alumni

(October 18, 2001, Gazette)

Justice Minister Kelvin Parsons (BA ’76) announced the appointment of a new provincial court judge on Oct. 12. Harold Porter (BA ’82) has been named to the Judicial Centre of Grand Bank. Mr. Parsons called the move “a win-win situation,” citing Mr. Porter’s fluency in French as well as his “broad experience in the law.”

Geoff Eaton (B.Comm. ’98) was in Ottawa on Oct. 10 to face the latest challenge in his brave public battle with leukemia — he received a bone marrow transplant from his father. Mr. Eaton is the founder of RealTimeCancer, a Web site designed to communicate “real life” cancer experiences from the patient’s perspective. Follow his journey at www.realtimecancer.org.

“There are two options here and the bold one is the one that gets you through.”

— Journalist Gwynne Dyer (BA ’63), endorsing U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan, on CBC News world

Vic Young (B.Comm. ’66) was honoured by the University of Western Ontario as the 2001 Alumnus of the Year for Community Service. Mr. Young is the executive-in-residence at Memorial and was also founding chair of the faculty’s advisory board. He was recognized by the university as Alumnus of the Year in 1985 and by the Faculty of Business as Alumnus of the Year in 1994. In 1996 Memorial awarded him an honorary doctorate degree.

“In a world that’s full of wallpaper brands which nobody remembers, it will take a lot less money to market.”

— Noel O’Dea (B.Comm. ’73) on the brand name “Tango,” which his company, Target Marketing and Communications, developed for Air Canada’s new no-frills service

Michael Crummey (BA ’87) has been named to the 2001 Giller Prize shortlist for his novel River Thieves. The Giller Prize awards $25,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story published in English. Mr. Crummey was among six finalists chosen from 78 books submitted for consideration.

“[It] will irrevocably destroy the character and charm of this historic area.”

— Jack Harris (BA ’71) discussing the controversial Quidi Vidi condominium development, in a CP interview on Oct. 3

Kevin Lewis (BA, B.Ed. ’67) is among the cast of Messiah from Montreal, a film by Newfoundlander Arnold Bennett which aired on Oct. 12 on Vision TV. Starring the late Al Waxman, Messiah is a portrait of late Canadian poet and Holocaust survivor A. M. Klein. The film was screened at the Atlantic Film Festival in September.

“The fog. Wind bucking the car. Steaming up. I’m looking through those two little arcs the defog manages to muster. I turn on the radio — it’s Bach cello suites. That first one is the epitome of the male orgasm. And that’s what drives me up to the top of the hill.”

— Author Michael Winter (BA ’86), from his contribution to the Globe and Mail’s Thanksgiving Day feature, Thinking about Thankfulness: Nine Authors Reflect

Three Memorial alumnae were among the recipients of the eight annual YMCA Women of Distinction awards at the Fairmont Newfoundland Hotel Oct. 14: city councillor Shannie Duff (BA ’75); social worker Susan Shiner (BA ’78, BSW ’94); and talk show host Krista Rudofsky (BA ’01).

St. John’s-based Internet consulting firm, m5i, has developed an innovative Internet-based media monitoring application. The product was launched at the International Association of Broadcast Monitors conference in Orlando, Florida in October, where m5i director Ed Clarke (B.Comm. ’98) provided the key note address.