Alere Flammam the Newsletter of the Lisgar Alumni Association Volume XXVI • 1 St Issue • Spring 2011 Graduating Quiz Team Leaves Big Shoes by Junlan Li
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Alere Flammam The newsletter of the Lisgar Alumni Association Volume XXVI • 1 st Issue • Spring 2011 Graduating Quiz Team Leaves Big Shoes By Junlan Li n our last junior quiz practice today, our juniors were told Ithat they had “big shoes to fill,” as the senior team was graduat - ing. Looking back, I remembered those shoes being really big, and I realized, with a jolt, that we’d grown into them. In our grade nine year, 2008, our seniors won the “Reach for the Top” Nationals by a hairsbreadth and an air horn, against our traditional rivals, University of Toronto Schools (UTS). Our captain, Patrick Liao, was there in the stands, and I believe (although he’s modest about it) this moment was a driving factor in what pushed him to WHIZ QUIZ CHAMPIONS: Students Stuart Macdonald, Patrick Liao, Junlan Li, Joe Su, and Will Sanna show trophies. Teacher Ruth Crabtree stands behind. be one of the most influential trivia since the revival of the school’s “Reach becoming International Champions on two formats: “Reach for the Top” is players on the Canadian trivia circuit. for the Top” team. It was a bitter pill to WPBS’s “WhizQuiz” competition, by a less academically demanding, more But Lisgar won, and finally, after being swallow and I felt like we let down our fairly large margin. This year, we took adrenaline driven, and much more a title-less yet strong academic trivia teammates, our club, and our school. first and most seconds at all the Ottawa controversial than its American coun - school, we had our first National title. One of my teachers asked me what I tournaments, except for our own terpart, which most players enjoyed The cameras flashed, the winners was doing back so early. I couldn’t house-run “Reach for the Top” tour - more. Still, Patrick, Alex Rochon, Joe basked, and we, the juniors, cheered. answer. nament, where the National Su, Weikai Chen, and I chose the So we had big shoes to fill. It wasn’t In our last year, we were deter - Champions from New Brunswick came Canadian championship, while Harry until grade 11 that we realized how big mined to make it count. We took every to play. It was pretty close though; we Rusnock, Stuart Macdonald, Will those shoes really were. Coming off a chance we could to play tournaments. still came second, even without our Sanna, and Geoffrey Song chose the wonderfully exhilarating Ontario We hosted tournaments like the Fall senior players, who wrote the tourna - American tournament in Atlanta. They Quizbowl Championship win, we fell Novice, for our juniors. We even wrote ment. did well, as the perennially only flat on our faces at Ontario’s “Reach our own tournaments, writing a And then we had to make a choice. Canadian team, contending with fairly for the Top” Provincial tournament. “Reach for the Top” style tournament, The Canadian National “Reach for the heavy American content, missing the Twelfth place. Lisgar hadn’t fin - and played at places like the University Top” championship, or the much big - playoffs by a heartbreaker and a slow ished outside the top ten in the decade of Toronto, the University of ger American High School National reader. Washington, and the University of Championship Tournament? For one We did well at the city tournament, Alere Flammam Delaware. We played and hosted Trivia thing, they fell on the same day. For winning the Ottawa title for the eighth Nights. And we learned, we practiced, another, going to both would have cost time in recent years. At Provincials, we and we won. us each over $2500. Plus it would Inside We started off the school year by mean having to choose between the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4... Members’ Forum 2 In Memoriam 2 Lisgar Archives 4 Your Alumni Association Needs You! Lisgar’s Wikipedian 5 We continue to look for a new Treasurer to manage the finances of the Association and a new Newsletter Editor to New Bicycle Racks from Alumni 6 lead the production of Alere Flammam . If you are interested in either of these roles, or would like to get involved with the Alumni Association in another capacity big or small, please contact us at [email protected] or (866) 236-1450. 2010 Donors 6 Members’ Forum Members’ Forum In Memoriam Jim Kekanovich (1952) wrote: What EAL , E. Ruth (Todd, 1946) died on General Hospital and served as a surprise to see the photo of the 1950 July 13, 2009. Life member. President of the Canadian Dietetic junior hockey team in the Fall 2010 BOWLEY , Kathleen (Barclay, Association. In 1977 she received the issue, and myself in the second row. I 1939) died on November 16, 2010. Queen’s Medal. remember all of the faces (61 years From 1942 to 1945 she served in the HOPPER , E. Peter (1947) died on ago), and fondly recall those happy Women’s Royal Canadian Naval October 31, 2010. Life member. and carefree times. Although I contin - Service, and was the only “WREN” to KUJALA , Andrea (nee Vickers, ued to play many sports, hockey was be awarded the France and Germany teacher 1976-1991) died April 12, one of my favourite and was engen - Star. After graduation from Queen’s 2011. She taught business subjects at dered in my youth by playing hours University she worked for the Royal Lisgar, and also taught at Sir Wilfrid and hours on the outdoor rinks in Commission on the Arts, Letters and Laurier and Hillcrest. A forthright per - Ottawa’s Lowertown. I even recall Sciences headed by Vincent Massey. son, Andrea was a faithful and forceful clearing a patch of ice on the Rideau CAMERON , Claire (Ritchie, 1950) presence at the weekly breakfast of Canal well before it became the skat - died on April 22, 2011. She played former Lisgar women teachers. She ing venue it now is. I went on to a basketball and volleyball at Lisgar and was an avid reader and lover of music, degree in Forestry from the University began her habit there of forming life- having served as business manager of of Toronto and spent most of my long friendships. the Strings of St. John. Andrea was also career at Natural Resources in north - CREED , Sheila (Bowser, 1942) a regular volunteer at St. Patrick’s ern Ontario. I should also mention died on April 14, 2010. home where she provided palliative that I have been a library board mem - DUNLOP , James (Jim, 1950) died care and accompanied the elders in ber for the Municipality of Grey on November 18, 2010 in Oakville. song at weekly Saturday gatherings. Highlands for the last 10 years and GREEN , Thomas (1950) died on PERRIN , Douglas (1950) died undoubtedly this participation is due March 27, 2010. Life member. February 20, 2011. Life member. in no small part to the influence of HALLIDAY , Dr. Bruce (1944) RUDDY , Helen (Hanson, 1941/2) Lisgar. Your alumni newsletter is died on January 1, 2011. He complet - died on December 28, 2010. great. ed his high school education with two SAUNDERS , Sam (teacher 1974- years at Lisgar, where he played on the 1989) passed away on March 28, Hugh Acheson (1990) is a chef and senior hockey team before entering 2011. He had a thirty-five year career owns three restaurants in Athens, LISGAR’S TOP CHEF: Hugh Acheson (1990). Medicine at the University of Toronto. as a devoted teacher, and will be Georgia. This spring, he competed He practiced family medicine for 22 remembered for his gregarious and on the reality television program Wholesome Wave. The organization years and then became the Member of enthusiastic nature. At Lisgar, he over - “Top Chef Masters,” winning supports increased production and Parliament for Oxford, serving from saw numerous art shows and the cre - $15,000 for the charity of his choice, access to healthy, fresh, and afford - 1974 to 1993. An advocate for the dis - ation of snow sculptures on the canal able locally grown food, especially in abled, he is credited with the intro - for Winterlude. More recently, he Editor historically excluded urban and duction of sloped sidewalks at inter - organized an alumni art show during Melissa Polak rural communities. sections for wheelchair access. He the 160th anniversary of the school. Layout & Design One of Hugh’s more unusual cre - received a commendation from the STEWART , Mary Irene (St. Avi Caplan ations on the show was for the “bug” President of the United States when the Germaine, 1939) challenge, during which he prepared idea was adopted in many states. TORONTOW , Cyril (1939) Contributors Joy Heft tempura crickets with a carrot HAYWARD , Marjorie (Swerdfager, WHITTLE , Brian (1944) died on David Lamperd puree. The crickets narrowly won 1958) passed away on February 3, December 7, 2010. After graduating Melissa Polak out over a sunchoke salad with bee - 2011. After being Head Girl at Lisgar, from Lisgar, he joined the Army and tle vinaigrette. she attended Carleton University and was involved with infantry training Alere Flammam is the semi-annual newsletter of the Lisgar Alumni Hugh has a cookbook in the the University of Ottawa. She taught during the latter part of WWII. He Association. works, which we imagine will not English as a second language at graduated from the University of include cricket recipes. It will be Algonquin College for over 20 years. Toronto with a degree in English and Lisgar Alumni Association entitled A New Turn of the South. HOOD , Helen (1943) died on moved to Pembroke where he was a 29 Lisgar Street Ottawa, ON K2P 0B9 December 7, 2010. She graduated reporter with the Ottawa Journal.