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Mount Allison Record Fall 2011 No. 98 — New Series
The Record is published three times annually.
Editor: Anthony (Tony) Frost
Assistant Editor: Laura Dillman Ripley
Design, Layout: Shane McDonald, Tin Design
Contributing Writers:
Alec Bruce
Ron Byrne
Laura Dillman Ripley
Mona Estabrooks (’79)
Melissa Lombard
Raine Phythian
David Rose (’90)
Sue Seaborn
Photography:
Todd Cheney
Mona Estabrooks (’79)
Nadine LeBlanc
Tom Reid
Sue Seaborn
Daniel St. Louis
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Contents Copyright 2011 by Mount Allison University
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Cover: The late Wallace McCain (’52)
2 / Fall 2011 / RECORD
Walking in footsteps
W
hen I was young I wanted to be just like my dad who flew fighters during WWII.
While I never made it past the Recruitment Office desk (I did go), my fascination
with all things aeronautical has never left me. It was no surprise, then, when
my six-year-old son recently declared that he intended to go to “Mount A” when he grew up.
I think we all know people who have followed in the footsteps of those they admire. Indeed,
I have heard many students say that they chose Mount Allison because a family member or
friend previously came here. But it wasn’t until that moment that I realized I wasn’t just an
observer of a random process, but was actively engaged in one that surrounds us all. One in
which I had power. This awareness was both invigorating, but also sobering. How does that
oft-quoted Spider-Man line go: “with great power comes great responsibility?”
The notion that we as parents (and uncles/aunts, friends, etc.) have influence on the paths of
those who follow is important because like the proverbial pebble that gets tossed in a pond,
the ripples we make spread far and wide. Our actions trigger further actions that result in not
only the improvement of a young person’s life, but society as a whole. University graduates
contribute to communities and, one day, influence the generation that follows them. This was
borne out by a recent TD Economics Special Report (www.td.com/economics) that showed
how higher education raised employment prospects and annual income, improved the likelihood
of volunteerism, and… wait for it… improved the chances of graduates’ children attending
university too.
Well, with my newfound awareness I can honestly say that today I’m much more purposeful
in what I say and do (my wife thanks me), but I have also taken my post-secondary proselytizing
beyond our home. Recently I spoke with two young people and, in both cases, I took the
time to explain how a university education was the single best investment they could make
for their future success. Of course I may have also let it slip that Mount Allison would make a
terrific option for them.
Tony Frost
Editor of the
Mount Allison
Record
tfrost@mta.ca
editor’s note