Since taking the reins at Lethbridge College more than five years ago, I’ve become a bit of a braggart. Whether I’m out chatting up the community or negotiating with government, I find myself slipping easily into that mode of talking up the sense of excitement infusing our campus, the programs, research, innovation and, of course the achievement of our students and alumni. It’s a rush to which I admit I’ve become rather happily addicted.

None of these boasting points, however, could be possible without the people who make them reality. I know it’s nothing new for a CEO to attribute a company’s success to its employees, but I’ll forgo the originality for the enjoyment of praising the men and women who keep Lethbridge College an institution of choice, not just for students, but for those who desire careers with us.

They come to us from other post-secondary institutions, from industry, other businesses, other countries. Some never leave campus, graduating in spring and joining the payroll before autumn. (Never fear: even if we kept all the best ones for ourselves, there are plenty of great ones to go around!)

They soon find the campus experience infectious. We’ve reached that critical mass that allows us to play off each other in a true spirit of collegiality, celebrating our successes and supporting each other in our outrageously audacious endeavours.

A few short years ago, we removed “community” from our name. But I am often reminded as I watch the Lethbridge College saga continue to unfold, we did not remove our presence from the community. In this issue, you’ll read about just a few of our employees who are so connected to the city through their non-campus activities, that they embody the college wherever they are. Whether they make up a well-known Celtic trio, help develop a sport at a national level, serve on vital committees or devote countless volunteer hours to the community, they all take a piece of Lethbridge College with them into their “other lives.”

They do us proud, as do the alumni we honour annually in our April edition. They, too, have placed themselves in their communities as people who can be counted on to carry the load. Is it any wonder I tend to brag?

In this edition, you’ll read Mike McCready’s insightful piece on social media. Mike is our manager of Web Services and it would take far more than 140 characters to laud his knowledge of the emerging phenomenon.

I would not have expected, upon arriving as the president of Lethbridge College, to be “blogging.” But here I am, with a Facebook presence, communicating with government and students alike.

Mike’s cautionary piece explains the advantages – and the dangers – of social media, a tool which allows each of us to become our own marketers. The image we present to the world can either lift careers or dash them, depending on what side we decide to show and to whom. I incorporate Facebook to facilitate communication with colleagues, the provincial government and other professional contacts. It’s a fascinating evolution of technology when used with appropriate protocols; just another way to tell the Lethbridge College story!

President’s message What’s inside

Out of uniform Justice Studies grads may one day find themselves rubbing elbows with some rather seamy characters.

Dr. Tracy L. EdwardsLethbridge College president &CEO

A bold boast: our people are our strength

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President’s message What’s insideVol. 4, No. 2, Winter 2011

Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’s community magazine, celebrating the successes and accomplishments of its students, employees and alumni by promoting them throughout the community and around the world. This publication aims to educate its readers, engage stakeholders and recognize donors through compelling stories and images that relate to, and resonate with, its readers.

Wider Horizons is published three times a year by the Lethbridge College Advancement Office.

We thank you for picking up this copy and we hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to recommend story ideas for future issues or would like to find out more about our magazine, contact us.

Wider Horizonsc/o The Advancement Office3000 College Drive SouthLethbridge, ABT1K 1L6email: WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca

publisher: Dr. Tracy L. Edwardsmanager: Carmen Tothchief writer: Peter Scottphotographers: Hope Litwin, Rob Olsondesigners: Hope Litwin, Shawn Salberg, Gregory Thiessen magazine staff: Imarú Baquero, Leeanne Conrad, Michelle Stegen contributors: Megan Shapka, Christina Boese, Blaine Calkins

In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all Lethbridge College alumni. Alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the college by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website:lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni

To share this issue with others, visit us at widerhorizons.ca

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Out of uniform Justice Studies grads may one day find themselves rubbing elbows with some rather seamy characters.

Saving face Our social media expert, Mike McCready, provides tips on enjoying Facebook while keeping your reputation intact.

A joyful noise Glencoulee have become Lethbridge College’s ambassadors of Celtic music and revelry.

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In Every IssueMy Life ..............................................................................................5Q & A ..............................................................................................20Office Intrigue ..................................................................................22Widen Your Horizons .......................................................................40College Kudos ..................................................................................43Where Are They Now? ......................................................................45

Corrections connections ................................................. 6It’s not the only Lethbridge College program students can access online, but Correctional Studies has escaped its classroom shackles to become a leader in distance learning.

Southern cooking ........................................................... 12 Chef Mark Dieser forages the markets of southern Alberta to put the freshest locally grown produce in the hands of his Culinary Careers students. From there, it’s a savoury trip from hand to mouth.

A wider net ...................................................................... 24As Lethbridge College’s first e-recruiter, Susan Roberts is using the Internet as her sonar to hunt students. If you’re out there, chances are she’ll find you.

A hand when they stumble ............................................ 28Not all students breeze through college; for some, the road is an emotional obstacle course. When the way ahead seems blocked, Lethbridge College counsellors help clear the path.

Town and gown .............................................................. 30Lethbridge College is offering its programs in three southern Alberta communities, allowing a wider crop of students to reach their education goals.

All over the map ............................................................. 36Call it recruiting by travel agent, but Lethbridge College keeps its bags packed these days to attract international students to campus.

UndEr cOVeR Cop

2 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

3

Sean vividly recalls the night, about two years ago, he was hoping to make a drug buy when the suspect with whom he was negotiating suddenly asked him if he was an undercover cop.

The target, from Regina, had cocaine to sell, and Sean, sporting a long beard and wearing earrings, was close to making a deal in a downtown Lethbridge bar when the question was posed, with the added comment: “All the UCs in Regina wear long beards.”

“He pulled out a knife, likely not to use, but just to let me know he had it,” says Sean, a member of the Lethbridge Regional Police Service’s seven-person undercover team. I told him to put the knife away. Then we bumped knuckles and he was happy to deal cocaine with me.”

The evening’s success hung squarely on Sean’s ability to react to that split second of suspicion. Even though police back-up was nearby, a flicker of indecision would have cost the squad considerable time and resources and, perhaps, had a darker ending. Sean and the squad’s supervising officer, Mike (not their real names) downplay the movie-style drama their jobs entail, but don’t entirely disagree it involves an element of danger. While Sean shares high-fives with knife-carrying dope-dealers, his young wife waits nervously at home, he admits, eager for the day when he can leave for work as the big, likeable guy he really is.

“The satisfaction of helping put away drug dealers outweighs the danger 10 to one,” says Sean, who graduated from the Criminal Justice-Policing program at Lethbridge College several years ago. “The laws are in place, and so are the penalties; we have a high conviction rate.”

Sean has spent four years in what is officially known as the Special Operations Unit, and is nearing the limit for undercover work. Made up solely of volunteers, the team’s main focus in Lethbridge is drug enforcement. The type of deep-cover, Donnie Brasco-style of crime infiltration is not a common occurrence in the province; most of the cases worked here are shorter and far less life-threatening. Still, the team trolls the dark side of life in Lethbridge looking for bottom-feeders, and the safety of each member is paramount.

“Safety is number one over everything else,” says Mike, who selects and trains recruits from among the 150-officer service. “We know who can do this type of work. We get the people who want to be there. It takes you a couple of years to learn the ropes, and then you get good at it. Most newcomers admit they had no idea of what we actually do. The more time you do on the street, the better you’ll be.”

When approving members for undercover work, Mike probes their records as uniformed officers. He looks for diligence, creativity and innovation, and a minimum of five years on the force. They also have to be willing to leave some facets of a normal family life behind.

“You don’t have a presence on Facebook,” says Sean. “And when you’re socializing, you do it out of the public eye. The hardest part for me is not being able to go out for a beer with

the guys after work. You have to be more careful. When you go out to a movie or for dinner, you always take a good look around to see who might be in the room. Uniformed officers can be well-known; you can’t hang out with them in public.”

Altered physical appearance also plays a role, and each member of the squad has the chance to experiment with different personas and looks, changing up clothes, facial hair, jewelry and the like. But truly outrageous outfits are out; as the prey has learned to dress for success, so have the hunters.

“The ponytails and body piercings might have worked in the 1980s, but they’re old-school now,” says Sean. Your average drug dealer is no longer a long-haired hippie freak. They’re very GQ, very upscale. In fact, getting too unkempt can work against you.”

Like that night two years ago. The bad guys have also changed in a darker way, says Mike. Not long ago, another undercover officer was robbed and had his life threatened by a suspect. Mike believes this officer had been “made,” and the people he was tracking had planned to murder him.

“That was scary, because even though they knew he was a cop, they planned to hurt him anyway,” he says. “Most suspects, when they find out you’re a cop, just won’t deal with you anymore.”

Officers also require an inherent ability to adjust instantly to the unforeseen.

“You have to be able to change your story and be able to answer questions,” says Sean. “Half of it is planning and half is off the cuff. If he says this, you say that. If you go in prepared for 100 scenarios, you’ll have that 101st thrown at you. We use the KISS principle: keep it simple, stupid. You have to come on just right; too strong, and they’ll suspect you’re a cop; too weak and they’ll think you’re not really interested.”

Drug trafficking in the city – yes, Lethbridge, it exists here;

“I told him to put the knife away. Then we bumped knuckles and he was happy to deal cocaine with me.”

4 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

the drug of choice is cocaine, with marijuana second – has changed markedly since, say, the 1990s when most of the dealers were local. Now, the drug trade is far more organized and the people Lethbridge’s undercover squad are after are much more transient. In a way, that transience works in the squad’s favour in that they are harder to make as cops. And when they do have to “come clean” to testify in court, their cover is blown on a far smaller scale. Testifying is a necessary part of the job,” says Sean. “If you don’t, all your hard work is blown.”

In court, identification is the prime issue, rather than the drugs seized. Often, a year can go by before a suspect is brought to trial, and the accused often find it advantageous to upgrade their appearance for their court date.

“You can be sitting there and you have to think back to what that person looked like the night you bought the drugs,” says Sean. “Only now he’s clean shaven. Your note-taking at the time is critical.”

Some witnesses have been known to lie under oath.

“You know 100 per cent he’s the guy you bought from, but then a friend will lie on the stand and give him an alibi,” says Sean. “That happened to me once when a girlfriend swore the suspect was with her on a particular night. She remembered perfectly, even though it was two years ago and she was a heavy cocaine user. That’s a frustrating part of the job.”

In many such cases, an accused will opt against a jury trial, knowing a judge understands the intricacies of identification. In a small city, most squad members are also known to most defence lawyers, but while the two sides can tangle in court, the adversarial role ends there.

“We know they’re doing the best for their clients in court,” says Mike. “But if they saw one of us on the street working, none of them would point us out. They’d never harm us personally.”

Undercover officers in Lethbridge also help with investigation and surveillance, due to the department’s small size. This is an advantage for an officer seeking career advancement.

“Because we’re a small force, you get to see the entire range of duties, not just drug enforcement. I think any officer is five times the officer he was before going undercover.”

As seen on TV, the squad is always interested in catching bigger fish. Using informants, they seek to make busts further up the food chain. Drug buys at this level are satisfying, says Sean, who once managed to purchase from a dealer who was on a higher level than run-of-the-mill dealers.

“I tried for six months, and nothing,” says Sean. “Then one night I made yet another call, and he was willing to meet with me. A month later, he was arrested with five ounces of coke.”

On another occasion, while working surveillance on a suspect with several outstanding warrants, the team saw him purchase

drugs from a person not on its radar. Members started an investigation on the supplier resulting in an arrest and seizure of five ounces of cocaine and $50,000.

On another occasion, the squad worked up file on a supplier who was identified as being from Calgary.

“We we shared our files with our counterparts in Calgary,” says Mike. “They wound up making the largest bust in Calgary’s history at 80 kilos. Due to its ties to organized crime, the case even made Dateline.”

Sources, obviously, are a major tool in the squad’s arsenal, and few are what would be termed upstanding citizens. They turn informants for a variety of reasons, and each officer has to weigh the veracity of their information. Revenge is one of which officers must be wary. There are more noble reasons.

“They might, for instance, disagree with home invasions or selling drugs to kids,” says Sean.

To properly set a hook, an officer will attempt to make multiple buys from the same suspect. When the time comes for an arrest, they typically watch from a distance, savouring the results.

“We love our jobs,” says Sean. “We get along well with each other and work in a team atmosphere. The guys are very dedicated; they’ll put in a lot of their own time, speaking to sources or at home getting personal with our files. Rather than being reactive, we try to be proactive. You’re never on your own; the whole team is focused on each case.”

Despite the adrenalin rushes, undercover work doesn’t leave an officer’s life in tatters. There are no long stretches spent as members of a gang, and team members go home after their shifts to regular families. Each member has to decide how well they trust their friends before telling them they’ve gone undercover.

“I got a new neighbour once,” says Sean. “For 2½ years I told him I worked elsewhere, and then finally confided in him. He had no idea.”

Officers keep an eye on each other to ensure no one is playing their part a little too enthusiastically. If they are, they’re sent for psychological testing in Calgary.

For Sean, undercover life won’t last much longer. He’ll return to regular duty, perhaps seek promotion, assist the squad’s new members by sharing his expertise the way it was given to him by others who went before. There will be other outlets for the thrill ride it’s all been and the satisfaction it’s provided.

“I worked two or three years on a two-kilo job. It took four years to come to trial, but he was finally found guilty. Most satisfying part? He made the statement to several people the cops would never get him.

“In the end, we got him.”

“Testifying is a necessary part of the job,” says Sean. “If you don’t, all your hard work is blown.”

My life

5

Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins, Lethbridge College alumnus, finds his Conservation Enforcement diploma comes in handy in his new life in Ottawa.

It’s a bit of a distance from working on fisheries experiments in Alberta to sitting in the House of Commons in Ottawa. I guess, however, both encapsulate my lifelong passion for the outdoors and my interest, since 1996, in federal politics.

I was born in 1968 in Lacombe and raised on a farm, the oldest of three. After graduating from high school in 1986, I earned a bachelor of science with a specialization in zoology from the University of Alberta. During the summers, I worked as a fishing guide on Great Bear Lake; after graduation, I took a summer job with Alberta Fish and Wildlife as a fisheries technician collecting data for walleye and sport fishing stocks.

In high school, I wanted to be a fish and wildlife officer, so after the experiment wound down, I headed to Lethbridge College and enrolled in the Conservation Enforcement program. Because I had already earned a science degree, I was able to complete the program in a single year. But what a year! I did nine courses the first semester and eight in the second; thankfully I started in January and had a summer break in between. It was intense, but a great experience. The program was very practical and hands-on. Everything we learned could be implemented in the field; I saw a direct correlation between the material and the experience.

During the summer of 1994, I worked as a park ranger at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, then in 1995 as a park warden in Jasper National Park before returning to Alberta Parks at Jarvis Bay/Sylvan Lake in 1996.

This was summer work only. In the winters, I worked on service rigs in the oilfield. I married Barbara in 1997, while I was the ranger-in-charge at Red Lodge Provincial Park. When our first child came along the next year, I realized I needed a career change.

I obtained a diploma in computer systems technology from Red Deer College in 1999 and stayed on at Agriculture Financial Services Corporation in Lacombe. From 2001 to 2006, I taught at Red Deer College.

I had been a public servant in one form or another, including a time as a Lacombe town councillor, and I was concerned with how tax money was being spent. Preston Manning was leader of the Reform Party when I bought a membership in 1996. I

got involved in party governance and, as they say, the rest is history.

When Reform amalgamated with the Progressive Conservatives, I was asked to run in the Wetaskiwin riding and was lucky enough to win the confidence and trust of the electorate in 2006. [Calkins was re-elected in 2008.]

I sit on the Environment and Sustainable Development and the

Fisheries and Oceans standing committees, on both of which I utilize my experience and knowledge from Lethbridge College and my interest in fishing. I’m particularly interested in water quality, and my background allows me to ask solid questions.

I live in Lacombe, Alberta’s 17th city, and rent an apartment in Ottawa. A week in Ottawa can be described as one big day with four naps. When I get up at 6 a.m., my BlackBerry is already buzzing. And coming from Alberta, I have to fight a two-hour time change. Still, it’s a heady experience being able to influence policy that develops the nation.

Barbara and I have three children: Eryk, 12; Kasandra, 10 and Krystian, 8. When Eryk was born, I was teaching and we made the decision to get by on a single income so Barbara could be at home with the children. I was amazed at how difficult it was to make ends meet. The single-income family was not respected; that was a motivating factor for getting into politics.

In the end, I’m still a husband and father first. I wouldn’t sacrifice that for anything.

From parks to Parliament

My life

Lethbridge College’s online applied degree program allows Canada’s correctional service personnel to keep working while they enhance their careers.

6 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

[Maximum Security]

Dana O’Dell has never visited Lethbridge College or

even been in the city. Yet O’Dell, a Nova Scotia native

who lives in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, is a one of the

school’s proud alumni and a vocal promoter of its

Correctional Studies program.

Newly appointed assistant warden operations (AWO)

at a federal medium-security prison, O’Dell earned

her corrections degree through distance learning,

graduating in 2009. She now talks up the program to

colleagues who want to advance their careers through

additional qualification while continuing to work.

“They’re nervous and wonder if they’re smart enough

to be successful,” says O’Dell. “I tell them all they

really need is to manage their time, create a schedule

and stick to it; that’s the key. It’s demanding and

requires dedication, but the support provided by

Lethbridge College is absolutely fantastic.”

O’Dell is one of many Corrections Canada employees

who have graduated from Lethbridge College’s applied

degree program. She chose it over others because

it was developed in consultation with Corrections

Canada, because she received prior learning

experience for her work in the field, and because it

is transferable. In fact, O’Dell is now enrolled in a

masters program at Royal Roads near Victoria, which

accepted all her college credits.

This seamless learning was built into the program

by Ian Hepher, a Lethbridge College instructor who

helped fashion the program. A former warden of

the Lethbridge Correctional Centre, Hepher had the

knowledge, expertise and contacts at Corrections

Canada to ensure the curriculum would be supported

by the federal service. The result: Corrections Canada

encourages its employees who want to obtain their

degrees to consider Lethbridge College first.

One of the paramount features for learners such as

O’Dell, however, is the ability to complete the program

by distance while they continue their employment.

“We created the degree program for students who

wanted more than a two-year diploma,” says Hepher.

“We wanted it to appeal to those already in the field.

They receive prior learning credits at no cost, and can

earn additional credits for unique experiences in the

field, such as working at a women’s institute.”

That would include O’Dell. Once a licenced practical

nurse, she spent seven years at the Fraser Valley

Institution for Women in Abbotsford, before moving

this year to the men’s facility in the Fraser Valley.

Although she dreamed of furthering her education,

she delayed it until she had put her children through

post-secondary studies.

With every course in the diploma and degree

programs online since 2008, students have enrolled

from as far away as Peru and numbers have soared.

The program has its hotbeds of interest: the Lower

Mainland, which has five federal penitentiaries,

Edmonton and Saskatchewan.

The Alberta Correctional Service uses the Lethbridge

College program for its in-service training, allowing

them, as Hepher puts it, to double-dip: fulfilling

their job requirements while earning credits toward

degrees. All employees in the province’s institutions

must have at least a diploma, and, says Hepher,

Lethbridge College’s version is especially desireable.

“You can raise a family and keep your job, all while

learning,” says Hepher. “That’s a real boon.”

Students who obtain their two-year diplomas have

the option of staying in the program two additional

years to get their degrees, or seeking employment and

re-entering the degree program later. That’s attractive,

because the fourth year is a directed field study done

on the job.

Corrections distance learners tend to be older.

“Some are in administration, managers who either

want to advance or seek a sense of accomplishment,”

says Hepher, who came to Lethbridge College in 1989

when only two specific Corrections courses were

offered.

A decade later, he and instructor Barb Mantello

proposed the creation of a degree program. Supported

by the college’s Educational Enhancement Team and

encouraged by previous deans who entrusted them

with curriculum development, the pair created the

field’s only applied degree in Canada.

Now, police officers, child-and-youth-care workers,

parole and probation officers and addictions

counsellors are showing up, simply because it’s there.

And, the need for corrections employees is increasing.

A high employee turnover rate, coupled with a

growing population, more prisons and the federal

Conservatives’ desire to increase sentences has created

a need that will not, says Hepher, be lessening soon.

As she attacks her master’s program at Royal Roads,

O’Dell is maintaining her connection to Lethbridge

College, where she had found a mentor in Hepher. She

has praise for him, and all instructors in the program:

Earl Nilsson, Barb Mantello and Phill Clough.

“Fellow employees saw my success in the program and

wanted to follow what I was doing.”

7

“We created the degree program for students

who wanted more than a diploma. We

wanted it to appeal to those in the field.”

Ian Hepher

Getting their Irish upRollicking Glencoulee keeps students out lateChristina Boese (Communication Arts ’08)

Elsewhere, it’s a typical Monday night in Lethbridge: by 11 p.m. most residents are ending their day to the dying murmur of traffic outside. But across the city inside a quaint little pub, a boisterous crowd is far from sleep in a separate world entirely.Three present and former Lethbridge College instructors are filling the air with unmistakable Celtic rhythm, and the crowd, many of them students, let the music seep into their veins and take them over. Soon, the occupants of this lively space have reached the peak of excitement, performing a jig so full of energy it rattles the walls.

This night, the terms student and instructor don’t exist; there are only friends here, and this is one evening they’ll recall for years to come as one of their best at Lethbridge College.D’Arcy Kavanagh, Ian Hepher and Richard Burke form Glencoulee, a Celtic trio based out of Lethbridge College. Hepher has been an instructor in the Correctional Studies program for 23 years. Kavanagh has had ties to the

Communication Arts program for 25 years, spending many years as an hourly instructor before settling into his current role as program chair. Burke was an instructor in the same program for 26 years before retiring in 2007.

In their spare time, these friends enjoy playing music together. The band was formed in 1998, when Hepher and Kavanagh discovered their mutual love for Celtic music. A few years and line-up changes later, Burke joined to complete what is Glencoulee, well-known at music festivals around the province, and by students who always catch their performances in Lethbridge.

But, in order to accurately describe their camaraderie as a band and everything that encompasses, it’s necessary to look at each member individually to find out how their experiences have allowed them to bring their own unique style to the group.

8 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

“I always figured it was a great way to connect with students who got the chance to see another

side of us. ” Richard Burke“ ”

Let’s begin with Kavanagh, who handles much of the vocal work. Long before becoming the go-to guy for the Communication Arts program, Kavanagh grew up in Montreal, where he attributes his musical roots and where he discovered his love for the genre.

“My buddies were into the Beatles and the Stones,” says Kavanagh. “I somehow heard Celtic music and it made an immediate connection with me; the jigs and reels really caught my attention. I also loved the instruments involved.”

Kavanagh worked in daily newspapers for several years before coming to the college in the mid-80s. During that time, he began playing music at seniors residences; something Kavanagh still enjoys.

“One gig led to another and then another,” he says. “Thirty years later, I’m still doing it three or four times a month.”

Along with guitar, Kavanagh also plays the bodhran, a unique handheld drum originating in Ireland.

“I’ve always loved the heartbeat sound that the bodhran provides,” says Kavanagh. “I’ve been playing it the last 10 years and I love its sound even more.”

Kavanagh has collected bodhrans from Ireland and Scotland, but he says his favourite makes come from Calgary. His bandmates tease him about his extensive collection.“Ian says I have BAD which he says means ‘bodhran acquisition disorder.’”

Hepher is a Vancouver native, but has spent most of his life in Alberta. He gained knowledge of different types of music through family, and, like Kavanagh, preferred alternatives to the popular music of the time.

“My own interests were in folk music rather than rock and roll, although I like that, too, and there were some fine Irish musicians in the folk movement.”

Hepher worked in the corrections field for two decades, spending eight of those years at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. He began working at the college in 1987.

“I just decided I wanted to do something different [and] wanted to stay in Lethbridge,” says Hepher. “I really liked the idea of being a teacher.”

Hepher has learned to play many instruments, including guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, whistles, harmonica and kazoo.

“I’ve always been interested in trying new instruments, so when I had the opportunity to acquire something, I have done it,” notes Hepher. “Some of them haven’t worked out, such as the uillean pipes [the national bagpipes of Ireland], and I’m still working on others such as the ukulele. The biggest thrill I get is playing the octave mandolin which my son Robin made.”

And then there’s Richrd Burke, the “retired” one.

These days, Burke can be found soaking in the benefits of retirement, fly-fishing and gardening to his heart’s content. The Calgary native become an instructor at the college in the early 1980s following a 15-year career in journalism.

Burke began playing piano at six, followed by guitar at 12. When he went into journalism at California State University, his musical opportunities broadened and he played in several bands.

“I would find the music department practice rooms and play because I didn’t have a piano at my apartment.”

Burke plays keyboard and 12-string guitar. As for other contributions, “I’m one of three band members who love to play and occasionally drink beer.”

Glencoulee has produced three albums: The Rare Old Stuff, Meeting of the Waters and Glencoulee: Live at The Empress (recorded at the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod). The band agrees the live album was most interesting to work on.

“It was great fun, but it was intense,” says Kavanagh. “I think playing in the Empress was also a special treat. It’s a unique theatre with a lovely, warm atmosphere.”

“The audience was awesome,” adds Burke. “The production was difficult, but not as grinding as the studio work we did on the other two.”

The members say their music has allowed them to travel and share experiences they’ll never forget.

“We’ve done weddings outdoors under the stars where our music soared as the newlyweds danced,” says Kavanagh. “This past summer, we had a blast at Canada Day and it seemed that the thousand people there did too, because a pile of them danced around and sang along; great fun.”

Glencoulee has also developed a large student fan base through the years. Students come to the shows to support their instructors and enjoy the music.

Burke: “I always figured it was a great way to connect with students who got the chance to see another side of us.”Kavanagh: “It has always been something of a surprise to me that so many of our students come to our gigs and really enjoy the music.”

Regardless of the perks that come with being in a band, all members agree what they enjoy most is each other.

“I like the camaraderie, the relationship between the three of us,” says Hepher. “Eleven years is a long time for any band to be together. And the great privilege of knowing that we are making music which others enjoy.”

In those 11 years, the three feel they’ve grown musically.

“We’ve steadily improved over the years,” says Burke. “Lately, we’ve dug out some tunes we played years ago, rearranged them, and made them a whole lot better because we’re more able to do that now.”

So, what does the future hold for Glencoulee?

“We’ve been discussing another album, but it’s all about waiting and seeing,” says Kavanagh.

In the meantime, in the words of Richard Burke, Glencoulee intends to “party on.” 9

”

10 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

SScott Lehbauer is a one-man team.He has perhaps the largest collection of name tags on campus.

Since beginning his career at Lethbridge College as a science lab assistant in 2001, Scott has served as a science lab technician, science lab co-ordinator, part- and full-time instructor, and member of the college’s board of governors, serving first as the representative of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees for three years and now as a faculty rep.

Oh, he also coached the Kodiaks men’s volleyball team and was a key player in the retrofitting of the Cousins Science Centre.

In September, Lehbauer became co-chair of the School of Developmental Education, which includes Lethbridge College’s upgrading program, and is still teaching anatomy/physiology and the physiology of aging. The college has experienced a 500 per cent increase in anatomy students from two years ago, who now number about 360 per semester, including learners from nursing, exercise science and general studies. This keeps him busy, which is good because Lehbauer, as a lifelong learner, is constantly in motion.

Now in administration, he continues to hold a passion for teaching.

“During the three years when I taught full time, it was fun to come to work every day,” he says. “No matter how a day went, there was always something positive in it. The students were incredible.”

Among Lehbauer’s joys was the ability to enable students to learn, using a blend of technology and hands-on instruction. This month, he’s launching an iPod touch learning pilot in which 40 anatomy students, chosen at random, will be given the devices loaded with apps, lab videos and narration, giving them access to a wealth of information, including the ability to watch a virtual human dissection. They’ll have access to information around the clock.

The accomplishments of those 40 students will be measured against those who are not part of the project; the results will determine the success of the initiative.

“These are exciting times to be a teacher,” says Lehbauer. “The blackboard-and-chalk days are over. You can continually reinvent yourself as an instructor to enhance the outcomes for students. Use of technology and hands-on experience is what students crave.”

When the dollars are available, Lehbauer would like to implement the project with iPads. For now, he uses one as a demonstration tool.

“It’s a non-traditional enhancement for a traditional lab setting,” he says. “Although, technology will never fully replace hands-on labs, which are crucial to learning.”

Born in Edmonton, Lehbauer moved around the province with his family until high school, when he attended Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, now some 20 years ago. After Grade 12, he attended Red Deer College to play volleyball. (“And about all I did at Red Deer College was play volleyball.”)

IndispensableScott

11

SHe was good enough on the court to earn a scholarship to the University of Victoria, where, in three years, he earned a biology degree. (“It was time to get serious.”)

He started a “career” as a tree planter in northern British Columbia near Chetwynd and Williams Lake. The money was large, but the bugs and bears were even larger. After a brief gig as a temporary lab assistant at Lethbridge College, he headed back into the trees; when the college offered permanent work, he saw the forest.

It was a difficult transition time at Lethbridge College. Lehbauer’s mentor here, Kelly Oikawa, was pressed into a teaching role upon the sudden death of popular instructor Mike Peterson, opening the door for Lehbauer to take Oikawa’s lab tech spot. He soon thrived in the position and, when the Cousins Building was being renovated into the Cousins Science Centre, Lehbauer was called upon to serve as liaison between the science faculty and the administration responsible for turning it into a research-grade facility.

As described by Wider Horizons (Winter 2007), Lehbauer was bankrolled with more than $1 million and sent forth to purchase cutting-edge equipment to maintain its 13 labs at the top of the science game for years to come.

“It was a cool role to play,” recalls Lehbauer. “Karen Barnes (then dean of Arts and Sciences) wanted everyone involved, so I served as the go-between with faculty, administration and the architects.”

Lehbauer and his anatomy colleagues (Ramona Stewart, Dic Charge, Mark Klassen and Bruce Stewart) have adopted a true team approach to teaching the subject, sharing information, techniques and ideas.

Although Lehbauer found a career in southern Alberta, he found his wife, Kristine, on Vancouver Island. They were married in 2002 in Cowichan Bay Aug. 24, returned to Lethbridge Aug. 30 and he began coaching volleyball Sept. 1. Kristine, who taught at Wilson Middle School before moving to Chinook High School, is a solid triathlete; Scott has recently struggled with his golf game, watching his handicap balloon to one.

The couple has two daughters: Victoria, 7, and Addison, 5. Victoria (“Tori,” to her friends; “Victoria” for publicity purposes) is in Grade 2, where she and her classmates use the Smartboard and iPod touch as learning tools.

“And they will never know any different,” says Lehbauer in some amazement. “I can’t imagine what devices and technology my grandchildren will be using.”

Lifelong learning goes on. This month, Lehbauer begins a master’s of science in human anatomy/physiology instruction through a New York school, while testing his skills in his role as co-chair of Developing Education. His experience on the

college’s board of governors has shown him the big picture, allowing him the perspective and context he needs to continue to be innovative.

Hopefully, somewhere in all of this, he can recapture his golf game.

12 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Cooking up AlbertaLethbridge College bags local groceries

13

Mark Dieser is a smart shopper. He buys fresh, he buys local and he buys in bulk.

When was the last time you met someone who bought enough cucumbers in four months to reach from goal line to goal line of a football field? Canadian field, no less.

That’s Chef Mark. As an instructor in Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers program, he’s big into groceries. When he can, Dieser, working with Alvin Tomiyama, Food Services purchaser, buys produce either directly from southern Alberta producers or from distributors who deal with those producers.

Which means students may spend a morning chopping veggies from Lethbridge, slicing sausage from Raymond and pork from Picture Butte, or creating delicacies with goat cheese from Fort Macleod. And where else but Taber would a food service in Lethbridge obtain corn?

“About the only thing we can’t get locally is seafood,” says Dieser of his landlocked purchasing plan. “We can get trout from Pincher Creek, but it turns out they come first from a lake in Saskatchewan.” Still, much of what winds up on the biodegradable plates in the college’s Food Court started out relatively close to where it’s consumed, growing and grazing in the fields of southern Alberta. In fact, the cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce Culinary Arts requires travel across a parking lot, from the college’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence.

“We try to buy as much as we can locally, based on our policy to purchase based on best quality, best service and best price,” says Dieser. “We still have to use large suppliers for some things, but their quality is also good.” The value of homeland securing is obvious: the college lessens its carbon footprint, supports local business, assists producers with research and development (see story on next page) and adds considerably to student learning.

“Our students get to meet local producers and get a full understanding of the processes involved in bringing each commodity to market,” says Dieser. “They gain exposure to specialized products, organic meats and ethnic food. They tour farms. And they provide feedback to producers on new products. And when they graduate, they take that ‘buy local’ philosophy with them.”

Lethbridge College, it turns out, also hires locally. Dieser joins chefs Rob Sonnenberg, Doug Overes and Stephen Klassen as former Coaldale kids who, it turns out, could stand the heat and didn’t get out of the kitchen.

After apprenticing at the Lethbridge Exhibition, Dieser completed his technical training in 1989 at SAIT, as Lethbridge College did not at that time have the program he required. He then spent four years at Jasper’s Mountain Park Lodge, rising to executive chef, before working as a government meat inspector. He co-owned Luigi’s Restaurant in Fort Macleod before coming to Lethbridge College in 2000.Last year, Dieser and his students presented a gala dinner

in the college’s Garden Court Restaurant featuring the best from area farms and producers. Diners tucked into pork from Broek Pork Farm near Park Lake; buffalo from Old Country Sausage in Raymond; varied vegetables from Broxburn Farms in Lethbridge; meat from Canada Gold in Picture Butte; potatoes from Bassano Growers and a dollop from others around the area.

Dieser’s list of suppliers continues to grow. They now approach him, thanks in part to word of mouth and to a stronger brand identity by Lethbridge College. Then, too, there’s Dieser’s own inquisitiveness. While heading to a round of golf at Picture Butte last year, he spotted a sign for Vital Green Farms. After a little snooping, he found a source for organic dairy products, including, if your heart can stand the assault, 52 per cent cream.

Often, Culinary Careers will work with a producer to create a specialty, such as tiny squash or a specific cut of meat. That enters the realm of research and development, an area all Dieser’s producers are keen to explore.

“They’re hungry for that stuff,” he says. “It helps them maintain their quality and find new products.”

Of course, like any other southern Alberta kitchen, Lethbridge College rotates its menus around local availability. Softer vegetables are used in the spring and early summer; harder root produce hits the cauldron in the fall. And then, too, there are products that just can’t be coaxed from the prairie landscape.

“Fruit is not something we can purchase much of locally,” says Dieser. “Or, it’s very seasonal. If we wanted to buy only local watermelon, for instance, we’d have two months of watermelon. That’s when you need the big guys.”

Often, even then, the college does what it can to support local business. Coffee for special events, for instance, comes from Cuppers in Lethbridge. Fries with that? McCains. Chicken? Sunrise Poultry. Pasta? Let’s Pasta. Specialty foods? Asian Market. Saskatoon berries? Area Hutterite colonies. Flour? Ellison Milling. And there are others.

“There’s so much out there that people don’t know about, beyond trips to the farmer’s market,” says Dieser. “We’re giving them that exposure.”

For Chef Mark’s red beet and onion potage recipe, visit: widerhorizons.ca

“We try to buy as much as we can locally, based on our policy to purchase based on best quality, best service and best price.”

Southern Albertans are a deprived bunch when it comes to choices in potato varieties. They have for years been eating the equivalent of plonk wine slurped from a plastic cup.

As it turns out, potato connoisseurs consider the ubiquitous Russet Norkotah, served baked in finer restaurants throughout the region, to be on a par with screw-top popskull.

But if the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) succeeds in its latest endeavour, all manner of varieties, tastes and textures may soon be available to kitchens everywhere. Imagine slicing into a Mozart, Orchestra, Charlotte, Nicola or Innovator, releasing a bouquet heretofore unknown to local palettes, each one, with the right knowledge, paired with a particular meal, just like the wine that accompanies it.

And Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers program will have played a hand in its success.

On 200 acres at the Lethbridge Research Station, the PGA has been nurturing 36 varieties sent from northern Alberta, a traditional area for seed potato production. The majority of these are shipped to growers in the United States and Mexico, leaving local consumers with what Jeff Bronsch, the PGA’s technical director, considers the dregs of the potato world.

“The Russet Norkotah is well known in the industry as not being the best tasting,” says Bronsch, who has been overseeing the test plot. “It has the consistency suppliers and restaurants desire [those you store for a year will taste exactly as those freshly dug], but the reason you put sour cream and bacon bits on them is so you can eat them.”

Several months ago, the PGA dug nine varieties for experimentation, and brought them to Culinary Careers. At a special luncheon, college chefs served the spuds to more than

60 industry insiders and explained to the diners what they thought of the results.

“We know there’s far better-tasting varieties out there that consumers, who want something better, have never heard of,” says Bronsch (Agricultural Technology ’88). “Our idea was to get the college’s culinary program involved to have its chefs prepare dishes and see what they thought.

The results were favourable.

“We loved them,” says Charles Parker, program leader for Culinary Careers, who actually helped dig the potatoes. “We used red, white and yellow varieties. The textures were firm and flavour quality was high.”

The feedback from college chefs was important, says Bronsch, to the PGA’s effort in convincing suppliers to carry more varieties. If consumers start demanding better than what they’ve been traditionally served, restaurants may begin offering them.

In Lethbridge, the Red Dog Diner is an example, says Bronsch. The diner approached the PGA looking for a suitable red variety for its poutine. Reds have a higher moisture content, which steams out and is replaced by whatever it’s cooked in. Manufactured french fries, on the other hand, are cut from varieties such as the Russet Burbank, which is dry and does not absorb oil as readily.

After the lunch at the college’s Garden Court Restaurant, guests were buzzing.

“Charles and the team did a fantastic job,” says Bronsch. People are still talking about the dishes. “We did well with nine varieties. Now, we’d like to see what we can do with all 36.”And one day, diners may one day ask their wait staff to see a potato list, and select that “audacious little Mozart” to go with their meal.

‘A little Mozart with your steak?’

14 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Jeff Bronsch, technical director, Potato Growers of Alberta, and Charles Parker, Culinary Careers program

leader, dig for more than Yukon Gold.

At a special luncheon, college chefs served the spuds to more than 60 industry insiders and explained to the diners what they thought of the results.

Be part of the roar When our Kodiaks take to field and court this fall, make sure you’re in the crowd to cheer them on to victory. Watch our men’s and women’s teams take on the rest of the ACAC in soccer, basketball and volleyball. Save this schedule and catch all the home action:

Kodiaks Home Game Schedule for Winter 2010-2011BasketballJan. 14 Kodiaks vs. Lakeland College 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Jan. 15 Kodiaks vs. King’s University 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Jan. 21 Kodiaks vs. Medicine Hat College 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Feb. 12 Kodiaks vs. Augustana University 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)

VolleyballJan. 7 Kodiaks vs. Keyano College 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Jan. 8 Kodiaks vs. Keyano College 1 p.m.(W) 3 p.m.(M)Jan. 28 Kodiaks vs. Medicine Hat College 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Feb. 11 Kodiaks vs. Concordia University 6 p.m.(W) 8 p.m.(M)Feb. 12 Kodiaks vs. Concordia University 1 p.m.(W) 3 p.m.(M)

FutsalJan. 21-23 Kodiaks vs. Mount Royal University Feb. 11-13 Kodiaks vs. Olds CollegeMar. 4-6 Kodiaks vs. Lakeland College

W= Women’s M= Men’s

gokodiaks.ca

Kodiaks bring their A game Athletics Manager Bill Dean sees sports as an education

The clock shows 38 seconds left and the Kodiaks on the short end of a 71-68 score. The coach has called time out to discuss strategy in these final few seconds that will either send the Kodiaks to the podium or packing for home.

The game restarts: Kodiaks’ ball and the defence is swarming. Crowd’s in an uproar as bright red lights tick down the season. For 12 Lethbridge College students, learning has never been so intense.

The fictional situation above is pretty close to reality more than once a season for Kodiaks basketball players, while those engaged in other sports take on different challenges of time, score and competitor.

To Bill Dean, Lethbridge College’s new athletics manager, all are learning experiences that cannot be duplicated in a classroom, but are, nonetheless, educational opportunities teaching skills that relate to successful careers.

“At a post-secondary institution such as ours, a lot of learning takes place out of the classroom,” says Dean. “When our 150

or so athletes are competing, they’re learning skills employers want.”

Working as a team, striving for personal excellence, setting and achieving goals, managing time effectively, handling stress: all are skills winning athletes and great teams possess. Dean came to Lethbridge College last August from Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton where he was director of Student Life. His deep, 27-year background in sports administration, and his belief in placing academics first, made him a key find.

Competitive athletics, such as those included in the Kodiaks program, are also a key marketing tool for Lethbridge College.

“The media coverage afforded sports gives an institution the best bang for each marketing dollar in terms of media exposure,” says Dean. “Athletics also creates pride among other students in their school, provides a positive social outlet and allows students to celebrate the success of fellow classmates.”

‘ ‘

16 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

17

Studies also calculate that for each athlete recruited, two to three acquaintances will follow suit, influenced by their friends’ choice of schools.

Sports, too, is often the first exposure young people in the community have to Lethbridge College, either because they came to watch a Kodiaks game or played here in a high school tournament.

“Athletics makes a positive connection to the community,” says Dean.

And, sometimes the community makes an impression on the athletes. Bertil Johanssen, Lethbridge College’s cross-country running coach, has been recruiting runners from Kenya for years now, making his teams perennial winners. Now, says Dean, many of the Kenyan athletes are choosing to stay in Lethbridge after graduation, adding to the area’s cultural diversity. They’ve created community pride through their successes on the national stage, and have alternatively developed their own pride in the community they’ve represented.

The father of two teenage girls, Dean intends to maintain a Kodiaks initiative to make academics a priority. Once they’ve taken that last turn on the court, Dean wants them back in the gym – to receive their diplomas on graduation day.

“Most of our athletes won’t make careers out of sports,” he says. “Their academic achievement has to come first. Fortunately, 80 to 90 per cent of them are good students who excel in class. And the growing transfer opportunities attract

athletes looking to continue a degree program elsewhere upon graduation.”

While this renewed excellence in academics is evident across all Kodiaks teams, Dean admits women generally do better, although the gender factor may well be college-wide and not confined to athletes.

“The coaches we recruit must understand students are here for an education,” says Dean. “We look for candidates with strong teaching backgrounds because those people are better able to interact with, and teach, our athletes.”

This year, the Kodiaks program is again involved with soccer, cross-country, basketball, volleyball and golf. Joining those five sports this month is futsal (see story below). Any greater expansion will come only after the program achieves financial stability.

Should sports be added one day, they might well be untraditional collegiate endeavours, such as snowboarding and triathlons.

“The sports offered in the ACAC (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference) haven’t changed for years, but student interests have,” says Dean. “We need to take that into consideration.”

Meanwhile, it will be a traditional sport that puts Lethbridge College in the national limelight again some 14 months from now when the campus again hosts the final eight for the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association’s women’s basketball championships. The tournament was held here in 2006.

Men and women will be preparing for their first season of futsal, played for some time now throughout the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).

The game was invented in Uruguay 80 years ago as a gymnasium training activity for soccer players. Unlike traditional indoor soccer, futsal does not use “hockey rink” boards. Instead, deft ball control is required to keep play inbounds. Teams consist of five players on court at a time (including a goalie), with unlimited substitutions by seven other team members. Goals are considerably smaller in futsal, and a size 4 ball is used, slightly smaller than soccer’s size 5 and underinflated to reduce bounce.

In the ACAC, futsal is played in tournament format, rather than in a league. The Kodiaks will play Jan. 21-23 at Mount Royal University; Feb. 11-13 at Olds College, and March 4-6 at Lakeland College in Vermilion.

On the world stage, six futsal world cups have been held for men since 1989, all won by either Brazil or Spain. As of last September, those two counties were ranked first and second, respectively, followed by Italy, Iran and Russia. Top five on the women’s side were Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Portugal and Ukraine.

This month, Kodiaks will have another reason to stay indoors.

Kodiaks bring their A game

By Michael McCready (Multimedia Production ‘99)

Employers are sneaky. You present them with professional cover letters, resumes and references to show off your skills; they resort to surfing Facebook and other social media to get a more robust picture of your character.

And there are likely other tools they will use to research job candidates, giving them information you might not intend to be seen.

Not only have social media changed the way we communicate, but they have changed the way we look for jobs and how employers research prospective employees. According to Jobvite, eight of 10 human resources professionals will use social media in their recruitment within the next year.

What does that mean for you? It means you need to think of yourself as a brand, a personal brand. Your personal brand is a combination of your talents, accomplishments, experience and ideas unique to you. Not limited to your resume and cover letter, your personal brand extends to your online activities. Your presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other website can leave an impression on recruiters. You’d like that impression to be positive.

Picture this: you had a great time partying and want to show how much fun you had by changing your Facebook photo to one of you consuming alcohol with your friends. Two months later, you apply for your dream job. When you don’t get the job, you contact the company to ask why not, only to be told your Facebook profile photo of you consuming alcohol played a major role in their decision.

Despite what privacy settings you might have in place, you can’t control how Facebook, for instance, changes them. A good general rule is to post only information you would be comfortable with the world seeing. Ask yourself if the fleeting thrill you’ll get from sharing the kegger photos is worth jeopardizing your career or future opportunities. A reputation that takes years to develop can be destroyed by a single event, and the viralness of social media has allowed for the smallest and most personal comments to shatter reputations and careers.

Social media are amazing tools that have brought the world closer and connected us in ways we couldn’t have imagined

10 years ago. But they have also given people a false sense of anonymity. In the United States, a private high school teacher made negative comments about parents and students on her Facebook page, assuming they were limited to her friends and family. But some of her privacy settings were not set correctly and the comments were seen by a parent; she was forced to resign from her $92,000-a-year career.

Once photos, videos or comments are on posted online, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to completely remove them. Tools such as Wayback Machine and Google Caching keep copies of content long after it has changed or been removed.

Even if you’re successful in removing the content you’ve posted, it might have already been downloaded thousands of

times; you just don’t know.

Motrin produced a commercial targeted at mothers regarding the pain of carrying a baby, and stressed that Motrin understood their pain. There was a firestorm of complaints on social media from moms offended by the commercial because they thought the video trivialized women’s pain and their trendy baby-carrying practice. In less than a week, the video was pulled from their website and an apology issued. Unfortunately for Motrin, there is no delete button on the Internet. The controversial video can still be viewed on YouTube.

The high adoption rates of social media tools such as Facebook, combined with the use of smartphones with built-in cameras, have blurred the lines between our online

and offline lives. It’s no longer “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” It’s now “what happens in Vegas stays on the Web.”

If it seems I’m against social media and that I’m painting tools like Facebook and Twitter in negative lights, the truth is quite the opposite. I believe social media tools can increase our reach, connect us with new people, find old friends, and more. Using Twitter, I have been able to have conversations with other authors. Before, had I sent an email to an author, it likely would have ended up in their junk email folder. I’ve made some great relationships through the use of social media tools, and I think that everyone should participate in the conversations in social media. The important thing to remember is to think before you post.

Be the cowboy, not the cowFacebook branding requires a little common sense

18 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

It’s no longer “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” It’s now “what happens in Vegas stays on the Web.”

19

Attach: Share

Info Photos Notes +Wall

Mike McCready Here are some tips to protect your personal brand and help you land your next dream job: 5 minutes ago - Like - Comment

Mike McCready use a professional and personal photo as your Facebook profile picture because the world can always see it 5 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready create an account on LinkedIn. It’s a professional social network that allows you to post résumé information and recommendations from others 5 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready before posting anything, consider how it will affect you4 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready make sure your Facebook privacy settings are set to ‘Friends Only’3 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready check your Facebook photo album privacy settings 3 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready leverage your social networking tools by including links to them in your resume and e-mail signature 2 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready don’t use copyrighted material without permission as it reflects poorly on your personal brand 2 minutes ago - Like

Mike McCready if your Facebook friends can write on your wall and tag you in photos, make sure you only accept friend requests from people you really know.1 minute ago - Like

What’s on your mind?

write a comment...

Mike McCready, Lethbridge College’s Web Services manager, is an unrepentant blogger on social media matters. He can be found and followed at:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MikeMcCready

Blog: mikemccready.ca

A U.S. survey, published in Esquire Magazine last fall, asked 20-year-old and 50-year-old men their preferred method of communicating a major announcement to their close friends.

20s 50sTwitterFacebookEmailText message TelephoneIn person

1%25%

4%24%16%31%

0%8%8%5%

30%50%

With Tanzania traveler Thomas Kuperus Thomas Kuperus (Corrections ’10) wanted to see Africa, glean a greater cultural awareness and do some good along the way. The third-year Correctional Studies applied-degree student from Coaldale spent four months in Tanzania last summer teaching, building and nurturing. He can’t wait to get back.

Wider Horizons: Where, exactly, were you in Tanzania?

Thomas Kuperus: In a small village outside Arusha, where the Rwandan war crimes trials are being held. [Population: 1.2 million, a touch below the Equator in northern Tanzania.] I spent a month teaching English, and the rest of the time working in a centre for street children called Children for Children’s Future. The children there were aged 9-19. I volunteered through International Volunteer HQ [an overseas volunteer placement service] for the first three months and the last month I was on my own.

WH: Describe the situation and the conditions.

TK: I actually lived in the orphanage, and was the first volunteer to do so in a long time, which helped me create a bond with the kids. The shelter had been started by a German tourist, but had fallen into disarray. They had a limited amount of blankets and the mattresses were in very bad shape, so we replaced them. The kids had been burning their beds for firewood so they would be able to cook their food, so we bought many months’ supply of fire wood. The school books were locked up, so we liberated them. The kids were eager learners. You would never imagine that these kids had been living on the street for up to two years of their lives. They were so well behaved and all had such a passion to learn and build a better life for themselves. Most were escapees from abuse at home and didn’t want to leave the centre. We did home visits. I

remember taking two brothers to their home. They spent two days there before coming back. They hadn’t eaten the entire time, even though their mother was there.

WH: What was the culture like?

TK: I loved it. People are so friendly and open there. I expected more of a culture shock. I faced a greater culture shock coming home than I did going there. I once traveled in Europe and wanted to come home every day; in Tanzania, I had to force myself to get on the bus to leave. Katie Nord [an American nurse] and I fixed up the shelter and gave the children a better place to live. We helped build a chicken coop and bought chicks for it. I used a lot of my resources, but it was all worth it.

Q&A

Q&A

20 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

WH: What would your circle of friends think of Tanzania and your experiences there?

TK: So many people here think of Africa as one big war-torn country. It’s not. Tanzania is a democracy. It’s poor, but it’s poor in a different kind of way; they’re together.[Some 36 per cent of the population live below the poverty line; Tanzania is in the bottom 10 per cent of the world’s economies.] It would be a real eye-opener for most Canadians. We worry about the things we don’t have, but they have nothing. I was the same way until I went there. Now, I think about buying a coffee out, and I think ‘why? I can make one at home.’ On one of our home visits, to a reasonably well-constructed one room house, there was no furniture. A grandmother was sitting on a concrete floor because there were

no chairs, she could not walk. The family slept on the floor in their clothes. The house was full of smoke from cooking.

WH: You’ve indicated you’d like to return.

TK: The fourth year of the Corrections degree program is a field placement. I’d like to spend that year in Tanzania working with an agency. ‘Corrections,’ after all, means correcting behaviour. I’d love to start a non-profit organization to keep helping children there. I’m working at the Foothills Treatment Centre in Fort Macleod [addictions treatment]. And I hope to do a lot of fundraising before I go back.

WH: You have some pretty special memories from your summer. Any unusual ones stand out?

TK: A group of volunteers and I went to a small village and were treated as special guests. They slaughtered a goat in front of us to honour our visit, and we had to eat the meat raw. It didn’t taste bad, but you didn’t want to see how it was prepared. We were also burned [shows circular, quarter-sized burn mark on forearm] as a sign of friendship. A mother of one of the residents at the centre had a baby just before I left. Katie contacted me and told me his mother had named the baby Tom, after me. That was special.

I will always treasure in my heart the time spent with the kids; they are an inspiration to me. Soon after I moved to the centre, I adopted each one of them as a brother, sister or child.

Q&A

21

Thomas Kuperus (pictured above) builds the nesting boxes for the chicken house renovation. Soon after there were three hens sitting on their new eggs. New chicks had just hatched.

Office Intrigue:

First Nations print from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Sunface: has been on wall since day care opened in 1974; left by first director, Michelle Walker, a mentor.

Service to Learners award “our children are

learners, too.”

22 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Gifts from parents

American Legion Baseball schedule

featuring son Braeden, far right

Photo of Tobi’s children: Braeden, 21; Andrea, 18; Michael, 9.

Eagle puppet: used to “give children wings.”

Tobi Horon (Early Childhood Education ‘99), Lethbridge College’s Day Care manager, runs a service that

fosters a nurturing environment for children to grow and learn while allowing their parents the freedom

and security to achieve their own educational and career goals for the betterment of their families.

It provides learning and experiences through play, helping children gain self-confidence, knowledge,

imagination, and determination, which helps to build the foundation of lifelong learning. tobi.horon@lethbridgecollege.ca

Children of the world

poster

23

Rainstick to delight children

Same bait, new pondCollege recruiters enlist social media to attract students

24 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

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As a new Lethbridge College employee, Susan Roberts (left) is spending a lot of her time on Facebook. As the institution’s first e-recruiter, she’s paid to.

Like any other business, Lethbridge College realizes it must cast its hook where the customers – potential students - are biting. Lately, there are fewer fish, more hooks and a much larger pond.

It used to be much easier. There was a time when Lethbridge College, in order to attract high school students to its programs, sent a recruiting team to their classrooms and gymnasiums, passed out view books and brochures and wowed them with tales of the great careers they could have upon graduating.

Today’s teens live in another time at another address. While the college still graduates them into great careers, the lure to get them on campus has had to change to fit the times. They’ll still meet Lethbridge College recruiters, see billboards, hear radio ads and be able to thumb through view books. But they’ll also find college information on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

If they’re using social media, so, too, must Lethbridge College.“A lot of other institutions are there now,” says Roberts. “Most have some presence in social media to keep students updated. We’re using it in collaboration with traditional recruiting methods, using the personal stories students share to reach a wider audience.”

The shelf life of this new electronic presence is infinitely shorter than traditional printed material. What is posted today is old tomorrow and rapidly loses visitor attention, says Natasha Buis (General Studies ’98), manager, Academic Advising and Recruitment.

“Our presence must be consistent, engaging and authentic,” says Buis. “Otherwise, it’s like having a phone number no one is answering. Social media is as viable for communicating with our customers as email, phone or fax.”

Buis notes the college has long been on Facebook, and is a relatively recent convert to Twitter.

“People on Twitter believe everyone should be there,” says Buis. “We could have used it to handle our last ‘snow day’ more efficiently.”

She’s referring to a blizzard last winter that shut down the campus, cancelling classes and sending most employees home after they had struggled to work. A quick “tweet” to all students and staff would have saved everyone the trip. Most older employees took it in stride, but some younger students were aghast they hadn’t received an electronic note.

Of course, Twitter, with its staccato 140-character limit, cannot provide much background or details to potential students regarding programs. And social media is, in fact, far from social for those who still enjoy face-to-face human interaction.

Still, its short bursts can whet young appetites. It’s information for an attention-deficiency age.

“It does present a challenge,” says Buis. “It’s not built for complex, detailed communication. But it makes students comfortable. It takes down walls and puts us in places where students are, where they can respond to us.”

Skype, the world-wide free Internet “phone” system headquartered in Luxembourg, allows Lethbridge College recruiters to converse with international students face to face. Virtual career fairs place them in “booths” anywhere in the world.

“We’re not just hunting the kids in Oyen, but the kids in Oyen and India,” says Buis.

Social media, too, allows for a greater interaction with students in Lethbridge, an important consideration when the majority live off campus.

“When you’re a commuter campus as we are, you need something in place to build a sense of ‘community’ to increase retention,” says Buis. “Twitter and Facebook allow us to build that community. Students can have a sense of ‘campus’ even after they go home for the day. We feed the soul in different ways.”

Social media provides potential students with what Roberts terms “touch points,” opportunities for them to communicate comfortably with the college. Those “touch points” become “jumping points” from which they can delve deeper into facets of the college.

“We can give them all the contact information and encourage them to drill deeper,” she says.

Interestingly, despite the gimmickry, Roberts says the human story is still the best way to influence decisions. A friend’s positive comments on Lethbridge College have a more powerful effect than any other form of advertising.

“The use of social media is growing and evolving as we investigate how best to use it,” says Roberts, who holds degrees in geography and marketing from the University of Lethbridge. “We’re learning, too. Our goal is to build awareness of Lethbridge College and its specific programs.”

This new outreach is not limited to young techmeisters like Roberts. Tracy Edwards, Lethbridge College’s president, has a presence on both. At the start of the academic year, Edwards noticed a concern from a student posted on Facebook, and took the time to respond personally. The student indicated his amazement that the college president would take the time to answer him.

“Our presence must be consistent, engaging and authentic. Otherwise, it’s like having a phone number no one is answering.” - Natasha Buis

26 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Campus in Seasonphoto by: Lawrence McCune

The Lethbridge College campus presents different faces with the changing seasons. Here, Lawrence McCune, business analyst in Health Justice and Human Services, shares his photo of the Instructional Building on a sunny day amid winter’s glitter. Wider Horizons will present other snapshots of the campus in its coming issues.

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They should number their days on campus among the happiest of their lives, a time to slough the restrictions of childhood and prepare for the adult world and careers that wait beyond.

For many post-secondary learners campus life entails a higher set of expectations for academic performance coupled with living independently for the first time.

Fortunately for those who stumble and seek help, Lethbridge College provides assistance through Counselling Services and the Health Centre. Students can access a range of confidential aid, from something as simple as a friendly ear, to psychiatric care.

“We see problems all over the board,” says Carly Sharpe, new to the college last fall. “Some suffer from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety or body-image problems, to name a few.”

Others, still, are battling homesickness.

Sharpe, one of Lethbridge College’s counsellors, describes a generic, common situation of a first-year student who misses home so closes up and stays in residence to study. He is feeling overwhelmed by the transition and is unsure of the supports available to him.

One of the roles of Lethbridge College counsellors is to be there and help students sort out their experience.

Students can experience all the emotions from life events that anyone goes through, from parental break-up to deaths in the family. For mature students who have left a job to return to the classroom, the sudden shift in situation can be jarring. Sharpe and other counsellors use the many on-campus tools available when appropriate, from financial aid, career counselling, academic supports at the Learning Café, student clubs, and Kodiaks games.

Off-campus referrals are also made to organizations such as Harbour House, Lethbridge Family Services, Lethbridge Housing Authority, Lethbridge Immigrant Services, First Nations groups and food banks.

“Some students come to us wanting to restore balance in their lives,” says Sharpe, a registered provisional psychologist with a BA in psychology and a master of education in counselling psychology, both from the University of Lethbridge. “We provide a warm, welcoming environment so we can explore the problem. It’s free and confidential and there are no stupid questions.”

Great expectations

28 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Students often encounter overwhelming pressure to succeed. When the questions come, Lethbridge College counsellors listen.

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Great expectationsOn occasion, a student will face a steeper slope to wellness. Dr. John Kennedy, a psychiatrist who spends two days a week in the campus Health Centre, says stress is a biological event accompanied by physical and emotional pain, which can result in a fear of failure. Students generally react in one of three ways, says Kennedy. Some run away from the problem, cutting classes, socializing more often and revising their expectations to meet lower standards. Others become paralyzed, feeling helpless and overwhelmed, unable to negotiate the system and find resources put in place to help them. Still others become highly focused, spending sleepless nights frenetically studying, giving up friends, exercise and nutrition.

“We have the resources to assist all three types,” says Kennedy, a “little guy from Canada” who headed up geriatric psychiatry studies at Indiana University and is an international authority on psychotropic drugs, tools he believes are overused. “We’re here for the students, help them with challenges and assist in removing the barriers they’re struggling with in such a way that the success is theirs, so that they own it. The therapies offered here don’t cure patients; the patients cure themselves.”

Students, he says, face two broad experiences: participating with groups of people they have never met, and the challenge of learning at a pace they can manage. That pace is set by instructors, and is usually considerably faster than that of high school. The combination can cause stress.

As young hockey players move up through their age groups to a faster, harder game, those unable to keep pace begin to fall behind. Students face the same problem.

“The situation begins to snowball for them,’ says Kennedy, an adjunct professor of neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta. “They lose their sense of optimism and their self-esteem falls. The biggest source of risk is struggling in the face of stress and not seeking help.”

Kennedy would like to see students who work through their problems under guidance and consultation awarded educational credits for their journey. Most, he says, become “experts” in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a treatment he uses to help them identify an aspect of their lives which they perceive incorrectly.

“It’s much like the ancients who believed the sun revolved around the Earth, because that’s what they thought they were observing. I help people integrate their mind and body holistically through therapeutic meditation and self-awareness. Guys like me think this should be part of the curriculum in Grade 4.”

Recent research, while American, indicates students with moderate to severe depression who sought counselling at U.S. campuses increased seven per cent from 1998 to 2009, and that the swing is towards more severe psychological problems. And, reported the CBC last year, counsellors at some Canadian universities have noticed more students are seeking help and their problems are more serious than in the past.

Kennedy says when he returned to the city from the United States, he wanted to make a difference by “filling the gaps” in treatment.

“I thought something is not right when someone who is suicidal has to wait six months to get help.”

While he met resistance elsewhere, he says Lethbridge College was fully supportive, from the time he walked in the door, of what he was trying to accomplish. He spends Mondays and Fridays on campus, and is a key resource in the college’s efforts to serve the emotional needs of its students.

Carly Sharpe, Lethbridge College Counsellor

30 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Field officesWith presence in three more communities,

Lethbridge College is making its programs more accessible by Megan Shapka

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Something is taking place between the fall rye and the spring wheat out in the rural areas of southern Alberta: adult learning.

Long a presence in Fort Macleod, Lethbridge College acquired campuses in Claresholm, Crowsnest Pass and Pincher Creek from the former Chinook Educational Consortium (CEC), after being designated by the province as a comprehensive community institution with a regional stewardship role.

In the first few months, demand has been high for rural programming, the value of the locations is undeniable, and student appreciation is evident.

Albert Getty says he probably wouldn’t be enrolled in upgrading classes if he had to drive to Lethbridge, a city with which he is unfamiliar.

“I don’t drive and I live in Claresholm,” he says. “It’s important to have the campus here.”

Cost, too is an issue for many rural clients, and job opportunities in Claresholm are limited.

“I would probably need to work full-time to get down to Lethbridge part-time, so it would be hard.”

Lethbridge College and its rural faculty and staff agree having campuses in the smaller communities of southern Alberta is important and necessary. Claresholm instructor Kimberly Pregernig says they provide students a shot at a college education without forcing them to commute or move to Lethbridge.

“Our rural campuses give accessibility to students who might not otherwise be able to attend college programs,” says Pregernig. “Some of our students have families and other responsibilities. By having our rural campuses available, they are able to stay close to home and succeed in their courses.”

Doug Scotney, rural education coordinator at Lethbridge College, says the college has created three local advisory committees to support the rural campus initiative and ensure community involvement and engagement. A regional access advisory council will also be formed, with representation from the three local advisory committees.

Lethbridge College has big plans to expand the programs offered at the rural locations. Scotney says the vision for the rural campuses is to enhance access to programs, courses, and student services through technology-enhanced delivery, consistent with the needs of communities.

Since acquiring the three campuses from the CEC, the college has taken steps to improve the course offerings at each location. Technology will play a large role in delivery, in line with program expansion at the main campus.

“The college is implementing its distributed learning strategy, which will enable individuals to better access programs and courses,” says Scotney, who holds a doctorate in education. “The college will work with community organizations and its local advisory committees to identify needs, and utilize resources to enhance access to relevant courses.”

At the Claresholm campus, the lower level College and University Prep courses (below Grade 11) are presented through videoconferencing. The higher level courses are online, so students can complete assignments, watch videos and view tutorials.

32 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

“I’m able to study in a way that suits me best; I have an instructor on campus full-time, five days a week who’s here to answer any questions that I have. It’s proving to be very helpful.”Anna Jordan

The rural campuses link to classrooms at the Lethbridge campus; Pregernig, like other rural instructors, is able to teach in all three locations using blended-learning tools.

“I teach two classes through video conferencing to students in Fort Macleod and Pincher Creek,” Pregernig says. “We are able to have face-to-face instruction with the students, as well as use technology such as Smart Boards that allow us to interact with students like in a real classroom.”

Another innovative, technology-driven educational tool the college is touting is the eLearning Café, a learning support website that assists students in developing skills, strategies and behaviors for academic success. It’s a great tool for students no matter where they are in their academic careers. It’s open to everyone, not just college students. Students say the rural campuses offer welcoming, professional learning environments. Student Anna Jordan is impressed with the friendly, supportive atmosphere.

“I’m able to study in a way that suits me best,” says Jordan. “And I have an instructor on campus full-time, five days a week who’s here to answer any questions that I have. It’s proving to be very helpful.”

Getty agrees that the environment is professional and positive. It’s easy to stay on track because everyone is there to learn, and the teachers are there to help.

“If you have any questions they can answer them, and if they can’t answer them, they can find you the answers,” he says.

Pregernig says she’s encouraged to see students responding positively to the method of programming offered at the rural locations. One-on-one teaching and technological tools are proving successful. Community and camaraderie have been created in the small classroom settings.

“I find the students are not afraid to ask for help and are extremely motivated to get their work done and to do it

well,” she says. “We have a very positive atmosphere in our building. Our students are always willing to help each other.”

It’s a comment heard on other Lethbridge College campuses.

All four offer academic upgrading, using blended-learning strategies such as lectures by video conferencing and online courses to full- and part-time students. They also offer an introductory course in the Early Childhood Education program, taught by video conferences that connect to an instructor on Lethbridge College’s main campus.

At the Fort Macleod campus, students can enroll full-time in the first semester of the Wind Turbine Technician program, while a course in basic construction is offered in Crowsnest Pass, and a course in basic welding is offered in Claresholm.

As of last fall, one student in Pincher Creek is taking a course from the Special Needs Educational Assistant program, using video conferencing, and part-time students were accessing the course from Magrath and Grassy Lake.

Lethbridge College is planning to expand course offerings, and will continue to incorporate blended-learning tools and new technologies into the classrooms.

Lethbridge College is also co-operating with other post-secondary institutions to provide learning. For example, the Claresholm, Crowsnest Pass and Pincher Creek campuses also deliver courses by Bow Valley College (Calgary) in Practical Nursing and Early Learning and Childcare in order to complete programs. The Claresholm and Pincher Creek campuses deliver courses from SAIT in the Emergency Medical Responder program.

Education is becoming increasingly more flexible and accessible thanks to technology. Blended- and online-learning tools are allowing Lethbridge College to reach students in new and exciting ways. Offering programming at the rural campuses is just the beginning.

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Claresholm Campus 5202 Fifth Street E.Christina BurrowsEmail: christina.burrows@lethbridgecollege.caPhone: 403-625-4231

Crowsnest Pass CampusMDM Community Centre2802 222nd St.BellevueColleen Frier Email: c.frier@lethbridgecollege.caPhone: 403-562-2853

Fort Macleod Campus521 26th St.Roberta MaclvorEmail: roberta.macivor@lethbridgecollege.ca Phone: 403-553-4788

Pincher Creek CampusCo-Op Ranchland Mall1300 Hewetson Ave.Shelley IngramEmail: shelley.ingram@lethbridgecollege.ca Phone: 403-627-4478

Rural Campus Contacts

34 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Summer school diaryLCI principal Bill Bartlett’s teaching evolution began on Lethbridge College’s campus

Bill Bartlett stood in front of the class, a newly minted, government-certified teacher, ready to begin his career imparting knowledge to young, inquiring minds.

Slightly older at 24 than most rookies, the result of taking, as he calls it, “the scenic route” through the University of Alberta, he found teaching positions were difficult to come by in 1989. But it’s not always what you know, but who, and when a friend (Dean Johnson (Electronics Technology ’85) in Lethbridge College’s IT department) tipped him to a summer school gig teaching Social Studies 20, Bartlett responded with fervour.

“I dropped off my application immediately,” he says, relaxing for a moment in his new office as principal of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and reflecting on that first day so long ago.

Summer school, the penal colony for recalcitrant scholars who frittered away their time between September and June, was, in those days, taught at Lethbridge College. Attendance was mandatory; slackers were under threat of repeating the previous year. Lethbridge College, normally a pleasant place of learning and endeavour, was, for those teens doomed to repeat a subject, a six-week sentence at hard labour.

And there stood Bartlett, charged with pushing, against the inertia of July and August, a roomful of the thrilled-and-delighted-to-be-here through the French Revolution. There must have been days when his visions of tumbrels carting the

unfortunate to the guillotine in Paris contained, among the condemned, more than one or two Lethbridge high school students.

“There were some kids who ate it up and some who challenged it,” says Bartlett of the curriculum. “Some were keen academically and some found it a painful experience.”

But for Bartlett, it was a beginning. Out of the ashes of European history, he furnished a teaching career now spanning 21 years and counting. A second year of summer school eventually led to a full-time Lethbridge classroom, a nine-year stint as principal at Dr. Gerald B. Probe Elementary, and, this past September, the school district’s premiere position as headmaster at LCI.

Robespierre and a paycheque, too. Before that Lethbridge College classroom, Bartlett worked for CP Rail, built grain silos and put in time at Who’s On Third, the city’s trendy bar of the day. “I have a lot of appreciation for that summer job,” he says. “I was green. I had to teach a three-hour social studies class five days a week. It required me to adapt and change my teaching style. And, of course, it supported me financially.”

It also provided Bartlett a first taste of the mind-numbing drone of faculty meetings, something he’s tried to avoid in his

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time as an educational administrator.

Bartlett was born in Grande Prairie, but moved with his family to Lethbridge as a toddler. He attended Winston Churchill High School where his textbooks came second to sports (“My sister covered academics for both of us”), blew out his knee playing hockey, and developed friendships on the other side of the tracks at LCI.

He started his B.Ed. at the University of Lethbridge, finished at the University of Alberta, and completed a master’s of educational leadership through the U of L.

After several years at Gilbert Paterson Middle School, Bartlett took over the top spot at Probe, serving as principal for nine years before the job opened suddenly at LCI last June. In a bittersweet finish, he had wished students and staff a pleasant summer vacation on the last day of the 2009-10 year, still awaiting word on his application at LCI. Word came at noon, moments after Probe had emptied for the summer.

“I was thrilled and delighted beyond belief, but I got a little emotional when I realized what I would miss. I realized I hadn’t had the chance to put on the final cap at Probe, and I had to get my head around what a high school would look like. It was like pulling off a Band-aid.”

The cut has healed; he’s found his pace at LCI.“Kids are kids,” he says of the difference in student age between elementary and high school. “They might have different issues, but there are many similarities.”

He’s amazed at the information high school students amass on post-secondary and career possibilities, drilling down to glean the information they require to make informed choices. He also recognizes LCI is preparing students to develop a lifestyle, not to merely be earners, but to match their interests and skills with careers.

“They have the choice of university, college or the workforce,” says Bartlett. “All three are admirable choices.”

Still, he wonders if his students are in touch with themselves enough to make crucial life decisions at 18.

“It’s hard to make those choices at that age,” he says. “We try to provide them with opportunities so they have a better handle on the avenues open to them upon graduation. My biggest fear in life was to be stuck in a job I didn’t like. We try to steer these kids into something they’ll enjoy.

“It’s not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation. We have high-academic students, students who excel in fine arts and athletics, and students with disabilities. We have to cater to all of them.”

36 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Phil Harttrup can’t seem to keep his feet on the ground these days. As director of Lethbridge College’s English Language Centre, his passport bears customs stamps from a host of countries Lethbridge College has targeted as potential recruitment hot spots. Students from South America to Asia are looking for overseas educational experiences, and Harttrup is hoping they’ll one day follow him back to southern Alberta.

Brazil has already proven to be a promising market. On a recent trip to Sao Paulo, Harttrup, armed with college marketing material, found solid interest in Lethbridge College’s Business Administration and Fashion Design and Marketing programs.

While filling seats with international students is the key goal, Lethbridge College is also looking for partnerships, student exchanges, student- and faculty-abroad possibilities. And some unintentional benefits accrue: this season, the Kodiaks men’s basketball team is a key beneficiary, landing 6-10 Brazilian forward Andre Moliterno.

“You never know for sure when you’re on one of these trips, how they’ll turn out,” says Harttrup. “It’s not like turning on a light switch. But I believe if we focus our efforts in three or four areas, we’ll begin to see solid results in a few years.”

On Lethbridge College’s foray into Brazil, it partnered with Advanced Education and Technology, the University of Lethbridge and Calgary’s Bow Valley College, hitting student career fairs and making school visits.

Rather than merely attracting students to its English as a Second Language (ESL) program, the college’s new focus is on drawing learners directly into its academic programs. An advanced ESL course prepares them to transfer into those programs, and allows the college to offer overseas students letters of conditional acceptance, a real selling feature today. A secondary benefit: students often stay in southern Alberta, adding their expertise to the economy and their diversity to the culture.

Another key area in Asia is Japan. Lethbridge College has long enjoyed warm relations with several institutions there, including the Nippon Institute of Technology, which sends students for two years to improve their English, learn about Canadian culture and, often, stay to take college programs.

Last fall, the campus welcomed 20 students from Kansai Gaidai University, a progressive school in Osaka, which sends students around the world. Harttrup has developed contacts in other Japanese cities.

“The federal and provincial governments are working hard to promote international students coming here,” says Harttrup. “When we visit a city, we are invited to Canadian embassies and consulates, which help us with getting the word out. Student turnouts to career fairs are huge.”

Few areas of the globe are off Harttrup’s radar. Lethbridge College is considering attending career fairs in countries as diverse as Turkey and the Czech Republic. And, too, there are ex-pats and people in Canadian diplomatic service and the Armed Forces who are looking for Canadian colleges for their children.

“Another area I think we need to attack is the West Indies,” he says. “Countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados all speak English and studying in Canada is a big deal for them.”

The main competition for students in these island nations comes from post-secondary institutions in Toronto, Montreal and regions with coastlines, primarily Atlantic Canada. Still, many students are eager to learn trades, something in which Lethbridge College excels.

“If we can sell our trades programs to them, it really differentiates us from universities,” says Harttrup. “You can’t go to university and earn a diploma as a wind turbine technician, in golf management or fashion design. A lot of these kids don’t know exactly what they want to study, but they know they want to do it overseas. We tell them, ‘look, after two years at Lethbridge College you will have a diploma you can use to gain employment, or use it to transfer to another institution.”

Lethbridge College now has an International Planning Committee, of which Harttrup is a member. The IPC wants to see the college compete for offshore students at the same level as other post-secondary schools with larger war chests. Some institutions, for instance, have two recruiters traveling the globe for several months of the year. The IPC would like to see the college pick a few main target areas and establish bonds with them during a five-year period.

Closer to home, California is a potential hunting ground. With its massive wind-power industry, it requires technicians who could be trained to a world standard at Lethbridge College.

India and Saudi Arabia are also pins on Harttrup’s world map; he narrowly missed out on a trip to the Middle East last autumn. All this travel is creating diverse work for Lethbridge College’s Marketing Department, charged with translating materials into, so far, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese.

If Harttrup’s success continues, a linguist might be a wise addition to the Marketing team.

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Thank you to our 2009-2010 Lethbridge College Donors

President’s Circle • Mr. and Mrs. Art and Mary Jane

CrooksPlatinum Innovator • Access to the FuturePlatinum Builder • World SkillsGold Benefactor • RBC FoundationGold Partner • Alberta Culture and Community Spirit • Lethbridge & District Auto Dealers

AssociationSilver Patron • ATB Financial - Edmonton • Edmonton Community Foundation • Enercon Water Treatment Ltd. • Enmax • Kodiak Athletic Association • Val & Flora Matteotti • Melcor Developments Ltd. • Pay It Forward • Doug & Cheryl Stroh • Taber Diesel Service Ltd. • Les & Gert Talbot • Mary M. WebsterSilver Leader • Don Allen • Canadian Association of Petroleum

Producers • Canadian Tire Lethbridge South • Charlton & Hill Ltd. • Cornerstone Funeral Home &

Crematorium • Evergreen • Lethbridge College Fashion Design &

Merchandising Program • Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects • Anne Gillin • HyTech Production Ltd. • Ronald & Mariette Jacobson • John J Memorial Golf Fund • Lethbridge College Faculty

Association • Lethbridge College Students’

Association • Gary Massier • Mulberry’s Design House • Ross W. Marsh & Associates Inc. • Torry Lewis Abells LLP, Lawyers • Ward Bros. Construction Ltd.Bronze Friend • Alberta Blue Cross • Alberta Conservation Association • Alberta Land Surveyors’ Association • Alberta Society of Surveying &

Mapping Technology • Alberta Weekly Newspaper

Association • Altalink Management Ltd. • Mr. Doug Antal • Anthony Matlashewski Charitable

Foundation • Association of Sewn Alberta Products • Astro Insurance 1000 Inc. • ATCO Gas & ATCO Electric • George & Adele Barrington • Ian & Emily Bennett • Herb & Heather Beswick • Black Velvet Distilling Company • Blocks and Rocks Landscaping

Centre • Bonetti Bros. Ltd. • Bridge City Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ltd.

• Canadian Home Builders Association - Lethbridge Region

• Chinook Waters Fly Fishing Club • Clear Sky Radio Inc. • Communications Group Lethbridge • Dawna Coslovi • Charles & Shana Couillard • CTLI/College & University

Preparation • D & D Machine Works Ltd. • D.A. Electric Ltd. • Richard & Maria Daley • Datatel Scholars Foundation • Davies Park Executive Search

Consultants • Davis Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. • Dawson Wallace Construction Ltd. • Dennis L W Contracting Ltd. • Doeve’s Dairy Ltd. • Dr. Ian B. Hurdle • Jeremy Duchan • Ducks Unlimited • Dunlop Sterling Western Star Truck

Centre • Eagle Commodities • Tracy Edwards & Les Ostrowski • The Engineering Technology

Scholarship Foundation • Ericksen’s KFC • Evcon Farm Equipment Ltd. • Evergreen Driving Range Inc. • Suzanne Flannigan & Joseph Calado • Foster & Sons Jewellers Ltd. • Neil & Gail Foster • Galko Homes Ltd. • Gas King Oil Co. Ltd. • Gentlemen Three Menswear • Golf Tournament (Miscellaneous

Revenue) • Heitman & Associates • James D. Hill • Eric & Barbara Hillman • Norris & Brenda Hironaka • Allen & Bev Hosack • Gary Houssin • Hungarian Canadian Old Timers

Society of Lethbridge • J . H. Holloway Scholarship

Foundation • John Jacobson • Mr. and Mrs. John and Robin James • John Talerico Financial Services Ltd. • Jong & Company Chartered

Accountants • Kal Rob Machining Ltd. • Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge • KPMG LLP • Lethbridge College Office of Alumni

Relations • Lethbridge College President’s Office • Lethbridge Lakeview Lions Club • Lethbridge Real Estate Board Co-Op

Ltd. • Jone Lindsay & Brian McGladdery • Gordon Manery • Martin Bros. Funeral Chapels Ltd. • Maximum Return Investment Inc. • McDonald Auto Centre • Meyers Norris Penny LLP • MPE Engineering Ltd. • Doug Myhre • National Bank Financial • National Salvage Ltd. • Janice & Mickey Noji

• P & H Milling Group • Trevor Panczak • Bridget Pastoor MLA • Peak Energy Services • Perlich Bros. Auction Market Ltd. • Knud Petersen • Phi Theta Kappa • Pinetree Supply Ltd. • Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc. • Private Giving Foundation • RBC Financial Group • Terry & Judy Reardon • Troy Reeb & Janet Lambert • Regent Restaurant • Reive Plumbing & Heating Ltd. • Rick Paskal Livestock Ltd. • RKH Architecture Ltd. • Roest Acoustics Ltd. • Rotary Club of Lethbridge Sunrise • Royal Canadian Legion, Alta./N.W.T.

Command • Silver Automotive (Lethbridge) Ltd. • Kathi Solomon-Duda • Southern Alberta Bowhunters’

Association • Southern Alberta Newspapers • Ms. Jennifer Stark • Stebnicki & Partners • Sysco Food Services of Calgary • Kimberly Taylor & Don Taylor • Howard & Sharon Tennant • UFA Co-Operative Limited • University of Lethbridge • Cor Van Raay • Wesbridge Construction Ltd. • Dan & Karen Westwood • Brian Wichers • Mrs. Sandra Wickend • Don Winn • Young Parkyn McNab LLP • Zrim Masonry Ltd.Bronze Supporter • 1115247 Alberta Inc. • 628 Eyecare Inc. • Accretive Financial • ACD Holdings Ltd. • Dr. Stewart Adams • Advanced Water Technologies Inc. • Advantage Roofing Ltd. • Airdrie Kids on Broadway • Airtech Heating & Air Conditioning

Ltd. • Alberta Agriculture and Rural Dev -

Wheat Board Monies Trust • Canadian Seed Growers Association,

Alberta Branch • Alberta Ready Mixed Concrete

Association • Alberta Transportation Southern

Region Wellness Committee • Alberta Workplace Solutions Inc. • Alpine Stables Ltd. • Alta Aluminum Inc. • Mrs. Danarae Anderson • Alan Andron • Anonymous • Ms. Joanne Anson • Apallofus Construction Ltd. • Mr. Mark Aparicio • Armstrong Management Lawyers • Clarence & Johanna Arnoldussen • Assante Wealth Management • ATB Financial - Lethbridge • AUPE Local 71 Chapter 001

• Katie Austin • Ayiku Consulting • B H Farms Ltd. • Mr. Byron Bahm • Kyle Baines • Brant & Laurie Baker • Duane & Elizabeth Barrett • Tom Batchelor • Ken & Lorna Bateman • Miss Bryanna Bennett • Mike & Diane Bennett • Bigelow Fowler Clinic • Nancy Biggers • Mr. Joshua Bisgaard • Miss Emily Blythe • BMO Bank of Montreal • Dale & Kerri Bobinec • John & Jerri Bolton • James Bradley • Brent C. Bluekens Professional

Corporation • Geraldine & Andrew Bronson • Mr. Corey Bruch • Bruce Bunting • Burnco Rock Products Ltd. • Ken Butler • Butte Grain Merchants Ltd. • C & A Industries Inc. • C. E. M. Heavy Equipment • Bill & Pat Caldwell • Campbell Associates (Lethbridge)

Ltd. • Campus Works Inc. • Canadian Tire Lethbridge North • Miss Alisha Caote • Cardston Dairy Queen • Laura & Andy Carlson • Joseph Carrigan • Centre for Applied Management

Faculty & Staff • Century 21 Foothills Real Estate Inc.

- The Dennis Group • Challenger Building Supplies Ltd. • Child & Youth Care Association of

Alberta • Chinook Carriers Ltd. • Chinook Regional Hospital

Foundation • Chris Yauck Photography • Anna Chu • CIBC Private Investment Council • CJD Trucking • Mr. Kelby Coburn • Coco Pazzo Italian Cafe • Brad Colter • Costco Wholesale • Mr. Brent Cottle • Country 95/B 93 FM • Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Gail Coward • Cox Financial Group Ltd. • Cre8tive Gold • Crowsnest Trail Outpost• Mr. Sean Crozier• Tim & Bernice Crumley• Cummins Western Canada• D. F. Smith & Sons Ltd.• D. L. Mulroy Professional

Corporation• D.A. Building Systems Ltd.• Ms. Angela Dalby• Davidson & Williams LLP• Bart & Cynthia Davies• Phyllis Day Chief• Ms. Marlene Doram

38 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

39

• Ms. Laura Lee Dore• Draffin’s Pharmasave• Chief Terry Dreaddy• Mr. and Mrs. David and Janet Drew• Ducan Industries Inc.• Mr. Vincent Duckworth and Ms.

Christine Fraser• Keith Dudley• Sandra Dufresne• Clint Dunford & Gwen Green• Dunlop Ford Sales Ltd.• Steven Dyck & Callie Craven• Economic Development Lethbridge• Jamie Edwards• Harold Elke • Mr. Jordan Ewart• Fairfield Appliance Service Ltd.• Arthur & Sharon Ferrari• Mr. Michael Fisher• Flair Travel Planners (2002) Ltd.• Dr. Clair Forestell & Dr. Elaine

Forestell• Ms. Jane Friesen and Mr. Randy

Samuel• Rob Furukawa• Gallery Dental Professional

Corporation• Woody Galloway• Marvin & Chloe Galts• Geldart Consulting Group Inc.• Gentlemen II Investments Ltd.• Gibb Orthodontics• GM Barber Motors (1963) Ltd.• Robin Goates• Gold & Gold Productions• Grafton Capital Corporation• Ms. Kristy Gramiak• Green Acres Foundation• Grenville Management and Printing• Mr. Andrew Groome• H & R Transport Ltd.• H-5 Holdings Ltd.• Hage Enterprises Ltd.• Miss Jamee Haggblad• Haig Clinic• Kayla Hammel• Mr. and Mrs. John and Trudy

Harbidge• Karen Harker• Ruth Hart Budd• Ms. Jesslyn Hayes• Ian Hepher• Hicken Construction (2005) Ltd.• Hidi Rae Consulting Engineers Inc.• Gayle Hiscocks• William Hogarth• Mr. Mark Holthe• Holy Spirit School Division No. 4• Miss Jennisa Hook• Hosack Denture Clinic Ltd.• Chris Hosgood• IAAP Lethbridge Chapter• Ian D. Miller Professional Corp.• Instream Water Control Projects Ltd.• J. Lundy Findlay & Son Enterprises

Ltd.• LillAnne Jackson• Janzen Home Renovation• JoDee Jasiukiewicz• Wesley & Fumi Jasiukiewicz• Miss Brittney Johnston• Marcy Kain• Kainai High School• Vic & Ruth Kalischuk

• Tosh & Kaz Kanashiro• Ms. Samantha Keenan• Miss Cassandra Ketchum• Mike King• William King• The Kitchen Centre Ltd.• KMP Construction Ltd.• Kodiak Mountain Stone Alberta Inc.• Ms. Paige Kuta• Lantic Inc.• LCSA Office Administrative Assistant

Club• Mr. Rob Leishman• Mark & Diane Lencucha• Leon’s Furniture• Lethbridge & District Exhibition• Lethbridge Basement Ltd.• Lethbridge Centennial Quilt Guild• Lethbridge College Deans• Lethbridge Construction Association• Lethbridge Crime Stoppers• Lethbridge Curling Club• Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey

Club• Lethbridge Iron Works Company

Limited• Lethbridge West Riding• Daryl & Jamie Lockyer• Miss Amanda Londeau• Loral T Farms• Mr. John Lowry• Miss Chantelle Lozinsky• Sandy & Bernadette Lyons• M. S. MacLean Livestock Ltd.• Bruce Macdonald• Mr. Ian Maciejewski• Miss Emily Mackay• Mackenzie Financial Corporation• John Maegaard• Ms. Miriam Mahnic• Michael Maier & Elinda Leung-Maier• Main Street Corporation• Barbara Mantello• Marsh Canada Limited• Gary & Marie Martin• Mr. Andrew Matheson• Doug & Rita McArthur• Sonja McDonald• McIntyre Ranching Co. Ltd.• Chelsea & Jordan McKay• McKay Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC

Ltd.• Wayne & Juanita McKenzie• Mrs. Monika McLachlan• Larry & Jackie McNamara• Miss Melissa McRae• Merriman Insurance Services Ltd.• Michael J. Dimnik Professional

Corporation• Michael Prestie Dental Professional

Corporation• Dallas & Marjorie Miller• Ms. Marjorie Miller• Ms. Elizabeth Milman• Jim & Joyanne Mitchell• Mr. Ryley Mitschke• Molson Breweries• Brent & Francesca Morris• The Mortgage Centre Lethbridge• Christiaan Mourik• Ms. Magdalen Mutch• Napa Auto Parts• Tara & Kenneth Nelson• Newco Grain Ltd.

• Nicol Dairy Farms Ltd.• Rose Niedermier• Ms. Ronda Nielsen• Earl Nilsson• Nippon Institute of Technology• Brittany Noble• Nord International Inc.• Ms. Jennifer Norgaard• Karen & David O’Dwyer• Fiore & Anna Olivieri• Mr. James Olson• Bruce Orpin• Megan Orr• Ms. Lauren Otto• Georgia Otway• Overhead Door Company of

Lethbridge• Pahulje Enterprises Ltd.• Park Road Farms Ltd.• Ann Parks• Patricia A. McMillan Professional

Corporation• Krista & Tim Pearson• Sheila Peterson• Peterson Trucking• Doug & Teresa Petriw• Picture Butte Pharmacy• Robert Pike• Pioneer Promotions Ltd.• Pop’s Pub Ltd.• Praxair Distribution - A Division of

Praxair Canada I• Print Partners• Keith Pushor• Ms. Kendie Reamer• Ms. Mandie Reamer• Reiter Computer Associates• Kevin & Cathy Reiter• Relics Basketball Club• Rentz Farms• Ms. Charitianne Reserva• Ms. Christianne Reserva• Reece Ricard• Robert & Mieke Rice• Hugh Richards• Jim & Connie Riedlhuber• Ms. Cathy Rivers• Rogers Group of Companies• Ms. Minda Rogerson• Dr. Tim Rollingson• Rotary Club of Lethbridge

(Downtown)• Mr. Aaron Roth• Craig & Marg Rumer• Saturn of Lethbridge• Brent Saulnier• Chris Saunders• Ken Sauter• Ms. Kimberly Schatz• Mr. Cameron Schmaltz• Kolby Schmeelke• Gerald & Cathy Schneider• Rachel Schneider• Tim & Terry Schultz• GMS Ranching• Jerry Sebok• Glenn Secretan• Rebecca Seefried• Glen Seeman• Ms. Mallory Segade• Serfas Farms Ltd.• Servicemaster of Lethbridge• Servus Credit Union Ltd.• Mr. Brayden Shepherd

• Richard Sieppert• Simpson Plumbing• Mr. Adam Smith• Shirley Smith• Southern Alberta Art Gallery• Carolyn Speakman• St. Michael’s Alumnae• Cynthia Starzyk-Frey• Steener Janitorial• Mr. Chad Steeves• Bruce Stewart• Ramona Stewart• Miss Amanda Stoperski• Streatside Eatery• David & Michelle Stroud• Stuart Olson Dominion Construction

Ltd.• Summit Motors Ltd.• Mark & Lea Switzer• Esther Tailfeathers• Cathy Takeda• Robert & Angela Tarleck• Ken Taylor• TD Canada Trust• TD Insurance Meloche Monnex• Miss Phoebe Thompson• Ralph & Rae Ann Thrall• Kim Tinordi• The Tire Shop• Ms. Melissa Tomilin• Top Notch Taxidermy• Mr. Mark Topolinski• Carmen & Jim Toth• Veronica & John Turcotte• Two Forty Engineering Ltd.• Jim Urasaki• Mr. Thomas Van Breda• Mr. and Mrs. Greg and Karen

Van De Bennet• Ms. Rianne Vanderburg• Glenn & Janice Varzari• Helen Vaselenak• Vauxhall Academy of Baseball• Virco Holdings Ltd.• Mr. and Mrs. Abe and Shirley Visser• Les Visser• Vital Effect• Volker Stevin Contracting Ltd.• David & Jacqueline Vos• Mr. Lloyd Vossebelt• WA Environmental Services Ltd.• Ms. Denise Wall• Wallace D. Smart Professional

Corporation• Neriza & Brent Wallace• Frank & Donna Walton• Mr. Ryan Warkentin• Mr. and Mrs. Greg and Joanne

Weadick• Gayle Weeks• Western Canada Welding Products

Ltd.• Western Financial Group (Olds)• Kerstin Wiebe• Fred & Belinda Williams• Alana Winther• Woods Dispensary• Jill Zelter• Zero Gravity Cranes & Rigging Inc

40 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

College kudosWiden your horizon

Beaten egg whites cause soufflés to rise like cakes, but they are far less stable and fall soon after removed from the oven. They should be served immediately.

A soufflé consists of three elements, a base (mostly heavy and starch-thickened); flavouring (added to the base and mixed in well; popular flavours include chocolate, lemon and liqueurs); and egg whites. A frozen soufflé is a mousse frozen in a soufflé dish inside a collar of heavy paper or foil extending five cm (two inches) above the rim.

Tips:Whip the whites with some of the sugar to increase stability.

Ensure soufflé dishes are buttered well and coated with sugar.

Fill dishes to one centimetre (½-inch) below the rim (one centimetre below the top of the collar in a frozen soufflé); the soufflé should rise two to three cm above the rim.

Your last soufflé resembled something from the kids’ menu at IHOP? Chef Heng Ng (Culinary Careers ’94), now a Culinary Careers instructor and dessert soufflé maestro, is here to dry your tears.

Chocolate soufflé (10 to 12 portions)Ingredients

90 grams (1/3 cup) flour90 g (1/3 cup) butter 500 ml (2 cups) milk180 g (6 oz) sugar8 egg yolks10 ml2 tsp vanilla extract10 egg whites90 g (3 oz) unsweetened chocolate30 g (1 oz) sweet chocolate

DirectionsWork the flour and butter together to form a paste.Dissolve 120 g (4 oz) of sugar in the milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Beat flour paste into milk with wire whip to remove lumps. Return mixture to heat and bring to a boil, beating constantly. Simmer until mixture is thick and no starchy taste remains.Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover, and allow to cool.Melt all chocolate and add to soufflé base.Beat in yolks and vanilla.Butter insides of soufflé dishes and coat with granulated sugar. Use either 10-12 soufflé dishes or two 18cm dishes.Whip egg whites into soft peaks. Add 60 g (2 oz) of sugar and whip into firm, moist peaks.Fold egg whites into soufflé base.Pour mixture into dishes and smooth the tops. Bake at 190C (375F) for 15 minutes (small dishes) or 30 minutes (large dishes).Optional step: 3-4 minutes before soufflés are done, dust generously with confectioner’s sugar.Serve as soon as removed from oven.

College kudosWiden your horizon

41

College kudosWiden your horizon

Camera movement:Invest in a tripod when filming long performances such as Lethbridge College’s Convocation; your arm and your audience will thank you. Avoid overusing the zoom feature. When you do use it, stop the camera, adjust the zoom, and restart. If you keep the camera running, zoom slowly. Same with panning: take your time working from side to side. Remember: your audience won’t have had the experience of seeing the scenery live, so don’t rush them through it.

Audio:Today’s sophisticated microphones are sensitive to noise from all directions. Noise directly behind you will be louder than, say, a speaker you’re recording at an event, so get in as close as you can. And remember, anything you say will be picked up, such as comments about Aunt Ethel’s dress. Even noise made while handling the camera will be recorded (see “tripod” above).

Lighting:When filming indoors, utilize as much light as you can. But move subjects from in front of picture windows and bright lamps, or they’ll wind up as silhouettes.

Storage is also important. Gone are the days when you could store VHS tapes in a box in the closet. Most cameras store material on an SD card or a built-in harddrive. You’ll want to store your movies on DVDs. If you decide to keep them on your computer, you might consider an external hard drive, as video takes up considerable room. To add titles, graphics and special effects, use software generally bundled with your computer, such as Moviemaker or iMovie.

If you’d like to take a formal course on how to write a story and film it, check out Lethbridge College’s Telling Stories course (lethbridgecollege.ca, search Telling Stories).

So, you got a video camera for Christmas to plumb your inner Scorcese, but so far, the results have been more of a Blair Witch Project. Elio Girardi (Electronics Technician ’71,) now one of Lethbridge College’s audio/visual experts, suggests three areas for improvement on your next blockbuster.

College kudosWiden your horizon

42 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

College kudos

43

College kudos

Lethbridge College EventsJan. 20 - Tiffin Conference Series: Succeeding in

Volatile Times • tiffinconference.ca

Feb. 16-19 - Reading Week

March 10 - Tiffin Conference Series: Signposts for the Future • tiffinconference.ca

March 24 - Bridging Cultures: International Student Celebration • bridgingcultures.ca

March 25 - Distinguished Alumni Recognition Event lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni

In September, Paul Gerhart, program administrator for Public Legal Education, published Responding to Violence and Threats of Violence in the School Environment: An Overview of the Legal Framework in Alberta. The book, funded by the Alberta Law Society, provides valuable general information on preventative intervention, the Criminal Code of Canada, the youth justice system and more.

This month, Performance Improvement Journal will publish a paper co-written by Erica Cormack, Justice Studies – Policing, as part of her master’s classes. As part of a team, Erica helped evaluate a Canadian Forces program for FNMI students at Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. The program upgrades students academically, gives them basic military training and leadership training so they may become leaders in their communities, engage in post-secondary learning and, ultimately, enlist in the Canadian Forces. The team evaluated the leadership practicum, and received a thank you from the Canadian Forces. Last May, they published their recommendations online.

In October, Robyn Beazley, Recruiting, published her first book Live an Amazing Life, in which she shares stories that inspire and encourage positive growth.

Susan Quinlan, Communication Arts (Print Journalism) ’06, has won the Peter Gzowski Life Literacy Fellowship from ABC Life Literacy Canada for her editorial proposal about the growing Low German Mennonite community in southern Alberta, and its struggles to access literacy courses. Writing in the Prairie Post West, Susan proposed to tell the stories of these individuals, primarily farm workers, as they face the daily challenge of acquiring English language skills to better manage their new lives.

A Lethbridge-trained fashion designer will be “flush” with excitement awaiting the outcome of an unique fashion contest.A dress made entirely of toilet tissue and designed by Caitlin Power, a Lethbridge College fashion design graduate, is among other TP creations by top Canadian designers as part of the White Cashmere Collection 2010: Fashion with Compassion. The couture has already been on the runway in Toronto.

“The inspiration for my design comes from the strength of the breast cancer survivors, so it’s really about strength, empowerment, and you can really see that relate into the garment,” said Power. “It has a futuristic feel to it, symbolizing moving forward to find a cure for breast cancer.”

Power’s own label, called Caitlin Power, is carried by Mealan in Calgary. It’s a luxury women’s label dedicated to timeless sophistication, superior craftsmanship, and avant-garde tailoring (which is evident in her Cashmere design, as well).

All the designs were presented at the Toronto fashion show by Canada’s Next Top Model, Meaghan Waller. The toilet paper couture (the campaign’s slogan is Couture for the Cure) ranges from swimwear, hats and jewelry to cocktail, bridal and ballgowns.

The event, in its seventh international award-winning year, is a unique and breathtaking collection inspired by the courage and strength of women affected by breast cancer.

The collection celebrates the annual return of limited-edition Pink Cashmere tissue. A fund- and awareness-raiser for the CBCF, 25 cents from every package sold goes directly to the foundation.

The 2010 collection also celebrates a number of firsts: the first-ever swimsuit crafted in TP; and the first designer from the Maritimes.

Power and the other designer’s TP creations can be viewed at Cashmere.ca and at The White Cashmere Collection Facebook Fan Page. You can also check out the White Cashmere Collection 2010 Video on YouTube (Power is featured in the footage).

The Lethbridge College grad, born in Calgary, combines edgy with romantic in her namesake collection, which debuted in 2008, the year she was named an “emerging designer to watch” at Edmonton’s Fashion Week. She was also named among “Top 10 Designers to Watch” by Avenue Magazine.

Where are they now?

A word or 2

If you see only one movie from the last 12 months, it should be Inception.

When I watch a movie, my snack of choice is M&M Peanuts.

In the last 10 years, movies have gotten more visually appealing.

Colin Farrell or Will Farrell? Will Farrell

The reincarnation of Humphrey Bogart is Leonardo DiCaprio.

People who talk during movies should be muzzled.

The last movie to make me cry was Blind Side.

The most useful piece of information I gleaned from my days at Lethbridge College was if you believe it, you can achieve it.

The best thing about my job is the people I work with.

Wider Horizons asked alumnus Jordan Brown (Hotel and Resort Management ’04) , general manager of The Movie Mill, to share a word or two on movies.

44 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2010

Richard Dale HuculiakCriminal Justice-Policing ’78I was employed with Alberta Correctional Services from 1982 to 1989 at the Lethbridge Correctional Centre (security) and Lethbridge Community Corrections (probation/parole officer) before joining the RCMP. I recently completed 21 years of police service (general duty, traffic, crime prevention, gang suppression) in British Columbia and Alberta. I am now retired. I moved back to Lethbridge in August 2010 with my supportive and loving wife Kim (nee Wilde). I was also the RCMP program co-ordinator for the Hobbema Community Cadet Corps

Program, 2004-2010.

Larry R. OrrRenewable Resource Management ’79Following graduation, I worked for the Southeast Regional Planning Commission in Medicine Hat as a land-use planning technician for two years. From 1981-1885, I worked as a planning assistant for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs in Morden, Man. Following this, I completed a BA in urban studies and sociology from the University of Winnipeg and a M.Sc. in social policy and planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Since 1990, I have worked for the City of North Vancouver in several capacilites, including social planner and community planner and, most recently, Waterfront Project manager.

Blaine K. MetzgerAgricultural Technology ’90Shortly after graduating with my diploma, I started working for Alberta Agriculture, testing and researching agricultural equipment and practices. I am currently in the same job.

A. Lynn Brooks-HoltzRenewable Resource Management ’96After Lethbridge College, I went on to complete a B.Sc. in environmental science at University of Lethbridge in 1998. I was then accepted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. After graduation, I was a mixed-animal practitioner in rural British Columbia and have since left the private sector to join the federal government (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) in a regulatory medicine role.

Trevor ParkerEngineering Design and Drafting Technology ’98I graduated with a less-than-perfect GPA. After graduating, I headed to Winnipeg to visit family. When I noticed a few ads in the newspaper, I decided to apply. A week later, I landed my first job at an industrial engineering consulting firm. I hated it. A few weeks later, I saw another ad for a position at [what is now] MMM Group Ltd. I showed up every morning after my first interview to see if a decision had been made. Four days later I was hired. Of course, in the beginning, my duties included making photocopies, blueprints, delivering

drawings around town, and the occasional AutoCAD work. The AutoCAD work is what Lethbridge College prepared me for. When my supervisors noticed I was efficient with the software, knowledgeable of design fundamentals and able to produce quality work with little training, my career took off. Through the years I developed my career through internal and external training opportunities. Thirteen years later, I’m one of the leading transportation design technicians in the company and chair of our National Transportation Technology

committee. My instructors may be surprised at my success, but I still owe many thanks for their support and to the college for developing an excellent curriculum that prepared me for my career.

Cameron MertzBusiness Administration - Accounting ’98After college, I started as a building operator in a large local event centre, servicing the community and a WHL franchise. I then proceeded to a small town in southwestern Alberta in which I gained experience working in municipal governance as the parks and recreation manager. After two years, I moved to the base of the Rocky Mountains where I reside and work today as the director of community services in the Crowsnest Pass. I am registered at the University of Alberta, enrolled in the National Administrators Course training to become a municipal administrator.

Peter Turner (Criminal Justice-Policing ’98After graduating from Lethbridge College, I became a corrections officer with the Corrections Service of Canada until I went to university to become a teacher. I teach at St. Mary’s High School in Prince Albert, Sask.

Trina BensonTherapeutic Recreation-Gerontology ’03I worked in therapeutic recreation field for about eight years. I moved back to Lethbridge in 2003 and found it impossible to find a job in this field. I applied in education and have been working here ever since. I would love to get back into gerontology though; it’s my passion.

Barry GergelComputer Information Technology ’03 After I finished at Lethbridge College, I went on to the University of Lethbridge where I completed a B.Sc. and a master’s in computer science. I’m working towards finishing a doctorate in computing science at the University of Alberta.

Anna OlsonDisability and Community Rehabilitation ’04After graduation, I completed my degree in community rehabilitation and disability studies at the University

of Calgary. I worked for an organization as a residential team leader before moving on to my current role. I still work for the previous organization, where I am an instructor for the foundations course through the Alberta Council of Disability Services. I also recently began working for Lethbridge College as a practicum supervisor for the Community Rehabilitation program as well as the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Education program. After graduation, I went to El Salvador on a short-term mission where I worked to help build community and worked with children.

Tanner StrangwayBusiness Administration ’05I have been working in the oil-and-gas industry for Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. since 2006. I have had many different administrative roles in that time but am currently working in the safety department as an emergency response planner.

Submit your alumni update online at lostalumni.ca

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Where are they now?

Where are they now?