Spring 2022 Alumni Feature
By Tanya Dutton
The idea for Class of 1991 virtual reunion started as a Facebook messenger conversation around Christmas time. From there, the event was quickly got organized through the teams online platform. Forty-three classmates were invited and almost everyone showed up- (some folks did not have the technology to connect, or their contact information wasn't available despite the best efforts of the reunion organizers).
On the day, following quick hellos, attendees watched a short video tour of Dal Physio locations, starring School Associate Director, Dr. Derek Rutherford which I recorded on my phone. We then played a few fun Teams games to get folks warmed up for general discussion/chatting!
Approximately 35-40 people former classmates logged in from across the country, from BC to Newfoundland and Labrador. There were even alumni from as far away as the UK and Bermuda!
Comments from folks post-reunion included:
“ My heart is full!” and “ It was great! I feel so nostalgic now seeing you all and I was looking at my yearbook for the first time in years. Our years at Dal were really the good old days. Obviously the social piece was just as important as the learning. Such fun! I hope that we keep in touch and do it again soon.
Excerpts from the Class of 1991 Valedictorian Address
Written by Trudi Elizabeth Dunn
Well you guys – we’ve finally made it! Can you believe it? Where have the past 3 years gone? We were here for a good time, not a long time. Here we stand on our graduation day. It is a beginning and an end, a time to reflect upon our past and to contemplate our future. For most of us here, today marks the end of our university careers and the beginning of our professional ones – and a lifetime commitment to continuing education.
It is an exciting time to be a health professional. The whole concept of our health care system is being critically examined and we’re beginning to realize the importance of primary care or prevention rather than tertiary care. We’re beginning to realize the pitfalls of having a health care system with only one entrance point. It’s possible we’ll be the first generation of physios to practice under direct access.
In the area of world affairs, it’s remarkable to be alive. We’ve seen more political upheaval in the past 2 years than in the previous 10! From the falling of the Berlin Wall, the pending unification of Europe, the question of de-unification of Canada to the War in the Persian Gulf. We are the generation who will reflect upon these memories with our grandchildren as they study it in the history books. We are moving out of the “ME” generation into the “GREEN” generation as society begins to realize the ramifications of our actions on our environment.
As we enter the work world, we will be concentrating hard on our own careers but let us not lose sight of our profession as a whole. I encourage you to join our national body, the CPA. The importance of being members and involved in our national organization cannot be over-stressed. The field of physiotherapy needs intelligent, interested, and enthusiastic people who are dedicated to being the best they can be. May we always struggle for excellence in what we do. May we never stop asking ourselves the question “Why?” and perhaps most important of all – may we never lose sight of the reason we entered the field of health care – the desire to help and care for other people.
In this room sit 45 of 47 graduates of the Physiotherapy Class of 1991. A remarkable turnout by any standards and yet the 2 absentees are sorely missed by all of us. And that, I believe, is the essence of our class. We’re like a family because we’ve come to know and depend upon each other, and each-and-every person is important. I think we’ve probably demonstrated more class spirit than any other class in the history of the university.
In this room sit some of the dearest friends I’ve ever had. I’m filled with feelings of respect for you, your minds, your abilities, and the kind of peoples you are. We shared many of the same life experiences – we’ve studied and partied together, we sang, danced, laughed, and cried together. We’ve spent so many hours palpating each other that we know everyone else’s abnormalities as well as our own.