Renison Reports - Fall 2013 - University of Waterloo

16 Pages·2013·4.47 MB·English

FALL 2013

O N THE JOB WITH E.L.I. 5 RESEARCH AT RENISON 6 DR. BRYANT: 40 YEARS 10
R ENISONreports FALL 2013
Fall 2013 A magazine for alumni and friends
Your Trust. Our Promise.
3 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

4 BOARD TALK
We thank you for your support of Renison University

College and for trusting us as one of your philanthropic
5 ON THE JOB
priorities.

6 RESEARCH AT RENISON We remain consistent in our support of students through
further developments in the areas of Student Life,
Residence and the Ministry Centre.
10 ACADEMIC ACTIVITY

Please take a moment to scan the QR Code below with
11 IN MEMORIAM your tablet or smartphone and watch a short video.

12 GRAPEVINE We value your trust in us and continue to keep our
promise to you and to our students.

15 COLLEGE EVENTS

16 ALUMNI EVENTS

RENISON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BOARD OF GOVERNORS*
CHAIR Peter Ringrose
VICE CHAIR May Yan
TREASURER Christine Grin
CHANCELLOR The Right Rev. D. Ralph Spence
PRINCIPAL & VICE-CHANCELLOR Glenn F. Cartwright
PRESIDENT OF uWATERLOO REP. Jim Walker
REP. OF DIOCESE OF HURON The Ven. Peter Townshend
REP. OF DIOCESE OF NIAGARA The Rev. Matthew Griffin
STAFF REPRESENTATIVE Ron Champion
Renison University College
FACULTY REPRESNTATIVE Peter Donahue
is affiliated with the
PRESIDENT OF RASC Daanika Kamal
University of Waterloo
PRESIDENT OF RENISIX Sarah Crawford
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Manfred Conrad, Keith Hipel, Brian Hendley, Rose Padacz, Paul Pink,
Peter Roe
*Effective January 1, 2014
Join us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter:
Renison University College twitter.com/renisoncollege
2 uwaterloo.ca/renison
P R I N C I PA L’ S M E SS A G E

The Spirit of Archbishop Robert John Renison

Seventy years ago, Robert John
Renison addressed the Empire
Club of Canada for the second
time. His topic was “Our debt to
Northern Ontario.” There was no
better expert than the man who
lived among the Cree for fourteen

years, learned their language, and
tended to their needs.

Recently, I was honoured to be invested as a chevalier of the International
Knightly Order of St. George. Coincidentally, the ceremony took place at St.
Paul’s on Bloor Street in Toronto, the very church that Archbishop Renison
The Most Rev. Robert John Renison
served as Rector from 1933-44. As I processed down that same aisle, walking
in Renison’s footsteps, I almost felt his spirit accompanying me. And I
began to think of all the parts of Canada he touched and
improved. Following his work in the North at Moosonee, a river
and a railway stop were named for him. Christ Church,
Vancouver became a cathedral due to his untiring work. As
Bishop of Athabasca, he touched the lives of residents over a
200,000 square mile area, and when he returned to Toronto, his
weekly column in the Globe and Mail influenced both Anglican
and non-Anglican readers alike.

I like to think that his values and spirit live on in the college
founded and named for him two years after his death - a
college he never knew existed. A college devoted to educating
students to their highest level of competence in a caring,
compassionate environment. We owe a great debt to
Archbishop Robert John Renison. Though we can never pay it
back, each of us can pay it forward by honouring his legacy and
carrying on his work in the university college that bears his name.
Dr. Cartwright being invested into the Order of
St. George
Glenn F. Cartwright
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
R ENISONreports FALL 2013 3
B O A R D TA L K
Waterloo’s Anglican Archdeacon is Part of the Family
As Rector of the Church of the Holy welcoming place for students.” He
Saviour in Waterloo, The Venerable describes the Ministry Centre as a
Peter Townshend’s involvement on ‘living room on campus’ where Our thanks for
the Board of Governors at Renison students don’t feel isolated.
years of service
University College is steeped in
history – the relationship between Peter also believes that the programs
Renison and the parish goes back to and courses offered by the Renison Doris M’Timkulu
the College’s beginnings. The Institute of Ministry (RIM) offer
Venerable Harvey Southcott, one of personal faith development and
Renison’s founders, was the Rector leadership development for Anglican
at Holy Saviour at the time of the church members, and many programs
College’s founding. Since that time, are of benefit to the clergy.
many of the Parish Priests from Holy
Saviour have served as volunteers on Peter sees great value from the
Renison’s board. multi-cultural and multi-faith
approach to the academics and
culture at Renison, which is also
home to programs such as East Asian
Studies and Studies in Islam.
Doris has served Renison University
“Renison’s openness to discussion is
College first as a sessional lecturer
also a strong tradition of the Anglican
and then as a board member. A
Church,” said Peter. “We all grow
longtime advocate of community
from having a better understanding
based services, Doris’ experience has
of one another.”
been an invaluable asset to the

Board.
Peter has both professional and

personal reasons to volunteer on the
Thank you, Doris!
Board of Renison, and will continue

to offer assistance and provide a
The Venerable David
supportive role to the leadership of
the College. “I appreciate that it is a Pickett

family community, one that fosters
strong relationships.”

Peter came to Waterloo in 2003, and
in the spring of 2004 he was invited
to join the Board at Renison. Over
the past ten years, Peter has been
involved in numerous committees of
the board including search
committees for the Chaplain and
Chancellor and as chair of the
Chaplaincy committee. Archdeacon David Pickett joined the
Renison Board of Governors as the
Peter’s long-standing tenure on the representative to the Diocese of
board attests to his strong Niagara. He is an Honorary Senior
commitment to the work that Fellow of the College and a recipient
Renison does. For undergraduate of both an Honorary Doctor of
students, he sees the benefit of a Divinity degree and the Alumni
small, residential college on the Award Distinction from Huron
campus of a larger university. “It’s University College, University of
the best of two worlds,” said Peter. Western Ontario.
“The students are also very fortunate
to have the Ministry Centre. It’s a Our thanks, David, for your work on
the Renison Board of Governors!
4 uwaterloo.ca/renison
O N T H E J O B
The English Language Institute: Communicating with the World
JULIA WILLIAMS disciplines. For example, we teach a students are paired with ESL learners
There are several graduate level English course for for conversation or email exchanges.
roles that I play as Master of Engineering students, and This allows students to see how
the Director of provide enhanced language training theory applies (or does not apply) to
English Language to foreign trained optometrists the reality of second language
Studies, and these studying at the School of Optometry. learning.

roles are unified by We have won grants from the Centre I also supervise Renison’s English
the theme of for Teaching Excellence to teach ESL second language teacher training
second language to first year economics students (in programs that are accredited by TESL
acquisition. The 2010) and to third year international Canada and TESL Ontario. It is
largest part of my students in Earth Sciences (in 2013). rewarding to see new instructors
work is the Over the last ten years, I have develop their knowledge and skills in
direction of the written five textbooks that are used our profession.
English Second
in ESL classrooms in Canada and At uWaterloo, there is increasing
Language (ESL)
around the world, and much of my interest in and commitment to
credit courses for uWaterloo. I lead a
writing has been informed by my developing the English skills of both
team of skilled, dedicated instructors
teaching experience here. international and domestic
who teach undergraduate and

graduate courses in English grammar Coordination of the minor in Applied (Canadian) students, and many
and composition, oral presentation Language Studies (APPLS) is another departments are considering how
techniques and pronunciation. Last of my responsibilities. APPLS best to integrate English language
year, we taught over 1000 students students are interested in the theory instruction across the curriculum.
from faculties across the university. of second language learning and the This makes it an interesting time to
practice of second language be working in the field of second
We also teach English language teaching. In my courses, APPLS language acquisition.
courses tailored to specific
TANYA MISSERE MIHAS undergraduate programs. BASE is Waterloo’s English Language
In 1995, I truly an integrated project. requirement for both undergraduate
came to Marketing and Undergraduate and graduate programs. Recently, we
Renison as a Recruitment, the Student Success had 135 students in our 6-week EFAS
practicum Office and the ELC have been program. The majority of these
student working together to create a students were international students
under the program that supports students in from the faculties of Science,
supervision their bridging term(s) to help them Environment, and Arts. Our expert
of Judi successfully transition to full-time team of staff and instructors enjoyed
Jewinski, university studies. The ELC is working with these students to help
and in the providing the language training and them prepare for their studies this
summer of we are working with the Library, the fall.
1996, I Centre for Teaching Excellence,
And there is still more. We also
started Organizational and Human
organize short-term and custom
teaching in Development, the Office of Academic
programs. This summer we ran three
Renison’s Integrity and Learning Services
English for Success (EFS) programs
newly established 4-week summer (Student Success Office) to expose
serving 150 students as well as
program. Today we run multiple students to the wide variety of
custom programs for 2 groups from
programs and have an outstanding support services available to them on
Mexico and 1 group from Japan. This
team of dedicated staff and campus. This fall, 40 students are
fall, for the first time, the ELC is
instructors. One thing is for certain, registered in BASE. These students
offering two custom courses at two
there is never a dull day in the are from five faculties - Applied
universities in China.
English Language Centre (ELC)! Health Sciences, Arts, Engineering,

Environment, and Science. This will Meeting students from around the
We are thrilled about our role in the
be an exciting project! world is one of the best parts of my
University of Waterloo’s pilot project
job. The opportunity to learn from
called Bridge to Academic Success in But the excitement doesn’t stop
and interact with students from
English (BASE), a program for there. Our core program, English for
different cultures is motivating and
students who have been offered Academic Success (EFAS), runs 48
inspiring. I am amazed by the
conditional admission into select weeks a year. This program helps
courage and motivation of our
students meet the University of
students.
R ENISONreports FALL 2013 5
R E S E A R C H AT R E N I S O N
Can 15 Minutes Improve Our Health?
- Dr. Christine Logel
Let’s pretend you are a participant in know which survey answers were from each participant’s recorded
one of my studies. yours - your surveys, marked only by weight.
a participant ID number, would be
Please read the following list of added to a spreadsheet with dozens Now I can debrief you, as I do all
values and pick the one that is most of others. Next, you would probably participants (students, community
important to you, personally: do some mysterious-seeming tasks members, and pretend participants
that I would explain to you after you like yourself). The purpose of all
 Relationships with friends and were done. You might be asked to these tasks is to help me examine
family hold numbers in your short-term how tasks like Values Affirmations,
 Religion and spirituality memory while playing a computer by buffering people against stress,
 Creativity, art, and/or music game. Or perhaps you would watch a can help people meet their health
 Politics and/or economics mildly interesting nature video while and performance goals. In studies I
 Membership in a social group or eating snacks that I provided. have conducted together with
cultural group researchers at University of
Waterloo, University of
 Nature and the environment
Colorado, UBC, and Stanford
 Science
University, I am showing that

tasks like this have the
Now, spend a minute thinking
potential to help people lose
about why this value is
weight, score higher on tests,
important to you. What does it
quit smoking, or treat others
bring to your life? What are
in a more egalitarian way.
some times when this value has
Other social psychologists in
been especially important in
North American and Europe
your life?
are investigating similar

questions in different ways.
I’ll wait here while you think it
Our basic research findings are
over.
already being applied by

educators to vulnerable
Finished? You just completed a
students.
version of a Values Affirmation.

A growing body of social
Renison is the best place for
psychological research shows
me to pursue my research
that tasks like this one, that
agenda, because the faculty,
allow people to reflect on
staff, and students share a
important values or otherwise
vision of using rigorous,
bolster the sense that they are
evidence-based methods to
good, effective persons, can
improve people’s lives.
have a wide range of

psychological and physiological
Christine Logel is an assistant
benefits.
professor in the School of

Social Development Studies.
As a participant in my study,
Christine Logel (R) with a student and study participant Dr. Logel’s research is funded
you would be invited to come
by SSHRC. She has been a CIHR
to Renison, where a bright Social
If you came recently, you might be Postdoctoral Fellow, Chronic Disease
Development Studies student would
asked to remove your shoes and, if Prevention, University of Waterloo
greet you and bring you to my lab
you felt comfortable, stand on a and a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow,
office. After completing a Values
scale so the RA could record your Stanford University.
Affirmation or similar task, the
weight. But don’t worry, your
student, acting as my research
confidentiality would be protected –
assistant (RA), might give you
she would give you a shoebox full of
paper-and-pencil surveys to measure
rocks to hold while you stepped on
your self-esteem, stress level, or
the scale, and she would record your
perhaps the sense that you can
weight with the box of rocks
handle the challenges you face.
included. Months later, another RA,
Neither the RA, nor anyone else
who had never met you, would weigh
involved in the project, would ever
the box and subtract that number
6 uwaterloo.ca/renison
R E S E A R C H AT R E N I S O N
Working Together for Better Health Care
- Dr. Colleen McMillian
The newly created Master of Social Australian model and piloted for 6 Agency for Clinical Innovation and
Work degree program at Renison is months among 10 SCI patients and Associate Professor in Rehabilitative
unique in that it is Canada’s first, f a mily physicians in Kitchener to Studies at the University of Sydney,
health-focused, online Master of determine how to reduce this service gave a talk entitled Right care, right
Social Work program. Colleen delivery gap. Service users were time, right place: Improving out-
McMillan, an assistant professor in actively involved in the adaptation of comes for people with spinal cord
the School of Social Work, has a the toolkit to ensure relevancy and injury through early intervention
research interest in using qualitative to reflect their lived experience. and improved access to specialized
health methods that result in care: Lessons from Australia.
empowering the end users of physical Clinical, educational, and research Dr. Middleton’s visit in October
and mental health services. Colleen outcomes resulted from the study. augmented the previous training
uses the methods of photovoice, Clinical outcomes included the sessions given to physicians and
participatory action research and drafting of an SCI template being residents.
community based research in the included on electronic medical
development of use of self records (EMR) at the Centre for Dr. McMillan is currently using this
management tools for people in family medicine where 22 physicians experience toward addressing other
primary health care settings. each committed to assuming the groups that are marginalized by
Populations include females with health care for one new SCI patient traditional health care services.
disordered eating, individuals with ensuring no individual was orphaned Recently she presented at an
chronic mental health issues such as in Waterloo Region. Educational international conference in Halifax
depression, older adults with outcomes resulted in a series of on improving the health care needs
dementia, marginalized elderly living training sessions for current family of frail elderly living in the
in the community, and people with physicians and 22 family medicine community.
spinal cord injury. residents from McMaster School of
Medicine. Research outcomes
A philosophical shift in health care informed grant writing for the
has meant that more people want to funding of specialized
manage their own health and have a equipment such as a
voice in the creation and delivery of Hoyer lift allowing for
services to them. One of the studies gynecological exams,
for which Colleen was Principal skin examinations and
Investigator involved the piloting of a weight measurement.
self management toolkit for people
living in Waterloo Region with a The toolkit is a model
spinal cord injury (SCI). of service user-driven
research showcasing
People with SCIs experience how two seemingly
difficulty in accessing health care opposed models of
due to highly complex physiological practice – the medical
and social issues that require a model and critical or
specialized set of knowledge, anti-oppressive – can
training and equipment. The lack of be collaborative
specialists for this population group toward optimal care
resulted in such patients being and best practices for
‘orphaned’ in the community with no a marginalized group
preventative or basic health care, of individuals.
with no choice but to use emergency
room visits for routine items like Recently, Dr. McMillan
blood pressure checks. obtained funding to
bring one of her
A previous study found that many of co-researchers to talk
these individuals had to commute about lessons learned
long distances (Toronto) for simple in Australia. Dr.
items such as prescription renewals. James Middleton,
Working with a physician from the Director and Chair
Centre for Family Medicine, an SCI NSW Statewide Spinal
toolkit was adapted from an Cord Injury Service
R ENISONreports FALL 2013 7
R E S E A R C H AT R E N I S O N
Jason Blokhuis’ International Lectures
This has been a busy year for interdisciplinary, cross-cultural and In September, the fifth edition of
Dr. J.C. Blokhuis. In February, he multilingual research in the Education Law was released,
delivered two invitational lectures humanities and social sciences. In while in October, the fifth edition
at the University of Amsterdam his research, Dr. Blokhuis examines of A Teacher’s Guide to
based on his current monograph how judges interpreting and Education Law was released. Dr.
project, “Public Educational Blokhuis is the coordinating
Authority and Children’s Rights author of the former and a
from a Parens Patriae Perspective.” co-author of the latter. Both are
In June, he capped off his Kluge widely used in graduate schools
Fellowship at the Library of of education in the United States.
Congress with a public lecture Renison hosted a formal book
based on a paper entitled “Student launch on October 17, 2013
Rights and the Special featuring Dr. Blokhuis and Dr. Tyll
Characteristics of the School van Geel of the University of
Environment from a Jurisprudential Rochester. Dr. Blokhuis will also
Perspective.” A version of this deliver a book talk at the Library
paper has since been accepted for of Congress in Washington, DC on
publication in the Journal of December 11, 2013 alongside
Philosophy of Education. co-author Jonathan Feldman of
Cornell University.
All three lectures were part of an Dr. Blokhuis joined the Social
ongoing interdisciplinary research Development Studies faculty at
project for which Dr. Blokhuis has Renison in 2011 after four years in
received both a $37,400 grant from full-time faculty positions in the
the Spencer Foundation in Chicago, United States and the United
IL and a $25,200 fellowship from Kingdom. He holds a J.D. in
the John W. Kluge Center in Common Law from the University
Washington, DC. The Spencer applying the parens patriae of Ottawa and a Ph.D. in
Foundation supports research that doctrine in Canada, the United Educational Thought and Policy
brings the tools and perspectives of States and the United Kingdom from the University of Rochester.
contemporary moral and political have conceptualized public He has published in academic
philosophy to bear on concrete educational duties and the journals including Public Affairs
problems in educational policy and corresponding educational rights Quarterly, Theory and Research in
practice. The John W. Kluge and interests of children. Education, and the American
Center supports outstanding Educational Research Journal.
Other International Communications
Earlier this summer, Dr. Idrisa Pandit
Yan Li’s new novel, The Deep, is Yan Li is an adjunct associate
was an invited speaker at the
written in Chinese and depicts life of professor, the Coordinator of
University of Kashmir's Media
new immigrants in Canada and the Chinese Language and Culture, and
Education Research Centre. She
journey of their soul transformation. the Director of the Confucius
This is the 8th book published by Yan Institute at the University of delivered two lectures on Islam and
the Media: From Orientalism to
and is published by what is Waterloo.
Islamophobia and Media Ethics and
considered the most prestigious
conflict zones: A case of Kashmir.
publisher in China: People's

Literature Publishing House. Mary
In her ongoing effort to create an
Anne Dehler, the Culture Counsellor
awareness of the issue of family
of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing,
violence, Idrisa was invited by the
attended the launch to express her
Kashmir Civil Society and Jammu and
congratulations to Yan Li.
Kashmir Youth Enlightenment Forum

to conduct a day long workshop at Sri
Yan Li also lectured on Chinese
Partap College, Srinagar, on Islamic
Literature in the Eyes of Canadian
perspectives on gender violence. The
Readers at the Lu Xun Literature
workshop was attended by leading
Institute, Beijing, China, to the
social activists, social workers,
20th Advanced Writers' Workshop.
academics and student activists.
8 uwaterloo.ca/renison
R E S E A R C H AT R E N I S O N
Grants and Awards
J.C. Blokhuis and Glenn F. Cartwright, UW/SSHRC 4A - Parens Patriae and Parental Alienation in Ontario Custody
Disputes, 1992-2014

Susan Cadell, University of Waterloo, CIHR Research Incentive Grant - Understanding Meaning Making in Caregiving
and Bereaved Parents

Yan Li, Canada Council for the Arts, for her new novel, The Deep

Colleen McMillan, International Research Partnerships Grant - Collaboratively Building Capacity and Improving Health
Care for Patients with Spinal Cord Injury – Lessons Learned from Australia

Sharon Roberts, SSHRC Insight Development - From Furries to Sport Fans: Do conventional and unconventional forms
of fantasy-based group activities differ in terms of their association with identity formation?

Sharon Roberts, SSHRC SEED Grant - From Furries to Sport Fans: Do conventional and unconventional forms of fantasy
-based group activities differ in terms of their association with identity formation?

Sharon Roberts (co-investigator), CIHR Knowledge Translation Grant. Health Quality Ontario (HQO) - Primary Care
Learning Collaboratives: Lessons Learned from a Mixed Method Evaluation of a Provincial QI Program.

Alice Schmidt-Hanbidge, Judi Jewinski, and Trudy Smit Quosai, Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE)
Grant (Pending revisions) - Enhancing Written Communication in Social Work

Trish Van Katwyk, UW/SSHRC Seed Grant Program – Access to Postsecondary Education as a Response to Poverty

Julia Williams, Judi Jewinski, and Brewster Conant Jr; Learning Innovation and Teaching Enhancement (LITE) Grant -
Enhancing Writing and Communication Skills for Earth Sciences Students
To review those awarded the first Renison Research Grants, visit: uwaterloo.ca/renison/research
New Faculty
This fall we welcome two new  Social and health policy analysis Along with Dr. Kwame McKenzie at
faculty members to Renison. Take a  Community development the Centre for Addictions and Mental
look at their research interests:  Program evaluation Health (CAMH) and Dr. Jose Silveira
 Resilience at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, she is
Dr. Arshi Shaikh
 Women’s mental health (e.g., currently conducting a qualitative
joins the Social
postpartum depression) study titled Incentives and
Development
disincentives for the treatment of
Studies department.
Dr. Rachelle
depression and anxiety in Ontario
Arshi’s most recent
Ashcroft joins
Family Health Teams – Physicians’
research projects
the School of
focus on the perspectives. The purpose is to
Social Work.
intersections of identify barriers and facilitators to
Dr. Ashcroft’s
aging, health and the treatment of depression and
overarching
housing as well as research focus anxiety in collaborative primary
on issues of family is on health health care.
homelessness en-
equity

countered in the
particularly in Rachelle has completed interviews
small communities of Northeastern
relation to with physicians and is in the process
Ontario. In addition, Dr. Shaikh has a
separate yet
of analyzing data.
broad number of research interests
key

including:
intersecting areas: primary health
Rachelle is also working to help build
 Aging, health, and housing care, social work, social and
a new research team who intend to
 Environmental justice and human structural determinants of health,
rights and mental health care. She is conduct a provincial-wide study to
 Poverty, homelessness, and interested in ways that primary investigate the impact that social
migration health care can help to achieve work across Ontario’s Family Health
greater health equity. Teams have on health outcomes.
R ENISONreports FALL 2013 9
A C A D E M I C A C T I V I T Y
40 Years of Faithful Thought and Reflection
Growing up in North Dakota, Darrol Wilfrid Laurier University) in times, with dozens more trips to
Bryant could see across the American Waterloo. Korea, Japan, Latin America, and
-Canadian border from his family’s Kenya.
farm. Cross-border trips to Manitoba “I thought about going into the
were a common occurrence for the ministry,” said Bryant. “But my first Bryant retired in 2007, but has since
Bryant family, but as a child, he love was teaching. I quickly knew started the Centre for Dialogue and
never thought that one day he would that’s what I wanted to do.” Spirituality in the World’s Religions
live, study, raise a family, and build A turning point for Bryant’s career at Renison. The Centre engages in
research, provides a forum
a forty-year career in
for dialogue among the
the country that was his
world’s religions, publishes
neighbor to the north.
research and educational

material, and provides
Today, Bryant is
public education in the
Professor Emeritus and
areas of dialogue and
Director of the Centre
spirituality.
for Dialogue and

Spirituality in the World
While Bryant has spent the
Religions at Renison. His
greater part of his life in
career at Renison has
Canada and at Renison, he
stretched over forty
still feels a strong
years, beginning in
connection to the life he
September 1973 when
lived on the farm in North
he joined the College as
Dakota. In 2010, he
a professor of Religion
returned to celebrate the
and Culture.
50th anniversary of his high

Bryant’s academic career started at was in the 1980s, when he traveled school basketball team’s State
Concordia College, a small liberal to India with his wife and four Championship. Of the twelve
arts institution in Minnesota. There, children – ages 4 to 14 – while on members of the team, nine were in
he studied philosophy. “I just knew sabbatical. It was during this time attendance. Bryant still plays
that I loved philosophy, and that that his interest in studying and basketball today – a passion that has
meant religion too,” said Bryant. teaching about the world’s religions continued through his life from the
After completing his undergraduate grew. days on the farm when he played
degree, he then went to Harvard to with his cousins.
study at the Divinity School. He “We ate 3 meals a day for 3 months
completed an MA and PhD at St. with a Muslim family. It was a great When asked why he has stayed at
Michael’s – the first protestant way to learn about Islam,” said Renison for forty years, Bryant
student to do so – and began a one Bryant. “It was a welcoming, replied: “I was always extremely
year teaching appointment at the interesting community.” Bryant has happy right where I was, teaching
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary (now since traveled to India 22 more courses I liked. What more could I
want?”
Professor Darrol Bryant: Worldwide Research
On February 10, 2013, Professor M. before, they stayed in the camp of Bihar who had spent a week walking
Darrol Bryant joined 30 million Acharya Srivatsa Goswami, a Hindu to the Kumbha Mela, stayed a week,
Hindus at the Kumbha Mela, a religious leader from Vrindaban. 30 and then spent another week walking
remarkable festival held on the million people came from across back to their village. When he asked
banks of the Ganges and Yamuna India by train, bus, and many by them why they had come, they said,
rivers outside the city of Allahabad in foot. The event unfolded over 55 “to bathe in the Ganga” (the Hindu
North India. He had earlier attended days, but February 10th was the term for the river Ganges). It is
this largest gathering of human most auspicious day. Over the course widely held that performing the
beings on our planet in 1989 (16 of the whole event more that 150 ritual bath during this time purifies
million) and 2001 (21 million). This million people came for various the soul and frees one of bad
time he was accompanied by two of periods of time. Typical were the karma. During their time at the
his children: Benjamin and Emma. As pilgrims Professor Bryant met from Kumbha Mela devotees listen to
1 0 uwaterloo.ca/renison