Share.Learn.Inspire.Transform
Class of 2010 MBA (FS)
Class of 2010 MBA (FS) BMO
CEGE Connection would like to recognize the contribution of the MBA(FS)Class of 2010 as they commemorate their tenth-year anniversary. All our best goes out to these graduates on this very special milestone year. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, life-long learning and the communities in which you live and work.
The CEGE Team
“I have found the ‘more’ I had been looking for. I found it with Epilepsy Canada. In hindsight, I see that my personal quest and perseverance to obtain my MBA was to honour the memory of my little girl. She was my inspiration and it is my soul-fulfilling honour to be able use my hard-earned MBA to help find a cure for epilepsy.”
Carrie Morrison MBA(FS) Class of 2018
Carrie Morrison MBA(FS) Class of 2018
At the end of my academic journey with Dal and my MBA goal achieved, many people asked, “what are you going to do with your degree?” To be honest, I always knew I wanted to do more… more than my role at the bank, which fulfills my need for professional growth, my ambition and pays my bills. The problem was I did not know what “more” looked like or how it would manifest itself or materialize.
Currently, I work as the Chief of Staff for Enterprise Systems, Security and Solutions, TD Bank. I work closely with senior leaders to run, protect and transform the bank. This means we ensure stable and secure operations through technological solutions, enablement, advancements and innovations. Sounds kind of fancy but in simplified terms, the team I work with delivers information and cyber security, enterprise technology and transformational programs and initiatives. It is a role, to be honest, which challenges me daily and provides me a new-found knowledge and insight beyond what I had imagined. And yet, even though I feel engaged professionally, I acknowledged that I was ready for something outside my career path.
I determined that it was time to search for the “more” by exploring options and opportunities. I asked myself some soul-searching questions: What could I do with my MBA? How could I leverage my education and degree for the greater good? Why had I persevered through years of school? What was it all for? I recognized that I was personally invested in school, but it was during this time of reflection and discovery that I came to find its true connection.
My MBA gave me a professional distinction which was recognized not only within my company and industry, but across the country and, in fact, world. Those three letters, MBA, are a universal acronym and symbol that tells people, ‘hey, that person knows a thing or two…’! My MBA gives me credibility – a credibility for which I am responsible to live up to and uphold, a credibility which is tangible and understandable inside and outside of a business context.
This credibility led me to consider opportunities which would have otherwise been out of immediate reach. Opportunities like: becoming an Exec at a fintech or startup, something new and exciting and almost entrepreneurial in spirit; possibly teaching, taking additional adult learning courses in order to inspire and instill knowledge in others, which I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to receive; and/or finally join a Board. Not just any board, a board which had salience for me. A board which fulfilled my soul and personal quest for “more”.
This was it! Joining a Board would allow me to leverage my MBA for a good cause. My MBA was an allowance, giving me the permission to apply within this arena without having to have work for 25+years. It provided me credibility which is usually gained through years of service. Through my journey of self-discovery, which followed graduation and lasted about a year, I had finally figured out what “more” meant to me.
Before I started my MBA, my husband and I sadly lost a child, Carlee Dale, when she was an infant, to a rare epileptic disorder called Ohtahara Syndrome. The experience of losing a child changed me forever and I hope no one will ever have to live with the lasting sorrow, like I do. I persevered through some personally tragic, hard and dark times. As time progressed, so has my healing. However, I continued to crave a challenge of perseverance. The challenge gave me relief and solace. It gave me something on which to focus my energy, while providing a distraction.
Fast forward, having my MBA in hand, the only thing that made sense was to fight in Carlee Dale’s memory and for other people impacted by epilepsy. I applied to the Board for Epilepsy Canada and was welcomed to join the Board in September 2019. Epilepsy Canada is a Canadian charity which works to raise funds to fund research and find a cure for epilepsy. Its funding is driven primarily by social media, individual events and sadly, estates. We are actively seeking corporate partnerships and alliances in order to strengthen and support our ability to fund important research initiatives to find a cure across Canada.
I have found the ‘more’ I had been looking for. I found it with Epilepsy Canada. In hindsight, I see that my personal quest and perseverance to obtain my MBA was to honour the memory of my little girl. She was my inspiration and it is my soul-fulfilling honour to be able to use my hard-earned MBA to help find a cure for epilepsy.
Epilepsy Canada. – Canada’s only national, registered charity, dedicated to raising funds for Epilepsy research and education.
Founded in 1966.
Did you know:
Editors note: CEGE Connection is pleased to advise that Carrie has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection.
Albert ‘Buddy’ Walzak, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs
As a proud graduate of Dalhousie University (BA ’85, BSW ’87, MPA(M) ’01) I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my perspectives of the MPA(M) program and how the School of Public Administration has shaped and influenced my professional practice and development.
Today, more than ever, I have come to appreciate and value the opportunity I had in 1999. I’ve gained extensively from the MPA(M) program and pleased to see how it has evolved to its leading stature today.
In 1999, I was a member of the first cohort of the Province of Nova Scotia sponsored MPA(M) class. The newly created MPA(M) program was a joint initiative between the Province of Nova Scotia and Dalhousie University that recognized the province’s goal of promoting and investing in advanced learning for its senior ranks. Since graduating, my learning outcomes and observations of the program have held true and remain relevant some twenty years later.
There are three key aspects that I wish to highlight: high-quality learning; benefits of the teaching model; and achieving results.
Over the years, I have promoted the value of the program to other public servants and have had the opportunity to regularly share my experiences with MPA students at the School of Public Administration. I am grateful for my learning experiences at Dalhousie University and fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to give back a little – which I will continue to do.
Albert ‘Buddy’ Walzak is the Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs. He is responsible for the general administration and operations of the department. He helps lead the coordination and advancement of the province’s interests and works to maintain productive relationships with regional, national and international partners. Through these relationships, he helps advance the province’s economic, government and international objectives.
Matt Reeder – May 10, 2019
The full New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging. (Nick Pearce photos)
It’s a new celebration for the “New Dawn” of Dalhousie’s third century.
Dalhousie unveiled its eagerly anticipated ceremonial object Friday afternoon (May 10) in Truro, as the New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging took its place on stage during the first Spring Convocation ceremony of 2019.
With the introduction of the symbolic walking stick, revealed with a tug on a piece of black linen under which it was hidden, Dal became one of the first universities in North America to retire its traditional mace in favour of a new ceremonial object.
“With today’s unveiling, the New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging now officially replaces the university mace as the ceremonial object used to open and close all Convocation ceremonies,” said Dal’s Interim President Peter MacKinnon in remarks at the ceremony.
The Staff was designed and crafted specifically for Dal by artists Alan Syliboy of Millbrook First Nation and Mark Austin of Colchester County (pictured with the Staff), with guidance from the university and in collaboration with a team of artists and craftspeople from diverse communities across Nova Scotia. Wendie Poitras, Annie Martin, Mohammed Issa, Jessie Marshall, Mark Hamilton, Matt D’Entremont, Fred Marshall, Lily Volio, Debby Finkbeiner, and Arjun Lal all had a hand in bringing the Staff to life.
At 7’4” (2.24 metres) tall and with dozens of symbols and materials integrated along the shaft, the Staff cuts an impressive figure befitting of a symbol of achievement. It’s also a powerful metaphor for a journey, educational and otherwise.
“The Staff functions to support the person holding it just as the university community is there to help support the dreams of our students throughout their academic journey,” says Professor Kevin Hewitt, chair of Dalhousie’s Senate, which unanimously approved the staff as the university’s new ceremonial object at its meeting in late April.
Dr. Hewitt was a member of the Mace Re-Think/Re-Vision Committee established in 2016 as part of the university’s Strategic Initiative on Diversity and Inclusiveness. The committee identified and led the development of the new object with the aim of better reflecting the current diversity of the Dal community and its values, while still paying tribute to the university’s history and heritage.
Senate’s unanimous approval — which came exactly three years and one day after the committee’s kick-off meeting, and with a standing ovation for the artists on hand to present it — was a powerful endorsement for the New Dawn Staff and what it stands for.
“It seems to be the entire institution is moving forward, and the standing ovation was symbolic of that,” says Dr. Hewitt.
To see the New Dawn Staff from afar is to behold an object that is at once commanding of respect and attention, yet also welcoming in its appearance. A gilded arc-shaped sun rising out of coal-stained driftwood at the top catches the eye immediately.
Up close with the New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging (click to enlarge)
But it’s when you zoom in on the base of the Staff that the story really begins. That’s where a laser-cut rubber replica of a Mi’kmaq petroglyph — an eight-pointed star based on the original rock etching found near Halifax — is fused onto the Staff.
Circular in shape, the petroglyph reflects a vision of life itself as an action of continuity, with seven of the points representing the different districts of Mi’kma’ki and an eighth signifying the welcoming of others into the region. Although hidden from direct view, it’s one of the Staff’s most important symbolic design features. That’s because when the Staff is in use, the tip touches the very ground that it is meant to represent—the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq upon which Dalhousie sits.
The bottom tip of the Staff, with petroglyph.
That tip and the collection of symbols featured on the lower segment of the Staff represent the Mi’kmaw creation story and are the work of Syliboy. Elsewhere in the section there’s a vulva representing Mother Earth; a folded quill star with four colours and four directions signifying inclusion; stars for wayfinding; male, female and 2-spirited figures; a gilded Grandfather Sun that mirrors the arc at the top of the staff and more. Farther up the Staff, Syliboy has drawn a turtle to represent Turtle Island, an Indigenous name for North America.
These designs, wood-burned by Mi’kmaw artist Annie Martin, and natural materials integrated along the shaft signify Dalhousie’s location in Mi’kma’ki and important on-going relationships with Mi’kmaq communities.
There’s a similar depth and richness in detail carried throughout the entire Staff. The symbols are arranged bottom-to-top in loose chronological order, with several sections marking major historical developments, from the waves of European settlement and the conflicts and eventual peace that followed to the arrival of greater numbers of peoples of African descent forced here through enslavement or an attempt to escape it. Closer to the top, the Staff takes on a different tenor, with elements reflecting the aspirational pathways of students, faculty and others at Dalhousie today.
The project originally began as an initiative to update the university mace but evolved into a discussion of what a new ceremonial object could represent and how it could fit into the contemporary university environment and at Convocation.
“We had the blessing of the university to do something courageous and try to rethink what could replace the colonial tradition that the mace represented, and that spirit was there from senior administration on down,” says Peter Dykhuis, director and curator of the Dalhousie Art Gallery and chair of the Mace Re-Think/Re-Vision Committee.
While the Staff serves as a history lesson of sorts, it is not meant to be exhaustive in this regard or strictly linear, says Austin. The unique mix of symbols, materials and textures is meant to reflect the rich diversity of individuals who make up the Dalhousie community and their collective history in this shared geographic and cultural region.
“It’s a lofty project,” says Syliboy, who reached out to Austin, a long-time collaborator, about putting together a proposal for the project in 2017 after Dal put out a call for submissions.
“It took a lot of thought before we reached a decision about whether we should try it,” he says.
Once they saw the potential impact, Syliboy and Austin jumped headlong into the project.
A middle portion of the Staff.
More than 30 materials and 20 processes were used in the creation of the New Dawn Staff and the accompanying ‘cradle’ in which it rests on stage. Where possible, materials of Nova Scotian or regional origin were used, as were found and repurposed elements. White ash serves as the base material for the pole, with driftwood from the Cobequid Bay anchoring the top portion of the staff. Textiles from around the world, recycled gold, and several other natural materials were incorporated throughout using processes ranging from wood turning and textile wrapping to laser cutting, wire weaving, and gilding.
When the New Dawn Staff is viewed up close, you can see how the layers of story and identity mix together to form the whole — similar in many ways to both Nova Scotia and Dalhousie itself.
To achieve such a rich and meaningful result, Austin and Syliboy drew from various communities across the province to find artistic talent and compatible vision needed imbue authenticity throughout.
“The two artists went on to establish a village of creative people,” says Dykhuis.
Wendi Poitras, an African Nova Scotian artist whose family has been in the province for eight generations, contributed several adaptations of Adinkra symbols of Ghana and other places in West Africa to the Staff. Her version of a Sankofa symbol, centrally placed, emphasizes the importance of moving forward while reaching back to learn lessons from the past and to get what has been taken or lost through exclusion, oppression, or neglect.
“This concept is central to understanding and respecting our heritages in this place,” says Austin.
A band of rawhide in knots over birch bark and reed located lower on the staff symbolizes the exchange of knowledge and welcome shown by Mi’kmaq to the French explorers and settlers, who were first accompanied by interpreter Mathieu da Costa, the first African known to land in North America.
Conflict between the British and alliances of Indigenous Peoples and Acadians are symbolized through flags, bayonets, and a portrait of expulsion in a lower section, while at the Staff’s quill band, history is given new life with a modern touch: when a smartphone is brushed near the Staff, a near-field technology chip embedded underneath opens the 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty on the web.
Descendants of early European and international settlers, Acadians, peoples of African descent, persons with disabilities, all genders and the LGBTQ2S+ communities are all acknowledged with Staff elements in an effort to convey inclusion, diversity, and equity.
“The key for us was to be inclusive, and we really did our best at trying to achieve that,” says Syliboy. “I think we have, starting with the four colours and four directions.”
Higher on the staff, a decoupaged reproduction of “Identities” by Arjun Lal, a Halifax-born artist, acknowledges our culture’s growing awareness of different identities, while braille for the words “I belong” is embedded in both English and French into the Staff’s wood above and below Lal’s piece, following earlier script of the phrase in Arabic, Dutch, and Chinese.
Pre-existing works from many unknown makers are also incorporated into the Staff for their cultural significance, including textiles from around the world (Nova Scotian tartan, Jordanian keffiyeh material, indigo and Bogolan mudcloth from Mali, Nigerian batik, and Chinese brocade), and salvaged leather and buckle from a World War Two era military backpack that’s used as a strap when carrying the staff.
The New Dawn Staff replaces the university mace, first carried in academic procession in May 1950. Designed by Dr. Richard Lorraine de C.H. Saunders and carved in oak by A.H. MacMillan with silver and enamel enrichments, the mace was intended to represent maritime traditions and the historical significance of Dalhousie’s service to the Atlantic provinces.
The New Dawn Staff pays tribute to its predecessor by incorporating some elements of the mace (the shamrock, thistle, English rose), but it does so alongside symbols of Mi’kmaq, African and other heritages.
“Recognizing diverse cultures that create this place, whether Dalhousie or Nova Scotia, is not about displacement; it’s about an expanding the narrative,” explains Austin.
Another distinctive quality of the New Dawn Staff is that there is room in various spots along its length for future additions — a humble recognition that Dalhousie’s story is still being written.
For instance, near the top there are 13 gilded wire weavings done by Lily Volio, one for each university Faculty, made up of diverse strands representing faculty, students, support staff and administration. Set snugly into blackened driftwood, there’s room for more bands should new faculties be created. A compartment in the top of the driftwood, concealed by a carving of a mountain emblematic of graduate achievement, houses a scroll. The scroll currently features a poem by Austin, but the chamber’s contents can be changed over time.
“Hopefully this Staff will become significant through its lore and use,” says Austin. “It’s not sacred or a symbol of authority. It’s a walking stick and sometimes things will break. Change them, repair them — make it organic and living.”
While a symbol of a scroll on a lower section of the pole emblazoned with the year “1818” gives an early nod to Dalhousie’s founding, it’s this area closer to the top that really represents the university and the student experience.
On the front side, a globe carved directly from the shaft of ash wood is supported by hands holding a symbol of equality — an aspirational symbol that gives way a notch higher to four pillars based on the iconic columns of Dal’s Henry Hicks Building. The start of the driftwood segment (all in Dal’s black and gold colours) features fiddleheads made of curled wire, representing students and other as they begin their educational journey. Passing through the Faculties, represented by the 13 wire weavings, they emerge into a laurel wreath of blossomed ferns representing collective and individual achievement.
At the apex of the staff is the rising sun, 3D printed at Dal’s Product Design & Development Centre with hard resin and gilded by Austin. Inspired by Dal’s 200th anniversary logo, the eye-catching feature connects back to the sun motif at the base as a final reference to the Mi’kmaq — also known as the People of the Dawn, given Mi’kma’ki’s location in the east where the sun first hits in North America.
“I hope it embodies aspirations of the Dalhousie community for a new dawn of both knowledge and understanding,” says Austin of the Staff. “I want them to be able to look at it and say, ‘This is a fitting symbol of a place and time we shared.’”
Syliboy and Austin with the New Dawn Staff.
“Mission accomplished! My kayaker and I safely made the crossing from NB to PEI, in 5 hour and 40 minutes, in which I swam approximately 16 KMs. My kayaker plotted a near perfect arc/trajectory and weather/sea conditions were ideal, other than higher swells near the midpoint!”
Stephen J. Boyd MBA(FS) Class of 2018
Mission Accomplished Stephen J. Boyd
Stephen Boyd accepted the challenge of the BIG SWIM held on August 18, 2019. Over the past months, Stephen focused on training for this “epic” swim. CEGE Connection has been following Stephen on his journey: The Big Swim – A Give to Live Project.
The BIG SWIM
“I reminded myself that I had taken on an epic feat of endurance. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Going beyond takes a person to the next level of personal fulfillment. It builds resilience to seek out the next challenge. I am certain that I will do other marathon swimming events.”
Stephen J. Boyd MBA(FS) Class of 2018
The BIG SWIM charity event, held in August each year, combines a feat of endurance, swimming from New Brunswick to PEI, with the opportunity to raise funds for an awesome charity. The BIG SWIM is not a race and supports swimmers of all abilities to get out into the Northumberland Strait and achieve the unimaginable. For normal people who cross the Northumberland Strait by bridge or ferry, the distance is roughly 13 kilometers. Due to currents, and other unknowns, we are told that the average swimmer will cover 15+ kilometers. It is a truly an epic undertaking.
The BIG SWIM
Michelle Hunter and I want to thank Stephen for sharing his remarkable journey over the past months on CEGE Connection. Well done! Congratulations!
Rebecca Budd,
CEGE Connection Blog Coordinator
Mission Accomplished
Check out the news link on CTV Atlantic Canada for more detail of the August 18, 2019 event.
Julia Yan MBA(FS) 2010, Vice President Regional Sales at TSX Trust & Listings Development, TMX Group
“My MBA journey added a strategic dynamic to my research capabilities. My approach to integrating and sharing knowledge evolved over the course of my studies. Academic efforts honed and defined my research competency, giving me greater freedom to objectively explore and assess ideas and constructs.”
Julia Yan, MBA (FS) Class of 2010
Julia Yan MBA(FS) 2010, Vice President Regional Sales at TSX Trust & Listings Development, TMX Group, is a passionate supporter of lifelong learning. Dr. Joyline Makani’s post on “Research Takes Courage” reflected Julia’s personal experience both as a student and a career professional.
“I agree with Joyline unequivocally,” Julia noted in a recent virtual interview. “It takes courage because we challenge ourselves to look beyond the obvious. Its about analyzing arguments utilizing inductive or deductive reasoning, judging assumptions, solving problems and formulating new ideas. Information is key. From planning a vacation to preparing for a work meeting, we rely on research to provide us with valuable insights to connect the dots.
Research involves critical thinking and the ability to explore and evaluate multiple points of view. It is more than the gathering of data and interpretation. Research demands us to venture beyond the act of obtaining information. We need to develop skill-sets that enable us to digest information, to reason, to validate, and participate in dialogue among others with differing perspectives.
My MBA journey added a strategic dynamic to my research capabilities. My approach to integrating and sharing knowledge evolved over the course of my studies. Academic efforts honed and defined my research competency, giving me greater freedom to objectively explore and assess ideas and constructs. I especially enjoyed team projects, which provided the opportunity to collaborate and research within the context of a diverse community. Together, we searched for a solution to a specific challenge or issue, which well-prepared me for the team approach at the TMX today.
Conducting thorough research is essential within my chosen career path. I rely on rigorous research and meticulous attention to accuracy to prepare for strategic meetings with corporate executives, to formulate IPO strategies, to access public venture capital in Canada, to navigate complex transactions, to optimize operational efficiency and to foster growth.
The most important lesson that I’ve learned over the past few years, is that it is essential to encourage others to actively engage in research initiatives. I enjoy contributing to economic forums, international trade missions, and roundtables at the federal and provincial level. Individual achievement is satisfying, but the greatest rewards come from working with others dedicated to seeking positive outcomes for our communities, local and global.
From the CEGE Connection Archives: First published April 25, 2017
Morgan Rice, MREM Class of 2018
I am a nature lover at heart and hold a strong passion for the protection and conservation of our biodiversity and ecosystems within Canada. I am pursuing a career where I can connect society with conservation science in a meaningful way. In 2017, I embarked on an academic journey at Dalhousie University in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES). This course-based program allowed me to significantly improve my understanding and knowledge in innovative environmental management problem solving, providing me with real-world experience. I explored the complexities of conservation science and environmental sustainability, which provided me with the skill-sets to fulfill my goal of communicating scientific knowledge on these topics and, in so doing, help build sustainable communities.
Crawford Lake, Photo Credit Morgan Rice
A highlight of my studies was working together with my mentor, Professor Karen Beazley of SRES, to plan the first Canadian Maritimes Ecological Connectivity Forum which was held at Dalhousie University on April 24th and 25th, 2019. With over 110 attendees representing regional government departments, academia, industry, First Nations organizations, and non-government organizations, the forum cultivated a social network to advance efforts in implementing connectivity on everyone’s agenda. This network of partnerships will allow for improved collaboration between various groups who would not be able to reach their goals working alone.
I gained much more than a Master of Resource and Environmental Management degree from SRES. I now have life-long friendships with fellow students, faculty and staff. The SRES community became my extended family, a home away from home. This support and encouragement gave me strength to embrace the challenges and obstacles of life as a graduate student.
I look forward to joining the Centre for Executive and Graduate Education this summer as the Program Assistant. Dalhousie continues to provide extraordinary opportunities for sharing knowledge that fosters positive outcomes for society and our world.
Morgan Rice, MREM
August 2019
Republished from Dal News
Matt Reeder – January 10, 2019
Alan Syliboy (left) and Mark Austin. (Provided photo)
Convocation ceremonies at Dalhousie will soon look a little different thanks to a new ceremonial object that will replace the university mace currently used at the annual milestone event.
While the object won’t be unveiled until its completion in the spring of 2019, lead artists Mark Austin and Alan Syliboy have been busy working with a team of artists across Nova Scotia to craft a compelling new symbol for the university.
Austin says replacing the mace with a new ceremonial object represents an opportunity to identify a symbol that reflects the current diversity of the Dal community and its values, while still paying tribute to the university’s history and heritage.
“There is a purpose in this whole endeavour, which is to express a greater sense of belonging,” says Austin, a community and economic development professional with a background as an artist and filmmaker. Austin has roots in Cumberland County and grew up in various places as part of a military family, returning to Nova Scotia in 1989.
A collaborative effort
A Mace Re-Visioning committee was established in 2016, led by Peter Dykhuis, director and curator of the Dalhousie Art Gallery. The committee received proposals from various artists.
Austin and Syliboy, who have worked together for years, teamed up to put a proposal together.
An award-winning Mi’kmaq artist from Millbrook First Nation whose paintings and other works have earned him recognition across Canada and abroad, Syliboy is no stranger to collaboration. A limited-edition (25,000) gold coin for the Canadian Mint in 1999 sold out, while his animation and illustrations have been used in books and even as part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
His culturally-rooted artistic works, which incorporate elements of Mi’kmaq petroglyphs in Nova Scotia and deal with themes of family, struggle, and strength, have been shown alongside the likes of surrealist great Salvador Dali.
“Kudos to Dalhousie for embracing a future with a more accurate recognition of the past,” says Syliboy.
Austin says the process itself is key to creating an object that authentically reflects the diversity of the Dal community.
That’s why he and Syliboy have teamed up with artists from Mi’kmaq, African Nova Scotian and other communities from across Nova Scotia to contribute to the object.
By bringing in artists from the Mi’kmaq or African Nova Scotian communities, for instance, the object recognizes that Dalhousie exists in a geographic place of cultural significance — one that has not always been as openly acknowledged and celebrated as it is today — and has become an institution of diverse peoples and ideas.
Developing a community symbol
A separate design committee at the university provided input into the development of the object but left the detailed creative decisions to the artists.
“They left space for us to say, ‘I think a symbol that would work best here is this’, for instance,” says Austin, who’s diverse career has included teaching aesthetics and consulting on community and economic development issues.
Austin, whose work has taken him into communities across Nova Scotia, says the collaborative approach has ensured that the object being created conveys authentic community.
The artists say the choices of materials and techniques used in the creation of the new object endeavour to embody Dalhousie as a place within a place. That means Nova Scotian materials, including existing re-purposed elements, are being used when possible.
“Hopefully everybody can find something that says, ‘oh yeah, that represents me,’” says Austin. “The whole thing is meant to express achievement and belonging.”
The power of symbols
Dal’s decision to call for a redesign of the mace arose as part of the university’s strategic initiative on diversity and inclusiveness, a key pillar of Dal’s broader institutional Strategic Direction.
“We know how important symbols are to ensuring people of all backgrounds feel represented, and it’s incredibly exciting to see this new ceremonial object emerge in such an inclusive and collaborative fashion,” says Dykhuis, the committee lead. “This project signifies another important step in our efforts to build an even more inclusive, diverse and respectful campus community at Dal.”
Austin says their aspiration for the ceremonial object is that it inspire the Dal community.
“The goal is that it looks elegant and from a distance has some kind of gravitas to it,” says Austin “And then the more you look at it and the closer you are, you realize there are layers of story and identity forming the whole, just like Dalhousie.”
Update: May 10, 2019
Dalhousie’s new ceremonial object was unveiled at the first Spring Convocation ceremony held on Friday, May 10 at the Agricultural Campus.
“I have very wonderful memories of the class of 2009; so much spirit, engagement and commitment to academic excellence.”
Michelle Hunter
Class of 2009 MBA (FS)
CEGE Connection would like to recognize the contribution of the MBA(FS)Class of 2009 as they commemorate their tenth-year anniversary. All our best goes out to these graduates on this very special milestone year. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, life-long learning and the communities in which you live and work.
Michelle Hunter & Rebecca Budd
“One of our friends asked me how I manage to incorporate endurance sporting events within a busy lifestyle. I had to think for a moment, before offering the only reasonable response that came to me – that I am willing to go beyond what others would do.”
Stephen J. Boyd MBA(FS) Class of 2018
Stephen Boyd Surfing The Point at Lawrencetown, Photo Credit, Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd is taking on the challenge of the Big Swim to be held August 18, 2019. Over the past months, Stephen has focused on training for this “epic” swim. CEGE Connection has been following Stephen on his journey. This is the second in the series of The Big Swim – A Give to Live Project.
Stephen J. Boyd MBA(FS) Class of 2018: Update July 2019
My wife, Sarah and I met up with friends a few weeks ago to celebrate the recent purchase of our new house. Over an animated dinner conversation, the topic of swimming came up. Our friends were interested in Sarah’s upcoming national synchronized swimming competition in Quebec City, including hearing about the sacrifices that had to be made to participate in this physical activity (her team did very well- proud husband). The discussion soon shifted to my participation in the BIG SWIM charity event, held in August each year. The event combines an epic feat of endurance, swimming from New Brunswick to PEI, with the opportunity to raise funds for an awesome charity. The BIG SWIM is not a race and supports swimmers of all abilities to get out into the Northumberland Strait and achieve the unimaginable. For normal people who cross the Northumberland Strait by bridge or ferry, the distance is roughly 13 kilometers. Due to currents, and other unknowns, I am told that the average swimmer will cover 15+ kilometers. It is a truly an epic undertaking.
One of our friends asked me how I manage to incorporate endurance sporting events within a busy lifestyle. I had to think for a moment, before offering the only reasonable response that came to me – that I am willing to go beyond what others would do.
If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.
Since that dinner, I have reflected on my response regarding my willingness to commit to a physical challenge that demands a lot of dedication. Taking on the BIG SWIM will test my courage and resolve. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I do not have extraordinary athletic abilities, but I am prepared to make sacrifices such as getting up at 3:15 AM to train for an Ironman triathlon. This past Saturday, I swam approximately 8 KMs at the Dalplex. Although it does not appear to be a daunting task, Sarah, my greatest supporter, reminded me that distance equated to 160 + laps of an Olympic long-course pool.
Overall, training is going as planned. On those 5:30a.m. drives to the pool, I stay motivated by thinking about the exhilaration of participating in an endurance event. The charity swim is scheduled for August 18th, and I still have a lot of hard training ahead. I remind myself that I have taken on an epic feat of endurance. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Going beyond takes a person to the next level of personal fulfillment. It builds resilience to seek out the next challenge. I am certain that I will do other marathon swimming events.
While driving to our new home this weekend, a local school had a billboard that read: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” I am uncertain who originally came up with this thought, but I think it is brilliant.
Steve
July 2019
