UNews - Pincher Creek

Mahon to take part in Jail N' Bail

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:16:50 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Mike Mahon will be carted off to 'prison' January 18, 2013 for charges which relate to taking his zeal for campus fitness to extremes -- providing a fleet-footed team of law enforcement officials can catch him.

The less gruesome details of Mahon's charges, which can be revealed prior to his court date (now confirmed as January 18) involve:

- Imposing an exercise plan for all Deans and senior managers which one source said was literally heart-breaking: Until people 'shape up', desks have been replaced with treadmills.

- Turning the annual "Fun Run" into a three-day ordeal where participants followed the Oldman River valley from Lethbridge to Pincher Creek. It was described by the few delusional, gasping participants found by search and rescue teams as "…bad." Mahon is reported to have paddled upstream in a canoe, shouting what he believed were words of encouragement at the runners through a large bull-horn: "You are Pronghorns! Pronghorns run fast! Don't look at the rocks!"

- Demanding that the grounds staff use shovels to clear parking lot snowfall, citing the extra boost in cardio-vascular benefits, and on-the-job injury management training for Health Sciences Nursing students.

- Increasing the pace of the convocation March up the hill by chasing the procession with a street-sweeper and a team of students wielding leaf-blowers, even on windy days.

Mahon is vigorously denying the charges and, when approached by a horde of reporters, ran briskly into the coulees.

He has not been seen since.

He will face a jury of his community peers at the Canadian Cancer Society's Jail-n-Bail event, which takes place January 17-18 at Centre Village Mall.

To support Mike, please click on this web link:

http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR?fr_id=13112&pg=entry

For additional information, please visit this website:

http://www.cancer.ca/Alberta-NWT/How%20you%20can%20help/AB-Fundraising%20activities/AB-Jail-N-Bail.aspx?sc_lang=en

Brick by Brick benefit dinner for MS Society

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:40:35 +0000

Exchanging lab coats for formal attire, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's iGEM team is stepping out of its comfort zone to connect with the southern Alberta community that has supported them from the outset.

The inaugural Brick by Brick Charity Dinner is Friday, Nov. 18 in the Students' Union Ballroom. Benefitting the MS Society, Lethbridge & District Chapter, the event will not only raise funds for the fight against multiple sclerosis, it will help to enhance awareness and understanding of the disease through guest speakers Susan Schneider and Dr. Gerlinde Metz.

"This is something we've wanted to do for a few years now and have finally been able to put together because of the size of our team," says iGEM member Lisza Bruder.

The Pincher Creek native is in her third year with iGEM and in the first year of her master's of biochemistry studies with Dr. Steve Mosimann. The multidisciplinary iGEM team, with support from the Synthetic Biology Club and led by Dr. HJ Wieden, has swelled to 22 members, making the establishment of a charity dinner a less daunting task.

"We felt this was a way to give back to the community that has supported us from when we started in 2007."

The iGEM group (an acronym for International Genetically Engineered Machines) already makes a significant contribution to society, albeit in a more indirect manner. Their work involves the design of a petrochemical-eating bacteria, which they proved could be used to help clean up water in oil sands tailings ponds.

The dinner project is a little more public and more direct.

"It's very difficult at times to go and talk with someone about your research and explain to them what it means," says Bruder. "We even sometimes don't see the connect between what we are doing in the lab and how it applies down the line."

To that end, U of L neuroscience professor Metz will speak to her studies as a part of the endMS project.

"Having an MS researcher from our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ speak to the community has a huge impact," says Ann Stewart, the MS Society chapter executive director. "It demonstrates the use of donor funds as well as raises the awareness of the types of research being done to find a cause and cure for MS."

Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada and currently affects over 11,000 Albertans.

In addition to Metz's address, Susan Schneider, a local resident who is living with MS, will speak to her personal experience with the disease, while Dory Rossiter will serve as the evening's emcee.

Stewart says it is important that our community's youth take up the charge for these initiatives.

"We are delighted to partner with the iGEM team," she says. "��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students are an integral part of our community and it is always refreshing to be involved in their activities."

Tickets for the Brick by Brick Charity Dinner are priced at $50 each or $350 for a table of eight. They are available by calling 403-328-7002 or via e-mail at brickbybrick.igem@gmail.com

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

DELF-DALF Centre a language hub

trevor.kenney — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:22:45 +0000

More people in southern Alberta will have access to an internationally recognized French language testing process this year.

The DELF-DALF French Language Proficiency Testing Centre at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge offered its first exams in April and is now gearing up for a new round of testing in November.

The DELF-DALF tests recognize written and spoken competency in the French language at several levels, ranging from beginner to expert. More than 50 people, including U of L students, middle school students from Pincher Creek and members of the general public, completed the testing process last year. Successful candidates receive an internationally recognized diploma issued by the Centre International D'Etudes Pédagogiques (CIEP) in Paris.

Modern languages professors Steven Urquhart and Barbara Dickinson founded the local centre through a successful grant application to the Canada-Alberta Official Language Protocol (COLEP) in 2009, which saw them receive $127,000 per year over four years.

Modern Languages faculty members (L to R), Steven Urquhart, Mélanie Collado and Barbara Dickinson.

A steering committee, consisting of director Urquhart and co-directors, Dickinson and Mélanie Collado from Modern Languages and Peter Heffernan from the Faculty of Education, is working with local school boards to promote French in southern Alberta. The entire testing process is strictly controlled by the French government through the CIEP and depends on "corrector-examiners" who have successfully completed an extensive training course. Currently the Centre has recruited correctors from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Pincher Creek.

As part of the Centre's ongoing work, Urquhart and Collado spent part of their summer in Nantes, France attending a program offered by the CIEP to become trainers for the DELF (Diplôme d'études en langue française) and DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) corrector-examiners.

"In this way, we will be able to train correctors without depending on the Alliance Française in Calgary, " says Urquhart. "This past summer, a few correctors took training in order to be able to offer advanced testing (DALF C1/C2), which should appeal to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students as well as to people looking to work and or study internationally. Most French universities, for example, require students to have the C1 level to enroll in regular courses with French students."

Urquhart adds that employers are increasingly recognizing the DELF/DALF standard when a second language is required or suggested as part of a job description.

"The DELF and the DALF correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is quickly becoming the international standard with respect to the evaluation of language proficiency," says Urquhart. "For example, at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, the Common European Framework of Reference was used to evaluate potential employees' language proficiency."

Urquhart says that the French diplomas have equivalencies in German (Zertifikat Deutsch), Spanish (DELE), Italian (CELI) and many other languages. These diplomas serve as language proficiency guides for public and private sector institutions around the world, and allow them to better understand an individual's language competency.

"This is the only French testing centre south of Calgary, so anyone in this area can contact us to learn more about the process. We are also looking for people to act as corrector-examiners. The more people we have helping us, the better we can serve those who want to take the tests and have their language skills officially recognized."

The deadline to apply for the next round of testing is Oct. 4. The tests begin in early November. There is no cost, but a deposit is required to confirm enrollment and is refunded when the course is complete.

To learn more, please visit this website: http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/delf-dalf/

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

Culture Vulture Saturdays bring community to campus

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:57:49 +0000

Wipe away those winter blues and spend the day in the Atrium for Culture Vulture Saturday.

Art meets chemistry in the Jan. 15 edition of the popular, community-friendly program, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Using ink from berries, participants will have the opportunity to make a very unique art project.

"The month of January not only marks a new year, but also welcomes a new exhibit in the main gallery," says Rosalind Jeffrey, Culture Vulture program co-ordinator. "A Little History on the Prairies features the Nanton series of photographs by Geoffrey James and works by Margaret Shelton, which showcase the prairie landscape, a part of who we are as Canadians. The exhibit also includes sketches by Group of Seven artist, A.Y. Jackson, done during his time in Pincher Creek."

After studying these landscapes, participants take a step back in time and will make their own ink from the juice of berries.

"Art meets chemistry in this activity, which is perfect for art enthusiasts of all ages," says Jeffrey. "You'll be able to use your handmade ink to sketch your own prairie landscape. Perhaps you'll want to include a raspberry bush to remind you that spring is on its way!"

Supplies are provided and the admission to Culture Vulture Saturday is always free.

For a look at the full issue of the December Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Jiskoot discusses glaciers, climate change

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:03:24 +0000

Renowned ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge geography professor Dr. Hester Jiskoot will discuss the hot button issue of climate change and how it is affecting the world's glaciers, Tuesday in Pincher Creek.

Presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Senate Outreach Committee, Jiskoot will present Slip-Sliding Away: Glaciers, Climate Change, and Environmental Effects on Tuesday, Mar. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. at St. Michael's School gymnasium in Pincher Creek.

Jiskoot is a glacier researcher and associate professor in the Department of Geography at the U of L. Her free presentation will be followed by a question and answer period.

Management Scholarship Dinner to honour North

trevor.kenney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:18:19 +0000

Lethbridge-based lawyer, R. Philip (Phil) M. North, Q.C., a principal in the firm North & Company LLP, is the Faculty of Management's 2010 Scholarship Dinner honoree. The event takes place Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Lethbridge Lodge. Tickets and tables of eight are available by calling 403-329-5181.

A Lethbridge resident for more than 35 years, Phil North has served the legal profession extensively at a local, provincial and national level, including roles as Chairman of the Alberta Law Foundation, Chair of the Legal Education Society of Alberta, and President of the Lethbridge Bar Association. In recognition of his many contributions, Phil received the Distinguished Service Award from the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch.

He has given generously to his community in leadership roles as President of the Lethbridge Rotary Club, Chair of the Lions Eye Bank (Alberta) Society, President of the Lethbridge Community Foundation, and Director of the Community Foundations of Canada. He has also been active in the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, Lethbridge Minor Hockey Association, Lethbridge Easter Seal Telethon and the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise, Lethbridge Chapter.

Aside from frequently attending events in celebration and support of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Phil has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors (1978-1984) and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2004.

Phil was born and raised in Deloraine, Manitoba and attended Brandon College (now Brandon ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ). In 1971 he completed his law degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba and moved to Lethbridge in 1973. He assisted in establishing the Blairmore and Pincher Creek branch offices of North and Company and is now the managing partner of the firm.

He and his wife Freda have three children and five grandchildren. His outside interests include hockey and gardening.

Alumna part of nursing's first class

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:15:04 +0000

Internationally recognized for her outstanding achievements and contributions to Canadian and aboriginal health care, Dr. Madeleine Dion Stout (BN '82), former Distinguished Alumnus of the year (1995), vividly remembers the day she began her remarkable journey in the field of health care.

"When I was seven years old I started having severe abdominal pain, nausea and a fever. My mother and father hitched up the horse and wagon and we drove all day through the ditches to get to the outpost hospital," remembers Dion Stout. "A lot of people look at ditches as a metaphor for a low life, but I remember feeling overwhelmed with love for my parents and with their love for me as they sat in the wagon so dignified. They had great determination to make sure I was OK no matter how humbly we navigated. In a way, they were like the nurses who would take care of me, so dignified going about their corporal acts of mercy."

Arriving at the hospital, Dion Stout underwent an emergency appendectomy and had her first exposure to nursing. Impressed by the nurses' gentle touches, kind demeanour and white winged hats, Dion Stout decided she would be a nurse one day.

"After high school I went to work as a ward aid in St. Paul, Alta. I applied to Edmonton General Hospital to become a registered nurse because there was a Cree woman from the Saddle Lake First Nation studying there, and I thought if she was accepted maybe I could be too," says Dion Stout.

She completed her RN in 1968 and began working in various capacities for Health and Welfare Canada and as a hospital staff nurse in Edmonton before moving to Pincher Creek to work as a public health nurse on the Peigan First Nation. Wanting to further her education, Dion Stout was thrilled when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge launched its bachelor of nursing program.

"We were the first graduates in 1982," recalls Dion Stout. "I found it a real privilege to study, but I never found it easy. The academic quality at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was superb and very challenging. I had to work my head off."

Dion Stout, who graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing degree with distinction in 1982, credits the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with honing her widely recognized critical thinking and analytical skills.

"I wrote a paper for Dr. Menno Boldt. I thought I aced it because I had worked so hard on it. I only got a B+. He told me that it was a descriptive essay and not an analytic paper. That was when I learned the difference between writing a good story and being a critical thinker," says Dion Stout.

After her graduation in 1982, Dion Stout began working with the Alberta Indian Health Care Commission. She worked as a special advisor in 1983 to Monique Begin, minister of Health and Welfare Canada, and in 1985 Dion Stout became the director of the Indian and Inuit Health Careers Program in Ottawa.

By 1989, Dion Stout knew it was time to further her education once again. She began a master of arts in international affairs at Carleton ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Ottawa and graduated in 1993. While writing her thesis, she became the director for the Centre for Aboriginal Education, Research and Culture at Carleton. She worked as an assistant professor there until 2001 when she and her husband moved to Vancouver.

"I keep myself very busy with boards and committees. In the past nine years, I have been doing the same things I had been doing as a professor, lecturing, researching, writing and public speaking. I use a Cree lens and Cree concepts to try to deepen the understanding of aboriginal health," explains Dion Stout. "I hope throughout my career that I have made people think differently, and I hope that whatever I have done and said that more is done than said at the end."

GET THE FACTS

• Dion Stout is a grandmother of three.

• A Cree speaker, she was born and raised on the Kehewin First Nation, Alta.

• She is the president of Dion Stout Reflections Inc.

• She is a recipient of numerous awards, including: 2010 National Aboriginal Achievement Award - Health; 2008 Centennial Nursing Award; 2004 Honorary PhD from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia.

• Her speaking engagements have seen her lecture throughout Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

UNews - Pincher Creek

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