Category: residence life Page 1 of 3

Lost and found in translations: The international student experience | Trisha Boodhoo

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On March 25, 2025

In 2024-25, academics, residence life, student life

Philosophy books, lasting friendships, faint echoes of laughter, and the comforting scent of hot chocolate while rushing in the hallways…

As I make my way to my evening class on the north side of CMU’s campus, I let flickers of past and present memories wash over me. The castle building looms in front of me, still as massive and beautiful as the first day I saw it.  I get distracted by the beauty of the snow surrounding me, sparkling and looking like fairy dust in the faint light surrounding the pathways. I breathe out loudly to see the cloud made by the cold air and laugh childishly. Having previously lived on a tropical island where sunshine prevails for most of the year, winter is truly captivating, particularly to those who encounter snow only upon arriving in Canada.

Being an international student is no easy feat. Being away from your family and everything you know, while balancing part-time work and the pressure to excel academically, can be overwhelming. However, my CMU experience was transformed by its strong sense of community. I made a few friends within the first few days of university, not knowing that they would become life-long friends of mine. I remember the short presentations on how to prepare for the academic year and ensure success, along with the campus tours led by faculty members that helped ease the transition. Before long, I was familiar with all the buildings and rushing to my first few classes.

The small class sizes at CMU differ a lot from my previous schools. While my more popular science classes have around 40 students, my philosophy classes consist of ten students or less. Not only do you get to know and engage with everyone in the class, but the professors get to know you on a first-name basis. I am incredibly grateful for my professors, as they have all contributed immensely to my academic success so far.

I was not expecting that I would learn so much from my courses. I started the school year thinking I could be an English major. Then I attended my first philosophy course, The Question of Reality, and it was love at first class! Not only did I find it unbelievable that I was acquiring knowledge from an ancient Greek civilisation, but it was knowledge on how to be a good human being. Of course, once again, I firmly believe that the professor teaching the class impacted immensely my love for philosophy. CMU professors have not only provided me knowledge in the classroom, but I was also able to exercise their wisdom outside of the classroom and into my daily life.

I have been warned by many that the transition from high school to university can be hard. I do agree that it is challenging at first, but I can proudly say that I am now an academic weapon! The resources available at CMU, such as private study rooms, school events to connect with other students, and the beautiful library with large open windows, have certainly made a difference in my academic life. Moreover, the free peer-assisted learning and having tutoring sessions with Sam Friesen, a graduate student and a good friend of mine, have helped in my studies immensely. My best memories were made when I was drinking hot chocolate with Sam in one of the study rooms, debating whether Socrates’ arguments made sense or not.

CMU staff, including Ricah Ursos, Coordinator of International Admissions & Programs, and Sandra Loeppky, Coordinator of Accessibility Services, have helped immensely—whether it is to bring international students together or to provide resources such as how to dress warm in extremely cold weather. They have made my experience here incredible, and I am once more sincerely grateful for their help. In fact, once I got used to the cold, my friends living with me in the residence building soon dragged me along to go sledding or have random snowball fights in the middle of the night.

The reason I came to CMU was as random as finding a pair of well-fitted cowboy boots in your shoe size, abandoned in the streets. I typed “Hogwarts castle,” stumbled upon the university, and noticed there was a tennis court nearby. A couple months later, I was boarding a plane to study at a place where I knew no one. And right now, I am walking towards one of my coolest classes of the semester and mentally taking note that I would love to attend community chapel tomorrow and hang out with my friends afterwards.

Being an international university student means that you are undoubtedly going to go through a lot of personal growth. For me, CMU was the best place I could have asked for to grow emotionally, spiritually, and academically. I still have more growing to do, but I know I will be okay with the people I’ve met, the friends I’ve made, and the support I get from being a student at Canadian Mennonite University.

Trisha Boodhoo is a second-year Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies—English and Philosophy—and minoring in Biblical and Theological Studies.

How do CMU students spend their reading week? | Emma Williamson

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On February 11, 2025

In 2024-25, residence life, student life

Reading week is something that every student looks forward to. Whether you’re visiting home or staying on campus, it is a time for relaxing, hanging out with friends and family, catching up on sleep, having fun, and, well, reading. 

Emma Williamson (left) and Cloe Penner (right)

Good study habits are important, but what second-year student and Poettcker Hall resident Shusmita Shovona took away from the fall semester reading week was the chance to have a fun time with the different residence events that were planned out. “My favourite events were the movie screening and sleepover in the lecture hall, and gargon.” For context, gargon is a student-created game where you run around the north side castle at nighttime with an objective that changes every year, while being chased by enemies.

Shusmita valued rest and fun as equal to studying during the break. “I studied a lot, but I had to treat it as a bit of a break too. That way, I’ll do better after reading week. It helps you feel refreshed and maybe a little bit more ready for the exam season.” 

There were other events for residence students all week, including arts and crafts, an IKEA run, a trip to Pan Am Pool, and a scheduled cathartic scream in the Assiniboine Forest for those who just needed to let something out.

For some students, reading week does, in fact, include reading and catching up on assignments.

Trinity Kennedy, a second-year commuter student, spent her time catching up on some schoolwork and relaxing. “I love reading week. I got stuff done around the house, did some reading, and hung out with my friends a lot.” But how can a student make good study habits? Especially when there’s so many fun things to do and much more opportunity to relax. “I like to use the Pomodoro Technique. I set aside time in my day for it. Basically, you set a timer for 25 minutes and work until the timer goes off. Then you take a five-minute break. Repeat that four times and then take a bit of a longer break. I’ve found having a strict schedule like that works really well for me.”

For the upcoming winter semester reading week, student Cloe Penner has taken the initiative on a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteer trip. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, these trips were held annually, organized between CMU Student Council and MDS. Cloe got involved through Residence Director Gibo Shim, and was asked if she would be interested in organizing a trip for the winter semester. “I had done a trip with MDS before and was excited to get it going!”

“MDS is an organization founded in the Anabaptist tradition that goes around North America, providing help to people and communities that have been hit with disaster,” Cloe says. With their Canadian offices being on CMU’s campus and with Cloe spearheading the trip, this volunteer opportunity has been accessible to many CMU students.

Cloe Penner volunteering for Mennonite Disaster Service

Cloe and the nine other students who volunteered, as well as the residence director, will be heading to Selma, Alabama in mid-February. “…A bunch of tornados and other natural disasters hit [Selma] a while ago. We are there for the entirety of reading week to help out in any way that we can,” she says. “For the most part, we will be doing house repairs, drywall, flooring, clean-up, that sort of thing.”

In conclusion, reading week at CMU is more than just a break from classes; it’s a time for students to recharge, engage with their community, and cultivate new experiences. Whether it’s participating in fun residence events, honing study techniques, or volunteering for a meaningful cause, students find various ways to balance productivity and relaxation. Ultimately, reading week serves as an opportunity to reset—physically, mentally, and emotionally—preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the semester ahead.

Emma Williamson is a second-year Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in English.

“One of the best decisions I have ever made” | Cloe Penner

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On October 23, 2023

In 2023-24, academics, residence life

I honestly don’t know ‘why CMU?’

Cloe Penner

I am an out-of-province student from Ontario. Since CMU is a small university, you might think it’s not heard of in other provinces, much less the world. You would be mostly correct from my experience. I had not known that CMU existed until my mama’s friend mentioned that one of her daughters went there. At that point I hadn’t even decided if I wanted to apply for post-secondary education yet or take a gap year. I knew that eventually I wanted to go and be the first person in my immediate family to go to university, but I had no direction for that desire.

My high school’s guidance counsellors had been breathing down our necks, encouraging us seniors to apply for anything, really, as long as we applied. Apparently in the last few years there had been a decline of students going into post-secondary education, and the guidance department had made it their mission to get that percentage up that year. As this was during the pandemic, I can’t say I’m surprised with that outcome.

Nevertheless, I applied to CMU and only to CMU, after researching possible programs and classes. Looking back, I would say there was a nudge there, as I never really second-guessed my decision to apply. I don’t really have a name for that nudge—it could have been God, or just a gut feeling. I knew that if I got in, I would have to move to another province, and while that was certainly daunting, it was very much a problem for future me. The fact that CMU was a smaller, Mennonite-founded school, and cheaper than almost everything in Ontario, definitely sold it to my parents. The process was scary, but listening to that nudge gave me a great beginning to a new chapter of life.

Obviously, I am now a student here at CMU, in my second year and loving it. The decision to move here, away from anything familiar, was hard; it still is sometimes. Now that I have a year under my belt, I can reflect back and say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The start of my first year was tough. It was hard making friends and settling into a whole new world, rising to a more challenging academic level and having my life so uprooted. That was when the doubt grabbed me. But living in residence brings the community right in front of you. Eventually I stepped out of my comfort zone and found confidence to make friends and develop a life here. That led to self-discoveries and the first steps to becoming an independent adult without my life and community back in Ontario, to really figure out who I am away from all the same influences.

CMU’s campus

Coming to CMU has given me a new perspective on life and changed my life quite literally and philosophically. The academics made me realize how much I love learning when it’s something I actually care about, and the classes are small and interesting enough to keep me engaged and on top of things. (That isn’t to say I don’t procrastinate. I am still a student, it’s part of our ramen-fueled bodies!) So that’s why I stayed. I found a place that feels like home away from home, that allows me to be who I am and be a student dedicated to something I enjoy learning.

Sometimes if we aren’t totally sure of what we’re doing, what’s going to happen, or if the direction we’re taking is the best one, the future has a way of surprising us. And then maybe that unknown future could be one of the best things that helps you become you.

Cloe Penner is a second-year Bachelor of Arts student, majoring in history.

Residence students turn the tables on “Progressive Snack”

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On February 19, 2020

In 2019-20, residence life

Each September, CMU staff and faculty host a moveable feast called “Progressive Snack,” inviting students into their homes for food and fellowship. (Naturally, it’s a per-course affair.) This year, students organized to return the favour, launching an evening tour of residence hospitality dubbed “Regressive Snack.” All staff and faculty were invited to participate.

On February 13, those attending gathered in the student centre shortly before 9:00 PM where Residence Director Charlie Peronto split the merry band into groups. Each group was assigned a different route through the three residence buildings, along which, denizens of each building would receive the group and ply them for half an hour with tea, treats, and conversation.

Anyone who has ever lived in residence at CMU knows that “9:00 Snack” is the very best time of the day. Whether returning from evening classes or breaking midway through a long night of studying—but especially if both of these are true—Snack is the time for weary students to kick back, let their hair down, and relax with a taste of something sweet.

Further, in addition to much unabashed procrastinating, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the best bonding, the funniest jokes, and many of liveliest debates at CMU transpire over the crowded tables at Snack. In fact, people who know Snack argue it is among the best reasons for choosing dorm life. Thus, it comes as no surprise that students might hope to recreate a version of the Snack experience for those who teach and care for them all year long.

What a tour! On first floor Poettcker Hall we built Lego over double-stuffed Oreos, played pool, and took a tour exploring the endless ingenuity of dorm-room décor. On the third floor, we feasted on delicate arrangements of hummus, pitas, and sliced veggies, while apartment students regaled us about travels in the Middle East and all that they learned from their neighbours abroad. In Katherine Friesen Apartments, senior students treated visitors to home baking made with their very own hands while we chatted about religious diversity on campus and the different ways of praying that had been meaningful to each of us.

And all of this—you may not know how significant it is—all of this was done in February, just before reading week. “Regressive Snack” was touching, not only because students wanted to thank faculty and staff for their love and generosity by welcoming them into their homes. It was touching because, in the busiest, most trying month of a university student’s year, in the dead of winter when everything is harder, students who live at the best of times on significantly less than their professors demonstrated two of CMU’s core institutional commitments: modelling invitational community and exemplifying truly generous hospitality.

The new widow’s mite is a double-stuffed Oreo.

Beth Downey is a CMU staff member.

What you’ve heard about CMU? It’s TRUE!

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On March 20, 2019

In 2018-2019, events, residence life, student life

Shpeel (definition): slang – often a sales talk or pitch; to speak, usually at length, to present a position or rationale for some course of action or belief on the part of the listener(s).

If you’ve ever been to a CMU Open House or Campus Visit Day, or have even witnessed one in action, you’ve heard the classic “Come to CMU” shpeel.

“The class sizes are SMALL. There’s a wonderful sense of COMMUNITY. Marpeck Commons is NEW and WONDERFUL and FULL OF SUNSHINE and GOOD COFFEE.”

Chloe kickin' it on the bridge
ready to spheel

I’m here to tell you that the shpeel is true. No lies here. As someone who’s given tours of this beautiful campus of ours, I’ve heard these words come out of my mouth many, many times. So many times that sometimes I start forgetting why I’m saying them. Sometimes they sound too good to be true. And then I take a look around me and remember.

For what we have to offer, CMU is grossly underrated. So I’m going to keep doing my shpeel until everyone knows why I love this tiny university of mine.

1) The class sizes are SMALL

Studying with friends in the sun

Some of my favourite classes have been the one’s with the fewest people in them. I like to think back to my Creative Writing Poetry course, where I’d meet with eight of my classmates twice a week to share our poems and critique them together. I produced some of my best work in that class, and I know for a fact that my poems would have sounded a lot worse if they had been written in a lecture theatre. The faculty to student ratio is 1:18 (even for first and second year students). You really get to know your professors and classmates, and I think that those close relationships have encouraged me to do some of my best academic work.

2) There’s a wonderful sense of COMMUNITY

Fun with friends

I remember my first day on campus. I was nervous, stressed out of my mind, and knew almost no one. That all changed when I went to my faculty advisor meeting. We sat in a small circle, ate pizza, and before there was any discussion about classes or schedules or academics, we learned about each other. 15 minutes into my first day, and I was already part of a little community where I felt welcomed and supported. There are students in that meeting that I’ve never had a class with, but I still know their names and we say hello to each other on the way to our separate classes. Walking across campus and not stopping to greet a friend or neighbour is almost impossible, but it’s the BEST. It sounds cliche, but CMU is my home, and the people here are my family.

3) Marpeck Commons is NEW and WONDERFUL and FULL OF SUNSHINE and GOOD COFFEE

folio café coffee with a book

Facts. Marpeck Commons was opened in 2015, and it was entirely paid for by donors, nothing came out of students’ pockets (there goes that community spirit again). It houses CommonWord (CMU’s book/gift shop, that also sells perogies and noodles, of course), folio café (amazing coffee and friendly baristas, and featured in an article called “15 Winnipeg Coffee Shops You Should Go To At Least Once In Your Life”, but I prefer to go everyday…), CMU’s library (spacious tables, comfy reading chairs, floor to ceiling windows, and sweet librarians: what’s not to love?), as well as a public learning space for the community to gather and have public conversations. Oh, and it’s got a cool bridge that goes over Grant Ave. (cheers to keeping warm while crossing the street!). It’s a place you can spend hours in and not want to leave.

There’s a lot more I could tell you about CMU. I live here. I learn here. I grow here. So I’m going to keep on giving my CMU shpeel until everyone I know (and even people I don’t know) sees CMU the way I do.

If you’d like to experience CMU for yourself, I encourage you to stop by during our Open House on Wednesday, March 26 from 10:00 AM
– 3:00 PM. I’d love to give you my shpeel in person.

– Chloe Friesen, 2nd year Communications and Media student

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