Habitat for community

Well! You are approaching your third and fourth weeks of classes. That is very exciting, I hope that many of you are adjusting to the seminar and lecture settings at Trent. I know for myself personally, my favourite courses in first year were History 150 (1500): Ten days that shook the world, Women's Studies 100 (1000): Introduction to Women's Studies, and of course, Canadian Studies 100 (1000): Introduction to Canadian Studies. I loved these courses because of the small class settings, and the fact that my T.A's and even some Professors knew my name. All of this would have never been possible without our community. According to my trusty Oxford Dictionary, "community" is defined as a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

My mother always explained community through one of her favourite songs, Joan Szymko's "It takes a whole village".
The opening line is: "It takes a whole village to raise our children, it takes a whole village to raise one child." For my mother, it takes a community of people to help raise our children. That is one example of what community could mean to one specific person. There are several personal meanings to community. For my classmates and I, we were apart of a learning community at the University of Ottawa. Champlain is another community. I lived in C/D, thus making me apart of the C/D tower community.

Now as I study education in preparation of becoming a teacher, I also have learned the importance of community from an educator's perspective. In all of my classes we discuss the importance of community. It allows people to have a sense of belonging, but most importantly, it gives people the opportunity to belong in a safe community. It should be a place where you can go and feel and especially be yourself. Whether your community is in a classroom, a club or sports team, a religious group, your tower and "pod" (floor-mates), or even the entire college, it's a place where you can feel at home and share your commonalities with others.

So the next time you are walking around that beautiful college, ask yourself: what makes this place my community? If you feel you can't find the answer, ask yourself this: HOW can I make this MY community? As students who have now begun the new journey, you need to make it your own. One of the most unique qualities of Trent are the colleges. Each college has its own personality and... their own COMMUNITIES. That is what makes it so different from everywhere else.

So I leave you with the words of Mark Twain (those of you in English 1000 will meet him soon I am sure), " The universal brotherhood of man is our most precious possession." Good luck with your studies! Today is Saturday, what a perfect opportunity to go out and belong to the community!

Guest post from Ecuador

Shirin Nuesslin is a Trent leadership student who is on the Year Abroad program Trent in Ecuador. I thought you'd enjoy sharing in her experience through this guest blog.

Dearest friends,

The best way to start this e-mail is by saying “Que lindo” (How beautiful)! As most of you know, my academic journey as well as my curiosity about the world have led me to come to Ecuador; a beautiful country embedded between mountains, jungle and the sea, as well as couched in traces of Indigenous culture and influences of Western culture. It is a country of beautiful diversity, ecologically, culturally, gastronomically, and all the other categories that you could think of.

I commenced on this trip roughly month ago and I can happily announce that I feel very comfortable here! My heart has various compartments, and now there is one for Ecuador, too. I feel a step closer to global citizenship!

My classes started on Monday and am now fully immersed in Spanish vocabulary and syntax as well as buried under stack of interesting articles about Ecuador; but this is not how my journey begun. Disclaimer: I have tried to capture some of my experience in words; it will seem elaborate, but yet won’t do justice to my real experience.

It started out in Otavalo, a city in the ‘sierra’, the mountainous part of the country with a high presence of Indigenous people, where I participated in a seminar called “Contributing to the Prevalent Discourse of Society” offered by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity (for more detailed information, please see the PS note below this e-mail). We talked about education and development from a perspective that sees science and religion as two complementary systems of knowledge that have to be explored for civilization to be ever-advancing. It was a lot of food for thought and I have to say, that I can’t think of a better way to have started my journey here! Now I know youth from all around the country.

Besides the mental exercise, I was enchanted by waking up with the sunrise, to the sound of rooster, to the sight of mountains rising up against the horizon every direction in I would look. We conversed under fig, lemon and avocado trees, as well as played soccer and volleyball, but only as much as the altitude would allow me to (10 minutes for me, haha!).

Before my academic program started in Quito, I also headed up the coastal region with some friends – there I had a peek at the ocean, the chance to try seafood, go on an adventure to a river in the countryside, go on some rides in a public amusement park (with VERY low security measures!), but more so enjoyed interacting with neighbours and friends of the family I was staying with.

On my journey I have slept under a mosquito net at the coast, as well as in my fleece jacket, scarf, hat and under 5 wool blankets in the mountains. I have met many people, young and old, native to the country and from other places in the world, of simple lifestyle and affluent lifestyle, of a narrow worldview and one that is open-minded, of people conscious about the environment and others who are not. The diversity is great, just like in any other country!

AND, in addition, there is a greater sense of a quality of life that I have noticed and enjoyed truly so far. The sun sets at 6pm and gives another reason to spend time with friends and family conversing around the dinner table. And, sitting down for breakfast for 40 minutes with my Ecuadorian siblings on a regular school day is another nice custom.

Everyday on the way to my bus stop I am blessed by the view of mountains – an impressive contour of peaks and gorges as far as the eye can see – and houses of all sorts that have snuggled themselves up against the mountain slopes; small, big, pointy roofs or flat roofs with laundry hanging on the top, bright colours or fading colours. Most impressing, however, is the sight of volcano ‘Cotopaxi’ – the highest summit in the country, reaching almost 6000m – and once in a while, just like today, it’s a ‘three peak’ day: Clear sky and clean air allow me to see three white mountain tops in the distance, rising up like delicious ice cream against the horizon!

My host family has been very helpful in introducing me to Ecuadorian foods of all sorts, but my most favourite experience with them so far has been the trip to their farm in the countryside 3 hours out of the city. I spent the weekend surrounded by the peaceful sound of forest, birds and water. The property is filled with fruits and vegetables of all sorts, a clear river in which we swam, and animals, including horses, dogs, cows, and fish. I woke up to the sound of the rooster, the singing of birds and the hugging warmth of the coastal climate that does not exist in the mountains. I even had the chance to go on a quick horseback ride through the mountainous terrain and rocky river as well as viewed tucans and owls while walking through the thickets of the property.

However, the pace of countryside life is much different from that in the city: Here I learned how to cross multi-laned streets in the rush hour of Quito, how to get on and off passing busses, and have been amazed by people’s creativity in finding means of earning money.

On a more funny note, my attempt to play soccer (a very important activity in this country!) ended up in my first sport injury and my attempt to go on a bike ride in Quito was an adventure, too: It takes much concentration and good observation skills when trying to manoeuvre around pieces of glass on the streets, and changing the side of the road strategically whenever I see a ‘seemingly’ sleeping dog following my movements with his eyes; and, all of this while struggling to bike up-hill on a one gear bike in approximately 2,800m altitute. I have also noticed that as my skin is getting more tanned from the potent mountain sun (despite sun screen), my teeth are also getting stained due to the delicious coffee here.

Speaking of food, I can only say that my stomach has been spoiled in many ways here, especially by the fresh fruit juices I have 3 times daily. I love going to the market in my neighbourhood and seeing all the various fruits and vegetables that I have never seen before. I came expecting that I might get sick from the change in food and the water, but I am proud to say that I have not had any problems. But before I put all eggs in one basket, I was also told that parasites take a while to get settle-in in the stomach...

Things seem quite idyllic, you might think, and they are. It’s is beautiful but I should add that this impression is one that springs from an attitude of positivism and learning. What I have described in this e-mail is just my attempt to capture my first impressions here, and of course, these are the things I chose to see and chose to hear.

I study International Development Studies here and we, my Canadian classmates, are researchers here, we are told. We are trying to understand the happening – both from the past and the presence – in Ecuador. In my daily interactions, I try to be a conscious observer, like a sponge trying to soak in what meets the retina of my eye and the ear drum of my ears. There is the saying by St. Augustine “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. I have definitely followed this saying, out of curiosity and respect to the culture, but can’t avoid using my discerning eye to look out for ways in which the lifestyle could be more sustainable. I understand I am analysing life here through a particular lens that has its own biases, but also remind myself that positive social change will never occur if noone was to constructively deconstruct the patterns of life. And in the same way, I try to reflect on my own actions: What is the impact of my words and actions here? How do they contribute to positive change or just reinforce unsustainable patterns of life?

And language-wise? My Spanish learning curve is progressing but clearly my comprehension curve has overtaken my ability to express my thoughts. My host family is very patient and corrects me, too. However, my brain is slightly confused because I am reading heavy academic articles in English as I am trying to acquire Spanish skills, while trying not to forget my German either. The result of this can look something like this: A confused Shirin that spoke all three languages at her 5 minute visit to the German consulate in Quito. Luckily the consulate is fluent in all three languages and had no problem understanding what I was trying to express.

Well, overall, I joined the program with the hope to embark on this journey with and an open mind, with discerning eyes, with friendly thoughts, and helping hands. I remind myself of a quotation I like by Baha’u’llah: “Let your vision be world embracing, rather than confined to your own self.”

It’s is all very exciting and would like to keep you all updated on my impressions and learning here, in the same way I will enjoy hearing from all of you about the happenings on your ends!

Saludos & a kiss on the cheek, a custom that I have gotten used to now!

- Shirin


PS: Offered by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, this seminar opens a space in which to engage in a conversation about meaningful education and development, based on the understanding that science and religion are two complementary systems of knowledge that give a holistic view of human reality. It is beautiful!

In order to construct an ever-advancing civilization we need to develop both spiritually and materially, and we need to realize our dual purpose - we need to develop both as individuals as well as make sure to contribute to society. It is our responsibility to create equal access to knowledge, be part of generating knowledge and helping to apply the knowledge. We engaged in discussion on concepts that will be helpful when contributing to the prevalent discourse of society; for example, the concept and importance of family, community, society, moral standards, attraction to real beauty, investigation of truth, our dual purpose, real service, and real learning. As I mentioned before, it was food for thought; something I can nibble on as I am studying IDS here!

Building Community

With this blog I am hoping to draw the attention of those wanting to make TGLC a really engaged, unified, active community within Trent. I'm writing this because I have a love for this community because of my experiences in it, the people it draws and the great ideas, conversations, relationships and actions that come out of it.

TGLC has great potential because of the rich diversity of experiences, life stories and ideas that are present. When I was part of this community, I could feel the potential for planning events, activities, workshops, get togethers, etc. and really wanted to bring this out of the people I was living with. But alas, we are all students and lead very busy lives. It is a really big responsibility to be an active member of a community and often things do not work out as you envision them, but great things can happen with not too much time or effort if everyone is taking part in making them happen.

What I am trying to encourage here is that whoever becomes part of this community, try to take on that responsibility to be an active member because if each member is engaged, participating, and working to make this community a place where things happen, then your experience at Trent, and in TGLC will be so rich. It just makes living there so much more fun and meaningful if everyone takes some time to really think about what they want for their community and works to make that happen.

Ok so this kind of sounds a bit like a lecture haha but I just really believe in what TGLC does to open people's eyes to other cultures, ideas and ways of living. I hope that this community grows to be a cohesive, active group at Trent and that you have alot of fun this year! So don't be afraid to go out on a limb, try something new and get creative with the different initiatives TGLC could do this year! I look forward to hearing about it.

Emma

Nomadic Massive Live in the Great Hall, Sep 24 7 p.m.

More from Nomadic Massive:

Nomadic Massive Live in the Great Hall, Sep 24 7 p.m.

Why Nomadic Massive as a kick off event to bring Trent together for a Champlain event?

When Tim Shah (Champlain/Trent alumn, leader of the Trent Global Living Community, and now at UBC doing a Master's in Urban Planning) first contacted Nomadic Massive to see if they would do a performance in the Great Hall on their way to a gig in Toronto, they responded immediately and said that they love to do performances at universities--but . . ."

We might have been worried about the "but" until it was followed by, "we'd also like to do a workshop for social justice". Tim and I were both thrilled because, well, how Trent is that? A cutting edge eleven piece band making the great hall rumble with a multicultural sound--and a message with meaning to make a world of difference? That's a college life I want to be a part of!

When I came to Champlain 7 years ago, I heard many stories about "the old days" of concerts and sweaty dance parties in the Great Hall that brought together the community in ways no other college could. That's one tradition I'd like to sustain--if it gives us opportunities to learn together as this concert will!

Nomadic Massive, live in the Great Hall, with opening band The Resolutionaries, Friday, September 24, 2010, 7 p.m. Get tickets at the Champlain College Office, LEC Office, TIP, The Central or student affairs. Tickets are free with a donation for Pakistan Flood Relief (UNICEF).

Workshop: "Social Justice Through Hip Hop" World Affairs Colloquium in the Champlain Council Chambers (CC M2) at 3 p.m.

A warm-hearted welcome to the World Affairs Colloquium

(Photo: WAC committee 2008-09)

The Trent Clubs and Groups day on September 8th, 2010 was the most wonderful event so far in my academic year. As I had the opportunity to meet with my fellow students who are organizers, co-chairs or founders of clubs and groups at Trent, I could not help but being inspired by their commitment and enthusiasm in running their activities and contributing to Trent's rich student life. The event was a warm welcome back, even more intimate than a tight hug, especially for an international student who returned to Canada after a year-abroad. It's now my turn to pass on the torch of inspiration to other students, international and domestic, new and returning. I want to warmly welcome all of you to the Trent World Affairs Colloquium!

A lecture series sponsored by Trent International Program and Trent International Student Association, WAC seeks to create an engaging environment where participants can learn and share knowledge about global issues. Guest-speakers come from different fields: from Peterborough social worker to Trent professor, from a Canadian famous politician to a Botswana woman leader. In the last few years, WAC topics cover theme such as the global food crisis, HIV-AIDS, the world as mirror of ourselves, etc. The next theme can be developed from your idea!

This year WAC will be taking place on Friday, bi-weekly or monthly, in Champlain Council Chamber (CCM2). Stay tuned for our exciting events by following the Champlain College blog or watch out for our email notice! WAC is yours to participate, yours to create.

*If you would like to subscribe to WAC emails or have a suggestion for a potential topic, please email us: worldaffairscollq@gmail.com

College Head Welcome and Tree Planting

On September 7, 2010, Dr. Mike Allcott, Champlain College Head welcomed all new students of Champlain by planting a tree in their honour. If you weren't able to attend, below is the talk he shared with the new students!

Welcome to Trent and welcome to Champlain College.

My academic background is in English Literature and my professional experience has led me to travel and live in more than 20 countries around the world. Both of these things mean that I look for and see meaning in all the different aspects of life. And I think you do, too. Meaning is the value of the things we do, of the friendships we make of the things we learn. The absence of meaning, is well, it’s simply boring. Like going through the motions of a dance that you don’t understand or don’t want to do.

So I wanted to spend this moment of meaning with you, in the hope that we can share a value, not just for this moment, but for the lifespan of this little oak tree. As many of you know, my partner and I were married 6 years ago in this little courtyard of Champlain College, so it has great meaning for me. There was a great willow tree, a love willow, with two trunks entwined in each other right at this spot. Sadly, that tree passed on a few years ago. And that’s one reason I wanted to plant this tree in your honour this week.

This tree was planted for the Trent University and Champlain College class of 2010. That’s you.

And as members of this very special community of learning, we’ll be able to watch the tree grow over the next year or two or three or four (or maybe more). It will be a way for us to measure each other’s growth, witness each other’s progress, and celebrate each other as we grow and become what we’re only brave enough to dream at this point.

Those of us who have a social and environmental consciousness know that planting a tree is an essential act of life and hope. Trees and reforestation not only help to digest the overabundance of Carbon Dioxide produced by our abuse of the earth, they also provide a natural habitat and a healthy diverse ecosystem that helps to sustain other life. Moreover, trees are beautiful: recent studies have showed that people who are able to see trees and their natural environment experience a more peaceful and stress-free life; people who study within sight of trees have higher level of concentration and the ability to focus. As you may know ancient druids found spiritual force in the very existence of trees. And whether you are a spiritual person or a scientific person, maybe there is some actuality in that belief that we have yet to discover.

What do they say about your generation? The first generation to come of age after September 11, 2001. That was a moment that changed the way Americans, but also north Americans thought about our security and being in the world. Your parents may have paid more careful attention to you, to your well-being and to your safety than previous generations.

The researchers call you “Generation Net”, because you have grown up in a world where the internet was not a new phenomenon, but as normal a part of life as milk, maple syrup and MTV.

Researchers say that you have high expectations of University:

That is will truly prepare you for the Future. You trust that university will provide you a safe and supportive environment, in which you will be able to take risks and rise to meaningful challenges. And in which you’ll be able to have a second chance when that risk does not result in success.

You expect university to provide you Mentors. People whose experience you can look up to, and people who can not only help guide you to success, but help connect you to the networks that lead to success.

But you expect those mentors to arise from authentic circumstances—from your real life, not from a competition or one-upsmanship over your peers.

You expect university to challenge you—but not in an environment of merely formulaic tests and exams, but in meaningful challenges. Projects, assignments, opportunities inside and outside the classroom that add to your sense of meaning in life.

Oh, and the researchers say that you expect to have fun. I hope that you will find that Champlain College, the friends you will make here, the mentors you will meet in the authentic day to day life of the college, will meet these lofty expectations of your generation.

There’s another thing that people believe about your generation: They call you Generation O. That’s O for Obama. Social networking, genuine belief that the institutions created by your seniors can be an effective tool for changing the world into the world that you want. That you not only have a social consciousness, but you have the will to participate and the savoir-faire to make things work for you.

We’re planting this tree tonight as a sign of our commitment to each other, to Champlain College. It’s a sign that we will guard and value each other’s expectations, and support each other’s dreams as we grow together over the next years. And we’ll look forward to the moment we can look back with your children when they come to Trent, or that this tree will look back on us from its hundreds of years of life, and appreciate the moment we were at Champlain.

Noranne has a guest book for each of you to sign either tonight, or in the Great Hall throughout the week. I’d like you to put your name there—and if you would, record some word that indicates your dreams or desires for yourself as a member of this community of learning.

Who will you be? Who will you form friendships with? What will you learn? What will you teach? And what will you give to this community? I and the fellows of Champlain look forward to watching you become whomever you will be. Thank you for coming tonight, enjoy your ISW, and welcome the class of 2010 to Champlain College.

The Seasoned Spoon is.....

an incredible alternative café located in Champlain College.

Attention first-years! Please take note, this is a café that you must check out as soon as you have the chance. As Dr. Mike alluded to in an earlier post, the Seasoned Spoon is not only a very pleasant eating space (with tasty food), but it helps ensure that the dynamism of Trent’s diversity is at the heart of college life.

Over my four years I indulged in delicious soups including my favourite ground nut stew and corn chowder. The wraps are equally as scrumptious - tofu, hummus and roasted vegetables just to name a few. There are so many great options and it is an excellent alternative to cafeteria food. Take it from me, other Champlain blog authors and alumni, the Seasoned Spoon really adds a unique element to the college. If the appetizing smell of baking cookies does not entice you to check out the café, in some way or another, you'll notice the vibrant community that the Spoon creates and the wonderful staff who prepare your food.

If you are participating and/or organizing an event or special talk in Champlain, be sure to check out their menu for catering the event.

While I am pleased with the restaurants and cafés here at UBC, I will certainly miss the Seasoned Spoon. Give it a shot, and see if you like it.

In Istanbul, 8,000 Years of History - NYTimes.com

As many Champlain Fellows have research and cultural interest in Turkey and especially Istanbul, I wanted to share this with the college community. Trent faculty in Ancient History & Classics, Politics, Geography, History, Anthropology have research interests in this region. (If there are others, I'd be interested in knowing).

In Istanbul, 8,000 Years of History - NYTimes.com