St John’s College Newsletter Vol XII No.2 SUMMER 2012

UPCOMING EVENTSFor more information or times please call 474-8531.

Matriculation of Students 3pm, Sunday, 23rd September, 2012

Homecoming Chapel Service 10.30am, Sunday, 16th September, 2012

Homecoming Luncheon and Debate Sunday, 16th September, 2012 Noon in Cross Common Room

Choral Evensong with All The Kings MenSunday, 7th October, 2012

Convocation3pm, Sunday, 4th November, 2012

This IssueWarden’s Word p. 2

Bragging Rights p. 3

Quest for Consciousness p. 4

We Have a Dream p. 7

College/Events News p. 8

Faculty/Staff News p. 9

Alumni/Student News p.10

In Memorium p. 11

Quest For Consciousness p. 4 and 5.

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Warden’s Word!

St John’s College continues to strive for the highest in academic excel-lence and once again our students have achieved it.

In the same way that our students move on to new stages of their lives, so do our Fellows. Dr. Janet Hoskins, our former Warden and Vice-Chancellor, has retired from her position as a Professor in the Computer Science Department. After a long and distinguished career in the Faculty of Education and as a very active Fellow of the College, Dr. Rod Clifton retired last December. Well-known historian Dr. Gerald Friesen has chosen to retire from his formal teaching responsibilities and has been appointed Distinguished Professor Emeritus by the University. He plans to maintain his research and writing profile. St John’s is proud to have been the home of these out-standing scholars.

Now the cycle begins again. I met yesterday with the incoming stu-dents who are part of our Learning Community, a new program that brings first-year College students together in the same core courses. So much enthusiasm and excite-ment over what they will be doing at University. Residence applications have been pouring in and we are full again next year, with a waiting list. I thought summer was a time of rest and renewal, but around the College we are busy planning for next year.

I hope that all of you will take some time this summer for quiet and reflec-tion. Think of your College days – remember the good times and all the good people – and be assured that your College continues to educate and nurture with the values we have carried throughout our history.

In Lumine is the official alumni journal of St John’s College

Design: Karen Armstrong Graphic DesignEditing: Jackie MarkstromThank you to this issues contributors: Brenda Cantelo, David Punter, John Stafford, Chris Trott and our Alumni and friends. Photos taken by Joshua Adria and Ivan Froese.

OUR MISSION is to share information, stimulate discussion and foster happy memories about St John’s College and, in so doing continue to build commu-nity through the forging and improving of relationships with the College.

How to contact us:St John’s College, 92 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5Phone: (204) 474-8531 Fax: 474-7610Email jmarkstr@cc.umanitoba.ca Web: www.umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_johnsFront page photo courtesy of Ivan Froese, Bursar, St John’s College

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On June 2, 2012, I was stand-ing with President Barnard in the Field House watching as high school students, newly admitted to the University of Manitoba, along with their parents filed in for a day

Second Epistle General to the Johniansby Christopher Trott, Ph.D., Warden & Vice Chancellor

Not afraid to get his hands dirty! Chris helped students to cook for Ronald McDonald House families.

orientation program. We reflected on the fact that two days before we had stood together on the same spot meeting with new graduates after Convocation. The cycles of celebration, with the attendant ner-vousness and excitement, seemed to us complete. New students com-ing in, who with the appropriate direction, teaching and learning too will be moving on in a few years.

St John’s continues to nurture and strengthen the academic potential of our students. We are very proud that Johnian Prateep Kumar Nayak won the overall Governor General’s Gold Medal for outstanding achievement at the Graduate level for his doctoral research. I had the personal privilege to teach Prateep in my Research Methods course a number of years ago. In addition, three Johnians received Program Medals: Stephanie Berrington (Arts Honours), Kathryn Marcynuk (Engineering – Computing), and Cheryl Sobie (Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources Honours degree).

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Bragging Rights and a Great Scholarship! On Thursday, 15th March, 2012 Dr. Chris Trott, Warden and Vice-Chancellor of St John’s College and Dr. Norman Halden, Dean of the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, faced off – ladles in hand; curry in slow cookers! It was a battle of the curries – Chris cooked a chick-en curry and Norm a beef one. Add to that lentils, pakoras, samosas, rice, naan bread and over 60 hungry people and you have a Curry Cook-Off!

In the end, Dr. Norman Halden was the winner by one vote, 33 to 32, and awarded the Chef-y trophy!Below Right: Fellow Bill Norton and auction prize winner Glenn Bergen

The real winner though will be our students. All monies raised from this event will be put into The William Norton Award. This award honours the career of Fellow William Norton and will be made to a student taking a Geography Programme with prefer-ence given to a student in Human Geography.

Did someone mention an annual curry cook-off?

Bach’s Birthday A Tribute Concert for Lawrence Ritchey, was held on the 22nd March in the Chapel featuring music by Bach performed by Lottie Enns-Braun, on the organ, and on the cello our own Dean of Residence, Sean Taubner. Some of you may remember Music Fellow Lawrence Ritchey who passed away in 2006. Says his wife Candace “He loved the Chapel -- and the many services and performances of all sorts held there: From his ‘new’ composition (!!ha) for Bagpipes and Flute (Norm Cameron and Warden Murdith) to “The Hollow Crown” when a couple professional actors joined us. And I remember his excitement when he started tonally redesigning (the old organ they had found) in order to make it sound right in its new home!” After the concert a reception was held in the Cross Common Room.

Getting ready to test their wings.

Three baby semi-palmated plovers were clearly seen on the roof of the College from his second floor vantage point by fellow Struan Sinclair.

SUMMER 2012

Getting ready to test their wings.

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With a generous donation from Robert Richards ’65 and his wife Penny, local artist and UofM graduate Adrian Schimnowski was commissioned to create artwork to enhance the space outside the Robert B. Schultz Lecture Theatre. The stunning sculpture stretches the length of the 23 foot curved wall and is constructed of wood, glass and copper.

The work was unveiled on Wednesday, 23rd May, 2012 by the donors Rob and Penny Richards, the artist Adrian Schminowski, representative from UofM Digvir Jayas, VP Research & International, Janet Hoskins, former Warden and Vice-Chancellor, and current Warden & Vice-Chancellor Chris Trott. Adrian describes the work as a study on the universal human theme of consciousness. Consciousness and transcendence is attained through the trials of life experienced while striving for a goal or quest. Adrian notes: “The work is especially fitting in the College setting where students quest for higher learning, to reach academic or work-related goals, or for answers to spiritual questions”. The work allows the viewer to reflect on the significance of their own quest, and the trials, revelations, struggles and joys which can lead to an opening of consciousness and transcendence.

You are welcome to come down to the College and view this magnificent sculpture executed by the same artist as the Christus Rex in the Chapel of St John the Evangelist at the College.

Quest for Consciousness

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SUMMER 2012 5

Inset above from left to right: Digvir Jayas, Rob Richards’ 65, Penny Richards, Chris Trott, Adrian Schimnowski,

Oksana Schimnowski and Janet Hoskins

“The work is especially fitting in the College setting where students quest for higher learning, to reach academic or work-related goals, or for answers to spiritual questions”.

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Thinking TheologyAlways Tip Your Hairdresser

I always tip my barber. For three reasons: one, someone that close to my ears with a sharp blade gets my respect regardless; two, the dif-ference between a bad and good haircut is only two weeks; and three, I always learn something use-ful. Without fail, my barber asks me what I do for a living, so I tell him. He then tells me he’s semi-religious that he’s read the Bible “and other stuff”, like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Impressive - did he understand it? Not really, but it was interesting, and weird; lots of violence—who can deal with all that, he asks? One is tempted to say that God can but the problem is God appears to initi-ate a good bit of it—the image of God as a fighter and warrior. Then I recall that the man with the scis-sors is the man with the power so I mumble a response.

My barber is on to something—he speaks for many I think. The Bible is something other, something out there, the narratives seem impossible to get at and often they run so counter to our world. The investment of effort in reading them seems to have little pay-off. If there is a God whose will is to be known, he’s made it too difficult. So live a good life, be moral, be true, and rest assured in our own righteousness. Or not, depending. Don’t take any of it too seriously—it might hurt you. Or restore you. In the College and on the University campus there are many young people. It’s my contention that

people are drawn to the things of God by nature, even in their rejec-tion. They want to believe and also to trust the Bible—they want to talk and be heard. Not simply at bound-ary events like death, illness or other crises, but as a way to live and understand the human reality. We were made to desire and to believe, but what, or more to the point, Who? So despite the problems, we see enough of ourselves in the Bible to push further. What the old reformers called intuitive revelation.

The Gospel as God’s depiction and response to human reality con-tends that we are under tension in the absence of God and that we will experience such tension in many ways. Receptivity to the Gospel is what the Bible calls forth, specifically to Christ. Thus, St. Paul can speak of the “peace that passes all understanding” (Phil 4:7) as one of the fruits of faith. Folks want to know that it’s OK to talk about these things—that the Bible is a robust collection of texts that reflect ancient narratives that still speak. This happens not when we dissect and reassemble them but when we read them as coherent narrative—it’s theology. We do it all the time and it takes some effort but then again, gold was never cheap! People want to know they matter to God, where they fit, who they are. A recent article by the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, suggested young people 18-23 in our time, experience

unusually high levels of intoxication, loneliness and sexual alienation. I doubt if that generation is alone. A virtual world offers some unin-tended consequences despite its achievements! The Bible speaks to this. Naturally, it’s often not politi-cally correct, it’s not always to our subjective liking, but it speaks God’s truth to us.

So getting at the Bible is what we do at Bible & Breakfast at St John’s College. Then we discover the Bible gets at us and like God, makes its home with us and we learn its tones and cadences. Its call is to a life of grace which we can only receive from God. Best of all, we go togeth-er, being with friends, making new ones, sharing food together, wor-shipping together, thinking and tak-ing counsel together, asking what God desires of us. We were made for this and by degrees, Christ rebuilds us. What a trip! And if all that hap-pens is that you now offer a grace at meals when before you didn’t, well, that’s huge. God makes us habitable once again.

Maybe this is for you. Join us. Find your home, worship with us. You can learn more about Bible & Breakfast and Sunday worship at St John’s College by going to our web page at: http://umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_johns/programs/theol-ogy/index.html or contact the Dean of Theology and Chaplain, John Stafford, at 474-8543, j_stafford@umanitoba.ca

with John Stafford, Dean of Theology

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From this …

Now it is time for big ideas…Martin Luther King’s famous speech pointed towards what seemed at the time an unachievable future in American race relations. He dreamed big, and shared his dream with the world and at least some of his dream has come true.

We want to dream big – and share that dream with you. Our residence is now over 50 years old and is desperately in need of renovation, rebuilding or replacement (it always comes down to the three R’s!). We want to lay out for you our biggest dream fantasy about what we can do for our residence.

We have long talked about finish-ing the quadrangle of the College by building beside the University Parkade. We would like to build a new residence along the back of the quadrangle in our first year of devel-opment, move the students there for the next year and tear down and build a new residence where the current building stands.

Presently there is huge demand for residence spaces. The University residences had a waiting list of 400 by July this year, and our residence is full and the waiting list is build-ing. There are new demands from international students, the Intensive

We Have a DreamYou have heard us talk about Residence Renewal for several years now and we have received many donations helping us to renovate this more than half a century old building. Thank you!

“When I ask people what is the best thing about St John’s they usually will reply: the feeling of community... unless they live in Rez than they will usually say the best thing is that they do not have to cook their own food…and then they will probably say the sense of community.” Nicole Wruth ‘12

English Program and Aboriginal stu-dents. There are demands for more apartments for couples and families on campus. We see a residence with 160 beds plus apartments. We will, of course, have to include appropriate dining, recreation and study facilities in our plans.

Will it be expensive? YES! More than we have ever raised before. Is it worth it? YES! St John’s continues to offer a safe and nurturing communi-ty for all its students. Can we achieve this? YES! If we dream together and work to make it a reality. Join with us in dreaming and building the St John’s College of the future.

All donations received from room sponsorships has been placed into a separate fund which will be put towards the final project.

to this …

CHAPEL NEWS

The choir rehearsing for the Advent Evensong at the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, SJC (Photo Credit: Boris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press, Dec. 3, 2006, reproduced with permission).

All The King’s Men, a male-voice liturgical choir, is celebrating fifteen years as an independent entity associated with the Royal School of Church Music. The ensemble has a membership of 16 singers drawn from a variety of denomi-national backgrounds. It maintains an active repertoire ranging from Gregorian and Sarum plainsong to part music recently written for the choir. Composers include Palestrina, Lassus, Byrd, Tallis, Stone, Gibbons, Batten, Monteverdi, Tomkins, Locke, Stainer, Sullivan, Stravinsky, Lenassi, Edwards and Ritchey.

After a period of singing regularly at St John’s College, the choir was in-vited to form an official association with the College Chapel in 2000. Since that time it has sung Choral Evensong at the College on the first Sunday of each month from

October through June. Special ser-vices include an Advent Evensong, Tenebrae on Wednesday in Holy Week, and a Mass for Ascension Day.

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College/Events News

The Define Your Future contest asked participants to submit a video where they defined who they are – a visionary, a trailblazer, or a rebel, perhaps.

And, congratulations to Stephanie Lynn Berrington, ’12, Kathryn Larissa Marcynuk, ’12 and Cheryl Veronica Sobie, ’12 who were all awarded Program Medals. Stephanie will be heading to McGill this fall to start her MA.

And, congratulations to Etienne Gaboury, DCL ’97, on being in-vested with the Order of Manitoba on 12th July, 2012.

The Great Homecoming DebateJoin us on Sunday, 16th September for lunch and great conversation.

Be It Resolved That Anglican Colleges remain a necessary part of the undergraduate University Experience

Debating for the motion will be: Fellow Lance Roberts and alum-nus Harley Shepherd, ’08, ‘11

Debating against is: Fellow Bonnie Hallman and current student Andrew Prest

Contact us for more information – 474 9350 or email jmarkstr@cc.umanitoba.ca

Nicole Wruth, ’12, defined herself as an Explorer – and was announced as the grand prize winner. Of three choices for a grand prize, Nicole chose an arctic exploration to work with the university’s researchers.Stayed tuned for updates of Nicole’s arctic adventure!

AWARDS

Created in 1873 to encourage aca-demic excellence across the nation, the governor general’s academic medals have become the most prestigious award for outstanding achievements that Canadian stu-dents can receive. Congratulations to Dr Prateep Kumar Nayak, ’12 awarded the Governor General’s Gold medal for outstanding achievement at the graduate level. Prateep and his family will be mov-ing to southern Ontario where he will be a professor at the University of Waterloo.

Did You Know The College has a Press?Our latest publication is a collec-tion of papers from a colloquium entitled “Canada’s North, Whose North?” and reflects new apprecia-tions of traditional Indigenous ways of thinking about the North.

For more information or to pur-chase this book or any of the SJC Press books please call the General Office or visit our website for more information: http://umanitoba.ca/colleges/st_johns/

Other titles include:

The Prairies Lost and Found (2007)

Intersecting Worlds: Rural and Urban Aboriginal Issues (2005)

Social Capital and Community in Canada and Germany (2004)

Faith, Reason, and Economics: Essays in Honour of Anthony Waterman (2003)

The St John’s College Story: A Documentary (2002)

That Old College TieTies, t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants – wear your College with pride! See our website for more details and to order http://umanitoba.ca/col-leges/st_johns/ and click on the Alumni link. Yes, we are thinking Christmas already!

The last Great Debate held at the 60’s and before reunion!

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Faculty/ Staff News

SUMMER 2012

Future Johnians perhaps Congratulations to Erin Millions, Research Fellow at the College, and her husband on the birth of their baby boy, Eric John Millions Blomquist on Sunday May 6 - coming in at 8 lbs. 5 oz.

And, on 8th May Noah Benjamin, weighing 10lb 3oz, was born to visiting Fellow Jennifer Dueck and her husband Saul.

Eric John Noah Benjamin

Our Hearty Congratulations to:Fellow Lance Roberts who was recognized with University 1 Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Junior Fellow and grad, Allison Abra, ‘99 is heading to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where she will be an assistant professor in the History Department and a Fellow at the Centre for War and Society. Congratulations Allison!

As of July 1st 2012, Fellow David Watt is the Director of the Institute for the Humanities. David has helped to organize several public exhibitions and has taught a number of courses focused on the medieval and early modern books held in rare book collection at the UofM (includ-ing our very own King James Bible). His main objective as director will be to foster dialogue about the purpose

and place of the humanities in the University and the broader community.

Fellow Fiona MacDonald won best article published in Canadian Journal for Political Scientists in 2011 for “Indigenous Peoples and Neoliberal “Privatization” in Canada”

Fellow Bonnie Hallman has recently been appointed Director of University 1 at the University of Manitoba. In her new role Bonnie will be providing an outstanding experience for first year students.

Saying Farewell to Retiring Fellows:Gerry Friesen, Rod Clifton and Janet Hoskins

And to staff:Dean of Residence, Sean Taubner has been offered and accepted a position with the Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Orchestra in Japan. This is very exciting news as it will allow Sean to move forward with his career as a cellist - a talent we have all come to enjoy with his recitals in the Chapel.

Former Dean of Residence and Honorary Fellow, John Wortley, recently had a book launch at McNally Robinson. His book The Book of the Elders: Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Systematic Collection contains hundreds of tales and sayings which the first Christian monks (who peopled the Egyptian deserts in the 4th-7th cents) used to tell each other. Many of the tales and sayings deal with the monks’ relationship with God and with each other but a surpris-ing number of them shed light on the otherwise almost completely unknown “world” (secular society) from which they had become an-chorites, or withdrawers.

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Alumni/Student News

March of 2012. The title recognizes outstanding expertise, work and contributions in a lawyer’s public life. Michael practices and teaches immigration law exclusively.

Congratulations to Chinyere (Chichi) Asagwara, ‘05 & ’09 who was recently awarded the first ever Rising Star Award from the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM). The CRNM is “the professional regulatory body for registered nurses in Manitoba since 1913.” The main page of web-site http://www.crnm.mb.ca/ has a video link on the details of this award.

Jill Heinrichs, ‘10 married Derek Bueddefeld on May 15, 2010. Jill is a program coordinator at the English as Another Language Program for Newcomers in the Extended Education Dept here at the University.

News from one of our Rhodes Scholars Jody Reimer, ’11. I am well settled into Oxford now, and somehow we are already on the home stretch of our first term. It is somehow even more beauti-ful than people said it would be, and a great place to live as well as study. I have taken up rowing with enthusiasm, and my crew is currently participating in a large novice regatta. I have been spoiled with two very involved supervisors and an exciting thesis topic involv-ing modelling marine reserves and potentially their impact on fisheries and fish populations. There is never a shortage of things to do, with an unbelievable amount of interesting lectures on all subjects going on all the time, lots of music and other

Harley Shepherd, ’08, ’11 was called to the Bar in June of this year. Harley currently works at Brown and Associates and lives in Carman.

It’s official!

cultural events, and of course col-lege life, which plays a very promi-nent role here.

Douglas Ripley, ’11 was called to the Bar in June of this year. He has joined Aikens Law as an associ-ate in the Advocacy Department. Douglas’ brother, Thomas, ‘08 and father James, ’76 are also grads of SJC.

We are delighted to announce that Bernie Beare, ’57 has been awarded the Order of Rupert’s Land. Given in recognition of outstand-ing support and leadership in the Church over an extended period of time. Bernie, who is also Chair of College Council, will receive the award at Diocesan Synod this Fall.

Gail Bonner (nee Thompson) ’66, sent us more College cheers saying No doubt you will get more as our brains are jogged, but I remember:

Ra Ra ReeKick em in the kneeRa Ra RassKick em in the other knee

Also:St. John’s St. John’s, leave em in the lurch Down with the heathens, up with the Church!

From Marina Del Rey in California Robert Bradley ’71, wrote to tell us that he particularly enjoyed the most recent issue of In Lumine. Stating, “it was especially good to see the photos of Stuart Niermeier. I wonder if he remembers his days as organist in St. James Parish, and the choirboys (me among them) who would cajole him to play “Tammy My Love” on the organ pedals. Pat Boone never did it better. Many fond memories!”

Congratulations to Hartley Richardson, ’77 who was award-ed a Doctor of Canon Laws by University of Winnipeg for his com-mitment to the community.

Congratulations to Michael Greene, ‘79, who was appointed Queen’s Counsel in March 2012 by the Lieutenant Governor in Council in Alberta, Queen’s Counsel in

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Reverend Robert Frederick Brown, ’51 passed away peace-fully in Roseview Manor on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. He attended the University of Manitoba and took Theology at St. John’s College which he completed in 1951. He also received Licentiate in Theology from St. John’s College in 1963.

Smith Couling, ’60 passed away on Saturday, 31st March, 2012 at Riverview Health Centre. A schol-arship winner Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree through the College, and was known for his quiet sense of humour.

Cicelyn Bartolo (nee James), ’60 died of complications of a stroke on Sunday, 10th June. Cicelyn was a student from Tobago and was active in the West Indian Student’s Association whilst in the College.

A. Michael Byrne husband of Donna Byrne (nee Peters) ’63 passed away suddenly in January of 2012.

Burton Frank Waters husband of Judy Waters (nee Marley) ‘63 passed away after a brief battle with leukemia in October 2011.

Friend Muriel Quirk passed away on 16th February, 2012. A long time friend of the College she will be sadly missed.

Honorary Fellow William Norrie passed away on the 6th July, 2012. Bill was made an Honorary Fellow of the College in 2003 whilst he was Chancellor of the University of Manitoba.

Former staffer and wife of Bishop Patrick Lee Mary Lee passed away on Sunday, 8th July, 2012. Mary attended SJC for 3 years leaving to marry Patrick. Mary worked at the College in the Theology Department as a coordinator of the Centre for Christian Ministries. Three of Mary and Patrick’s four daugh-ters attended the College – Sandra for one year, whilst both Sharon ’82 and Suzanne ’84 are graduates.

In Memoriam

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In THy LIGHT SHaLL We See

LIGHT

St John’s College

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement #40063171Please Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to St John’s College, 92 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2M5

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The graduation dinner and dance was held at Bergman’s on Lombard. Nicole Wruth, ‘12 gave the Valedictorian address. Nicole stayed in Residence for three years and had this to say about her experience at the College: St John’s welcomes you in with Matriculation, keeps you going with the many scholarships and bursary opportunities, and is there for you from your first day, right until the day you graduate.

So whatever you should do after graduation, even if you decide to go into a completely different direction than what you first thought, you can always take what you’ve learned from your degree and what you have learned from the people you have met here at St John’s with you where ever you go.

Congratulations to all our Graduates!

Graduation 2012