Vol. 6, No. 3 Winter 1986 Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2L 3G3 University of St. Jerome's College Inspecting the Vaults New book by McCormack -"Seething with creative energy'' new collection of short stories written welcome addition to the serried ranks of those hours at a speed of 1,009 miles per hour, swal­ by English professor Eric McCormack was Canadian writers unafraid of turning their lowing everything in its path. A released internationally on February 2 backs on the expected, the tried and the true ... "Eckhardt at a Window" finds a policeman by Penguin Books of Canada. It rinses the senses and invigorates the investigating an insoluble murder, while "One imagination." Picture of Trotsky" describes how the only Literary scholar and critic Dennis Duffy photograph of Russian revolutionary leader writing in The Globe and Mail calls McCormack's Leon Trotsky was taken during his little known stories "a voyage into the countries of the mind. visit to Canada at the port of Halifax. Vigorously imaginative and technically adven­ At present McCormack is working on a turesome, they open the door to those sorts of novel which is a sequel fo his short story "Sad topsy-turvy, absorbing vistas glimpsed by Stories in Patagonia", contained in this Lewis Carroll's Alice during her adventures collection. underground." McCormack, a popular professor at St. Among the eighteen stories contained in Jerome's College since 1970, teaches Eliza­ the collection is one bearing the book's title bethan, Canadian and Commonwealth litera­ "Inspecting the Vaults". It is a story about a ture. Born in Scotland, he holds an MA from penal colony in which the basement of each the University of Glasgow and a PhD from the house confines a prisoner. The Inspector meets University of Manitoba. He is currently on sab­ a number of these bizarre detainees and takes batical leave from St. Jerome's. the readers through a disturbing world. Creative writing is not new to McCormack. "The Fragment" resurrects an ancient tale He has written poetry for many years, some of of the horrifying sacrifices made by members which has been published in Canada. His first of a sixteenth century religious sect. 'The published fiction came in 1978. Some of his Swath" tells the tale of a mysterious rift that short stories have appeared in numerous jour­ circumnavigates the world in twenty-four nals, including Prism International, West Coast Review, Ma/ahat Review and The New Quarterly. English professor Eric McCormack: Inspecting the Vaults -reveals a treasure trove Inspecting the Vaults (Penguin Books, 1987 --234 pages, $18.95 cloth/$8.95 paper) is McCormack's first collection of short stories. Described as "seething with creative energy," it was profiled on CBC Television's The Journal on February 27th. The final part of one of the stories, "The Festival", was also dramatized on The journal. Why all the attention? The usually publicity­ shy McCormack observes that "the appeal may lie in the fact that the stories are so different." The critics seem to agree. UW writer-in­ residence Sean Virgo says "Eric's stories are like the transcription of nightmares, except that their inventive zest and the sly, deadpan voice of their author creates delight instead of ter­ ror." He adds, "Inspecting the Vaults is a treasure­ trove. The reader lingers and takes strange gifts away." Toronto Star critic Ken Adachi calls McCor­ mack" a new and nervy short story writer," and The Annual SJC - NDC Charity Run completed its twelfth successful year by raising over $5,000 for St. calls Inspecting the Vaults "an arresting debut, a Monica's House in Kitchener. The Run's opening ceremonies are pictured above. (photo C. Valeriote) New Act of Incorporation receives royal assent eflecting a growing trend among Catholic colleges and universities through­ Rout the U.S. and Canada, St. Jerome's College has revised its Act of Incorporation to introduce changes in keeping with the empha­ sis of contemporary Roman Catholic thought and the contemporary social scene. After nearly two years of consultation with the various constituencies of the College including graduates, faculty, staff, students, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Congre­ gation of the Resurrection, the Bishop of Hamilton and the Board of Governors, a new Act of Incorporation for the College was passed by the Ontario Legislature on November 4, 1986. "This new Act underlines the Roman Catholic identity of the College, increases lay partici­ pation in its governance and generally strength­ ens the Board of Governors," says President Fr. Norm Choate. "The Second Vatican Council called us to adopt the principle of collegiality and full part­ nership between religious and lay persons in carrying out our mission. This new Act attempts to implement these ideals at St. Jerome's." Waterloo North MPP Herb Epp, President Fr. Norm Choate, lawyer Reg Haney and Prof. Doug Letson stand out­ Accordingly, the new Act introduces a side a Legislative Committee room at Queen's Park after the College's new Act of Incorporation received third reading number of changes which will modernize the and royal assent. (photo courtesy Herb Epp) governance of the College. Most notably, pro­ vision has been made for a lay person to serve as President of the College. As well, the number of external members of the Board will be increased. This is to ensure that the expertise of George Luciani News briefs various members of the community-at-large can be drawn upon. elected Alumni Rep Schedules by computer Students registering Changes in the Act have special significance in courses at the College at the beginning of for graduates of the College who will, for the this current winter term enjoyed for the first first time, have a graduate sitting as a voting on Board time a new "on-line" scheduling system. This member of the Board. In addition, a graduate innovation allows students to make schedule will sit on the Presidential Search Committee changes and immediately learn if they are formed before a President's term expires. admissable into a particular course. Ifa course is "The underlying assumption of the pre­ full or conflicts with another course, corrective vious Act, which was written in 1959, was that action can be taken at once with a new conflict­ the core of the teaching faculty would be free schedule generated the same day. This members of the Congregation of the Resurrec­ change means greater convenience for stu­ tion and that the Board membership would dents, who no longer must wait three days to reflect this," says Doug Letson, member of the find out if they have been admitted into a Board's Structures and Functions Committee course. which drew up the revised Act. "Throughout Canada and the United States Ottawa reception Thirteen St. Jerome's grads the number of priests in educational ministry George Luciani (BA '71) living in the Ottawa area attended the recent has decreased dramatically," he adds, "and this alumni reception held at the Chateau Laurier is no less true here at St. Jerome's." At present eorge J. Luciani of Hamilton, a member Hotel on November 13. The reception was held the number of CRs teaching and working at the of the College Alumni Executive in conjunction with the University of Waterloo College amounts to seven out of a total of G Committee since 1984, was elected to Alumni Chapter dinner. Representing the Col­ fifty-nine full and part-time faculty and staff. serve as representative of the College's gradu­ lege were Director of Development and Col­ "There is reflected in the new Act a recogni­ ates on the reconstituted Board of Governors. lege Relations Rob Donelson and History tion of the Vatican II notion of sharing of minis­ Luciani is Chairman of Student Services at Department Chairman Ken McLaughlin. The tries," continues Letson. "The idea that lay peo­ St. Thomas More High School in Hamilton. He St. Jerome's grads present included: Andre ple should be empowered to share responsibility received a BA in sociology in 1971 and has Belanger, Bob Connolly, Roger Fowler, Martha for St. Jerome's College with the Congregation taught with the Hamilton-Wentworth Sepa­ (Kahnert) Fox, Bill Fox, Connie Pare, Susan of the Resurrection received support and under­ rate School Board since 1972. He holds a mas­ (Baldwin) Perry, Joanne Stoody, Mike Van­ standing from the Resurrectionists and from ter's degree in education (1981) and currently Herk and his wife Denise, Bob Wilson, Richard Bishop T onnos. They have shown enlightened serves as Principal of the night school pro­ Weiler and John Worden. leadership and sympathetic understanding con­ gramme offered for the Hamilton-area sepa­ cerning the role of laity." rate high schools. Watch the next issue of Update! for a listing of the new Board's members. College loses a friend; education loses a tireless worker in a road crash near Burks Falls, south of North "He was a pastoral administrator who had a Bay. He was 52. high respect for the academic life of the school," Returning from his school's track meet in she · says. "I sat at meetings with him and North Bay with his niece and nephew, Fr. Cun­ watched him fight for principles in the most dari's car was struck by an oncoming truck. His passionate way. That's the kind of leader educa­ passengers escaped with minor injuries. The tion needs," she said. driver of the truck was charged with impaired "He was the most unflappable person I driving causing death. knew and he had an infectious laugh which "Fr. Mike," as he was affectionately known, always made you feel comfortable," adds Bill will be sadly missed by the St.