Green Acts

CBC's The Hour has launched a new web campaign - One Million Acts of Green and we want you to be part of it! Sign up, log your everyday "green" acts, and join the Mount Allison group to show your support.

Mounties' Gary Ross

UPDATE: Mounties’ QB Hughes is named AUFC MVP

Gary Ross ('10) has made a name for himself as the top special-teams player in the country the past three years, but it has been his unique back story that has drawn a lot of the attention at Mount A.

Gary, 26, is a married father of three children aged five and under and balances a busy home life with a full schedule of football practices and games.

An academic all-Canadian, he plans to pursue medical school and has a sterling grade-point average as a biology major.

As good a football player as Gary is, he's an even better person.

Gary had made a deal with his wife, Tenecia, that in order to raise their family, he would work while she went to university, with the two switching roles once she graduated.

A football and basketball star in high school in Windsor, Ont., he spent five years at a factory assembling welding guns and didn't pursue school or football until two years ago.

Gary knew little about our school, but realized he would get a chance to play a big role, given the Mounties' limited on-field success. Now, the game's most exciting moments at Mount A are determined by when the punt-return team is on the field.

He led the Atlantic conference in receptions, receiving yardage, all-purpose yards and punt-return average - and is a strong candidate to be the conference's most valuable player and nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding player in Canadian university football.

Mount Allison ended a 34-game losing string in his first year and has since won four more games.

With a 2-6 record heading into this Saturday's conference semi-final against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men, the Mounties are heavy underdogs in just their second playoff appearance in the past decade.

Full story: Ross leads Mount Allison's run into the postseason (Globe & Mail)

Tom Forrestall Gala

A Tom Forrestall Gala by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery will be taking place on Nov. 8, 2008 in Fredericton.

The tribute dinner will be recognizing the achievements of acclaimed Atlantic Canadian artist Tom Forrestall ('58).

Tom was hired by Lord Beaverbrook as assistant curator in 1959. He lived there for approximately 15 years, and now makes his home in Dartmouth, N.S.

A book by Tom Smart called Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings was recently published by Key Porter Books and a major retrospective exhibition on the artist was just featured at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Beaverbrook Art Gallery is going to be hosting the exhibition in 2009.

Tom Forrestall's son, William Forrestall - a member of the event organizing committee and the representative of the Forrestall family - adds that it is worth noting that his father came to Mount A.

Not only are his parents artists, he and all of his siblings are artistic in one way or another. This gala event, he says, is a great tribute to his Dad and it's a great tribute to his mother, who recently passed away.

His mother, he says, managed his father's career and was instrumental in him establishing his career early on.

Upon graduation from Mount A in 1958, he received one of the first Canada Council grants for independent study and travel throughout Europe.

His principal media have been egg tempura and watercolour and, since 1980, lithography printing. His work has been described as magic realism and is exhibited nationally and internationally.

The money raised through the gala will go to the gallery.

At the gala event, a special announcement will be made that is important for the collection and is important for the (upcoming 50th) anniversary of the gallery. A very special surprise, of national significance, will be announced that evening by our lieutenant-governor.

If that isn't incentive enough to come out, the gala will feature a champagne reception and the music of Les Paiens. Senator Noel Kinsella will be the guest speaker and will introduce Tom Forrestall.

There will also be a short auction featuring unique, once-in-a-lifetime artwork, as well as a multi-media presentation on Forrestall.

The Tom Forrestall Gala is taking place on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Delta. The reception gets underway at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $150, with a tax deduction of $110, and if you purchase a table for eight, you will receive the recent book on Tom Forrestall signed by the artist and the author.

Tickets can be purchased at the front desk of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery or by calling 458-2028. To learn more about the gallery, visit www.beaverbrookartgallery.org.

Read full story: Paying tribute to acclaimed artist Tom Forrestall (Daily Gleaner)

New Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies

One of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs is paving the way for the next generation of business leaders.

Ron Joyce, honorary degree holder, Tim Hortons co-founder, member of the Order of Canada and Canadian Business Hall of Fame, has donated $5,000,000 to establish the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies at Mount A.

The Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies is housed in the heart of Mount Allison’s campus in the Avard-Dixon Building. The new Centre contains an open-style, community meeting place that characterizes business schools and allows a high-energy collaborative social environment.

Additional improvements include new case rooms, and boardrooms that double as tutorial or seminar rooms. The Centre will also attract an increased number of Commerce students to the University.

The Program is expected to grow by 200 students over the next four years. Additional gains stemming from Ron Joyce’s generous gift include funds to attract the country’s top entrepreneurs and educators — creating new teaching positions, visiting scholars, and executive-in-residence opportunities on campus.

The student experience will be further improved with an increase in student conference travel, field trips, guest speaker series, case competitions, international exchanges, summer internships, and research opportunities.

Building on Ron Joyce’s generosity, the University will fund raise an additional $5,000,000 — for a total investment of $10 million — as it advances to the forefront of undergraduate business education in North America.

Related links:
Millions for Mount A (Telegraph Journal)
Tim's founder donates $5M to Mt. A (Times and Transcript)

Songs on Stage

Sackville is the place to be this weekend, with Songs on Stage, a one of a kind weekend of music.

October 23rd Weekend:

• Chantal Kreviazuk & Gordie Sampson - October 23rd, Convocation Hall, 8:00 pm $34.00
• Maritime Songwriters Circle - Catherine McLellan, Jill Barber, Meaghan Smith and hosted by Bruce Guthro, October 24th, Sackville United Church - 8:00 pm $18.00
• Rob Lutes Rick Haworth Songwriting and Guitar workshops, October 25th - 10:00 am Sackville United Church
• Hot Toddy & Rob Lutes - United Church, October 25th, 2:00 pm $18.00
• Joel Plaskett & Ron Sexsmith - October 25th, Convocation Hall, 8:00 pm

Tickets available at Ticketpro.ca online, phone or Atlantic-wide, Tidewater Books and Live Bait Theatre. http://www.sackville.com/culture

OPEN HOUSE

Mount A invites all teachers, school counsellors, prospective students and their parents, and anyone else who may be interested to visit our beautiful campus, spectacular with its fall foliage, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, October 24th.

The day will begin with a welcome in Convocation Hall, followed by three mini lectures on an environmental theme, an Academic Fair in the Athletics Centre, a complimentary lunch at Jennings Dining Hall, a Student Fair in the new Wallace McCain Student Centre, campus tours, and prize draws.

Five prizes of $2,000 each in Residence Bursaries will be offered to potential students!

Find out more about our Open House!

Greening Mount Allison

Mount Allison students and community members can now sport their school pride while being environmentally friendly with the University's new line of travel mugs and reusable shopping bags.

In an effort to be environmentally conscious, the university wants to get rid of paper cups and bags, so all students this year were issued with a reusable travel mug and shopping bag.

The bags and cups are also available for purchase at the university bookstore.

Michelle Strain, Mount Allison's director of administrative services, said the mugs were purchased with the energy savings from the C3 Challenges held in residences for the last two years, and in academic buildings for the first time this year.

The hope is that Mount Allison will eventually become a paper-cup and bag-free campus, further reducing its environmental impact.

The Greening Mount Allison mugs are available for purchase at the Mount Allison bookstore for $4.10, while the Green and Garnet reusable bags are $1 each.

Buy online!