Sept. 1, 2020
Chaotic times call for creative solutions — Alumni Weekend becomes Alumni Month
The ݮƵ is not just a place — it's a community. And, if the current uncertainty in the world has taught us anything, it is that the strength of our community and the common bond we share endures through even the most trying of times.
“Trying” being the operative word here. After much deliberation, the ݮƵ Alumni Association has decided to put extra muscle behind the words “rethink,” “reset” and “rebound.” Instead of cancelling or postponing our sixth annual Alumni Weekend celebrations, we are doing just the reverse by expanding our offerings — resulting in an ambitious smorgasbord of free live and recorded programs or Zoom gatherings.
Best of all, this menu of virtual tours, practical webinars and mind-growing panel discussions won’t be crammed into one weekend, but will span a full month, running throughout September.
With more than 25 virtual programs on the roster, you’ll also find we’ve partnered with some key community leaders — including Calgary Pride, the Calgary International Film Festival and CJSW — providing alumni and friends with exclusive opportunities and some dreamy deals throughout September.
There’s more to explore
Those who cherish tradition and wish to celebrate excellence can tune into the annual on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m., where we will toast this year’s six remarkable alumni in an inspirational virtual program. Several of those recipients, such as , from DreamWorks Animation (yes, that DreamWorks) and songwriter-turned-high-tech entrepreneur , will host experiential Zoom talks later in the month.
As always, we’ll feature numerous notable speakers such as alumnus, author and powerhouse Eric Termuende, BComm’14, who will dive into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted company cultures and how best to thrive in a world that has never been less certain.Termuende’s interactive talk, , runs Sept. 15 at 11 a.m.
Also on the books is a multidisciplinary panel about that includes two other Arch Awards recipients from this year — , and , as well as other heavy-hitters from the Cumming School of Medicine and the Faculty of Science.
Provocative and timely is exactly what the Faculty of Kinesiology’s new two-part series, called , will deliver when it explores anti-Black racism in sport on Sept. 15 and Indigenous inclusivity within athletics on Sept. 29.
You can also take part in a high-octane virtual session with an Olympic Oval coach in at noon on Sept. 24. For pure fun, kinesiology is also running a (with a surprise celebrity appearance), to be played on the Dinos app and Facebook Live on Sept. 29 at noon.
Always worth your time are programs from the Cumming School of Medicine, where this year’s special Dig In! event will examine as well as a session involving several (Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.). And don't forget the on Sept. 14 that starts at 6 p.m.
There’s more to discover
With K-12 students returning to class in September (barring any unexpected change of direction from the province), the Werklund School of Education has pulled out all the stops and has designed several timely and supportive programs aimed at parents and teachers, from the (Sept. 21 at 5 p.m.) to (Sept. 28).
And Alumni Month just wouldn’t be the same without the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine jumping on board to offer a new on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. As well, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Social Work have teamed up to co-host a .
An unusual program in this year’s expanded menu is The School of Public Policy’s webinar and cooking demo — a probe into our food-supply chain and what curious minds can glean from the pandemic — called , again via Zoom (Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.)
Finally, when you think of heroic acts that have occurred during COVID-19, certainly the critical role that nurses have played is front and centre, which is precisely why we’re thrilled to highlight on the month’s agenda that includes a virtual tour of the Faculty of Nursing’s newly renovated space on campus, as well as a scavenger hunt (Sept. 29 at 10 a.m.).
For more insight into Alumni Month, visit where you can register for any or all programs and events.