UNews - Ches Skinner

Malaysian exchange a benefit to all involved

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:59:13 +0000

Three months of hands-on experience in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts Scene Shop for Muhammad Azri B. Ali (also known as Ajie) has not only left a lasting and meaningful impression on this Malaysian exchange student's life, but has also positively affected the staff, students and administration at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

For the first time in his life, Ajie travelled overseas, arriving in Lethbridge on Aug. 23, 2012 to experience a new language, new culture and to learn new techniques and skills in theatre and dramatic arts. Led by U of L Professor Emeritus, Dr. Ches Skinner, this unique program between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Technology of Mara in Malaysia and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts has provided valuable experience to four Malaysian theatre students over the past two years.

"I've always wanted to travel around the world, and my professor, Dr. Skinner, approached me to apply for this exchange program to learn and work at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for the semester," explains Ajie.

With no more than a handful of English words in his vocabulary, Ajie settled into his new home at the U of L, working in the Scene Shop on the set of The Rocky Horror Show, the first Mainstage production of the 2012-2013 Theatre and Dramatic Arts Season.

In addition to becoming almost fluent in English over the course of three months, Ajie's experience further enhances his education with the numerous skills he learned on campus.

"I've learned many things," says Ajie. "I've come to appreciate how organized people and systems can be. Reading scale drawings and building set pieces exactly as they are drawn has been very interesting for me to learn. I understand how careful I have to be."

Ajie didn't spend all his time in the Scene Shop. He also joined the Global Drums percussion ensemble and had the chance to lead a dramatic movement class, teaching students a traditional Malaysian dance.

"I have liked the relationships I've made with the professors and the staff," says Ajie. "I intend to work hard so that I can return to Canada to work on a master's program sometime in the near future."

Set to graduate with a degree in theatre directing from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Technology of Mara in June 2013, Ajie says he is better prepared to fulfill the final requirements of his degree, which include directing a play for his final project.

"I can't wait to share my experiences with my friends and colleagues back home, and I also can't wait to return to Canada," he says confidently.

Visiting students add to mosaic

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:50:48 +0000

For Nurul, Kamil and Datu, students from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Tecknologi Mara in Malaysia, discovering all there is to do and learn this semester at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is the experience of a lifetime. In turn, for students, faculty and staff in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts, hosting these exceptional students is not only rewarding but also provides the opportunity to learn from their exchange visitors.

The exchange program, spearheaded by Theatre and Dramatic Arts Professor Emeritus, Dr. Ches Skinner, is the first of its kind for the department.

"Since I retired from the U of L, I have been teaching in the Faculty of Film, Theatre and Animation at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia," says Skinner. "UiTM has a program that enables students to go overseas to complete a three-month practicum. I encouraged Nurul, Kamil and Datu to apply and they did. I approached the U of L Fine Arts department last year to consider hosting these students and the rest, as they say, was history."

Visiting Malaysian students Nurul Ain Binyi Mohd Salihuddin, Mohd Kamil Bin Zukepeli and Datu Hazriel Bin Datu Atik.

The students were in Lethbridge from August through October adjusting to their new life, moving into a new home, registering for classes and becoming acquainted with the theatre production shops where they are working.

"I really had no experience on a sewing machine," says Nurul, who is working in the Costume Shop with manager Teresa Heyburn and assistant Lynn Hopkins. "Back home, we mostly sew by hand. I have learned so many things from Teresa and Lynn. These skills are very valuable to my studies and career back home."

Kamil and Datu have been busy in the Props and Scene Shops, working on the set of the next Mainstage production, The Government Inspector, with properties master Jay Johnston, head shop carpenter David Green and scene shop assistant Arlene Curran.

"I chose to come to the U of L after talking to Dr. Skinner and exploring the U of L website. I plan to use the skills learned here in theatre back home in Malaysia. It's been a great experience so far," says Kamil.

"Nurul, Kamil and Datu come from small villages and pay for their education through loans and work they do out of school," explains Skinner. "They could never afford to travel outside their country, so consequently, the world beyond their borders is often a collage of what they pick up from films, TV and newspapers. This experience will immeasurably expand their knowledge of the world and themselves."

Meeting new friends, practicing English, discovering new skills and using new technology continues to expand the students' experiences every day.

"A university is a place where people from different cultures, beliefs, traditions and practices come together to share ideas and experiences; to get to know each other, and in doing so, contribute positively to the global community of which we are all a part," adds Skinner. "Nowhere is that more important than in the fine arts, which celebrates our humanity through all forms of expression. In a small way, I believe this program reflects that aim and will hopefully break through the geographical obstacles and help people from different parts of the world to get to know each other."

As Nurul, Kamil and Datu's visit concludes in November, it is hoped another handful of UiTM students will take advantage of the exchange program and join the Faculty of Fine Arts at the U of L, to discover all the opportunities found on campus and throughout the whole community.

"I hope the U of L will become the preferred place for students from UiTM for many years," says Skinner. "This program adds to their education and is exceedingly valuable for them."

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Long Service Awards Wednesday

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:00:57 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is holding its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 4, beginning at 1 p.m. in the Students' Union Ballrooms.

A total of 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service, and 23 retiring employees will be recognized. All employees are invited to the ceremony and reception to honour the award recipients. The reception will include light refreshments.

Following is a list of retirees who will be honoured at the ceremony. For the full list of employees to be recognized, follow this link.

Retirees
Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells.

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:09:20 +0000

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian Zimbabwe-born muralist Dr. Desmond Rochfort assumed the position of dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts in July, taking over for Dr. Ches Skinner, who had presided over the Faculty for the previous 10 years. Rochfort, who was president of the Alberta College of Art & Design in 1999, was most recently head of the School of Fine Arts at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. One of Britain's leading public mural artists, Rochfort was trained initially as a painter at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London before graduating with a master's in fine arts from the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He earned his PhD in art history from the Royal College of Art in London.

Also this summer, Edmonton-native Alison Nussbaumer began her term as the new university librarian. This is the fourth educational stop for Nussbaumer, who previously worked at Edmonton's Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) campus, as well as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan and most recently, Prince George's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Nussbaumer is president of the Canadian Association of College and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Libraries, as well as a past-president of both the Library Association of Alberta and the British Columbia Library Association. She achieved her undergraduate and library degrees from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and her master of arts degree from Royal Roads ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Victoria, B.C.

U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Librarian

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:39:31 +0000

UNews - Ches Skinner

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