The David Johnston Ice Cream Social

The David Johnston Ice Cream Social was held on September 16^th at the Davis Centre.  It was a joyous occasion for the students, faculty, and alumni who came to celebrate with Canada’s 28^th Governor General.  This event marked the end of Johnston’s 11-year tenure as the President of the University of Waterloo, and the beginning of his career as the Queen’s representative.

The atmosphere was lively, and featured the Engineering Jazz Band “With Respect to Time”.  As people mingled and enjoyed the free ice cream, they watched the slideshow depicting Johnston’s inauguration on monitors scattered throughout the lobby.

Finally, Johnston himself arrived, and the crowd eagerly gathered around him.   After a performance by the UW Cheerleaders and the singing of “O Canada” by the WaterBoys, Johnston went on stage and was presented a painting depicting a ‘barn raising’.  It was to represent a common metaphor he frequently uses about Waterloo’s atmosphere being as collaborative as the community effort taken to raise a barn.  Johnston went on to joke that this was his first real job, as he never left university.  The crowd applauded and gathered around him again as he mingled with the audience, and one could see the elation on people’s faces as they shook hands with the next Governor General.

Johnston is proud of having been the former President of the University of Waterloo for, in the words of Johnston himself at the Social: “The Iron Warrior is wonderful.  Engineering is wonderful!”