Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Bears Witness to the Stories of Others

“Unsung heroes. Niggling, unanswered questions. Quirks and oddities. Unnecessary obstinance by persons, institutions and governments. Personal stories. And the occasional bit of humour.” Journalist Larry Cornies gravitates toward human topics in his writing, rewarded by reader responses to these stories and columns. “Readers are already inundated by the big news stories of the day. They need a little humanity and humour too — or maybe just the passing pleasure of a good read,” he explained. 

Cornies is a master of his craft. Over the span of 45 years, he has sustained a distinguished career in journalism, teaching, and community service. His vocational path wasn’t direct, but his choices contributed to the depth and perspective that he brings to his work. Cornies is the recipient of Conrad Grebel University College's 2024 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the field. 

Joining friends who planned to live at Grebel while studying at the University of Waterloo in the early ’70s, Cornies declined an acceptance from Carleton University’s journalism school and instead focused on Religious Studies at UWaterloo. 

“Part of a journalist’s success hinges on one’s ability to acknowledge one’s own biases and to recognize that people from family structures, belief systems, cultures and identities, different from one’s own, see the world through different lenses,” Cornies reflected. “My undergrad courses in Religious Studies helped me do that, especially courses and encounters with non-Christian faith traditions. Those insights were valuable in navigating journalistic relationships with people of backgrounds different from my own.” 

After receiving his BA in 1975, Cornies returned to his original plan and pursued his interest in journalism at the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University, while serving as associate editor of The Mennonite in Newton, Kansas. Then in 1986, Cornies attained a Master of Arts in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario, with a specialization in Broadcast Television. 

He has since worked as an editor and writer in various capacities at London Magazine, The London Free Press, and The Globe and Mail. During his career, Cornies has regularly been recognized for his writing, with awards for individual pieces, as well as overall excellence. He is a sought-after speaker who creatively weaves journalism into topics related to ethics, community, the digital age, Mennonites, history, and crisis.  

Not only does Cornies exercise journalistic proficiency, but he is invested in educating a new generation of journalists. He has taught journalism law and ethics, news writing, feature writing, and opinion writing at Ryerson University, Conestoga College, and Western University. He has been retained by University of Toronto Scarborough, Centennial College and Sheridan College on ways to improve their journalism curricula. Today, Cornies is a freelance columnist at Postmedia Network and writes a column every two weeks. 

“The combination of practising journalism and teaching it has been self-sustaining,” Cornies shared. "I still write a fortnightly column, just for the sheer pleasure of meeting people, bearing witness to their stories and crafting something readable from those encounters, combined with my own interests. The enthusiasm of journalism students for the craft has also kept me engrossed, as have opportunities to consult on and shape journalism curricula.” 

Cornies also contributes to his community in many ways, most stemming from his interests in music, reading, and writing. He has been a judge for the Junos and the Ontario Newspaper Awards, and was a cultural consultant to The Grand Theatre. He served as a Board Member for the Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service and Council on Church and Media. Cornies was a member of Grebel’s Alumni Committee for six years and also served on the Grebel Board.   

“Grebel contributed to my senses of duty and opportunity by its very existence: a vibrant community, with roots in Anabaptist faith, firmly planted on the campus of a large secular university,” reflected Cornies. “Its presence there bore witness to the fact that people from my particular tradition had something to contribute to — and a place in — Canada’s larger academic and research communities. In my case, that ended up being journalism, both in church and secular settings.” He added, “As a church journalist and historian, President Frank H. Epp was untiring in his nurture of my abilities, as was David Kroeker, managing editor of Mennonite Reporter, which had its offices at Grebel during my first year. Taken together, Grebel had an outsized influence in shaping my career aspirations.” 

Conrad Grebel University College’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award is given to an alum who has made a unique contribution to the world that represents the ideals and purposes of the College. “Having had the pleasure of serving on the Alumni Committee with Larry, as well as the 60th Anniversary Committee, I always appreciated the perspectives that Larry brought to the table,” said Michael Shum, Chair of Grebel’s Alumni Committee. “He understood the values of both keeping with tradition and change for the better, and the teams benefited greatly from his experience, insights, and ideas. His generous community contributions along with his acclaimed journalistic and teaching career showcase Grebel's values, which is why Larry is a deserving recipient of Grebel's 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award.”  

The award will be presented on January 29, 2025, at a Community Supper, where Cornies will inspire today’s Grebel students.