A publication for the Vancouver College Community Issue 18 • September 2012 2012 Irish Homecoming SPONSORED bY THE Weekend VANCOUVER COLLEgE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN CONjUNCTION WITH VANCOUVER COLLEgE SAVE THE SEPTEMbER DATES! 14 - 16 Please join us for the annual Vancouver College Homecoming Weekend. The highlight POST gAME The Homecoming of the weekend will be the Varsity Football celebrations continue at Ceili’s Irish Pub game with the Irish taking on archrival, St. & Restaurant (1774 West 7th Avenue @ Thomas More Knights. Both teams are touted Burrard). Please join us to watch the BC to be among the best in the province this sea- Lions take on the Toronto Argonauts on son so it should be an outstanding game. the big screen. Kick off is at 4pm. Watch former Irish stars Angus Reid (VC’94) of the Lions do battle with the Argos’, Joe Eppele FRIDAY, SEPTEMbER 14TH (VC’05) and Zander Robinson (VC’07). Festivities kick off with the Class of 1962 having a reception in the Alumni Room to celebrate its 50th Reunion. SUNDAY, SEPTEMbER 16TH 11:00AM Join fellow alumni in the annual SATURDAY, SEPTEMbER 15TH Vancouver College Alumni Association Golf Tournament. We are limited to 80 spots, and 11AM - 1PM “generations of Excellence” tee times will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Please register early as we Alumni, family & friends Reception in the anticipate the tournament will fill up quickly. Hardy Gymnasium with a tribute to the late Cal Murphy (VC’50) by his teammate and The tournament is open to alumni, friends, very close friend, Frank Smith (VC’51). VC staff, parents & past parents We will also take the opportunity to recog- nize and celebrate the Provincial Champions COST – $150 for individual registration or 1994 Varsity Football Team. register a foursome for $550 per group Admission to the game (includes 1 beer) is $5. Hamburger or hot dog and a beer is also $5. DINNER ONLY (about 7pm) - $50 To ensure we have enough food on hand, please let us know if you can attend by NEW THIS YEAR ! phoning Bruce Jagger at the school (604) 261-4285 or by email [email protected]. REgISTRATION – Tee Off (12:00 Noon) at UBC Golf Course - 5185 University 1:30PM Come out to O’Hagan Field and Boulevard, Vancouver cheer on the Irish as they do battle with the Knights. You are also welcome to join us in You can pay your registration by credit card the Beer Garden, once again sponsored by through the school’s credit card payment We would like to thank Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant and Mark system. Click on https://www.netdirectories. Céili’s Irish Pub & Reid (VC’86). com/~vc/store1.cgi to complete your payment. Restaurant & Mark Reid VC’86’, General Manager for sponsoring the Annual Alumni Homecoming game for the sixth year. ALUMNI NEWS VC SPORTS VC REVIEW VC NEWS • Godspell • Rob LeBlanc (VC’01) • Irish Rowers • Irish Academics • CTV Wins Award • E-Directory • Nick Fyffe • VC at the Movies • “Canada’s Smartest • 2013 Hall of Honour • Irish at the Olympics • The Advancement Office Person” Induction & Dinner • Tennis Anyone? • Rest in Peace • Jim Bell Retires • VC Alumnus Honoured • Dave Hardy WHERE ARE THEY NOW? INSIDEAppointment • VC Memorabilia VC News 2 Irish ALuM is godspell 2013 “Canada’s Smartest SAVE THE DATE! The Drama Department at Vancouver College in conjunction with Little Flower Academy & York House School will be presenting “Godspell” in the new year. The Peter Dyakowski (VC’02) Person” production will run from April 29 to May 4, 2013 has definitively dispelled at the Kucher Centre for Performing Arts at VC. the stereotype of the “dumb VC’s Nicole McDonald will once again direct the production with Nancy Herb acting as Choreog- jock”. The 6’5” 320 lb Offensive Guard for rapher and Br. Peter O’Loughlin, the Producer. the Hamilton Tiger Cats came out on top of the CBC show, “Canada’s Smartest Person.” Auditions will take place in November with The show was designed to test the overall rehearsals beginning in January. intelligence of the participants. They went “Godspell” is based on a book by John Michael head to head in six categories of intellect Tebelak with music & lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. - musical, physical, social, logical, visual It is a pop / rock musical that follows the Gospel and linguistic. The idea behind the show according to St. Matthew. is the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which says, essentially, there is more to being smart than having a high IQ. TICKET INFORMATION WILL bE AVAILAbLE IN THE NEW YEAR. After doing well on another CBC program in 2010, “Test the Nation” (Peter scored the highest among the athletes on the show which featured individuals from different walks of life) a friend of his suggested he tryout for “Canada’s Smartest Person” which was advertising an open application period in the fall of 2011. He filled out the application, along with several hours the night before. Fortunately for me, thousand others, and went through a there was a never ending supply of coffee series of tests online and over the phone, and Red Bull on the set. I had about 8 culminating in a live exam via Skype. cups of the former and 13 cans of the He passed through each stage of the latter over the course of the competition.” testing and earned one of four berths on the televised final. “Going into the show, I wanted to win one challenge so I could pat myself on “We were in Toronto for three days over the back as I figured there was no shame which I slept a total of about 11 hours.” in losing to any of the other participants. After two days of preamble, they filmed I won the first challenge, a word jumble the actual show on the third day. The game, owing to my scrabble skills. After CTV Wins Award for third day’s work took 17 hours. “Worried that, I just started having fun with it and about embarrassing myself on National my Vancouver College education did the Story on VC Student TV, I slept a grand total of one and a half rest for me.” CTV BC’s sports reporter, Jason Pires, was awarded the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Sports Reporting by the Radio Television Digital New Association for his touching portrait of Irish senior and basketball player, J. C. Horton (VC’12). Dave HARDy Appointed New President jim bell Retires of Vancouver College After 37 years teaching at Vancouver College, well After a comprehensive review of the governance known, senior English structure of Vancouver College, the Board of teacher, Jim Bell has decided Directors of the school has established the to retire. Jim graduated position of President to oversee all financial from UBC in 1968 and aspects, including responsibility for the vision, began his teaching career leadership, advancement, development, financial teaching French at Killarney stewardship, planning and external affairs of the Secondary School that same school. The Principal will continue to act as the year. After teaching for a “Chief Education Officer” of the school, including short time in Newcastle responsibility for curriculum, faculty develop- upon Tyne in the UK he ment and the continued growth and excellence returned to Vancouver and in the academic program and extra curricular began teaching at VC in activities. Dave Hardy, Principal of Vancouver 1975. During his tenure at College from 2003 to 2009 is returning to the the school, he served under nine Principals and school, effective September 1, 2012, to take on the role of President on a full time basis. has taught a number of VC’s current teachers. John McFarland will continue on in his role as Principal and will work closely with Best wishes Jim for a long, healthy and Dave to ensure Vancouver College continues to achieve the highest possible educational happy retirement. standards consistent with VC’s mission and identity as a Catholic school. 3 VC Alumni ALumni Profile Rob LeBlanc (VC’01) Sitting in the sunshine outside of his office in central Johannesburg’s Constitution Hill Precinct, Rob LeBlanc reflects on his most formative experiences at Vancouver College, and how they contributed to Alumni Association getting him here, to South Africa, working on an Launches E-Directory ambitious social startup. In May this year, the Vancouver College “The first,” he says, glancing across the Alumni Association in cooperation with VC’s square at South Africa’s Constitutional management consulting or private equity Advancement Office launched the Vancouver Court, “has to be my exposure to the could offer. I wanted to make a broader, College Alumni E-Directory. This password- pursuit of excellence. My time at VC more lasting impact in peoples’ lives.” protected, secure directory is designed to build was filled with countless examples of community by helping alumni contact and what it takes to succeed, of how to go This desire stemmed in part from his communicate with fellow alumni and associates. about winning. I couldn’t help but soak interactions with the late Brother Cy All alumni for whom the school has an email it up.” Newman who taught him Religion 12, address were contacted to join the E-Directory but also took him (and five other VC’01 and so far, the response has been positive with He recalls teachers and coaches that, through alumni) on Leadership 2000, a youth close to 600 of over 2,600 participating. their own demonstrated passion, showed leadership pilgrimage to Ireland, France him how to properly pursue excellence. and Italy (for Pope Jean Paul II’s World The E-Directory allows members to edit their “I can’t tell you,” he says, “the number Youth Days in Rome).