UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria

Legacy of leaders will live on with Horns' culture

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:26:23 +0000

Athletic programs often talk about creating a culture and a unique identity that defines the ideals and goals of the organization. In many instances, that's all it is – talk. For the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team, fifth-year seniors Derek Waldner and Julian Spear Chief-Morris embody Horns' culture.

"They have been cornerstones of transformational change in our program," says head coach Dave Adams. "We went from pretenders to contenders in the time that they were here, and I cannot say enough about the sacrifices that both of them made to push the program to where it is now. Anything that's happened in the program in the last few years has been built on the backs of these guys."

While each of them took different paths to the Horns' program, and each battled through his own adversity, it was fitting to see them walk off the court together in triumph, checking out of their final Canada West game to a standing ovation from the home crowd, a victory well in hand.

"It's really nice in life, because you don't see it all the time, when people will put in the work and then get rewarded for it and that's happened for both guys," says Adams.

Derek Waldner, left, won the majority of these position battles over the course of his five-year career with the Pronghorns. Photo by Paula Gorman

Neither of the two had an easy road to success.

Waldner, an Okotoks product, admits that the U of L was really the only Canadian Interuniversity Sport program to recruit him out of high school and that he had no promises or expectations about what his role would be when he arrived on campus.

Spear Chief-Morris began his career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria. A local high school star at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, he chose to head west to play for the nationally-renowned Vikes, but after two seasons in Victoria and an invitation from Adams to come back to Lethbridge in hand, he returned to his roots.

He subsequently had to sit out a transfer season and then early into his first year with the Horns, suffered a devastating knee injury. A year later he was back on the court but it really wasn't until the last few months of his senior season that Spear Chief-Morris was able to play to his abilities.

"I didn't really have basketball in mind when I was recovering, I just wanted to be a healthy person again because I spent a whole summer not being able to run, not being able to jump, having to learn how to walk again," he says. "I just decided I'd worry about getting healthy first and in the end I decided I wanted to play again."

All the while, Waldner was emerging from obscurity to become one of the best rebounders in the country and one of Canada West's top post threats. A double-double machine (double figures in both points and rebounds), he would eventually set the all-time rebounding record at the U of L and lead the CIS in rebounding his senior season.

"It was the goal for me when I came out of high school," says Waldner. "My coach, Sam Aiello, when I graduated he told me to go get that record, because Nick Baldwin, who had the record before me, was his product as well."

The Horns flourished with both Waldner and Spear Chief-Morris in the lineup, but it wasn't only court success that defined their time in blue and gold. Waldner, a biochemistry major, is a four-time Academic All-Canadian, while Spear Chief-Morris, studying urban and regional studies, has achieved All-Canadian status three times.

"I'm a competitive person and anything I do I want to be the best at, so walking into the classroom is the same thing. Why not try and be the best at what you do?" asks Spear Chief-Morris. "That's why I push myself in the classroom, if I'm going to do something I'm going to do it well."

Julian Spear Chief-Morris was a mentor both on and off the court to the next generation of Pronghorns. Photo by Paula Gorman

While he doesn't tout himself as a role model for First Nations teens, he recognizes that his success both on and off the court can serve as a positive motivating factor for the Aboriginal community.

"I don't think I've ever looked at myself as a role model but now that I'm getting older, I've been put in situations where I've been confronted with that," he says. " I think I definitely do serve as a role model in some respects to some of the kids out there on the Reserve. I'm really just trying to live my life the right way, so if people look up to me, that's great."

For Waldner, combining the rigors of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with athletics was never a question, it's always been a focus.

"It just takes a little discipline, it takes staying in and studying instead of going out with your buddies some times," he says. "Time management is the biggest aspect, and having basketball and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ at the same time has really taught me that life skill where time management will never be an issue for me."

Both Spear Chief-Morris and Waldner have plans to pursue graduate studies, and even may look at professional basketball opportunities should it fit in with their academic ambitions. More than anything though, the two are not content to revel in their glory days as Horns basketball players, knowing this is just a stage in their life plan.

"I'm just excited for what's next," says Spear Chief-Morris. "My time here was wonderful but all things pass and I'm looking ahead."

It's that attitude that Adams says will live on well past their time in uniform.

"What a blessing in a program when you have two guys that not only come into practice and set the work ethic example on the court, but then they back it up by what they do in the classroom as well," says Adams. "Imagine how blessed we are to have a locker room where that is the voice of leadership. It's a fabulous culture that those guys will leave as a legacy in that locker room."

GET THE FACTS

· Both players had their parents in attendance for their final CIS game

· Waldner had 252 rebounds this season to set a new Horns' single-season record and lead all CIS players. His career total of 874 rebounds is also a Horns' record and the fifth highest total in Canada West history

· Both players credited Horns alumni for truly representing Horns culture. "I know that I've played for two universities now and the support, not just from the community but from the alumni is not comparable," says Spear Chief-Morris. "It really is a blessing to have a group of people who honestly care about who you are and your success."

This story first appeared in the March 2013 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

5 Questions with Dr. Blythe Shepard

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:07:10 +0000

Blythe Shepard joined the Faculty of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in July 2008. She received her doctorate in educational psychology with a specialty in counselling psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria in 2002 where she was a faculty member (2002-2008) and graduate advisor (2005-2008) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies. Shepard is completing the first Canadian textbook for Career Practitioners and recently co-authored a national handbook for the supervision of counsellors/psychotherapists. She is the 2011 recipient of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association's (CCPA) Professional Contribution Award in recognition of outstanding promotion of the counselling profession in Canada and is President-Elect of CCPA.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

In many rural areas in Canada, jobs in traditional employment sectors are disappearing while few new jobs in expanding, knowledge-based manufacturing and service industries are being developed. Rural Canadians have expressed concern about the loss of young people through urban migration. When rural communities lose their youth, they lose the creative and innovative ability of young people to find possible solutions to community problems. As a long-time rural resident, I was curious about how rural young women perceived themselves within the context of a rural community, now and in the future. I also wondered how active these young women were in the construction of future plans. A doctoral SSHRC fellowship allowed me to pursue this study. Four years later, I followed up the study with a Standard SSHRC grant that focused on rural youth in three communities in BC.

Dr. Blythe Shepard researches the factors that influence rural youth.

How is your research applicable in "the real world"?

Based on the themes that were identified in interviews with rural youth, a community workshop was designed in collaboration with rural youth. Future Bound: A Lifeworks Expedition Workshop for Rural Youth is an activity-based workshop designed to help youth examine their past, current and projected future life paths. The workshop activities are readily adapted for use by counsellors and teachers. The Possible Selves Mapping Interview is used by practitioners in Wellington, New Zealand (Geoff Plimmer, PhD of FutureSelves Ltd.) while Campus d'Alfred de l'Université de Guelph translated sections of the Future Bound Workshop for use with their rural students.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

From 2000 to 2005, I was involved in a unique experiment in genuinely interdisciplinary research funded by SSHRC and NSERC. A set of carefully constructed complementary case studies on the east and west coasts of Canada were developed to achieve an integrated analysis of the long- and short-term impacts of socio-environmental restructuring on the health of people, their small communities and the environment. A total of 70 natural and social scientists and 167 trainees worked together with local communities to produce leading-edge research. Upon completion of the project, the Coasts Under Stress Research Team was awarded the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria Craigdarroch Team Award for Societal Contribution.

How important are students to your research endeavours?

I believe in maintaining an active role in supporting and collaborating with graduate students. A mentoring relationship that acknowledges our different worldviews, epistemological understandings, learning styles, etc. is a powerful form of social learning. I encourage and support students to take an active role in all parts of my research program in order for students to develop as researchers and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. My vision for our work together is that of a facilitator who guides students over their shoulders.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

My research interests would continue to focus on rural women across the lifespan but would expand to include various types of rural communities in several provinces (e.g., remote, near urban centres, resource based, etc). The following questions would guide my research: (1) How do rural women weave work into the tapestry of their lives in communities experiencing social and economic change? (2) What are the work-life issues, supports and challenges for rural women? (3) What are the differences in socio-economic structures in each rural community and how do they affect women?

Each month, the Legend will present 5 Questions With . . . one of our researchers. For a look at the entire catalog of 5 Questions With . . . features, check out the Office of Innovation and Research Services website at www.uleth.ca/research/research_profiles. If you'd like to be profiled, contact Penny Pickles at pickpj@uleth.ca

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Swim team continues to impress

trevor.kenney — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 18:07:09 +0000

With the Canada West Championship meet still over a month away, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn swim team continues to enjoy an impressive start to the season under first-year head coach Peter Schori.

After posting its first CIS Top 10 appearance in more than 10 years, the 'Horns have already nearly doubled their Canada West qualifying swimmers and will send their biggest team to the conference championships in more than seven seasons.

This past weekend at the JP Fiset Invitational meet in Edmonton, the 'Horns achieved one more Canada West qualifying time, pushing the team's total to 26. Last season, the 'Horns only sent 15 swimmers to the conference meet and with still more than a month to go, the 'Horns have qualified nearly that number in each gender. To date, the 'Horns have 13 men and 13 women who have achieved the Canada West qualifying standard.

A total of 25 of 29 Horns raced to lifetime bests last weekend and three more swimmers qualifyied for the CIS Championships.

Freshman Kara Declark secured her first CIS time in the 50 fly and is the first of the Pronghorn women to qualify for the CIS championship meet this year. Mat Loyola (200 breast) and Tiha Konyves (50/100 free) added their names to the men's CIS roster. Freshman Brooke Whitaker made her first Canada West standard in the 100 free. The Horns now have 26 swimmers qualified for the Canada West conference championship and eight swimmers qualified for the CIS national championship.

The Horns also broke five more school records to bring the total to nine for the season. The men set new Pronghorn records in the 200 free relay for the second time this year and continued to show national level class in the medley relay with their third new record of the season in the 200. Ryan Thornley broke his own 'Horns records in the 50 Back and 50 fly, becoming the first in school history to break 26 seconds in the 50 back with a time of 25.78 seconds. Jeffrey Nicol broke through in the 200 breast, bettering his own record by more than a second in 2:14.93.

The Canada West Championships will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria, Jan. 25 -27, 2013.

Horns swimming in top-10

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:27:05 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's swim team has cracked the 2012 CIS Top-10 swim rankings for the first time in more than 10 years.

Fresh off an excellent performance at the Dino ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Invitational in Calgary last weekend, the 'Horns have jumped into the seventh spot nationally. The Dino meet continued a run of positive early season results.

Highlighting the weekend for the men's side was a third place finish in the 200-metre medlay relay. The 'Horns were just behind CIS powers UBC Thunderbirds and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos. The team of Nick Vander Sloot, Jeff Nicol, Ryan Thornley and Tiha Konyves set a new school record by more than two seconds and beat the defending CIS bronze medalist ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Golden Bears.

The 'Horns also finished fourth in the 200-metre free relay, breaking the school's best time by more than a second. The team of Vander Sloot, Thornley, Konyves and Hunter Scott finished with a time of 1:34.52.

"It was a good start to the season for us against some of the top teams in the CIS," says first-year Pronghorn head coach Peter Schori. "Canada West is the toughest swimming conference in the country and we are closing the gap between us and the top schools."

To date, the 'Horns have 18 qualifiers (10 men and 8 women) for the Canada West Championships that will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria, Jan. 25-27, 2013. Five Pronghorn men have also already qualified for the CIS Championships in February.

Following are the current CIS rankings.

MEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Toronto 610 points / (1)
2. Calgary 603 / (2)
3. UBC 263 / (NR)
4. Laval 260 / (3)
5. Alberta 218 / (8)
6. Montreal 170 / (4)
7. Lethbridge 160 / (NR)
8. McGill 148 / (5)
9. Ottawa 113 / (7)
10. McMaster 105 / (9)

WOMEN'S SWIMMING
(points) / (previous rankings)

1. Calgary 399 points / (3)
2. Montreal 368 / (1)
3. Toronto 365 / (4)
4. UBC 354 / (NR)
5. McGill 249 / (2)
6. Alberta 157 / (9)
7. UQTR 149 / (6)
8. McMaster 126 / (5)
9. Guelph 104 / (7)
10. Dalhousie 103 / (NR)

U of L joins PIMS as full member

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:45:33 +0000

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) is pleased to announce that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Alberta has joined the PIMS consortium as a full member.

The site has been a PIMS affiliate for many years and has had significant participation in PIMS activities.

Dr. Chris Nichol, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, will represent the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ on the PIMS Board of Directors. Dr. Amir Akbary has been appointed as interim PIMS site director and will begin on July 1, 2012.

With the incorporation of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the PIMS consortium now has nine full members, including all the major research universities in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Washington State.

In particular, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge joins the Universities of Alberta and Calgary, in further strengthening PIMS' partnerships in Alberta, where a significant number of PIMS activities take place.

"We are delighted that Lethbridge has become a full member of the PIMS consortium, as they have valuable strengths in a number of areas in the mathematical sciences - number theory is a good example. Through our collaborative research groups, summer schools, postdoctoral opportunities, broadcast seminars and educational activities, Lethbridge faculty and students will be important contributors to PIMS activities," said PIMS Director, Alejandro Adem.

Background

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) was founded in 1996 by a consortium of five universities in Alberta and British Columbia (the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, Simon Fraser ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria). Later they were joined by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Washington in the United States and more recently by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and finally the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The mandate of PIMS is to:

- promote research in and applications of the mathematical sciences of the highest international caliber

- facilitate the training of highly-qualified personnel at the graduate and postdoctoral level

- enrich public awareness of mathematics through outreach

- enhance the mathematical training of teachers and students in K-12

- create mathematical partnerships with similar organizations in other countries, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Pacific Rim.

Latrace, Medoruma earn accolades

trevor.kenney — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:26:10 +0000

It hasn't been a great start for either the Pronghorns men's or women's soccer teams but there have been some solid individual performances thorugh the first two weeks of the Canada West season. On Tuesday, Horns Athletics announced its first set of Pronghorn Athletes of the Week.

Sherry Latrace – Women's Soccer

While the Pronghorn women's soccer team dropped its first four games, fourth-year defender Sherry Latrace has been a solid presence in the Horns backline.

After playing as a forward her first three seasons, Latrace has made a seamless transition to the Horns' defensive core that was overhauled over the off-season.

The Brooks, Alta. native did an exceptional job this past weekend turning away Calgary Dino attacks both in Calgary on Saturday and during the 'Horns' home opener on Sunday.

Matt Medoruma – Men's Soccer

Fourth-year midfielder Matt Medoruma has been a constant presence at both ends of the field for the 'Horns thus far this season.

This past weekend, Medoruma was in the middle of virtually all of the 'Horns' attacks versus the Calgary Dinos, with his pace and tenacity causing fits for the Dino defense all weekend.

Saturday, Medoruma registered one shot and set up the 'Horns' lone goal in a 2-1 loss. On Sunday he was credited with four shot attempts in the 'Horns' 1-0 loss.

Both teams are back in action this weekend with the Horns hosting ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria on Saturday and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of the Freser Valley on Sunday at the Community Sports Stadium. The women play at noon and the men at 2 p.m. both days.

Master's studies gain insight into tragedy

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:27:35 +0000

As news reports filtered out of fire-ravaged Slave Lake, Alta., recently, tales of heroism and perseverance in the midst of personal tragedy riveted the public. The stories took on even more meaning to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge master's student Ainslee Kimmel, who is completing her thesis by studying the effects of wildfire and the resiliency of people who experience its wrath.

Kimmel's study focus is on the 2009 West Kelowna fire but she couldn't help but draw similarities to the stories she hears about the residents of Slave Lake.

Master's student Ainslee Kimmel pursues a Master in Education degree while working with noted health sciences researcher Dr. Judith Kulig.

"I think a big thing I see that's similar between the two is the factor of the unknown," she says. "A lot of people said the most stressful thing about the fire was the act of being evacuated, and then hearing reports on what parts of town were and were not affected by the fire, not knowing if they had or had not lost everything."

Kimmel, a Calgary native, came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with a bachelor of psychology degree from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria. Her goal is to eventually become a registered psychologist, which might seem contrary to her master's work (MEd in the Faculty of Education) at first glance, but it's all by design. She chose the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge over other graduate programs because it is allowing her a more hands-on, practical approach to her vocation.

"The other schools I was accepted to were more research oriented and I wanted to finish my master's with a practical skillset, and I found that here," she says. "It allows me to focus more on counselling as opposed to a master's in health psychology, which puts you in the stream for studying a PhD and possibly teaching."

Working with supervisor Dr. Judith Kulig, an expert in wildfire research and community resiliency from a health sciences perspective, Kimmel sees the practical potential of her findings.

"I just want to know how people cope after something like a wildfire event," she says. "Wildfires in Canada are increasingly a big issue and if we can determine how people cope, hopefully we can develop strategies to help people function better after a wildfire."

Kimmel actually worked with Kulig as a research assistant for a year prior to the beginning of her thesis. Despite the fact that she's pursuing a master's of education degree, she was given special dispensation to have Kulig as her supervisor. She travelled with Kulig to conduct interviews and acquire data following a wildfire event in Barriere, B.C., and is using that experience to guide her through her study of the West Kelowna event.

"Through the work I did with Dr. Kulig, we saw people in Barriere who made it through the fire without losing their homes and yet they had lingering symptoms of depression, while some of those who lost their homes were able to bounce back quicker," says Kimmel. "Understanding how that works and how we can help these people on various levels is the ultimate goal."

While Kulig's research emphasis focuses on community resiliency as a whole, Kimmel's approach, as a psychologist in training, is more specific.

"I felt I could pursue something more on the individual aspects of wildfire," she says, noting that her findings, although preliminary, are not entirely negative. "I'm also looking at how people grow from the experience as a result. It's termed post-traumatic growth in the literature and discusses how people can go through something traumatic and months and even years later benefit from it in terms of developing closer relationships, a better attitude on life and a feeling of strength and confidence that they were able to get through it."

To date, Kimmel has made one trip to Kelowna, interviewing a host of government and firefighting personnel. She expects to return to complete her interviews this fall and will finish writing her thesis over the winter. Kimmel says her excellent relationship with Kulig has been integral to the process.

"She's such a caring person and is really there to help a student. She's also always included me, in terms of authorship, on anything we've worked on," says Kimmel. "We get along so well on a personal level and I don't know if everybody has that with their supervisor – it really can make a difference."

Kimmel's research was made possible by a $17,500 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant.

GET THE FACTS

· Kimmel's study actually includes three fire events in and around West Kelowna in 2009, including: Terrace Mountain Fire (9,277 hectares burned); Glenrosa Fire (400 hectares); and the Rose Valley Fire (200 hectares).

· Only four structures were lost in West Kelowna, despite the potential of losing many more that were threatened, and Kimmel says her preliminary findings show a sense of pride from residents over how the crisis was handled.

· Kimmel accompanied Dr. Kulig to Texas to present findings from her research at an international conference.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

1971 Chinooks get their due

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:50:13 +0000

Long before the Pronghorns men's hockey team skated away with a national title on Maple Leaf Gardens ice, another group of young athletes brought glory to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The 1971 U of L Chinooks women's basketball team won the institution's first national crown, the Canadian Junior Women's Basketball Championship, 23 years before Mike Babcock and company claimed the school's second. It was a monumental achievement that went relatively unnoticed, both then and over the ensuing years.

Only now are we beginning to realize just what this motivated group of small-town overachievers accomplished and fittingly, their induction into the Pronghorns Hall of Fame is finally shining a spotlight on their legacy.

The 1971 U of L Chinooks, coached by Wilma Winters, consisted of Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minne Van Dieren, Sharon Giduk, Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow.

"The very best fans we had were the janitors at the Civic Centre," laughs Joan Langille (Cannady) (BASc, BA '73). "We didn't have a lot of people come to our games. What really struck us though, was when we arrived back in Lethbridge from winning the championship, the only people at the airport to greet us were the boyfriends, the parents and the janitors; they supported us right to the end."

With a roster stocked by southern Alberta products, the Chinooks proved that small could play big if given the opportunity.

"Basketball was a comfort zone for many of us from the smaller communities," says Langille, a Taber native. "Those of us from high school, it seemed pretty daunting to make a university team but we managed."

Linda Joncas (Dogterom) (BEd '72) grew up in Broxburn, went to McNally School as a youngster and then finished high school at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. The majority of the rest of the team came from the Coaldale area and the powerful Kate Andrews program.

"It was really neat because we all kind of knew each other growing up, either playing with or against one another and then we reunited once we got to university," says Joncas.

"For me, it was a struggle to go to school. I ended up being in a single parent home after my parents divorced, and I had to get student loans and an academic scholarship to get me through. Basketball and the team meant so much to me, it really helped me through what was a tough time for my family."

Langille and Joncas were co-captains of the Chinooks in 1971, both playing out their final years before graduation. Each used their U of L degrees to carve out satisfying careers, Langille as a longtime provincial government employee and Joncas as a teacher and guidance counsellor. They both laud the personal learning environment the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ offered.

"There's really something to be said for small schools and it was exciting to be a small school playing against the big universities. In terms of education, it was also such a great experience and years after, I would recognize that both in my career and when I would see other U of L graduates applying for positions in the provincial government," says Langille. "More often than not, they were very successful."

Joncas says she is an unabashed supporter of the U of L experience, and was for years in her role as a high school guidance counsellor.

"I remember coming back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ 10 years after I'd graduated and as I was walking down the hall, somebody called my name and it was Dr. Petherbridge and he remembered me," she says. "That was very significant to me, 10 years after this man still knew who I was. There's a real student-centred focus at the U of L and in my experience, there's nothing much that compares."

That the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has now recognized the Chinooks for their significant contribution to the school's sporting history, brings the team back into the fold.

"We're very appreciative, honoured and in a way humbled," says Joncas. "You don't realize at the time that it was a big deal. We were all young and it was fun and it was a "Wow, we did it" feeling, but in terms of the bigger perspective, I don't think we really understood the way we do now."

The only regret the two have is that their coach, the late Wilma Winter, is not around to reconnect with her team and enjoy the long overdue accolades they are receiving.

"It just breaks my heart actually," says Joncas before pausing to gain her composure. "She should have been here because she was some lady. She would have loved to be honoured, she would have loved it from a coaching perspective and been proud that her institution recognized her girls."

GET THE FACTS

· The Chinooks only adopted the Pronghorns name in the fall of 1971 when the campus moved to its westside location.

· They very nearly won consecutive national titles, losing in the championship game the year before when Lethbridge hosted the event.

· The Chinooks won the 1971 provincial title with a 66-29 rout of Red Deer College and a 71-25 blowout of Mount Royal College.

· In the national championship tournament, hosted by UBC in Vancouver's War Memorial Gymnasium, the Chinooks beat UBC 46-45, topped ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa 70-59, and then won the national title with a 52-40 decision over ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Locker project to give cyclists alternatives

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:35:51 +0000

If you happen to see more bicycles on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus this spring, it might not be solely related to better weather conditions. Rather, it could be the more favourable conditions created for riders, thanks to a collaborative initiative between Sport and Recreation Services and Parking and Security Services.

A total of 30 new bike lockers, a shared purchase by the two campus units, will arrive on campus at the end of April, giving campus commuters more options should they choose to go green and leave their cars at home.

Would you rather leave your bike in exposed racks or take advantage of enclosed bike lockers? More choices will be available this spring with the addition of 30 new lockers to campus.

"Parking Services was introduced to bike lockers in 2009 and had the opportunity to meet with company representatives in the spring of 2010," says Dick Lutwick, parking manager. "At that time we decided to place five lockers on campus on a trial basis."

Located outside the 1st Choice Savings Centre, the five lockers served as a pilot project that was quickly accepted by the campus community.

"The original plan called for the manufacturer to leave them there for two months just to see what kind of response we'd get and that two months has stretched into a year," says Kevin McFadzen.
"We found five people who were interested in using them and after that I established a list of others who were wondering how they could get into a locker and whether we had plans to get more on campus."

McFadzen is an avid cyclist and had been introduced to the locker concept while attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria. He had an interest in bringing them to the U of L and found like-minded attitudes in Parking Services.

"We view this investment as supporting green initiatives," says Lutwick of the joint $30,000 purchase. "It supports the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's commitment to environmental sustainability. By promoting the use of alternative transportation, we can accommodate a larger campus population without increasing our parking infrastructure."

But why are the lockers needed when there are ample bike racks at various campus locations?

"I've got bikes I don't ride to school because they're too expensive and I don't want them damaged, sitting in the elements all day or simply getting stolen," says McFadzen.

With the success of five lockers on campus, a survey went out to the U of L community about its appetite for more. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

"I was actually surprised from our survey last year," says McFadzen. "I'd always talked to people about them but I realized I was probably talking to a biased group, those who already ride bikes."

The lockers can fit an entire bike and is complete with hooks to hang gear such as helmets and wet clothes. They will be made available on a rental basis, much like gym lockers inside the 1st Choice Savings Centre.

"Some people would like to have a daily rental but that would get into substantial costs, having to have electronics out there to monitor that use," says McFadzen. "Plus, if someone rides in with an expensive bike expecting to have a locker and finds they are all taken, then what option does that leave them?"

Neither Lutwick nor McFadzen expect the entire campus to suddenly adopt bicycles as their preferred mode of transport because of this initiative but they see it as taking away obstacles for those inclined to go green.

"I'm hoping that it gets less cars coming to campus," says McFadzen. "We have 30 lockers, so in reality, probably 20 people who are already riding their bikes to campus will take advantage of these lockers. But if it adds another 10 bikes to campus and encourages 10 people to leave their cars at home, that's something. It's a start and hopefully it will catch on."

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Unassuming academic

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:15:47 +0000

Reality for Chad Befus (BSc '08, MSc '10) came from looking into the eyes of his co-workers, on a frigid Arctic work site toward the end of another 16-hour day. He needed to go to school.

"In the Arctic, when you're out there working what seems like a never-ending day in minus-60 degree weather, you get that feeling you need to go do something else," says Befus, whose indirect route to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge included a work stint in the seismic trade after graduating from Calgary's William Aberhart High School.

"It was long hours and very hard work. There were guys working there, and they were very impressive people, who were 60 years old – I just didn't want to be them at 60."

So he looked south to the U of L and, taking the advice of friends who'd said he was always "good with computers", and threw himself into computer science with a determination steeled by his time in the workforce.

"My time away from school is what told me I needed to come to university and do my bachelor's degree," he says. "It also drove me to work so hard to complete it."

Alumnus Chad Befus had multiple opportunities to stay in the work world but he kept coming back to school.

A second work experience sent Befus back to school once more, this time to complete his master's degree. He says he doesn't need a third reality check, having already been accepted into a PhD program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of London. The academic world is where Befus plans to stay.

"I was fortunate enough to do a co-op program with Shell Canada in my fourth year and it was an excellent experience," says Befus, who was offered a full-time job as a result.

"I likely could have spent the rest of my life there as a programmer, but I didn't find it especially challenging. It gave me yet another perspective and drove me back into university."

The U of L hooked Befus very early in his post-secondary career.

"One of my first classes was with Dr. Yllias Chali. He has such a spark of enthusiasm for his work that all the kids in his class are just drawn in by him," says Befus. "He is so exciting and interesting, and I give him a great deal of credit because that first class at university was so fun and so interesting, that appeal just stuck with me."

When seeking a graduate program, students are often advised to look beyond the confines of the school at which they earned their bachelor's degree. Befus, having built a rapport with his professors, respectfully ignored that counsel.

"For me, the idea of working for some stranger, not knowing what I'd be working on or what environment I'd be in, just didn't appeal to me," he says. "I wanted to come back and work for one of the professors that I did know, who would challenge me and give me enough leash to be able to go out and do the tasks."

Befus' research interest is in music information retrieval, essentially applying computers to music. As a computer scientist his work is on the systemic side of the equation, how to make computers more accurately represent music. It's not a one-discipline problem however, and Befus says his exposure to the artistic and psychological components have given him a more complete approach.

"I know people who have gone to other universities who stick to their respective areas, and they become very good in those areas. Here you're forced to take different disciplines as an undergraduate, things such as psychology courses, social science courses, art courses, and that's what I find really interesting. I like to go out of my box," he says.

He credits that interdisciplinary approach for enhancing his critical thinking skills.

"If you've got a breadth of knowledge, you can come at a solution from a direction that nobody else will," Befus says. "Somebody coming from a background in music might approach the same problem differently than someone from computer science or psychology. The U of L has helped me see that interdisciplinary areas of research are much more interesting."

It also contributed to his finding a PhD opportunity with Dr. Geraint Wiggins at Goldsmiths' College at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of London.

"From what I've read of his work, his department is very connected with the other aspects of this field, you'll see all three areas represented," says Befus. "I have experience with that and it's what interests me."

He admits the experience will once again take him out of his comfort zone. London is a long way from the U of L and his hometown of Calgary, and even further from his time in the Arctic.

"Back then I wanted to work on cars or something like that, being a doctor seemed out of this world to me because you had to be a brain to do that," he laughs.

"I've never done anything quite like this. It's going a little bit further than I'm used to, so it should be interesting."

GET THE FACTS

· Befus has an older brother currently pursuing his master's in earth sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

· His mother was born in Lethbridge and has a nursing degree from the U of C, while his father has a bachelor's degree from the U of C and a law degree from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria.

· Befus met his PhD supervisor after earning the right to present a paper at the International Computer Music Conference in New York.

· He earned his studentship at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of London after winning one of three spots from among 80 applicants.

· He describes the practical applications of his research by saying, "The idea is we can do things like search or classify music better, simply because we can get a more accurate representation of music itself at a workable level."

UNews - ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Victoria

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