Look for It: The Autumn Edition of Trent Magazine

The latest edition of Trent Magazine is hitting mailboxes across the country.  It’s also available online — just click on the magazine cover to read the e-version.

This edition showcases children of alumni who also attended Trent, the upcoming Head of the Trent homecoming, and a report on Philanthropy at the University.

As a teaser, here is my editorial:

Trent Family Legacies: The Good the Bad and The Red Dog

Reading through the heartwarming stories of multigenerational Trent families, I couldn’t help but think of my own family connection to Trent …

… And then quickly realized that it might not be quite as inspiring as the others that you will find sprinkled through this magazine.

While it is true that my older brother, Steve, attended Trent while I was in high school—and while it is also true that Steve’s time at Trent played into my decision as to what schools to apply to—none of this really led to a legacy of academic success.

The Trent stories that Steve told me, you see, were of the incredible times he had with friends, the great music scene, and, yes, recollections of the area’s best watering holes.

I don’t really recall us talking about lectures, tutorials, or professors.

Which was probably more my fault than his.

My teenage imagination was fuelled by nights at the Red Dog, with Reverend Ken or Washboard Hank belting it out from the stage. I wanted to know how soon I could possibly play my first show at the Trend. And I wanted to hear more about the Head of the Trent, because, really, it sounded like the party of a lifetime.

All of which explains my first-year marks, I suppose. And, truth be told, his too.

In the end, though, it all turned out rather well. Steve has gone on to a have a prosperous career, with a great family and a nice house in the country. I’ve settled into my life as a writer, sharing a century-old house—and gardens aplenty—with my lovely and talented wife, Krista ’97 (also a Trent alumna).

I can’t help but think about what will happen when Krista and I have kids—and when these kids get to their teenage years. I can’t help but think that my someday kids will want to be someday Trent students. Growing up, they’ll be sure to hear the odd story about how I played the Red Dog stage with Reverend Ken. But they’re also going to hear about the small class sizes, the legendary professors, and the one-on-one academic opportunities that Krista and I experienced at Trent. And then, somewhere way down the road, I’ll be happy to see them featured—in this very magazine—as winners of the Scholarship for Children of Alumni. Like the talented students showcased here, they will be helping to keep the Trent family legacy alive. For generations to come.

And, thankfully, with students now starting school at a younger age, they won’t be old enough to even get into the Head of the Trent beer garden until third year.

But that’s OK. There will be plenty of time to party after graduate school.