T. GIL BUNCH THEATRE for PERFORMING ARTS

What began under clear blue skies on Saturday afternoon with formal opening ceremonies, ended around midnight (for some!) after the Benefactor's Gala Concert. Thus did the dream for a generous, dedicated few turn into the reality of an incomparable experience for all those present. Four reports follow: an account of the Opening Ceremonies by Amy Silbergeld (Grade 10), two different perspectives of the Benefactor's Gala Concert from Brentwood stalwart Victor Lironi and a member the new generation Patty Roach (Grade 12), and a description of the Centre itself, from an analysis of bricks and mortar to present and future programmes from Development Officer Lara MacDonald.

THE OPENING CEREMONIES

All the world’s a stage,
And the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.

Read and recited several times on 27th September, 2003, Shakespeare’s words capture the life of T. Gil Bunch with perfection. The inspiration behind Brentwood’s new Performing Arts Centre, indeed played many roles: husband, teacher, scholar, actor, friend, mentor, and — judging from his sense of outrageous humour — comedian.
To celebrate the opening of the new Centre, the opening ceremony brought hundreds of alumni, students,

Head of School Andrea Pennells; architect Paul Merrick; Chairman of the Board of Governors, Kip Woodward; Brentwood graduate and former student of Gil Bunch (and a generous benefactor and driving force behind the creation of the Centre) George Killy; and President of the Brentwood College Foundation, Bill Ross, addressed the gathering. The school’s choir, directed by John Williams supplied a musical interlude between speeches and appreciation through music after the cutting of the ribbon.

The day’s events left all involved with a deep appreciation for Gil Bunch and the positive effects he has had on the school. September 27th, 2003, was a day of excitement, respect, and, even as the last tired guests filed out of the benefactor’s gala, joy.

"Gil understood that the sacredness of the written word, when performed, established basic human truths which can then serve as touchstones for our judgments in life." –George Killy, Class of 1964       

Story by: Amy Silbergeld (Grade 10) 

Left: Jeanie Bunch in front of the instantly recognisable picture of Gil on his bike. The picture hangs in the foyer of the Killy Theatre.

Right: A unique photo opportunity. Since the re-opening of the School on the Mill Bay campus, there have been only three Heads of the School.
They are: current Head of School
Andrea Pennells,
former Headmaster
Bill Ross (1976-2000),
former Headmaster
David Mackenzie (1961-1976)

From just before the strike of seven o'clock, benefactors and other invited guests filled the foyer of the Bunch Centre while champagne flowed from the adult bar. A jubilant crowd of old and new friends then filed into the Killy Theatre expecting a performance of the highest standard; their expectations were amply fulfilled. Taking the lead in the concert were famous alumni such as Ben Butterfield, Jenny Fok, and Erin Thrall, who were joined by highly talented current students led by Mariko Constable, all of whom received a warranted standing ovation at the end of the performance. The evening went off without any visible hitches, and both performers and members of the audience were prepared to celebrate for at least a few hours more. The Brentwood family, in its great diversity, from mountain-climbers to business moguls, was knit only tighter as the evening wore on (or so were the reports

from the adjacent Gwynneth House). Only a few present students attended the evening festivities, but all appreciated the opportunity to be present and to meet the older alumni they could now count as friends.

Story by: Patty Roach (Grade 12)

FACTS AND FIGURES

The T. Gil Bunch Centre for Performing Arts houses 18,600 square feet of floor space and contains a 431 seat auditorium with an orchestra pit and adequate space in the wings to manage the sets. It also features a dance studio, a media arts room, a green room, dressing rooms and other production related spaces, as well as a music suite.

Lara McDonald (Development Officer)

THE ANNUAL BRENTWOOD
ECO-CHALLENGE

Once a year on the sunny shores of the school, an event is held which demands every form of dedication, perseverance and House spirit. This event is the annual Brentwood Eco- Challenge. The challenge consists of a combination of kayaking, cross-

country running, canoeing, a portage, a mystery event, fire-building and swimming. Thirty-nine students were involved in competing, with six more helping to marshall and provide safety.

The day began with an intense kayak race, with Whittall and Ellis Houses competing intensely for the lead. The kayakers then tagged off the runners to begin the cross-country section. Corey Ranger of Rogers gained a considerable lead for his House at this stage. The next component was the canoe race, highlighted by the brilliant comeback of Aiden Weichula and Taylor Booth who gave Ellis the lead once again. There was some controversy on the canoe leg,where the Privett House canoe made contact with most of the other teams; however the judges deemed the collisions accidental and the competition continued. As the canoes skidded back onto the sand, the portage commenced.

Whittall swimmer Adam Erickson taking
the win for his House.

In a final desperate struggle for the win, swimmer Adam Erickson of Whittall took the lead and won the event for his House. With the ringing of the official Eco-Challenge bell Whittall’s victory was assured. Ellis House finished in second, and Rogers followed in a close third place dash. Privett ended the event in fourth place.

Story and Pictures by:
Christian Macklam
(Grade 11)

COUNSELLING AT BRENTWOOD

THE GREAT CANADIAN SHORELINE CLEAN-UP

By the shore of a local waterway a balloon, a light bulb, and six pieces of clothing were strewn about. Treasures? No, quite the opposite. Nonetheless, these items plus many, many more were picked up in a winning attempt to clean up the local aquatic environment.

Last Tuesday, the Outdoor Pursuits team set forth on an expedition to participate in the ‘Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup’. This internationally renowned project, with similar organisations in 120 other countries, seeks to make citizens aware of the harm to marine life caused by the abundance of discarded litter. The Outdoor Pursuits crew, thirteen student assistants led by Mr. Dan Norman and Ms. Katherine Mikes, put words into action with an intense cleanup of the creeks, waterfalls, and beaches in the neighbourhood.

The two-day 'harvest' yielded 22 bags of human-scattered litter,

which was then analysed and the number and types of items collected recorded. This data will be compiled nation-wide into a statistical report and used to bring awareness to the producers of the products; thus, attempting to encourage policy modifications on litter and environmental concerns.

This international and nation-wide effort to clean up the shorelines of the world has brought about a huge impact on the purity of the waters; not only has this been gainful and advantageous to the environment, but it has allowed Brentwood to become part of the community in which it is located. The ‘Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup’ seeks to stimulate the world to clean itself up one piece at a time, and that is what Brentwood intended — but instead of picking up one piece, the Brentwood students picked up 1172.

The Brentwood participants in the clean-up project were the vigorous environmental-friendly members of the Outdoor Pursuits program: Dan Norman, Katherine Mikes, Taryn Bodrug, Taylor Booth, Megan Cooper, Becky Higgs, Maggie Kreutziger, Christina Larigakis, Mack Lee, Stefan MacAskill, Lisa Range, Cat Reynolds, Jonathan Tsang, George Upton, Stephen Wheeler.

Their efforts have definitely made a difference.

Story and Pictures by: Vicki Ha (Grade 12)

THE STUDENTS' ACTIVITY COUNCIL

Delving through past editions of “This Week”, listening to passing conversations, or reading signs posted on the cafeteria door, one often comes across that peculiar acronym “S.A.C.” What does this mean? Perhaps it has something to large burlap bags, one might reason, putting the letters together. But no, reason has little to do with what a large portion of the school willingly subscribes to.

S.A.C. stands for “Student’s Activity Council”, the organisation that meets each Tuesday at cookie break in Room 108A (the old Drafting Classroom) to discuss and plan various events to entertain people on weekends, as well as to keep them out of trouble. It is student led and run, with Boyd Sloan (Grade 12) as its president, and Mr. Clayton Johnston as the link with the staff. This group is all about volunteerism, as one can see on the chipper faces of SAC members cleaning off the auditorium floor after a dance.

The S.A.C. comprises three groups: one in charge of charitable events, one in charge of interhouse competition and showcase sports games between Brentwood and other schools, and one in charge of entertaining events such as movies, open houses and dances. Everyone is expected to lend a hand and vigorously support the various campus events, and a surprising number of selfless students feel that they are up to the task; this year the S.A.C. counts 65 students among their members. That is twenty more than last year, and the most ever.

Members both new and old thoroughly enjoy having the chance to liven up their fellow student's lives. New member Kasi MacGregor particularly enjoys the promotional duties of the organization. "It's fun to make posters and go up on stage (in assembly announcements)," she raves. The group also has a chance to make a difference in the outside world, as any member of the Charity wing will tell you.

Last year, the S.A.C. raised well over $25,000 for various local and national charities during Charity Work Day and other events. Kicking off this year's charitable events was last Wednesday's Jeans Day, wherein students paid $2 to wear previously forbidden denim to school. All proceeds went to the Red Cross for use in the Wildfire Relief fund.

Boyd Sloan,
the dashing S.A.C. president


Mr. Clayton Johnston, intrigued by what he sees.

Story and Photos by: Jill Stothart (Grade 10)

ELLIS HOUSE OPEN HOUSE

At some time during the year each house has an "Open House", an event where the rest of the student body is invited in for an evening of fun and entertainment. Ellis House started off the year with a event featuring blackjack and roulette. The currency was "Ellis House Money" photocopied at the library a few hours before the doors opened at 7:00 PM. Everyone who came was given some money to start off with, and the various denominations could be exchanged at the "bank". For every five hundred dollars of Ellis Money people had they could enter their name into a draw for a chance to win prizes. Winners will be selected at next week's assembly.

The seniors were in charge of most of the jobs, but all members of the House signed up for tasks and pitched in. Aiden Weichula, Doug Yang

and Tyler Smith dealt cards all evening while Jared Peacock was in charge of the music. Mark Sherlock and Ginjiro Yamagishi were operating the concession stand, which sold pizza, chocolate bars and soft drinks.

Story and Pictures by: Jonathan Dunstan (Grade 10)

THE LOVELY LAUNDRY LADIES

Once a week, each House celebrates Laundry Day — a day when the past week's muddy shorts and smelly sheets can finally leave the room, a day for students more relied on than alarm clocks.

Socks are sorted, black from white, and bundles of clothes are stuffed into cotton bags to be lugged up the hill to laundry. There we leave our filthy clothing in the hands of the hard-working laundry ladies, only to come back to find them waiting, clean and folded on our own labelled shelf.
What takes place in the time between drop-off and pick-up, however, is considerable labour. From Monday to Friday, the ladies are bombarded with no less than 2,400 pounds of laundry per day.

The Laundry Ladies team enjoying their lunch break

Mornings are spent sorting, labelling and emptying pockets, and despite the many times students have been warned to empty these, a veritable treasure trove is still discovered. Chris Nelson, Director of Laundry and Housekeeping, states that “with all the pens we salvage from student’s pockets, we have become the school suppliers.” Though lifting loads of laundry into the huge sixty-pound washers can be quite straining on the back, not to mention the pressing of shirts and ironing of pants, the laundry ladies bring spirit into their job and they’re always folding to a tune, whether to rock and roll or country music. The team of ladies are all good friends, and they add character to the school with their many contributions. Watch this page in future for pictures of the planned hilarious costumes for Halloween.

Story and Photos by: Alison Gillespie (Grade 10)

DRESS CODE FASHION — A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS?

Inside the barriers that are forged between a community such as Brentwood, and the "real world", stark contrasts within each fashionable world are created. One world allows the subject, i.e. a student, the free will to pick and choose what he or she feels best suits the day and occasion. For the average male, this entails digging through a pile of dirty laundry, and dressing himself in the closest thing not moving; for the average female, however, impending doom may ensue. Problems like these are solved in small communities by enforcing a dress code, common to all. A dress code, in this perspective, is an arbitrary set of governances which dictate ones appearance and attire. Although the subject is easily adaptable to such restrictions, a dress code may may or may not follow common sense, in light of looking sharper, relative to the enforcer of these laws.

Girls fashion in a dress code is a little more fickle. Girls know how to push boundaries, and make them look agreeable, creating a grey area as to when enforcement should be applied. However, some rules apply: socks must match and must adhere to the colour code.

Although not necessarily subscribed to with enthusiasm by all, the typical dress code will ensure that a community presents an impeccable sharply dressed, alert student image to the world.

Story and Pictures by: Meg Russell (Grade 12)

AN INTERIM INTERN REPORT

When I first arrived at Brentwood, it had already been a long day of traveling from Ottawa to Victoria. As the last intern to arrive it was a little unnerving to walk into meetings where everyone else had already been introduced, but true to Brentwood form the staff were warm and kind. After a few days I was beginning to know most staff by name and face when 400 new faces arrived on campus. I was at first mistaken by some as a new grade twelve student (which I suppose is a bit flattering), but that seems to have since been remedied. It has taken a few weeks to fall into the routine and at times I still feel a little lost, yet all in all this is a great experience and beautiful place to be. Overall, the character of the students has generally impressed me. It is not their academic, athletic or artistic achievements that have wowed me, although those are most impressive, but it is the strength and the diversity of the character of those students. Again, proof that Brentonians begin as wonderful people and are only guided to seek their full potential by the fantastic staff and environment at Brentwood. I am looking forward to my year here and being involved in as much as possible. Hopefully, I will have the opportunity to get to know most, if not all, of the students, staff, and faculty here, so please come and say hi… I promise not to bite!

Paige Zinn

Senior Volleyball

The Senior Girls placed 2nd this week at the ISA finals, a good result after a tough loss to Crofton House in the finals. Jessica Cebulka was named to the tournament All-Star team.

Junior Volleyball

The junior team placed 6th in the Powell River tournament. As the top four teams in the province were at this tournament, it was a great result for the team, placing ahead of Kelsey, Kwalikum, Dover Bay and Gulf Islands. Anne Huis in 't Veld was named the the tournament All-Star team.

Field Hockey

The Senior 2nd XI defeated Dover Bay (1-0) with the goal scored by Sonya Rokosh.
The Junior 3rd XI tied Dover Bay 0-0