Dear Alumni and Friends,
From the onset, I want to wish you a Happy New Year 2021, a year of renewal and, hopefully, a prompt return to normal. Funny how we dearly miss the painfully predictable routine of yesteryears! Let’s hope that soon we will be able to smile again at each other, not from behind a surgical mask or through the lens of a camera. Technology has helped many of us to maintain our professional and personal activities to a certain degree, but everyday the limitations of that same technology remind us that we are profoundly sociable beings. Sadly, the pandemic also revealed a great deal of injustice and iniquities in all spheres of society. There are and will be many lessons to draw from his experience.
I would be remiss not to take this opportunity to introduce myself. You can find a summary of my academic background here, but I think it may be interesting to some that I let you know a little more me as a person in general. Born in Rimouski, Quebec, I have lived in several places around the country and beyond, either on quests for work or adventure. I ended up spending a few years in Edmundston, Montreal, Whitehorse and Paris, before I decided to settle down right here, in Toronto, where I have been since 2000. I absolutely love this cosmopolitan city, because of its cultural institutions and for the convergence of influences from around the world that give my city a look and a flavour that are unique to this place. I know Toronto is not perfect, and neither am I, but we are highly compatible. I am happy to be here, especially now that I have the privilege to work in one of the most enchanting locations of the city. Well, not quite, but I’ll be there in a few months. Who could ask for anything more?
The winter semester well underway, while research activities, teaching and learning are moving forward once again, even though most are strictly virtual. Only a very small number of courses must be taught in person, due to the specific nature of the material. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the campus is asleep under a blanket of snow and ice. Significant upgrading and renovation projects have been underway for the past weeks and months. In the end, this hiatus forced upon us by the pandemic did have some positive impact, as it made it possible to renovate a number of spaces and facilities which desperately needed it.
Looking forward to the next few months, in spite of all our best efforts and good intentions, the University has been forced to cancel in-person Convocation once again. This ceremony, which is the culmination of years of work, is the opportunity for all to take stock of years spent on campus. Nevertheless, we are working on a plan to make sure that this important event in the life of our students and our campus is a memorable one for all.
While some of you are regular visitors, even employees of Glendon College, this newsletter is for some the only point of contact with Glendon. In any case, I want everyone to know that you are missed; your Glendon family needs you and perhaps now more than ever, we may call upon you from time to time to provide your ideas, your time and, yes, your resources. Experience taught us that alumni crave the opportunity to give back to Glendon. So, why not volunteer to sit on one of our advisory groups or to participate in one of our fundraising initiatives, including those for students experiencing financial difficulties? You may wish to contact the Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations to volunteer as a mentor, or to offer a work placement opportunity, even a job for a Glendon student. You may want to renew your one-time or scheduled donation plan or discuss a bequest with us. There is no better way to express your love for an institution than by helping a student to achieve their full potential.
In conclusion, until I get the chance to meet you in person, I dream of the day when we are allowed to reopen the campus, when I will have the joy and honour to greet you in person, back home, and you will have an opportunity to share with me a little about your time at Glendon.
Marco A. Fiola, Principal
