Tidings Spring 2005 by University of King's College

Tidings

The University of King’s College Alumni Magazine

Spring 2005 PM40062749

So who wants liberal arts grads? Miriam Toews (BJ ’90), winner of the Governor General’s Award for Fiction Donica Pottie, Canada’s ambassador to Cambodia

Colin MacLean (BAH ’86) Nova Scotia Community College

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Inside 11

A complicated kind of writing

ON CAMPUS

“I am in this half-way place between journalism and creative fiction,” says Miriam Toews (BJ ’90), winner of the 2004 Governor General’s Award for Fiction Noted essayist Ronald Wright delivered a stern warning to a national audience for the 2004 Massey Lecture

Ken Wiwa headlined J-school’s symposium on activism and the media HOST conference attracted leading academics

So who wants liberal arts grads?

Students excel in the performing arts

10 COLUMN

More people than you’d think, alumni say

Where ‘no’ is a complicated word Donica Pottie’s (’80-’83) career in diplomacy has taken a busy turn as Canada’s new ambassador to Cambodia

Spring 2005

Tidings

FYP Senior Fellow Tom Curran explores the legacy of the Epic of Gilgamesh

20 GOLF King’s Alumni Golf Tournament in photos

22 STEWARDSHIP REPORT

Endowment Fund Update e thought our Alumni might be interested in the status of the endowment fund here at King’s. Essentially an endowment fund is the permanently held capital of a non-profit organization that is managed to ensure projects are supported and the organization is able to meet challenges. Most universities have endowment funds, though the size of the endowments varies greatly. At King’s, the investment managers for the University Endowment funds are selected and guided by the College’s Investment Committee. Spending from the fund is restricted by our “Endowment Fund Inflation Protection Policy” established in 1991 which protects the future earnings of our funds, ensuring as a minimum that: the original principal is not used, i.e. only the earnings on the principal are used for the stated purpose; while meeting its minimum operating requirements the University must also provide for capital growth of each fund to ensure that the intent of the donor in providing their gift will be endowed for this purpose in perpetuity. The Endowment Fund Inflation Protection Policy limits the annual draw for the stated purpose to a maximum of 5.0% of the endowment fund’s book value (cost). Since implementing the policy in 1991, King’s endowment has grown through gifts and reinvested income from $9 million in 1991 to $28 million in 2004. Our investment managers have performed well, as over the past 10 years King’s has earned an annualized rate of return of 11.5%, a first quartile performance. King’s donors should feel confident that the College is taking good care of their gifts, so that supported programs and services will be available for future generations. The endowment becomes even more important in these times of diminishing support from the government. In 1990 the Provincial Government gave us 78% of our operating costs; by 2004 this support had decreased to only 34% of our total costs. American schools, which have never had the benefit of large government funding, are far ahead of their Canadian counterparts in endowment development. American culture is more accepting of fund-building than the Canadian culture where individuals don’t view themselves as philanthropists. However, there are signs at a number of Canadian universities that supporters are beginning to understand the shift that is taking place at the government level and are helping universities to build for the future. As we look ahead, we know that the College will need to continue to grow its endowment so that we are able to meet our needs. For example, we would like to have a much larger portion of the funds used for student assistance endowed. Attracting and retaining the best students is often dependent on the financial incentives a school is able to offer. At present only a small amount of the total money we award to students is endowed, the remainder being provided by our general operating funds and therefore dependent on other budgetary demands. We hope our Alumni and friends will recognize the changes in the education marketplace that necessitate this new approach and support our efforts to build for the future.

New Director: Development, Alumni and Public Relations Kara Holm has joined the University of King’s College as Director of Development, Alumni and Public Relations as of Nov. 15. Most recently, Kara was a partner in the marketing and business consultancy SuperNova Strategy. Prior to co-founding SuperNova in 2001, Kara spent 5 years in account management at McArthur, Thompson & Law, Advertising & Public Affairs. Her early career was spent working in the non-profit sector in Montreal. A graduate of McGill and a Nova Scotia native with family ties to King’s, Kara’s varied career experience addresses our current need in the Development, Alumni and Public Relations Department. Get in touch with Kara at: kara.holm@ukings.ns.ca

Tidings

Tidings Spring 2005

Editor Postal Address

Tim Currie (BJ ’92) Tidings c/o Alumni Association University of King’s College Halifax, NS Canada B3H 2A1 (902) 422-1271

King’s website: www.ukings.ns.ca E-mail: paula.johnson@ukings.ns.ca

Stories in this issue of Tidings were written by students in the School of Journalism and recent alumni.

Tidings is produced on behalf of the University of King’s College Alumni Association. We welcome your feedback on each issue. Letters to the Editor should be signed and typed. 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 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Tidings c/o Alumni Association University of King’s College Halifax, NS B3H 2A1

Spring 2005

OnCampus Progress is killing us: Ronald Wright Noted essayist delivered stern warning to national audience for the 2004 Massey Lecture held at King’s By Greg Hughes

onald Wright has a message for the civilized world: Every time history repeats itself, the price

goes up. Wright, a novelist, historian and essayist, has made it his goal as the 2004 Massey Lecturer to show the world how civilization is a 10,000year experiment heading towards disaster. Wright says there are lessons in history for us today, especially in light of the war on terror and the U.S.-Iraq war. Wright made a stopover in Halifax on Nov. 17 for the fourth lecture in the Massey Lecture series, titled Pyramid Schemes. Wright’s engaging, erudite personality shone through to a diverse crowd of more than 300 people who packed Alumni Hall. The British Columbia-based Wright is well versed on the subject of human calamities throughout the ages. The author of previous best sellers Stolen Continents and A Scientific Romance, Wright’s a keen observer of how technology, geography and history converge on our species, for better or worse. His innovative approach to history — the burgeoning world of environmental history — provides people with a unique, new face to the public intellectual. The Massey Lectures, estab-

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lished more than three decades ago and sponsored by CBC Radio and the University of Toronto, are broadcast on Ideas every November in a five-part series. Wright’s companion book, A Short History of Progress, published by Anansi Press, accompanies his lectures. The book has become a best seller. Wright’s thesis is simple but timely: progress as an institutional goal in the West is dooming us unless we recognize our patterns of over-consumption and ideological pathology. “Sex, food, wealth, power, prestige — they lure us onward, make us progress. And to these we can add progress itself, in its modern meaning of material things getting better and better,” Wright says in his lecture. Wright’s premise starts at the works of Paul Gauguin. A 19th century painter, Gauguin’s 1897 mural asks three questions that are vital to understanding our own environmental dilemmas today: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? Yet for Wright, the third question is what interests him. Through historical analysis, Wright says by answering the first two questions, we can have a better understanding of where our species is headed. “The future of everything we have accomplished since our intel-

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ligence evolved will depend on the wisdom of our actions over the next few years,” Wright says in his lecture. “Like all creatures, humans have made their way in the world so far by trial and error. Unlike other creatures, we have a presence so colossal that error is a luxury we can no longer afford. The world has grown too small to forgive us any big mistakes.” Wright further describes how progress as an ideological goal has become a form of mythology, given our rapid transition from an industrial economy into an informationbased one. He argues that the one big thing that separates us from

Wright: “The world has grown too small to forgive us any big mistakes.” Photo: Michael Creagen

Continued on next page

OnCampus

Useful lessons in collapse of empires: Wright WRIGHT / Continued from previous page

(Left:) Bob Rae; (Right:) Allan Rock with King’s President William Barker, at left, and Brian Flemming, at right. Photos: Terry Meyers

Allan Rock, Bob Rae at King’s As you may remember from your time at King’s, the College is committed to promoting discourse outside of the classroom as well as inside the classroom. We take pride in connecting our students and the community with idea-makers and opinion-shapers. This term King’s attracted two high profile former politicians to speak on campus. In January Allan Rock, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, gave a lecture called “Reforming the United Nations: Canada’s Objectives for Change” in Alumni Hall. The lecture was attended by students, staff, Faculty, Alumni, and members of the public. Brian Flemming introduced the ambassador and commended him for his life-long commitment to public service. After Ambassador Rock’s presentation he entertained lively questions from the audience on a variety of topics including Canada’s past and present foreign policy. The audience was invited back to the President’s Lodge for a gathering with Ambassador Rock. Many students, staff, Alumni, Faculty, and friends had an opportunity to talk with the Ambassador one-on-one or in small groups. Ambassador Rock

seemed to enjoy the exchanges with the students and the President was pleased to be able to offer the students access to a person of this caliber. On March 11, the Honourable Bob Rae gave a lecture at King’s entitled a “Higher Priority for Higher Education”. Mr. Rae has recently completed a review of the post-secondary system in Ontario, results of which can be found at www.raereview.on.ca. Dr. Susan Dodd introduced Mr. Rae and highlighted his many years of dedicated (and occasionally controversial) public service. Mr. Rae’s talk highlighted the need for education to become more of a national issue in Canada and stressed the need for public debate. He said that everyone could agree that something had to be done to improve the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education and that the means of delivery could be discussed. He presented many interesting ideas about funding for the audience to contemplate. The lecture was followed by questions and answers. Mr. Rae complimented the specialized programs offered by small undergraduate schools like King’s. Guests went on to a reception in the Wilson Room where Mr. Rae proudly wore the King’s hat Dr. Barker had given him in thanks.

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other animals on Earth is our “leveraging” of natural evolution by developing cultures transmissible through speech from one generation to the next. “The effect of this power was unprecedented, allowing complex tools, weapons and elaborate planned behaviours. Even very simple technology had enormous consequences. Basic clothing and built shelter, for example, opened up every climate from the tropics to the tundra. We moved beyond the ecologies that had made us, and began to make ourselves,” Wright says in his lecture. In his lecture, Wright’s discussion focused on two primary cultures that self-destructed due to the collapse of both the social and environmental contracts the empires controlled: The Mayan Empire of 9th century AD, and the Roman Empire of the 4th century AD. In both cases, the empires collapsed because both civilizations reached maximum demand of their respective ecologies. Wright says the lessons of Rome and the Mayans are useful for understanding the War on Terror in the United States. Wright says America’s state of near-perpetual warfare is following in similar historical patterns to other empires that did not survive into the future. Yet for Canadians, Wright says we’re hardly in a position to gloat about our status as a peaceful, resource-rich nation. We’re a nation of high-energy consumers, and as long as we continue to embrace the cult of progress, we’re destined for the same kinds of decline facing past empires.

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OnCampus JOURNALISM SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM

Alternative viewpoints becoming scarce — journalist Ken Wiwa headlined J-school’s symposium on activism and the media By Lesley-Anne Noseworthy (BJ ’02)

he North American media landscape is now so dominated by mainstream perspectives that it’s difficult for the public to see beyond the status quo, journalist and activist Ken Wiwa told an audience at King’s in September. “It is harder to find spaces that offer alternative or, God forbid, unmediated representations of the world,” said Wiwa. “More and more, trans-national corporations are colonizing public spaces. The public is being force-fed constructed images of the world.” Wiwa’s comments formed part of his keynote address at Kings’ annual Joseph Howe Symposium on Journalism, held Sept. 25. The event, titled Activism and Democracy, offered students and community members an inside look at journalistic activism. Wiwa’s talk, titled “Is Time magazine a commercial for reality? — Portrait of a Journalist as an Activist” explored his experiences in journalism and working for the rights of the Ogoni tribe in Nigeria. The cause became his own after his father, Ken Saro Wiwa, was arrested and murdered in 1995 over his involvement in the tribe’s fight against environmental damage

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caused by the oil industry. “Being an activist will show you what it means to be a writer and a human being,” Wiwa said, recalling the advice given to him by his father. But he believes this humanity often conflicts with journalistic demands of objectivity. “Working with both sides of the media for 10 years, I am never quite sure where I stand as a journalist.” Wiwa, who is as famous in his own right as he is for sharing his father’s name, told the audience that the media are increasingly concerned with conflict, making it difficult for the public to under-

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stand issues. “If you use the media, you run the risk of being tried by the media,” he said. “We need to question the stories we read and the reality around us.” The afternoon panel involved journalists Rita Shelton Deverell, Susan Riley and Antoni Wysocki. Shelton Deverell, founder of Vision TV and director of news and current affairs for the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, echoed Wiwa’s comments. “When a group of oppressed

Ken Wiwa: “Being an activist will show you what it means to be a writer and a human being.” Photo: Michael Creagen

Continued on page 9

OnCampus

Pianist Barbara Bryson and composer/director Zach Florence Photo: Clare O’Hara

Zach Florence, a student in the Contemporary Studies and theatre programmes, is a young playwright and show director. He recently staged William Finn’s Elegies and will premier it this month at Dalhousie University. On opening night the American composer will be attending himself, a dream come true for Florence. “I can’t figure out whether he is terrifyingly wonderful or wonderfully terrifying but he has been an inspiration for me, his work speaks so personally to me,” he says. Florence, 21, wrote scores for the King’s Theatrical Society and has completed three shows at Dalhousie. In his first year he directed Woody Allen’s

God, which led to his directing Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, for which he also wrote the music. In June 2004, he began composing for a company called Canstage in Toronto. “I was always going to see shows with my parents or relatives and I knew right from the beginning that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life,” said Florence. “It just happened to be something that I was good at and people kept hiring me. Bryson, who credits her success to her piano teacher — Dalhousie music professor Lynn Stodola, received a scholarship to study at Quebec’s Orford Music Academy last summer with pianists Richard Raymond and André LaPlant. Last June another of her role models, pianist Marc Hamelin, came to Halifax for the Scotia Festival and Bryson was able to have a lesson with him on the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2 — the same piece she played with the Youth Orchestra. “That was one of the most surreal ‘dream-come-true’ moments in my life,” she says. This summer Bryson, 20, will continue to play piano for The Three Churches Chamber Music Series in Mahone Bay, N.S., and focus on her MCAT exam. “Music is something that connects you to your soul. There’s something that is divine and profound about it and I know that it will always be with me,” she says.

Player of the Year for Men’s soccer. Matthew is the first student in the history of King’s to receive this honour in any sport. This is a great finish for Matthew, who has a history of winning, and a great cap to his career at King’s. He was King’s Rookie of the Year in

2001, and has been All Canadian three years running. In addition to being a star athlete, off the soccer field Matthew is on the President’s List. This has been a remarkable year for men’s soccer at King’s. The school’s fifth place finish at the National Conference is its best standing since 1988.

Students on stage By Clare O’Hara Two King’s students are making names for themselves on the performance stage and behind it. Classics student Barbara Bryson was asked to play as a soloist with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra. In January she performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, an experience she says was unique. “Usually young pianists don’t get that opportunity to play with an orchestra. It is really hard to find an orchestra that will play with you because professional players are the ones invited. It was a great privilege to be up there,” she says.

SOCCER STAR Matthew Fegan, a fourthyear student in the Honours Journalism programme, was named the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association’s

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OnCampus WIWA / Continued from page 7

people get their story straight and publish, anything may happen, up to and including murder,” she said. “Power gets nervous when someone else is in control of those resources.” Deverell’s work with Vision Television and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network has given her a unique perspective of media controls. “When it comes to subjectivity,” she said, “it depends on where you stand and how short you are.” Susan Riley, national political columnist with the Ottawa Citizen, said she works for mainstream media to support her family, but pushes for action by telling stories that are true to her beliefs and from different perspectives, “I am looking for a different take on the story and I don’t want to hear from only the victim’s side. I don’t want to read a story if I know where it’s going.” When it comes to activist journalism, she believes “it is better to persuade than to heckle.” Antoni Wysocki, radio programmer with Dalhousie student radio CKDU-FM, argued that the journalist’s role as a watchdog is a “conventional view of the media from a liberal pluralist point of view.” Wysocki believes that the mainstream media have a “veneer of openness” but that they don’t actually welcome opposing views. He says alternative media provide a vehicle for hope. “Where the elite are divided, it is possible to facilitate change.” Steve Smith (BJ ’97) attended the symposium as a representative for Montreal-based Rights & Democracy and said the event inspired hope, “It’s a good reality check for young journalism students. Keeping that idealism is a fight and a challenge, and they need to know to expect that.”

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HOST conference drew leading academics Event a milestone for young programme By Laura Pellerine (BJH ’04) King’s played host in August to one of the largest international history of science conferences in the world, with lecture topics ranging from natural philosophy to the strenuous life of cavemen. About 250 delegates attended the three-day event, with many remarking that it was the best such conference yet, organizers said. The conference theme was “The Circulation of Knowledge” — a topic that co-organizer Gordon McOuat said was general enough to allow presenters room for interpretation, but focused enough to evoke thought-provoking papers. “The circulation of knowledge can sometimes be like the telephone game you used to play when you were a kid,” said McOuat, director of King’s History of Science and Technology Programme. “You don’t always end up hearing the same thing that was whispered at first, and this can lead to complications if this is how knowledge is transmitted.” The theme resonated with Suzanne Paylor from the University of Leeds. She presented a paper on “Communicating Popular Darwinism(s): Late NineteenthCentury Popularisers and Professionals in Print and in Practice.” She thought the conference’s theme was a great way to get people talking. “Communication is the key to explore what people believe about knowledge,” she said. McOuat said the conference was a landmark occasion for the univer-

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sity’s young programme. “We’re dealing with some of the best scientists and academics in the world,” he said. Conference held every four years Starting in the late 1980s, every four years professors, academics and members of the British Society for the History of Science, the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science, and the History of Science Society from the United States meet to discuss the comings and goings of their field. So far their gatherings have been held in Manchester (1988), Toronto (1992), Edinburgh (1996) and St. Louis (2000). King’s professors Daryn Lehoux and Gordon McOuat started planning for the Aug. 5-7 event, imme-

University of Cambridge professor James Secord argued science historians should refrain from focusing too narrowly on their subjects. Photo: Michael Creagen

Continued on next page

OnCampus Column: FYP texts

HOST / Continued from previous page

Epic of Gilgamesh a work of archaeological reconstruction

diately after the British society suggested the location four years ago. “The programme has become well known,” McOuat said. “A lot of the delegates were impressed with the classes offered [at King’s], and many of them said they’d love to teach here or take courses as students.” Academics were invited to submit their papers on the conference’s theme in early 2003. More than 175 papers were chosen. The speakers presented papers such as “New Wine in Old Bottles: Natural Philosophy in a Period of Transition,” “Circulating Knowledge between Natural Philosophy and Utility in the Scientific Revolution,” “Circulating Theoretical Knowledge: Kepler and Galileo in the Years of Public Silence.” Some other speeches were just as quirky with academics talking about such things as sea monsters, alien abductions and the strenuous life of cavemen. Other talks were more serious. Discussions on science’s role in war and the circulation of top-secret knowledge for the H-bomb’s history, giving people who paid their $100 for registration some heavy topics to debate. For Paylor, getting to see James Secord’s keynote speech was a thrill. The University of Cambridge speaker argued that science historians should not limit their efforts to focusing on one time and place, as it risks leaving out a larger perspective. In a time of globalization, this kind of attitude is dangerous. McOuat says since the conference’s end he’s heard nothing but positive comments on the efficient organization by Lehoux and the student volunteers. “People raved,” McOuat said. “The head of the American society told me that it was one of the best he had been to. He said we raised the bar high for the next conference in Leeds.”

By Tom Curran, PhD Senior Fellow, Foundation Year Programme Shortly after the outbreak of the war in Iraq, the BBC reported that a German archaeological team claimed to have discovered “the lost tomb of King Gilgamesh”: this was the mighty monarch of the walled city of Uruk, whose antique name has been preserved in the modern name of Iraq, where ancient civilization took root between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (i.e., Mesopotamia). Gilgamesh has in one respect achieved the immortality which he sought: he has become the eponymous protagonist of the so-called Epic of Gilgamesh, and this ancient king has the distinction of being the hero of the first identifiable extended work of poetic literature in the history of the world.

By tradition, the historical reign of Gilgamesh is placed somewhere around 2750 BC. However, writing in both Mesopotamia and Egypt predates Gilgamesh’s reign by nearly 300 years. And, whatever we choose to identify as his Epic, it may have taken well over a thousand years for his story to be told in the form that we now receive it. To begin with “writing” was a practical art, useful in the first instance for inventory and transaction; the development of a poetic style was halting and gradual, not least in the composition of the Epic. It is certain that our Epic contains original traces of the poetry transcribed in the 21st Century BC, but the canonical form in which we read the Epic in translation is at least three removed from these third millennium roots: the ancient Sumerian poetry was taken up by both Akkadian and Babylonian scribes and scholars, so that the final product is a gigantic hodgepodge of a thousand years and more of cross-cultural fertilization. Another remarkable oddity about the Epic is that we only have it for our enjoyment because of the awesome destruction of Nineveh (famously called to repentance by the prophet Jonah) in the year 612 BC. The invading coalition of Medes and Babylonians in sacking Nineveh provided a secure resting place for the Epic in the king’s ruined library until the Gilgamesh tablets were rediscovered in the 19th Century, and slowly pieced together and laboriously translated, a work which still continues. Gilgamesh is then quite unlike other works that we tend to read in the Foundation Year Programme. Continued on page 18

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A complicated kind of writing “I am in this half-way place between journalism and creative fiction,” says Miriam Toews (BJ ’90), winner of the 2004 Governor General’s Award for Fiction. “I try and incorporate both, one into the other.”

iriam Toews, winner of the 2004 Governor General’s Award for Fiction, had a threemonth-old baby cradled in her arms and a toddler straddled on her hip when she left Winnipeg to come to King’s in 1990 to start the one-year Bachelor of Journalism programme. “Do they still have that banner?” Toews asks during a phone interview from her home in Winnipeg. “When I was there, there was a huge banner over the entrance of the journalism school doors that said ‘A deadline isn’t a suggestion’, and that scared the shit out of me,” she says. “I was kind of shy. I thought so many of my stories were lame.” She jokes about the C she got in the magazine writing course she took during the programme. Toews can joke because she has been steadily collecting literary awards since she finished journalism school and decided to write novels full time. She is the author of four books, Summer of My Amazing Luck (winner of the John Hirsh award),

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A Boy of Good Breeding (winner of Winnipeg’s McNally Robinson Book of the Year award), and a work of nonfiction, Swing Low: A Life (winner of the McNally Robinson Book of the Year, and the Alexander Kennedy Isbister non fiction award, sponsored by the Manitoba Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism. Her most recent novel, A Complicated Kindness, was shortlisted for the Giller Prize, and was the winner of the 2004 Governor General’s Award for Fiction. Toews remembers her intense year at King’s as one of the most difficult in her life. “We were very young parents in our mid-20s,” she says of herself and her husband. “We had this family, and we were trying to figure out who we were at the same time.”

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“On the one hand, it was really difficult,” she says, “but on the other hand I learned a lot — a lot about myself and what I was capable of sustaining, and about journalism and story telling, structure, and narrative and character.” Toews wasn’t a creative writer before coming to King’s. She credits Ian Wiseman, a Newfoundlander and broadcast professor at King’s who passed away in December 2004, as one person who helped her through the journalism programme and encouraged her to become a writer of fiction.

Toews: “[I realized] a more effective way of showing these people’s lives and telling the stories and getting people interested in it would be to fictionalize it.” Photo: Courtesy Counterpoint Press

Continued on next page

‘Writing is still just as hard as ever’ TOEWS / Continued from previous page

“It was actually Ian Wiseman, who at one point said to me ‘Why don’t you forget about journalism,” she says. “He knew how much I wanted to explore character and story, and sometimes the nature of journalism being what it is, you are often restricted. But in fiction you can use real stuff and make stuff up.” He was always supportive, she says. She began work on a radio documentary on single mothers on social assistance when she returned to Winnipeg after her degree but soon realized people were already saturated with news stories that explored the issue. “A more effective way of showing these people’s lives, telling the stories and getting people interested in it would be to fictionalize it. And it would give me more time to make these characters real so that people would understand these are real human beings,” she says. Her radio documentary became the subject matter of her first novel. She is now on her fifth. She compares the visceral craft of splicing and piecing together radio stories she did back in the early 1990s in journalism school to the way she constructs stories today, and she hasn’t completely given up on journalism. “I am in this half-way place between journalism and creative fiction. I try and incorporate both, one into the other,” she says. “I would like to do it like the novel Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx, by Adrian Leblanc. She is a New York Times writer. She spent about 10 years with three families in the Bronx, just documenting their lives. There was no judgment, she doesn’t inject herself into the story, [She just tells the story] in a novelistic way, and a beautiful way.” Toews’ novels are usually char-

“

It’s difficult, on the one hand to reach out to reach out to your neighbours, [and] on the other hand, abide by the dictates of the church.”

acter-driven, and her main characters often evoke a fragile empathy, which makes them both believable and intriguingly complex. She captures the brilliance of ordinary lives as they struggle toward selfawareness. In her most recent novel, A Complicated Kindness, her main character is a 16-year-old woman, Nomi, who is under the oppressive force of a Mennonite community. The community has shunned both her sister and her mother, and Nomi is left to piece together the remaining sacred things in her life with the only member of her family who is left, her father, Ray. All this drama compounds the uneasy flux of being a teenager, of becoming sexually active for the first time, and of trying to discover a safe haven in a confusing world. “Hopeful optimism” Toews’ strives to create an authentic narrative voice she creates for Nomi. The story is told in the first person and the narrative is arranged as a school report. “Her tone, her attitudes, her cynicism mixed with her kind of hopeful optimism at the same time, that complicated combination of emotions is certainly close to mine and how I regard the world,” says Toews. Toews also grew up in a Mennonite community — Steinbach, Manitoba — but she adds that her childhood was much happier than Nomi’s. Religion is central to the moral fabric of A Complicated Kindness, but it is Nomi’s innocent faith that

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eventually triumphs over the unbending religious order of her community. “At one point in the book, Nomi says, there is a kindness in this town, there is a kindness here, but it’s a complicated kindness, and basically the people in the community want to help Nomi, and her family, they want to be good to them and be decent people. But when you have these kind of rigid expectations from the church it’s hard. Specifically, with the whole idea of shunning, it’s difficult, on the one hand to reach out to reach out to your neighbours, [and] on the other hand, abide by the dictates of the church,” explains Toews. Ray, Nomi’s father, supports Nomi and through an act of bravery allows her to grow up and become autonomous. Toews says this is one of the most significant acts of complicated kindness in the novel. The relationship between father and daughter is an important one to Toews. In 2000, she wrote Swing Low, a novel written in her father’s voice. It documents his struggle with manic depression and his eventual suicide. The novel grew out of his request that she write things down for him. He hoped her words would light a path back to all that he loved. After he died, she continued writing for herself and her family in order to make sense of what had happened. These are novels about difficult situations, in difficult places, yet Toews writes with a wry sense of humour, and this tone makes them even more poignant. With each new novel, Toews refines her writing to a stronger degree of potency, and the awards just seem to follow. “Of course it’s a great feeling to win, but writing is still just as hard as ever and every day I’m still tempted to quit entirely,” she says.

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UNIVERSITY OF KING’S COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES AND SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2004

RECEIPTS Endowment Investment income Donations

General Investment income Annual fund Sale of memorabilia Annual dinner Special events Other

TOTAL RECEIPTS EXPENDITURES Endowment Awards Bursaries Minority scholarship

General The John Godfrey Prize Professional fees Purchase of memorabilia Annual dinner Special events Bank charges Student activities Receptions and meetings (Recovery of) Travel and gifts Office and newsletter Gifts to endowment from events Gifts to endowment from general funds Miscellaneous and promotional Website development TOTAL EXPENDITURES EXCESS OF RECEIPTS OVER EXPENDITURES SURPLUS – BEGINNING OF YEAR AS RESTATED SURPLUS – END OF YEAR

(Unaudited) Budget 2004 $

Actual 2004 $

Actual 2003 $

13,000 7,500

18,919 8,787

13,020 7,082

20,500

27,706

20,102

4,000 6,000 15,000 2,500 9,000 500

9,221 22,572 2,731 14,609 720

4,086 19,940 14,814 2,066 6,940 485

37,000 57,500

49,853 77,559

48,331 68,433

9,700 1,100 6,000

10,400 1,000 6,000

9,400 6,000

16,800

17,400

15,400

100 2,500 11,000 2,000 5,000 100 2,000 4,000 1,000 4,500 1,500 500 2,000

100 4,446 15,204 2,477 8,475 68 2,000 4,280 70 6,387 732 1,417

100 2,299 10,484 1,717 3,518 46 500 (23) 741 290 3,770 1,727 -

36,200

45,656

25,169

53,000

63,056

40,569

4,500

14,503

27,864

325,438

320,938

293,074

325,438

335,441

320,938

The financial statements of the University of King’s College Alumni Association for the year ended March 31, 2004 were audited by Rector Colavecchia Roche, Chartered Accountants. A copy of the audited financial statements can be obtained from the Alumni Association office, or from the Alumni website at: www.ukings.ns.ca

Spring 2005

Tidings

COVER STORY

So who wants liberal arts grads? More people than you’d think, alumni say Story by Greg Hughes Photos by Michael Creagen Colin MacLean, director of organizational development at the Nova Scotia Community College (right): “Many situations put people in a position to make moral judgments. The liberal arts help you think and work problems through.”

ourth-year student Jonathan Robson is about to complete a history degree at King’s. Originally from Toronto, he’s looking for a job after he graduates, but he feels the prospects of getting a job are pretty dim with a general liberal arts degree. “The impression I’m getting is most organizations are in the business of being in business,” he says. “They claim they will train you but they prefer you’d have a bachelor of commerce or a bachelor of applied arts.” It’s a common sentiment among soon-to-be grads at King’s. Even if they’ve thoroughly enjoyed their studies, they wonder if the money, time and effort will be

worth it in the workplace. For many, it’s crucial to land a well-paying job. In 2003-04, 18 per cent of King’s students received a provincial student loan to finance their studies. And according to a study released in November by a national organization that offers scholarships, the average amount of debt among Nova Scotia university graduates who borrowed money was $22,400. The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation pegged that as the second-highest level of student debt in the country. Yet in a work world that seems to encourage specialization, many believe a liberal arts degree is more important than ever as a personal growth experience and as a careerbuilding tool. In fact, King’s grads say current students have little reason to be worried.

Tidings

“A liberal arts degree helps you build a career,” says Lisa Merrithew, (BAH ’95) a senior executive for Moncton-based Bristol Group. Merrithew, who did her undergrad concentration in English, says an arts degree can help foster global thinking and awaken a person’s natural curiosity. “The way I look at King’s is that the process of getting the degree was very important. I think that process involves taking on a broad range of subjects and being exposed to different ideas. It helps you take on different ways of looking at the world. Research also helps you learn to put your own stamp on ideas,” Merrithew says. Merrithew’s not alone in her opinion on the value of the liberal arts. A 2001 Ekos Research survey found three out of four Canadians

Spring 2005

believe universities should offer a broad range of arts and science programs to ensure that students develop the flexibility to work in a global economy. Further, the survey found a significant majority of Canadians believe an arts and science degree makes a significant difference in quality of life and personal growth. Yet what of employment prospects for liberal arts graduates? At first glance, they might seem bleak. A 2001 study by Trent University economics professor Torben Drewes found that liberal arts grads experienced more than twice as many weeks of unemployment immediately following graduation. As well, when applied grads found jobs they earned up to 25 per cent more than liberal arts grads. But by 35 years of age the two streams were equal. And liberal arts grads actually took the lead after 45 years of age. On top of these tangible benefits lies a belief among many King’s graduates that the liberal arts is more than just a route to employment — it is an education that enhanced them personally and strengthened their understanding of the world. Ian Thompson, a Dalhousie University grad and former vicepresident of Halifax-based Emera Inc., believes the relationship of the liberal arts to employment — while not as demonstrable or linear as other, more pragmatic programs such as engineering — is still a positive one. He believes employers covet the skills that many liberal arts graduates are endowed with — good judgment, insight and wisdom into the human condition. “The liberal arts helps to build members of a community. A liberal arts education is very fulfilling and what I experienced at university through the liberal arts has, as a result, helped me to see the magnificence of the world.” Andrew Laing (BAH ’86) majored in political science and was class valedictorian. Today, he’s

Spring 2005

Ben Harris (BSc ’98): Investment consultant “It may take years for a liberal arts student to appreciate all that they got out of the degree” or Ben Harris a liberal arts degree is something that most graduates don’t realize the value of until several years out of school. “I would like to offer works of encouragement to these students. I think they catch up and in many cases surpass the more career-focused undergrad students because they tend to have a much broader field of interest and a greater intellectual curiosity that allows them to learn on the fly,” Harris says. Harris, who completed a science degree in economics at King’s and the finance portion of the commerce program at Dalhousie University, is executive director for New York City-based W.P. Carey & Co L.L.C., a global investment firm that assists corporations with various forms of long-term financing. W.P. Carey’s mandate involves acquiring property and leasing it back to the tenant company. The tenant company then bears the responsibility for maintaining the premises, insuring the building and paying real estate taxes. Harris says that while finance majors almost exclusively populate his field’s lower ranks, one can find a much broader cross-section of academic backgrounds as one goes higher on the corporate ladder. He says the most important lessons in school have little to do with coursework and much more to do with process. “I think it’s unfortunate that students today approach school as training for a specific career. I still believe in the somewhat romantic notion that school is meant to educate the individual to make them a better and more well-rounded person. I think that a liberal arts education is a wonderful way to achieve this,” Harris says. In terms of competing in today’s global economy, Harris says there are many benefits for those studying the liberal arts. He says learning to work hard, solve problems and learn are much more important than working exclusively on coursework. “Unfortunately, it may take years for a liberal arts student to appreciate all that they got out of the degree because they may be at an initial disadvantage to someone who pursued a more career-focused undergraduate degree. There are so many things that you develop in a liberal arts programme that are totally missing in career-focused programmes.” For Harris, his experiences at King’s helped to define who he is today. He says his intellectual curiosity can be attributed to the years he spent at King’s. “I don’t see my degree as a specific turning point in my life. I was lucky enough to know what I wanted to do when I entered school. I think that university becomes a very defining point in one’s life due to the age that you are when you are there. Your late teens and early 20s are extremely formative.”

president of Toronto-based Cormex Research. He believes his liberal arts background has helped him and his colleagues intelligently and critically understand political, social and economic issues and

Tidings

Harris: “I think it’s unfortunate that students today approach school as training for a specific career.” Photo: Submitted

communicate them to the public. Cormex Research, which gathers news coverage and analyzes issues for business, government and nonContinued on next page

Continued from previous page

profit groups, requires him to use the statistical analysis and textual research methods alongside the critical thinking skills he learned at King’s. “That anyone still actually subscribes to the clumsy chestnut that a liberal arts education won’t ‘get you a job’ is a mystery to me. “Yes, there is no position that I know of in which a liberal arts education leads to a particular career, like the well-paved road from law school to a law firm. But that’s the genius of it: a person taking a liberal arts education is able to

demonstrate a high level of education without having to be slotted into a narrow field or vocation. Many employers are looking for bright, trainable individuals,” Laing says. “Where I live in Toronto, my immediate neighbours include a man now co-directing with James Cameron on an underwater documentary shoot of the Titanic, a producer with CBC news, an awardwinning columnist with the Globe and Mail and a lawyer with the attorney-general’s office. Each of us has a liberal arts education.” For Steven Wilson (BA ’87) a liberal arts-based education can

Karen Diepeveen (BAH ’04): Parliamentary intern “It gives you a head start”

provide an edge in today’s business environment. His company, Kerr Heating Products, has hired liberal arts graduates. Wilson believes arts graduates tend to be well-rounded individuals open to new ideas. “A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation upon which a person can add a variety of specialized skills that will serve them well in business,” he says. Wilson says the most important skills one develops while pursuing an arts degree are written and oral communication skills. He says in today’s business world it is not just enough to have a good idea. He believes that you have to be able to articulate an idea to others in a compelling manner. He says programmes such as FYP help students learn to communicate effectively and efficiently. 299 students in FYP

aren Diepeveen (BAH ’04) used to read about great political thinkers. Now, the Edmonton native is taking those ideas and putting them into practice. The Dalhousie Eric Dennis Gold Medalist in Political Science is currently employed as a parliamentary intern on the Hill. The 10-month programme involves an intern working five months for a government MP and another five months for an Opposition MP. Diepeveen, whom along with fellow King’s graduates David Hugill (BAH ‘04) and Jay Nathwani (BAH ‘04), assist MPs in writing correspondence and accompanying MP on various tasks in the House. Diepeveen says her experiences in the liberal arts at King’s have proven invaluable in her job thus far. “I suppose that FYP gave me a really good base for what I have here. I studied political science and when I got here, I was surprised about the little everyday things that happen here. But I knew the processes, what to expect,” she says. “It gives you a head-start and if you’re given a research assignment, you know exactly where to go. All the other interns too have received praise for their writing skills.” Diepeveen says her liberal arts background has helped her learn to think her feet and look at things from varied perspectives. She says she feels her liberal arts experience has helped her learn the background knowledge, research skills and critical thinking abilities required to do well in her position. So far, Diepeveen has worked for Conservative MP Randy White (Abbotsford, B.C.) and is currently under the supervision of Liberal MP Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre). “Through the internship I’ve already made some contacts who have given me some good connections. The internship has provided a practical approach to education and the theoretical and philosophical approaches at King’s were essential to me getting the internship and doing well in the internship.”

K Diepeveen: “I suppose that FYP gave me a really good base for what I have here.” Photo: Submitted

Tidings

The Foundation Year Programme itself continues to be popular for first-year students. In the 2004-05 academic year, 299 students are enrolled in the FYP — a six per cent increase over the previous year. For Colin MacLean (BAH ’86) a liberal arts education has meant more than just training the mind — it’s been preparation for moral and ethical judgments he has made in his career. “There’s great value in liberal arts education. The ability to think effectively, employ reason and logic, clearly communicate ideas, being able to distinguish between competing values and exercise moral judgments — those are the prime benefits of a liberal arts education,” MacLean says. Today, MacLean is director of organizational development at the Nova Scotia Community College in Halifax, an institution dedicated to education for the workplace. He says that one of the central debates over education today is whether one must go into the liberal arts or vocational schools in order to secure employment. Yet he also

Spring 2005

Annual Alumni Dinner May 14, 2005 Alumni Association AGM: 5:00 p.m. Reception: 6:00 p.m., Wilson Room Dinner: 7:00 p.m., Prince Hall Continues in the Wardroom

Guest Speaker: CBC-Radio International Affairs Reporter Stephen Puddicombe King’s students Ninotchka Sequeira and Sophie Brauer study in the Haliburton Room: The Foundation Year Programme continues to be a popular choice for firstyear students.

says that both forms of training need not be at odds with each other. The community college has, in recent years, adopted an educational model that goes beyond skills training in response to the needs of employers, such as critical thinking and effective communication. MacLean believes this is representative of a clear trend towards people seeking a blend of liberal and technical education. “I don’t think they [liberal and technical education] are mutually exclusive. People can have success in their work lives through just a liberal arts education. They have skills and want to develop them

themselves. But there is a need for liberal education and a more specialized education. “Life will present you with professional dilemmas. What will you do in a situation as a journalist: Will you divulge a confidential source? What do you do in the workplace if you see some one covering something up? Discrimination? Those kinds of situations put people in a position to make moral judgments. The liberal arts help you think and work problems through and help you and your team progress. I think the two [liberal arts and vocational training] are very complimentary.” ■

King's Soccer Silent Auction and Talent Night With live entertainment by King’s students and athletes Prince Hall, King’s A&A Building

Stephen earned an Honours BA in Political Science and History at McGill. He is CBC Radio’s National Reporter for the Maritimes but covers many international stories as well. He has worked for CBC Radio in Montreal, Ottawa, Iqaluit, Moncton, Halifax and many other locations. Stephen covered the conflict between native people and non-natives over fishing rights at Burnt Church, the SwissAir crash, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Belize, Jordan, Iraq during the leadup to war, and the recent upheaval in Haiti. As well he was one of the first western reporters in Indonesia to cover the Tsunmai.

Come stay for the weekend and enjoy Encaenia ceremonies! Special invitation to the classes of ’80 and ’95 Weekend Alumni Special:

April 8, 2005, 8 p.m. $5 Tickets can be bought in the King’s Athletics Department before the event, or can be purchased at the door Hosted by the varsity men’s and women’s soccer teams to raise funds for the 2005-2006 season

$32.00/night for a single $43.50/night for a double on any two consecutive nights.

Prices include all applicable taxes and levies

Food and drink will be offered

Spring 2005

Tidings

‘Gilgamesh looked into the abyss of suffering’ CURRAN / Continued from page 10

Even though we begin our studies every September with this first great statement of the human spirit, we are not reading a work with an unbroken tradition, but in fact are engaged in a work of archaeological reconstruction. The Epic’s ominous account of a great Flood has become an indelible part of our tradition only through the Hebrew Book of Genesis. So the great adventures of Gilgamesh were lost in antiquity and recovered in the modern era. The work has had an enormous legacy, but its influence has suffered an historical abyss, unlike the canonical works with which the Foundation Year Programme then proceeds. Nothing expresses the vast distance of the centuries (and millennia) better than the title. We call it The Epic of Gilgamesh, but the ancients for whom this was a living (not a historical poem) knew the work by its opening line: “He who saw the Deep”, that is to say

✁

What’s

New?

“

The great virtue of FYP is that it offers our students the opportunity of embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage, where they immerse themselves in the eternal questions of death, judgment, heaven and hell.”

Gilgamesh looked into that abyss of suffering, death and oblivion, which will inevitably swallow each human in turn. A terrible way to start the year you might think to yourself; but the great virtue of the FYP is that it offers our students the opportunity of embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage through the centuries, where they immerse themselves in the eternal questions of death, judgment, heaven and hell. Not to have confronted these questions at some stage of the journey renders the individual the plaything of fate, tossed in all directions by capricious chance. Here the stu-

Have you changed jobs? Are you moving? Have you married recently?

Send us your news and we will pass it along to your classmates in our next issue. Mail it to the address on p. 4 or e-mail: alumni@ukcalumni.com, or enter it on the Web at: www.ukcalumni.com NAME DEGREE (EG. BA ’63) OR YEARS AT KING’S

(MAIDEN NAME AT KING’S) HOME PHONE

E-MAIL ADDRESS ADDRESS YOUR NEWS

Tidings

dents at the beginning of their great voyage are given an opportunity “to reconnoitre” the lie of the land: “In my end is my beginning” as T.S. Eliot would have it. There is hardly a more poignant sentence to be discovered in the whole Epic than the interpretation of Gilgamesh’s dream: “The father of the gods has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny.” Gilgamesh deeply resents the injustice of the world: was he not after all a noble amalgam of two-thirds divinity and one-third humanity? Without any regard for our noble or divine aspirations (placed within us apparently by the gods), each of us must confront the fact of limit, of border and boundary, first as demonstrated in the lives of those we love, and then also for ourselves. Psalm 82 picks up the theme directly: “Ye are gods, and ye are all the children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men…” Paradoxically, what we can learn when we pay attention to our great tradition is that the meaning of life is in its end, or, to speak more precisely, the meaning of life is to be found in its having an end. The famous Latin tag respice finem can be understood to exploit the rich ambiguity of the English concept of “end” just as fully as the finis of which it speaks. Respice finem suggests that each of us must “take care for”, “remember” or “consider” the end, whether this is to be understood as either the end and purpose for which something is undertaken, or the end term in a series, which, in our case, is the days, months and years of a human lifetime. We shall take a look at what this principle might mean for ancient Egypt in the next issue of Tidings, as we continue to follow the red thread by which students are led through that Labyrinth that the Alumni will remember (fondly!) as the Foundation Year Programme.

Spring 2005

Where ‘no’ is a complicated word Donica Pottie’s (’80-’83) career in diplomacy has taken a busy turn as Canada’s new ambassador to Cambodia By Josh Pennell

onica Pottie was 16 years old before she travelled outside the Maritimes. Her first overseas trip was to Paris when she was 17. She couldn’t imagine then what her life would be like today: living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and being referred to as “Excellency.” Pottie is Canadian ambassador to Cambodia. She joined the Canadian foreign service in 1991, serving on assignments both in Ottawa and abroad. The service promotes Canadian international interests, setting up contacts for Canadians all over the world. Political interest and Canadian pride are qualities that were instilled in Pottie during her upbringing on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. “My parents were and are very interested in politics, what it means to be Canadian and international affairs,” Pottie says. “Ours was a household with a lot of chatter about these issues.” She quickly proved herself in the role of a foreign service officer. By 1999 she was second only to the ambassador on a mission of the foreign service in Jordon. When the ambassador was away, Pottie was in charge. When that mission ended in 2002, Pottie returned to Ottawa to work as the deputy director of the Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Division. She was working this job when she got a call asking if she would be interested in being considered for the ambassador to Cambodia.

Spring 2005

“It came out of the blue, one of those serendipitous events that can take a person’s life in a wonderful new direction,” Pottie says. And it did take her life in a new direction. When she was given the position, a ceremony was held for her in Cambodia to present her credentials. “I was surprised by how proud I felt to be Canadian as I stood listening to my anthem under my flag at the ceremony,” Pottie says. That was minor compared to her reaction to being invited to a dinner and dance hosted by the former king of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk. The former king, despite being 82 years old, sang more than 50 songs during the night. The diplomats danced while a jazz band featuring two princes on saxophone,

Tidings

guitar, piano and drums backed up Norodom Sihanouk. The former King’s son also took part. “At one point in the evening, we were dancing while the son Majeste sang a Stevie Wonder tune,” Pottie says. As ambassador, Pottie’s responsibilities, like her life, are all over the map. She has to supervise staff, notarize documents, help out on consular cases, provide political analysis, represent Canada at official events and help Canadian companies navigate the Cambodian market. Her job is particularly diverse because the embassy in Cambodia is small. But life abroad with the foreign service means having a wide range of tasks compared to working in Ottawa, she adds. “It can sometimes feel like being pulled in too many directions at once,” Pottie says. But the workload doesn’t bother her. “My life is busy, yet very pleasant,” Pottie says. She describes Phnom Penh as a delightful city. On weekends she travels the country with her husband David and their five-year-old daughter. On long weekends they travel to Bangkok or Singapore. “Security is an issue,” Pottie says. “My upbringing was very small-town, where people knew their neighbours and doors were left unlocked,” Pottie says. Today she and her family live in a house with armed police at the gates. Her daughter doesn’t go any-

Pottie: “Security is an issue. My upbringing was very small-town, where people knew their neighbours and doors were left unlocked.” Photo Submitted

Continued on page 24

King’s Alumni Annual Golf Tournament Held Aug. 12, 2004

The Alumni Association of the University of King’s College would like to recognize and thank the following: HOLE SPONSORS

2005 Tournament Ken-Wo Golf Club Thursday August 18, 2005 Registration: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start: 1:00 p.m. sharp

Registration Fee: If paid before June 30, 2005: $125.00 per person, $500.00 per team If paid after July 1, 2005: $150.00 per person, $600.00 per team

Tidings

Cabletec Limited Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. Duffus Romans Kundzins Rounsefell Ltd. Fisherman’s Market Grant Thornton Grinner’s Food Market The Home Depot Canada Internet Solutions Kerr Heating Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline McInnes Cooper Meloche Monnex Novacos PepsiCola Canada Beverages Rector Colavecchia Roche Scotiabank, Coburg & Robie ScotiaMcLeod Seamark Asset Management Ltd. Sodexho Canada Surrette Battery Company Limited Wilson Fuels

Spring 2005

Left page: (Top) Patsy LeBlanc and Jean Boudreau; (Bottom) King’s President William Barker This page: (Clockwise from Top) James Cochran, Jack Spence, Peter Sodero and Garth Christie (BSc ’61); Mark Phillips, Russell MacLellan (BA ’62), Linda MacLellan and Peter MacLellan; various participants take part in the putting competition

The tournament supports the Alumni Scholarship for BJ students

2004 Recipient: Brian Adeba PRIZE SPONSORS Anderson Creek Golf Course Bell Bay Golf Club Cabin Coffee Casino Nova Scotia Cleve’s Sporting Goods Ltd. The Coast Digby Pines Resort & Golf Course Dio Mio Fairmont Algonguin Golf Central Grand & Toy Hamachi House Highland Links Golf Course The Halifax Herald Limited The Inverary Inn Keltic Lodge King’s Alumni AssociationKing’s Public Relations Office KPMG The Lord Nelson Hotel Maritime Travel Molson Canada Mother Tucker’s Nova Scotian Crystal Office Interiors

Spring 2005

Pete’s Frootique Piercey’s Building Supplies

Transcontinental Printing Quinpool Superstore Rant Promotions Scotsburn Second Cup SoHo Stanley Bridge Country Resort Starbucks Tim Horton’s Video Difference

And a big thanks to all of you for coming, without you this tournament would not be possible! Hope to see you this year!

Tidings

My name is Brian Adeba and I am from South Sudan. I came to Canada almost three years ago from Kenya in east Africa. The first challenge that I faced when I first arrived was how to get into the job market and pursue my dream of becoming a journalist. After I identified King’s as the ideal place to hone my journalism skills, the immediate challenge that I faced was the question of finance. Even though I had been working, the money that I had saved wasn’t going to be enough to pull me through for the eight months I was going to spend at King’s. It is said the average student, upon graduation, incurs a five figure debt. Frankly,this was a prospect I did not look favourably upon. However, scholarships, like the Alumni journalism award, which I was fortunate to receive, can ease the burden a little. It helped me pay my tuition for a semester and left me with a balance that I used for buying tapes, batteries and textbooks. I am grateful that it played a big role in setting me on the path of achieving my career objective of becoming a journalist. To the people who created this scholarship, I will forever be grateful. For without it things could have been very different for me.

University of King’s College Stewardship Report 2003-04 The University of King’s College is fortunate to have so many committed alumni, such as those listed on the following pages, who realize the importance of supporting higher education, especially in these critical times. This lists all alumni, friends, corporations and foundations who gave to the University between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004, except those who wish to remain anonymous. Every effort has been made to list names accurately. If your name has been omitted, or displayed incorrectly, please accept our apologies, and notify King’s Development Office, 6350 Coburg Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2A1 or call (902) 422-1271 ext. 128 or e-mail Paula.Johnson@ukings.ns.ca. $50,000 Bequests/ Gifts-in-Kind $12,191.65

$40,000

Annual Fund $61,756.11

$30,000 Other $24,514.94

$20,000

$10,000

0 Special Friends/ Parents

Alumni

Family

Corporations

Foundations

$43,435.19

$40,413.91

$5,805.00

$8,308.60

$500.00

Who donated A Ira Abraham Christine Adamson Joan Aitken Bob & Cathy Allison Terri Lynn Almeda John Alward Esther Amiro Donna Anderson Dennis Andrews Kell Antoft* Chris Archibald S. B. Wallace Archibald Laura Auchincloss Eleanor Austin Bank of Montreal B William Barker Margaret Barnard Keith Barrett

Angela Bate George Bate John & Lorraine Baxter T. F. Baxter Jonathan Bays Robert Bean Paul Bent Gilbert Berringer Donald Betts Lewis Billard Avard Bishop William Bishop Anne Blakeney J. Ewart Blanchard* Linda & Robert Blanchard David Blom M. Alberta [Bertie] Boswall Hani & Anne Boulos Margaret Bourne Malcolm Bradshaw Gord Brannen

How they donated The Brascan Foundation Jonna Brewer-Charron Jamie Briggs Bristol Group Inc. Stephen Brooke Gillian Brown Margaret Ann (Burstall) Brown Brian Brownlee Daniel Brownlow Wayne Bruce Fredrik Bruun Lorna (Surpless) Bryant Peter & Patricia Bryson Don & Joan Buck Basil Buckland Ronald Buckley Cyril Bugden Martin Bullock Elaine Burke Brian Burnell

Tidings

Steven Burns C Chantal Caille Andrew Calkins Anne Cameron Jena Cameron Sheila Cameron Claire Campbell David, Kathy, Nicole & Christopher Campbell Canadian Folding Cartons Inc. Canadian National Railway Company Carey/CPA Disbursements James Carfra John Carr John Carruthers Carman Carson Helen Cathcart

Cerescorp Company Patricia Chalmers Elizabeth Chandler Paul Charlebois Rick & Carolyn Chenhall Steve Chipman Fred Christie CIBC Charitable Foundation Lyssa Clack Bette Clancy Donald Clancy John Clappison Ginny Lewis Clark Dolda Clarke Mary Clarke Maxwell Clattenburg Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. Hope Clement Michael Cobden James & Charlotte (Graven) Cochran

Spring 2005

Peter Coffin Nancy Collier Heather Collins Allan Conrod George Cook John Cook Walter Cook George Cooper H. Rhodes Cooper Gordon Cooper & Chere Chapman John Cordes Brian Cormier Rosalie Courage Armand Couture Kathleen Cox Jack Craig Robert Craig James Creaser John Creelman Marilyn & Richard Cregan Hugh Crosthwait Robert Crouse Cundill Foundation Lucille & Patrick Curran Thomas & Jane Curran Tim Currie David Curry Lorn Curry & Joanne Wall Brian Cuthbertson Arthur Cuzner D The Daily News Heather Daly Sara Daly Christine Davies Gwendolyn Davies Cynthia Davis Douglas Davis S. Allison Davis Wendy Davis Joan Dawson Robert Dawson L. Ann Day Nicholas Day Kenneth Dekker Kerry DeLorey Carl Demmons Lisa Dennis Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Deruchie Marilyn & Fraser Dewis J. Mark & Rachel DeWolf Frances Dibblee Alan Dick Andrew Dick Carol Dicks Joseph Dickstein Ian Digby Diocesan Synod of Nova Scotia Lyse Doucet Michael Dunn Paula Dyke E Gordon Earle Eastern Policy Research Associates Ltd EastLink Cable Systems Jonathan & Beth Eayrs Edmonds Landscape and Construction Services Ltd. Elizabeth Edwards Heather & Jim Eisenhauer C. William Eliot C. Russell Elliott

Spring 2005

Estate of Elizabeth Stewart Ritchie* Estate of Elsie Crickard* Estate of F.C. Manning* Estate of Richard James Doyle* Estate of Robert Morris* J. Trevor Eyton F Sandy Facey Alexander Farrell Monica Farrell Martin Feaver Barbara & Fergus Fergusson Jonathan Finkelstein Brian Flemming Jeanne Flemming Duncan Floyd Ian Folkins Nick & Sally Forrest John Fowke Lillian Fowler Janice Fralic-Brown J. Roderick Fraser Linda & Gregor Fraser Rowland Frazee Paul Friedland Gillian (Charlton) Fullilove G Susan Gardner J.Fraser Gartside Edward Gesner Lloyd Gesner Lloyd & Muriel Gesner Jack Gibbons & Mary Lovett Kevin Gibson Ed Gigg Kevin Gillis Joan Gilroy Dorota Glowacka Peter Gorman H.Bruce Gorrie John Gorrill Harold Graven* John Green Roselle Green Anne Gregory Jennifer Guest Charles , Anne, Graeme & Cameron Gunn Gregory Guy H Ann, Alec, Amy, Mary & Elizabeth Hadfield Doug Hadley The Halifax Herald Limited Dawn Hall Geraldine Hamm Wayne Hankey Glenna Hanley Anne & Andy Hare Frank Harrington Emery Harris Peter Harris Gwyneth & Ronald Harris Susan Harris Walter Harris Harrison McCain Foundation Marnie Hay E.Kitchener Hayman Annette Hayward C.William Hayward James Hayward

David Hazen Mark Helsing Ian Henderson Mary Henderson William & Anne Hepburn Douglas Hergett John & June Hibbitts Michael Hoare Joshua & Paige Hochschild Larry & Joan Holman Annemieke Holthuis Neil Hooper Dennis House John Houston E.Ian Howard Richard Howard Bruce Howe Robert Howe John Howes Caroline Hubbard Sarah Hubbard Ronald Huebert Ian Hugill Robert Hyslop I Erin Iles Robert Inglis James Irvine Deborah Irvine Anderson J The Children of Dr. O.B. Smith & Dr. J.F.L. Jackson Kathleen Jaeger Leslie Jaeger Roland Jamieson Philip & Ruth Jefferson Heather Jeffery Peter Jelley Angus Johnston & Sandra Haycock Randolph Jones K Edward Kelly J.Kenneth Kierans Elizabeth Kilvert Stephen Kimber Peter King John Kinley W. J. Tory & Margaret Kirby Mary Beth Knight Stephen Knowles Robin Koppernaes L Lafarge Canada Inc. Andrew Laing Colleen Landry Mary Lane Peter & Mary Lannan Robert LaRoche Caleb Lawrence John & Nancy Leefe Nathan & Glenys Lindenberg Roland & Marian Lines Aleah Lomas Bretton Loney Ruth (Whitman) Loomer Hilkka Luus M Jill MacBeath Alexander MacDonald David & Margaret MacDonald Lesa MacDonald

Tidings

Jane MacDonald Spiteri Debbie MacDougall Sara MacFarlane Catherine MacGregor Ken & Mary MacInnis Clare MacIntyre Keith MacIntyre David MacKay Eric MacKay Ian MacKenzie John (Ian) MacKenzie Mark Sheldon MacKenzie Norman MacKenzie Lina MacKinnon Lori MacLean M. Judy MacLean Stephen & Julianne MacLean Stephen W. MacLean Jennifer MacLeod Leslie MacLeod Mike & Cindy MacMillan Susan MacMillan Christina MacNaughton Marli MacNeil Donald MacQuarrie Jennifer Mallory Adrienne Malloy Ron Marks Alan Hamilton Marshall Joan Marshall John Martin Rene & Carmen Martin Susan Mathers David Matheson Corey Matthews Emily Mawhinney M. Ann McCaig G.Wallace McCain Kim McCallum Duncan Scott McCann T.A. Guy McCarthy Christine McClearn Bob McCleave* Glendon McCormick Duncan McCue Michael McDonald McInnes Cooper Alan McLeod Cal McMillan Christopher McNeely Judith McPhee Stuart McPhee Brent Meade Eugene Meese Kelly & Michael Meighen David Mercer Frank Metcalf Andrea Meyer Jeremy Millar Lois Miller Susan Miller Chris Mills J.W.E. Mingo Janet Mitchell Jone Mitchell Melinda Montgomery Brenda Moore Frank Moore David Morris Robert Morris Joan Madeleine Morrison John Morrison Michael & Sandra Moss Nick Mount John Mullowney James Murray Robert Murray

N Hilroy & Fannie Nathanson Peter Nathanson National Life Karen Newhook-MacDonald Kenneth Niles Stephanie Nolen Nova Scotia Power Inc. O Megan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Harrison Bruce Oland Heather Opseth Deborah Osmond Sandra Oxner P Robert Pace Alexis Pacey Elizabeth Pacey Elizabeth Page John Page George Parker Owen & Elizabeth Parkhouse Charlotte (MacLean) Peach LeRoy Peach Sandra Penney Shona Perry-maidment Arthur & Elizabeth Peters Drake Petersen Heather Phillips George Phills Charles Piercey Andrea Pilichos Harold Pippy* Andrew Pitcairn Ann Pituley Gretchen Pohlkamp Morton Prager Margo Pullen Sly R Thomas Raddall III & Cathy Raddall Irene Randall Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digest Foundation of Canada Charles Reagh Elizabeth Reagh Robert Reid Rosemary Rippon Tim Rissesco Patrick Rivest Catherine Robar Colin Robertson Neil & Patricia Robertson Ronald & Sheila Robertson Edward & Isabelle Robinson Ann Rodger Anna Ruth Rogers Carol Rogers Suzanne Romeo Henry Roper Gillian Bidwell Rose Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. Lori & Henri Rothschild John Roy Royal Bank of Canada Charitable Fdn. S Melvyn Sacks Heather Saunders W. Barry Sawyer Julia & Michael Sax Nick Scheib

A.Winifred Scott Myra Scott Seamark Asset Management Limited Jill Stanfield Sears David Secord Barb Shaw Margaret Shaw Brian Sherwell Clifford Shirley Craig Simpson Norman Sinclair The Sir James Dunn Foundation William Sitland Bill Skinner Louise Smedley Barbara & Heather Smith H.Deryk Smith Janice Smith Joy Smith Ruth Smith Muriel Smyth The Sobey Foundation Elizabeth Bayne Sodero Lynn Sparkes Michael Spaulding Spirit of Newfoundland Productions Ltd. Jane Spurr Thorfinn Stainforth Colin Starnes

Janice Stein Erin Steuter Donald Stevenson Callie Stewart Jennifer Stewart Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales Thomas Stinson Mary Stokes & John Legge Rodney Stokoe Geoff Strople Anna Marie Stuart Steven Sutherland & Holly Conners John Swain T Catriona Talbot Elaine Taylor John Taylor Brian & Sheila Taylor TD Canada Trust Kelley Teahen D.Lionel Teed Terra Software Consulting Ltd Geraldine Thomas Shirley Tillotson Keith Townley Don & Gloria (Teed) Trivett Randolph & Judith (Banks) Tsang

Catherine Tuck Nicholas Twyman U UKC Alumni Association UKC Society of the Students’ Union United Empire Loyalist Halifax/Dartmouth United Way of Halifax Region V T.Lorraine Vassalo Thomas Vincent Nancy Violi Nancy Vondette VZS: Halifax Pictures No. 4 Inc. “Gracie’s Choice” W Charles Wainwright Hastings Wainwright Isabel Wainwright Philip Walker Ian Wallace Luanne Walton Bruce Wark Anne Weaver William Wells Chris White

“You can’t be effective sitting in your office” POTTIE / Continued from page 19

where unless accompanied by a trusted adult. Pottie urges other Canadians travelling around Cambodia to use caution as well. Money and passports should be kept in money belts, she says, as purse snatching seems to be on the rise. And she warns Canadian businessmen interested in Cambodia that it is a developing country and corruption remains a problem. The embassy is there to offer advice for Canadians interested in Cambodia and Pottie urges such people to contact embassy staff. Her time working for the foreign service has taught Pottie a lot about diplomacy. Understanding cultures is a must, she says. Something as simple as saying ‘no’ must be handled delicately in foreign countries. “In many cultures, a blunt ‘No, I’m not interested’ is considered

Suzanne White Glenn Williams Michele Williams Bill Williams Audrey Wilson R. Blair Wilson Rose Wilson Wilson Fuel Company Limited Nina Winham Frank Winters Stuart Wood Faye Woodman B. Woods & S. Brown Rachael Woods James Wright Desmond Writer Charles Wurtzburg Y Elizabeth Yeo Z Zhimei Zhang

Donations were also given in memory of the following people: Creighton Brown Alma Clark J. Douglas Creighton George Earles David Hassel Nicholas Meagher Lillian Page Harry Smith Bruce Stacey Waldie Peter Wilson And in honor of the following: Ben Harris Colin Starnes

and those donors who wish to remain anonymous * deceased

Email for life!

rude,” she says. Officials have to learn other ways to say no. Establishing networks of contacts is also one of the keys to effective diplomacy, Pottie says. “You can’t be effective sitting in your office,” she says. “You need to get out and meet people to really be able to follow up on issues when it matters most.” The job can also mean a lot of moving. Since joining the service, Pottie has lived in Ottawa, China, Jordon and Cambodia. While she sees these opportunities to live abroad as one of the advantages of working for the foreign service, there are things she misses about life in Canada. “I miss the drama of the changing seasons. I miss my neighbourhood in Ottawa,” Pottie says. And while she loves the restaurants of Phnom Penh, there are certain cravings she is sorry to have left behind in Canada. “I miss lobster,” she says.

Tidings

The Alumni Association is pleased to offer all King’s Alumni Email for Life. Many people find it hard to keep up with all the different email addresses their contacts have. Most people may have a work email, a home email, and maybe a traveling address. Of course, contact information changes when someone gets a new job or moves to a new city or changes internet service providers. This can get confusing and contributes to people losing touch with one another. Email for life is an email forwarding service. It is not an email account as it does not store messages for you to read and reply to. A lifetime King’s email forwarding account allows you to provide friends and family with

one email address for life (yourname@ukcalumni.com) . No matter how many times you change jobs or email addresses, they will always be able to reach you through your King’s email address. This makes it easier not only for your friends and family, but also for you. Instead of getting in touch with everyone you know when you have new contact information, you just update your profile at King’s. By keeping your email forwarding information up-to-date, the email forwarding service will automatically send you any messages received at your King’s email address. To sign up please visit: www.ukcalumni.com and click on email for life after logging in.

Spring 2005

AlumNotes the

50s

Anne (Hill) Hart (BA ’56) has been named to the Order of Canada in the heritage category. A St. John’s, Nfld., writer and historian, she was former head of the Centre for Newfoundland Studies and continues to research, write, and edit. Anne also has another book coming out this summer: “The Woman Who Mapped Labrador: The Life and Expedition Diary of Mina Hubbard”, published by the McGill-Queen’s Press. Anne wrote the biographical material on Hubbard while fellow authors Bryan Greene and Roberta Buchanan covered other aspects of Hubbard’s work.

the

60s

Ellen Ross Crocker (BA ’67) retired in June after a 33-year teaching career in Nova Scotia. She and her husband Keith moved to Corner Brook, Nfld., this summer. Fellow alumni can contact Ellen at: keithcrocker@nf.sympatico.ca Rev. Peter Harris (BAH ’68 & MSL ’72) was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Charlottetown on May 23, 2004.

the

70s

Cynthia Fry (’78-’79) rides for the Bicycles Plus team & won the 2003 Nova Scotia “Provincial Road Race Points Championship” and the Nova Scotian “Top Female Cyclist” for Road Racing in 2003. Anyone interested in learning more about road racing please contact Cynthia at Tuscany_2@juno.com Brian Pitcairn (BA ’73) is currently working with the Loon River Cree First Nation in northern Alberta to set up and put in place a diamond exploration permit for a project on reserve lands. A company from British Columbia recently expressed serious interest in doing some exploratory work for the gem formations. It will be the first such project permit granted by the Minister of Indian Affairs for this type of work on a reserve in Canada.

Spring 2005

the

80s

Janet Becigneul (BJH ’85) and Joseph Khoury are pleased to announce the birth of their second child, James Michael, on July 18, 2004. James is brother to seven-year old Juliana. The family also recently moved from Ottawa to Antigonish, N.S., where Joseph has joined the faculty at St. Francis Xavier University’s Department of English. Fellow alumni can contact Janet at: jbecigneul@eastlink.ca Patti Dunn (’87) has recently been in Sri Lanka working with children that have been affected by the tsunami. She and her husband returned home at the end of February with many stories and pictures to share. To get in contact with her you can e-mail her at patti@fitin20.com Stephen Murray (BA ’85, BAH ’87) was promoted to major in March 2004 and posted to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa as a staff officer in force planning and programme coordination. John Stiles (BA ’89) moved to London England in 2003 and was married to Veridiana Toledo at St. Andrew’s Church, Plymouth, in April 2004. John is working at the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in London, U.K. The society has an affiliation with King’s College. Early society missionaries were involved in Kings College, Windsor, N.S. He recently published a book of poetry, Scouts Are Cancelled, and is at work on a new novel. Fellow alumni can contact John at: johns@uspg.org.uk

the

90s

Adriana Afford (BA ’95) and husband Joseph Mader, are pleased to celebrate their first wedding anniversary on Sept. 27, 2004. Adriana is director of Argyle Fine Art,-a downtown art gallery in Halifax. Fellow alumni can contact Adriana at: gallery@argylefa.com Sherri Borden (BJH ’97) married Perry Colley on July 10, 2004. Sherri works as a court reporter with the ChronicleHerald in Halifax. Perry is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Fellow alumni can contact

Tidings

Ilenka Jelowicki (BA ’96), Russell Taylor, Karen Morash (BAH ’96) and Robert Burke share Christmas crackers at a gathering of alumni in London, England. Photo: Courtesy Chris MacNeil (BA ’94)

Sherri at: s.borden@ns.sympatico.ca Allyson Carras-MacKay (BA ’98) and husband Bruce welcomed a little boy, Beck John-Olson Mackay on the Aug. 4, 2004. Kevin Covert (BSc ’93) is currently living in Atlanta, Ga., working on software that runs movie theatre megaplexes. Fellow alumni can contact Kevin at: k_covert@mindspring.com Dave Jones (BA ’92) has accepted the post of Manager of Customer Research for the Royal Bank of Scotland. He currently resides in Edinburgh. Fellow alumni can contact David at: daveinscotland@hotmail.com Daniel MacEachern (BJH ’98) is engaged to Alexandra Collins. The couple will wed in Newfoundland in July. Mike MacMillan (BA ’94) and Cindy (Edwards) MacMillan (BA ’94) are happy to announce the birth of their third child, Rosemary, born in February of 2004. Mike is regional sales director in Southern Ontario with AIC Funds. Andrea (Ross) McAuliffe (BJH ’97) married Monte McAuliffe on Oct. 12, 2002. They are pleased to announce the birth of their son Christian on Feb. 2, 2004. Fellow alumni can contact Andrea at: aross20@hotmail.com Elizabeth Nemethy (BA ’96) and Jono Nemethy (FYP ’94) are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, Gabriel Miklos. Gabriel was born Nov. 25, 2004 at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Chantal (LaRocque) Richard (BJH ’98) and her husband Chris are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, a daughter. Dylann Marie Eileen was born in Brampton, Ont., on Nov. 24, 2004. Fellow alumni can contact Chantal at: chantalmrichard@sympatico.ca

AlumNotes

Development, Alumni & Public Relations Update here is a lot of activity in the Development, Alumni & Public Relations Office. I started as Director in November and with President Barker’s guidance, we are undertaking many new and exciting projects in all three areas of responsibility. Of the greatest interest to our Alumni, is the search for a new Alumni Officer. The person who emerges from the competition now underway will be tasked with finding ways to engage you with the College. We’re interested in understanding what type of activities you would like to participate in (lectures, socials, homecoming for example) and what type of information you’d like to receive about life at the College. Don’t be surprised if you receive a call asking for your opinion. Or, if you have ideas you’d like to share with us, please give us a call or drop us a line. We’re also looking at our fundraising programs. Despite our Alumni’s strong ties, participation is very low – around 3%. This is well below levels seen at other schools such as Trinity College at the University of Toronto (about 30%) or American schools which enjoy participation levels of about 50%. We are very grateful for the support we have received, but would like to see increased participation levels that better reflect the attachment our

Alumni feel to the College. If we increase the support from our immediate family, we will be able to be more successful in our efforts to secure major gifts from outside groups. The size of the gift is not important; it’s the show of support resulting from increased participation that will equip the College to face future challenges. Major gifts are also very important to our fundraising program. We’re working on getting in touch with some of our major donors to update them on how their gifts are helping the College and the students. This issue also includes a report on the College’s Endowment Fund. As you know from your time on campus, King’s is a beehive of activity. The students have a wide variety of activities from theatre to sports to discussion groups. In addition, our Faculty keeps the intellectual life of the college active by bringing in guest speakers and lecturers. Many of these events are open to the public. We are going to work harder to make sure our extended community, especially Alumni, knows what is happening on campus. Hopefully something will catch your interest, and if you’re in Halifax, you’ll stop by campus. There is a lot of work to be done by the office. We are looking forward to working with you to keep the College vital, both on campus and through our diverse activities with our widespread Alumni community.

Staying in touch Want to know if there are any public lectures on campus? Interested in learning what tha KTS is up to? Curious about the fate of our sports teams? Keen to reconnect with King’s friends even though you’re living somewhere else? If you answered yes to any of these questions send your email address to alumni@ukcalumni.com We’ll be sending our Alumni information on King’s happenings and news on and off campus by email. It’s a great way to stay in touch. Your personal contact information is for the exclusive use of the University of King’s College and will not be shared with any other parties.

Tidings

Chris MacNeil (BA ’94) welcomes hearing from King's Alumni in Europe. A busy schedule of activities including a Christmas event, a London walking tour and a picnic are planned for the 2004-2005 season. King's alumni, spouses, friends and visitors are very welcome to join. Please visit the Alumni section of the King's website or contact Chris <cmacneil@egroup.ca> / +44 (0) 7966 380 131) for more information. Tim Rissesco (BA ’93) and Genevieve Harvey are pleased to announce the birth of their baby, Owen Willard Rissesco on Dec. 16, 2004. Tim can be reached at timothyrissesco@ns.sympatico.ca Susan Stiles (BA ’94) and Rick Hoo were married Aug. 7, 2004. Catherine Elgie (BA ’93) performed the ceremony. Susan and Rick are pleased to announce the birth of a son, Samuel Patrick Hoo, born Nov 18 2004. Susan works as a Claim Adjuster for Aviva Insurance in Hamilton Ontario. Nick Taylor (FYP ’92) and Annie Taylor are pleased to announce the birth of their third child. A little sister named Olivia Maria-Stella, for Nicola Emily 4 1/2 yrs and Justin Trelawney 1 1/2 yrs to play with. Olivia was born on Monday Sep. 20. Nick & Annie live in Toronto and can be reached at: nick_taylor73@sympatico.ca Nicholas Thorne (BSc ’98, BAH ’99) is now working as a programmer for Novartis in Basel, Switzerland. Fellow alumni can contact him at: nrthorne@yahoo.com

the

00s

Jen Cooper (BJ ’01) is training to run a half marathon in honour of her friend and fellow grad Jen Cleary (BJ ‘01), who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. Jen aims to raise $6,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. To donate on behalf of Jen & Jen’s “Team In Training” fundraising efforts, please email Jen Cooper at jhchalifax@hotmail.com. You will receive a tax receipt for any donation over $10. Any contribution — large or small — is much appreciated. Thank you! Fellow alumni can contact Jen at: jhchalifax@hotmail.com Jen Evans (BJ ’02) is working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations in Ciaro as a reporter for Egypt’s English-language newspaper The Al Ahram Weekly. There’s an online edition so check it out if you like: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/

Spring 2005

AlumNotes Shauntay Grant (BAH ’03) will be the new host of All The Best, CBC-Radio Two’s performance show on Sundays at noon, starting in April. She has been a reporter for Mainstreet, Information Morning, and CBC Television’s Canada Now, and has been a documentary producer for Maritime Magazine. She is also wellknown as a spoken word performer and musician. She has performed at the Atlantic Jazz Festival in Halifax and in 2003, she won the CBC Poetry Face Off. She is the artistic director of the Nova Scotia Mass Choir, and a member of the Advisory Committee for the James Robinson Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dalhousie. Cheri Haley (BAH ’00) is about to celebrate her third year in business as the owner of Primal Media <www.primalmedia.com>, a small web design studio located Portsmouth, N.H. She is currently collaborating on a new Internet trading company, set to launch later this year and spends any free time in the woods mountain biking with her boyfriend Adam and their yellow lab Cleo. Friends and alumni are invited to contact her at cheri@primalmedia.com. Tanya Langille (BJH ’04) and Stephen Campbell were married June 5, 2004 in their hometown of Westville, N.S. Fellow alumni can contact Tanya at: langille.tanya@ns.sympatico.ca Victoria L. Nickerson (BA ’00) graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 2004 with her LLB and is articling with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales in Halifax. Mark Richardson (BA ’99) and Sarah-Lee Hine (BJH ’97) are moving to Quito, Ecuador, for three years. Mark has accepted a position as a trade officer at the Canadian embassy. Sarah-Lee is taking a leave of absence from her communications job at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada. Friends may contact them at sleerichardson@hotmail.com Tristan Stewart-Robertson (BAH ’00) has taken on the position of senior journalist at the Greenock Telegraph in Scotland. He would be keen to hear from any friends from King’s days or journalism students interested in comparing notes. He can be reached at: tsr@scapestreet.com Catherine Vardy (BJ ’00) is now working as a Public Affairs Coordinator for Science and Engineering Research Canada’s (NSERC) new Atlantic Canada Office based in Moncton, N.B. You can reach her at: catherine.vardy@nserc.ca. Faculty and Staff Dr. Ian Stewart (Senior Fellow) and Jennifer Stewart are happy to announce their daughter Evelyn Leena Stewart was born in the wee hours of Nov. 3. At 9 lbs, 1 ounce.

Spring 2005

In Memoriam Active King’s supporter Ruth Hudson Marion Ruth Hudson passed away at the age of 87 on Feb. 4, 2005. In 1961, Ruth graduated from King’s with a BA and the next year completed her BEd from Dalhousie University. She went on to become an elementary school teacher in Halifax before taking on the position of principal at other schools. She was active in her church, community and sports. In 1982 she retired but continued to help others. With help from her church and friends, at the age of 77, she delivered a new crew-cab truck to the Diocese of Uganda to assist with the village’s transportation needs. She established the Judge J. Elliot Hudson memorial scholarship in honour of her late husband, an annual award given to a journalism student in his/her graduating year in either the Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) programme or the Bachelor of Journalism one-year programme. In 2000 Ruth Hudson was awarded the J. Elliot Hudson Distinguished Alumnus/a award. This was an award that she had been involved in presenting since it began in 1994. It is presented to recognize a King’s Alumnus/a who, like Judge Hudson, has made invaluable contributions to his or her community, profession, charitable or volunteer work. Both Ruth and her husband have a long history of supporting King’s College and the Alumni Association.

Former Journalism School director Walter Stewart Walter Douglas Stewart passed away on Sept. 15, 2004 at his home in Sturgeon Point, Ont. He was 73. In 1984, Stewart replaced George Bain as director of the journalism school, where he stayed for two years. Later he held the Max Bell Chair in journalism at the University of Regina. He was an author, editor, journalist and broadcaster. He wrote 22 books under his own name, as well as ghost-writing others. His books include Shrug: Trudeau in Power and Hard to Swallow, a probe on why food prices rose. He served as an Ottawa correspondent for the Star Weekly and from 1968-1977 Stewart worked for Maclean’s magazine as the Washington and Ottawa correspondent, and later became managing editor. He then went on to become the editor of Policy Option and Today Magazine. He wrote a column for the Sun and hosted occasional shows for CBC Radio’s As it Happens.

Former television professor Ian Wiseman Ian Rupert Wiseman passed away after a long battle with multiple sclerosis on Dec. 25, 2004. Wiseman was the journalism school’s first broadcast professor, helping generations of young journalists get their start in the industry. Having grown up in Newfoundland, Wiseman worked as a TV reporter in St. John’s before starting at King’s in 1979. He is credited with helping shape the school’s mission of being a hands-on training ground for reporters. He retired for health reasons in 1995, but his students continue to remember his razor-sharp wit and love of the craft. Many credit him with taking an extraordinary personal interest in their careers (see Miriam Toews profile on page 11). “Ian lit a fire in my belly about journalism,” says CBC-TV producer Geoff D’Eon (BJ ’83). “He made me care. He made me believe it was worthwhile.” – with a file from Michael Gorman

Elaine Harrison died on June 16, 2003 Lucy Cutherbertson (BAH ’03) – Feb. 17, 2005 Ruth Hudson (BA ’61) – Feb. 4, 2005 Joanne Snair (BScH ’69) – July 21, 2004 Robert McCleave (DCL ’73) – Sept. 3, 2004 Calvin Ruck (BA ’37, DCL ’99) – October 2004 James Harold Graven (BA ’34, LTH ’37) – Aug. 25, 2004

Tidings

John Tasman (’38-’40) – Feb. 3, 2005 A. J. Calvin Pretty (BD ’74) – January 2005 Rev. William Dye (LTH ’61) Harold Pippy (BA ’48) Eldon Pringle Ray (BA ’32) – Dec. 23, 2004 Kell Antoft – Jan. 11, 2005 Corinne MacKenzie – Jan. 10, 2005