During a special event held October 16, Gzowski College officially unveiled the painting "Enweying" by artist Bill Batten.  Mr. Batten completed the painting as artist-in-residence in Gzowski College in January 2013.  The piece now hangs proudly in the entrance to the Gzowski Residence.

At the event, Trent’s director of Housing Laura Storey was on hand to thank Mr. Batten for his work. She mentioned that Josh Veenstra, residence life coordinator last year in Gzowski College, had worked closely with Mr. Batten to make sure students who live on campus would benefit from the inclusion of the painting in the housing side of the building.  Mr. Veenstra worked hard to plan the location and ensure the painting would be displayed appropriately.

Gzowski College principal Melanie Buddle praised Mr. Batten's ability to capture and reflect the emerging identity of the College.  The piece incorporates elements of the First Peoples House of Learning, college activities such as Rail Jam, and a nod to Trent's rowing team.

Mr. Batten even included a portrait of a young Peter Gzowski in the piece, and in his comments at the ceremony, noted that Peter Gzowski's son Mick saw an early version of the painting on Facebook and contacted Mr. Batten to say the image of his dad as he remembered him from childhood brought back good memories.

Mr. Batten thanked Gzowski College for the opportunity to work on campus as an artist-in-residence.  Students, faculty members and Indigenous Elders stopped to watch him as he worked on the painting, and as an artist who normally works in isolation, having visitors "peering over my shoulder as I worked" was a great experience.  Mr. Batten also thanked the College for "nudging" him to do a guest lecture as part of his residency - a “scary” but ultimately rewarding experience.

Trent President Steven Franklin also thanked Mr. Batten for his contribution and for giving the College a lasting reminder of his time at Trent.  In closing, Ms. Buddle provided Mr. Batten with an official Gzowski College scarf and inducted him as an honorary fellow of Gzowski College.

Following the unveiling of the painting, members of Gzowski College enjoyed a reception in the Peter Robinson Dining Hall. The College then proceeded with its annual Awards and Honours Reception.  President Franklin, College principal Melanie Buddle, and faculty members from departments in the building were on hand to celebrate the academic achievements of their students. Chair of Economics Byron Lew and Mathematics professor Dr. Reem Yassawi praised the accomplishments of undergraduate students and handed out individual awards.

The awards presented include:

For Economics:

• Van Dusen Prize: Greer Goodman
• Maurice J. Boote Scholarship: Linh Tran
• W.B. Common Prize: Folajimi Dairo
• Chris Michael Prize: Jennifer Rowden

For Math:

• Carter Prize: Robert Krant and Rebecca Dougan
• Victor T. Ridley Memorial Prize: Steven Ufkes
• Guinard Scholarship: David Greaves

Business Administration chair Ray Dart gave a toast to the stellar achievements of students in the BBA program with averages over 80%. Students from Trent, Prof. Dart commented, "are very well prepared" when they move on to pursue graduate studies.

Ms. Buddle also handed out awards to the Gzowski College students who achieved the highest academic standing in their first, second, and third year of studies respectively, in 2012-2013 and to two outstanding part-time students in the College:

• First Year: Kamar Samier
• Second Year: Corrigan Eamonn
• Third Year: Sarah Buttle
• Peter Gzowski Part-time Student Award: Linda Burgess and Peter Frederick

She then congratulated students of Gzowski College who achieved high academic averages (80 percent and over) in 2013-14, inviting them up for a group photo.  All Gzowski College students who achieved high standing received certificates to mark their achievement.

Some students brought family members to the event.  For others, the reception provided a welcome break from studying for mid-terms.  One student noted that being honoured at the reception "makes me feel special," while another noted that "it is nice to be recognized for the hard work I've put in."