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Your Mount Royal News
Feb. 18, 2022

'The World Isn't Made for the Sad'

A poem from student Pam Ndumbi, originally from Zambia, reflects on othering, adjusting to a new, mostly white world, and how reading provided refuge.

'Live'

Now with MRU’s Trico Changemakers Studio, alumna Sally Njoroge finds inspiration for her poetry in the works of Maya Angelou, Lauryn Hill and a Kenyan rapper named E-Sir.

'The Beat of a Drum'

One small item remained the only constant after student John Havyarimana’s family made a dangerous escape from their home country of Burundi to land in a refugee camp for several years.

What makes Olympic athletes different?

The tiny fraction of athletes who make it to the Olympic stage have the right genetics, access to excellent training and tremendous dedication to sport.

Helping coaches to the top of their game

Associate Professor Simon Raby, PhD, works to strengthen the skill set of Team Canada, promoting growth, leadership and performance at Canada Sport.

Insider's look at an Olympic attempt

Although alumna Grace Dafoe didn’t make the Olympic team this year, she says she is ready to try again for the privilege of wearing the maple leaf.

Announcements

Last chance to nominate an outstanding alumni

Alumni who have dedicated their time, efforts and careers to spark positive change should not go unnoticed. If you know a remarkable alum who deserves recognition, tell us about them by March 4. Nominate.

New implementation of self-service for Registration

The Office of the Registrar, Academic Advising, Student Systems and Communications, and Information Technology Services have been working on a joint project to transition from the legacy version of Self-Service Banner (8) to version 9 for the past two years. This is the first module to go live and there will be many more to come for students and employees. This updated functionality will mean new and improved navigation and forms. The new system will be live as of March 7 for students to prepare for full-year registration. Learn more.

MRU acquires site licence for Qualtrics

MRU has recently acquired a site licence for Qualtrics, which allows users to deliver an unlimited number of surveys to an unlimited number of respondents with collaborators both inside and outside of the MRU community. Faculty, students and staff with MRU email addresses are eligible to use this licence. Current MRU Qualtrics users will be migrated to the institutional licence and may choose to migrate their existing surveys and data. Survey Monkey licence holders can discuss their options at licensemanager@mtroyal.ca. More information from Institutional Research and Planning. Helpful resources can be found on the Qualtrics Topics from A-Z help page.

Learn to recognize signs of suicidal thoughts

Wellness Services has access to Start, an online 60-minute training program through LivingWorks where participants learn to recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and how to connect them to help and support. Participants can watch videos, interact virtually and access additional resources and reading materials. A certificate is presented upon completion. A limited number of licences will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. To sign up, email Donna George, manager, Healthy Campus.

Participate in Pandemic Stories

History professor Joe Anderson, PhD, is conducting a research project titled “Pandemic Stories: MRU and COVID-19”, and is seeking out MRSA and exempt participants for online interviews conducted by students. Members of the campus community can provide their experiences of the pandemic, providing a richer view of the challenges and opportunities of the university experience. The identities of participants will not be revealed and all information will be anonymized. Learn more and contribute to the project.

Washroom closure W308 and W304, beginning Feb. 21

Please be aware that washrooms W308 and W304 will be closed starting Feb. 21 and are tentatively scheduled to re-open in May. W328 and W324, which are currently closed, will reopen at the end of March. This work is being done as part of the W-Wing renovations. Signs will be posted.

Call for students to enter the annual Gender Bender

One of SAMRU’s most popular events, the Gender Bender is aimed at those who want to perform numbers that blur gender lines, promote body positivity and celebrate sexuality. All performance types are accepted. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. The Gender Bender event will take place March 10 from 6 to 10 p.m. Performers can email the Pride Centre at pridecentre@samru.ca to register. More information.

Did you know?

The Charlton Pond, named after Bob Charlton, AKA "Big Bob," who retired from Mount Royal in 2001 after 19 years with Security Services, is left untreated to keep it as biologically untouched as possible for research and educational purposes.

Bleed Blue

Dr. David Legg inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Professor David Legg, PhD, of the Department of Health and Physical Education, is a 2022 inductee into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame for his contribution to sport in Alberta. He has worked with Wheelchair Sports Alberta, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee, and helped found the Children’s Adapted Physical Activity program, a play-based physical activity program for children with disabilities. Legg is also the founder and lead organizer of the Calgary and Area ParaSport and Recreation Collective. Read the full press release.

Dr. Aliyah Dosani and Dr. El-Hussein awarded CIHR Grants

Professor Aliyah Dosani, PhD, of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, has been awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant for her application titled, 'Using Photovoice and Critical Social Theory to Help Develop Culturally Safe Services for Perinatal Depression in Rural India." Professor Mohamed El-Hussein, PhD, also with nursing and midwifery, and his team received a CIHR grant for the application titled, "What are the experiences and needs of informal caregivers of fracture patients in a rehabilitation setting?"

Events

Fair Dealing Week Workshop Series: Fair Dealing and Fanfiction
Fri., Feb. 18 from noon to 12:30 p.m. — Online
MRU’s copyright advisor will explore the evolution of fanfiction and fanworks, how fair dealing impacts fanfiction and the relationship between fans and authors. Register.

City of Calgary Vaccination Van on Campus
Tues., Feb. 22 and March 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Pride crosswalk
The City of Calgary’s vaccination vans will be on campus Feb. 22 and March 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m. Learn more.

Electronics: Circuitry Prototyping (Beginner)
Wed., Feb. 23 from 1 to 2 p.m. — Online
In this workshop you will learn about prototyping your own circuits and build a night-light circuit that turns on automatically when it’s dark. Register.

XR Toolkit Series: Editing 360 Photos and Videos with Adobe Photoshop and Premiere
Thurs., Feb. 24 from 1 to 2 p.m. — Online
Learn how to edit 360-degree photos and videos using Adobe. Technical requirements: Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop. Register.

Black History Month: Standing on the Shoulders of Greatness | Honouring Generations Who Came Before
Fri., Feb. 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Facebook live
This virtual celebration via Facebook live will feature discussions with prominent Black community members. More information. Join.

Black History Month: Desire to Make a Difference | Community, Responsibility & Integrity
Sun., Feb. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. — Facebook live
Hosted by comedian Sterling Scott, this virtual celebration of Black History Month with the Caribbean Associations of Calgary features live discussions and cultural performances. Join.

Introduction to Legal Research
Mon., Feb. 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. — Online
This workshop will provide an introduction to basic concepts and strategies when searching for Canadian legal resources. Register.

Harm Reduction and Naloxone Training
Mon., Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to noon — I130
This two-hour training session teaches participants about harm reduction practices, the current state of the opioid crisis in Alberta and how to respond to an opioid poisoning. Register.

Using KeePass
Tues., March 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. — Online
This informative workshop takes you through the basic steps of using KeePass so you can stop reusing passwords and safely store them. Register.

Information Literacy for Mortals: Real World Strategies for Evaluating Information in University Classrooms
Wed., March 2 from 10 to 11 a.m. — Online
Join us on March 2 for a virtual chat with University of Washington research scientist Mike Caulfield. Learn more and register.

Blackfoot Lunch & Learn
Wed., March 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Online
Join Elder Hayden Melting Tallow as he shares his knowledge of Blackfoot history, language and worldviews in the Trico Changemakers Studio this semester. Register.

decolonizing our mind — a virtual book club
wed., march 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — online
this facilitated group seeks to engage readers’ minds with works from Indigenous authors to educate and raise awareness about the decolonization of thought. join.

Walk & Talk
Tues., March 3 from 12:05 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. — East Gate
Join some of your MRU friends for a 25-minute outdoor walk around campus to get moving and connect with others. Email healthycampusteam@mtroyal.ca for more information.

The Cybersecurity Roadshow
Tues., March 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Main Street
Our cybersecurity experts are available to answer all of your cybersecurity questions. More information.

Managing Breakups Discussion Series
Wed., March 9, 16 and 23 from noon to 1 p.m. — Online
These one-hour sessions will look at different topics surrounding relationships and breakups, how a breakup can impact a person’s well-being and help identify skills to help manage those impacts. Register.

Have a story, announcement or info to share?

Summit and website stories

We would love to hear about your story! Go to the online story submission tool and guidelines.

MyMRU announcements

Please send announcements for MyMRU's homepage to mymru@mtroyal.ca. Review the guidelines.

Start of semester emails, with option for distribution list
sign-up

As each semester begins (August/September and December/January), areas with ongoing employee activities can send an email to all employees describing their semester activities. Employees can then choose to opt in to that area's distribution list (Google Group) for regular updates. If you would like to send an email and/or set up a Google Group for your area, please contact Marketing and Communications for guidelines.

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