Tidings Winter 2011 by University of King's College

T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F K I N G ’ S CO L L E G E A LU M N I M AG A Z I N E | w inter 2 0 1 1 /2 0 1 2

TIDI NGS Life After Giller: Joanna Skibsrud Master of Journalism: Year One

introducing king’s new president Dr. Anne Leavitt

TIDINGS Winter 2011/2012 Edito r

Alison Lang (BJ ’07) Editorial boa r d

Tim Currie (BJ ’92) Kyle Shaw (BA ’91, BJ ’92) Greg Guy (BJH ’87) Adriane Abbott copy edi tor

Table of contents Letter from the Alumni Association President

Letter from the Editor/Letter to the Editor/Corrections

King’s News

Cover Story A Steady Arm: Dr. Anne Leavitt

Photo Gallery

Journalism From Student to Master: the King’s MJ Program

Photo Gallery The Alex Fountain Memorial Lecture

Katie Toth (BAH ’12)

Joanna Skibsrud The Space Between Fact and Fiction 14

Design

New Media Opening the File on Community Journalism 16

Co. & Co. www.coandco.ca Postal Ad d r e ss

Tidings c/o Alumni Association University of King’s College 6350 Coburg Road Halifax, NS, B3H 2A1 (902) 422-1271 Kin g’s we bsi t e

www.ukings.ca Ema il

tidings@ukings.ca * * * * Stories in this issue of Tidings were written by students and alumni of the School of Journalism. Submissions were also provided by faculty members. Tidings is produced on behalf of the University of King’s College Alumni Association. We welcome and encourage your feedback on each issue. Letters to the Editor should be signed. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. The views expressed in Tidings are those of the individual contributors or sources. Mailed under Publications Mail Sales Agreement # 40062749 on the cov e r

Photo by Peter Ghansiam

Campus Spotlight A Store of One’s Own

Books Review This Will Be Difficult to Explain

King’s on Film Luke in Translation

Music I’m Listening to A King’s Mixtape: 2002-2006

What I’m Reading Warren Heiti

FYP Texts A Love Sustained

Photo Gallery Presidential Installation

Staying in Touch Three King’s Grads Talk About Enduring Friendships

Survey Says

A Note from the King’s European Branch

Bringing Chestnut Trees to King’s

HMCS King’s Wardroom Renovations Phase II

Honorary Doctrates: Presidential Installation

Alumnotes Sloan’s Jay Ferguson on longevity and the Polaris Prize

Student to Watch: Ryan Hreljac

Vivien Hamilton: Her name is “MUDD”

Barb Stegemann

Tidings Contributors

Parting Shot

L E T T ER F R O M T H E a l u m n i P RESIDEN T

King’s Alumni Association President Greg Guy (BJH ’97) at the 2011 Alumni Golf Tournament with incoming ‘golf’ FYP student volunteers Kiana Pace and Megan Carlson.

Fellow Alumni, The results are in and on behalf of the national executive of the Alumni Association, I would like to thank all of you who participated in the recent alumni survey. The results gathered through Engagement Analysis Inc. revealed that our response rate was 20.7%—per cent—above average for most studies done by this company. We have had several meetings to mull over the results, and our next course of action is to address the responses you have given us. Our branch representatives and executive members will work closely with the advancement office to identify potential action areas to help achieve the highest impact for alumni engagement. Thanks for your input. We share some of the results on the survey on page 27. On Oct. 21, 2011, I was happy to join fel-

low alumni at Anne Leavitt’s installation ceremony. On your behalf, I congratulated Leavitt on becoming King’s 23rd president and vice-chancellor. In a letter welcoming her to King’s, I thanked Leavitt for already getting out to several alumni events and told her we looked forward to working with her in the coming years. One of those events was the annual Alumni Golf Tournament in August, when 108 golfers played a round at the Sherwood Golf and Country Club, near Chester, N.S. The tournament helped to raise $12,000 for student bursaries. Instead of playing this year, I helped with the barbecuing which gave me a chance to meet as many of the golfers as possible and to thank the alumni for their participation in the annual tournament. Twelve students entering King’s next fall will be awarded $1,000 each because of

your involvement and generosity at the golf tournament. The first annual Alex Fountain Memorial Lecture Series got off to a rousing start on Oct. 24 with the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean as the series’ debut lecturer— chosen by King’s students. The lecture was so well-attended in Alumni Hall, the audience overflowed into Prince Hall where the lecture was show on a big screen. Check out the photo gallery and story on the lecture on page 12-13. Throughout the summer, the HMCS Wardroom renovations continued. There is a new canteen in the day students’ area, new carpet, fridge, beer taps and two doors in the inside entrance, plus a new fire exit that brings us up to code. The exit is to the left of the steps of the Arts and Administration building. Further renovations are needed to bring the bar into ship shape. The plans will maintain the aesthetic of the Wardroom we have come to know and love. As the university buildings age, there are many renovations that have to be completed, including the President’s Lodge and the Pit. Because of required renovations to the Lodge, Leavitt is residing off-campus. With that said and the King’s Annual Fund around the corner, I encourage you all to give so that we can maintain and strengthen the King’s community we all care about. No gift is too small. Thanks to the McKee family’s new gift to the university—announced at our alumni dinner in May—there is now a matching gift program to benefit student life. Finally, I would like to thank Elizabeth Ryan (BJ ’83) for her devotion to the Alumni Alumni Executive for the last six years. She has completed her term but continues to volunteer on several committees on campus. I would like to welcome Jonna Brewer (BJH ’87) to the national executive. Jonna graduated with me in 1987 and is a producer and host with CBC Radio in Moncton. Have a wonderful holiday season and all the best in 2012,

Sincerely, Greg Guy (BJH ’07) President King’s Alumni Assocation

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

L E T T ER F R O M T H E e d i to r

Halifax is not an easy city to leave. I think most King’s graduates can relate to that sentiment on some level. And while some might be relieved to leave the confines of the Quad after four years, I imagine others must feel a frisson of terror at the prospect. Others still seem able to recognize

a good thing when they see it. The King’s staff and faculty is peppered with graduates—they work as Dons, in the Registrar’s Office, in Advancement, in the Office of the President, as FYP tutors, in the Chapel and in the Library, to name but a few places. Let’s face it—we like to hang around.

L etter to th e Editor About a dozen friends and I went out for dessert downtown at a small cozy place on Spring Garden Road in spring of 2007. When we sat down, an elderly couple that was just about to leave from a nearby table noticed our arrival and the man asked what school we went to. We replied “King’s” and he beamed at us and told us excitedly that his mother had gone there, that he thought highly of the school and that we seemed like nice and well-behaved people. Shortly after this, the couple got up and left. Returning to our menus, we ordered a selection of some of the tastiest (and most expensive) desserts I’ve had. Pleased with our selections but still a bit weary about the prices, and after eating every last sweet on our plates, the first person got up to pay... only to be waved away. Wondering what was going on, someone went over to the waiter to ask—only to be met by a most astounding answer. “You don’t need to pay for anything at all—the old man that sat next to you left his card details at the counter and told us to charge ‘whatever those nice King’s kids are having’ to his card, and promptly 2

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

left. He also remarked that you seemed like nice people, and wishes you well.” After the initial shock had passed—after all, here was someone we didn’t know and in fact had barely even talked to, who’d unhesitatingly paid the entire bill for 14 people in an expensive restaurant—we realized his reasons: It was because we’d talked about King’s. We’d just mentioned that we went there, and this simple fact was enough for our benefactor to decide to give us dessert without expecting anything in return. The fact that it wasn’t even him, but his mother that had gone to King’s is testament to the loyalty, happiness and love King’s is able to inspire in its alumni even decades after their graduation, and his shining example without expecting anything back is testament to our dedication to inspire greatness in everyone that comes to the Quad to learn, to our school spirit and our trust and hope in future generations to carry us on. That’s King’s! —Martin Wessman (’07)

Still, when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. The bulk of my BJ class moved to Toronto upon graduating from King’s, and come January, I will do the same. As the date approaches, the list of things I will miss about Halifax grows ever longer; swimming at Long Lake during dusk, the slow, crisp yellowing of the trees in autumn, Propeller growlers, house concerts and strangers who say “hi” as you pass them on the streets. The list of things I’m nervous about also seems to be growing exponentially each day. When I think about the familiar faces in the city waiting for me, I feel a sense of connectivity that serves to calm my fears. See, the thing about King’s grads is that we’re also pretty good at keeping in touch. The stories of alumni friendships on page 26 and the results of our first-ever alumni survey (page 27) show that grads are interested in maintaining the ties that brought them together in the first place. Somehow, by holding on to those ties to our shared past, we are strangely liberated—and better equipped to look forward. —Alison Lang (BJ ’07)

CORRECT IONS: In the Spring 2011 editon of Tidings, we incorrectly identified Dr. Robert Darwin Crouse in our “Lives Lived” section. We are grateful to all who pointed out the error and wish to extend particular thanks to Susan Harris (BAH ’74) who provided a lovely photo correctly identifiying Dr. Crouse.

king’s news

King’s professor and Situating Science Knowledge Cluster director Dr. Gordon McOuat in his campus office. Photo by Peter Ghansiam

Situating S cience Wins Grant For I nternation a l Workshop Earlier this year, King’s professor Gordon McOuat, director of the Situating Science Knowledge Cluster, won research funding to help infuse science education with Eastern perspectives. The resulting workshop, co-organised with Sundar Surakkai, Director of the University of Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities, was held in Manipal, India, Dec. 12-14, 2011. The event engaged a group of leading and new Canadian and Indian scholars in exploring comparative accounts of the rise of natural philosophy and science in the East and the West. The workshop follows from the highly successful conference on “Circulating Knowledge: East and West” held at King’s in the summer of 2011 and forms the next step in a planned partnership between historians,

philosophers and sociologists of science in Canada, India and Southeast Asia. Canadian participants were paired with experts with similar perspectives and interest in the East. McOuat says part of the conferences’ purpose is to break through the strains of Eurocentrism that run through studies of science and the humanities. “These are amazing scholars,” says McOuat. “This is a unique opportunity to compare cross-cultural approaches to natural philosophy.” McOuat hopes that many valuable new networks will be forged through the workshop, and that similar events can occur in the future. “We’re hoping that this will be a catalyst for our overseas colleagues to form a network in their own countries,” he says. –Alison Lang (BJ ’07)

King’s Goes To O NA ’11 Representatives from the King’s Master of Journalism program made the trek to Boston for the 2011 Online News Association conference (ONA ’11) held from Sept. 22—24. The group, which included Director of Journalism Kelly Toughill, professor Tim Currie (BJ ’92) and MJ students Mick Cote (BJH ’11), Amanda Enright, Ezra Black (BJ ’11) and Carmen Smith (MJ ’12) attended a number of sessions hosted by leaders in online development and communications. Among the highlights: a journalist’s guide to using Facebook, hosted by the site’s Journalist Program Manager Vadim Lavrusik; a crowdsourcing workshop led by the Guardian’s Matt Wells, Al Jazeera’s Derrick Ashong and Amanda Michel of ProPublica; and a keynote on the role of social media during the 2011 protests in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia Tidings | winter 2011/2012

king’s news and Libya. One of the participants in the keynote was King’s graduate Rehab El-Bakry (BJH ’99) who currently lives and works as a journalist in Egypt. Tim Currie notes that the social media optimization panel was particularly insightful, as it provided pointers on how to construct attention-grabbing “headlines” in social media. “As journalists, we have a certain idea of what to lead with. With Twitter, you generally grab attention with a more human anecdote—something that would be in the third or fourth paragraph of a print news story,” he says.

“As journalists, we have a certain idea of what to lead with. With Twitter, you grab attention with a more human anecdote.” As journalism students at King’s and across Canada become increasingly connected to social media, conferences like ONA ’11 are vital. As the conference grows in size—this year with 1,200 attendees—it’s become an increasingly important arbiter of how journalists and editors work within a changing media landscape. “There are so many smart people speaking—leaders in their field,” says Currie. “It’s great just to be near these people.” –Alison Lang (BJ ’07).

King’s Chapel is T ested By Vandalism Within the King’s community, the Chapel and Chaplaincy represents many things. To some, it’s a place of worship; to others, it’s the home of the Chapel Choir, or simply a quiet place to sit and think. But most of all, the King’s College Chapel is a beautiful little building; a part of King’s physical and historical architecture. In early October, the Chapel was broken into and fire extinguishers were released inside the building. The College was shaken by the act of vandalism and the Chapel was closed for several weeks. Chaplain Reverend Dr. Gary Thorne describes how prayers services were conducted in a small tent on the lawn in front of Chapel Bay, with additional services hosted by the Pit. “When the Chapel is not able to function the way it does, people still need a place to reflect and pray,” he says. “When the Chapel is not being used, the routine, and the life, and the order of the whole College is put out of commission.” Dr. Thorne’s assistant Mike Blackwood (BAH ’09) agrees. A former King’s student himself, Mike first came to King’s in the fall of 2005 and, although he has graduated, continues to dedicate himself to the Chapel. In addition to assisting Dr. Thorne, he is also the managing director of the Men and Boys Choir. “The Chapel is a place where I feel at

The King’s College Chapel at Christmas.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

home; it’s a place where I feel safe,” he says. “It’s also a place where there is a discussion and exploration of ideas, in a meaningful way. It embodies the true virtue of what the university is.” Over the past year, the Chapel has hosted faith retreats open to the King’s community (led by Chapel theologian Dr. Stephen Blackwood) a Reading Week mission trip to Trinity Church in St. John, New Brunswick; an allnight vigil and wake for Dr. Robert Crouse; added new initiatives such as a Remembrance Day evensong and worked with a variety of faith communities through initiatives such as the popular “Wine Before Breakfast” series at the Halifax Multi-faith centre. After numerous repairs, including a day of cleanup involving choir members, King’s faculty and students, the Chapel is now open to resume its many activities. However, it’s difficult to forget the sight of people huddled under a canvas tent in King’s colours, standing in a circle, heads bowed in prayer under the cloudy October sky. The devotion of the Chapel’s participants keeps it vital. “What happens at the Chapel is an integral part of what it is to be a Kings student,” Thorne says. “Its presence allows King’s to come to know itself.” —by John O’Brien (BAH ’11, BJ ’12)

king’s news Golf Up date The 2011 Alumni Golf Tournament took place on Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011, and was once again held at the Sherwood Golf and Country Club in Chester, N.S. The weather was stunning, the course was verdant and all our golfers played admirably. The tournament was followed by a dinner with some fantastic prize giveaways. Attendance wise, 2011 was a record year with over 108 golfers participating. The tournament raised $12,000 to create 12 student entrance awards. Many thanks to our Master’s Level sponsors: Wilson Fuels, TD Meloche Monnex, Scotia Cleaning Services, Gryphon, McInnes Cooper, Grant Thorton, MacGregor Brown Plumbing and Heating. And many thanks to our Championship Level sponsors: Budget Car Inc., CBC, Central Equipment Inc., Custom Lock & Security Ltd., Duffus Romans Kundzins Rounsefell Ltd., Eastlink, Greco Pizza and Capt.Sub, Halifax Glass and Mirror Ltd., Hopgood Dean Group at Scotia McLeod, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, PepsiCo., RBC Dexia Investor Services, RBC Royal Bank, Rector Colavecchia Roche, Royal Environmental, Scotiabank Commercial Banking, Sodexo, Surrette Battery Company and Transcontinental.

King’s Women ’s Soccer Scores At ACAAs

The King’s Women’s Soccer Team.

13 years ago, the King’s women’s soccer team won their last championship. This year, history repeated itself during a storybook season that saw the Blue Devils go undefeated for the entire period, including playoffs. In the playoffs, the first round saw our Blue Devils win by a 6-0 score over Crandall University. The final was a different story: an early goal by our team was the only goal of the game against a very tough Holland College team. For 90 minutes, the teams battled the elements and subsub-zero game temperatures and hung on for a 1-0 championship win. Our women’s team traveled to Quebec City to represent Atlantic Canada at the CCAA National Women’s Soccer Championships on Nov. 8-13. We are very proud of their accomplishments. —King’s Director of Athletics Neil Hooper

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

a steady arm: dr. anne leavitt By Nina Cherry (BJH ’12), Photo by Peter Ghansiam

he three floor-to -ceiling wooden bookshelves that line the walls of Anne Leavitt’s office make one thing clear: King’s 23rd President loves to read. A quick survey of the spines shows an interesting variety of choices: The Last Juror, One Hundred Years of Solitude, a used copy of The Prince and Nietzsche’s View of Socrates. There are roughly 400 books on these office shelves. In her Bishop’s Landing apartment (where she’s currently living while the President’s Lodge is being evaluated for repairs) there are another five shelves full of books. Leavitt has read them all. “I’ve been in the business of school for a long time,” she says. On October 21, Leavitt was formally in

stalled as the 23rd President and Vice- Chancellor of the University of King’s College. She was chosen as President after an eightmonth search by the King’s Presidential Search Committee and a consultation with King’s staff, students, faculty, Board of Governors and alumni. Before coming to King’s, Leavitt was the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University), a position she held since 2005. Though Leavitt was raised for the most part in Montreal, her extended family comes from the East Coast. This is the first time in nearly 12 years Leavitt has been back east. She chose to take the scenic route, loading her Honda Civic with her son and her

50-pound dog Ollie and driving seven and a half days across the country. “It was great,” says Leavitt. “We drove each day until our eyeballs hurt and we couldn’t drive any more. It was kind of magical. It felt like we were driving through peoples’ lives.” Leavitt’s son is enrolled in the Foundation Year Programme (FYP) this year. The use of core texts in FYP and other King’s disciplines attracted Leavitt to King’s. Leavitt spent many years on the board of the Association for Core Texts and Courses—a professional association that addresses the scholastic and administrative issues involved in teaching core texts at the undergraduate level. She delights in now being able to take her son to dinner and get into academic debates Tidings | winter 2011/2012

More abo ut President Leavitt Anne Leavitt’s resume includes a PhD in Philosophy from McMaster University (1996), an MA in Philosophy from the University of Toronto (1980), an MA in Social Thought from the University of Chicago, and a BA (Hons) from McMaster (1979). Before coming to King’s Leavitt was dean of the Faculty of Social Social Sciences at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University).

At left: Dr. Leavitt is welcomed into the King’s community by Board of Governors Chair Dr. John Hamm (BSc ’58) during her installation ceremony on October 21.

Photo by Kerry DeLorey

over Aristotle and Saint Augustine, although she admits her own academic career began differently. “I did not go to university to be a scholar,” she says. “I went to university to be a social worker. I studied philosophy and caught a bug I’ve never been able to get rid of.” Traces of Leavitt’s time in the West Coast can be seen in her office. A Coast Salish wood carving of a howling wolf hangs to the left of her large, paper-strewn desk. “All the important stuff is on the top.” Her most prized possessions are tucked away in a desk drawer. She rummages for a moment before placing three push buttons on the wooden desk, and pushes the first button. “That was easy!” the red button shouts in a robotic voice. “That one is my favourite,” says Leavitt with a grin. Leavitt is still settling into her new office space, but she has slid into the King’s community with ease, delving into some of the College’s more stately traditions such as Matriculation, sherry hour and Formal Meal. Leavitt has even been welcomed into some of the newer traditions at King’s, such as Firkin Wednesday at the HMCS Wardroom. Thirsty students cheered as Leavitt tapped

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

the traditional keg and poured a beer “with no mental preparation,” she says. Of course, Leavitt’s job as President and Vice-Chancellor is much more than sherry drinking and firkin tapping. Within her first month on the job, Leavitt faced a boycott led by the King’s Student Union (KSU) against Sodexo food services surrounding the canteen in the Day Students’ Lounge. Leavitt rolled up her sleeves and dove in headfirst. After two meetings with the main parties involved in the boycott, the group was able to agree on a way forward. She led the establishment of a Food Advisory Committee and agreed to evaluate a future KSU proposal to take over the canteen as a student-run enterprise. Leavitt is no stranger to inter-collegiate negotiation—most recently, she helped resolve a strike by Vancouver Island University’s Faculty Association in April 2011. This year, tutors in the Foundation Year Programme created its first teachers’ union; Leavitt created a negotiation committee to work alongside them. “Neither the board nor many of the administrative staff at King’s has much experience in doing collective bar-

gaining with the union,” says Leavitt. “It is very critical that those negotiations go well because the FYP tutors are very important people around here. It is really early days, but I have high hopes.” Leavitt herself plans to teach FYP classes next year. Like many other academic institutions in Nova Scotia, King’s is facing some daunting financial issues related to external pressures and internal needs. Leavitt is undaunted. “At VIU we faced declining funding for the last 15 years. While it isn’t fun, I’m used to living in an academic environment that faces pretty strong financial challenges,” she says. Leavitt will chair a financial sustainability committee at King’s, which will soon begin an educational campaign on the challenges facing the university. The goal of the committee is to put a balanced three-year plan to the Board of Governors. It’s early in Leavitt’s presidency, but it’s clear she is quickly learning about the way things work at King’s, and is eager to mould and distinguish her role on her campus. “My job means keeping a steady arm on the tiller without necessarily doing every job on the ship,” she says. ∂

P H OTO GA L L ER Y

In October, HOST students performed what is quickly becoming a yearly tradition: dropping pumpkins to test velocity. Photo by Alison Lang (BJ â&#x20AC;&#x2122;07).

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

Journalism

From Student to Master: The King’s MJ Program From King’s grads fresh out of a Bachelor of Journalism degree to seasoned mid-career reporters, the new Master of Journalism program at UKC is attracting journalists from all walks of life with its specialized training and modern outlook. By Rose Behar (BJH ’14)

School of Journalism Director Kelly Toughill and Master of Journalism student Mick Cote (BJH ’11, MJ ’12). Photo by Peter Ghansiam

hy in the world would thinking I’d drop out. For a while there we a journalism graduate go back kept hearing ‘There’s no future in journalto school? ism’—but then I realized, there are innova It’s a question that Mick Coté (BJH ’11) tors out there who make it work and I can hears often. Coté graduated with a Bachelor do that too.“ After looking at the graduate program’s of Journalism from King’s last year and is one of six students currently enrolled in condensed one-year format, Cote made King’s new Master of Journalism program. the decision to go back for one last year in He admits that he’s the most surprised that ‘J-School.’ And although the turf may have he chose to return to his old alma mater. seemed familiar, the content is brand new. “There were a lot of ups and downs in The King’s ‘MJ’ program offers two getting my Bachelor of Journalism at King’s,” streams: New Ventures, a course of study he says. “I don’t think I went a year without focusing on the entrepreneurial side of jour-

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nalism, and Investigative Reporting, a curriculum dedicated to in-depth research and fact-digging. Coté chose New Ventures, and says the mixture of business and journalism is the perfect jumping-off point for functioning in a new media landscape. The MJ business classes are held at Dalhousie University and taught by professors from Dalhousie’s management program. Each class concludes with special MJ tutorials that give the entrepreneurial lessons a journalistic filter. In terms of making money

as a journalist, Coté says it helps to be inventive, and even crafty. “There are lots of different ways you can generate revenue through advertising,“ he says. The program also prompted Coté to develop SexWorkHalifax.ca—a website project he initially created to fulfill the requirements of the program’s beat assignment. The site has since become much larger and more meaningful. The site hosts interviews with former and current sex workers from the Halifax area, as well as contextual stories about outreach and the history of the trade in the port city. Though the website has only been up and running since the summer (classes in the MJ program began in June), it’s already garnered a lot of attention, and earned Coté a reputation as a committed social advocate and ethical journalist. “People ask me to speak on sex work now and see me as an expert in that field,“ he says. However, although he’s proud of the site and hopes to see it continued by other parties in the future, the beat component of the degree winds down in December. In the New Year, the New Ventures stream will launch into full-on business mode. Students will begin working on creating a prototype and business plan for a potential media venture. Meanwhile, the investigative reporters will also launch into their professional development project—a large-scale piece of research work concluding in a detailed report. Kelly Toughill, director of the School of Journalism, led the push to get the Master of Journalism off the ground a little over a year ago. She says she’s very proud of the work the inaugural class has done so far, and applauds Coté’s development. “Mick always had the skill,“ she says. “This year I’ve really seen him turn in to a serious journalist—he’s raised his personal brand through the sex work project and learned to see the importance of his work in affecting people’s lives.“ Toughill adds that all of the students have shown similar development. “We have a fabulous class this year. We’re blessed with the students we’ve accepted in to the program,” she says. At maximum capacity the program will only hold 20 students, but Toughill is not sure yet what the ideal number would be. The program is intended to remain a small and focused community of journalists. It’s already drawing the type of professors who bring such small programs prestige. Currently the MJ faculty includes veteran School of Journalism professors Fred Vallance-Jones, Tim Currie (BJ ’92) and

Stephen Kimber, as well as Dalhousie Business Management professor Ed Leach and Andrew Cochran, managing director of CBC

“We have a fabulous class this year. We’re blessed with the students we’ve accepted in to the program.” Maritimes, who helps students with business reporting. The first MJ class also features a highprofile student in the form of the CBC’s national reporter for the Maritimes, Stephen Puddicombe (MJ ’12). The reporting veteran has over 20 years of experience under his belt, including periods spent in Afghanistan and Haiti. Puddicombe is also

lending his expertise to King’s as a part-time instructor while he works towards his MJ in the investigative stream. “At first I was worried [Puddicombe] wouldn’t be challenged,” says Toughill. “He’s not only been doing this for a long time, but doing it well for a long time. But he’s been challenged from day one and that’s been really fun. And the students adore him.” Toughill notes she was surprised at the interest King’s received from mid-career journalists, but that the program is happy to accommodate any senior-level journalist looking for advanced training in up-to-date journalism techniques and technology. It’s so up to date, in fact, that iPhones and/or iPod touches are required tools. And if all this wasn’t groundbreaking enough, Toughill has many plans and alterations in store for next summer, when the sophomore class hits the books. Among the changes: a new mobile reporting class, new and highly accredited professors, and numerous other tweaks. “There are so many things I’d change!” Toughill laughs. “But overall, everything is going great.” ∂

Masters of Journ alism FACTS • Prerequisite: Bachelor of Journalism or equivalent degree. • When does it start? June • When does it end? May • Class size: Seven students were accepted into the inaugural class. Maximum capacity is 20 students. • Tuition: $230 per credit hour, which amounts to approximately $7,000 spread over three terms (summer, fall, winter). • Scholarships: Two $2,500 scholarships

• Courses for all MJ students: Emerging Business Models in Journalism, Exemplars of Contemporary Journalism, Audience and Content Strategies, Digital Journalism (two terms) • Courses for Investigative Reporting students: Methods of Investigative Journalism and Public Records Research • Courses for New Ventures students: New Venture Creation and Managing the Venture Process (both at Dalhousie) • FUNDING: King’s alumni with a Bachelor of Journalism degree are eligible to apply for up to $17,500 in funding from the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program. For more information, please go to ukings.ca/master-journalism.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

T H E A L E X F O UN TAIN M E M O RIA L L E C T URE

he first annual Alex Fountain Memorial Lecture was delivered by the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean on Monday, October 24 in Alumni Hall at King’s. She delivered her lecture—entitled “Building Social Change Locally and Globally”—to a packed auditiorium , and the presentation was also live-streamed for a large overflow audience in Prince Hall. In her lecture, Madame Jean drew upon Nova Scotia’s history of civic engagement and inequalities in Canada and abroad, urging young Nova Scotias to participate actively in their communities. The lecture was introduced by Dalhousie University Chancellor Fred Fountain on behalf of the Fountain family, who endowed the lecture in memory of their late son Alex. Many of Alex’s friends from King’s and the wider Halifax community were in attendance. Through the Fountain’s gift, King’s students will be able to vote for a speaker of their choosing each year. It was a significant and moving evening; a fitting tribute for a well-loved King’s student and an inspiring and educational experience for all in attendance. Voting for the 2012 Alex Fountain lecturer took place at King’s this past fall. The results will be tallied in the New Year, and will be announced in Spring of 2012.

Top middle: Madame Jean addresses a full Alumni Hall. Bottom left: Madame Jean greets an audience member. Bottom right: Fred, Katharine and Elizabeth

Fountain with Madame Jean. All photos by Kerry DeLorey.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

T H E A L E X F O UN TAIN M E M O RIA L L E C T URE

Top left: The Fountain family at the lecture. Top right: Former King’s president Dr. Bill Barker and Johanne (Zwicker) McKee (’50). Centre: Madame Jean at the reception in the G. Peter Wilson Room. Bottom left: Madame Jean’s speech received a standing ovation. Bottom right: King’s Chaplain Father Gary Thorne and History of Science and Technology Programme Director Dr. Ian Stewart.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

Al u m n i P r of i l e

Joanna Skibsrud

The Space Between Fact and Fiction By Adria Young (BAH ’10)

Joanna Skibsrud (’98) at the famous J.W. Doull’s bookstore in downtown Halifax. Photo by Adam Scotti (BJ ’12)

n 2009, Foundation Year Programme alumna Johanna Skibsrud (’98) published her first novel, The Sentimentalists. At the time, the book quietly slid under the radar; Skibsrud recalls a few reviews and a smattering of praise. “It was pretty much all I expected for my first novel,” she says. “I wasn’t too bothered by the lack of recognition.” As it turns out, the coming year would hold many surprises for Skibsrud and The Sentimentalists. The slim novel—about a young woman discovering her father’s past— ended up on the shortlist for one of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards, the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Then, it won. On Nov. 10, 2010, papers across the country were splashed with photos of a shocked

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and tearful Skibsrud accepting the award. Last year’s award was significant—not only for Skibsrud’s own career, but as an example to new writers and small publishing houses.

The Sentimentalists won the Giller Prize, Gaspereau couldn’t print copies of the novel fast enough. The novel was eventually outsourced to publishing company Douglas & McIntyre.

“The most meaningful parts of the experience were the letters I received that spoke of how people’s faith had been restored in the writing industry and prize industry.” Gaspereau Press in Kentville, N.S., one of the few Canadian publishers that prints and binds in-house, published The Sentimentalists with a first-print run of 800 copies. When

Skibsrud was particularly gratified by the support from her fellow writers and fans across Canada. “The most meaningful parts of the experience were the letters I received

Al u m n i P r of i l e For Skibsrud, FYP has also lent its influ- into a network of fictional stories, Skibsrud that spoke of how people’s faith had been restored in the writing industry and prize ence to the act of writing itself: “Good writers depolarizes fact and fiction, and challenges industry,” she says. “To see a young writer are good readers,” she says. The act of im- the reader’s expectations of the text. without prior financial or media backing mersive study and the ideas raised in FYP re- “I think that’s something literature in receive that sort of attention was inspiring main central in her approach to history and general can do,” she says. “It can open spaces to a lot of people—which was, of course, inof conversation, of questioning, rather than spiring to me.“ being certain. And I think that’s so impor The prize has also enabled Skibsrud’s tant and really crucial to our approach to “FYP is such own career to flourish, boosting her profile knowledge, to our approach to history, and and leading to the publication of her latest to our approach to the world we build.” an incredible short story collection This Will Be Difficult to While FYP stimulated Skibsrud’s sense program and such of history and love of reading, she knew she Explain and Other Stories. (See review, page 19.) In the year since the win, she’s also been wanted to write from an early age. “Because I an incredible invited to speak at engagements and festivals started so young and received positive feedopportunity. I across Canada. back from my teachers and parents, it be In addition to her writing career, Skibsrud learned so much, came something that I thought I could do,” she says. is also a PhD student currently preparing to but I could have defend her thesis on the poetry of Wallace Like many writers, Skibsrud worked and Stevens at the Université de Montréal in lived all over the world, teaching in Asia, learned more. I April. She admits she has often wrestled with working as a wilderness instructor in the the structured world of academia “Lately, often think, ‘I need Arctic and bookstores in Toronto. But her I’ve been surprised to discover that I find aca- to go back and do passion for the craft of writing always beckdemic work the most exciting,” she says. “ It’s oned. “I’ve always thought, ‘Well, I’ll do any FYP again.’” been a real pleasure to have returned to my number of things, but my real dedication is studies and the study of literature.” to my writing,”,” she says. Originally from Pictou County, Johanna When it comes to the act of writing itself, began in FYP in 1997. Her main tutor, Ste- fiction. “The Foundation Year Programme Skibsrud describes herself as independent. phen Boos, introduced her to the range of really was a foundation for me,” she says. “I like it that way,” she says. When she sits ideas covered in the program. “The connections between the past and the down to write, she removes all filters, es “My education until that point had been present, and the ambiguous places between chewing grammar and syntax for the freeso limited,” she says, “FYP was the first time fact and fiction—those themes re-emerge in dom to go in multiple directions. However, she insists that the real art of that I read The Bible, Nietzsche, Plato— my work.” goodness, almost everybody.” Proudly, she In her debut novel, Skibsrud opens up writing is in the editing—spoken like a true mentions that she completed every reading. a place between fact and fiction. While she academic. “This is the real work,” she says. “FYP is such an incredible program and such was drafting the novel, she acquired the tran- She’s applying this ethic to thesis revisions an incredible opportunity. I learned so much, script of her father’s testimony against his and a second novel—an artist happily imbut I could have learned more,” she admits. captain during the Vietnam War—an inci- mersed in the practice she loves, poised and “I often think, ‘I need to go back and do FYP dent that is heavily drawn upon in The Sen- ready for any surprises that come along the again.’” timentalists. By dropping a factual document way. ∂

Picnicface Gets Published The Picnicface sketch comedy troupe—featuring King’s alumna Evany Rosen (BJH ’10)—has released a book titled Picnicface’s Canada through HarperCollins Canada. The book—a wry, satirical look at Canadian culture and trends—can currently be ordered through Amazon and is on shelves at Chapters. The book’s publication follows a wave of success for the troupe, who debuted a half-hour sketch show on the Comedy Network this past fall. Members of the group

also wrote, directed and starred in the film Rollertown, which debuted at the 2011 Atlantic Film Festival. The group got its start as a three-person improv team performing in the King’s Pit and has since amassed five other members, established a popular Sunday night comedy night in Halifax and achieved viral video fame on Youtube and the comedy websites College Humour and Funny Or Die. You can check out episodes of the Picnicface TV show at comedynetwork.ca.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

New Media

Opening the File on Community Journalism by Laura Hubbard (BJH ‘13)

The faces behind Openfile Halifax: Neal Ozano (BJ ’04) and Bethany Horne. Photo by Peter Ghansiam.

cutting-edge collaborative news network has opened an outlet in Halifax with a King’s grad and former King’s student at the helm. Neal Ozano (BJ ’04) and Bethany Horne run OpenFile Halifax—a community-based online reporting website that’s changing the way Haligonians digest local news. “This is absolutely the way journalism will be in the future,” says Ozano, the site’s editor. “You can’t keep your hands tightly grasped around it anymore; it has to be collaborative. We’re using our journalistic experiences to tell stories but hopefully the onus will be on the audience to add context and a bit of flavour.” The OpenFile network is currently running in seven cities across Canada: Vancouver, Calgary, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and now Halifax. Readers and citizens can suggest stories related to their city or community by opening a “file” on the website. A journalist is assigned to the suggestion and works on the story. Once the item is completed and posted on the website, read-

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ers have the chance to continue interacting with the story and the journalist, allowing it to develop continuously. The editors then use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to spread their stories and continue gathering other ideas.

“We’re using our journalistic experiences to tell stories but hopefully the onus will be on the audience to add context and a bit of flavour.” OpenFile Halifax also features morning, afternoon and evening local news roundups, opinion posts, and uses online tools like com-

munity maps to illustrate stories further. Although the Halifax branch is still brand spanking new (early blog posts appeared in September), the reception has been positive so far. “It feels like people are really engaged in what we’re doing and appreciative of the stories we’re putting out there,” says Horne. Ozano is also pleased and occasionally surprised by the reception to particular stories. “We’re starting to see people get excited about this,” he says. He cites the popularity of a story chronicling the history of downtown Halifax’s fabled Pizza Corner as one example of the unpredictable nature of trending stories. “It just goes to show that you can put a story in any medium, but if people aren’t interested, it won’t go anywhere,” he adds. The interactive nature of the site creates an immediate dialogue with the writers, editors and their readership. “It’s kind of fantastic,” Ozano says. “Before, people would write a letter to the editor, but that was a stand alone thing and separate from the story. The way we’re doing it, we can weave in those comments or use them later.” With OpenFile, Ozano and Horne have

drawn upon a combination of their King’s training and their previous work experiences in journalism. Both have undergone training in order to learn the OpenFile style and posting guidelines. Ozano had previously worked at a number of Halifax-based journalism outlets, including the CBC and the now-defunct Daily News. He also worked as copy chief at The Coast. Horne did her journalism internship with OpenFile Toronto and has also worked with the Dalhousie Gazette. She is two electives away from completing her King’s degree, but for now, OpenFile has taken precedence. As the site’s news curator, Horne says the switch to a solely online focus was not difficult. “It was pretty natural to me, I guess,” she says. “It’s the way that I think.” As part of her job, Horne monitors local and regional Twitter feeds, rounding up new developments and breaking news regularly on the website. “[King’s] prepared me in the practical sense,” she says. “To have had the time and guidance to learn ethics has definitely been helpful.” The learning curve has been higher for

“As soon as I got interested in journalism, I was interested in the Internet and what kind of new journalism is possible. It just seems like anything that can be put in other mediums can go online. You can do so much with it in this form.” Ozano. “King’s was valuable, for sure,” he says. “But it was valuable in the sense that I learned a lot of useful reporting skills. On the web, everything has changed so quickly. The online course I took [at King’s] in 2003 is obviously a little out of date now. But this is still an amazing opportunity—to figure out online and maintain a web-based audience and readership.” Ozano’s position has also afforded him the opportunity to engage more widely with his community: he and Horne have been busy attending local events and meetings

to show people how OpenFile can be used to raise, discuss and develop local issues. Ozano and Horne even returned to King’s to introduce the OpenFile system to students in the School of Journalism. Horne, especially, is excited about the possibilities of her position. “As soon as I got interested in journalism, I was interested in the Internet and what kind of new journalism is possible,” she says. “It just seems like anything that can be put in other mediums can go online. You can do so much with it in this form.” ∂

Atl a ntic Universit y Pub ni ght The first-ever Atlantic University Pub night in Toronto took place on September 15, 2011 at Grace O’Malley’s, featuring a number of door prizes and a performance by famed Maritime rock band Signal Hill. A number of former Kingsfolk were in attendance. President of the King’s Toronto alumni branch Gordon Cameron (BA ’99, BJ ’00) sent us a photo from the evening at right. Here’s to many more nights like this—dedicated to friendship and the sharing of memories from the East Coast. From left to right: Carl Laudan (BA ’97), Mark Pali (BJ ’94), Ian Finley (BA ’99) and Gordon Cameron. Not pictured: Jess Wishart (BAH ’08).

Looking to plan an alumni pub night or mini-reunion in your area? Let us know about it—you may find yourself in the next issue of Tidings. Email kingsadv@ukings.ca for more info.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

Cam pus Spotlight

A Store of One’s Own The King’s Bookstore Celebrates Five Years By Shannon Webb-Campbell

Photo provided via kingsbookstore.ca

his past September, the King’s Co-op Bookstore celebrated its fifth anniversary as the sole bookseller on campus. Established in 2006 by the King’s Students’ Union, the small, bright boutique in the basement of the New Academic Building provides a friendly atmosphere for King’s students as they stock up on texts. It also happens to be one of the few campus bookstores in North America owned and operated by students. Prior to the Bookstore’s existence, students at King’s sourced their books from stores all over Halifax—from Dal to the children’s bookstore Frog Hollow Books. When Dave Jerome (BSc ’09) was elected as King’s Students’ Union President in 2006, he envisioned a bookstore where all of the texts would be available in one place. Furthermore, he wanted it to be owned and operated by students. He formed the Bookstore Creation Committee, which consisted of himself, FaithAnne Hine (BAH ’08), Paul McLeod (BJH ’07), former KSU external vice-president Chris Parsons (BAH ’09) and then-KSU financial vice-president Graham McGilli-

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vray (BSc ’07). The group spent the spring of 2006 making preparations, with the goal of opening the Bookstore for the fall academic year. After receiving a grant of $70,000 from the King’s Students’ Union, the Committee worked to convince faculty that the process would run smoothly. “The store didn’t exist yet, and the faculty knew that if the store opening failed or was delayed for any reason, it would take them months to source their books through any other supplier,” says Jerome. At the suggestion of faculty members, the store partnered with an independent bookseller—The Book Room—to ensure the availability of texts. A store manager was hired—Carolyn Gillis. Gillis continues to manage the bookstore and helps foster its friendly, inclusive atmosphere. Meanwhile, the store declared independence from the Book Room in 2007. After the committee finished tying up the administrative loose ends, the construction of the bookstore began. Over the summer of 2006, the King’s maintenance staff built the store’s foundations in the basement of the New Academic Building. As summer went on, the King’s community watched as a cozy, attractive space began to take shape. “They designed and constructed our beautiful bookcases that fold and lock at night, as well as the merchandise shelves on wheels that can be rolled in when the store closes. They also suggested installing a rolling gate around the main counter,” says Jerome. On Aug. 8, 2006, the bookstore opened and sold its first textbook to a one-year Bachelor of Journalism student. Since then, the bookstore has supplied the King’s student population with its course materials, and its selection has expanded to include a variety of literature—everything from graphic novels to the Game of Thrones series. The store has also hosted a number of readings over the years by authors like Miriam Toews (BJ ’91, DCL ’10), William Dalrymple, Joanna Skibsrud (’98), George Elliott Clarke, Ian Brown, Alberto Manguel, Zachariah Wells, Alexander MacLeod and

David Adams Richards, who deemed the bookstore the best in Canada. In addition to the readings, the King’s Co-op Bookstore has spearheaded other literary-themed events. Many at King’s still remember the store’s day-long celebrations in honour of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows midnight book release in July of 2007. Jerome’s leadership in establishing the bookstore inspired his parents Laurence and Kathleen to establish the King’s Co-op Bookstore Award, which is directed to students who take social action on behalf of the King’s community. Jerome attributes the bookstore’s enduring success to the open-minded King’s community, who accepted his unorthodox idea five years ago. “I believe that it would not have been possible to open this store at any other university in Canada, especially in just three months,” says Jerome. “No other institution has a community that shares our ultimate respect for the texts.” You can follow the King’s Co-op Bookstore online at kingsbookstore.ca. ∂

Boo kstore Facts • Op en since: Aug. 8, 2006 •N umber of books currently in stock: 14,600 •N umber of books sold per year: Somewhere around 24,000 •M ost popular book in 2011: Wealthy Barber Returns, Half Blood Blues, Elizabeth Bishop, Nova Scotia’s “Home Made” Poet, The Sentimentalists •N ewest additions: Picnicface’s Canada, Disappearing Tardis Mug, Through the Glass, The Virgin Cure, The Cat’s Table

a r t s & c u lt u r e Boo k Review

This Will Be Difficult To Explain And Other Stories By Virginia Insua (BJ ’07)

Johanna Skibsrud (’98)’s latest collection of short stories sinks into a more “old-fashioned horror of things,“ as one of her characters aptly puts it. The 2010 Giller Prize recipient offers a collection of nine works in which diverse people come to terms with what it means to come of age and accept limits to their horizons (or not). Rites of passage here occur as internal revelation,

sometimes leading to personal revolutions that these characters carry through their ordinary lives. Each of Skibsrud’s characters eventually come to terms with themselves as finite beings. Fay, the protagonist of Cleats, is immobilized by her husband’s immense gravity. She despises her husband for his adaptability and his ability to justify everything. She longs to put herself in a position where the horizons of her faith are once again endless. Fay’s friend Martha moves to Paris only to discover that her streetscape in Paris has a vanishing point, much like her hometown in New Jersey—the author’s most explicit treatment of her theme. Later she falls in love and discovers that she is simpler than she believed, and that the act of growing up itself is simpler, less mysterious and magical than she has assumed. The title story represents Skibsrud’s greatest stylistic stretch. The reader has difficulty deciphering who’s speaking, and

where. What is the timeline of events? More importantly, does it really matter? It reminded me of the indigenous Australians’ concept of “Dreamtime,” where everything exists at once and always will. The world changes, and we come of age without even realizing it. Tellingly, the title story is told mostly in a child’s voice. Apart from this extraordinary exception, Skibsrud’s style is almost invisible. Ordinary, matter-of-fact words perfectly relate the characters’ limits, their grasp of those limits, and their sudden revelations. It’s interesting that this assemblage of stories comes along just as Skibsrud’s own writing career takes off. Perhaps it’s the freedom that comes with an extraordinary imagination. In this book, wisdom is born through wrestling with adulthood as it closes in on us. It’s an ordinary journey shared by many ordinary lives. In the end, these stories are tributes to how extraordinary that is. ∂

King’s On Fil m

Luke in Translation A King’s grad writes a film about reporting in Afghanistan By Miles Kenyon (BJ ’12)

Patrick Graham (’87) in an Afghan Luke cameo appearance.

Patrick Graham (’87) believes that reporting overseas is, at its core, an act of translation. “What’s the truth in a place where people think very differently from you?” he asks. Issues of translation, truth-telling and confusion all surface in Graham’s screenwriting debut, Afghan Luke. Graham co-wrote the script along with Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenburg and Trailer Park Boys actor and producer Barrie Dunn. Since its release, the film closed the 2011 Atlantic Film Festival and won the festival’s sound award. It also screened as part of the Toronto Film Festival and the Shanghai Film Festival. Since attending King’s, Graham has trav-

eled widely as a freelance journalist, writing for publications like Harper’s and The London Observer. He has also been a foreign correspondent in Iraq and Afghanistan, like the protagonist in Afghan Luke, although he is quick to point out that the film’s story isn’t autobiographical. “This film is about what it’s like to be a journalist during the 9-11 wars,” Graham says. “A lot of the movie is about the kind of confusion and ambition of Western journalists and their competition.” In the film, protagonist Luke is disgruntled with the restrictions of editors who won’t let him break a story about the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. In frustration, Tidings | winter 2011/2012

a r t s & c u lt u r e he decides to strike out on his own and soon discovers the path to the pursuit of truth is anything but straightforward. For Graham, many stories written by Westerners in overseas areas in conflict betray a struggle to connect language with meaning. He says it’s difficult for journalists to explain with word count restraints what’s happening around them. If residents don’t understand what’s going on, it seems almost impossible for outsiders to gain any insight. “I always felt that most articles that were written about Iraq or Afghanistan should have a disclaimer: ‘This article was based on translations on a day when my translator was mad at me and we didn’t really know what was going on, but this is what we figured out—anyways, we hope you understand it!’” he says. Graham says the writer has a duty to make the story comprehensible to people reading at home. “That’s why often you send Canadian reporters to cover the war in Afghanistan,” he says. “They don’t speak the language but they’re able to translate it to Canadians so they can understand it.” The inherent problem with translation is that much can get lost in the abyss of information and misinterpretation. “While I was in the Middle East, the facts were often used for whatever purposes people wanted to use to justify their wars,” Graham says.

It is not only the misuse of truth that poses dangers, but also the obsession with its discovery. In one scene of the film, a foreign aid worker named Elita berates Luke for his blind pursuit of the truth. “Elita’s the one who sees that…this obsession that North Americans have for finding out exactly what’s going on in a scientific way is a) a kind of fantasy, b) a kind of selfish ambition which gets a lot of people killed and c) doesn’t really do anything anyways,” Graham says. In 2001, before the 9-11 attacks, Graham broke a story about suffering women and children in Afghanistan. “No one cared,” he says. Many dissenters of the war believe that the liberation and salvation of the unfortunate in Afghanistan was—in part—a tactic to distract the public and keep outside forces in the country. “When [those with pro-war agendas] finally discovered the suffering women and children now, I couldn’t help but wonder why, especially when before they couldn’t give a shit,” says Graham. Regardless of the way it’s spun, Graham believes foreign correspondence is necessary. “We live in a society where it has to be done—but it has extreme limitations,” he says. Afghan Luke was originally developed as a television series about a foreign correspondent. In a twist of Hollywood fate, Lewis

Black came on board as a huge Trailer Park Boys fan and gave support to the pitch. Ultimately, studios didn’t see it as a series and it was redeveloped into a feature-length film. Not surprisingly, Graham says the screenwriting process differs greatly from the relatively solitary practice of print journalism. “In films, the collaboration is so much wider; so much more of a team effort,” he says. Still, Graham was able to bring many of his experiences and skills to the table, especially when it came to his background in magazine writing. “Colour-piece writing is super for film writing because it teaches you how to set up a scene very quickly and very efficiently,” he says. “The actual structural aspects of film are much harder to pull off.” Part of the film’s structure includes a King’s shoutout—if you watch closely, you can catch scenes of Luke stumbling through Alumni Hall. The bulk of the film was shot in Cache Creek, B.C., an arid and desolate terrain that looks astonishingly similar to Afghanistan. And how does this first-time screenwriter feel about seeing the finished product? Graham’s laughing response requires no translation. “I really loved watching that movie. I really like it,” he says. ∂

Music I’m Listenin g To

A King’s Mixtape: 2002-2006 By Trevor Murphy (BJH ’06) Trevor Murphy’s life is music. The CKDU programmer hosts a weekly show called Halifax Is Burning, nominated for a 2011 Music Nova Scotia award for Best Radio Programme. He’s also an alumnus of several high-profile Halifax bands, co-owns his own record label (The Acadian Embassy) and does music public relations for the awardwinning Sackville, N.B.-based Pigeon Row Publications. Murphy’s love of music developed greatly during his four years at King’s. We asked him to make us a mixtape that reflected his time as a student, musician and music lover. Note: All Canadian entries feature a biographical footnote. 20

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a r t s & c u lt u r e WINTERSLEEP – SNOWSTORM If you visited the first floor of Middle Bay in 2002/2003, you could easily identify my room by looking for the Wintersleep poster on the door. I remember getting my hands on “secret” MP3s from Wintersleep’s first album months before it was released and teaching myself how to play them on my guitar in my dorm room. Wintersleep hails from Murphy’s hometown, Yarmouth. Their brand of haunting, darkly melodic indie-rock is considered one of Nova Scotia’s more popular musical exports. You may know them best from their 2008 radio hit “Weighty Ghost.” “Snowstorm” appears on the band’s self-titled 2003 album. WAX MANNEQUIN – TELL THE DOCTOR I made most of my friends at King’s through some kind of musical connection. Shortly after my nineteenth birthday, a girl I worked with on The Watch named Karley Tabak took me along to the now-defunct Tickle Trunk to cover a Wax Mannequin show. We have been best friends ever since. Wax Mannequin is a one-man band who writes strange, emotional, oddly anthemic music. The Doctor is from his 2004 album The Price. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL – HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN? The day after Hurricane Juan touched down in Halifax in September 2003, I walked out from my apartment on Vernon Street. I saw massive trees strewn across the entire road; trunks and branches crisscrossed the asphalt. As I walked around examining the damage, I passed a house where several guys were playing acoustic guitars on their porch singing, “Have you ever seen the rain?” How apt. THE MARS VOLTA – INERTIATIC ESP It was also around this time that I discovered one of my favourite albums to listen to while writing papers: The Mars Volta’s De-Loused In The Comatorium. Whether it was in the confines of the King’s library, on the comfy couches in the student lounge in the NAB or in a dark corner of The Wardroom, I took this album with me everywhere as a steady writing companion. KARY – BODY WITHOUT ORGANS Several months before Kary’s final album Light was released, the KTS staged a performance of Frankenstein that used of a few

King’s Grads Make Beautiful Music

Some great musicians have emerged from the Quad, including: The Darcys This Kings-alumni-heavy band just got signed to Arts & Crafts (also home to Broken Social Scene and Land of Talk.) (thedarcys.ca) Rich Aucoin (BAH ’06) Electro-pop hero Aucoin’s sophomore album Public Publication was released in November 2011 and features over 500 musicians from across Canada. (richaucoin.ca) Catriona Sturton (BA ’99) The former Plumtree bassist works for Dolly Parton’s Foundation and contin-

new Kary songs to accompany certain scenes. Since Kary was one of my favourite bands (another on the Dependent Music roster) I had to go to the show. The play used Body Without Organs while Dr. Frankenstein built his monster. Two members of Kary—Paul Murphy and Tim D’Eon—are now in Wintersleep. Body Without Organs appears on their 2004 album Light. CONTRIVED – THIS IS WHY THE STARS SHINE Continuing on the Dependent Music train, Contrived’s EP Starshine was the soundtrack to my entire third year at King’s. This band was one of the reasons I wanted to move to Halifax for school and one of the reasons I picked up a guitar and started playing music. Contrived triggered a passion in me unlike any other band. Four of the five members of the dense artmath-rock ensemble Contrived are in Wintersleep. This is Why the Stars Shine is on their 2004 EP Starshine. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – DANCING IN THE DARK In 2007, my band Sleepless Nights was asked to perform at King’s Frosh Week along with Jon McKiel and a band of other King’s alumni called The Darcys. We were supposed to play on the front steps of the library—dream come true!—but rain forced us to move the show to Prince Hall. At the end of the night, all three bands played a ripping version of Dancing In The Dark for an amazing crowd of first-year students. I’ll never forget that.

ues to write and perform music as a solo artist. (myspace.com/catrionasturton) Sloan Sloan is probably King’s most popular musical export. Get an update on these Canadian music heroes in Alumnotes on page 30. (sloanmusic.com) Ben Caplan (BA ’10) The highly gifted and heavily bearded songwriter released his debut album In The Time of Great Remembering this past October and will soon be touring to a town near you. (bencaplan.ca)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Here are a few songs that deserve some space on this mixtape with particular reference to King’s Alumni: Kerri Strothard (BAH ’06) & Trevor Murphy – Why Don’t We Written together in the stairwells of Alex Hall in 2002 and recorded in Middle Bay, Kerri and I found an unbreakable bond over music. Jane Harwood (BJH ’06) – When You’re Not There Jane and I met in journalism class and I helped her record a demo CD in my apartment on Pepperell Street in 2003. The chorus of this song still gets stuck in my head to this day. Get Tested – What Do You Know? In what was probably the only ever hardcore/punk rock show to ever grace the Wardroom, my then-new band The Establishment played with Chris Parsons’ (BJH ’09) band Get Tested and Stu Hayward’s (BA ’08) band Plague Dogs in 2005. Alan Benjamin – The Times Alan Benjamin was my first real band. During my second year (2003/2004) at King’s, we recorded an album called Constellations in Shelburne, N.S. We unveiled some of the new songs that would appear on that album, like The Times, at a show in the Wardroom. This was one of my favourite shows ever. ∂ Tidings | winter 2011/2012

a r t s & c u lt u r e W hat I’m Readin g

Warren Heiti Warren Heiti is a FYP teaching fellow and a doctoral candidate in philosophy at Dalhousie. He’s also a poet whose work has been published in The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2010. His book-length poem Hydrologos was published by Pedlar Press in 2011.

Warren Heiti

I’m reading two books which concern the ocean, in their different ways: Amanda Jernigan’s Groundwork (Biblioasis, 2011) and Joe Denham’s Year of Broken Glass (Nightwood Editions, 2011). Denham is a Canadian nature poet whose work I have admired for some years. His second book, Windstorm (Nightwood Editions, 2009), is one long poem, which starts with a personal shock—composed in calm, adept terza rima!—as a saw-blade kicks back inflicting a severe wound in the speaker’s hand, and a wind, right out of Rilke, comes swirling down, and then the poem opens into a much larger, selfless kind of witnessing. The Year of Broken Glass is Denham’s first novel, and exhibits his poet’s sensibility. A crab fisherman finds a precious glass fishing float, stamped with the insignia of a three-tailed fish, whose sale promises some relief from his divided life. At my bookmark’s place, the fisherman is standing in Vancouver, whose windows have just been blown out by an earthquake, holding the unscratched glass float—it’s a dramatic juxtaposition. The novel seems set during the recent collapse of the sockeye runs on the West Coast, and the heroic marine biologist Alexandra Morton has already made a brief cameo. I am anticipating that the glass float will become a metaphor for a kind of fragile ecological hope. Jernigan read at King’s in October. Her work is new to me, and truly astonishing. Groundwork is, among other things, a compact volume of formalist verse, and Jernigan handles the formalism with a range, dexterity, and naturalness that are very rare. The book’s last suite of poems is about the Odyssey. In one poem, Odysseus is speaking of a 22

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mysterious dream of islands: “Penelope, I could relate / no end of this: all night I woke, / to island after island, each one / blossoming within the last, / like rings around a boat at rest.” The poem is complemented, perfectly, by a wood engraving by Jernigan’s husband, the artist John Haney. The engraving itself depicts a keyhole-shaped ship, seen from above, enclosed in inked ripples, which are, also, the rings of a tree. It is one of the most finely crafted books that I have read this year, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. A couple of signed copies are still available at the King’s Co-op Bookstore. How does being a poet affect your reading? Are you more critical? Less? Contrary to one recent trend in Canadian literary reviewing, I believe that studying poetry should, ideally, deepen one’s capacity for appreciation. In her essay, The Ethics of the Negative Review (The Malahat Review 144 [2003]), the Canadian poet and philosopher Jan Zwicky defends a view shared by the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke: “Works of art are of an infinite loneliness and with nothing to be so little appreciated as with criticism. Only love can grasp and hold and fairly judge them” (letter to Franz Kappus, 23 April 1903). I agree. There is a prejudice, in this culture, and especially in the institution of the university, that understanding requires criticism; and so we like to teach something

that we call “critical thinking.” And I hasten to affirm the usefulness of such thinking! It can be indispensable, for instance, in redirecting attention to thoughtless reflexes of oppression. But it becomes destructive when it is mixed with the assumption that it is a universal instrument—when it becomes an addiction. Many things can be more fairly, more clearly understood, as Rilke says, by love. And notice that he is not talking about a kind of lax and arbitrary approval. No, he is talking about a kind of discernment, a way of making contact with truth. Hydrologos is a lyric poem that touches in part on the myth of Orpheus. Through even this brief description, I sense some themes that are decidedly FYP-y. Where would you say your love of poetry and your love of philosophy intersect? My pre-academic intuition was that good poetry and good philosophy were indistinguishable. It has not been easy to hang onto that intuition while confronting the academy’s ferocious instinct toward territorialization (what it calls “specialization,” or “departmentalization”). But King’s is a kind of sanctuary, isn’t it? We are tremendously lucky to be able to read Aristotle and Dante in each other’s company, without the pernicious discriminations that have lately segregated these thinkers. It is vivifying to participate in the expansive conversation here. ∂

Recent Alumni Publications Valerie Compton (’84) has published her debut novel Tide Road with Goose Lane Editions. Margaret Floyd (BAH ’93) published her first book, Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You with New Harbinger Press this past June. Mark Reid (BJ ’96) has released 100 Days that Changed Canada with Canada’s History Society and HarperCollins Cana-

da. It’s a collection of essays by Reid and 55 prominent Canadians. Shambala Publications has released a book titled Right Here With You: Bringing Mindful Awareness Into Our Relationships— an anthology edited and with an introduction by Andrea Miller (BJ ’02). Stephen Marche (BAH ’97) argues for the importance of the Bard in How Shakespeare Changed Everything, released in Spring 2011 by HarperCollins Canada.

FYP TEXTS A Love Sustained

By Thomas Curran, Assistant Professor, Foundation Year Programme

he title Divine Comedy is not the fil the principles of tragedy. His epic, as a name that Dante gave to his own romance dedicated to Beatrice, will have great epic poem. For Dante, his ac- a “comedic” ending, in which the love that count of his vision set in the year 1300 was Dante professes for Beatrice will be resimply called his Commedia, that is to say his deemed. Here the human aspiration to love Comedy; the honorific Divine was added long and to be loved will not end, as in the story of Dido and Aeneas, in abandonment, fatal after Dante’s death by its many admirers. The difficulties for the Comedy’s read- disappointment and suicide, but rather will ers begin in the very first of the 100 cantos finds its perfection and divine fulfilment. that make up this poem. Virgil, the ancient Dante, indeed, receives the flower and Roman epic poet—who died in 19 BCE—is fragrance of romance from Virgil, but here, designated to be Dante’s companion and in the age of the troubadour, the conclusion guide through a “Christian” vision of the cannot be tragic but must end in “true conInferno in the afterlife. On the surface, this cord of well-tuned” souls (with apologies to seems to be rather counter-intuitive, since, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 8). by definition, Virgil cannot know anything One of the most pathetic scenes in the of the Christian dispensation or the theol- Aeneid is when Aeneas—fleeing the burning ogy which it fosters. However, whatever the Troy (as is his pious duty)—discovers that his difficulties of this partnership between a pa- wife Creusa has been lost from among the gan Roman and a Christian Italian epic poet, company that he has been helping to escape one thing is clear: central to everything that the city. The pathos here is nearly unbearfollows is the tragedy of Dido and Aeneas, able. In recounting this last day of Troy’s which dominates the 4th book of Virgil’s Ae- majesty and the destruction of his ancestral neid. If we keep the contours of that doomed home, Aeneas says very simply: “I never saw love affair in mind, we shall certainly make my wife again… This was the cruellest thing a start in understanding the quality of the I [had to suffer] in all the sack of Troy…” [Tr. relationship between these two epic poets, by David West]. With this burden of sorrow, in reality more than 13 centuries apart. Aeneas does not think he can carry on with According to the Comedy, it is Beatrice, his divine mission to found the new Troy, Dante’s beloved, who gives Virgil his “march- in Italy: a city that will ultimately become ing orders.” She entreats Virgil to leave his the capital of the world, the eternal city we place of eternal rest in Limbo, so that he know as Rome. But then suddenly his wife, can rescue her friend, Dante, who, as she Creusa, appears to him as a ghostly apparisays, is not now, however, “fortune’s friend.” tion; she interrupts her journey to the afBeatrice also understands the dignity and terlife in order to give Aeneas the courage worth of Virgil, even as she is providing Virgil he needs to continue with the fulfilment of with his commission: his fame, as an epic his fate, and the destiny required of him by poet, Beatrice assures him “will last as long divine decree. Aeneas must discharge his as earth endures.” If that is true, and it has pious duty to establish a new capital at the certainly been true for two millennia now, very centre of the world. then, again by definition, the tragic love that To give him this courage, Creusa makes threatened to devour both Dido and Aeneas two essential points: the first is that she, Crewill also continue to be remembered and usa, was obviously not destined to leave Troy discussed as long as poetry survives amongst with her beloved husband, and that the will mankind. of the gods cannot be altered. Consequently, Dante has explained, in a letter, that he it remains for Aeneas to complete his exile deliberately chose to write his epic poem in and its resolution without her. This picks up the vernacular Italian, rather than following on one of the abiding themes underlying the Virgil’s more majestic Latin, even though The Aeneid as a whole. Right at the beginning of Aeneid continues to serve as Dante’s model, the poem, Aeneas tells his men: “Your task at every point, in the realization of his epic is to endure and save yourselves for better vision. days”, a theme which is reiterated in Aeneid As Dante explains, his poem will not ful- Book 5: “Whatever fortune may be ours, we

must at all times rise above it by enduring it.” These better days are precisely what his beloved Creusa, now lost, offers her despairing husband as her second imperative. Creusa will go so far as to promise her distraught husband a new wife (named Lavinia), who will be his companion and solace in his new Italian kingdom. The unlucky Creusa, in the deepest expression of marital love, therefore promises her husband future happiness in a future marriage…However, Creusa’s last words to Aeneas are also a reminder to him of their past happiness, and the obligation that carries with it: “Do not fail in your love for our son.” Aeneas’ love for Creusa will now cease to flourish, since she has died in Troy. Marriage can only be nourished “till death do us part,” but Creusa reminds Aeneas not only of their love for each other, but also of the love that produced their son (Ascanius), and that love can never change or diminish. The evident contrast here is with the tragic love affair which Aeneas contracts with Dido: when things go off the rails (very badly) in Carthage, the city of which Dido is the Queen, Aeneas confirms—twice—“it was against my will, O Queen, that I left your shore.” This explanation (and excuse) produces in Dido nothing but rage; she expresses the hope that “you will receive the punishment you deserve.” Dido decides she wants to wipe away all memory of this “traitor” who once—with her enthusiastic permission—shared her bed. So if you want an emblem of the difference between Virgil’s tragedy and Dante’s comedy of love, we need look no further than the Aeneid’s portrayal of Dido and Creusa respectively. The one wants nothing more fervently than to extract revenge, and furthermore a penalty that is permanent, wounding and enervating: all of this because of a love that was crippled, by divine decree, in its “bad timing.” This stands in stark contrast with Creusa, who offers Dante the clear direction he takes in his Comedy: Creusa expresses only the devoted, sustaining and abiding love of a wife for her husband. Creusa wants for her husband (as also applies to Beatrice with respect to Dante) the only thing that love can ever demand: the future and permanent happiness of the beloved. ∂ Tidings | winter 2011/2012

p r e s i d e n t i a l i n s ta ll at i o n

ing’s President Anne Leavitt was installed at a formal ceremony on Friday, October 21at the First Baptist Church, 1300 Oxford St., Halifax. Honorary degrees were conferred upon Barbara Butler, artistic and administrative director of the celebrated Nova Scotian festival Musique Royale, and Rector at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Charlottetown Rev. Canon Peter Harris. Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable Mayann E. Francis was also in attendance. In her speech, President Leavitt spoke of the financial challenges that lie ahead, but also spoke warmly of the King’s atmophere. “(King’s) is the crown jewel of higher education,” she said. Following the ceremony, attendees stepped out into a beautiful fall afternoon and gave their best wishes to King’s newest President.

Top: Dr. Leavitt enters First Baptist Church as part of the installation procession. Bottom: A chorister in the Men and Boys’ Choir follows along intently. All photos

by Kerry DeLorey.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

p r e s i d e n t i a l i n s ta ll at i o n

Top left: Macebearer Stephanie Duchon (BAH â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12) leads the procession after the ceremony. Right: Dr. Leavitt addresses the room. Bottom left: The Governor General of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Mayann Francis, ONS. All photos by Kerry DeLorey.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

Stayin g In Touch:

Three King’s Grads Talk About Enduring Friendships Kahlil Gibran once wrote: “A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand.” When applied to college friendships, this statement becomes all the more resonant. Here, enclosed in the small confines of the Quad, students form bonds – and just as quickly, they scatter. How do King’s graduates stay connected over the years? We spoke to three whose friendships have endured the test of time.

John Carr (BA ’72)

Jo h n Ca rr ( BA ’72)

I graduated King’s with a Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in philosophy. I enjoyed my days at King’s immensely. I knew all kinds of people, most of whom I met while I lived in Radical Bay during my first year. It was a very close bay and it was great. We had the last pool party in the pool that used to be right beside the gym. I can’t tell you too many of the details, but I can say it was a great party. My girlfriend (and now wife) Connie was living in residence at Dalhousie and had a very strict leader there. I remember her standing there and laughing as we came through the doors—our hair was frozen in icicles. Another time we had an Animal Farmthemed party in the bay. One of the day students knew a farmer, so we got bales of hay and there were chickens running from floor to floor. The chickens were there for a week after the party. John Godfrey was our don and to be honest, I think he was responsible for as much of the pranking as we were. All of the bays were close, but we were closest in Radical. We all got along really well. There were very few incidents. It was us against the world. With a small university like King’s, it’s a lot like being an Islander in P.E.I. If you’re small and used to being out26

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Mary Jago (BA ’92) (centre) poses with King’s friend Edward Rix (BAH ’92), goddaughter Jane and wife Sierra (at right) in Philadelphia, November 2011. Photo provided by Mary Jago.

numbered, you develop an underdog mentality and it makes you ever closer. We would always look out for each other and get each other out of trouble. I certainly still feel close to all my King’s buddies. We exchange Christmas cards every year, and we see each other every so often. Sometimes you go a year or two, even three without speaking—but we always feel close. It’s like we’ve never really been separated. When we get together it’s just like the university days again—it takes half an hour and perhaps a couple of drinks, but we certainly get there. John Carr is a senior partner at Carr, Stevenson and MacKay, a law firm in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Mary Jago (BA ’92 )

Eddy Rix is one of my closest friends, and was in my FYP tutorial. That’s how we met. I usually spend every American Thanksgiving in Philadelphia with him and his family. I am godmother to his fourth child Jane. It’s become a nice little tradition. I’m also good friends with Oliver Herbst (BA ’91) and I’m also very close with his wife Julie. I see them at least weekly and their third daughter

Julia is my godchild. All his children are the loves of my life. We were in the same group of friends, but we’re actually much closer than when we were at King’s. Oliver and I reconnected at the wedding of a former King’s dean, Finley Mullally (BA ’91, HC ’92). The reception was actually held at Prince Hall. I had just moved to Toronto from Halifax and reconnected with a number of people—Jim Logan, Brent Barclay, Oliver and his wife. Our friendship has really grown in the past 11 or 12 years since then. Being at King’s for that wedding really brought us back to that time when we all knew each other. The College really fostered a community family kind of atmosphere. In those days the College was only 600 students, and even though a lot of my friends graduated during different years, that connection is really strong. I think it was the fact that we had shared this really unique experience of being part of the King’s community. It’s hard to describe—it’s like no other experience around. I’ve gone to other universities as an adult and I never found quite the same thing. When I showed up at King’s, I was pretty shy and I it was a very fostering and nurturing environment—I always felt really accepted.

Marc Al m on (BA ’02 )

Marc Almon (BA ’02)

A N OTE F R O M THE KI N G’S EU R O P EA N BRAN CH Christmas, Haliburton and the Olympics: At first pass, these three words do not seem to hold much in common. However, they all describe events run by the UKC European Alumni Chapter in 2011/2012. The 9th Annual Atlantic Canadian University Alumni Christmas party branched away from its sedentary roots to a skating theme in Canary Wharf. Set amidst colourful festive lights and stunning skyscrapers, we skated through the evening, dipping in periodically to enjoy a bottle of cold Moosehead, or some piping hot natchos. Photos can be found on our Facebook page. Turning to 2012 and, of course the big event in London is the summer Olympics. During July and August several million tourists are forecast to come to London to celebrate this amazing sporting event. Anticipating Canada’s finest athletes to compete at the newly built Olympic Village in East London (with a strong Canadian following cheering them on!) we thought “gosh—what a perfect opportunity to showcase Canadian literary talent in London!” And thus the Vth Haliburton evening was born. Watch for more details to come, but this will likely be at an intimate venue in the East End. If you want to participate—or know of a Canadian author in London at that time who might like to read—please email chris@ebooster.co.uk. —Chris MacNeil (BA ’94), European Branch President

Mainly I’ve remained good friends with people I met through the King’s independent ilmmakers society. Carl Laudan (BA ’97) is probably the closest of those. He played a big role in making me think I could make films and actually do it, as a living. When I started at King’s, I was 18 years old. By getting involved with extra-curriculars, I was hanging out with people a few years older than me who had a broader experience. It was so illuminating to be part of this social world where these older people who shared a passion for something were willing to hang out and discuss it with me. We became close friends. I’d be sneaking into the Economy Shoe Shop to hang out with these guys to discuss art and film and things going on at King’s, politically and socially. It opens your eyes to a bigger world. Same thing with the Wardroom—you didn’t have to be fearful to be kicked out if you were underage. It was the only place in Nova Scotia that allowed that. I was so young, so open to new experiences,

and hungry for these substantial conversations. The film society played a huge role in my career. At one point, it was the biggest society on campus—even bigger than the KTS. I think having a liberal arts background predisposes you to thinking creatively and taking leaps, whether they are leaps of imagination or leaps of entrepreneurship. You feel like you can be creative and make a living at it. It really helps that while at King’s, you study all this great literature and philosophy that form your basis of viewing the world. And people in the society just barged forward and made things happen. It was a great group of people to be experimenting and making art with. Marc Almon is a filmmaker based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He recently produced his first feature film, Bye Bye Blackbird. The short films he has written, directed or produced have screened at over thirty international film festivals, and have aired on CBC, Global, BBC, Bravo! and the Sundance Channel.

survey says In June, the Alumni Association and Advancement worked with Engagement Analysis Inc. to launch an Alumni Survey. We received an above-average response rate (20.7 %) and respondents represented a wide variety of ages. King’s alumni engagement ranked higher than the Canadian university average. Perhaps not surprisingly, alumni further away from King’s felt less engaged. A strong sense of pride and satisfaction with academic experience was expressed and the majority of respondents indicated an affinity for King’s as a whole. You have encouraged us to make College communications (such as e-news) monthly or quarterly. Amongst former classmates, communication remains high. In terms of what’s currently happening at King’s, awareness was low and many believe that King’s could have a higher profile in the national and international media. We’re still mining the data and fine tuning a plan for renewed Alumni programming, although some things are already clear. Changes you can count on include:

•B olstered branch and regional activity in strong alumni centres such as Toronto and Halifax •P rograms tailored to your year with an eye to hosting select class reunions •M ore lectures and social events in major alumni centres • I mproved messaging regarding King’s present and future priorities •A new communications strategy and a quarterly schedule for the King’s e-newsletter. •W e’re going to get better at singing our own praises (and yours) to ensure that everyone knows how great King’s really is. Thank you to all who participated. This survey has provided invaluable information. We look forward to working with you as we organize to celebrate FYP’s 40th in 2012/13 and King’s 225th in 2014. Want to get involved? Let us know at kingsadv@ ukings.ca.

WINNERS: In a blind draw of Alumni Survey participants, King’s professor Dr. Gordon McOuat selected the following two winners: Anna McCurdy (BA ’04) is now the proud owner of an iPad 2, while Vanessa Bonneau (BAH ’08) has received $200 credit at the King’s Co-op Bookstore.

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B r i n g i n g C h e s t n u t T r e e s to K i n g ’ s

Photo by Alison Lang (BJ ’07)

In 1984, an American chestnut tree was planted on King’s campus in front of Alex Hall by the Bowater Mersey paper mill. This fall, Jocelyn Clark from the Canadian Chestnut Council visited King’s to attempt to harvest viable nuts from this tree. When she plucked a handful of burrs from the tree, it was discovered that there were no viable nuts inside. In order for a chestnut tree to produce nuts, it must be pollinated from a companion tree within 200 meters. The pictured burrs were plucked from a tree on Barrington Street. The nuts are currently being held indoors and harvested so their plants can eventually be planted in the quad this coming spring.

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hmc s k i n g ’ s wa r d r oom r e n ovat i o n s ph a s e i i

The future look of the HMCS King’s Wardroom. Photo courtesy of Breakhouse Designs.

The need for Wardroom renovations was brought to everyone’s attention and valiantly championed in its 30th anniversary year through exemplary alumni leadership provided largely by Dan de Munnik (BSc Hon ’02), Elizabeth Ryan (BA ’69), Greg Guy (BJ Hon ’87) and Chris Elson (BA Hon ’86). To date, King’s resources, student support through the KSU, numerous alumni gifts and a generous contribution from Fred and Elizabeth Fountain in memory of their son Alex, have allowed for many improvements. Principal among these is a new fire exit, an enlarged and improved canteen area, a new air circulating system, repaired water damage and fresh carpeting. Not all sexy stuff, but the room is safer, water tight, has improved functionality and, let’s face it, it smells better. The Wardroom Renovation Committee

presently chaired by Steve Wilson (BA’87) has recently re-engaged the design firm Breakhouse to refine their initial concept and to provide construction drawings and a class B budget. This next step, Phase II, will again require funding support and the rewards will be sweet for students and alumni alike. The goal is to realize an improved bar area, new portable staging with better sound and lighting, and a day students food preparation area, coupled with new paint, décor, furniture and lighting. The aim is to re-open the Wardroom in September 2012, after another summer of renovations. If you would like to make a contribution to the Wardroom Renovation Fund, you can identify the fund on your annual giving card or visit King’s on-line at ukings.ca/support-kings. — King’s Director of Advancement Adriane Abbott

The first round of renovations: Summer of 2011.

Double Your Money For Student Life This year when you give to student life your gift will be matched by Johanne Zwicker McKee (’50) and Ian McKee who have set up an endowed King’s Collegiate Initiative Fund to support student life in perpetuity. The fund was established with an initial gift of $50,000 from the McKee’s and they will match gifts to an additional $50,000. The goal is to establish a $150,000 fund that will annually contribute six thousand dollars to student initiatives. That’s a lot of projects, music, costumes, sets, etc. This year, turn your twenty dollars into forty by giving to student life!

ho n o r a ry d octo r at e s : p r e s i d e n t i a l i n s ta ll at i o n

President Anne Leavitt, Barbara Butler, Reverend Canon Peter Harris and King’s Chancellor the Honourable Michael Meighen, Q.C.

Barbara Butler is artistic and administrative director of the celebrated Nova Scotian festival Musique Royale, founder of the St. Cecilia Concert Society and director of music at St. John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg. Through these organizations, Mrs. Butler has shared her love of Nova Scotian and classical music as a tireless curator and promoter. Through her work, she has preserved the cultural heritage of this province with music while also encouraging a wider appreciation for early classical works. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law for her devotion to the development of classical and traditional music in Nova Scotia.

The Reverend Canon Peter Harris (BA ’68, MSL ’72) is Rector at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Charlottetown. He has built a reputation as a compassionate pastor, a revered liturgical scholar and an attentive instructor to students interested in ministry. At his parish in Charlottetown, he works to bolster a sense of inclusivity within his congregation and in the wider community. In this spirit of openness and scholarship, Canon Harris was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity.

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A L U M N OT ES

Sloan guitarist Jay Ferguson (BA ’89). Photo used with permission from the CBC.

Sloan’s Jay Ferguson on longevity and the Polaris Prize by Adria Young (BAH ’10)

It’s been 20 years since the indierock band Sloan first formed in Halifax, but King’s alumni Jay Ferguson (BA ’89), and Patrick Pentland (BA ’91) (along with bandmates Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott) have shown that they’re still relevant in all the right ways with their tenth studio album, The Double Cross. The album was placed on the longlist for a 2011 Polaris Prize. The Canadian music prize was established in 2006 and is modelled off the United Kingdom’s Mercury Prize as a celebration of artistic achievement. A collection of music journalists, broadcasters, and bloggers across Canada compile a longlist of outstanding Canadian albums (this year, 16), from which ten are selected for the shortlist. From the shortlist, one album wins the title and a $30,000 cash prize. The Polaris is awarded to an album based solely 30

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on artistic merit, rather than record sales, chart recognition or live performances, and it’s also become an arbiter of high-quality independent and underground music. “I’m very happy for this album to be recognized by the people on the board of the Polaris,” Jay says. “We certainly don’t have the same following as [2011 Polaris winners] the Arcade Fire, so it’s all very flattering.” In 1991, Ferguson and Pentland formed Sloan with Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott. Although Sloan’s albums, singles, and videos have been nominated for nine Junos and over 20 East Coast Music Awards, Jay says that people often think of the group as a hit band.” We’ve never had a platinum record or anything like that,” he says. The Polaris holds special weight for the band because they’ve been around longer than most of the other artists on the long-

list. Ferguson is hoping the nomination will connect the band to a younger generation of music fans. “In the past, the [kids] might have written us off as their parents’ music,” he says. Jay sees it as an opportunity for people to rediscover Sloan, one of Canadian rock’s most understated influences. Sloan’s approach to writing music has always been collaborative and dynamic, and originated from the energy of the Halifax music scene. They eventually relocated to Toronto, “mainly for girls,“ says Jay, but he adds that he’s happy and proud that the band started in Halifax. He’s hoping the Polaris nomination will give the band another chance. “I’d like to keep going for as long as we can,” he says. And as for the prospects of a 40th anniversary album? “I’ll be, like, 60 years old,” Jay laughs, “but I’d be psyched.”

A L U M N OT ES Th e 50s

T he 7 0s

David Morgan (BSc ’50) was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in science from Memorial University on May 25, 2011 in recognition of his 45 years of achievement in chemical ecology.

John MacKay (BA ’71) is the president of a Toronto based PR firm, MacKay & Co. These days he splits his time between Toronto and Los Angeles and hopes to add Nova Scotia to that list soon. He’d love to hear from old friends at john@mackayandco.com.

David Morris (’63) is retired and living in rural Saanich (near Victoria, B.C.) with a wife, 50 chickens and 1,000 grape vines (Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir). He would welcome contact or visits from former King’s students from that time. His email is david_morris_ ca@yahoo.com. Visitors in October could help pick (but not stomp) grapes.

Th e 6 0s

Lois Miller (BA ’65) In this photo, Lois receives the first annual Tulip Award from Dr. Brian Hennen, left, and Jim Arnott, co-chairpersons of ILNS. Photo courtesy of Lois Miller.

Lois Miller (BA ’65) was honoured with the naming of a new award on her retirement as long-time executive director of Independent Living Nova Scotia (ILNS), a non-profit organization that supports persons with disabilities to live independently in the community. Lois is the first recipient of this award, which will be given in future years to an individual or organization making an extraordinary contribution to independent living for Nova Scotians with disabilities. Several King’s alumni joined Lois at her retirement dinner, including her daughter Christina Macdonald (BAH ’09), Margaret Myles (BA ’65), Rev. David Myles (BA ’61, LTh ’65) ,and Craig MacKinnon (BA ’91, BJ ’92). Lois received the first Judge J. Elliott Hudson Distinguished Alumna Award in 1995.

cal Sciences at Keele since 2008. Previously, she held appointments as postdoctoral fellow and then research fellow in the School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.

T he 90s

Douglas Ruck, Q.C. (BA ’72) will become the first chair of Nova Scotia’s new labour board. The Labour Board hears disputes between employers and the unions that represent their employees. It was formed earlier this year through the merger of four boards that dealt with labour relation issues. Mr. Ruck is a former Nova Scotia Ombudsman, chair of the Labour Standards Tribunal, vice-chair of the Labour Relations Board, and has chaired many boards of inquiry with human rights mandates. He is one of the first African Nova Scotians to serve on adjudicative boards and is highly regarded at the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. Ruck shares King’s ties with his father, Senator Calvin Ruck (DCL ’99).

Brett Mumford (BA ’90) is currently working in southern Afghanistan for the International Security Assistance Force. He is engaged to Yap Shin Ming.

In August of 2011, King’s alumnus and honorary degree recipient Glenn Davidson (BA ’73, DCL ’07) became Canada’s new ambassador to Afghanistan. Davidson had previously held the position of ambassador to Syria since 2008. Prior to this posting, Davidson had spent 35 years in the navy and had retired with the position of vice-admiral.

Sir Roger Thompson (BAH ’91) KOWL, MA was invested as a Knight of the Order of Wisdom and Learning (KOWL) by the Sovereign of the Principality of Hutt River, Prince Leonard of Hutt. The Principality of Hutt River is an independent, sovereign nation that seceded from Australia in 1970. Thompson’s investiture as a Knight is in recognition of his “pursuit of excellence in education, the advancement of knowledge and the encouragement of rational discourse.” He can be reached at cp107argus@gmail.com.

Avard L. Bishop (BA ’75) has been elected chairman of the Governing Board of the International School of Geneva (ISG), Switzerland, after serving on the board for five years. A lawyer having worked in Geneva for the past 18 years, he is with one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations.

T he 80s Valerie Compton (’84) has published her debut novel, Tide Road, with Goose Lane Editions. Her stories have appeared in The Malahat Review, The Antigonish Review, and Riddle Fence, among others. Two new stories will be published this summer, in Room magazine and in QuArc, an exciting joint issue of The New Quarterly and Arc Poetry Magazine. Deidre McKay (BAH ’89) was honoured with the Keele University Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. McKay has taught geography in Physical and Geographi-

Jennifer Bell (BA ’91) is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Health Policy Fellow at the University of Toronto, and is working as a research officer in global health ethics at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health. Jennifer lives in Toronto with her husband and their daughter, Sophia. Dawn Henwood, Ph.D. (BAH ’91), has moved to Wolfville, N.S. with her husband, Ken Nauss, and their two children, Brad, 13, and Claire, 10. Dawn and Ken run a writing training business, Watchword Learning Inc.

Michael Valde (’91) is currently associateproducing a documentary titled The Arizona Project that tracks the explosive year during which Arizona’s tough stance on immigration tests the edges of commonly held democratic values, and a tragic shooting transforms the state into the symbol of America’s political divide. D. Gregory MacIsaac (BA ’92) married Robyn Bragg in July 2011. He is an associate professor in the Bachelor of Humanities program at Carleton University, Ottawa, and can be reached at gregory_macisaac@ carleton.ca. Margaret Floyd (BAH ’93) is a health and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles. Her first book, Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Tidings | winter 2011/2012

A L U M N OT ES Sexier You (New Harbinger Press, 2011) was published this past June. For the past 5 years, Allison MacGrath (BAH ’93) has served as the director of human resources for the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board. Nancy Carr (BAH ’94) After working in journalism and corporate marketing and communications, Nancy has started her own communications business in Toronto: Carr Communications. When she’s not toiling away in her home office, she’s spending time with her husband, Dale Fallon, and their two sons, Theo, 3, and Chester, 1. Simon Lloyd (BA ’94) and Jocelyne (Smith) Lloyd (BJH ’95) reside in Char-

lottetown with their two children, Grace, 9, and Vaughan, 6. Simon is the university’s archivist and special collections librarian at the UPEI Library, and Jocelyne is the web editor for P.E.I.’s provincial daily, the Guardian. Kirk N.R. Graham (FYP ’94/95) and Thalia McRae (FYP ’97/98) are pleased to announce the arrival of their twin boys James Sebastian Gabriel Graham and Morgan Charles Oliver Graham. For now they seem more like Middle Bay prospects but we’ll see how things develop. Sarah Tamsett (BA ’95) is the proud mother of Rachel (born in 2004) and Sophie (born in 2008). She is very happy to be settled again in Nova Scotia and sharing her life with part-

ner Wesley Harvey and his two children on their “farm.“ Mark Reid (BJ ’96) is editor-in-chief of Canada’s History Society, and is heading out on a national book tour to support his new book, 100 Days that Changed Canada. It’s a collection of essays by Reid and 55 prominent Canadians, including Peter Mansbridge, Adrienne Clarkson, Conrad Black, Lawrence Hill and many others. Each contributor writes about a key turning point in Canadian history. The book is being published by Canada’s History Society and HarperCollins Canada, and is available at Chapters, Indigo and other major booksellers across Canada. At the 2011 Manitoba Book Awards Ariel Gordon (BJ ’97) won the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry for her first book, Hump (Palimpsest Press, 2010). Last year, the book won the 2010 John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer. Hump’s poems explore the nature of motherhood, pregnancy, love and ruminations on urban life in Winnipeg. Bruce Thorson’s (BJ ’97) latest documentary, Inside the Cirque, aired on CBC Television’s Doc Zone this past October.

Student to Watch: Ryan Hreljac King’s student Ryan Hreljac (BAH ’13) was awarded the Lewis Perinbam Award this past November in Ottawa. The award, presented by the World University Service of Canada, honours Canadians who have made significant volunteer efforts towards helping people in the developing world. This certainly describes Hreljac, who has been raising funds to build wells for clean drinking water in dozens of countries for more than half his life. Back in 1998, at age six, Hreljac learned from a teacher that people in the world were dying from unclean drinking water. He spent the next few months raising money through a variety of methods—including household chores—so he could fund the building of a well in a Ugandan village. He continued fundraising for the next four years until the Ryan’s Well Foundation was 32

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established. Based out of Hreljac’s hometown of Kemptville, Ontario, the Foundation has since raised millions of dollars to build wells all over the world. The Lewis Perinbam Award is the latest in a long list of Hreljac’s accolades. He’s been named the youngestever member of the Order of Ontario, is a UNICEF Global You Leader and is also a Global Citizen for the United Nations Association of Canada. Ryan continues to travel and speak on behalf of the Foundation when he’s not at King’s playing on the UKC basketball team or studying. Ever-humble, he recently told the Kemptville EMC that the work of the Foundation has since become “everyone’s project.” “There are more and more Ryans out there doing their own projects…contributing in their own way,” he says.

Deborah Irvine Anderson (BJH ’98) and her husband Jason are pleased to announce the birth of their third child Eamon Joseph born Jan. 24, 2011 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Eamon’s proud older siblings are Isaac and Maggie. This is the sixth grandchild for Rev. Canon James Irvine (BA ’69 BST ’71). Alasdair McKie (BJH ’99) and his wife Emma Evans welcomed their second child, Callum, on Aug. 6, 2011 in Toronto. Callum joins big sister Morgan. Alasdair has been at the Globe and Mail since 2000, most recently working on newsroom technology.

T he 00s Emma Cardarelli (BA ’00) was recently named one of Montreal’s 30 Most Eligible Ladies by Shinan Govani in a story for the National Post. The list, which has also featured Montreal’s Most Eligible Men, focuses on women of a variety of backgrounds, ages and occupations. Cardarelli was listed for her contributions to Montreal’s culinary scene and the upcoming opening of her own restaurant, Nora Gray.

A L U M N OT ES Vivien Hamilton: Her name is “MUDD” By Dorine Schreiner (BJ ’12)

One of King’s first History of Science and Technology (HOST) graduates has made a name for herself on the tenure track at one of the most prestigious math, science and engineering colleges in the United States. In September, Vivien Hamilton (BAH ’03) made the trek from chilly Toronto to a new life in Claremont, California as one of the newest assistant professors at Harvey Mudd College. “The fact that Vivien is now a professor at such an elite institution with stellar instructors is a testimony to her abilities,” says professor Stephen Snobelen, who taught

Hamilton at King’s. He recalls seeing the job opening at Harvey Mudd and thinking it would be a difficult one to score. He says he’s gratified that the college chose to hire a former King’s student. “She was an excellent student. She really stood out,” he says. Hamilton took a HOST class during the program’s first year in 2000. She went on to complete the equivalent of three years’ worth of HOST courses in her final year at King’s, and graduated with a physics degree from Dalhousie in 2003. She moved on to Toronto to continue her education at the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.

At Harvey Mudd, Hamilton draws upon her HOST background to fulfill the college’s mandate of teaching social sciences and the humanities to math, science and engineering students. She says there are a few King’s habits that she now employs in her own teaching. Chief amongst these is a devotion to primary sources. “I make sure (my students) read something from Darwin or Einstein for each lecture,” she says. “I loved being able to read Aristotle’s Physics and Isaac Newton’s Principia in my King’s courses.” Her biggest HOST highlight, however, came during her final year with a hair-raising experiment conducted by former King’s professor Daryn Lehoux. “We did sheep liver divinations on a real sheep liver,” she recalls. Using a translation of a Babylonian text, Hamilton searched for particular spots and creases on the liver that, according to the text, held prophetic significance. “I’m pretty sure my sheep liver foretold ‘defeat of the enemy army,’” she says. Hamilton leads a solid tradition of female King’s students excelling in the study of the history of science and technology. Following in Hamilton’s footsteps, HOST graduates Stephanie Dick (BAH ’07), Deidre Moore (BAH ’06) and Lisa Crystal (BAH ’07) are pursuing HOST-related doctorates at Harvard. Snobelen says the History of Science and Technology program has had a good mix of males, females and ethnic backgrounds over the years, which leads to more diverse faculties. “There are generally more women than men in science studies, but the ratio evens out at graduate level,” he says. “The presence of women in the field has widened the scope of history of science and has made the discipline richer.” It’s clear that Hamilton’s achievements speak volumes about the program’s quality. “We now tell students that it’s possible to become a professor with a HOST degree,” says Snobelen. “I hope Vivien’s the first of many.”

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A L U M N OT ES As of Aug.2, 2011, King’s Alumni Association executive member Allen McAvoy (BJ ’02) has taken a senior advisory position with the Health Council of Canada. He says the opportunity will enable him to remain engaged with health policy while moving towards his goal of working in intergovernmental relations. In August, Shambhala Publications released the book Right Here With You: Bringing Mindful Awareness Into Our Relationships. This is an anthology edited and with an introduction by Andrea Miller (BJ ’02). It is her first anthology. Andrea is deputy editor of Shambhala Sun magazine, based in Halifax. Martin McCallum (BAH ’03) and Rebekah (Sheppard) McCallum (BMus ’03) are delighted to announce the first birthday of their daughter Juliet Elizabeth Anna, born Dec. 5, 2010. Jennifer Blake (BJ ’04) lives in Saskatoon. She recently started her own portrait photography business.

Sabrina Bandali (BAH ’05) is currently articling at the law firm Heenan Blaikie LLP in Toronto. Kathryn Dingle (BAH ’05) is co-manager and fundraiser at Inter Pares, a Canadian social justice and international cooperation organization based in Ottawa. Zachary Florence (BAH ’05) wrote the book and lyrics for a new musical production, The Passion of Adele Hugo. It ran at Neptune Theatre in Halifax in November as part of the Eastern Front Theatre Company season. Clare O’Hara (BJ ’05) had her first child, a boy, on Apr. 24, 2011. His name is Ethan Foster Hastings. Luke Harnish (BSc ’06) is engaged to Kelly Buchberger. They plan to get married sometime during the summer of 2012 in Saskatchewan. Luke has also just completed his dentistry degree. After spending the past two years as communications coordinator at King’s, Alison Lang (BJ ’07) will be moving to Toronto in

January of 2012 with Eric Duncan and their cats Snoop and Beverage. Eric will continue pursuing opportunities in film production, while Alison will work towards a master’s degree, learn the drums and write vampire novels. Christina Macdonald (BAH ’09) joined the King’s Advancement Office in October. As Advancement Coordinator she will provide support for fund development, alumni relations and administration. Paul McLeod (BJH ’07) has taken the position of Ottawa bureau chief at the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. McLeod had previously worked as a reporter at Allnovascotia.com and the Halifax Daily News. Mark Burgess (BJ ’08) won seven writing awards through the Quebec Community Newspaper Association this year for his work at the Low Down, including the prestigious Paul Dumont-Frenette Award for best overall writing performance. Dan Rosen (BAH ’08) is now living in England. He has been accepted to the two-year Master of Arts in Screenwriting program at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, where he will begin classes at the end of January. After three years of working as a radio reporter at 660News Calgary, Aaron Burnett (BJH ’08) has started his Master of Public Policy degree at one of Europe’s leading public affairs schools, the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany. Colleen Cosgrove (BJ ’08) is now working as a business reporter at the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. HOST graduate Julia Grummitt (BAH ’09) has been awarded The Canadian Graduate Scholarship ($17,500) and the Alan Wilson Entrance Award from Trent University ($6000). Grummitt will begin this September her studies towards a Master of Arts in the history program at Trent. Under the direction of Finis Dunaway, Julia will concentrate on visual culture and landscape, primarily in the work of Jose Camilo Vergara and the photography of ruin in postindustrial American cities. William Stewart (BAH ’09) is completing his master’s degree in film directing at the University of Westminster, London.

King’s Director of Music Paul Halley leads the King’s Chapel Choir during their annual For All the Saints Concert, held November 6 at the Cathedral Church of All Saints. Photo by Peter Ghansiam.

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A L U M N OT ES Heather Blom (BAH ’10) is currently working in the special events department of The National Ballet of Canada and is curating a community-designed installation of 60 tutus for its 60th anniversary. Following the closure of the 2011/12 season she will begin her Master of Arts in Performance Design at Central Saint Martins in London, England. Marlena Loughheed (BJ ’11) is currently interning with the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. She will be assisting with the diplomatic work of the Holy See until June 2012. Keep in touch! Send your news to us at kingsadv@ukings.ca.

I n Me moria m Lori Browne (’93) September 24, 2011 Gloria J. Trivett (BA ’51) September 3, 2011 David A. Boyle (BA ’64) May 7, 2011 Jane V. Curran (’81) July 30, 2011 Joanne Heffernan (Parent) April 25, 2011 Robert M. Hoegg (BA ’72) (August 22, 2011) Joan E. Miskelly April 9, 2011 Mary E. Smith (BA ’52) August 22, 2011 Glenda L. Thomson (BA ’72) April 17, 2011

Members of the King’s community gather for the launch of the King’s sundial, newly restored and given to the College by the graduating class of 2011. From left: Alumna Rae Brown (BA ’99) President Anne Leavitt, 2010-2011 KSU President Kiki Wood (BAH ’10) History of Science and Technology Director Dr. Ian Stewart, and Vice President Kim Kierans (Journalism ’76, BA ’82).

J. Joseph Walker (BA ’86) August 10, 2011

Barb Stegemann (BA ’91, BJ ’99)

Barb Stegemann in her uniform, with partner Mike Velemirovich. Photo provided by Stegemann

That’s Colonel Stegemann to you. The King’s alumna and entrepreneur was named Honorary Colonel of Royal Canadian Air Forces Base 14 Wing Greenwood this past December. The announcement had previously been delivered by Minister of National Defense Peter Mackay during the launch of “Vetiver of Haiti”—the latest offering in Stegemann’s The 7 Virtues fragrance collection—on September 21 in Ottawa. Stegemann’s perfume line uses oils that are ethically sourced from countries struggling to rebuild. She initially began by sourcing product from Afghanistan, and has since expanded to Haiti, sourcing oil from vetiver, a perennial grass in the country. Stegemann’s career in perfume took off when she appeared on the CBC-TV Programme

Dragon’s Den in early 2011 and moved the famously tough group of entrepreneurs with her business plan. After teaming up with one of the show’s Dragons W. Brett Wilson—who has since left the show to host his own series —Stegemann’s perfumes hit counters at all 91 Bay department stories across Canada. “In the media we tend to grab the stories of destruction and sadly, often the fanatics get the voice in war torn areas,” says Stegemann. “Our job is to make rebuilding more exciting than destruction.” Stegemann took over the Honorary Colonel position from Juno Award-winning country musician George Canyon. She is the first woman to assume the position at CFB Greenwood.

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t i d i n g s co n t r i b u to r s

Shannon Webb-Campbell is an award winning writer, journalist and photographer. Her work has appeared in The Coast, the Telegraph Journal, Riddle Fence, Halifax Magazine, Visual Arts News Magazine and The Scope. Currently she’s working on a short story collection.

Adria Young (BAH ’10) was recently awarded a Master’s degree in English literature from Dalhousie University for her work on Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy. She writes music and arts journalism.

John O’Brien (BAH ’11, BJ ’12) was born is Halifax. He is a graduate of the University of Kings College’s Early Modern Studies Programme. He has returned to pursue the One-Year Bachelor of Journalism.

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Dorine Schreiner (BJ ’12) came to Canada after six years of teaching kids in The Netherlands and Cambodia. Living in Halifax has introduced this Dutchie to Caesars, loonies and maple syrup. On her to-do-list: curling and going to a hockey game.

Laura Hubbard (BJH ’13) is a third year Journalism and Canadian Studies student at King’s and Dal. Laura is originally from New Brunswick and hopes to use her love of Canada to her advantage and incorporate both writing and travel in to her future.

Nina Cherry (BJH ’12) is a 4th year bachelor of journalism (honours) student. No, she is not named after the 80s pop star Neenah Cherry or related to Don Cherry. Her interests include white wine, Vera Wang wedding dresses, and BBQing.

Virginia Insua (BJ ’07) has written for the Montreal Gazette and The Coast, as well as several fine corporate publications. Her hobbies include multi-disciplinary design, plane crash investigation, and perfume. Oh —and good stories.

Miles Kenyon (BJ ’12) is originally from Toronto but has spent the last few years in Dawson City, YT. He is now attending King’s, trying really hard to be a journalist. His interested include radio documentaries, the Harlem Renaissance and his cat, Mr. Rags.

Peter Ghansiam is a former student of Mount Allison University now living in Halifax. He currently works in finance and practices contemplative photography.

pa r t i n g s hot

On October 27, King’s held its first-ever “Antiquated Thursday”—a celebration of King’s traditions, including chapel services, sherry, an antiquated fashion show and a 7:45am wake-up call led once again by bagpiper and King’s alumnus Barry Shears (BA ’78). Photo by Peter Ghansiam.

Tidings | winter 2011/2012

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