C o r n e r s t o n e L e s s o n s • C e l e b r at i n g 16 0 Y e a r s • C a n a d a G o o s e d
St.Michael’s
Volume 51 Number 1 Spring 2012
stmikes.utoronto.ca
University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto Alumni Magazine
A beacon for
Celtic Culture
Along with academic prowess came
generosity and charm in 1975,
when Ann Dooley joined St. Mike’s
Contents
St.Michael’s
The University of St. Michael’s
College Alumni Magazine
PublisheD BY
Leslie Belzak, Director of
Alumni Affairs, University of
St. Michael’s College
10
16
16
Distribution
Office of Alumni Affairs
and Development
Alumni, friends and students of
St. Michael’s College receive this
magazine free of charge.
Visit our website at
stmikes.utoronto.ca
2 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
A Beacon for Celtic Culture
Along with academic prowess came generosity and charm
in 1975, when Ann Dooley joined St. Michael’s College
By Cynthia Macdonald 8T6
Cornerstone Lessons
A new Foundation Year Program for first-year students at
St. Mike’s combines academic studies with hands-on learning
By Megan O’Connor
Honours
In Print
Bulletin Board
03
Columns
04
Zeitgeist
The Bottom Line
09
Giving
The View from elmsley place
Core Values to Guide Our Future
Art Direction & Design
Fresh Art & Design Inc.
Please send comments, corrections
and enquiries to the Office of
Alumni Affairs and Development
University of St. Michael’s College
81 St. Mary Street,
Toronto, ON M5S 1J4
Telephone: 416-926-7260
Fax: 416-926-2339
Email: smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
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26
28
31
SMC PHOTOGRAPHY
Sheila Eaton
Publication Mail Agreement
No: 40068944
CONTRIBUTORS
John L. Allen Jr.
Suzanne Heft 9T1
Andy Lubinsky 7T9
Cynthia Macdonald 8T6
Megan O’Connor
Dan Seljak
Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz 6T8
Kevin Sylvester 8T9
COVER
Ann Dooley
Photo: John Reeves 1998
Celebrating 160 Years to Chart the Future
past leads the way in a new campaign for a dynamic future
By Suzanne Heft 9T1
copy editors
J. Barrett Healy
Fr. Robert Madden 5T8
Betty Noakes
CAMPUS NOTES & Snapshot
Francesca Imbrogno 1T0
Campus Notes
The University of St. Michael’s College’s distinguished
EDITOR
Mechtild Hoppenrath
FINAL READ
J.P. Antonacci 0T7
05
10
20
24
25
27
35
The Thomas Cardinal Collins
Scholarships in Student Leadership
Alumni Association
Building Relationships
the view from smcsu
Getting the Inside Scoop
snapshot
At the Kelly Café with Kevin Dancy
Art on campus
Ave atque Vale
The view from elmsley place
Core Values to
Guide Our Future
E
arlier this spring, the University of St. Michael’s
academic staff, led by Principal Domenico Pietropaolo, is hard at work
College developed a strategic plan that will shape our future. delineating and refining strategic directions for the academic future
As we were planning, we looked for a unique characteristic of the College. We are very proud that this fall will see the launch of
that has defined the University of St. Michael’s College philosophy
Cornerstone, our new first-year program, introduced in more detail
for the past 160 years. After a time of reflective introspection and
later on in this magazine. Cornerstone speaks loud and clear to Catholic
conversation, we have concluded and say now without reservation
social teaching and a tradition of outreach that has long defined the
that ours is an institution with integrity.
ethos of St. Michael’s. Our Faculty of Theology remains committed
What does it mean to be an institution with integrity? Integrity is
to academic and professional formation for Ministry in a changing
often used as a descriptive term by those who want others to know they
world, while Continuing Education reaches out to a variety of publics
are truthful, reliable, honest and honorable. At St. Michael’s, we wear
with creative opportunities to refresh old interests and explore their
our integrity with pride. For
cutting edge.
the last 160 years, we have
We are delighted to weldefined ourselves as the
come Robert Edgett as the
Roman Catholic college in
newly appointed Executive
the University of Toronto.
Director of Alumni Affairs
Today, as each consecutive
and Development. He has
generation of our students
been tasked with the epic
is less likely to call itself
endeavor to lead the Colspecifically Roman Catholege through this time of
lic, we look carefully, and
campaign, steering a course
often, at how to maintain
that will ensure that what
our tradition and identity
we say and how we chalin a largely secular setting.
lenge ourselves remain
Simply put, our intrue to the very best of the
tegrity demands that we Safeguarding a legacy of St. Michael's values: (l. to. r.) USMC President and Catholic traditions and valremain rooted in our in- Vice-Chancellor Anne Anderson csj, SMC Principal Domenico Pietropaolo
ues that we know, respect
and
USMC
Chancellor,
His
Eminence
Thomas
Cardinal
Collins.
stitutional mission. The
and embody.
opening lines of our MisAs the President of the
sion Statement state very clearly, “St. Michael’s is committed to the study University of St. Michael’s College, it is my privilege to lead by
of the Christian Tradition within a context of faith and to fostering the
example. For me, the integrity of the University of St. Michael’s Colcreative engagement of that tradition with the widest range of academic lege will be assured through the maintenance of our unique identity,
disciplines as well as other traditions both religious and secular. St. Miwhere our beliefs and ideals are daily reinforced by our actions, which
chael’s welcomes faculty and students from every background who want to
must remain firmly rooted in the legacy of our Basilian Founders:
participate in its life.” At St. Michael’s, integrity means using our core
Teach me, goodness, discipline and knowledge. Living this legacy is the
values and traditions to inform each and every decision we make.
foundation of our institutional integrity. F
Over the next five years, as the University of St. Michael’s College
engages its communities with the University of Toronto in a major Prof. Anne Anderson csj, President and Vice-Chancellor
fundraising campaign, we will do so with integrity of purpose. Our University of St. Michael’s College
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 3
Zeitgeist
The Bottom Line
Does the current economic climate make fundraising harder?
R
ecent years have had many Canadian non-profit
organizations relying on income from established donation
funds take a sobering look at the bottom line. How to tighten
the belt in times when interest rates have hit record lows and investments no longer result in stellar returns? Are donors cautious to the
point of turning away from giving entirely? Things may not be all that
bleak, though.
Canada has the second largest non-profit sector in the world, preceded only by the Netherlands.1 In December 2008, Statistics Canada
(Statscan) reported that the sector represented 7.1 per cent of national
economic activity 2, exceeding the GDP of the
entire Canadian retail trade. It also is close
to that of the mining, oil and gas industry.3
This shouldn’t come as a surprise; non-profit
organizations play key roles in our communities after all—taking care of our physical
and mental health, serving the economically
disadvantaged, improving our environment,
encouraging creativity and artistic expression, working in developing countries and,
obviously, in educating future generations. In
2007, Statscan reports, 23 million Canadians
donated money and 12.5 million volunteered
time to at least one non-profit organization.4
What has happened with the funding
of these organizations since the economic
crisis of late 2008? With government budget restrictions, non-profits
have increasingly turned to the general public for help. Have these
resources now also become harder to access, as Canadians become
more concerned about their economic prospects?
Imagine Canada, an organization whose mission focuses on the wellbeing of Canada’s charities and non-profits, suggests that blaming the
2008 economic crisis for fundraising challenges is an oversimplification.
Without doubt, tax filings following the 2008 crisis showed a six per
cent drop in giving and lower average donations for 2009. However, a
recent Statscan preliminary study of donor tax filings shows a total donation dollar increase in 2010 over 2009, as well as an increase in the size of
the average donation, even when adjusted for inflation. It also suggests
the 2009 drop might have been a one-time phenomenon. We now appear back on track with the trend, since 1984, of charitable donation
4 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
increases outstripping both GDP and median income growth.5
Currently, it seems, the economy does not slow down charitable
giving. That is good news, possibly helped by an increasingly favourable
regulatory environment. Ever since 1996, new incentives encourage not
only the giving of cash, but also of appreciated capital property, publicly
traded securities and ecologically sensitive lands. As well, the last decade
has seen a dramatic professionalizing of the fundraising environment,
resulting in increasingly sophisticated donation requests by mail, via the
Internet and other electronic media, and also on the streets.
By the same token, though, competition for donors has become
fiercer, the situation aggravated by an evernarrowing donor pool. In 2007, the top
10 per cent of donors accounted for over
62 per cent of total dollars contributed.
Those who give more are likely to be older,
to have higher household incomes and more
formal education.6 When they give they tend
to demand full accountability and assurances
that their donations are well spent. As for
younger generations, there is some evidence
showing that 20- and 30-somethings don’t
appear as committed to traditional nonprofits as the boomer cohort. While community-conscious, they may want to find
other ways to ‘do good’ rather than give to
existing institutions,
What does all this mean for non-profits? I am reminded of a quote
from Aristotle: “To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s
power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large, and when, and
for what purpose and how, is neither in every man’s power nor an easy
matter” (Ethics, 360 BC). As shown above, today’s environment to raise
funds holds much promise. Finding innovative answers to the questions
asked by Aristotle more than 23 centuries ago will ultimately decide the
winners, who will engage traditional boomers and new donors alike
for their respective causes—which in an educational institution like St.
Michael’s College are surely easy to find. F
Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz is a former CEO of Imagine Canada. To access
the data sources for her essay, please refer to the online archived edition of this
magazine at http://stmikes.utoronto.ca/alumni/pdf/zeitgeist-appendices.pdf
Illustration: Anson Liaw
By Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz 6T8
Campus Notes
Photo courtesy CSJT Archives
Celebrating SMC Women
The launch of an online exhibit last
September 27 marked the beginning of a
year that honours a centennial of women’s
education at the College. The same day,
historic photos and other mementos
Annual John Meagher
Public Lecture
USMC Assoc. Prof. Lee
Cormie gave the 2nd Annual
John Meagher Public Lecture
displayed at the Kelly Library provided
a telling backdrop for the first of three
topical lectures, this one given by Prof.
Elizabeth Smyth, UofT Vice-Dean of
Graduate Studies, followed by a reception. On January 23, at Loretto College,
November 25 at the Faculty
of Theology. Entitled “New
Heaven/New Earth: On the
Pasts and Futures of Theology,”
it addressed the reappearance of
Sr. Evanne Hunter IBVM presented “The
History of Loretto College.” The three-part
celebration lecture series concluded March
7 with Sr. Mechtilde O’Mara csj speaking
at Regis College (a.k.a. Christie House) on
the history of St. Joseph’s College.
biblical images of apocalypse,
new heaven and new earth at
the centre of popular culture (in
movies and novels and games)
and political debates.
John M. Kelly Lecture
Co-sponsored by Salt and
Light Catholic Media, the John
M. Kelly Lecture in Theology took place September 28.
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 5
Campus Notes
Hairspray
Rehearsing for Hairspray, another student production
smash hit that had audiences on their feet.
Alumni at the ROM
On October 14, USMC
Alumni Association members
were treated to a special
Boozer Brown Repeat: October 15 saw SMC alumni and
Incense burner stand
depicting the Jaguar
God of the Underworld
6 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
undergrads gather for the 43rd annual Boozer Brown
football game. It was a cold fall morning, but spirits were
high and the game was good. With a score of 5-4, the
alumni won yet again. One of the best moments of the day,
though, came after the handing-off of the trophy, when
alumni and undergrads jointly yelled one last Hoikity Choik,
keeping an age-old tradition alive. After the game, the
Alumni Association put on a lovely barbecue where alumni
and their families sat and mingled with the undergrads.
Under the direction of Emily
Dix, with choreography by
Shak Haq and Melanie
Mastonardi, this year’s SMCSU
Arts and Theatre Commission produced the musical
Hairspray, based on the 1988
film, music by Marc Shaiman.
Students, faculty and family
provided capacity crowds at
Hart House Theatre for the
December 1 to 3 performances,
some returning several times.
Staging a musical has been a
staple event for many years
at St. Mike’s that draws in
students university-wide,
providing a positive outlet for
creative energy. SMCSU hopes
to continue this tradition—
and keep the accolades coming.
Movies Anyone?
A November 13 TIFF Bell
Lightbox screening of Rear
Window, the 1954 Alfred
Hitchcock classic starring
Grace Kelly and James
Photo bottom left: CONACULTA-INAH; top cenere: Dan Seljak
Acclaimed author, speaker
and theologian Robert Barron
presented “To Evangelize the
Culture” in St. Basil’s Church.
Ordained to the priesthood
in 1986, Fr. Barron has been a
professor of systematic theology at University of St. Mary of
the Lake/Mundelein Seminary
since 1992. He is creator
and host of “Catholicism,” a
ten-part documentary series
and study program about the
Catholic faith.
gallery tour at the Royal
Ontario Museum to explore
biodiversity through the
ages. Later, at St. Mike’s,
Prof. Tim Dickinson from
the ROM’s Department of
Natural History and UofT’s
Department of Ecology gave
a lecture on “Biodiversity
through Time—The History
of Change,” followed by a
reception. Another exclusive
talk and tour took place
December 9 at the ROM, the
topic this time “Maya: Secrets
of their Ancient World”, the
title of the exhibition that had
opened three weeks prior.
Stewart, marked a USMC
Alumni Association first for
film aficionados. Movie buffs
and novices alike gathered to
hear TIFF Director and CEO
Piers Handling’s pre-screening
talk and introduction to
the thriller that, close to
six decades later, still keeps
viewers on the edge of
their seats.
Celtic Studies’ artists-inresidence Martin Hayes,
on the fiddle, and Denis
Cahill, on the guitar, gave a
riveting concert of traditional
Irish music in Alumni Hall
on October 15. The two
Kudos
Santa Claus at st. mike’s
Always a family favourite, the
annual Santa Claus Parade
& Party took place Sunday,
November 20. Many a family
dropped by the Coop for a
visit with Santa before he
headed off to the annual
parade. Along with arts and
crafts for the kids, cookies and
hot chocolate were in high
demand—and comfortable
chairs for the grownups.
Having fun at the Santa Claus Parade & Party 2011.
Cuts for Christmas
On December 1, SMCSU
held its 4th annual “Cuts
for Christmas” event where
long-maned students donated
their natural-colour hair to
make wigs for cancer patients.
Award-winning Toronto Salon
Escape, who sent two stylists
to give donors a crisp new
look, sponsored the event.
This year’s ten donors raised
$500 for the Canadian Cancer
Society, increasing the overall
four-year total to $4,000 and
25 hair donations. Keep the
dye in the bottles and the
ponytails coming!
Celtic Studies Bards
Thanks to the Ireland
Fund of Canada’s support,
Annual Christmas Tea: Again this year, a festive afternoon
Christmas Tea in Father Madden Hall celebrated the holiday
season on Wednesday, December 14, the room decked out
with a Christmas tree and holiday decorations. Many alumni
came to visit with old friends, sing Christmas carols and
enjoy sandwiches and sweets, punch and tea.
• Christianity and
Culture Assoc. Prof.
Reid Locklin published
Liturgy of Liberation: A
Christian Commentary
on Shankara’s Upadesasahasri, Leuven: Peeters,
November 2011. His
book aims to support Christian-Hindu
interfaith dialogue,
increasingly significant
as Hindus move to
North America, Europe
and westernized
regions elsewhere.
• In a November 10 soirée at Toronto’s Hugh’s
Room, aptly supported
with traditional music
performed by the McGee
Band of Ottawa, Celtic
Studies Prof. David
Wilson launched Thomas
D’Arcy McGee, Volume II:
The Extreme Moderate,
1857-1868, McGillQueen’s University Press
2011. The book is a
sequel to Volume I: Passion, Reason and Politics,
1825-1857, which was
a co-winner of the 10th
Annual James S. Donnelly award, presented by
the American Conference for Irish Studies.
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 7
Appointments
Celtic Studies artist-in-residence and 2008 Irish Musician of the
Year Martin Hayes performing in Alumni Hall last October.
Green Dot Help
January 30 saw the launch
of the Green Dot program,
a UofT Health and Wellness
initiative offered in partnership with SMC’s Dean of
Students Office. The program aims to reduce violence
on (and off) campus, focussing on bystander intervention. Green Dot training will
provide participants with
clear information about the
risks of violence and strategies they can use when faced
with situations that could
lead to violence —or to any
kind of harm—in a way that
is safe and fits with what
feels right for them.
8 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
Young Alums in the Pub: SMCSU along with Alex Greco,
the USMC Alumni Association Board’s newest member,
and others on the Board hosted the first-ever Young Alumni Pub Night at Madison Avenue Pub’s Piano Room. The
November 10 night out brought together 2009, 2010 and
2011 grads, members of the Alumni Association and USMC
Alumni Affairs staff as well as members of the 2011-2012
SMCSU Council. This new event aims to increase a sense
of community between recent grads, SMCSU and more
“seasoned” alumni, encouraging them to help support the
wider SMC community.
• At the February 18 and
19 ceremonies of the Consistory in Rome, USMC
Chancellor and Toronto
Archbishop Most Rev.
Thomas Collins joined the
ranks of 22 new cardinals
appointed to the College
of Cardinals by Pope
Benedict XVI. Collins is
the 16th Canadian Cardinal
in the 700-year history of
the College, and the fourth
from Toronto, Canada’s
largest Archdiocese.
• In USMC Faculty news,
the Collegium granted
tenure to Dr. Dennis P.
O’Hara last November.
He teaches ethics and ecotheology in the Faculty of
Theology, which in turn
recently welcomed Sr.
Caroline Dawson IBVM
as Minister of Hospitality
and Communion.
• New to St. Mike’s, supported by a three-year
Sisters of Social Service gift,
Sr. Mary Rothwell csj
now teaches in SMC’s
Christianity and Culture
Program, and Celtic Studies
has added Sean Conway
as instructor.
• In Founders House,
Robert (Bob) Edgett
has taken office as Executive Director, Alumni
Affairs & Development.
Senior management also
saw Georgina Kossivas
recently begin her tenure
as USMC Bursar and
Chief Financial Officer. F
Photo top centre: Irish Connections Canada and William C. Smith
musicians played jigs and
reels to a crowd of 200,
entertaining also with tales
of Irish music and its regional
variations. From County
Clare, Martin Hayes is a sixtime winner of the All Ireland
Fiddle Championship, with
five CDs that have received
widespread critical acclaim.
Ireland’s Hot Press magazine
has described him as “the
most important individual
musician in Ireland right
now,” and in 2008, the Irishlanguage broadcasting station
TG4 made him Musician
of the Year. Of Dennis
Cahill, a masterful accompanist on the guitar, born
in Chicago to Irish parents,
the veteran Irish Echo
newspaper says “There’s no
more impressive partnership
in Irish instrumental music
today than Martin Hayes
and Dennis Cahill.”
Giving
Photo: Emanuel Pires/Archdiocese of Toronto
The Thomas Cardinal Collins
Scholarships in Student Leadership
T
he University of St. Michael’s College is very proud
that its Chancellor, His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins,
the Archbishop of Toronto, was elevated to the College of Cardinals on February 18, 2012. As a member of the College of Cardinals
he will be charged with assisting the Roman Pontiff with questions of
major importance in the care and sustenance of the universal Church.
In recognition of this great honour and for all the work he has already
done to bring the Church and the faithful closer together, The Thomas
Cardinal Collins Scholarships in Student Leadership has been created at
St. Michael’s. This will be an annual award for two students, one from
the Faculty of Theology and one from the Undergraduate Arts and
Science program, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership while
attending the University of St. Michael’s College.
This singular fund was established through the support of a few
close friends of both the Chancellor and the College. St. Michael’s
would like to recognize the generosity of donors to date, February 2012:
Dr. Richard Alway, Dr. Joseph Barnicke, The Basilian Fathers of the
University of St. Michael’s College, Catherine A. Brayley, Dr. Tony and
Dr. Elizabeth Comper, Victor and Maureen Dodig, The Institute of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, Rev. Edward J.R. Jackman OP, Jackman Foundation, Hugh and Laura MacKinnon, Rod McEwan, Alex Muzzo, Gail
Muzzo, Kathleen M. O’Neill and Anthony Daley, Gino and Roberta
Scapillati, The Sisters of St. Joseph, Edward and Marisa Sorbara, Joseph
and Antoinette Sorbara, and Marcella and Greg Tanzola.F
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 9
Celebration
Celebrating
160
Years
to Chart the
Future
The University of St. Michael’s College’s distinguished
past leads the way in a new campaign for a dynamic future
By Suzanne Heft 9T1
Illustrated with favourites of Connie Lewin,
St. Michael’s archival technician at the John M. Kelly Library
M
ost St. Michael’s College
alumni know by now that the
University of Toronto launched
a bold $2 billion fundraising campaign last
November. The UofT Boundless campaign
aspires to secure the resources needed to extend the university’s reach around the world
and prepare global citizens to meet global
challenges anywhere.
This September 29, the University of
St. Michael’s College will launch its own
campaign, one that honours the spirit and
vision of the institution’s founders, positioning USMC for continued leadership in
the education of today’s students to become
tomorrow’s trailblazers.
The launch date was chosen to coincide
with and celebrate the Feast of St. Michael,
Michaelmas, which of course has special
resonance for all St. Michael’s grads and is
often considered the beginning of autumn
and a new academic year. The year 2012
10 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
also marks the 160th anniversary of the
founding of the College, an ideal time to
celebrate past accomplishments and chart
a new course for St. Michael’s future.
A hundred and sixty years ago, things
moved quickly for the College’s founders.
In 1850, Patrick Moloney, the first Basilian
priest in North America, made his way from
New York to Montreal and, ultimately, to
Toronto. He was aware that, in a city of
7,000 Catholics, much work was “still to be
done,” particularly the work of education.
In September 1852, first classes began at
St. Mary’s Lesser Seminary under the direction of the Basilian Fathers and at St. Michael’s College, with just eight students,
on Queen Street under the direction of the
Christian Brothers. By September 1853, the
Seminary and the College merged under the
direction of the Basilian Fathers.
From these humble beginnings, the University of St. Michael’s College has grown
1975, Chillin’ on the front
porch of 2 Elmsley Place
“McCorkell House” with
Fr. Harry Gardner CSB 5T4.
History
Campbell silver medal depicting the
St. Michael’s College coat of arms used in 1879.
to become the largest post-secondary Catholic institution in Englishspeaking Canada, boasting more than 50,000 alumni, many of whom
have shaped our cultural destiny, nationally and internationally. Distinguished alumni include former Canadian Prime Minister The Rt. Hon.
Paul Martin, former BMO Financial Group President and CEO Tony
Comper, former University of Manitoba President Emőke Szathmáry,
and Olympic gold medalist Lori Dupuis.
The USMC campaign about to be launched aims to safeguard and
build on St. Michael’s distinguished past. Says USMC President and ViceChancellor Professor Anne Anderson csj, “I envision that the campaign
for the University of St. Michael’s College will, by virtue of its depth and
breadth of ambition, create a new platform of academic achievement,
innovation and excellence, which will further establish our College on
the world map as a locus of innovation and collaboration.
“A major focus of the campaign,” continues Anderson, “will be to secure
the funds needed to build our endowment and support faculty positions,
core programs and student bursaries and scholarships. We are home to the
largest downtown undergraduate community at the University of Toronto,
Loretto Abbey 1913
1963
12 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
1852 -1902
1878
Memorable MOMENTS
and we are confident that our stature can only be enhanced by ensuring
sustainable funding as we undertake a new strategic direction.”
SMC Principal Professor Domenico Pietropaolo echoes these sentiments, stating, “St. Michael’s College is the custodian of a great humanitarian tradition; our history is populated with great philosophers and
scholars whose seminal works are studied here each day, enriching us as
we embrace the 21st century. Traditions are not relics; they nourish us and
imbue our daily teaching and learning with integrity and inspiration.
We are confident that the campaign for the University of St. Michael’s
College will be a catalyst in establishing new initiatives that are rooted in
our history and, at the same time, are forward-looking.”
The University of St. Michael’s College has a rich tradition of building
on past leadership by establishing new initiatives that are globally relevant
in a contemporary context. The Book and Media Studies Program, for
example, which investigates how printing, books and reading shape historic and contemporary cultures, builds on the work of Professor Marshall
McLuhan, one of the College’s most distinguished and visionary academics
of the mid-20th century. Currently, Books and Media Studies is one the
(Above) Watching the fire at Clover Hill in 1968.
1958
1983
1923
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 13
Sports
1985
fastest-growing programs at the University of Toronto.
Further enhancement and expansion of St. Michael’s physical infrastructure is another campaign goal so that students and faculty can conduct their studies and research in state-of-the-art facilities, delivering a
superlative teaching and learning environment.
“It is extraordinarily exciting that the University of St. Michael’s College has set such a bold and ambitious goal for its campaign,” says David
Palmer, Vice-President, Advancement for the University of Toronto. “UofT’s
Boundless campaign is raising funds to ensure that our students and faculty
have the resources and the scope to emerge as world leaders in confronting
emerging global challenges. The University of St. Michael’s College is our
largest and one of our most diverse federated colleges with a long tradition
of intellectual leadership. I look forward to participating in St. Michael’s
campaign so that we can raise the funds needed to expand this tradition by
strengthening the intellectual and physical foundation of the College.”
The campaign is an invitation to all St. Mike’s alumni and friends around
the world to give back and make sure that future generations of students and
teachers who will work and study here over the next 160 years, will benefit
1912
1950
1934
14 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
1930
Student life
from a long history of shared intellectual accomplishments as they encounter
social and intellectual challenges not yet imagined. F
St. Mike’s alumni please mark the campaign launch date of September 29,
2012. In the spirit of the Feast of St. Michael, in this 160th anniversary
year, the College will celebrate the beginning of an academic year and the
beginning of new aspirations that continue a remarkable journey.
At the launch, alumni and honoured guests will have an opportunity to
mingle with academic, administrative and student leaders, and hear, first
hand, about the campaign priorities. Guests will enjoy a fun-filled afternoon
around Elmsley Place and the campus quad to include family-oriented
entertainment and refreshments.
For more information about how to take part in the new campaign for
the University of St. Michael’s College, please contact Bob Edgett, Executive
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs at robert.edgett@utoronto.
ca or 416-926-7261.
1998
1927
1953
1971
1974
1985
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 15
Profile
A Beacon for
Celtic Culture
Along with academic prowess came generosity and charm in 1975,
when Ann Dooley joined St. Michael’s College
Ann Dooley may be decades older than most of her
students, but you’d hardly know it. It’s not just that the renowned
professor of Celtic Studies looks a great deal younger than she is.
It’s that everything about her sparks with youth and innocence:
the swing of her gently graying ponytail as she speaks, the light
at play in her blue eyes and the sense of wonder she invests in
every reminiscence of her time at St. Michael’s. On the subject of
her 40-year teaching career, she is genuinely exuberant: “I’m the
luckiest and happiest person on earth,” she beams.
16 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
Photo: Tim Fraser
By Cynthia Macdonald 8T6
Eithne Heffernan with Ann Dooley.
“Ann Dooley was present at the
creation of the Celtic Studies
Program and has done more
than anyone else to shape its
character, style and spirit”
A specialist in early Irish literature, Dooley’s interest in education
was nurtured by an “idyllic” childhood in the county of Tipperary.
“When we were little children coming home from the national school,
all the good people in the houses we’d pass would ask us in for a cup
of milk; they felt sorry for us I suppose, trudging up the hills to go
to school,” she remembers fondly. “But they always called us ‘the
scholars,’ even if we were six years old—we were still ‘the scholars.’
And from that I got my sense that all learning, even from an early
age, is such a precious thing.”
Dooley’s tales of growing up in a large farming family are so filled
with warmth and humour, it’s no wonder she felt a call, later on in life, to
preserve and transmit the Irish traditions that so marked her childhood.
She talks animatedly of playing in mountains that once harbored Fionn
McCool, the great Irish mythical hero, and of picking wild berries and
roaming the valley for hours—“like little savages, almost.”
18 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
Such memories have also enriched her teaching, particularly a
recent course in the poetry of Seamus Heaney. The Nobel Prize winner’s work reflects a very similar upbringing, and it’s clear that Dooley’s
embrace of it isn’t merely intellectual, but highly emotional as well.
“I joke to my students: I expect every single one of you to go out to
Queen’s Park and declaim these poems from the very strength of your
own lungs, so you will hear how your voice resonates in your own
physical selves!” she exclaims.
As a passionate teacher of literature, Dooley is actually more accustomed to teaching work that predates Heaney’s by hundreds of years.
In 1971, after completing an MA in Medieval Studies at Dublin’s
University College, she was drawn to Toronto by the international
reputation enjoyed, then as now, by UofT’s Pontifical Institute for
Mediaeval Studies. She embarked on doctoral work here, examining
Irish religious poetry of the Middle Ages.
“I don’t think I was a very confident scholar in those days,” she
recalls with a laugh. (It must be noted that Dooley laughs often,
and heartily.) “I felt that here was I, the country girl, in this big city
with these great and famous medievalists. But where I never lacked
confidence was that I loved to teach; it was like fresh air to me. So as
long as I was in a classroom, I was happy.”
Her timing was excellent, for in 1975, the undergraduate Celtic
Studies Program was created. It was a perfect fit for the young teaching assistant, whose “pan-Celtic range” was already considerable; in
addition to English and Irish, she could also read and speak Welsh
and Scots Gaelic and was well-versed in the literature of these cultures. Immediately, Dooley was made to feel an invaluable part of
the burgeoning, if small, program.
“Ann Dooley was present at the creation of the Celtic Studies Program and has done more than anyone else to shape its character, style
and spirit,” says the current Program Coordinator, historian David
Wilson. “With her international reputation as a preeminent Celtic
scholar, her outstanding teaching at the graduate and undergraduate
level, her warmth, energy, charm and vibrant personality, it would
not be too much to say that for thirty-five years Ann Dooley was the
Celtic Studies Program.” But as Dooley modestly admits, Celtic Studies couldn’t have flourished through one person’s efforts alone. A partnership with the Irish
university system was forged soon after she started. Every year, in
what Dooley calls a “spirit of academic statesmenship,” the Irish
government would fund two visiting scholars to come to St. Michael’s, to teach in the fledgling program until such time as it could
stand on its own. “Looking after [the visting professors] was a big part
of the job,” she recalls. “And in those days we didn’t have a secretary,
so another big part of it was sitting in your office and answering the
phone!” But she remembers the period of regular Irish visitations
fondly and says it fostered a connection between the two countries—
one founding, one diasporic—that continues to this day.
As Coordinator of Celtic Studies from 1986 to 1999, Dooley was successful in achieving independence for the program. She took vigorously
to fundraising, principally from a very supportive Irish community here
in Canada. She was also happy to welcome two highly valued professors:
Irish language instructor Mairin Nic Dhiarmada, and David Wilson.
But to this day Celtic Studies retains its modest, do-it-yourself
character. On a rainy Tuesday, the atmosphere in its little corner of
Odette Hall seems informal and cheerful.
“We’ve been so lucky because we’ve found a group of people
who’ve never said a cross word to each other ever,” Dooley says. “That
translates into a department where students don’t feel there is stress
here. Our doors are always open, and I think to an extraordinary
degree, students feel they own this program.”
What kind of a student enrols in Celtic Studies? Those of Irish,
Welsh or Scottish heritage are naturally attracted, but Dooley says
they only account for about one-third of her students. Another third
are deeply interested in new-age religion, and want to learn more
about mythology and paganism. The final third are linguists, with a
passion for the beauty and challenges of the Irish language.
Irish is currently spoken by a relative handful of people worldwide;
even in Ireland itself, it is estimated that well under 100,000 speakers
are fluent. Like other endangered tongues, it is kept alive by devoted
conservationists. But Dooley has also seen virtues in this very rarity.
She recalls one shy young student, exiled from Vietnam in the
1970s, who took to speaking Irish “like you wouldn’t believe,” as well
as keeping a diary. “It became a language that expressed identity in
a way she could keep private from the brash western world around
her,” Dooley says, clearly moved by the memory. The student went
on to become an instructor of Irish herself—in Sweden, no less.
In addition to her teaching, Dooley is known for translating and
editing two very signficant Irish texts. These books (Playing the Hero:
Readings in the Tain bo Cuailnge, and Accallam no Senorach: Tales of
the Elders of Ireland) are rich troves of Irish lore, “as important as
Geoffrey Chaucer’s work in terms of sophistication, and what they
contributed to the Middle Ages,” Dooley affirms. As she unspools one
lovely story—of St. Patrick travelling around Ireland, converting the
natives to Christianity in the company of two Fenian companions—
“I see young people setting out
with such optimism and hope
for the future. They exhibit
such generosity and kindness
to each other”
it is clear that she is as capable a raconteuse as she is a writer.
And that is no mean feat: incredible as it is to believe, this extraordinarily lively professor was felled by a stroke last April. Fortunately, Dooley’s husband quickly called paramedics after noticing
her speech curdling into gibberish. Fast treatment with clot-busting
drugs resulted in her speaking and acting normally within hours of
the potentially tragic event.
“Now mind you, I used to speak much faster!” Dooley laughs.
“Maybe my students were so grateful—oh my God, now we can
take notes!”
Still quick of tongue and mind, the 69-year-old Dooley has relinquished some of her many responsibilities within Celtic Studies.
But she plans to teach, write and enrich the St. Michael’s community
for some time to come. “My preferred company is the company of
my young students, pathetic as that may seem,” she jokes. “But I
see young people setting out with such optimism and hope for the
future. They exhibit such generosity and kindness to each other­—and
I think, what are we worried about growing old for? There are better
people to take our place!”
Modest words from a wise elder, who in many ways remains as
youthful as they. F
The Celtic Studies Program has always enjoyed a
Wilson points out that UofT currently has more
strong relationship with Ireland. For the past sev-
students studying Irish than many universities in
eral years, the Ireland Canada University Foundation (ICUF) has helped foster this great tradition
through its support of scholarly exchanges between the two countries.
“We have benefitted enormously from ICUF
Irish language instructors and visiting professors,
who have not only generated more interest in
the Irish language within the University, but have
Irish
Help
Ireland, so support from ICUF has been critical.
Young and dynamic ICUF scholars such as Joanne
Fahy and Daithí Ó Ceallacháin have brought new
life and energy to the Celtic Studies Program, and
have been teaching Irish language classes to interested students outside the university.
Finally, says Wilson, ICUF serves to nurture
mutual awareness and understanding. “As a re-
also been fully engaged with the larger Irish Ca-
sult of its efforts, Irish scholars have become bet-
nadian community,” says Program Coordinator
ter informed than ever about Canada,” with the
David Wilson.
reverse being equally true.
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 19
CHRISTIANITY
AND CULTURE
Cornerstone
Lessons
A new Foundation Year Program for first-year students at
St. Mike’s combines academic studies with hands-on learning
By Megan O’Connor
e
ducation can change your life, no one denies that; but work can be just as transformative.
St. Michael’s College Principal Domenico Pietropaolo gives the example of a student who was
planning a career in Medieval literature. “One day she volunteered to help autistic children,” he
recounts. “She ended up making it her life’s work, and has never looked back.”
For many of us, life can seem to turn on a moment of chance; and the view only changes on reflection. This fall, St. Michael’s College is launching a new Foundation Year Program, called SMC One:
Cornerstone, in order to help students reflect on life and society through their work. The first course to
be offered through the Cornerstone program—Social Justice—will make a priority of hands-on work,
mentorship, and shared discovery.
Imagine beginning your first year at university. You are in the Cornerstone program and you decide
to explore the topic of child poverty. Your week might look like this: On Monday you join the rest of
your Social Justice cohort for a lecture on poverty and city planning. A local politician talks about issues
that come into her office: the squeeze on the budget for hostel beds, community responses to women’s
shelters, plans for affordable housing, the budget for subsidized childcare. After the lecture you meet
a smaller group of students to discuss school board responses to child poverty—what can and can’t be
done. On Wednesday you work for a couple of hours in a Grade 3 class, where one child “forgot” his
lunch, and maybe that is why he won’t pay attention. You post the issue on the class online forum and
discuss it with a mentor. Meanwhile, your friend is working at a shelter for street kids, learning to see
potential rather than damage.
20 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
At St. Michael’s, service learning has a twofold value:
it benefits the community, and it shapes learning through
discovery. The process can both empower and unsettle students.
Cornerstone’s lecture-seminar-service structure adds a frame to
what may at times, quite frankly, be an emotional challenge.
According to Christianity and Culture Associate Professor Reid
Locklin, reflection is key, and Cornerstone is designed to get students
to reflect, question and talk. Locklin speaks from experience. He
teaches such service-learning courses as Intercordia (SMC 362) and
Interreligious Dialogue and Practice (SMC 366). “Service learning
22 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
raises the level of contribution,” he says. “Some students are good at
analyzing a text. Others like to talk about personal experiences. When
we enable students to bring different strengths into the room, the
dialogue really improves.” Cornerstone offers a unique way to enter
the discussion.
Eventually, Cornerstone will give first-year students from many
different disciplines the opportunity to work locally in the field,
and to study and ultimately question our deepest social values. The
range of disciplines and the diverse use of media link the program
to media specialist Marshall McLuhan, professor of English at
SMC until the late 1970s. Mark McGowan, former principal of
St. Michael’s College, sees McLuhan’s teachings as a major influence.
“Cornerstone will help prepare students for a pluralistic world,”
he states. “It will show them new ways of receiving and giving
back to the people in our city.” McGowan points to St. Michael’s
strong history of community partnership. For both McGowan and
Locklin, who headed the conceptual stages of Cornerstone, and for
its current developers, Cornerstone builds upon SMC’s mission to
foster ethical as well as intellectual growth.
Cornerstone is one of several Foundation Year Programs
at the University of Toronto. Victoria College began Vic One in
2003; Trinity College followed with Trinity One; University
College has UC One; New College has New One: Learning
Photos: Sheila Eaton, St. Michael’s College; Eduardo Lima, University of Toronto
Timing is everything. The first year is the most precarious for
students: it’s the time when they are likeliest to drop out. Students,
some as young as 17, can find the jump from high school too
sudden. Family and friends may be far away; classes may feel big
and impersonal. For many, the Cornerstone program can offset
these factors. With a clear focus, small classes, a network and builtin mentorship, it aims to engage students from the start.
Furthermore, the Cornerstone style of learning will affect
students’ future work at university and beyond. Pietropaolo
explains: “Students will learn about themselves as learners. The
program will encourage them to ask difficult questions, about
society and themselves, at a very young age. They will take this
approach away with them.”
In fact, Cornerstone is
now a fundraising priority
for USMC. The goal of
engaging students in their
world and giving them
work-ready skills in an
ethical framework is good
reason to move ahead
Without Borders. UofT Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Misak
gave seed money to get these programs off the ground, with UofT’s
Centre for Community Partnerships playing a central role.
Each program bears the distinct imprint of its own college.
While the focus at St. Michael’s on social justice was clear from the
start, a Cornerstone course in Communications Media is already
in the pipeline for 2013. SMC hopes one day to offer Cornerstone
courses for all its core programs.
For now, students admitted into Cornerstone can choose one of
four streams: Life and Health; Environment and the Earth; Politics
and Society, or Thought and Culture. Each will focus on social
justice, with work placements echoing the specific topic.
In coming months it is up to Jenna Sunkenberg, Cornerstone’s
inaugural program co-ordinator, to build community partnerships,
design the first course, organize recruitment and sift through
applications. Herself a UofT graduate (she holds a 2009 PhD
in Comparative Literature) and an SMC course instructor, she
sees Cornerstone as a way to bridge intellectual and emotional
perceptions. “Everyone has a story,” she says. “Cornerstone will
help students grow in their ability to listen and find meaning.”
Small groups, online forums, creative journals, conferences and
one-on-one time with the instructor will help students reflect on
their work in the field, examine their own place in life and share
insights—i.e. move from raw material to deep learning.
Looking further ahead, future alumni of the Cornerstone program may be recruited as mentors or, in their working lives, as community partners for the next generation of students, adding new
layers to SMC’s teaching mission.
Currently, there is one Cornerstone course on offer and
limited places. Selection will favour students with a track record of
community service and the ability to integrate that work with their
own intellectual pursuits. With so many benefits, to students and the
community, why not offer this program more widely through SMC?
For now, Cornerstone is a new idea, requiring more hands-on
SMC involvement than a regular course—thus a larger budget.
While for Pietropaolo this presents a challenge, he certainly sees
it as no reason to limit the program’s growth. In fact, Cornerstone
is now a fundraising priority for USMC. The goal of engaging
students in their world and giving them work-ready skills in an
ethical framework is good reason to move ahead.
Pietropaolo sees Cornerstone also in light of an earlier tradition,
that of 18th-century Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico. “There
is no learning without creation,” the SMC Principal says with a
smile. “We learn by doing.” F
Megan O’Connor taught in the Christianity and Culture Program at
St. Michael’s College from 2008 to 2011.
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 23
Alumni Association
Building Relationships
New initiatives include Council of Past Presidents, strategies for new-media outreach
By Andy Lubinsky 7T9, President, USMC Alumni Association Board
w
hat an exciting time
it is to be involved with
the Alumni Association of
the University of St. Michael’s College
in the University of Toronto. As we celebrate 160 years of unparalleled education
rooted in the Catholic faith and traditions, we are also on the cusp of launching our portion of the largest fundraising
campaign in Canadian university history,
the University of Toronto’s $2 billion
Boundless campaign.
What does this mean for us, the Alumni Association? Opportunity!
At a recent meeting, the question was
asked: Does the Alumni Board exist to
serve the alumni or is its purpose to be
the means by which the alumni serve the
College and, by extension, the Church?
A very interesting question, and perhaps the answer is not one or the other,
but both. In recent years, the focus of
the Board has been rooted in creating
engagement opportunities—in events
designed to bring people back to campus
and in improving our outreach to alumni living too far to come. Have we been
successful? Yes. But it is not enough.
At the helm of the USMC Alumni Association
New media along with new projects Board since 2009, President Andy Lubinsky.
and programs on campus constantly create
new avenues for us to get involved, and now
sory group. With its wealth of knowledge,
we will be able to take part in the excitement wisdom and resources, the Past Presidents
and energy intrinsic to the launch of a camCouncil will continue the involvement and
participation of former alumni leadership
paign and use that to our best advantage.
What are some of the ways we intend with the University and the Alumni Association. A small group of former presidents
to do this?
We are pleased to announce that the met in January to talk about the future and
USMC Alumni Association has established structure for this Council. We are very gratea Council of Past Presidents as an adviful for the advice of Bill Broadhurst, Frank
24 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
Kielty, Christopher Driscoll, Patrick Carroll, Jim Milway and Steven Williams.
Also, in co-operation with USMC’s
Alumni and Development Office
and UofT’s Social Media experts, the
Alumni Board’s newly reconstituted
Communications Committee has begun looking at suggestions for how the
College might best communicate with
its alumni using the latest methods of
social communication. UofT’s Strategic Communications Department and
its Alumni and Development Office’s
communications team have recently
undertaken surveys that look at best
practices for post-secondary educational institutions in Canada and the
United States. The findings of these two
studies will help our Alumni Communications Committee as it develops its
own recommendations for the alumni
portion of the St. Michael’s communications plan.
Meanwhile, we continue to pursue
events that reach out to alumni, bringing
them home. This year, we will explore an
on-campus Residence Reunion for past
St. Michael’s College residents. We are
currently seeking volunteers to participate in designing and running this event.
Please stay tuned for more information.
Overall, there are nothing but opportunities before us. We would love to hear
from any of you interested in giving back to
St. Mike’s as either a board member or committee volunteer. If you wish to do so, please
contact the USMC Alumni Association at
smc.alumniassociation@utoronto.ca or call
me at 905-330-1954. F
the view from smcsu
Getting the Inside Scoop
Alumni networking events prepare current
students for an unfriendly work world ahead
By Dan Seljak
I
believe there comes a time in every
university student’s life when they begin
to question the value of what they are being taught. I knew I had hit that stage when,
two years into a Philosophy major, I asked
one of my TAs, “If a tree falls in a forest and
there are no Philosophy majors around to
hear it, how many of them will still end up
working at Starbucks?”
There was a time when a university degree
guaranteed some form of steady employment
that paid at least enough to cover any debts
accumulated over years of study. These days, a
bachelor’s degree simply puts you on the same
playing field as every other person out there.
Add that to the uncertainty of the current
economy, and young grads find themselves
in a position where, rather than embarking
on a full-time career upon graduation, they
bounce between odd jobs if they’re lucky or
end up unemployed if they’re not. Is it any
wonder that so many of us move back in with
our parents in our mid-twenties?
In these difficult and uncertain times,
current students and new grads need to be
prepared for the unfriendly world that awaits
them, and I do not believe professors are
necessarily best suited to do that. While the
knowledge university instructors provide is
surely valuable and worth our time, I feel it is
too abstract to help us with the fast-changing
modern work world.
I do not mean to imply our professors
aren’t intelligent or informed, or even that
they have trouble connecting with our generation (although my father is a professor, and
I’d perhaps support that latter claim.) Instead, I’d suggest that if a current student was
to ask for advice about which field of work
Mark Palma 9T9, Manager, Enterprise Solutions at Globalive Communication Corp.,
speaks to students about entrepreneurship.
to pursue or how to conduct a thorough job
search, they would be better off asking someone who is currently an employer or who was
recently hired in that field.
That’s why alumni are so important to
St. Michael’s College. There is a great wealth
of knowledge within our alma mater, and
while not all grads may hold PhDs, they
surely hold information equally valuable, if
not more helpful to the average student.
I have attended the newly created Alumni
Networking Event for the last two years, and
interviewed a number of alumni through my
position on The Mike. I have often found
these conversations far more enlightening
than many of my classes. Toronto Councillor
Joe Mihevic told me about the sacrifice of
personal privacy one makes when entering
public life in politics, while newspaper columnist and author Philip Marchand taught
me about the importance of making what
you’re passionate about the work you do.
Even recent grads have some amazing information to share—getting resumé
tips from Ainsley Gilkinson, for example,
a grad who was able to get and keep Sony
Music Canada’s attention. And a number
of us at The Mike took to heart the lessons
on versatility and doing what you enjoy
from former Mike staffer Federico Capara,
who obtained his undergrad with all of his
plumbing training complete and has many
more options as a result; he now enjoys the
benefits from both his academic and business
backgrounds. There are too many similar
conversations my peers and I have had to list
here, all demonstrating just how important
a healthy alumni community is to current
SMC students. We benefit immensely from
alumni experience and advice, and hope our
gratitude is encouragement enough to keep
them coming. F
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 25
Honours
The Big Church Picture
A new Doctor honoris causa who earns a living as a journalist speaks at the Faculty of
Theology’s 2011 Convocation of what best to keep in mind when dealing with the media
By John L. Allen Jr.
T
hank you…for putting your
around, what we see is a cluster of Catholic
intellect, your passions and your
tribes—pro-life Catholics, peace-and-juslives at the service of faith seeking
tice Catholics, Vatican II Catholics, neounderstanding. It’s an arduous enterprise,
con Catholics, liturgical traditionalists, the
and you’re probably more likely to hear from
movements, and on and on. In principle,
people mad at you than from those quietly
that diversity is a great blessing, but it begrateful. The vitality of the Church, howevcomes dysfunctional when these tribes start
er, depends in no small way on your work.
seeing one another as ideological and theoSince the powers that be invited a jourlogical enemies. If our resources continue
nalist to deliver this address, perhaps the
to be consumed by internal tribal warfare,
most useful thing I can offer is a crash course
the Church won’t rise to the occasion of
in media literacy. As theologians, you are
the challenges of the 21st century—it’ll be
now certified as experts on church affairs,
steamrolled by them. I challenge you young
and from time to time you’ll doubtless be
theologians to bring a post-tribal spirit to
called up by reporters seeking comment on
your work, drawing on all the voices and
whatever is percolating in the Church. I’ll
striving to create zones of friendship across
tribal lines.
suggest three qualities to project in those
moments when you’re in the spotlight.
Third, try to have a sense of humour.
First, try to bring a global perspective.
One of my great professional frustrations as
We live in a church in which two-thirds
a journalist covering the Catholic Church,
of the Catholics in the world live in the
is that 95 per cent of my time is consumed
southern hemisphere, a share that will reach Keynote speaker Dr. h.c. John L. Allen Jr. covering scandal, crisis and division. Those
are, of course, important matters, but they
three-quarters by mid-century. This shift
from north to south is the most dramatic demographic transfor- are hardly the only Catholic story. Seen from within, the Cathomation of Catholicism in more than 2,000 years of Church history. lic Church, in most places and most times, is also full of friendIn consequence, it is inadequate to see the Church primarily
ship, life and laughter. Part of any successful evangelical stratethrough the prism of North American experiences, concerns and
gy, it seems to me, is letting the outside world in on that secret.
priorities. If you can help people perceive the global dimension If theologians can project a sense of humor when they’re addressof Catholic life, you’ll be making an enormous contribution to
ing whatever controversy happens to be in the headlines, maybe
better understanding.
some of the inner reality of Catholic life will gradually register in
Second, try to foster a “post-tribal” ethos. It’s no secret that
public perceptions. F
Catholicism suffers from chronic internal divisions. Conventionally, we talk about those divisions in terms of “polarization,” as Based in Rome, John L. Allen Jr. is senior correspondent for the National
if everyone is clustered into either the left or the right. A more
Catholic Reporter. He has published several books, including two on
sociologically satisfactory term is ‘tribalization,’ because if we look
Pope Benedict XVI, and reports on Vatican affairs for CNN and NPR.
26 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
Snapshot
A Cup of Joe...
...with Kevin Dancy
A
ssociate Dean of Students Kevin
Dancy looks back on 28 years on campus, first as a resident while taking his
undergrad in architecture at UofT, later as a
Don and as Assistant Dean. His BA in architecture in hand, he joined the SMC undergrads for
a year, preparing for graduate and postgraduate
studies in philosophy, and is presently completing his doctorate.
St. Michael’s: When you first signed up for
architecture school, what made you want to live at
St. Mike’s?
Kevin Dancy: In those days, St. Michael’s College was one of the few residences accepting students from professional faculties. In its admissions handbook, instead of
giving a specific number for profacs, it simply said ‘some.’ So I called the
student dean, Fr. Harold Gardner CSB 5T4 then, who, instead of giving
me a number, told me to come down and take a look. I did, I liked it
and applied. SMC, Fr. Gardner and I have been friends ever since.
SM’s: How did you become Associate Dean?
KD: After finishing my three-year term as Don, I moved off campus.
A couple of years later, the new Dean, Henry Mulhall, invited me
back on campus as his assistant. So I moved into House 2, McCorkell
House, which was nice then, but not nearly as nice as it is now! My
role, first as Don and assistant to the Dean, quickly grew in scope and
degree of responsibility until, in 2006, I became Associate Dean—and
Acting Dean at times, as when our current Dean, Duane Rendle, took
a six-month parental leave.
SM’s: What’s your favourite part of the job?
KD: Living and working with students. When they come to university,
their lives are just opening up before them, a great adventure. Being around all that positive energy and enthusiasm keeps you young.
I also like the spectrum of what I do, from very
technical things like designing admissions processes and systems to personal interaction with
students and staff, which includes training and
supervising dons and working with students
who might be in some sort of trouble. Knowing you’ve helped someone in extreme distress,
whatever its cause, is rewarding, and also profoundly humbling.
SM’s: Soon you will add to your duties helping
with Fr. Madden’s “Bulletin Board” column.
KD: Yes, many friendships are made here, and
Fr. Madden has been a friend to many. Joining
him in such an important part of the magazine
is a great honour for both Duane and me. We look forward to helping
people stay in touch.
SM’s: Living on campus, what do you do when you’re not “deaning?”
KD: I’m always “deaning!” I’m on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a
week from September to May. But I do squeeze in some Tai Chi. It’s
very relaxing, good for building strength and improving health. Also,
I got into cooking. It satisfies my architectural side, the part that likes
to make things, so I make food. I really like the theory behind cooking
and learning what it is that makes things taste great.
SM’s: What do you tell friends you love about where you live?
KD: I think the whole St. Michael’s College campus is beautiful. It’s like a
little, beautifully kept village—the way the trees turn gold in the fall and
the leaves cover the ground, and the lush green in summertime is amazing. And St. Basil’s Church. I find it a very peaceful environment.
SM’s: About your coffee—how do you like it?
KD: Yes, I drink coffee all the time. I’m also one of those who like
flavoured coffees. And I have a sweet tooth, so a lot of cream and a
certain amount of sugar. F
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 27
In Print
anada
C
Goosed
From Neil Flambé and
the Crusader’s Curse
By Kevin Sylvester 8T9
with the previous books in the Neil Flambé Capers series
for young readers, the author takes his audience on an
adventure with 15-year-old chef extraordinaire, Neil
Flambé, who not only whips up a feast, but also solves mysteries. In this
third book, Neil takes on an ancient curse that has plagued the Flambé
family of chefs for centuries. He must deal with restaurant sabotage, narrow escapes and cooking competitions, one of these with nemesis Deep
Blue Cheese, a.k.a. DBC, a spoon-wielding computer, and its master,
Stanley Picón:
28 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
… Neil walked over to his cooler. DBC was ahead? AHEAD? That
meant that he, Neil Flambé, was BEHIND? His nose began to
throb again, and so did his heart. He was up against it big-time.
Neil had no inten­tion of never cooking again—Picón had no way
of enforcing that—but Neil knew if he lost the duel he would lose
his restaurant, his reputation, and what remained of his confidence.
Larry would have to find new work. Angel might never speak to him
again. Isabella? She’d called him a bambino and Neil hadn’t done
anything to change her mind about that.
If Picón hadn’t pulled that last-second trick with the recipe rule,
Neil would be ahead, but he couldn’t believe how close the voting
had been regardless. The sense of panic began to grip his chest. He
had to suppress it.
It was time for his final gambit. Neil lifted the lid off the cooler,
revealing two perfectly plucked Canada geese. He lifted them by the
necks and held them proudly in the air.
“Time for dish number two,” he said.
“You must be joking,” Picón scoffed. “Those are just feathered rats!”
“You told me to pick the ingredients for one dish. I’ve picked
Canada geese, freshly plucked off one of the city’s finest golf courses
not more than a few hours ago.”
Neil was no hunter. But Larry had
a friend who called herself The Forager, who had an incredible ability
to find all sorts of rare herbs and
vegetables growing in the fertile soil
of the lower mainland—and sometimes proteins; pheasant, pigeon,
that sort of thing.
When Neil and Larry had
tracked her down the night before
under the Burrard Street Bridge,
she’d been a little surprised at the
request—usually the Flambés came
to her for more mainstream things
like truffles—but she’d delivered.
Picón gritted his teeth. The
zapping sounds grew more frequent. “No one wants…to…eat…
those… things!”
Neil thrust one of the geese
onto Picón’s chopping block.
“You’re lucky. I already handled
the tough work of cleaning them.
Did you know the Canada goose
poops every ten seconds, on average?” This was a tidbit Larry had
shared with him. He didn’t like
the image any more than Picón but he hoped it unnerved him a
little. “Start cooking. You have an hour.”
“Fine.” Zap. “We cook this rubbish, but what is the recipe?”
“No recipe.”
“What do you mean ‘no recipe’? There has to be a recipe.”
“Great chefs don’t need recipes. You now have fifty-nine minutes to
make three dishes from that one goose.” Neil turned back to his own
cutting board and began separating the goose into its various parts.
He heard another series of zaps and watched as Picón flew toward
his cutting board, his head and neck twitch­ing as if he were being electrocuted. “I don’t know, my child,” Picón was whispering into his chest.
“Look for recipes for normal goose, or maybe duck. We’ll use those.”
Neil smiled. Canada geese were more infamous than famous—
better known for finding their way inside jet engines than onto dinner
plates. One big reason for this is that they don’t taste anything like
a normal goose. You have to prepare them in a very particular way
or end up with something resembling either burned shoe leather or
raw fish eyes.
Even if DBC tried to match the spices, there was no way he’d be
able to cut and prepare the meat as well as Neil.
And Neil wasn’t being totally honest when he said there was no
recipe. He discreetly ran his finger along his collar. If Picón looked
over he would think Neil was just dealing with his nerves, or the heat,
but Neil was look­ing down his front
at the list of ingredients Larry had
copied from the Flambé recipe book
onto Neil’s very own me-shirt. This
was exactly the sort of food his ances­
tors had been forced to cook, and
their experience was now going to
give him the advantage he needed.
He was prepping his goose
for sausage, seared breast meat,
and a goose-broth–infused garlic
mashed potatoes with grilled root
vegetables. Neil began by putting
the tougher dark meats through
a grinder, creating a hash that he
quickly sautéed in his frying pan
with spices—his shirt told him to
use something called “the grains
of paradise,” a peppery spice Larry
said was common in the Middle
Ages. It was also a spice Neil was
sure Stanley and DBC didn’t have
in their pantry or their database.
DBC might smell it, but couldn’t
replicate it.
Picón was standing in front of
his bird, trying to figure out what
the heck to do with it. “That’s a
recipe for duck,” he whispered to his chest. “It will have to do,” said
the electronic voice.
“It will have to do” was music to Neil’s ears. He smiled as he
prepped the neck of the goose as a sausage casing, and soaked the
breasts in brine—a combination of salt, sugar, and water. He took the
cooked dark meat and spices and stuffed them into the casing, tied the
ends, and then placed the sausage in the oven to quick-cure.
He took the remaining edible bits of the bird and threw them in a
pressure cooker with some onion, garlic, and another spice the book had
recommended called cubeb—a spice Marco Polo had even written about
in his travels. “The official travels,” Larry had pointed out, remembering
their nasty encounter with the secret diary of Marco Polo a few months
“You have to prepare them in a
very particular way or end up with
something resembling either burned
shoe leather or raw fish eyes”
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 29
30 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
the sink, shaking with rage and second-degree electrocution burns.
He moaned, “No, no, no … not again. It’s impossible.”
The judges slid their score cards under the kitchen door, confirming Neil’s handy victory.
Then everything went crazy.
Picón gripped the steel counter. Blue sparks flew from where his
fingers touched the metal. He began to shake uncontrollably.
Neil walked up to him and pointed a finger in his face. “You and
that glorified cassette deck owe me some money.” Picón’s eyes began to
bug out, and he struggled to look at Neil. His teeth remained clenched
as he said, “It has already been transferred to your account.”
“No way, not good enough. Cough it up in cash.”
Picón did cough, and a slit opened on the front of his chest.
Hundred-dollar bills began pour­ing out like an ATM machine, fly­ing
onto the floor and counter as Picón’s body lurched and swung.
Neil scooped up the bills, but he wasn’t done. “Good. And now that
I’ve won, I don’t ever want to hear anything more about a curse. No
more threats to my friends or family. Do you understand?” F
Kevin Sylvester is an award-winning illustrator, broadcaster and author. His first Neil Flambé mystery, Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo
Murders, won the 2010 Silver Birch Fiction Award; the second, Neil
Flambé and the Aztec Abduction, is listed for the same, 2011 prize.
Neil Flambé and the Crusader’s Curse will be published by Simon &
Schuster this May 2012. Sylvester was also the Master of Ceremony in
2002 at the 150th Anniversary of St. Michael’s College.
Illustrations & photo courtesy Kevin Sylvester
before. “So this spice is legit, not poisonous … I think.”
Picón and DBC seemed to be getting into heated arguments about
spices, cooking times, methodology, and each other. Picón started
sweating, not a great idea when you’re hooked up to a sophisticated
electronic game console. The electric zaps seemed to be causing him
increasing pain and his head frequently hung limp on his shoulder
while DBC kept his arms chopping, sau­téing, and seasoning.
In the final few minutes, Neil quickly pan-seared his goose breasts,
used the rich meaty broth to make his mashed potatoes, and then cut
up and pan-fried the sausage.
Picón and DBC had done their best to turn the goose into something resembling a Thanksgiving turkey. The result, an unevenly
cooked series of tough breast cutlets and nearly raw curried goose
thighs, was not what they were hoping for. They knew it, and Neil
knew it. He smiled.
The judges were merely afterthoughts for Neil now. A wave of
relief poured over him. He wouldn’t have to lose the restaurant, the
curse was defeated. He wasn’t sure how Stanley had found out about
the whole curse thing, but now he was about to break it.
As Neil placed his dishes before the judges, he told them they
should score the meal out of ten for “taste, texture, and originality.”
Picón fidgeted and twitched as the judges devoured Neil’s succulent
game, and left DBC’s largely untouched. A long loud zap sent Picón
running back through the kitchen doors. Neil followed at his own
confident pace.
He pushed open the doors. Stanley Picón was stand­ing next to
Bulletin Board
BULLETIN BOARD publishes interesting notes about recent
developments in the lives of St. Michael’s graduates and
friends. Thank you for the contributions you have made.
Please keep the “news bits” coming. Fr. Robert Madden CSB
will now be joined by Kevin Dancy and Duane Rendle;
all three will keep you up-to-date.
For Fr. Robert Madden
robert.madden@utoronto.ca
For Kevin Dancy & Duane Rendle
smc.bulletinboard@utoronto.ca
First ceremony: On 4 June’11,
from UBC, he teaches at Corpus
Collingwood, ON. Annette teaches
working in security/private investi-
the conservatory at the Friuli
Christi College and plans to teach
Grade 8 French in the extended
gation and teaching martial arts.
Terrace in Toronto was dedi-
at St. Mark’s College, affiliated
French Program. They have recent-
cated to Dr. Anthony Tosoni 4T2
with UBC.
ly opened The Stuffed Pheasant
Norm 7T3 and Cynthia Iannessa
restaurant in Collingwood.
Dannen 7T1 live in Rumson, NJ,
(deceased 1985.) Fr. Norman
Fitzpatrick CSB 4T9 blessed the
Annette Spillane Carter 9T2,
plaque erected on the occasion to
her husband, Scott, and their two
Dan Cheung 0T7 is living in
choir, works in the town library,
commemorate and honour Dr. To-
sons, Henry and Johnny, live in
Woodbridge, ON, and is currently
runs the book club, and has
where Cynthia sings in her parish
soni’s long and faithful support
appeared in some amateur dra-
of the Friuli Benevolent Corpora-
matic productions. Norm teaches
tion and its Friuli Terrace Senior
English in the International Bac-
Citizens Home. He is survived by
calaureate Program in Biotech
his wife, Marie Reid Tosoni 4T3;
High School. Their son Norm
they had seven children.
is in graduate studies at John
Hopkins University; daughter
Richard (Rick) Belliveau 6T5 lives
Laura is married and is Arts/Enter-
in Ottawa and, although retired
tainment Editor for Seattle
from his career as a diplomat in
Metropolitan Magazine.
the Canadian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, continues to keep busy;
Christopher Deans 0T4 ran for
he is President of the Board of the
and was successfully elected to
Catholic Family Service Ottawa.
the Executive of the PC Party of
Anthony Di Fonzo 0T8 has attained a Masters in Management
Ontario at their February ’12 AGM
Paul Burns 6T2 and his wife,
of Innovation (MMI) from the University of Toronto and is currently
in Niagara Falls. His role over the
Maureen Burns Lyons, live in
working towards a Doctorate of Medicine at UofT.
next two years will be as Secretary
Vancouver, BC, where, retired
of the Executive.
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 31
Bulletin Board
Marie-Elena Barresi Deeney 6T8
Toronto. Laura Palma 0T2 was
St. Paul, MN, where she is Supervi-
has joined some other 6T8ers who
one of the bridesmaids.
sor, Data Analysis and Records
lent student by his professors in the
Management, Ramsey County
College’s Celtic Studies Program.
are grandparents as she welcomed
Charles is remembered as an excel-
the birth of her grandson, Jackie.
For the past four years, Anastasia
Community Human Services. In
Her son Drew and her daughter-
Dukova 0T6 has been conducting
‘09 she received the degree of
James Gallagher 7T6, Executive
in-law Stephanie live in Rochester,
comparative research in the field
Master of Science in Technology
Vice President and Board Member
NY. Her daughter Beth and her
of crime and policing towards her
Management from the University
at John Hancock Financial Services,
family live in California; her son
doctorate at the University of Dub-
of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
has been appointed Chairman of
Patrick recently completed his
lin, Trinity College. In December
Masters degree in Music Technol-
’11, she successfully defended her
Charles Foran 8T3 added the
Charities of the Archdiocese of
ogy from NYU.
thesis, looking forward now to her
2011 Governor General’s Literary
Boston. James and his wife live in
post-doctorate fellowship.
Award to the list of honours he
Milton, MA.
Gerson D’Souza 0T2 and Maria
the Board of Trustees of Catholic
has received for his biography
Marasco were married 19 Novem-
Katy Hauke DuGarm 8T2 and
of Canadian author Mordecai
Harry 7T7 and Carol Codarini
ber ’11 in Blessed Trinity Church,
her husband, Delano, live in
Richler, Mordecai: The Life & Times.
Hodson 6T9 welcomed their
Alberto Di Giovanni 7T1 has been
instrumental in opening a new
museum in his hometown, Roccamorice, in Abruzzo, Italy. Working
with the local pastor, he has brought
together in the beautiful space of a
recently renovated 18th-century chapel, out of use for many decades,
many rare books and works of art
from other closed churches. The town council has named the museum Centro dÁrte e Culture Alberto Di Giovanni. For the opening
of the museum Alberto was joined by his wife, Caroline Morgan Di
Giovanni 7T0, their daughter Annamaria 0T6 and son, Carlo 9T6,
with his wife and their two children.
Cathy Shannon 6T0, Professor
Emeritus History, Westfield State
College, Westfield, MA, remains
busy in her retirement. She has conJames Milway 7T3 has accepted the appointment as Chancellor of
tributed two long chapters on Lord
Temporal Affairs at the Archdiocese of Toronto. The office acts in the
Randolph Churchill for the study
name of the Archbishop of Toronto in matters relating to the tem-
The Churchills and Ireland. She also
poral administration of the Archdiocese, including financial budgets
travelled to Ireland to present a
and reports. Jim and his wife, Sheila Tierney Milway 7T4, live in
paper on the USA/Northern Ireland
Oakville, ON, and have five grown children. They recently welcomed
connections at the Clinton Institute,
a new granddaughter.
University College Dublin.
32 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
5th grandchild, Charlotte May,
entered Medicine at UQ, where he
they have two sons, Jeremy and
Joe Polito 6T9 became a high
born in France to their daugh-
is now in his third year.
Regan, and four grandchildren.
school teacher, teaching English
Claire, although retired from her
primarily, some Philosophy and at
ter Kelly and her husband, Jean
Teitgen. Son Mark Hodson 9T7
Vickie Rzadki McNally 8T5 has
position as President of the Asso-
times Economics, Computer, Law
was recently named RBC National
been working for the Fontbonne
ciation of Universities and Colleges
and Civics. He and his wife, Nancy,
Branch Manager of the Year. Mark
Ministries of the Sisters of St. Jo-
of Canada, remains active, doing
are now retired and involved in
and his wife, Tracy, have three
seph, Toronto, for nine years and
some work for the Auditor General
volunteer groups. They have three
children and live in Waterloo, ON.
is now in charge of Development
of Canada’s Office. She also serves
grown children, and, Joe adds, “a
couple of grandchildren—so far!”
and Communications. She and
on the boards of the TransCanada
Sean Jenkins 0T7, after graduat-
her husband, Scott McNally 8T2,
Trail; St. Thomas University in New
ing from UofT, moved to Brisbane,
have three children, Stephen, 23,
Brunswick; the CHEO Research
Vereen-Anne Sing 9T9 and
Australia, where he took a Masters
Emily, 21, and James, 18.
Institute, and the Vanier/Banting
her husband, Francis, live in
in Health Economics, specializing
Scholarship Advisory Committee.
Ottawa. They were married in
in Economic Evaluation, at the
Claire Labarge Morris 6T6 and
As Claire reports, “Enough to keep
March ‘09 and welcomed their
University of Queensland. He then
her husband, John, live in Ottawa;
me out of trouble!”
first child, Vanessa, 20 April ‘11.
Rev. Wendy Fletcher, USMC ’93
REST IN PEACE
(PhD Theol.) has been elected by
the Association of Theological
Barbaza, Joseph U.
7T6
Laxton, William A. E.
6T0
Schools (ATS) to the Board of Trustees
Braudry, Harold P. D.
5T4
Lea, Peter D.
6T9
of the Fund for Theological Educa-
Belak, Catherine A. T. 6T1
Luka, Leslie B.
6T1
tion. The appointment took effect 1
Best, Dana
8T7
Lynch, Joseph Patrick
5T0
January ’12. Principal and Dean, Van-
Boyle, Mary Ann
5T2
MacDougall, William J.
5T7
couver School of Theology, Professor
Bozzelli, Mary R.
7T7
Loeppky, Stephanie M. M. 9T9
of Church History, Rev. Fletcher has
Bruno, Anthony D.
4T5
McGee, William H. J. 6T5
worked in a variety of roles with ATS
5T2
Burry, Andrea K.
6T0
Mohan, Pauline M. E.
for two decades. She has also been interested in First Nation education
Charest, Luc P.
6T1
Mosteller CSB,
and residential schools. Her thesis dealt with the subject of women and
Conway, Edmund A.
7T1
Rev. Peter K. 5T0
the priesthood in Anglicanism. She is married with adult children.
Craven, Harry J.
5T5
Murphy, Harold J.
4T9
Cullen CSB,
Murphy CSB, Rev. John F. 6T6
Rev. Dermot J. L. 4T8
Pashkewych, Roman P.
6T2
Darvin, Anna Karissa
0T6
Platt CSB, Rev. Edwin J.
4T4
Sherrie Murphy 5T9 continues
Finan, Edward J.
3T7
Pocius, C. A. Charles
3T7
to live in New York City. On
Fischette, Joseph 3T8
Roche, Mary Claire E. 4T6
the evening of 20 September
Goldsmith, Leo T. W.
6T2
Rockley, Candida O.
0T0
’11, at the Annual General
Greenan, John F. 4T6
Schumacher, Raymond W.5T2
Meeting of the United Nations
Hamel, Rev. Guy
5T6
Senn, Jean M.
Association of New York,
Hanrahan CSB,
Sherrie received the 2011
Rev. T. James
4T9
Spohn, Rosemary H.
6T2
Distinguished Service Award
Heggie, Grace
5T9
Takala, Ruth M. M.
5T1
for her extraordinary service
Kennedy, Geraldine F.
4T3
Tumpane, Clare M.
3T4
in promoting the association’s
Kirby, J. Hugh
5T7
Walneck, Maureen
5T2
international relations.
Landon, Rosemary K. C. 6T2
Wilson, Michael D.
7T8
8T5
Shanahan, Donald Patrick 6T8
Congratulations, Sherrie!
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 33
Bulletin Board
Upcoming A lumni Events
Surveying the Terrain:
What Matters in Mapping
Theology Today
Faculty of Theology Colloquium
Thursday, April 19 and
Friday, April 20
Cardinal Flahiff Building
95 St. Joseph Street
Free admission, all welcome
Phillip 0T4 and Emily
Figueiredo Murphy 0T5
welcomed their second son,
Edward Joseph Murphy
(Teddy) 31 December ‘11, a
little brother for Charlie, 2,
another grandchild for Rui
7T6 and JoAnn Tierney
Figueiredo 7T5.
Vereen-Anne is on maternity
leave, but expects to return
to her position at Health
Canada in a few months.
Zandra Zarhrodeny Smith 9T3
and Steve Smith 9T4 live in
Bowmanville, ON. They have
five children in St. Joseph’s
school, where Steve is Principal.
Zandra teaches Kindergarten at
Holy Family Catholic Elementary
School. They are building a new
home in Bowmanville.
Most Rev. Anthony Tonnos
5T6, Bishop Emeritus of Hamilton,
ON, received the degree Doctor
of Divinity honoris causa at the
University of St. Michael’s College
Theology Convocation,
5 November 2011.
34 Spring 2012 St. Michael’s
The Perfect Pint 2012
USMC Alumni Association
Wednesday, May 2, 6 pm
Bar Vespa, 167 East Liberty Street
(Liberty Village)
Enjoy a specialty brew and meet
and mingle with alumni & friends
at this popular annual pub night
out, this time Italian-style.
To RSVP or for more information,
call 416-926-7260 or email
smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
St. Michael’s College Parent
Orientation Day 2012
Sunday, September 23
For parents of first-year students
10:30 am
Mass
St. Michael’s College Chapel
(below St. Basil’s Church)
11:30 am
Introduction to the College
Sam Sorbara Auditorium,
Brennan Hall
12:30 pm
Brunch
Odette Student Lounge & The Coop
To RSVP or for more information,
call 416-926-7260 or email
smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
St. Michael’s Football Game
and Family Day
Saturday, October 13, 2012
12 noon–2 pm
Arts and Crafts Projects for Kids
12 noon
Complimentary Lunch
Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall
2011 Spring Reunion,
Class of 1961
2012 Spring Reunion
June 1 - June 3
Honouring years ending in ‘2’ and ‘7’
Friday June 1
11 am
Class of 6T2
50th Anniversary Mass
St. Michael’s College Chapel
(below St. Basil’s Church)
12 noon
Class of 6T2
50th Anniversary Lunch
Charbonnel Lounge,
Elmsley Hall
7 pm
USMC Alumni Association
Annual General Meeting
Odette Lounge,
Brennan Hall
(see proxy online)
8 pm–midnight
USMC Alumni Spring
Reunion Reception
Odette Lounge, Brennan Hall
Saturday, June 2
1 pm
USMC Campus Walking Tour
starts at John M. Kelly Library
2-4 pm
100 years of Women’s
Education at USMC
44rd Anniversary Boozer Brown
Touch Football Game
Alumni vs. Students
Time and location TBA
followed by lunch
Charbonnel Lounge,
Elmsley Hall
To register or for more
information, call 416-926-7260
Charbonnel Lounge,
Brennan Hall
6:30 pm
Pre-Dinner Cocktail Reception
Odette Lounge
Brennan Hall
7:30 pm
USMC Honoured
Years’ Dinner
Sam Sorbara Auditorium
Brennan Hall
Sunday, June 3
11:30 am
USMC Alumni Spring
Reunion Mass
St. Michael’s College Chapel
(below St. Basil’s Church)
12:30 pm
USMC Alumni
Complimentary Brunch
Sam Sorbara Auditorium
Brennan Hall
1:30-3 pm
A Singular Citizen:
The Life of Mordecai Richler,
Lecture by Charles Foran
Charbonnel Lounge,
Elmsley Hall
or email smc.alumniaffairs@
utoronto.ca
Santa Claus Parade & Party
Date tba
Christmas Tea
Wednesday, December 5
2 pm–4:30 pm
Father Robert Madden Hall
For details on events, contact 416-926-7260 or smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca
Art on Campus
Ave atque Vale
The word farewell, the handshake true,
The parting smile that hides a tear,
Like specters bold will haunt us on
In memory fixed from year to year.
But while footsore we journey on,
The love of others for us burns,
And e’en when fortune seems to frown,
A mother for our welfare yearns.
A landmark in our lives they make,
A Rubicon that must be crossed,
A plunge whose bitterness we feel,
As water tempered with the frost.
May her solicitude remain
An earnest that God’s grace will guide
Life’s little day from this, its morn,
E’en to a golden eventide.
For years we’ve studied, played, and talked,
Dependent on each other grown;
But now a branching path looms up,
And each must tread it all alone.
A last farewell! We meet again,
But never as we are to-day.
The hour has come—‘tis hard to part—
Let us in silence steal away.
First published in The Yearbook of St. Michael’s College, 1912,
published by the Students’ Parliament, edited by the graduating class
Drawings by E. Boyden, 1912 yearbook listing: Ed.[sic] Boyden, Ottawa, first-year Academic student.
“The Class has within its midst the cartoonist of St. Michael’s Year Book, to wit, Ed. Boyden.
As proof of his artistic ability we refer you to his sketches in the present volume.” (p.45)
St. Michael’s Spring 2012 35
Make a Bequest
Join THE Winning Team
What a wonderful opportunity to say Thank you, St. Mike’s, for
being such a significant force in our lives, and for reaching out to
help young people striving to participate in the College’s mission
of post-secondary Catholic education in a changing world.
Please become part of a winning team to ensure that SMC is
there for future generations through a bequest in your Will to
St. Michael’s College.
For more information, call (416) 926-7286, 1 (866) 238-3339 or email smc.legacygifts@utoronto.ca
University of St. Michael’s College
Office of Alumni Affairs and Development
81 St. Mary Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J4