Editor's Note
Who would have thought the global economic crisis would have played a role in the production schedule of QSB Magazine? Well, it did. We shifted gears from a planned November publication date to early January to accommodate some late-breaking news items. These include the Business Club events featuring Bill Bamber and Louis Gagnon (see page 34), the inclusion of an excerpt from Bill’s book Bear Trap: The Fall of Bear Stearns and the Panic of 2008 (see page 12), and Barclay’s Capital President Jerry del Missier’s visit to the School in early December (see page 5).
It was an exciting fall, especially since I was fortunate to act as ‘Sherpa’ on ‘The Bill and Louis Road Trip’ that brought Bill’s intriguing story to our alumni across Canada and in NewYork City. There were several highlights:watching alumni reconnect with Prof. Louis Gagnon, whom many hadn’t seen since their student days; orchestrating a photo shoot in Times Square and at the NewYork Stock Exchange since we were ‘in the neighbourhood’ for the NY Business Club event; and meeting the inspirational Vancouver 2010Winter Olympics ‘Team QSB’ at a photo shoot – also timed around a road trip visit – for their story on page 20. Our thanks to Louis Gagnon, who first suggested approaching Bill to speak to QSB students and alumni, and of course to Bill for fitting ‘the tour’ into his very busy schedule – especially since he did so at his own expense.
Another highlight was hearing from readers who responded so positively to the inaugural issue of QSB Magazine. Much of this feedback was delivered in person at alumni events, but three letters made their way to the Editor and appear below. I hope they serve as a catalyst for readers to send your comments and views on any issues relating to your connection to your alma mater.
Shelley Pleiter
Editor
spleiter@business.queensu.ca
Thank you for the cover story on Team Canzania in the inaugural issue of QSB Magazine. The article generated a buzz that resulted in donations and increased interest in the project. For example, a corporate sponsor is potentially interested in making the village of Matapwili its “pet project”.
The initial fish farming project has been successful. While the harvest was less than expected, the villagers have learned a great deal. They recognized the need for finer-gauged fishnets which Team Canzania subsequently funded. The next step: learning how to smoke fish so harvests last longer. We plan to host a fundraising event in the New Year to raise additional funds to continue our support.
We’ll keep you posted on our progress from time to time!
Edye St. Hill, on behalf of Team Canzania fellow EMBA’05s
Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Gurgit Gill, Ben LaPianta, Dan Price and Richard Provan
I continue to enjoy the QSB Magazine. The summer issue provoked a number of memories and sent me digging in my archives. I finally found the picture I sought ... of the people who spearheaded the breakaway from Arts and Science(ASUS). It was an exciting time as we decided that there were distinct interests that could be better served by those most affected.
Six of us were from Commerce ’70.
Peter Taylor, BCom’70
www.pstaylor.com
The feature “Changing the world” (QSB Magazine, Summer’08) highlighted the activities of the Commerce Outreach Commission that mobilizes students to make a difference at home and abroad. A new initiative under the Commerce Society’s umbrella is Queen’s Commerce Initiative Abroad (Q’CIA), which helps students make a difference in the world by volunteering abroad. On Feb. 13, the Q’CIA group of 25 will travel to Ecuador for ten days to volunteer in a day care centre for troubled youth, improve the existing infrastructure and provide care to the children. Q’CIA is soliciting corporate sponsorships to offset the costs of required building materials. For information on how to support this worthwhile initiative, visit Queen's Commerce Society or send an email to 7adm1@queensu.ca
Adam Mitchell, BCom’09