University College Alumni Magazine SPRING 2020 Portraiture IN THE AGE HONOURING SUPREME COURT OF INSTAGRAM JUSTICE ROSALIE ABELLA Robert Giard’s photographs of LGBTQ HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE OLYMPICS writers capture what’s essential INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION Please save the date for the 2020 University College Alumni of Influence Awards Dinner and Gala Wednesday, November 18, 2020 The Carlu Reception 6:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m. Invitation and announcement of recipients to follow For more information or to submit a nomination for next year, please visit uc.utoronto.ca/nominations or call (416) 978-2968 Contributors Sharon Aschaiek Scott Rayter Kirk Sibbald Sharon Aschaiek is a communicator Scott Rayter is an assistant Kirk Sibbald works in and journalist who writes for and professor, teaching stream, in communications and lives in about the higher education sector in the English department, and Saskatoon with his wife and two Canada and beyond. She trained at former associate director of the daughters. He has a degree in York University, Humber College, Mark S. Bonham Centre for journalism from the University of and Ryerson University, and has Sexual Diversity Studies at UC. Western Ontario and, in his spare volunteered extensively for local He curated the exhibition Robert time, enjoys playing and watching a professional communications Giard: Towards the Particular at wide variety of sports. He also enjoys associations. Outside of work, she is a the Art Museum at the University travelling and hopes to make it back peace-and-love hippie with a dream of Toronto, and co-edited Queerly to Toronto in the near future to take of doing a meditation retreat at Zen Canadian: An Introductory Reader in some Blue Jays games. His fearless master Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum in Sexuality Studies. prediction: the World Series returns Village Monastery in southern France. to Toronto in 2022! She is also known as a “corny mom,” according to her 13-year-old son. 4 UC ALUMNI MAGAZINE Features University College Alumni Magazine EDITOR Yvonne Palkowski (BA 2004 UC) SPECIAL THANKS Naomi Handley Emily Kakouris Lori MacIntyre Maheesha Ramessar Emily Sands 14 Markus Stock ART DIRECTION + DESIGN Amber Moon 10 PRINTING Andora Graphics COVER IMAGE Robert Giard, Five Members of “Other Countries,” March 1987, gelatin silver print, 40.6 x 50.8 cm. Gift of Jonathan Silin, 2012. University College Collection. Copyright Estate of Robert Giard. CORRESPONDENCE AND UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: University College Advancement Office 15 King’s College Circle Toronto ON, Canada M5S 3H7 University College Alumni Magazine 18 is published twice a year by the University College Advancement Office and is circulated to 27,000 alumni and friends of University 10 Tracking Human Rights College, University of Toronto. in Sport To update your address or Olympian and scholar unsubscribe, send an email to Bruce Kidd has his eye on this [email protected] summer’s Games in Tokyo 24 with your name and address, or call (416) 978-2139 or toll-free 14 Supreme Court Justice 1 (800) 463-6048. Rosalie Abella Judge, scholar, public servant, PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT humanitarian 40041311 Departments 18 Towards the Particular In the age of Instagram, Robert Giard’s portraits of LGBTQ writers capture what’s essential 06 Principal’s Message 24 Integrating Indigenous 08 Calendar Perspectives into Higher 28 Class Notes Education 32 Nota Bene How community engagement leads to richer learning 38 In Memoriam SPRING 2020 5 Principal Markus Stock delivers his installation address. Photograph by Sean Story. The following is an WE OFTEN END BY GIVING THANKS to people around us, but I would like to begin by thanking Rory Sinclair, our piper, for edited version of the the impressive introductory performance. The tune took me back address given by to a time in my life that was both formative and without which I wouldn’t be here in Canada now: my year abroad at the University of Professor Markus Stock on Edinburgh in Scotland. the occasion of his installation To this day, I remember the moment almost 30 years ago, when I stepped out of Waverley Station, looked at the stunning Castle Hill, and as University College’s 17th heard a bagpipe play, as I would often in the year ahead. For sure, this was cliché-laden and tourist-geared folklore, but who cares? I certainly principal on February 5, 2020. didn’t care. I was happy, and thought: this city, mine, for a year! 6 UC ALUMNI MAGAZINE PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE My university experience there was rewarding. I alumni, students, staff, and faculty—engaged. We found friends for life in the International House, will be mindful of our carbon footprint. And we will in a drama group, and in my dorm. I also found continue to build bridges within the institution, with joy in helping others improve their German. Most our brother and sister Colleges, the Departments, the importantly, I was able to see this as the biggest Faculty of Arts and Science, and beyond. adventure of my life at this point. University College’s values of inclusivity, equity, and At the time, it was also exhilarating to me that I was diversity also require care and wakefulness. I will rely able to master my year abroad in a foreign language on everyone in the UC community, such a strong and and in a foreign culture. I stepped out of Waverley connected community, to defend these values with Station alone, and 10 months later left Edinburgh me against all sorts of dangers arising around them in with a network of friends and much clearer ideas this societal and cultural moment. about my academic aspirations. It was a life-wide learning experience, not just an academic one. And of University College is a special place, and its iconicity course, my joy also came from the fact that I felt I had extends to: its physical appearance as a National mastered this all on my own. Historic Site of Canada; its location at the centre of campus, as an oasis within a metropolitan area; and In hindsight, though, I realize that this extremely enriching experience had been carefully curated by its values, the College being an icon of diversity and the sending and receiving institutions, by institutional inclusion in keeping with the city and the country of priorities on international experience and intercultural which it has been such a vital and important part. fluency, and by a thoughtful way to care for This iconicity in all of its aspects—in the bricks of the international students in the classroom and beyond. buildings, in UC’s locational interconnectedness, and This enabled me, but in beautifully subtle ways that in its values—requires constant care. It needs to be I took for granted. I now realize that student success earned anew day-in and day-out. I know that it is this requires immense institutional thoughtfulness to responsibility that comes with the principal’s gown, couple a culture of academic excellence with a culture and I am willing to take it on collaboratively, relying of caring, just as the recent Task Force on Student on all of you who are old and new hands at forming Mental Health put it. and transforming this iconicity. Thank you. And this, let me add, is not only a matter of care for I would also like to thank my family, Marje, Mathilda, students struggling with mental health problems; and Anton, who have given their okay to share me with I care deeply about this issue and Colleges have a this job for the next four and a half years, and who have decisive role to play. It is also a matter of subtle care kept me happy and joyful in my life beyond academia. for the happiness and well-being of all our students. Let’s care! But let me close not on bricks and buildings, but on what lies underneath. As John Borrows (who As someone studying medieval cultures, I am well delivered the Priestley Lectures at UC a few years aware of the vestimentary symbolism of the robing ago) reminds us in his recent book, Law’s Indigenous ceremony that just happened. I am honoured, Ethics, Taddle Creek, which once ran right through burdened, and exhilarated, now that this old-new campus, is now sadly buried underground. It was a gown is on my shoulders. Ceremony has placed gathering place and remains a source of significance helping hands and encouraging words around me. for Indigenous peoples historically and to the present Thank you all for these, I am very grateful. day. There is iconicity, uncomfortable iconicity, in this Students, professorial colleagues, alumni, staff: you locational fact as well. have sent your representatives to help me into this role. I understand and will do all I can to live up to We need to remember that this is the land on which your gesture of immense trust and great expectation. we operate, face the truths around that, and do all The UC community has been amazingly welcoming we can to continue to include Indigenous teachings, and supportive! It is such a joy to work with this learners, and scholars in our midst. After all, as community, to collaboratively make strategic decisions Borrows says, “the river still cleanses this area” to foster cultures of care intertwined with cultures of and “its ancient powers continue[.] to flow despite academic excellence in the College and beyond. attempts to submerge its force.” Now that the UC revitalization is almost complete, With this, I am at the end of my speech. For me, this we will work to put our beautiful, new spaces to moment is like stepping out of Waverley Station on best use for curated, and not-so-curated, student that afternoon many years ago.