UNews - Paul Viminitz

Suriano looks to engage an online generation

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:36:02 +0000

Coming out of high school, Jason Suriano (BA '01) was focused on the fast track to a law degree. Now, 14 years later, he's navigating a museum gallery with a group of 10 year-old kids as they banter about video games – and he couldn't be happier.

Recently, Suriano launched Seek Your Own Proof, a new online game at Discoverykids.com. The game targets 6-12 year-olds and follows the story of three investigative siblings – Aidan, Milanie and Heiko Munro – who discover a secret underground agency known as the Central Institute for Exploration (CIE).

The teens are quickly drawn into a chase through time and history against enemy agents who are plotting to rewrite the past, change the present and alter the future. Online users can play the game in traditional form but also have the option of taking field missions to real museums and landmarks.

After debuting at the Discovery Times Square Exposition in New York, Suriano brought his game home to the Galt Museum.

"To start with, we're trying to make the history in your backyard the most relevant," says Suriano. "It's neat if kids get a little bit enlightened about their own surroundings. We're also trying to make it available in as many cities as possible, so that if I take my kids to Calgary or Edmonton on the weekend, a place like the Edmonton Art Gallery is a part of it."

Considering Suriano laughs about being one of the last of his generation to begin using a computer, there is no lack of irony in the fact he now designs computer games for a living.

"In Grade 12 I was still submitting hand-written essays," says Suriano, a Catholic Central High School graduate. "I always had a real interest in technology, it was always one of the things that I liked, I just didn't know how to get into it."

He began his post-secondary career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta but decided to come home to the U of L after one year. It was in Lethbridge that he laid the foundation for his future.

"I'm a firm believer in the "things-happen for-a-reason" train of thought," he says of abandoning his legal aspirations.

Embracing the liberal arts philosophy at the U of L, Suriano discovered his passion. His humanities focus would then serve him well as he transitioned back to the U of A for a second degree, an MA in Humanities Computing with specialization in comparative literature.

"Before you work in the technology field, it's essential to have a grounding in the arts. Research and writing are keys, particularly with what I'm doing right now," he explains. "The work I do involves a lot of fact gathering, making sense of blocks of content from museums and distilling it all into worksheets and then online forms."

Once out of school, Suriano began working in the non-profit sector. With both a writing and technical background, he was hard to pigeon hole and found himself working for the Heritage Community Foundation as head of the Educational Learning Objects division.

After a stint where he did consulting work for his company, Hotrocket Studios, he and business partners Ken Bautista and Norman Mendoza struck off on their own and the seeds for Seek Your Own Proof were born. Their big break came when they secured Telefilm Canada and Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Telus Funding, one of only two projects in Canada. It allowed them to flush out the idea and enter it in the Kidscreen PitchIt! Competition in New York, where they won the top prize.

"That was the first sign that we were on to something pretty cool," says Suriano.
"The neat thing is that seed idea we came up with in 2005 is still novel now, there's really not a lot of this going on, especially within our demographic."

Galt Museum executive director Susan Burrows-Johnson says the game is a wonderful way to connect with today's generation of technologically savvy kids.

"Almost no one who works in museums plays games, and everybody under 18 does, so there's this huge generation gap that we've been worried about," she says. "It's not that history isn't interesting to them, because it is, it's the generation gap around the technology that we need to pay attention to. Kids use different tools in their learning process and that's the gap we're trying to bridge."

To come full circle and stimulate learning in his hometown is especially gratifying for Suriano, now a father of two.

"I approached the Galt a couple years ago when we were starting this portion of the project, and Susan was very open to it and supportive of the concept," says Suriano. "It's great we are now ready to bring it back here in this form."

GET THE FACTS

• Suriano now lives in Edmonton with his wife Jen and their children Ethan (4) and Malcolm (1).

• The debut field mission of the game involved facts around the King Tut exhibit at Discovery Times Square Exposition in New York. Officials estimate handing out more than 500 worksheets per week to visiting kids.

• Seek Your Own Proof is available for play or purchase at www.seekyourownproof.com

• CIE and Seek Your Own Proof have been recognized with several awards including: Grand Prize Winner at the TEC VenturePrize competition in Alberta; Best in Show at the Fusion Digital Media Venture Forum in Vancouver; PitchIt! Winner at KidScreen Summit in New York; and Most Promising Company at the Canadian New Media Awards

• Favourite U of L professors of Suriano's included Dr. Paul Viminitz and Dr. Goldie Morgentaler. "Paul's Problem of Evil course was very memorable," he says.

The U of L inside government

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:43:31 +0000

A look at several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ alumni who now contribute to the inner workings of our government

Melvin Wong

Inspired by the experiences, travels and success stories of several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumni working in Ottawa, as well as the guidance of several ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ faculty and staff, Melvin Wong (BA '78), assistant deputy minister of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, embarked on a lifelong career in civil service.

"Originally, I thought of becoming a chartered accountant, then I had an 'a-ha' moment when I spoke with a counselor. She helped me find out what career opportunities I would have with an economics degree. That's when I decided to go into public service," explains Wong.

Wong's first experience with government began in his third year with the economics club.

"I went to a club meeting and someone nominated me for president. It drew me into the administration of the economics department. I learned about the administration and culture of academia, and how universities run. That helps me in my current job because I deal with the universities and colleges throughout Alberta."

Wong has been working in government since his graduation in 1978. He worked in Ottawa initially, as well as at the departments of tourism and small business, economic development, innovation and science and advanced education and technology in Alberta. He travels extensively and has years of senior management and business development experience. He taught economics, international business and marketing, and multinational finance at several post-secondary institutions.

"I chose a life in government because you can work in so many areas and be exposed to so many things," says Wong. "It keeps life really interesting. I am pretty happy right now."

Greg Weadick

Graduating from high school, Greg Weadick (BASc '76), Lethbridge West MLA and parliamentary assistant to the minister of advanced education and technology (PA), spent a year working construction before realizing that he wanted to get an education.

"I started at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in pre-med and later decided to complete my degree in biology. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was quite small and everybody knew each other. We often played bridge in the hallway, had coffee with professors and fellow students in the cafeteria or attended cabarets in the evenings. It was quite collegial," remembers Weadick. "I think one of the important things I got from attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was that I learned to question everything and come up with answers for myself, not just accept other people's opinions. Perhaps the most important things I gained from attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, however, were the relationships I built, relationships with staff, professors and students because those were the people in my community."

Weadick certainly understands community. He is a local businessperson and has spent several years doing environmental work for two local engineering firms. He also served on Lethbridge City Council from 1991-2001, and was the founding president of both Fifth on Fifth Youth Services and the Dragon Boat Festival.

In 2008, Weadick was elected MLA and served as the Chair of the cabinet policy committee on the economy before being appointed to his current position as PA in January this year.

"My goal is to represent the citizens of Lethbridge in Edmonton and make sure that our people are well represented," says Weadick.

Brendan Wade

As executive assistant to the Leader of the Alberta Liberal Caucus, Brendan Wade (BA '10) is on a voyage of self-discovery – a journey he began while working towards his bachelor of arts in political science and history at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Growing up in Vulcan, Wade spent many hours helping at school and community events and developing an important sense of community. With its smaller campus and close proximity to home, the U of L felt like a perfect fit for Wade.

"I can't say enough good things about my campus experience. I got involved with several clubs. I was the founding president of the food and beverage club, which is still going strong and helping make the university experience great for other students," says Wade. "I found that my professors at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ demanded a fair amount of work and that was a good thing. I still connect with some of my profs because I welcome and value their advice and input. Working in partisan politics like I do, I really appreciate the skills I learned at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, one of those being the ability to look at issues from all sides."

Such critical thinking skills are a vital asset to him in his job as he does everything from preparing briefs and face books to chauffeuring and scheduling appointments for the opposition leader.

"This job is a great learning opportunity. It has helped me cement some of my beliefs and call others into question," says Wade. "As I continue to learn and grow I know I am developing valuable skills that will help me in the future."

Mike Simpson

Following his father's footsteps, Mike Simpson (BA '00), executive assistant for the solicitor general and minister of public security, intended to become a lawyer when he started a political science degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Taking a drama class in his second year changed his mind.

"I knew after that class that I did not want to go into law. I played in a band with my cousin. I acted in plays. I changed to a double major and figured I would go into fine arts after I graduated," recalls Simpson. "In my third year I got involved in student politics. I was the fine arts representative on the students' union. In 1999, I ran for students' union vice-president internal affairs and won. It was pretty interesting. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was great for preparing me to do work. Learning to write monologues helped me write speeches. Learning the theories and processes in political science and learning how to research have all benefited me."

In 2001, Simpson's music career was literally leaving him hungry. Simpson began volunteering for the PC Constituency Association; after all, they had food. With a full stomach, Simpson caught the political bug and soon worked his way up the political ladder from research officer to his current position as executive assistant.

"My job is to help the solicitor general do his part to keep the government moving in the right direction," says Simpson. "I am happy doing quiet change. It might be behind the scenes, where nobody else recognizes, but I know that I have made a difference."

Warren Chandler

For Warren Chandler (BA '01), executive assistant to the minister of transportation, attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was more than the next step on his life's journey; it was an investment in a future he could not wait to begin.

"I always assumed I would go to university, and the U of L was always my number one choice of schools. My dad and uncle went there and I looked forward to going there," says Chandler. "I enjoyed the small classes, the academic challenges. My professors were always pushing us to think outside the box and think critically. In class one day, Dr. Paul Viminitz declared he was a feminist and I think he offended most of the women in class, but on further analysis, he was able to back up his claim. He taught me to back up what I say and to think critically."

Critical thinking and the ability to deal with stress and pressure and to write and communicate clearly are skills that Chandler honed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ – skills that are vital to his success in the political world. He began working in an introductory research role at the legislature in the fall of 2001. Since then, Chandler has steadily moved up the ranks to his current position.

"I do anything and everything that the minister needs in order to conduct his daily duties," explains Chandler. "It can be extremely stressful, but it is very exciting and I am very happy where I am."

Students earn bragging rights

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:54:08 +0000

Score a victory for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Student Chess Club.

The annual Chess Challenge event, pitting a team of five chess-playing professors against the best players from the student club, took place Mar. 21-22.

An annual event contested since 1998, and perhaps unique to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the professors were coming off a victory in 2008 and entered this year's contest with their habitual sense of invincibility. They were shocked, however, to be confronted with a student team fortified by new talent and determined to assert their superiority. After 16 games, the students came out on top by a score of 9-7, a point being awarded for each game won.

The victorious student team comprised: Cashe Erskine, Thomas Fox (team captain), Gregory Holmes, Slava Ilnytskyy and Ihor Kurylo. The professors were: Lance Grigg (Education), Igor Kovalchuk (Biology), Vic Rodych (Philosophy), Brian Titley (Education, and team captain) and Paul Viminitz (Philosophy).

The best individual performance in the tournament was by Dr. Igor Kovalchuk, who won all four of his games. The rivalry will be renewed a year from now.

UNews - Paul Viminitz

Suriano looks to engage an online generation

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Students earn bragging rights

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