Rejuvenate with Mac Alumni

It’s been a tough year, but spring abounds with hope and growth. It is a season of optimism and rejuvenation, from the flowering tulips to budding trees.

This April the Alumni Association to help you rejuvenate your mind, body and soul with a new series of events. Explore the offerings of our free* events, and sign up for as many you like. Events will be recorded, with a few exceptions, so if you can’t make the live session, register to receive the link to the recording. Event start times are in EDT.

*Some events have an associated cost with them.

The series takes place April 14, 2021 to April 30, 2021.

Wednesday, April 14 @ 12:00 p.m.

Workparent: The Secrets to Successful, Confident Working Parenthood in 2021 and Beyond

Have you ever wondered if there was a manual to help you answer those simple but essential parenting questions? Have you ever wished for a guide to help you maneuver through working and parenting at the same time? Most parents haven’t had to figure out working from home and homeschooling their children, but it has become a reality for many in the last year. In this enlightening webinar, author Daisy Dowling will cover techniques and strategies that any working parent can use. You will learn to manage a routine better, communicate effectively as a professional and a parent, build a better “village” of support, maintain personal energy and resilience in the face of working-parent pressures, overcome guilt, and feel more confident and in-control as a hardworking mom or dad.

Registration: https://alumlc.org/mcmaster/5958

Thursday, April 15 @ 12:00 p.m.

Art, Sketching, and Cultivating a Creative Habit for Well-being

Art museum professional John Falk (2016) describes museums and galleries as the perfect places to have contemplative and restorative experiences; a “refuge from the work-a-day world.” Observing visual art and developing the creative habit of sketching are connected to well-being.

Join us to explore the methods and benefits of cultivating a creative habit through keeping a sketchbook. Through examples from the McMaster Museum of Art collection, you’ll see how artists approach their own creativity, engaging in the mindful practice of observation, contemplation, and reflection.

Registration: https://bit.ly/3g47mBn

Friday, April 16 @ 7:00 p.m.

Cook-Along: Delicious and Nutritious!

Joshna Maharaj ’00, award-winning chef and activist for sustainable farming practices and food equality will lead you through the creation of a delicious and healthy meal. We have two dishes on the menu: Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta and Green Shakshuka.

In her work and activism, Joshna’s goal is to improve everyone’s relationship with food. A fun and engaging speaker, she brings hospitality, sustainability and social justice to the table. She hosts a weekly “Kitchen Helpdesk” on CBC Radio show Here and Now. She’s a two-time TEDx speaker and author of “Take Back the Tray” which shares her work in rebuilding models for institutional food procurement, production and service systems.

When you register for this event, you’ll receive a confirmation along with a list of ingredients for these two dishes. Closer to the date we’ll send along further information to make sure you are ready for a fun and tasty cook-along with Chef Joshna!

Registration: https://bit.ly/3dc3HiS

Monday, April 19: All week

FInd fresh air week

Explore and enjoy the fresh air with a week of mini challenges! How it works: From Monday, April 19 – Saturday, April 25, get outside for roughly half an hour to roll or stroll. Each day will have a specific challenge with the goal of incorporating active travel and movement into your day. Details on each day will be included in your confirmation email and sent to you the morning of each day during the week.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2Q2H47V

Monday, April 19 @ 7:00 p.m.

the lonely hearts hotel – author talk with heather o’neill

Book Club Members, Alumni, friends and students are all welcome to join us for this talk with Heather O’Neill to hear about her book. Ms O’Neill will talk about the book and will then answer your questions. Questions can be submitted at the time of registration or live, during the talk.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Set in Montreal and New York between the wars, The Lonely Hearts Hotel is a spellbinding story about two orphans whose unusual magnetism and talent allow them to imagine a sensational future.

Heather O’Neill is a novelist, short-story writer and essayist. Her work, which includes Lullabies for Little Criminals, The Girl Who Was Saturday Night and Daydreams of Angels, has been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Scotiabank Giller Prize in two consecutive years, and has won CBC Canada Reads, the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and the Danuta Gleed Award. Born and raised in Montreal, O’Neill lives there today with her daughter.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2Qm0KDk

Tuesday, April 20 @ 7:00 p.m.

McMaster alumni x bread bar with bettina schormann

With spring quickly approaching and warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time we rejuvenate our palate with some seasonal sweet treats! Join us on Tuesday April 20th at 7 p.m. as Bettina Schormann, award winning Pastry Chef and Proprietor of Earth to Table: Bread Bar, demonstrates how to bake Blueberry White Scones and Monkey Bread with fresh churned butter, raspberry jam, and crème fraîche.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2PYW2f6

Wednesday, April 21 @ 12:00 p.m.

good guys: how men can be better allies for women in the workplace

Do you know what the key to advancing gender equality is? It’s men. Women are at a disadvantage. At home, they often face an unequal division of household chores and childcare. In the workplace, they deal with lower pay, lack of credit for their contributions, roadblocks to a promotion, sexual harassment, and more. Gender-in-the-workplace experts and co-authors David Smith and Brad Johnson make the business case for male engagement in gender equality while integrating why it is suitable for both men and women. Using social science evidence, they explore the possible challenges of cross-gender professional relationships. Together, in this deep-dive webinar, they will provide the “how-to” for men, women, and organizational leaders who want to be intentional, inclusive, and excellent allies, leveraging mentorship, sponsorship, and workplace partnership to create a more diverse workforce.

Registration: https://alumlc.org/mcmaster/6136

Thursday, April 22 @ 7:00 p.m.

covid-19’s policy lessons for climate change with professor robert o’brien

The year since COVID-19 spread around the world has witnessed widespread suffering and rapid mobilization of public resources in the fight against the pandemic.

What do pandemic responses tell us about how humanity is likely to address the greater challenge of climate change? Drawing upon local, national and international experiences with the public health crisis, this talk lays the groundwork for a discussion about the obstacles to successfully avoiding climate catastrophe.

Join us for this talk with Professor O’Brien. If you have a question pertaining to the topic you can add it when you register and he will try to answer it during his talk.

Registration: https://bit.ly/3sgBuvN

Friday, April 23 @ 12:00 p.m.

founder’s day mcmaster trivia

We’ve created the ultimate time capsule with our Founder’s Day McMaster trivia. In honour of the anniversary of the day our beloved McMaster University was officially ‘born’, (April 23, 1887), join our game on Friday, April 23 at 12:00 noon EDT.

We’ll acknowledge your Mac knowledge with the top 3 scorers receiving a Mac Campus Store electronic gift card! Space is limited, so be sure to register early!

Registration: https://bit.ly/3dewbsn

Saturday, April 24 @ 9:00 a.m.

virtual walk and talk through mcmaster forest with wayne terryberry ’92, noah stegman ’19 and rob porter ’02

Rejuvenate with the signs and songs of Spring! Join Wayne, Noah and Rob on a virtual hike through McMaster Forest, as they highlight the history and ecological aspects of this special property. The proximity to campus, combined with the incredible diversity of animal and plant species, make the McMaster Forest an ideal research, recreation, and teaching facility. Afterwards, stroll or roll on your own and explore trails around McMaster or nature parks in your location*. Wear your Mac gear and share your adventures on social!

*Please follow safety procedures and guidelines for your area.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2PQOYRP

Monday, April 26 @ 8:00 p.m.

it’s a bird? it’s a plane? It’s the supermoon! with blake ledger

April 26 marks the first supermoon of the calendar year. In fact, this month the Moon is called a Super Pink Moon. Will it be pink? What exactly is the difference between the Moon and a Supermoon? Why does the Moon sometimes look bigger than normal? Is the Moon changing size or is this just an illusion?

Join Blake Ledger from Sidewalk Astronomy at McMaster University and a MSc student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy as he discusses the mysterious occurrence of a Supermoon. Learn about what phenomenon creates a Supermoon, why the Moon is important to keeping the Earth happy and healthy, how it was created, will the future have people living on the Moon, and much more!

Registration: https://bit.ly/3e0LQdT

Wednesday, April 28 @ 1:00 p.m.

gardening: it grows on you with sr. susan dudley and stefan weber

Botany plants lately? Looking for some advice on how to help them survive? What about planting a native garden and don’t know where to start?

Susan Dudley will join us to talk about house plants that are easy to take care of, and which ones are best for things like air quality and safe to have around pets. She will also teach us how to properly transplant house plants, so they keep on giving! Following Susan’s presentation, Stefan Weber will teach us how to grow a native plant garden to support the needs of our local wildlife and show us how to do so using seeds & seedlings. These are gardening tips you can beleaf in!

Registration: https://bit.ly/3wR33za

Thursday, April 29 @ 1:00 p.m.

making (not taking) great photos with thomas brasch ’84, ’86

Whether you’re the designated family photographer, an amateur hobbyist or selfie-lover, it’s more about making a great photo than taking one. Join Thomas Brasch as he teaches us camera settings, lighting, composition, and editing tools to help you avoid traditional photography mistakes and digital clutter on your cell phone or camera. Explore techniques with us to make the most of your photos for screen or print and maybe find inspiration as we launch our ‘Rejuvenate’ photography contest!

Thomas Brasch (B.A., B.Ed., MBA) devoted thirty years to public education, before embarking on his second career as a photographer. Completely self-taught, he is able to showcase his perceptions of beauty. He has had several solo shows in Toronto and has been in group shows internationally. As a two-time graduate from McMaster University (’84 & ’86) and with a background in sciences, languages, education, and business, he is able to blend the skills he has learned and apply them to his artistic practice. His style of abstraction is multi-layered, providing an underlying statement to the aesthetics. His representational work, Travel Diaries, highlight his discoveries from the ancient to the modern during his journeys. Learn more about Thomas and his work at thomasbrasch.com.

Registration: https://bit.ly/2OJoAIP

Friday, April 30 @ 7:00 p.m.

merit x mac virtual tasting event

Back by popular demand, MERIT Brewery has curated an exclusive pairing kit just for you! Taste along with Tej Sandhu ’10 on Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m. as he guides us through three beers paired with a cheese, a meat and a soft pretzel.

MERIT will be donating $5 dollars of every purchase to the Bursary Fund for Black Students which supports undergraduate students enrolled in any program who identify as Black students and demonstrate financial need.

Registration: https://bit.ly/3g8W66O