UNews - New Brunswick

Horns soccer looks to build off success

trevor.kenney — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:34:59 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns have finalized their schedules for the Canada West soccer season and for the program's men's team, the focus will be on building off of last season's 18-point performance, a franchise best.

The men's program will open its 2013 campaign with a home-and-home series against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, Sept. 7-8 (at home on Sunday, Sept. 8). That's the start of a 15-game schedule that will also see the Horns play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies, Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and the Trinity Western Spartans.

The Horns won four games last season and narrowly missed the playoffs with 18 standings points. They will once again play in the six-team Prairie Division, looking for one of three playoff spots.

The regular season concludes on Oct. 27 followed by three rounds of playoffs in four days at the home of the first-place finisher in the five-team Pacific Division. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B. is the site of the 2013 CIS men's championship tournament, Nov. 7-10.

On the women's side, the Horns are coming off a one-win season but with 21 players eligible to return from last season's roster (that included 11 first-year players), it should be a much more seasoned and cohesive group.

The Canada West women's set-up differs from the men in that only one, 13-team division exists, with the top eight teams qualifying for playoffs.

After opening the schedule on the road with games against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, the Horns will host the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the U of L Community Stadium.

The Horns will also play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Bisons the next day and host the UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans to round out the home schedule.

Canada West playoffs open with quarter-finals on Oct. 26, after which teams will be re-ranked for semifinals and medal matches on Nov. 2-3. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto hosts CIS Nationals, Nov. 7-10.

For a look at the complete Pronghorns soccer schedule visit the website at www.gohorns.ca. For season tickets, call Pronghorn Athletics at 403-329-2681.

Upholding the law in the land down under

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 22:02:16 +0000

With a finger-pointing, I've-got-you-now grin and an iconic light grey suit, criminal defense attorney, Ben Matlock, entertained television audiences for almost a decade with his ingenious perception and gritty determination to fight for truth. For one young boy growing up in the small town of Coronation, Alta., however, Matlock was more than mere entertainment; he was pure inspiration.

"It was the courtroom drama that got me. I used to watch Matlock and think, if he can do it, I can do it. When I watched him I knew I was born to be in the courtroom," explains solicitor, Jay Merchant (BA '05), who was recently admitted as a member of the Australian legal profession by the Supreme Court in Queensland.

Along with his interest in law, Merchant developed a love for politics and a passion for curling that have also strongly influenced his life's journey.

"The first time I heard Preston Manning speak I was fascinated by his personal approach to politics. I became a member of the Reform Party at age 15," says Merchant.

Jay Merchant, right, along with Barrister Debra Wardle, who moved his admission into the Supreme Court in Queensland.

Merchant's love of curling was a family affair. His father played in national oilman's competitions and his mom and older brother curled as well. Merchant spent the majority of his childhood winters at the rink, either watching the game or developing his skills.

"My older brother curls on a recreational level when he has time. He boasts he can kick my butt, but I am still waiting for him to put his money where his mouth his," jokes Merchant, who is a player-coach with the Australian National Curling Team.

With his three-fold passion, Merchant says that the move to Lethbridge to attend the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 2000 was a perfect choice.

"Coming from a small town, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was exactly what I needed, and I wouldn't change anything, but it was a steep learning curve for me. I was never a good writer but I had excellent professors, two in particular, Dr. Alan Siaroff and Dr. Geoffrey Hale. They had such a strict writing guide and they focused on using logical arguments and logical structure. I do a lot of writing now and without their dedication I would not have achieved what I have. It was a painful process but I am forever grateful to them," says Merchant. "I attended Bond ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Australia for my post-graduate studies and the common theme between both institutions is that you are not just a number. I know my professors and consider them to be my mentors. There is something really special about that."

While completing his undergrad, Merchant kept busy with local politics and curling. He was a member of Rick Casson's steering committee and curled out of the Lethbridge Curling Club.

"I played juniors for Alberta and made it to provincials a number of times. I played for the U of L in 2003. We made it to the Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Championships; I think we were in the top five. I also have a few banners up at the Lethbridge Curling Club," recalls Merchant.

Merchant eyes an Olympic berth for Australia down the line.

Merchant completed his bachelor's degree in political science in 2005. He spent one year working in a municipal internship program in Red Deer before moving to Australia to pursue a master's of business law at Bond ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, which he completed in 2007. That same year the Australian Winter Olympic Committee asked him to migrate to Australia on a distinguished talent visa, but because curling is self-funded in Australia, Merchant had to return to Canada to earn enough money before he could take advantage of the AWOC proposal. He returned to Australia in 2010 to coach and play with the Australian National Team and pursue his law degree at Bond, which he completed in 2012.

"I did my Postgraduate Diploma of Legal Practice, with a placement in criminal law. I loved it. I plan to go into prosecution and later become a barrister. As for curling, Lyn Gill, my partner in mixed doubles and I are heading to Fredericton, N.B. in April to compete at the world championships. I am really looking forward to that!" says Merchant. "My long-term focus is on continuing to develop the sport in Australia and to qualify teams for the 2018 Olympics."

For anyone who happens to be in Fredericton in April and wants to wish Merchant good luck, you'll find him easily enough if you listen for his ringtone – it's the theme from Matlock.

This story first appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

The rich landscape art of R.F.M. McInnis

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:48:00 +0000

R.F.M. McInnis, Cows and Little Ones (detail), 1996. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

Robert Francis Michael McInnis was born in 1942 in Saint John, N.B., where he received a diploma in fine and applied arts in 1961. In his early career, McInnis worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer, and served as a Royal Canadian Air Force photographer from 1962 to 1966.

R.F.M. McInnis, Red Barn and Clouds, 1998. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

Before moving to Toronto to devote his life to painting at the age of 30, McInnis held the position of Art Department Head at the Prince George College in British Columbia. In the years since his decision to focus on painting, McInnis has roamed east and west, living in Canada's urban centres and homesteading on the Albertan prairies.

R.F.M. McInnis, The Hill, 1994. From the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Collection. Gift of Jim Coutts, 2010.

He is known for his landscape paintings depicting the rolling hills and grain elevators of rural Alberta, but has also completed a large body of work featuring the figure as his subject.

RFM McInnis continues to paint at his current home in Winnipeg.

McAleenan enthused about opportunity

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:04:25 +0000

Erin McAleenan has no problem admitting she has a competitive side that sometimes gets the better of her. It's a feisty edge she's ready and willing to bring to the Pronghorns women's basketball program as its new voice and leader.

McAleenan was tabbed as the 10th coach in the program's history in April, taking over a team searching for some bite and subsequent success.

"I played the point and I was very competitive," says McAleenan, a point guard for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Acadia Axewomen from 1999 to 2003. She comes to the Horns off a three-year stint as assistant coach with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

"I wasn't afraid to be physical to the point that the game allowed. I played in the women's league in Edmonton while I coached there . . . my competitive edge maybe takes over sometimes," she laughs.

New Horns women's basketball head coach Erin McAleenan is ready to get to work.

A Sussex, New Brunswick native, McAleenan is getting her first crack at being a head coach at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level. Her pedigree is impressive, including a wealth of provincial and national team coaching experience. Currently, she is in her second year as head coach of Alberta's U17 provincial team, and later this month she'll spend two weeks as an apprentice coach/manager with the Canadian National Women's Team as it prepares for the London 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Her penchant for coaching stems from her father, a high school teacher and coach, who she describes as turning Sussex into a basketball town when they moved to the area in the 1970s. McAleenan began coaching as a Grade 8 student when she would help out at summer basketball camps for kids.

"When I went to university, I wanted to be a physiotherapist, probably because I had suffered a lot of injuries and was really interested in that line of work," she says. "Over time I realized that I really preferred working with kids. I ran all the summer camps at Acadia while I played there and when I was graduating (with a BSc) I knew I wanted to get into education."

She worked at a private school as an associate faculty member while she pursued her education degree at Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, coaching high school boys and girls and earning provincial team experience within the Ontario Basketball Association. After working as the lead assistant coach for the Ontario U17 provincial team, she met Alberta coach Scott Edwards at 2008 Nationals tournament in Charlottetown, and he encouraged her to move out west for the assistant's position at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

"While I loved teaching and working with high school kids, I think both my competitive side and my personal experience of playing CIS led me to want to try and make a difference with athletes at this age level," she says.

She comes to the Horns with her eyes wide open, understanding she's entering a basketball hotbed with deep community roots. Gaining the trust of that community will be central to her success.

"I don't think it's going to be easy but I think I'm the right person for the job," she says. "I'm definitely a people person, I want to go out into the community and develop those relationships. It's not going to happen overnight and like any relationship it'll take time for people to get to know me and to trust me and support the program I'm leading."

Her approach is grassroots.

"I want to connect with people, get involved with the high school and junior programs and expand our summer camp options," says McAleenan. "The more I can get out in the community and give back, the more people will get to know me so that we can create those relationships."

The Pronghorn program has the capability to lead basketball development in southern Alberta and McAleenan says her players can benefit from taking on that responsibility.

"I want to be able to give my student athletes opportunities to develop their leadership skills in the community and to do their part in being better role models, especially for younger females, whether that is through basketball specifically or other things I think we could get involved in," she says.

It all lends to creating an environment for success, both as students and as student-athletes.

"I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with these young student-athletes and I value the role we have in their development," says McAleenan.

GET THE FACTS

· McAleenan considers herself a defense-first coach whose teams score off transition opportunities and good shot selection

· She was an assistant coach with the Canadian Developmental National Team at the 2011 Pan Am Games

· Adopted, McAleenan has a brother who played basketball at Bishop's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is currently living in Ottawa, as well as three half-brothers and two half-sisters, all living in New Brunswick

· McAleenan had never met U of L President Mike Mahon while they were both at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, but she did teach his son Seann a physical activity course at U of A and his other son, Brennan, was a physical therapist for the men's basketball program in her first year with the women's team

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

McAleenan looks ahead as new Horns coach

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:40:06 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomed Erin McAleenan as the new Pronghorn women's basketball coach recently, the 10th head coach in the program's history.

"We are really excited to have a dynamic young coach whose vision will help move our program forward," says Executive Director of Sport and Recreation Sandy Slavin. "

McAleenan comes to the 'Horns from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas, where she spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach. She also brings a wealth of national and provincial team experience to the program.

She was an assistant coach with the Canadian Developmental National team at the Pan Am Games in 2011 and an apprentice coach with the Canadian Senior National team in summer 2011.

As well, McAleenan has coached in the both the Alberta and Ontario Basketball Associations with numerous teams, including the head coach of the Alberta U17 girls last summer and this coming summer.

"I am thrilled about my appointment as head coach," says McAleenan. "I am looking forward to working in such a strong basketball community and for a university that prides itself of personal connections and community engagement."

"My first priority will be to meet with the current student-athletes and prepare our vision for next season."
Prior to joining the U of A Pandas as an assistant, McAleenan spent five years teaching and coaching high school basketball at Trinity College School, a private school in Port Hope, Ontario.

The Sussex, New Brunswick native also played at the university level, playing for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Acadia from 1999 to 2003.

"I am extremely excited to have been given the opportunity to be a CIS head coach, as I value the role that we have in developing student-athletes both on and off the court," says McAleenan. "I believe that with a strong work ethic, passion and commitment, we can be the program that excels in developing future leaders in the community while being committed to excellence on the court."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Women's Basketball Coaches
Glen Alexander (1972-73)
Jack Lilja (1973-77)
Donna Roman (1977-79)
Louisa Zerbe (1979-86)
Cal O'Brien (1986-87)
Trix Baker (1987-91)
Dori Johnson (Rodzinyak) (1991-2000)
Shannon Finnie (2000-04)
Donna Branch (2004-12)
Erin McAleenan (2012- present)

Mitacs Globalink students on campus

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:58:42 +0000

They're recognized as being some of the sharpest minds in the world. Now, 46 top undergraduate students from India have come to Alberta to apply their skills to complex research projects and interact with industry.

Four of those elite students are being hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in the Mathematics and Computer Science and Chemistry and Biochemistry departments.

It's all part of a new program called Mitacs Globalink, which was launched to attract international undergraduate students to the province and promote the benefits of a Canadian education to those pursuing graduate degrees.

"Every year, tens of thousands of future entrepreneurs and scientists from India travel abroad to countries like the U.S. or U.K. for graduate studies," says Arvind Gupta, Scientific Director of Mitacs, a leading national research organization that creates innovation research and training programs for up-and-coming researchers.

"Our message to international students is that Canada has world-class universities that provide superior education and innovative collaborative research opportunities. We also have some great companies interested in working with these students to help commercialize their ideas into the new products of tomorrow."

Mitacs has launched this one-of-a-kind program in the province with the support of the Government of Alberta, which has provided $375,000 towards the program.

"During my stay in Alberta, I have been able to interact with Canadian graduate and undergraduate students which has been very enlightening and informative," says Anupam Srivastava, a student from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad who is at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge this summer.

"I would surely recommend the Globalink program to my friends back in India."

The Hon. Greg Weadick, Minister of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology and MLA, Lethbridge West says that programs such as Globalink help position Alberta as a world-leading research and innovation destination.

"We are thrilled to host these young international leaders in Alberta," says Weadick. "Bringing smart people into our Campus Alberta system is essential to building Alberta's knowledge-based economy, and we want these students to come back to Alberta for future studies, and to implement their skills and knowledge here."

At the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the students have jumped right in to their various projects.

"We have been very pleased to host our Globalink students, and are learning from them as much as they are learning from us," says Dr. Jackie Rice, a mathematics and computer science researcher who is working with a student on a project which uses genetic algorithms to try and reduce the size of reversible logic circuits.

Her colleagues Dr. Yllias Chali and Dr. Shahadat Hossain are also supervising students, while another student is working with chemistry and biochemistry researcher Dr. Ute Kothe.

"We hope they will return home with new friends and contacts, and a different perspective on how their future education could include Canada and the U of L," says Rice.

The Globalink program was piloted in 2009 when 17 Indian students spent three months at British Columbia universities.

This year, Mitacs has placed top students from India in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and expanded Globalink programming to students from China and Brazil for the first time.

The Globalink program also goes beyond the classroom, Gupta explains, by providing "a big picture taste for life in Canada.

"As part of the internship, for example, the students spend time working alongside their Canadian counterparts to understand Canadian culture and how easy it is for them to fit in, he says. "Our goal is to have these students interact with Alberta students and form new friendships that will extend well beyond their three months in the province."

"In order to be an international innovation leader, Canada must become an attractor for global talent, ensuring that we can compete effectively with other leading jurisdictions," says Gupta. "Building these types of linkages to India is a key part of that strategy."

Chinooks inducted into hall of fame

trevor.kenney — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:10:29 +0000

It has been 40 years since a group of women from a new and small institution captured the school's first national championship, and the school will celebrate that accompishment by inducting the 1971 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Chinooks into the Pronghorns Hall of Fame at the 44th Pronghorn Blue and Gold awards banquet on Friday, Apr. 8.

Just four years into the existence of the institution, the Chinooks captured the Canadian Junior Women's Basketball Championship at the War Memorial Gymnasium at Vancouver's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

The Chinooks, later renamed the Pronghorns in the fall of 1971 when the campus moved to its westside location, were coached by Wilma Winters, a Lethbridge native and assistant professor of physical education at the U of L. The team's roster was made up of players from southern Alberta with the nucleus hailing from provincial championship teams at Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale.

The U of L squad had come close to winning a national title the year before, losing to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick in the final of the 1970 national tournament, which was held in Lethbridge.

Lethbridge began its run the next year by once again claiming claimed the Alberta crown by defeating Red Deer College 66-29 and Mount Royal College 71-25. It marked the Chinooks' third straight provincial title win.

At the Canadian championships, the Chinooks opened by winning a 46-45 squeaker against host UBC and then advanced to the final by beating Ottawa 70-59. In the title game, Lethbridge defeated Victoria 52-40, with a great team effort.

Members of the team coached by Winters included: Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minne Van Dieren, Sharon Giduk, Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow.

U of L gets high marks

trevor.kenney — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:20:39 +0000

Student satisfaction gets top grades at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, according to the results of a Maclean's magazine poll.

In areas such as class size, student/professor interaction, overall quality of education and student satisfaction, the U of L ranked consistently high. Maclean's magazine posted the results of the 2008 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Survey Consortium (CUSC) poll on its website Thursday, and the results for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge show high marks ranging from 96 per cent to 87 per cent on seven indicators of student satisfaction. More than 12,000 students participated nationally.

The U of L scored best in the area of class size, with 96 per cent of respondents either very satisfied or satisfied with the average size of classes.

Following is a breakdown of the seven indicators and where the U of L scored, in terms of percentage.

2008 Canadian ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Survey Consortium results

How satisfied with the average size of your classes?
96% Very Satisfied/Satisfied

Most of my professors encourage students to participate in class discussions
95% Agree Strongly/Agree

Most of my professors are reasonably accessible outside of class to help
students
94% Agree Strongly/Agree

How satisfied are you with the overall quality of the education you have
received at this university?
94% Very Satisfied /Satisfied

My learning experiences at this university have been intellectually
stimulating
92% Agree Strongly/Agree

At this university, professors treat students as individuals, not just
numbers
87% Agree Strongly/Agree

Improvement needed on teaching ability
36% None/Very Little

All participating universities and their respective rankings can be found on the Maclean's Website.

The CUSC was created in 1994; it is a Canada-only survey, and is in large part about student satisfaction. In 2008, 31 institutions took part, including two universities — UBC and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick — that surveyed multiple campuses.

Surveys were sent to a random sample of approximately 1,000 undergraduates at each university. Institutions with fewer than 1,000 undergrads surveyed the entire cohort.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge also measures student satisfaction through a variety of additional surveys.

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