Category: 2017-18 Page 1 of 10

Blazers, brothers, and championship banners: An interview with CMU Blazer Ryan Jensen

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On November 7, 2018

In 2017-18, athletics

As many of you know, both the men’s and women’s Blazer soccer teams took home the 2018 Manitoba Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) championship trophy. Go Blazers go!

CMU’s Ryan Jensen  is here to take us onto the soccer pitch and give a first-hand account of the men’s team’s incredible season and the feelings that came along with it. Take it away, Ryan!

Ryan JensenMy name is Ryan Jensen, I am a fourth year Redekop School of Business student at CMU. I’ve been a part of the soccer team since my first year in 2015. I play as an attacking midfielder while wearing number 10.

What was the season like prior to being in the final four?

This year we were extremely lucky to have such a deep, skillful, intelligent squad which played such a key role in our ability to win the league for the first time since 2005. We absolutely killed it this season, to say the least. Although we did not win every time we stepped on the field, we sure gave it our all until the final whistle.

We were fortunate enough to travel Calgary during the opening weeks of the season to play exhibition games against Ambrose college and SAIT College, where we comfortably defeated Ambrose by a score of 3-1, which became one of the first times our team actually began to click. The following day we played the 4th ranked team in college soccer, SAIT college, and fought hard enough to earn ourselves a 2-2 tie.

What was it about your team this year that allowed you to find so much success?

I can honestly say of my four years involved with the soccer team at CMU, that this is by far the most skilled and enjoyable team to not only play with, but to watch. Each and every one of our first year players impacted the team in such a large way. 

It is tough to put it into words that would justify how I feel about these boys, but there is just something about the way we are around each other. Not only are they my teammates, but I strongly feel like these boys are family. And that’s something we have always strived for at CMU.

Tell me about the moment you knew your team had won the championship. How did you feel?

Ryan Jenson with teammates and MCAC trophyWe were the underdogs. Everyone wrote us off, and yet everyone supported us. If I remember correctly it was about the 73rd minute where our midfield battled in the middle of the park to win possession. The ball ended up with our right back, Kieran. Kieran looked up and spotted my run darting across Brandon’s back line, and it was right after Kieran launched a long ball from that infamous right foot of his that I knew it was ours to win. We didn’t have the most chances, but we had that one. I controlled the ball with my chest and with my first touch took a shot across my body and into the bottom left corner.

 

When was the last season that the Blazers won the MCAC Soccer Championship?

CMU BLazers Soccer Team with MCAC tropheyThe last time CMU won the outdoor championship was 2005, which is such an important accomplishment for our boys to win it for the school this year. Being able to represent the school and their athletics program is a feeling that will never fade once you’ve become a champion.

What role has soccer played in your CMU experience?

I have always thanked CMU for being such a close, interrelated community driven school. In my first year I was terrified when it came to the idea of university. But playing on the sports team before starting school is a massive advantage because you already know a fairly large group of people.

You’re in your 4th year, which means graduation is coming up soon! How will soccer remain a part of your life after leaving CMU?

I’ve always told myself that I will play soccer for my whole life regardless of my current life situation, simply for the love of the game.

Do you have any advice for future Blazers?

CMU Blazers mens and womens soccer teams with their MCAC trophiesIf I could share any piece of advice for any new athletes, I would begin by simply telling them to enjoy their time here. You are only eligible for 5 years under MCAC rules, which may seem like a long time, but it is not. Enjoy yourself, because before you know it you will be in your 5th year and graduating and you will look back and wonder where all the time went.

Thanks for bringing us into that final match, Ryan! Congratulations to both the Men’s and Women’s soccer teams for bringing home the trophies.

 

Learning power and vulnerability at CSOP

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On July 17, 2018

In 2017-18, academics

Marnie Klassen

For the first time in my degree, I took a class purely on a recommendation, and man alive am I glad I decided to.

After some conversation and discernment, my academic advisor told me that she thought I should take Arts Based Approaches to Social Change from the Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP). I liked the idea of getting some credits out of the way and having an excuse to come back to Winnipeg mid-summer. The course sounded mildly interesting, and though not related to the direction my Interdisciplinary degree seemed to be taking, I decided to just do it.

“You’ll probably enjoy it,” I told myself. “Doesn’t matter if it’s related. It makes sense for other reasons.”

Pretty soon my books came in the mail and sat on my shelf for most of April and May. Suddenly, I was booking flights to go to Winnipeg, and started my reading.

The opening ceremony of 2018 CSOP.

I walked into the auditorium where the opening ceremony was held and breathed a sigh of relief as I saw some familiar faces from CMU, and two women I had met at different conferences over the past three years. “I have a community here,” I reminded myself. “Whatever happens this week, I am learning in community.”

That sentiment proved truer than I could have imagined.

In my class were 11 students, and we represented at least 6 different countries. Despite the incredible diversity of culture, age, and experience, we began to know and trust each other quite quickly. How could we not when we were dancing, painting, and acting together?

Throughout the week we participated in numerous creative activities which helped us to understand various aspects of conflict, violence, and reconciliation. Here’s a couple of examples:

On Tuesday we made memory boards. In some parts of central Africa, stories are told on Lukasas, or memory boards. They are visual and tactile displays of cultural stories.

IMG_0729s

Our class divided into two, and each group created a picture/diorama representing our story and community. Then Babu (our instructor) went over to one group and destroyed their Lukasa, telling them that a member of their community had done it. He then came to my group, wrecked our Lukasa, and said that the destruction was by a member of the neighboring community.

After spending so much time trying to represent who we were, it was devastating to have our Lukasa ravaged. Our task then was to talk about how we would rebuild, how we would forgive, how we would move on. It was difficult!

On Wednesday, we participated in forum theatre. 10 of us lined up our chairs, and Babu and one volunteer did a dramatic reading behind us of a domestic violence scenario. It was powerful.

Afterwards, we divided into groups based on the response we were least likely to have in real life. My group was the “intervening” group, and we were all young women, painfully aware both of our power and our vulnerability. It was incredibly eye opening and empowering to talk and act with these women and come up with an intervention that kept us safe and allowed for the abused woman to get the help she needed.

Marnie (R) with classmates.

CSOP has taught me a lot of things – it’s taught me about using the arts in peacebuilding to be sure, but it has also taught me about this balance between power and vulnerability. As budding peacebuilders, we have so much opportunity to effect change and participate in the goodness in the world, but we also carry our own vulnerability and smallness with us. Sometimes it just doesn’t feel like we are enough. At CSOP I learned to hold both truths, but to hold them with other people. This is the moral imagination – staying grounded in the here and now, and imagining a more life-affirming world.

Marnie Klassen is going into her third year of Interdisciplinary Studies at CMU.

Summer jobs: On-campus employment at CMU

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On June 18, 2018

In 2017-18, student life

Summer jobs: On-campus employment at CMU. Rebecca Janzen is working at CMU as a groundskeeper this summer. With summer comes many opportunities for students to work all sorts of jobs. These opportunities include retail, a cool community organization, a summer camp; and in my case, on campus at CMU. This summer I am working as a groundskeeper on campus. This means I have to mow the lawn, and do various tasks like weeding, watering, weed whacking, and whatever else the day brings. With little to no experience coming into this job, I have sure learned a lot! Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned so far:

  1. By the time summer is done I am going to have some very, shall we say, distinct tan lines. The forest green CMU staff t-shirts mean I don’t have to figure out what to wear each day. This sure make mornings easier! But it will definitely leave me with some crisp tan lines across my body come the end of the summer.
  2. Probably the only time the geese are more scared of you than you are scared of them is when you are driving the quad.
  3. You can make it through an incredible number of podcasts in one day of work if you set your mind to it.
  4. The daycare kids think you are the coolest when you drive past them on the quad. They stare at you in awe.
  5. You can, in fact, get a sunburn when it is overcast.
  6.  Summer jobs: On-campus employment at CMU. Rebecca Janzen rides 'the quad' for her summer job as a groundskeeper at CMU.It is incredibly challenging to backup the quad with a tank full of water. But when it takes you 15 mins to back it up to a tree that is in front of the big windows of Marpeck, everyone is too nice to say that they saw you struggling.
  7. There is a 7-foot tall banner of Gerald Gerbrandt (former president and professor of CMU) in the basement of CMU, and I wish there were more uses for it.
  8. I really like driving the quad.
  9. The Metanoia Farmers are there to save the day! Whether you need to borrow a tool, or want a cool team of people to eat lunch with, the farmers are there for you.
  10. When you are a student at CMU, you don’t interact much with the hosting and maintenance staff. But when you work with them over summer you come to realize they are actually kind of funny.
  11. Rainy days may make for a boring day at work, but they make the campus so much greener!
  12. Maintenance takes some improv at times. And sometimes it takes two guys standing on the back of the tractor to keep it on the ground.
  13. Though sometimes it can feel like I never leave this place, it’s fun to roam free across campus, ripping around on the quad, hair blowing in the wind, and trying to be ok at my job.

RebeccaJanzenRebecca Janzen is entering her fourth year in CMU’s Biblical and Theological Studies program this fall. Learn more about opportunities for on-campus employment throughout the year.

 

6 study tips to help you prepare for exams

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On May 22, 2018

In 2017-18, academics

With the weather warming up and the days getting longer, summer seems to be just around the corner… but not yet—there are still exams to come. It can be challenging to find the motivation to sit down and study at the end of the school year. Even though it might seem early to start thinking about exams, it’s better to start studying sooner than later. Here are six tips to make studying as painless and productive as possible.

6 study tips — A modern wood desk topped with a black desk lamp, a large digital clock that reads "15:00", a colourful painting of a bouquet of flowers, several notebooks, a pair of glasses, a pencil case with highlighters tumbling out, a cell phone and tablet, and in the corner a stack of books topped by a small succulent plant.
1. Make a Study Plan

Starting early is helpful, but it is important to make a study plan. It will help you stay on track and make sure that you aren’t cramming in too much right before the exam. Creating a schedule with goals for what you want to accomplish everyday will help you feel more prepared and confident going into your exam.

2. Find a New Study Space

By the end of the year, it is easy to get bored of the places where you have been studying. Finding a new study space could help you focus! You could try the public library, a quiet café, or even moving your desk to a new corner of your room. CMU’s Marpeck Commons is a great place to try out in Winnipeg, with great spaces for group studying, a quiet library, and Folio Café. 

6 study tips — A view of Marpeck Commons from the Mezzanine level, down to the tables and chairs below, with Folio Cafe and the wall of glass letting in so much natural light.
3. Minimize Distractions

Studying is a lot more productive and efficient when you concentrate, so put your phone down and stay off social media during dedicated study times. There are apps you can download to help you stay focused— apps with timers, apps that buzz when you pick up your phone during study time, and others that block distracting sites. Focusing on what you need to get done and minimizing distractions will make your study time more effective.

4. Make Study Notes

Take time to make study notes, because making them is part of the process of studying. Use colour, pictures and diagrams, and highlight key words and ideas with certain colours or symbols. Create study notes that will help you learn and that fit the way you remember material. It’s also more fun when you take the time to make them look nice! 

6 study tips — A student sits by the window in the CMU Library highligher in hand, reading a text book.

5. Take Outdoor Breaks

When the weather is nice, take a break and go for a walk, toss a Frisbee around, or take a nap in the grass. Having a change in scenery and getting some fresh air will give your brain some space to rest, and will help you concentrate when you sit down again to do more work.

6. Study with Others

Find other people in your class who you can study with—people who will help you stay focused and not become a distraction! When you study with others, you can ask questions about confusing information, but you can also teach, which helps you gain a better understanding of the concept and will prepare you for answering exam questions.

What are your favourite study tips? Share them in the comments below. And of course, we wish you the best of luck with your exams!

 

Laura Carr-Pries in her graduation gown and cap.

Laura Carr-Pries just graduated from CMU with a BA in Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies and Theology. (She’s also one of this year’s President’s Medal winners, so you know she knows a thing or two about studying.)

Economics of hope: CMU’s Redekop School of Business

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On May 7, 2018

In 2017-18, academics

I’ll be honest with you: I haven’t experienced anything to be quite so discouraging as Micro-Economics at 8:30 in the morning. But through these last few years at CMU, I’ve grown to appreciate how economics can be an expression of care for society.

Jonathan Daman

My name is Jonathan Daman, and I just graduated from CMU with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Redekop School of Business (RSB).

CMU taught me to take what I’m learning in the classroom and use it to impact my community.

The business program teaches students to care, and to bring that care into the real world. It teaches us to work toward a common good where people, the planet, and profits are balanced to build community rather than hinder it.

We talk about real issues in the classroom, like climate change, international development, and sustainability – topics that can be discouraging. I remember one of my classes with James Magnus-Johnston discussing economic inequality and feeling a bit of this despair. I asked him, “What’s the point of trying to correct the issue when it’s an impossible situation?” He simply replied that we must keep trying because eventually there will be a way.

The professors at RSB, and at CMU in general, convey their care for society into a sense of hope for the future, even in the face of adversity. Their example allows students to begin to realize that, although the real world is tough and can be discouraging, we can make meaningful change in the lives of those around us. Not only do they teach us these lessons in class but they use their expertise to consult on healthy growth within the Manitoba business environment.

Some may say the current news climate or capitalistic structure is full of flaws and despair. But through my studies at CMU, I have come to realize that even in the harshest of climates, and the worst situations, the difference makers are the ones that refuse to give up, who celebrate the small victories.

Economic Development that is done sustainably, with concern for the whole community, is one of the most life-giving areas of business. It has the power to strengthen communities and families, which can pass on healthy creativity into the future.

When we create opportunities for conversations within community that provide a platform to experience commonality, we move towards actions which truly will transform the world around us.

Jonathan Daman

This post was adapted from a speech Jonathan Daman gave as part of With Gratitude. Daman just graduated from the Bachelor of Business Administration program at CMU’s Redekop School of Business (RSB). He is from Niverville, MB. 

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