Pleased to meet you... Dr. Nathan Kowalsky

The first in a new series where we ask folks around SJC to tell us a little bit about themselves...

1.     How long have you been part of the SJC Community? What led you here?

I've been a part of the community since the third year of my undergrad, when I transfered into the UofA. The very first Ash Wednesday service I ever attended was at St. Joe's, and I took quite a few philosophy courses and one theology course here. I'm not exactly sure how I discovered the college, but it might have been a combination of friends (who knew about the chapel) and the university calendar offering cool courses that I wanted to take. I specifically remember taking PHIL 399 (Religious Existentialism) and a directed reading course on Augustine's Confessions (which is now PHIL 309, I think). I also took PHIL 239 (Greek Philosophy) and CHRTC 272 (Catholic Moral Thought), if memory serves.

2.     If you could have dinner with a saint, who would it be and why? (And what would you eat?)

St. Hubert of Liege! He's the patron saint of hunting (although I'm not sure how to disentangle him from St. Eustace), and the Jagermeister logo is basically based off a vision he had. I was able to pay homage to his torso in the crypt of the Basilica in Belgium that bears his name, which was a first for me. I think we would have to eat some venison, but also with some Belgian fries and beer, both the best in the world (even if I find most Belgian beer a bit too malty). I'm not sure how the Belgians prepare venison, but I'm sure it's delicious. They do food extremely well.

3.     If you could take a class at SJC right now, what would it be?

I would take PHIL 319 (Thomas Aquinas) because the last time I tried to take it -- when I was just starting teaching here, and I wanted to fill a gap in my education -- I ended up skipping too many of the classes because I was too busy teaching other classes! I'd also want to take CHRTC 342 (Tolkien: The Theology of Middle-earth) because I'm a huge Tolkien nerd.

4.     If you weren’t a professor, what would you be doing instead?

Goodness me, I have no idea. I'd probably be unemployed. If I could dream, though, I'd want to be some kind of 'mountain man,' living in a cozy shack in the wilderness somewhere, keeping warm with firewood and getting to hike around and hunt whenever I wanted. I'd have a dog with me, which would be odd because my wife doesn't like dogs. I'm pretty sure she also doesn't like living in a shack in the wilderness, so nevermind, let's go back to where I'm unemployed. That's more realistic.

5.     Where is the most memorable place you have travelled?

Hmm, I'm gonna have to say the island of Lesbos, Greece. It was one of my first conferences, and I got to swim (briefly) in the Aegean Sea. It was wine dark, like Homer said, and as smooth as glass. As I sat there in the water I could see the Turkish coast (barely) and I imagined triremes cutting through the water. For some reason, philosophers in togas didn't come to mind. The most unexpected part for me, though, was that my hotel was literally called the "Hotel Lesbian," because a Lesbian is someone who lives on Lesbos. I guess our modern association of the word derives from Sappho's love poetry, who lived on the island. I remember the smell of the dry grasses among the olive trees reminding me of home, back in the grasslands around Medicine Hat where I grew up.