2011-2012 Guest Speakers

Trinity College School is committed to inviting varied and interesting guest speakers to address the School community. Our guest speakers present to our community during a variety of TCS events such as the Mac Campbell Lecture Series, subject specific lectures and other special occasions such as Scholars' Evening.

Dr. James Orbinski
Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - 7:00pm to Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 6:59pm
Location: Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre
Event: Centennial Lecture

Dr. James Orbinski is a globally recognized humanitarian practitioner and advocate, as well as one of the world’s leading scholars and scientists in global health.

After extensive field experience with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Dr. Orbinski was elected MSF’s international president from 1998 to 2001. He launched its Access to Essential Medicines Campaign in 1999, and in that same year accepted the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to MSF for its pioneering approach to medical humanitarianism, and most especially for its approach to witnessing.

Dr. Orbinski worked as MSF’s head of mission in Goma, Zaire in 1996-1997 during the refugee crisis and in Kigali during the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and he was MSF’s medical coordinator in Jalalabad, Afghanistan in the winter of 1994 and in Baidoa, Somalia during the civil war and famine of 1992-1993. Dr. Orbinski’s first MSF mission was in Peru in 1992. For his leadership in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, Dr. Orbinski was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross, Canada’s highest civilian award.

From 2001 to 2004 Dr. Orbinski co-chaired MSF’s Neglected Diseases Working Group, which created and launched the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, a global not-for-profit that develops medicines and other health technologies for diseases largely neglected by profit driven research and development companies.

In 2003 Dr. Orbinski became a research scientist at St. Michael's Hospital, and in 2005, an associate professor of both medicine and political science at the University of Toronto. Dr. Orbinski practices clinical medicine at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, and is part of a team of scholars that has launched a multidisciplinary Ph.D. training programme in global health. He is also a senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College, and at the Munk Centre for International Studies. He is co-founder and board chair of Dignitas International, a hybrid academic non-governmental organization launched to research and conduct community-based care, prevention and treatment for people living with HIV in the developing world.

Dr. Orbinski is a founding board member of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, the Stephen Lewis Foundation and Canadian Doctors for Medicare. He is a founding member of the editorial boards of Open Medicine, Conflict and Health and Ars Medica. He is an invited member of the Climate Change and Health Council and the Davos World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Health Care Systems and Cooperation.

Dr. Orbinski’s award-winning and internationally acclaimed documentary film on medical humanitarianism, titled Triage was screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and won the 2008 Amnesty International Gold Medal Award.

His best-selling book, An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarianism in the 21st Century, was released in 2008. It won the 2009 Writer’s Trust Shaunessy-Cohen Prize for best political writing in Canada and was nominated for the 2008 Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award in non-fiction.

As of 2010, Dr. Orbinski is a member of the Order of Ontario, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He lives in Toronto with his wife and their three children.

George Kourounis
Date: Monday, April 23, 2012 - 7:00pm to Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - 6:59pm
Location: Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre
Event: Mac Campbell Lecture Series

George Kourounis is one of the world’s most active storm chasers, a renowned global adventurer, explorer and television presenter. Based in Toronto, his efforts to document nature's worst weather conditions have taken him all over the globe, into places most normal people are fleeing from. Whether it’s a tornado outbreak in Kansas, a monster hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, forest fires in British Columbia, or even an erupting volcano, he’s usually in the middle of the action with his camera rolling. His efforts have been seen around the world on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Explorer, BBC-TV, CNN and of course, his own adventure TV programme Angry Planet which is seen in over 100 countries and is currently in production of its third season.

Mr. Kourounis started chasing tornadoes and other storms almost 15 years ago and has continued to expand his explorations to include all types of extreme natural phenomena. He is the first person to have ever filmed from the inside of three of the world's most fearsome forces - a tornado, the eye of a hurricane and an active volcano.

By sharing these adventures with the world, Mr. Kourounis hopes that he can inspire people to break out of their routines and do something that they consider a little bit scary. “I'm not saying that people should run into hurricanes or take a rubber raft out onto a lake of sulphuric acid like I do, but just to step out of their everyday life and do the things that they've always wanted to do but were too afraid to actually try. It is amazing what people are capable of if they just face their fears and go for it.”

Mr. Kourounis is a member of the Explorers Club, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society the Canadian Council for Geographic Education, and was nominated for Gemini awards in 2008 and 2009 for his work on Angry Planet.

trey anthony
Date: Monday, February 13, 2012 - 7:00pm to Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - 6:59pm
Location: Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre
Event: Scholars’ Evening

Playwright, executive producer, actor, creator and stand-up comedian, trey anthony is known for the groundbreaking production 'da Kink in My Hair. Ms. anthony has been in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years, and originally debuted 'da Kink in my Hair at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The play was later featured at Toronto’s prestigious Princess of Wales Theatre, and has been seen in theatres in New York, San Diego and London, England. 'da Kink in my Hair has won four NAACP Awards, and was named one of the top 10 plays in Canada's theatrical history! 

Ms. anthony is a former television producer for the Women’s Television Network (now W) and a writer for the Comedy Network and CTV. She is the first Black Canadian woman to write and produce a television show on a major primetime Canadian network. She is also the executive producer of the Urban Women’s Comedy Festival, “da girl, sho is funny!” She co-wrote I Am Not a Dinner Mint, The Crap Women Swallow to Stay in a Relationship, which debuted in 2006 to sold-out audiences.

A mentor and role model, Ms. anthony, who went to high school in Brampton, Ontario, regularly visits schools to inspire youth. She volunteers with the Black Queer Youth Group, speaking to students about body image and other issues facing female adolescents, and gives away free tickets to her shows to youth and women in shelters. 

In 2009, Ms. anthony founded the Trey Anthony@One Centre in Toronto, a women-focused, creative wellness facility. Here she offers classes on creative writing, wellbeing and spirituality. She hopes the centre will help change the way Canadian women view themselves. 

Also in 2009, Ms. anthony produced the hit play Secrets of a Black Boy, which was a box office success! She is now busy working on her new production, The Trey Anthony Show, a talk show and her first feature film. She has recently been named a featured contributor/writer for the Toronto Star. Currently she is busy writing her first fictional novel, Bastards and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

Mark Tewksbury
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 7:00pm to Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - 6:59pm
Location: Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre
Event: Mac Campbell Lecture Series

Mark Tewksbury is perhaps best known today as a champion communicator. Twenty years ago Mark returned from his first Olympics and starting speaking to students. That has led to Mark sharing his ideas and stories with millions of people around the world.

He is the star athlete who burst out of the water at the Barcelona Olympics following the come-from-behind victory in the 100 metre backstroke; an Olympic champion with gold, silver and bronze medals from Olympic competitions in 1988 and 1992. Mark's athletic career highlights include 21 national titles, seven world records, and a cover appearance on TIME Magazine. For his outstanding achievements Mark was named the Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1992 and inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1993 and then the Canadian Sports Hall in 1995.

Mark has become a champion for a number of important causes. He has proudly supported sick children and currently sits on the national boards of the Special Olympics and the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation. For his ethical leadership and active humanitarianism he has received Honorary Doctorate of Laws degrees from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Calgary.

Mark has hosted television shows including How It’s Made on Discovery Channel, authored three books and performed seminars and workshops around the world. He is a popular media commentator, has been the master of ceremonies for the Dalai Lama's Canadian appearances in 2007 and 2009, and in 2008 was invited by the Government of France to address human rights at the United Nations in New York City. In addition to his role as regular contributor on CTV's Canada AM, Mark's involvement in primetime coverage of the Olympic Games in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 received critical acclaim. He remains a popular media commentator.

The Great Traits of Champions, co-authored with colleague, mentor and Olympian coach Debbie Muir, is the basis of a special eight-part series, Top of Your Game, on CBC Newsworld. The series began in March 2009, which offers practical ways to move forward in this challenging economic climate.

Mark lives in Calgary, and is the chef de mission for the Canadian Olympic Team competing in London in 2012.

Invisible Children
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2011 - 2:10pm
Location: Dick and Jane LeVan Theatre
Event: Service Learning Guest Speaker

Invisible Children use the power of media to inspire young people to help end the longest running war in Africa. Their model has proven effective, and hundreds of thousands of people have been called to action through their films and the volunteers that tour them.

They are made up of a tireless staff, hundreds of full time volunteers, and thousands of students and supporters. They are young, they are citizens of the world, they are artists, activists, and entrepreneurs. This fall, Invisible Children are using thier voice to ask President Obama to spearhead efforts to bring peace to Northern Uganda. They are mobilizing a generation to capture the attention of the international community, and make a stand for justice in the wake of genocide.

TCS has been selected as one of the screening schools for Invisible Children’s new film, Tony.

Alexandra Landegger '06
Date: Monday, September 26, 2011 - 7:00pm to Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - 6:59pm
Location: Osler Hall
Event: Scholars’ Dinner
By Invitation Only

It is a tradition at Trinity College School to invite recent graduates to speak at our annual Scholars' Dinner. This year, we are very excited to have Alexandra Landegger '06 as our guest of honour.  She will address our scholars, parents, faculty, and guests, as we celebrate the academic achievements of our TCS Scholars.

Ms. Landegger attended Trinity College School from 2004-2006 and lived in Scott House. Her co-curricular involvements included: head of debating and public speaking (2004-2006), co-editor/founder of the Advocate (school newspaper), serving as an academic steward, and tutoring students in French and Spanish. In sports, she played on the Bigside softball team, managed Bigside boys basketball and participated in recreational sports. One of her proudest moments at TCS was winning the first annual Peter Jennings Medal for English. She was also an Advanced Placement Canadian National Scholar, and was awarded The Speaker's Gavel and the Barbara Hayes Prize for Debating, as well as being recognized for “Outstanding Contribution to the Arts.” In addition, she placed third in Impromptu Speaking at the International Independent Schools Public Speaking Competition.

She has many fond memories of TCS: "Whether crawling through a mud pit during new student orientation, sitting intimidated in a two person AP History class with Mr. Elsley (and learning more than imaginable as a result!), eating chocolate chip banana bread that Mrs. Hamilton made, watching the annual Mexicans vs. Islanders hockey game, Mr. Gregg teaching me to love art history, singing "Let my people go!" in Chapel, stopping at that Wendy's whenever returning from a sports game in Toronto, or attending my 5 year reunion, Trinity was, and still is, such a fantastic experience for me!"

Currently Ms. Landegger is a senior consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology consulting firm, based in the Washington DC area. In 2010, she graduated from Georgetown University in the School of Foreign Service, studied Inter-Cultural Communications, and received an honors certificate in International Business Diplomacy. While completing her undergraduate degree, she also engaged in a number of internships, which included the French Embassy and a cultural diplomacy organization. She enjoyed Georgetown so much that she enrolled in a part-time graduate programme, and is also working towards her Masters in Communication, Culture and Technology, and expects to earn her graduate degree in the summer of 2012.