Halifax Grammar School - Grammarian Yearbook (Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada)

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SAEED KAHNAMELLI He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. Shakespeare Being the most senior member of our class (and the hairiest), Saeed has managed to keep his head above water, which is quite an achievement, considering he knew no English when he came to us three years ago, from Iran. Being a lively person, he immediately became involved in sports, last year winning the MVP in soccer, volley- ball and best male athlete of the year. Outside of H.G.S. he played on the Scotia Olympic soccer team, plays raquetball, and has a fantastic social life. Although his attendance was lacking at times, we all grew to know and love him, and wish him all the best in his future pursuits, possibly engineering at Saint Mary ' s. MARY SUSANNE LANGILLE Nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility — e.e.cumming8 In her dark, severe, woolly coat, her loose-sleeved arms lengthened by the weight of an old knapsack and a bag, Mary has the air of an immigrant just descended from the boat. Exhausted, desperate to ask for directions, but distrusting the language, the unreal landscape, the people ' s shut faces, she stands and watches her shoes. Sometimes Mary seems to have arrived unsuited for earthly life. Indeed, she knows many ways to abstract herself from it: her imagination is always ready to take flight to the regions of Thomas Hardy or the Brontes (all three); to the kingdoms which she rules behind her eyes; to the land of her own writing where every mole, every stalk of wheat, every woman must submit to her tyrannical vision of fate; or to the theatre. It is on the page or on the stage that Mary is most at home on earth. She is always acting, trying on new gowns of words, new masks, though each be as fragile as the last. The effect ranges from ironic humour to anguish, but her aim is, as her friends know, not to deceive, but to transcend. Mary has an active understanding of T.S. Eliot ' s dictum that poetry is not an expression of personality, not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from both. All the different Marys cohere about one thing, a searching soul, whose goal is faith. Wherever she rests on that long migration, she will make in that place a circle scraped in the sand, a fire where the storyteller sits, a stage: and she will be radiant. ANDREW HENRY ZWICKER McKEE Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth. Archimedes Andrew has been one of the mainstays of our class for many years. People who know Andrew well know him for his quiet nature, his intelligence, and his ability to remain sane when the work starts to pile up. He is also known, to a minor extent, for the less-than-cerebral gatherings which he sometimes finds himself hosting. These past years, Andrew has participated actively in student and extra- curricular affairs. Last year he demonstrated his financial competence as the business manager of The Grammarian and this year he was elected to the post of treasurer of the Student Council. Sports also take up their share of Andrew ' s time. He is an experienced sailor who has had a hand in winning several races, and he is also the captain of the H.G.S. curling team. Next year Andrew plans to pursue a degree in either engineering or commerce at a university outside the province, and then, perhaps, to go into law. Whichever path he chooses, we are sure he will meet with success. —10—

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GREGORY ELLIOTT HAMMOND Brevity is the soul of wit . — Shakespeare Greg came to Halifax two years ago from Ottawa, which goes to explain some of his Upper Canadian peculiarities. His unique brand of humour and French (Fetchez le spoon s ' il vous plate) have left a permanent impression on those who have ex- perienced it. One of the school ' s outstanding athletes, he is a member of the basketball and volleyball teams, as well as playing on the curling and soccer teams. Apart from intramural sports, Greg is active during off-school hours and during the summer holidays. Before arriving in Halifax, he had received numerous awards in tennis, hockey and football. The person who introduced Upper Six to The Crippler , Greg has added many other pieces of colourful vocabulary to class conversation (which probably should not be repeated here!) His protracted renditions of Baby, Baby on the school piano every lunch hour create an unpleasant gastric effect among the audience more often associated with the eating of tainted oysters. Still, as Greg would say, Rather a second-rate piano performance than a speech from Dawson . For the most part, how- ever, Greg remains one of the more understanding members of the class, always willing to help out in times of trouble. Greg ' s great love is biology, and thus he is hoping to pursue a career in medicine at Dalhousie. We all wish him the best of luck. TIONG JECK HUONG (CORINA) I get by with a little help from my friends . — The Beatles Corina joined us at the beginning of second term from Malaysia. Being the friendly person she is, she made friends easily and she is a cheerful addition to the class. She has high academic standards, and strives constantly to keep them up. Although at times her English is, well, inventive, we all understand the gist of her conversation. Corina participates in sports, and is an overall terrific girl. If you ' ve ever wondered what your name translates into in Malaysian, you know where to go! Good luck in the future, Corina. CHARLES HAWKINS MINGO Reason is a light that God has kindled in the soul. — Aristotle - The Art of Rhetoric Sometimes the less scientific among us almost think that we will not be able to stand upright in the winds of another rhyming off of the two dozen American univ- ersities that will gleefully accept Charlie next year, of another verbal knocking flat of the poor rival who has not quite equalled his ionospheric chemistry marks, of another blast on the glories of method and reason. Yet what some occasionally perceive as arrogance is merely a spurious electron in the uppermost orbital of Charlie ' s character; his nucleus is a generous and thoughtful disposition. Though he cannot abide a fool, his magnanimity to his friends, both maternal and spiritual, overwhelms them. As he is great-bodie d, so is he great-hearted too. Perhaps it is because he distrusts his heart that he has bent his will toward the sciences. In Charlie ' s analytic mind, passion IS precision; the light of his reason is as direct and accurate as that of a lazer, though not as narrowly focused: already Charlie has a keen understanding of the hmits of his chosen field, which enables him to fill it all the more fruitfully. No one comes out of an argument with Charlie — as his opponents in debating have surely discovered — unchallenged, uninformed, unen- lightened. Science , he says, is no longer after the big Why?, but rather the great How. Charlie is more than equal to that task. —9—

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SABINE SUZANN MITTERMAYER The sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour as she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers.... — Leonard Cohen Sabine is enigmatic to many in our class, who know her only as a soft-speaking girl who has a hundred ways of putting up her hair, chooses unconventional clothes, and drives her own shiny red Rabbit. To those who know her a little better her soft voice conceals a dancing spirit, quick to take joy in her youth and her freedom, and in all of the flavours of living; and her unique tastes reveal an independence won of necessity. The joy and the work of her life comes from the reconciliation of opposites: personal freedom with responsibility to family; the romantic with the pragmatic; the girl with the woman in her. She is capable and self-reliant — she simply appeared at H.G.S. one day this past summer ( can I come to this school? ) — and can handle a car, her own apartment, a hacksaw or a hammer with equal ease. She is also romantic, fond of Leonard Cohen ' s verse and Willi Michel ' s Bavarian Blues. She is contemporary and cosmopolitan, and she and her English have profited much firom her year at H.G.S. Whatever she does next year, and in the years there- after, she will find the good in it, always learning to change, and changing to learn. JONATHAN C.K. NGAN You know I ' ve always been a dreamer (spent my life running round), and it ' s hard to change (can ' t seem to settle down), but the dreams I ' ve seen lately keep on burning out and turning out the same. — The Eagles Although this is Jonathan ' s first year at H.G.S., his mild-mannered approach has gained him respect among his fellow students. His main interest is in music, especially guitar, piano and flute. However, he cannot accept New Wave and Punk music. He is a valuable member of the soccer team and a good volleyball player. Since he came from Hong Kong, he has to understand our customs, habits and of course, our schoolwork. It was a challenge for him, but he faced it with confidence and enthusiasm. His perpetual smile and good-natured sense of humour will surely be missed next year. If whatever Jonathan plans to do in life is done with the zeal and eagerness he has shown us, he is certain of success. THEODORE STEVENS NORVELL Work is a curse and labour a misfortune . — Kahil Gibran Theodore (better known as Theo) is one of the few veterans of the school, having been here for twelve long years. With his musical ability and brilUant songs, he has made the class both laugh and applaud his performances. He was a member of this year ' s Reach For The Top team: in one match, Theo scored more points than the entire opposing team. He is also an avid fencer, doing well in most of the tournaments he entered. On passing by the Upper Six homeroom, one can often hear Theo deeply engaged in intellectual conversations and arguments of all sorts. He is active in many sports, and can be seen sailing in the harbour and the Northwest Arm during the summer months. Theo plans a career in the sciences, hoping to study at Dalhousie next year. We wish him the best of luck in his studies. —11—