize a multitude of tasks.”

So why do we keep making the same mistakes, again and again?

We plan for what we would like to see happen, and our thoughts get narrowly focused on that kind of information only, says Buehler. He calls it the motivational component, or the

“wishful thinking” component. Planning for what we’d like to see happen may help us feel better about the project and how it’s going to go.

“While there can be serious costs to making unrealistic predictions – such as over-committing yourself – other times it may not matter all that much, and being optimistic has

a lot of emotional and motiva-tional benefits,” he notes. Recent studies have shown that the very act of generating an optimistic forecast can prompt people to get things done, not necessarily by the predicted time, but earlier than they would have otherwise.

Buehler’s work has branched out over the years into a number of sub-areas, such as people’s ability to predict their emotional reactions to events, their ability to make predictions in a group context, and their ability to predict their future spending.

Since 2007, he has done significant work on the latter question with Johanna Peetz, a doctoral candidate who recently graduated. As some readers may have already guessed, there is a strong tendency to underestimate in this area as well.

“There’s always a dissociation between the past and the future,” says Buehler. “People will say,

‘last week I spent more than I wanted, but this week I’ll spend less,’ but when we track them, they ended up spending more than expected again.”

As events get less specific, we get worse at knowing how much time we’ll spend on them. People tend to be more successful at predicting how much they’ll spend on a weekend trip

compared to how much they’ll spend “next week,” for example.

In any of these types of predicting, there are no consistent variations in ability between genders, ethnic groups or types of personalities, such as optimists versus pessimists. The planning fallacy seems to transcend individual differences.

Buehler recently published a comprehensive 15-year review of his work in Advances in Experi-mental Social Psychology, a presti-gious journal in the field. Even so, he says, his own ability to make predictions hasn’t improved much over the years.

“Unfortunately, just knowing about the phenomenon isn’t enough to correct it,” he says. “I can understand and know the kinds of biases I’m likely to show in my predictions, but continue to repeat those myself over and over again. I still tell people confi-dently that I’ll finish tasks much earlier than I actually do, despite studying this bias for nearly 20 years.”

On the other hand, he has become an expert at spotting other people’s prediction biases.

“When a student tells me they’re going to have a report written by some date,” he says ruefully,

“I immediately suspect they’re being overly optimistic.”

RESEARCH FILE

Why you leave your holiday shopping to the last minutePsychology Professor Roger Buehler explains why the “planning fallacy” gets us every time

Professor Roger Buehler studies the problems and issues in making predictions, and what might be done to improve them.

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Tips for improving your prediction prowess It’s still an open question whether or not we really want to make people’s predictions more realistic, given the emotional and motivational benefits of optimism. However, if you want to give it a try, here are some things you can do:

• Take into account your past experiences. If you’ve kept a record of how long a similar project has taken you to complete, look at it.

• Consult an outside or neutral observer. Buehler has found that an outside observer to a project will give a more realistic, unbiased estimate than the person who is actually carrying out the project.

• Look at the project from a different perspective. Going through your plans backward or looking at yourself from the point-of-view of an outside observer may help you generate more realistic predictions.





December 2010

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IN THE CLASSROOm A look inside the lecture hall

Professor: Timothy Donais

Class: GS232, Peace and Conflict Transformation: An Introduction

description: This course explores models of conflict resolution and transformation, as well as the role of non-violence and peace movements.

Global Studies Professor Timothy Donais says students are more attracted to abstract issues such as “democracy” or “justice” if the discussion is grounded in relevant and familiar contexts.

“Unfortunately, there is never a shortage of conflicts in the world to study,” he says, and places such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Darfur provide countless opportunities to connect course material with contemporary, real-world events.

“Students also tend to be more receptive if you can engage them emotionally,” he adds.

“For me, the highlight of this particular course is the screening of a film on South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The film is both inspiring and devastating; it captures both the wrenching pain of conflict and the marvelous capacity of humans to rise above it, and its message sticks largely because of its emotional impact.”

By Mallory O’Brien Photo: Dean PalmerProfessor Timothy Donais says students learn better when they are emotionally engaged by the course material.

Putting out a warm welcome on a chilly dayProspective students visit Waterloo and Brantford campuses for annual Laurier Day open house

A global perspective

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Clockwise from top left: Alexis McCann and April Bannerman greet guests; departmental booths in the Atrium; English Professor Michael Moore; students boogie down in support of Big Brothers and Big Sisters; Tony

Van Giessen and Alex Kastner, Religion & Culture master’s students chat with guests; Karen King, fourth-year Physics and Computer Science student, leads a photonics demonstration.

Documents

Dec. 2010 insideLaurier