The Root Spring 2018 by University of Toronto Schools

Root THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

SPRING 2018

THE ROAD TO UTS UTS GRADUATES GO PLACES. AND SOME TAKE REMARKABLE JOURNEYS JUST TO GET HERE.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Mark Opashinov ’88 PRESIDENT, UTSAA

UNIVER SI

LU VE

TORON OF TO

LS HOO SC

AR RA BOR ITA

The Paths We Take This issue of The Root explores the journeys we take in life. More precisely, it’s about the roads that lead students to UTS, a school that shapes the people they’ll become and the paths they’ll take in the future. It’s also about where we’ve come from and where we’re going as a school and as a community. Now is an opportune time to dive into these themes, because we are in the midst of a defining moment in UTS history. For more than 107 years, all roads led to 371 Bloor Street West. But by the time the Fall 2018 issue arrives, the school will have taken a temporary detour. Beginning this fall, UTS students and staff will relocate to 30 Humbert Street while our historic home building undergoes muchneeded renovations. The move understandably gives rise to bittersweet feelings, but this short-term change will put UTS on track for a brighter future. I believe we’ll see that it is not a building, but rather the school community that makes UTS the school it is. What’s more, our collective journey will bring us back to a revitalized facility better equipped to serve students. The stories you'll read in this issue about Thach Bui ’69 and Siva Vijenthira ’05’s roads to UTS, and Richard Ingram ’61’s founding of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS—whose launch last fall re-established UTS as a research-driven lab school in partnership with the University of Toronto—serve as proof that individuals and institutions can experience remarkable growth by following paths that lead both away from and back to their roots. As UTS alumni, we all have a story to tell about how we left our previous academic homes to make our way here. My own path to UTS began with my Grade 3 teacher who, three years after he taught me, recommended that I write the entrance examination for UTS (something that was never on the radar for me until then). When I was accepted, the vice principal of my grade school called me into his office. Until then I’d only had interactions with him that were, let’s say, “disciplinary” in nature (owing to my youthful exuberance, of course). This time, however, he called me in to congratulate me on my acceptance to UTS! Though the daily commute from the northern edge of North York was a long haul, I was happy to take it to my new school. Last summer, I reconnected with that Grade 3 teacher and told him that, by suggesting UTS, he’d set me on a path that would change my life in a profound way. By engaging in this exciting period of transformation, UTS is doing the same for our entire community.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCHOOLS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 371 Bloor Street West, Room 121, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R7 Phone: 416-978-3919 Fax: 416-971-2354 E-mail: alumni@utschools.ca Web: www.utschools.ca/alumni Facebook: www.fb.com/utschools Twitter and Instagram: @utschools

UTSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

TREASURER

HONORARY PRESIDENT

Mark Opashinov ’88

Tina Bates ’88, P ’22

Rosemary Evans

VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENT

Mark.Opashinov@utschools.ca

Laura Money ’81

Tina.Bates@utschools.ca

Aaron Dantowitz ’91

Laura.Money@utschools.ca

Aaron.Dantowitz@utschools.ca

Sharon Au ’08

Anne Fleming ’85, P ’17

Jonathan Bitidis ’99

Peter Frost ’63

REvans@utschools.ca

Garth Chalmers

GChalmers@utschools.ca

DIRECTORS Sharon.Au@utschools.ca Jonathan.Bitidis@utschools.ca

Aaron Chan ’94

Aaron.Chan@utschools.ca

David Dodds ’73

David.Dodds@utschools.ca

Anne.Fleming@utschools.ca Peter.Frost@utschools.ca

Sara Son Hing ’97

sara.son.hing@utschools.ca

Bob Pampe ’63

Bob.Pampe@utschools.ca

Morgan Ring ’07

Morgan.Ring@utschools.ca

Tim Sellers ’78

Oliver Jerschow ’92

Tim.Sellers@utschools.ca

Peter Neilson ’71

ian.speers@utschools.ca

Oliver.Jerschow@utschools.ca Peter.Neilson@utschools.ca

Ian Speers ’98

CONTENTS 8 THE ROAD TO UTS Every student’s journey to UTS is unique. For Thach Bui ’69 and Siva Vijenthira ’05, it was almost too remarkable to be believed.

14 A EUREKA! MOMENT The launch of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS signals the school’s new era of research and innovation. REGULAR FEATURES UTS Board Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Principal’s Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Roads to Our Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 In School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alumni News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mark Your Calendars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PUBLISHER

DESIGN

ON THE COVER

Martha Drake

PageWave Graphics Inc.

An illustration of the lengths to which students will go to attend UTS by Thach Bui ’69.

MANAGING EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Matt Semansky EDITOR

Sumner & Lang PROOFREADER

Morgan Ring ’07

Thach Bui ’69 PHOTOGRAPHY

Pages 2, 3, 4, 14, 17, 18 & 20 Dahlia Katz PRINTER

Colour Systems Inc.

ABOVE

Angela Vemic, Director of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS, splits her time between UTS and her office at OISE overlooking Bloor Street West. CONTRIBUTORS

Our thanks to this issue’s contributors - Karen Sumner, Martha Drake, Matt Semansky, Rosemary Evans, Jim Fleck ’49 P ’72, Mark Opashinov ’88, Marty Graham P ’73, ’76, ’78, Scott Baker, John Gardner ’55

Published spring and fall, The Root is available to all alumni, parents and friends of UTS. The Root is also available at: www.utschools.ca/root. Contact us at alumni@utschools.ca or 416-978-3919 to update your address or to receive your copy electronically.

UTS BOARD REPORT

Jim Fleck C.C. ’49, P ’72 Board Chair, UTS

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Rosemary Evans Principal, UTS

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

As a Class of 1949 alumnus, I think often about how the school prepared me for the path I’ve taken in life. At class reunions and events like the Annual Alumni Dinner, graduates discuss the roads we’ve travelled since leaving the school. More rarely, we reach back even further and talk about the variety of paths we took to UTS in the first place. As proud as we rightly are of alumni tales about professional achievement and societal leadership, many of these stories are just as fascinating. Every current and former UTS student took their own road to get here, and these unique journeys are worth celebrating. My own path to UTS didn’t begin with the noblest intentions. When I first heard about it, I was most excited by the fact that it started a week later than the public schools and that its day ended at 2:30 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. But once here, I found a lot more motivation from my teachers and fellow students. There was no slacking in the math class of Bruce “Nails” MacLean, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 106 (see p. 27). In my fourth year, my family moved to Oshawa and I left UTS. But I quickly discovered that the quality of education and special character of our community couldn’t be duplicated. Soon I was back at UTS, commuting by bus every day (this was before Highway 401 existed). Once I realized what I was missing, no road was too long if it led back to UTS. I still feel this way. As Board Chair and Co-Chair of the Building the Future campaign, I’m proud to be part of the UTS community as we make an exciting transition to our temporary home at 30 Humbert Street, followed by a return to a revitalized building at 371 Bloor Street West. We are well on the way to ensuring that future students can forge their unique paths, both to and from our school.

Our renewed affiliation with the University of Toronto and the founding of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS has resulted in the emergence of a vibrant research culture at UTS. Research projects involving University partners are now commonplace, involving the school in significant knowledge creation and mobilization. This flourishing environment of inquiry includes significant opportunities for students. UTS students work with university scholars in diverse fields, gaining exposure to research methodologies, data analysis, literature reviews, and the challenges associated with primary research. One such example is our youth participatory action research (yPAR) program, where students develop questions related to equity and inclusion under the guidance of doctoral and post-doctoral candidates working with Professor Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández. The project has yielded significant results, with yPAR alumni and graduates creating the online research journal in:cite, which publishes student research. In addition, students have tackled issues such as gender gaps in STEM-oriented competitions and courses and used their findings as a basis for advocacy. Our students also volunteer for research projects conducted by University of Toronto faculty. Professor Anna Taddio of the Faculty of Pharmacy conducted focus groups with UTS students that involved student advice on mitigating pain associated with vaccinations. This work is helping to ensure that immunization programs are effective. UTS staff are also actively involved with research. For four years, Professor Clare Kosnik of OISE and her graduate students have facilitated a teacher inquiry community at UTS. Clare provides guidance to teacher researchers and, in turn, their work is the subject of investigation for the OISE team. Our staff have published their findings and presented at conferences, while some of our school practices, from our admissions process to the use of games in teaching geography, are being transformed by these studies. By actively engaging in research UTS is becoming a centre for inquiry and evidencebased practice—and our students and staff are learning first-hand the power of research as a catalyst for innovation.

ROADS TO OUR FUTURE Our story begins in the last decade with the Building Opportunities campaign, which raised $8 million for a renewed UTS and was focused on fixing our 90-year-old edifice. This campaign was stopped short due to a realignment in the relationship between the University of Toronto and UTS, but its donors laid the foundation for our future. Fast forward to December 15, 2015, when the U of T Governing Council unilaterally approved the affiliation agreement with UTS. Since that momentous occasion, many members of the UTS community have come forward to offer their support for renewing our building. Today, the stakes are much higher. The Building the Future campaign is about our very existence. It is about keeping our name and remaining at 371 Bloor Street West. It is also about continuing a proud, unique affiliation with U of T that includes several official partnerships, countless unofficial connections and the recently-launched Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS (see page 14), which reconnects us to the university as a lab school. By the campaign’s launch on September 28, 2017, 100% of the UTS Board, UTSAA Board, and UTS Foundation Board had made their gifts. UTS staff—all 102 of us—had also made our personal campaign commitments. The campaign launch involved eager UTS students, and the official student campaign began the next day. Former teacher and coach Bruce MacLean was made a Founder thanks to his former students and hockey players, who donated over $1 million in his honour during his lifetime. UTSAA and UTSPA have offered to match donations, resulting in almost $1 million for the building fund through their respective Annual Funds. Even UTS grandparents have come forward to offer their support! As a community, we care deeply about UTS and want to ensure that the school will thrive for another 107-plus years. At the time of writing, we have achieved $47.4 million in campaign commitments, which is 79% of our $60 million goal. Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” We are already well down the road to building UTS’ future, and it will take all of us coming together to complete our journey.

Martha Drake

Executive Director, Advancement

A remarkable 100% of UTS staff have given to the Building the Future campaign.

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

IN SCHOOL

UTS students have been vocal and active in raising awareness and support for the causes they believe in. In September, the Indigenous Solidarity Committee continued the now-annual tradition of Orange Shirt Day, an event designed to recognize the Survivors of residential schools. In February, the Committee also hosted students and staff for a discussion in the wake of the controversial acquittal of Gerald Stanley for the killing of Colten Boushie. On Valentine’s Day, the UTS Outreach Committee generated awareness about domestic violence and the #PutTheNailInIt movement with a nailpainting display in the front foyer. Bright young minds continue to speak out at UTS.

The annual Remembrance Day assembly unites students and guests, particularly veterans. Last November, alumni veterans visited the school and were honoured with a video address by Margaret MacMillan, a history professor at the University of Toronto, a reading of the Don Crawford poem “Why Wear A Poppy” by F2/Grade 8 student Zehra Alvi (pictured at right) and several student musical performances. With her powerful account of her own family’s experiences in a modern war zone, School Co‑Captain Darla Abou-Reslan (S6/Grade 12) showed why Remembrance Day is as relevant now as ever.

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

UTS has got talent, as Show 2018: Cooks and Crooks ably demonstrated. Continuing an annual tradition, our students took the stage for two nights this past February to show off their musical, dramatic, dance, and fashion skills. Written by Max Mickelson and Clayton Rooke and directed by fellow S6/Grade 12 students Angela Wei and Angelyn Xie, this year’s culinary-and-criminal-themed Show delivered a “Prix Fixe” menu of memorable performances. As usual, the dedication and preparation of participants behind the scenes, from the performers to the stage crew to UTS staff, came together to make Show a smashing success.

In School

Partnerships with schools in the international community create unique opportunities for staff and students alike to experience new cultures and perspectives. In November 2017, students from Scientific High School G. Marinelli in Udine, Italy (pictured at right), visited and participated in the Maximum City program, while billeting with host students from UTS. In January of this year, a group of 26 principals from schools in China enjoyed a tour of the school, and in February, UTS students played alongside the visiting Symphonic Band from the Affiliated High School of Peking University.

UTS student athletes have put forth outstanding efforts in a variety of sports this year. Highlights include a Silver Medal finish at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) 1A championship for our Varsity Girls volleyball team in March. The medal capped off a fantastic season that also included a victory in the UTS-hosted Downtown Winter Classic tournament. Last fall, cross-country runner Sam Ford (S5/ Grade 11) won Gold in the Toronto District College Athletic Association (TDCAA) Senior Girls’ 6000-metre race and qualified for OFSAA, where she ran an even faster time on her way to a ninth-place finish.

S5/Grade 11 student Howard Halim made history this past January as the first-ever Canadian competitor in the American Mathematical Society’s Who Wants to Be a Mathematician? competition. Howard travelled to San Diego and joined 11 other competitors from the U.S. and the U.K., and though he didn’t come away with the top prize, his math-letic ability earned lots of local attention. Interviewed in the Toronto Sun, UTS teacher Adam Gregson said of Howard: “If math were a team sport, he wouldn’t just be a good player. He’d be on the all-star team.”

For more UTS news and views, check out our blog, @371, at utschools.ca/blog.

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

FROM CONFLICT TO COMIC STRIPS BY MATT SEMANSKY

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

The syndicated strip PC & Pixel brought Thach Bui’s work to a mass audience.

FOR THACH BUI ’69, THE ROAD TO UTS LED THROUGH A WAR ZONE, SMALL-TOWN TEXAS AND QUEBEC, A CHAOTIC AND EMOTIONAL JOURNEY THAT HELPED TO SHAPE HIS ART. How do you get to UTS? It’s a simple question with many answers. Some students cover a few blocks on foot or bicycle; others commute by TTC or car. Over the nearly 108-year history of UTS, students have taken diverse paths to the school, from following in family footsteps to overcoming obstacles to navigating unusual detours. Then there’s Thach Bui ’69, whose road to UTS featured twists and turns almost too remarkable to be believed. Born in North Vietnam in 1950, Thach’s life began in a brewing cauldron of political unrest. French and Japanese colonization, along with the simmering Cold War tension that would later ignite full-scale armed conflict, was the backdrop of his early years. At the age of four, Thach’s family migrated by boat to Saigon, part of a massive exodus of Vietnamese citizens from the North to the South, and traded in a middle-class life in Hanoi for the challenging conditions of a refugee camp. “I remember a lot of fun in the camp,” Thach says, acknowledging that this sentiment usually catches people by surprise. “We slept on the floor of an evacuated classroom with hundreds of people, but as a child that’s not what you remember.” Thach’s parents were able to re-establish a stable life in Saigon, but while the carelessness of early childhood may have insulated him from the hardships of the refugee camps, the situation in Vietnam continued to deteriorate. THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

“When President Kennedy was killed, it became incredibly chaotic,” says Thach, who was 12 at the time. “Every month, it seemed like another general made another coup d’état, and they would send the tanks into town and take over the radio stations and play martial music all day.” As the struggle for control of his country intensified, Thach found himself joining fellow students in public protests, occasionally landing in jail. Some of his friends disappeared without explanation, American soldiers arrived on city streets with machine guns in hand, and Buddhist monks protested through public self-immolation. “We lived with this incredible fear all the time.”

THACH WOULD GO TO THE LIBRARY AT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY AND FLIP THROUGH FRENCH, JAPANESE AND AMERICAN COMICS. THOUGH HE DIDN’T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BOTH THE COMICS AND THE EMBASSY ITSELF WOULD PUT HIM ON THE PATH TO A NEW LIFE. That fear would only escalate in the ensuing years. By the time Thach was in his late teens, combat had gotten closer to home, with shots openly fired in neighbourhoods that were previously safe. “The insurgents would just spray bullets into the streets.” 10

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

At other times, however, Thach would go to the library at the American Embassy and flip through French, Japanese and American comics. Though he didn’t know it at the time, both the comics and the Embassy itself would put him on the path to a new life.

***

“I’d been in a war zone, and two days later I was on a field in Texas with cheerleaders being thrown in the air.” Suddenly transplanted into the heartland of the nation his home country was fighting both for and against, Thach arrived in Amarillo, Texas in 1967 to a world that couldn’t have been more different than the one he left. He was able to leave Vietnam on an American Field Service scholarship, which he learned about through the American Embassy in Saigon. For the student exchange opportunity, Thach flew to Stanford University from Manila, then boarded a bus with dozens of fellow scholarship recipients for various destinations in Middle America. “What I remember is that quite a few times I saw segregated bathrooms,” he recalls. “But I was not black and not white! That was my first experience with that kind of discrimination.” It wouldn’t be the last. Two months into his stay at Amarillo High, Thach was assaulted by another student. However, he was never sure whether the incident was racially motivated. He speaks glowingly of the Martins, his billet family, and of most of the community around him. Thach soon had more serious challenges to contend with. As he neared the end of the school year at Amarillo High, the U.S. was escalating its military activity in Vietnam. The American teenagers around him were facing the possibility of being drafted. Similarly, Thach faced likely conscription into the Vietnamese armed forces when he returned home. The Martins, who opposed the war and supported Thach’s burgeoning interest in the arts, offered an alternative to going back to Vietnam. When it was time for Thach to head home, his host family sent him off with some money and the address of their cousin in Winnipeg. Though he didn’t get to Manitoba, Thach did find his safe Canadian haven from the war. First traveling by bus and then hitchhiking, he was picked up near the Canadian border by a

veterinarian making his rounds. They struck up a conversation about art and shared a lunch with the doctor’s wife, who was a watercolour painter. The family offered to drive Thach to Canada. “The vet said, ‘I’m not going to lie for you, but you can sit in the back with our kids,’” Thach says. “And we went across the border with no problems.” Thach’s incredible journey wasn’t finished, however. Once in Canada, he hitchhiked first to Quebec City, then to Montreal and, finally, Toronto. There, he met University of Toronto linguistics professor Henry Rogers, who offered lodging in exchange for learning Vietnamese. Dr. Rogers put Thach up for nearly a year. He also examined Thach’s transcript and realized his young boarder was a particularly bright student. Dr. Rogers introduced him to UTS, and in the fall, Thach entered his first and only year at the school. His journey had already taken him from the bullet-riddled streets of Saigon to the Texas panhandle to Quebec. At UTS, he would have a chance to begin writing—or, more accurately, drawing—the next chapter in his incredible story.

***

In some ways, the circumstances of Thach’s arrival at UTS were instantly familiar. He was the new kid from a faraway country, standing in contrast to his predominantly white classmates who’d been raised and educated in English. At the same time, everything was new. “Right away I recognized it was very different from the American system. It had a very British feeling to me,” he says. “They addressed you as Mr. Bui. In Texas, they used your first name, and in Vietnam, they didn’t really call you anything. But I found the kids were very well educated and a lot more engaged in world affairs.” Although his time at UTS was short, Thach credits his school experience for immersing him in his new world while simultaneously affording him a different perspective on the worlds he’d left behind. “UTS made a profound impact on me, because I was introduced to Canadian life in a very intimate way. My experience in Texas was very confusing to me. My language was not good and people would say things like, ‘my brother died fighting against you.’ And in Vietnam, I could only consume propaganda. But when I got outside of

Texas, I could finally understand the world’s view of the Vietnam conflict.” Thach also found a supportive social scene at UTS. “I made friends quickly, and I still talk to some of those guys.” In particular, he cites an annual canoe trip with UTS alumni Peter Kizoff ’69, Shin Imai ’69, and Ray Kinoshita ’70 as a cherished tradition that evolved out of school friendships. Even as Thach was carving out a life in Canada, however, his status in the country remained uncertain. Dr. Rogers connected him with famed lawyer and activist Clayton Ruby, who was then known for helping Americans fleeing the draft. Ruby helped him secure landed immigrant status and bring stability to a life marked by uncertainty. “I remember going to Ruby’s office and there were three or four American guys in sleeping bags on the floor,” says Thach. “A few days later, he took me and two other guys to a place in the airport that was like a border. We had to walk across and walk back, and then they stamped me.” Meanwhile, Thach was putting his visual stamp on UTS, at least around the margins. Though no single event pointed him in the direction of an artistic career, he remembers encouraging conversations with teachers and doodling for various school publications. When he graduated, his Twig quote reflected the strange path he’d taken to that moment: “I’d like to go to designing school…though there’s a possibility I might be fighting in the Vietnam jungle next year.”

An annual canoe trip has become a tradition for UTS alumni Thach Bui, Peter Kizoff, Ray Kinoshita, and Shin Imai.

***

The roads Thach has taken since leaving UTS, while safer, have been just as fascinating. He THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Rendering recipes in comic-strip form kick-started Thach Bui’s career.

Having left daily comic strips behind, Thach Bui finds a creative outlet in capturing daily life.

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

HE’D GONE FROM DOODLING FOR HIGH SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS TO REACHING MILLIONS...

Thach Bui only attended UTS for one year, but found helping hands he still relies on decades later.

continued to hitchhike across the country. He mingled with some of Canada’s most rebellious young artists at the New School of Art. Then, after recognizing his growing interest in politicallyminded cartoon drawing, he showed some of his work to the Maclean Hunter publishing group and earned freelance assignments for magazines such as Maclean’s. Thach’s career grew quickly from there. In the coming years, he would draw for The Globe and Mail and contribute op-ed cartoons for the Toronto Star. He also got in near the ground floor of the Toronto alt-weekly Now Magazine, where he created one of his most enduring comic strips, Cheap Thrills Cuisine, with Bill Lombardo. “My neighbour at the time was a chef. He would give me food and I would ask him how he made it. I didn’t know how to read recipes, so I would just doodle how he made it. Michael Hollett, the publisher of Now Magazine, saw the food doodles and suggested I do an illustrated recipe strip.” Thach’s strip found fans beyond Now readers. In the 1980s, a visiting editor from the Washington Post fell in love with it and arranged a meeting between Thach and the storied newspaper. By the 1990s, the Post had also commissioned Thach to produce a syndicated daily strip titled PC and Pixel. He’d gone from doodling for high school publications to reaching millions. Thach retired from producing new comic strips about five years ago, but reprints of his work still circulate thanks to an online syndication firm. “We still get a couple of bucks now and then.” Of course, an artist never really retires. These days, Thach busies himself with watercolour painting and travelling with his wife, Cathy. This year, he plans on returning to Vietnam for the first time in a quarter-century, bringing his circuitous journey back to its origin. “When I went back 25 years ago with my dad, the country was still under the grip of a totalitarian society. I think my trip with Cathy will be different. Most of the people are under 25 and they don’t want to talk about the war anymore.” For Thach, there are happier memories to share. Among them are his transformational experience at UTS, where the road beneath him became solid and stable for the first time, and the yearly camping trip with fellow alumni, which he commemorates through paintings and photography. “I was just a New Boy for a year, but for me it was an enriching experience,” Thach says. “And I made some great friends.” n

SIVA VIJENTHIRA Siva Vijenthira ’05 arrived at UTS 30 years after Thach Bui left, yet her story carries echoes of her predecessor’s. Siva, her mother Sri and her younger sister Abi ’07 arrived in Canada in 1992, seeking asylum from their home country of Sri Lanka. After wading in mud and hiding in bunkers, trying to find transport amidst shelling, “we crossed the Niagara border in a snowstorm,” Siva says. It wasn’t until the family received official refugee status that Siva and Abi were able to attend school. Their mother, a former teacher, had impressed upon them the importance of education. “Even before I started school, she taught me to read using library books. She always wanted the best schooling possible for her daughters.” What Siva, Abi, and then Shangi ’18 have accomplished would make any parent proud. Siva credits their mother’s tenacity, their father’s support, and the UTS bursary program for their success. Since graduation, Siva has dedicated her career to helping newcomers to Canada and new citizens. Working at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, she manages community citizenship ceremonies across the country, which begin with roundtable discussions between new citizens and community leaders on what citizenship and inclusion mean to them. “A citizenship ceremony can feel a little like a wedding,” Siva says. “I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to be part of such a happy day for so many people, many of whom have stories that echo my family’s.” Siva, who also writes about inclusion, cycling, and city-building for Spacing magazine, says her path through UTS helped prepare her for success, praising “an environment in which students were given the respect and space to truly lead and manage enormous responsibilities. I left the school with the confidence and cultural capital to succeed in diverse environments with diverse people.” Siva notes that three of her managers, at three separate organizations, have been UTS alumni. Or, as Siva puts it: “We’re everywhere.”

THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

The Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS Has Launched Research and innovation take deeper root at UTS

by Karen Sumner THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

There is a story that goes like this:

PREVIOUS PAGE: Principal Rosemary Evans (L) and Director Angela Vemic are partners in powering the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS. BELOW: (L-R) Richard Ingram ’61 with his wife Satoko Shibata, Vice-Principal Garth Chalmers and Principal Rosemary Evans.

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

Sometime around 200 BC, the Greek mathematician Archimedes was called on to solve a high-level problem. Having already offered π and numerous other astonishing insights, he was a suitable choice. King Hiero suspected that a quantity of the gold he had supplied to manufacture a crown had been replaced with silver, though the crown came in at the correct weight. He asked Archimedes, “Can you discover whether this crown is of pure gold?” While visiting the Greek baths, Archimedes shouted “Eureka!” as the solution became clear. Noticing the way in which his body displaced water, he realized he could accurately measure an object’s volume. As silver weighs less than gold, more must be added to make up the correct weight, and therefore an impure crown must be greater in volume. Archimedes submerged a chunk of gold of the exact weight the king had provided the goldsmith and compared it to the crown. Lo and behold, the crown displaced more water and therefore was impure.

The story may not be true. But it stands in our minds as a pure “eureka” moment: the application of knowledge and experience in order to see or invent something new. The newness doesn’t come out of nowhere. It is the outcome of previous study and diligence mixed with illuminating insight when presented with a problem to solve. This search for deeper understanding and, as a result, greater utility describes the spirit of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS. Launched in the fall of 2017 at UTS, Eureka! is an interdisciplinary research centre developed to cultivate and enrich the learning community of both UTS and the University of Toronto. As one of a very small number of school-based research institutes in Canada, Eureka! offers an innovative model for 21st-century education. It provides institutional support for research-informed and evidence-based teaching, learning, and assessment practices. It also facilitates interdisciplinary inquiry and codesigned research. And it develops meaningful and reciprocal school-university partnerships. Founded by UTS alumnus Richard Ingram ’61, the Eureka! initiative was formed in the early 2000s with the provision of Eureka! Fellowships for teachers. A fellowship freed up half a teacher’s time to pursue a research project in their field. “There was an enthusiastic response to the idea,” explains Richard. “Faculty members were keen to merge their teaching with more time for research to expand their knowledge and improve their practice. Given my experience at UTS, it didn’t surprise me that the teachers embraced the opportunity.” When Rosemary Evans arrived as Principal, the school focused in on its principle objectives. While UTS has always provided a superior education based on merit and served as a resource and facility for teacher education, Principal Evans felt it was the right time to re-invigorate the school’s engagement with research and innovation. “The idea of Eureka! predated my arrival,” says Rosemary. “But Richard’s long-standing passion for teacher-driven research was a catalyst for UTS to reconnect with its roots as a lab

school and expand its identity from engaging in research projects to adopting a research stance. The Institute is in its early days, and we need its development to be both meaningful and sustainable in order to best serve UTS and be a model others can learn from and use. That’s why we have Angela Vemic on board as its Director. Between Richard and Angela, you couldn’t have more enthusiastic stewards.” Dr. Angela Vemic is Assistant Professor and Research Coordinator of the Master of Teaching Program at OISE/University of Toronto. Her two primary areas of research are global citizenship education and the role of research in teacher education and development. Angela has already begun consulting and working with a range of UTS community members along with institutional research partners from faculties across the University of Toronto. “A central underlying premise of the Institute is that the production of knowledge is dialogical and collaborative,” explains Angela. “Knowledge and innovation materialize from meaningful interdisciplinary engagement and inquiry across

a range of stakeholders and communities. The Institute is part of UTS’ vision to create a research culture with areas of inquiry co-designed by teachers, U of T faculty, and other experts. It’s an intentional space to drive innovation in research.

ABOVE: Angela Vemic (L) and Rosemary Evans discuss Eureka!

“Knowledge and innovation materialize from meaningful interdisciplinary engagement and inquiry across a range of stakeholders and communities.” “We’re currently in phase one,” continues Angela. “That involves bringing greater meaning and support to initiatives and partnerships already in development. But we are working toward what a fully-realized research school looks like. What will the co-design process entail? How will partnerships between teachers and researchers develop further? Where will additional funding come from? All of these questions can’t be answered in the first year. But what we do know is that lifelong learning, research-informed practice, THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

RIGHT: Partnerships with University of Toronto organizations such as the Munk School of Global Affairs are growing thanks to the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS. BELOW: The Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS has strengthened student, staff and university research into issues such as gender equity and inclusion.

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interdisciplinary knowledge, and collaborative investigation need to be lived and grappled with, not just talked about and put on posters.” Some of the research initiatives already underway are exploring issues such as equity and inclusion, gender stereotypes and sexual violence, teaching with technology and inquiry, and making ethical decisions related to teaching social justice. In addition, current teaching initiatives focus on various areas, including innovative curriculum design within the Master of Teaching program, global development challenges, problemsolving strategies, and open-ended neuroscience experiments using model invertebrates. In addition, the Youth Participatory Action Research program (yPAR) teaches young people how to conduct systematic research. Involving more UTS students in research projects is a priority for the Eureka! Institute. The various partnerships with university professors, research institutes, and community organizations have received funding from foundations, endowments, universities, and agencies such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). With Eureka! now fully established, many more research partnerships—as well as innovations in site-based teacher education—can be more fully supported and woven into the fabric of the school. This accords well with Richard’s vision, which sprung from his transformative experience at UTS. “I can say without an ounce of doubt that UTS set me on my life’s path,” explains Richard. “I followed my brother David Ingram ’58 after being at the top of my class in my public school. At UTS, I was about middle of the pack. But the superior education and, in particular, having to study so many languages turned me into a world traveller. That has been a defining feature of my life.” When Richard later applied to Harvard Business School, he was rejected. The school asked him to get back in touch after gaining some valuable work experience. He drew on his UTS education to do that. “I packed up my French, Latin and Spanish and headed to Venezuela to teach English. After that, I landed a position at CUSO International in Ottawa and was put in charge of its South

Richard Ingram ’61 is the original visionary behind Eureka!

American program. Long story short, I was accepted into Harvard Business School, travelled the world, met my wife Satoko in Japan, and built a business. It all comes back to UTS, the teachers, and those languages for me.”

“There was an enthusiastic response to the idea. Faculty members were keen to merge their teaching with more time for research to expand their knowledge and improve their practice.” Richard’s appreciation for the work that teachers do “on the ground” led him to the idea of the Eureka! Research Institute @ UTS. Teachers partnering with researchers to create credible studies and outcomes was perfectly in sync with the school’s mandate and mission. Richard has committed to fund the Institute for five years, during which time other funding sources will need to be developed to carry Eureka! further into the future. In a sense, Richard is passing forward his own “Eureka!” experience at UTS. Now, more teachers, researchers, and students will have the opportunity to experience their own “I’ve found it!” moments. n

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ALUMNI NEWS

Notes on the milestones and achievements in the lives of our alumni. There are plenty of ways to stay in touch! www.utschools.ca/alumnidirectory alumni@utschools.ca @utschools @utschools / @rosemary_evans @utschools

On October 14, 2017, the Annual Alumni Dinner brought generations of UTS graduates together in celebration at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Toronto. In keeping with tradition, the evening paid particular focus to graduating classes marking five and 10‑year anniversaries. From the Class of 1952 table to an address from 2017-18 School Captains Aaron Dou ’18 and Darla Abou Reslan ’18 , the Annual Dinner covered more than 65 years of UTS history. Young and old, UTS alumni reconnected for some laughs, a great meal, and updates about the present and future of UTS. Highlights included a glimpse of the building revitalization set to take place at 371 Bloor Street over the next few

years, an update on the Building the Future campaign, and the presentation of the H.J. Crawford Award to Jim Fleck C.C. ’49 P ’72 and former math teacher and hockey coach Bruce MacLean. The honour was a fitting sendoff to Bruce,

who passed away in January 2018 at the age of 106 (see In Memoriam p. 27). All in all, the Annual Alumni Dinner was once again a testament to the strong relationships and sense of pride that sustain the UTS community.

TOP LEFT: Bill Saunderson ’52 and Gerry Crawford ’52 celebrated 65 years since UTS graduation. TOP RIGHT: Principal Rosemary Evans poses with H.J. Crawford Award winner Jim Fleck ’49, P ’72. BOTTOM: Members of UTS’ national champion Reach for the Top teams were inducted into the UTS Hall of Fame.

THE ROOT | SPRING 2018

Photo: MCpl Vincent Carbonneau, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2018.

Alumni News

Climate change remains one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, but Camille Li ’92 is committed to the cause. As an associate professor of atmospheric dynamics at the University of Bergen and research group leader for the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, both based in Norway, Camille is a key figure in a research hub that brings together 200 researchers from over 30 countries. Last spring, Camille had the chance to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg and discuss the impact of global warming. // UTS is proud to announce that Steve Otto ’57 (pictured with Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada) was invested into the Order of Canada in February 2018. Steve was honoured “for his sustained advocacy in support of heritage conservation and for his contributions to preserving and promoting Ontario’s buildings and architecture.”

Jennifer Fang ’99 and her husband, James Edward Lamb Jr., are pleased to announce the birth of their first child. Their daughter, Selene Veleah Lamb, was born in October 2017.

In February 2018, Dr. Anthony Hollenberg ’79

assumed the roles of chairman of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and physician-in-chief at New YorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. An accomplished physician-scientist, Dr. Hollenberg aims to enhance clinical and research programs at Weill and New York-Presbyterian, as well as bolster teaching, training and mentorship opportunities. He previously served as chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and vicechair of mentoring for the Department of Medicine for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School.

// Jason Shron ’93 has made his passion his business, operating his model train company, Rapido Trains Inc., since 1993. But trains aren’t the only method of transportation his company captures in model form. Jason has expanded his scope to make model buses and is designing several for the Toronto Transit Commission shop. He recently enjoyed the opportunity to drive a 50-year-old restored bus to the TTC’s Hillcrest Shops to meet the team that maintains and rebuilds TTC buses, an experience he describes as “fulfilling a lifelong dream.”

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Alumni News

Photo: Jeff An, Team Open Mind

// “Fake news” is one of the defining terms of this era, bandied about by people from across the political spectrum to dismiss ideas with which they disagree. With the sheer amount of information available in various forms of media, separating fact from fake can be a real challenge. That’s where Alex Cui ’16 (left) and Jeff An ’16 (right) come in. Along with Yale University doctoral students Michael Lopez-Brau and Stefan Uddenberg, the duo has developed a web browser extension that helps users identify fake news stories and curate a more balanced consumption of media. Dubbed “Open Mind,” the plug-in was developed at a 36-hour hackathon competition at Yale University. Alex, a student at the California Institute of Technology, and Jeff, a computer science student at the University of Waterloo who is also studying business at Wilfrid Laurier University, collaborated on the Google Chrome extension software, which signals users when they are visiting a site or seeing a social media post from an organization known for publishing fake news. The software also identifies political bias in articles and posts and presents alternative sources of information that can challenge users’ tendencies to seek out only content that conforms to their existing beliefs. The goal: to pop the ideological “bubbles” we create for ourselves online.

EVENTS November 26, 2017 marked a musical milestone for UTS, as members of our community gathered at the home of Marko Duic ’76 to celebrate the official launch of the I Remember CD. Attendees were treated to performances by staff, students and alumni, including Billy Bao ’14, Derek Bate ’71 , Conrad Chow ’99, Aaron Dou ’18 , Alex Eddington ’98 , Rebecca Moranis ’16, Donna Oh ’18 , Aaron Schwebel ’06, Cynthia Smithers ’06 and Alastair Thorburn-Vitols ’22 . These and other musicians are featured on the CD itself, which explores the

theme of youth and includes both traditional European chamber music and original compositions. Released on the Cambria Master Recordings label, I Remember is available for purchase as a download, on streaming services and at the UTS online shop in CD format. Branching Out, the program that pairs senior UTS students with young, established alumni for oneto-one mentorship, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special panel discussion in October 2017. Titled “The Benefits of Life-Long Mentorship,” the panel, moderated by students

Celebrate the spirit of youth with UTS staff, students and alumni. Buy the I REMEMBER CD online!

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Jocelyn Chow ’18 and Audrey Ho ’18 , featured UTS alumni Marko Duic ’76, Anthony Lee ’86 and Jake Brockman ’09, as well as Branching Out co-creators Luke Stark ’02 and former teacher Carole Bernichhia-Freeman.

Alumni News

Interested in joining the Branching Out program to mentor senior UTS students? Contact Rebecca Harrison for more details: rebecca.harrison@utschools.ca.

Luke Stark’s busy fall also included a shared exhibition with his father, Frank Stark ’62 , at the Keys Gallery at UTS. The duo’s Techne: Photographs exhibit marked the first-ever father-son showing at the Gallery.

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS Booking In (Dundurn Press, 2017) is the latest entry in the Crang Mystery series by Jack Batten ’50. Published last fall, the series’ title character, a private investigator, tries to crack the case of a stolen forgery of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese. Booking In

was informed and inspired by Jack’s friendships with a former director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto and the owner of an antique shop, and is shaded in with landmarks and references that make the setting distinctively Toronto. The novel is the eighth in the Crang series. Alex Hutchinson ’93

drew on his experiences as a national track athlete for his new book ENDURE: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance (HarperCollins 2018). An examination of the science of endurance, the book also explores current research on the role of the brain in setting and stretching physical limits. Featuring a foreword by renowned author Malcolm Gladwell, ENDURE debuted on the bestseller lists of both The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star. Joy at the End of the Rainbow: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Loss has earned Amanda Ross-White ’96 secondplace honours in the Consumer Health category of the American Journal of Nursing’s 2017 Book of the Year awards.

// David Frum ’78 has long been known as one of North America’s most prominent players in political media, from his former role as a speechwriter for President George W. Bush to his current position as senior editor of The Atlantic. Fellow UTS alumnus Ian McCuaig ’80 (L) was on hand at a promotional event for David’s new book Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic (HarperCollins, 2018), which has earned praise from the authors allies and opponents—and created this occasion for a catch-up between two distinguished alumni.

Bang Bang, the latest play by Kat Sandler ’04, debuted in February 2018 to rave reviews. Staged at the Factory Theatre, the play examines the thorny issues that arise when artists attempt to reflect the experiences of others, particularly those whose backgrounds are vastly different. In the play, a black former police officer, who has left the force in the wake of shooting a black youth, is driven to depression by public condemnation. Amplifying the situation is a play about the shooting incident by a white writer as well as a pending film adaptation. Though it tackles serious and controversial themes, a review in the Toronto Star noted Bang Bang’s success in balancing “thoughtful drama” with “rip-roaring comedy.”

ALUMNI REUNIONS Members of the Class of 1949 reunited for a lunch event at UTS this past December. Joined by Principal Rosemary Evans and Executive Director, Advancement Martha Drake, the group got a chance to reminisce, catch up and learn more about current happenings and future developments at the school. The most recent winners of the Bruce THE UTS ALUMNI MAGAZINE

Alumni News

MacLean Mathletic Award, Ruqayya Hirji ’18 and Rithvik Swamynathan ’18 stopped by to discuss their achievements. The Class of 1952 got together at Meredith and Bill Saunderson’s home in November for a reunion, a look at renderings of the future UTS school building and to receive their anniversary year pins. They also presented Principal Evans with a construction hard hat that read, “Major Domo,” which means “chief steward of a large household.” Sixty-five years after graduation, these former classmates still enjoy each other’s company and conversation. On the eve of the Annual Alumni Dinner, the Class of 1967 celebrated

the 50th anniversary of graduation with a reunion hosted by classmate Tom MacMillan. The laughter and camaraderie of the attendees was a testament to bonds of friendship that have endured across the decades and proved there’s plenty of youthful spirit in these Old Boys. In October, the Class of 1977 and a number of courageous wives celebrated the 40th anniversary of a graduation most of them actually achieved at Helen and Bill Robson’s house. Highlights were guests of honour, former principal Don Gutteridge and Anne Millar, and Principal Rosemary Evans, along with a reach-for-the-top-style UTS trivia contest attendees described as “reach

for the bottom.” Guests also enjoyed an anniversary beer dubbed “Velut Arbor Ita Cervesia”, a 1970s-era playlist and the period-appropriate fashion on display. The Robsons plan a reprise on the 42½th anniversary. Really! Members of the Class of 1982 began the day of the Annual Alumni Dinner by gathering for a casual brunch at Class Representative Peter Czegledy’s home, followed by a tour of UTS and a discussion of the school’s intended renovation plans. The day wrapped up with the usual Alumni Dinner festivities and a subsequent foray to a local establishment, closing the place, true to form, in the wee hours of the next morning.

TOP LEFT: Gerry Crawford ’52 presents Principal Rosemary Evans with a “Major Domo” construction hard hat at the Class of 1952 reunion. TOP RIGHT: The Class of 1967. BOTTOM LEFT (LEFT TO RIGHT): 1977 grads Bill Robson, Eric Tatrallyay, Nevill Keogh, Hobie Orris and Tom Bauer. BOTTOM RIGHT (LEFT TO RIGHT): Sheila Scott, Peter Czegledy and Ben Chan at the Class of 82 Reunion.

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Alumni News

// The transition from UTS students to UTS alumni is an exciting one, as our graduates take the next step in their lives, using the lessons they learned at the school as a solid foundation. The Class of 2017 regrouped at UTS for a festive lunchtime gathering over the holiday season. For our most recent alumni, the event was a chance to share not-sodistant memories of the school, compare fresh post-secondary experiences and reaffirm the unique bond they share with each other, and with UTS, as graduating classmates.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

Alumni Golf Tournament Join your fellow alumni at St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Club for a friendly round, which will include closest-to-the-pin challenges and chances to win individual and team trophies, including Most Honest Golfer. Afterwards, alumni will gather in the clubhouse and cool off with some drinks and enjoy a delicious dinner. Tee‑off times begin at 11:00 a.m. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Bon Voyage, 371 Bloor! 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. UTS will move to a temporary home this fall, but not before sending off our historic home in style. Join students, staff, alumni and members of the community as we look back on the great memories made at 371 Bloor Street West and forward to the fantastic future of our soon-to-be-revitalized school.

SPRING INTO SCHOOL SPIRIT From songs to sweatshirts, you can find exclusive UTS merchandise online!

utschools.ca/shop

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20

Annual Alumni Dinner Reception: 5:30 p.m. Dinner: 7:00 p.m. The alumni event of the year takes place at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Hotel. Enjoy great food and catch up with old friends as we celebrate graduating anniversary years ending in “3” and “8.”

To RSVP to any of these events, go to www.utschools.ca/rsvp or contact: alumni@utschools.ca. For further information, please call 416-978-3919.

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Alumni News

IN MEMORIAM DAVID GRAHAM 1927-2017 How to pay tribute to this man who was my life for sixty-six years? David Graham ’45 was School Captain in his graduating year, and his quote from the Twig reads, “It is not the buildings of this institution which construct the traditions and ‘esprit de corps’ which we possess, but it is the masters, and the boys who have gone before us, plus ourselves, and you who follow us, that play the part in our school and make it an institution of which to be proud.” David graduated from the University of Toronto as a Professional Engineer and started his career with Westinghouse International in Montreal. We were married in 1951 and returned to Inglewood, Ontario in 1954, where David established Graham Products Limited, a fiberglass-reinforced plastics company in the family’s woolen mill (built in the 1840s). David was a founding member and a president of the Osler Bluff Ski Club, and an ardent canoeist, skier, world traveller, developer, and philanthropist. He was the father of four wonderful human beings and grandfather of eight fantastic women. He was only thirteen when his father died at Christmastime in 1939. He must have felt totally bereft just after starting classes at UTS. Family had taught him admirable Christian values, and other great dads would teach him fair play in neighbourhood sports, but where had he learned about leadership, integrity, forbearance, and tolerance? I believe it was the influence of the excellent teachers at UTS. One of the ways he was inspired was in a philosophy class, studying “If,” a poem by Rudyard Kipling about what it takes to be a man. It included wise words such as, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs,” “Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,” and “Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common 26

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touch…And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!” David was over 40 years old before I knew how important this poem was to him. He knew it mostly by heart and carried it in his wallet all his life. I was most fortunate to be his life partner and so witness where he applied Kipling’s advice. He was a wonderful Man. – Marty Graham P ’73, ’76, ’78 JOHN BENNETT 1919-2017 Throughout the long and rich life of John Bennett ’38 , art was a constant companion. From elementary-school age to his nineties, John’s passion for art endured, reflected in the countless paintings, sculptures, fused-glass creations, and sketches that captured his travels and experiences. As an infantry camouflage officer in World War II, John made time to create a watercolour painting almost every day. In his profile in the Spring 2014 issue of The Root, he explained to writer Kim Lee Kho ’81 that “I was very lucky. I was an officer and I had my own jeep, so I had a box made to carry my paper and paints.” Nearly 80 of these works can be found at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. John carried his paper, paints, and other art supplies long after the war, creating brilliant work, which was displayed in successful exhibitions. These included a 1946 showing at the Art Gallery of Toronto (now the Art Gallery of Ontario), where he became the first living artist to receive a solo exhibition. He was also a member of the Ontario Society of Artists and the Ontario Watercolour Society and an honorary member of the American Watercolor Society and the Japanese Watercolor Society. John also applied his artistic sensibility to other pursuits. He taught and was later a vice principal at Northern Vocational School, and subsequently Coordinator of Arts and Crafts for the Toronto school system. In addition, he served as a juror at several art school competitions.

Outside of his career achievements, John was beloved for his wit, his love of animals, and his spirited tennis game, most frequently played at the Donalda Club, of which he was a founding member. His legacy is evident not only in his art but also in the fond memories of his children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. JUDITH MILLS 1939-2017 Judith Mills was born in Vancouver shortly after the start of the Second World War but grew up in the village of Islington in the then-rural Etobicoke of the 1940s and 50s. At Queen’s University, she completed her honours degree in English and then stayed on for a Master’s. It was here that a very tall, bespectacled young woman began to establish friendships that would grow with the years and last for the rest of her life. She met her first husband, George Mills, during a summer job around this time, and after George’s passing would marry Doug Porter, another Queen’s connection. After teaching at Branksome Hall and St. Clements, she began a UTS career that would last from 1983 to 1999. Sixteen years. I recall Judith whispering to me one afternoon, remarking on the intensity of the UTS experience for both students and teachers, “I wonder if Time at UTS should be measured for all of us in dog years.” Judith had been a somewhat solitary child lost in books. But, as Judith and I both knew, these worlds conjured by words weren’t an escape. They were an affirmation of so much of what we observed in our ordinary lives and yet somehow went unseen by others. Stories offered us insights, nudged us to truths we recognized but didn’t ourselves have the words for. Judith found in teaching a way to celebrate this passion for literature. She had that skill of a fine teacher in being able to encourage a student or a colleague to weigh and understand a situation

Alumni News

differently, to get one to step back and gain perspective. She would tease out what really lay at the root of a problem. In developing and often teaching grades together, I came to respect her dedication to the subject, to the students, and to UTS as a whole. Her students felt the same, with many developing cherished relationships with her that extended well beyond graduation. I leave you with the words of Diana Drappel ’95, one of the many students whose lives Judith profoundly influenced: “Judith was caring and genuine. Always

thoughtful, always sincere. I was lucky to have counted her as a friend and I miss her very much.” – Scott Baker BRUCE MACLEAN 1911-2017 Most people will have strong memories of at least one of the schools they attended or of a teacher in whose class they studied. For many of Bruce MacLean’s students, the teacher and the school blended into one single, enduring

memory: Bruce became the face of the University of Toronto Schools. He was both the teacher and the institution who so unforgettably impacted our lives. It was Bruce’s approach to his students through his teaching and coaching that led to our very vivid memories of him. He made it clear from the very beginning that you were responsible for yourself, that it was up to you to identify your objectives and that it was your obligation to go as far as you possibly could to achieve them. Consistent, organized effort was how you got to the goal. Bruce’s approach to managing life is so engrained in my memory of him that when I came into contact with him decades later, I would self-consciously conduct a personal inventory to see if there were any loose ends with which I ought to deal. For most adults, teachers become over time only a memory. Here was Bruce, a teacher, who no longer had any formal vestige of authority over you but whose mere presence could make you take stock, think, and act. Several times in recent years, Encarnita and I took Bruce out for lunch at his favourite restaurant on the shores of Lake Ontario. Even being so many years older than my wife and I, he would be first out of the car and open the door for Encarnita. His comments and questions reflected how well he kept track of what his students were up to. While UTS at the time Bruce taught was an all-boys’ school, I suspect the wives of many of his students have come to know Bruce through the respect their husbands hold for him. He was a person to be admired and cherished. – John Gardner ’55

What will you do? To designate UTS in your will or as a designation for memorial gifts, please contact Martha Drake, Executive Director, Advancement. 416-946-0097 mdrake@utschools.ca

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LOOKING BACK ➊

A 371 PHOTO QUIZ

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Vernon Kee

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Matt Semansky

Vernon Kee

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Vernon Kee

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Vernon Kee

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Nicola Townend

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Alisia Pan

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Dahlia Katz

Even as UTS looks with excitement toward the revitalization of the school, we think fondly back to our past and the quirky, unique and beautiful places that have defined 371 Bloor Street West. Can you identify the items and places in the photos? It may not be the most difficult UTS quiz you’ve ever taken, but it might be one of the most enjoyable (answers below).

ANSWERS: 1. The lobby chandelier 2. “Camillus” (from Classics) 3. German weather board 4. Ladder to auditorium crawlspace 5. Library “nook” (suitable for studying, reading and napping) 6. Rifle Range 7. S6 lockers 8. Wrestling dummy 9. Arm from auditorium seat