The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A hotbed of distinguished teaching St. Jerome's is now home to no fewer than five recipients of the University of Waterloo's Distinguished Teacher Awards. At spring convocation, Gabe Niccoli, a professor in the Department of Italian and French Studies at St. Jerome's, was presented with the award in recognition of his long record of outstanding achievement teaching Italian language and culture. Niccoli is well-known for his passion for his subject, his good humour, and his approachability outside the lecture hall. The awards are given each year to professors and lecturers who have demonstrated "intellectual vigour and communication skills in the interpretation and presentation of subject matter," as well as "concern for and sensitivity to the needs of students." The selection committee also looks for "clear indication that the nominee has favourable and lasting influence on students." The award consists of a citation and presentation at spring convocation ceremonies, special designation in the University of Waterloo calendar as a "Recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award," and $1,500 to be used in support of teaching activities. Previous winners from St. Jerome's include mathematics professor Conrad Hewitt, retired professor of religious studies Mary Malone, philosophy professor Gerry Campbell, and St. Jerome's president Doug Letson, who is a professor of English. Upcoming Centre events The Centre for Catholic Experience at St. Jerome's will be presenting two lectures in September. On Friday, September 18th, Mark Miller, a Redemptorist priest from Edmonton, Alberta will give a public lecture and, on the following day, an all-day workshop for health care professionals. Miller, who is in charge of the Redemptorist Bioethics Consultancy for Western Canada, is the author of The Health Care Ethics Guide, which is widely used in hospitals across Canada. And on Wednesday, September 23rd, Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, will speak about capital punishment and her work with death row inmates. For more information on these and other upcoming Centre events, contact David Seljak, Director of the Centre, or Helen Heimpel, Centre secretary, at (519) 884-8110. Photo: Ron Hewson He's outstanding At their Annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet in March of this year, the Federation of Students at the University of Waterloo presented Jon Waterhouse, a sociology student at St. Jerome's, with the Overall Leadership Award. The awards, according to past Fed president Mario Bellabarba, are "the Feds' opportunity to thank people who aren't often thanked for their volunteer work." During his years as a student, Waterhouse has dedicated much time and energy to making St. Jerome's a better place. He has served as treasurer and president of the student union and as a student member of the grad association, and he's been active in raising funds for St. Jerome's. He has also served as co-ordinator of the safety van program at Waterloo, as a member of the University Commission of Student Appeals, and as security co-ordinator for Waterloo's Canada Day celebration. According to Waterhouse, his investment in his community has benefitted him personally. "I'm not just an individual," he says. "I feel connected where I didn't feel connected for a long time. The more bonds you can create in your life, the better." But it has also benefitted St. Jerome's. "You may not consciously write 'change the world' in your day-timer," said Federation of Students representative Kelley Foley when she addressed Waterhouse and the other award-winners at the banquet in March, "but all of you do, and all your work represents hope and optimism for the future." Not just another brick in the wall It's not as easy as it looks. Building a wall takes a fair bit of thought and planning, says Dave Augustyn, co-ordinator of graduate affairs at St. Jerome's. But it was satisfying to see the contributions of 246 graduates, faculty, staff, and friends of St. Jerome's to the Building Together for the Future capital campaign given such solid acknowledgement. The new wall, which stands in the foyer of the Community Centre at St. Jerome's, contains bricks engraved with the names of donors--including Shakespeare, if you can believe what you read--who contributed a minimum of $450 to the capital campaign. In total, the brick campaign raised over $130,000. Plans are underway to begin a campaign for a second wall sometime in the fall. Photo: Dave Augustyn