UNews - Katherine Wasiak

Student support motivated by student experience

trevor.kenney — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 17:25:31 +0000

When Katherine Wasiak and her husband moved from Swift Current, Sask., to Tempe, AZ, in pursuit of master’s and doctorate degrees (respectively) at ArizonaState ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, they left a two-story four bedroom house behind in exchange for a two bedroom apartment – and they had their three young children along with them.

Katherine Wasiak not only gives to Supporting Our Students but is also a member of the program committee.

“Ed was getting about 20 per cent of his salary, and the Canadian dollar was worth about 60 cents American at the time,” recalls Wasiak with a laugh. “It’s amazing what you can learn to live without.”

Although her family’s apartment dwelling days are long behind her, Wasiak still remembers what it was like to be a student under financial strain.

“I empathize with students who are struggling financially,” says Wasiak. “Money is a challenge for most everyone who attends university, but pursuing an education is certainly worthwhile. If there are things we post-graduate ‘survivors’ can do to support students coming up through the ranks, I think it’s incumbent upon us to do so.”

Wasiak donates to Supporting Our Students (SOS) and contributes time to the program as a member of the SOS committee. As the director of public relations and communications for the Faculty of Fine Arts, Wasiak chooses to delegate her funding to the Abbondanza fund – an endowment that supports undergraduate and graduate scholarships in art, music, drama and new media. In Wasiak’s opinion however, where people choose to direct their donations isn’t nearly as important as making a contribution in the first place.

“Students are our business,” says Wasiak emphatically. “We’re here for them and because of them. It’s in everyone’s best interest, students and employees alike, to ensure that U of L students get the best education possible.”

The value of education was instilled in Wasiak early on, and its effects have rippled across her entire life. Wasiak’s parents were both teachers, each of her seven siblings has at least one post-secondary degree, Wasiak herself has two, her husband has four, and their children are now grown and university graduates as well – two of the three of them from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Wasiak says if she knows one thing for sure, it’s that a good education is a necessity in today’s world.

“An education gives you choices,” Wasiak says. “It gives you flexibility and skills and tools. We live in a world that is changing very quickly. There are jobs out there that no-one could have imagined would exist 20 years ago. A solid education teaches you to think critically and creatively, and thrive in a fast-paced changing world. We need people who can lead us forward, which means we need to foster education however we can. Contributing to SOS is a great way of doing our part.”

Abbondànza, a night like no other

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:46:02 +0000

Fine arts professors, students and a local restaurant have once again joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 12th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city!"

The annual Abbondànza evening is one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs, accompanied by tasty music, works of art, drama and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Guests vote in a most unusual way for their favourite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"We have some good news we want to share with everyone," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza Organizing Committee Chair. "Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and thanks to the abundant support from the community, we are approaching our $1-million goal for the Abbondànza Endowment Fund."

Creating an endowment fund ensures that donations in support of student scholarship continue to work far into the future.

"If anyone in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community wants to support our students and help us reach our goal a little faster, they are welcome to make a donation to the Abbondànza Endowment Fund," says MacArthur. "No gift is too small or too large."

Cash and cheque donations can be dropped off in W627 or faculty and staff can use the handy payroll deduction option available through the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos) by clicking Abbondànza Endowment Fund in the gift designation section.

Tickets for Abbondànza 2013 are $150 (include $75 income tax receipt). Call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227 as soon as possible for tickets, as very few remain.

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

Abbondànza is all about abundance

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:24:08 +0000

For the past 11 years, Faculty of Fine Arts professors, staff, students and a local restaurant have joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 11th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city!"

Chef Ken Kain, left, and CoCo Pazzo co-owners Tony Rose and Rocco Suriano with the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy.

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of various regions of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs coupled with tasty music, works of art and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Guests get to vote in a most unusual way for their favorite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and we have received an abundance of support from the community, for which we are grateful," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza committee chairperson. "To date, 34 students have received scholarships totaling $26,000. All the donations go directly to the Abbondànza Endowment fund that will continue to support students far into the future."

Tickets for the event are priced at $125 each and include a $60 income tax receipt.

There are very few tickets left for the event. To book yours, call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227.

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Fine Arts summer camps available

trevor.kenney — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:29:44 +0000

Instead of spending the summer wishing you had something fun and exciting for your children to do, why not give them the opportunity to create a sculpture, paint a picture, make up a play, or act on stage? The U of L Faculty of Fine Arts Drama and Art Camps are the perfect outlet for their summer fun. There are seven weeklong camps to choose from, which run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Act 1
Drama for ages 7 to 10

Use your body, voice and imagination to create a world of original characters and stories in this action-packed camp. Participants must be able to read. The camp concludes with a performance on Friday afternoon for parents and friends.
Camps: July 4-8, July 18-22, Aug. 2-4* and Aug. 8-12

Encore
Drama for ages 11 to 15

Acting, comedy, costumes, make-up, improvisation and more! These camps are perfect for older participants looking for a dramatic challenge.
Camps: July 11-15, July 25-29 and Aug. 15-19

ArtVentures
or ages 7 to 10

Explore drawing, painting, mask making, printmaking, sculpture and more – something new and interesting every day. No experience necessary! The camp concludes with an exhibition of the creative exploits of participants.
Camps: July 4-8, July 11-15, July 18-22, July 25-29 and Aug 2-5*

Artist's Studio
for ages 11 to 15

Specifically designed for students interested in investigating a variety of art experiences including painting, sculpture, printmaking and more. Aug 8-12 and Aug. 15-19

The registration fee for each camp includes all materials and supplies, a unique camp T-shirt and lunch each day.

*Camps from Aug. 3-6 are 4-day camps (Tuesday through Friday). All the rest of the camps are Monday through Friday.

For more information about the drama and art camps call Fine Arts Camps Director Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227. To register for a camp, call U of L Sport and Recreation Services at 403-329-2706.

This story first appeared in the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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.

Abbondanza

trevor.kenney — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:22:32 +0000

For the past 10 years, Faculty of Fine Arts professors, staff, students and a local restaurant have joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 10th Anniversary of Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 29.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city."

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of various regions of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs. Music, works of art and humour are all provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Guests get to vote in a most unusual way for their favourite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"Abbondànza is Italian for abundance, and we have received an abundance of support from the community, for which we are grateful," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza Committee Chairperson.

To date, 29 students have received scholarship totaling $22,000.

"All the donations go directly to the Abbondànza Endowment fund that will continue to support students far into the future."

Tickets are $125 (include $60 income tax receipt). There are a very few tickets left for the event, and for more information, call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227.

Fine Arts website garners accolades

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:53:17 +0000

The Faculty of Fine Arts recently took home first-place honours at Digital Alberta's mediaFresh Awards for its new video website, Experience Fine Arts:
www.lethbridgefinearts.ca

The mediaFresh awards are dedicated to recognizing Alberta digital media professionals and post-secondary students who have created outstanding projects and programs.

The U of L Fine Arts site won in the Non-Commercial Website category. Criteria the judges used in making their selection included: marketing goals and purpose; interactivity and user-friendliness; information design and navigation; visual design; and programming and technical aspects. The panel of judges consisted of recognized leaders and experts in the field of digital media.
Experience Fine Arts was developed with prospective art, music, drama and new media students in mind.

"We wanted to provide future students with a glimpse of what they can experience once they come to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and join our creative community," explains Desmond Rochfort, Faculty of Fine Arts dean.

The site includes videos featuring excerpts from classes, students talking about their experiences, special projects, general information about degree options and a complete list of fine arts events throughout the year.

The website was designed by Jesse Johnstone (BFA '10) during his internship placement in consultation with an advisory committee made up of Desmond Rochfort, Emily Luce, Chris Morris, Venkat Mahadevan and Katherine Wasiak.

The initial group of videos were shot and edited by former new media student Matt Babinec, with the idea being to continue adding and expanding the library of videos. The plan is to refresh the video site on a regular basis by adding between two and four new videos each year.

"It is exciting to have this new and interesting method of reaching prospective students, and to further see it acknowledged with this provincial award," says Rochfort.

Campus Kudos

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:51:13 +0000

Shelley Scott (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) is presenting a paper called Asian Canadian Women Playwrights: The Ties that Bind at the GENesis Asian-Canadian Theatre Conference, May 3-9 in Toronto. The conference is the first of its kind in Canada.

Three U of L alumni have made the long list (Prairies and North region) for the 2010 Sobey Art Award. Daniel Wong (BFA '03) and Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA '98), as The Cedar Tavern Singers AKA Les Phonorealistes, and Robyn Moody (BFA '00) are all in the running for this prestigious award.

Deric Olsen (New Media) has been invited to be an artist/filmmaker-in-residence at the New Media Studio Laboratory (NMSL) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, July 5-9. While there he will work on high definition post-production and delivery methods, and present New Format, New Challenges: Exploring Techniques in High Definition Disc Authoring and Design.

Alumnus Zoran Rajcic (BMgt '94) won the Western Hockey League's 2009-10 Marketing/Public Relations Award. Rajcic is the director of business operations for the Everett Silvertips.

The Faculty of Fine Arts video site (www.lethbridgefinearts.ca) is a finalist in the Best Non-Commercial Website category of Digital Alberta's Media Fresh awards. The web designer was New Media major Jesse Johnston and the advisory committee included:
Dr. Desmond Rochfort, Emily Luce, Chris Morris, Venkat Mahadevan and Katherine Wasiak.

Dr. Ed Jurkowski (Music) presented a paper entitled, How Formal Function Theory can inform Nineteenth-Century Deformed Sonata Designs: A Case Study using Bruckner's Symphonies, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.) during the annual joint meeting of the Rocky Mountain Societies for Music Theory and Musicology.

Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) had his composition Ikos-kun tu 'bar ba premiered by The Rubbing Stone Ensemble at a concert at the Rozsa Centre in Calgary.

Karen Mahar (dean's office) received a $3,000 scholarship from Alberta Advanced Education in recognition of her exceptional work in her first year as a graduate student. Mahar is now in her second year of an MA in English.

Deanna Oye (Music) and Peter Visentin (Music) presented recitals of solo and duo music at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba and Canadian Mennonite ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Winnipeg last month. They also conducted master's classes and lessons in the areas of collaborative piano and violin. Visentin gave a lecture on his research into musicians' injuries to the Medical Rehabilitation Faculty of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba, and Oye also played a solo recital in Brandon, Man. following a week as senior piano adjudicator at the Brandon Festival of the Arts.

Combat sleep apnea by attending Lunch and Learn

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:09:49 +0000

Do you find you are often tired, even after a full night's sleep?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious breathing problem that interrupts your sleep. This results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. Another symptom can be snoring and pauses in your breathing while sleeping.

This month's Wellness Lunch and Learn is focusing on sleep apnea. Shaun Wojtowicz, owner of Chinook Respiratory Care, will be on campus Nov. 17 in TH277 to discuss symptoms, signs and treatment for sleep apnea. Make sure you come and check out this informative topic over the lunch hour.

Obstructive sleep apnea means you have short pauses in your breathing when you sleep. These breathing pauses – called apneas or apnea events – last for 10 to 30 seconds, maybe longer. People with obstructive sleep apnea can stop breathing dozens or hundreds of times each night.

If it's not treated, sleep apnea can lead to major health problems, accidents, and even early death. Thankfully, there are excellent treatments for obstructive sleep apnea.

Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea:
• high blood pressure
• irritability, mood swings or depression
• gasping or choking during sleep
• tiredness or fatigue
• lack of concentration
• morning headaches
• memory problems/memory loss
• sexual dysfunction

The Women's Health Challenge (sponsored by Alberta Health Services Breast and Cervical Health program, Chinook Regional Hospital and Meyers Norris Penny) wrapped up at the end of October. A total of 30 women entered the challenge and have a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Keg. Thanks to all who had pap tests and mammograms from May 27 to Oct. 26 and good luck in the prize draw!

The Wellness Committee would like to thank all Life Balance Fair exhibitors, prize donors and especially participants that came out on Oct 21. Thanks also to AUPE, who donated $200 towards lunch. The Wii Sports Resort Game was won by Judy Jaeger, caretaking, and the Digital Camera (donated by Chinook Respiratory Care) was won by Chris Lastuka, Anthropology.

Prize winners and donors:
- Large First Aid Kit - donated by Blue Cross - Gwen Umeris

- Shopper's Gift Basket - Shopper's Drug Mart West - Pat Anderson

- Runner's Soul $50.00 Gift Card - Sharon Kanashiro

- Tickets to Opera Goes to the Movies - U of L Fine Arts - Brittanie Graham

- Tickets to Hay Fever - U of L Fine Arts - MaryAnne Hellinga

- Horns 10-game combo pass - U of L Sport and Rec Services - Aubrey Salloway and Chris Lastuka

- One-month facility membership - U of L Sport and Rec Services - Dirk Olsen

- Money Mentors one-hour session - Amanda Berg

- Mini first aid kits - Blue Cross - won by Kim Ordway, Barb Dudley, Judy Jaeger

- Aluminum water bottles - Blue Cross - Connie Chaplin, Betsy Greenlees

- Pedometers - Blue Cross - Doug Smith, Anita Salberg

- Fleece blanket in a bag - donated by Mercer - Louise Miller

- Water bottles - donated by Mercer - won by Katherine Wasiak, Sandra Wiest, Christine Groves, Charlene Sawatsky, Diane Layng

- Digital camera – donated by Chinook Respiratory Care – won by Chris Lastuka

Suzanne McIntosh, Wellness Co-ordinator

Summer fun with Fine Arts Drama and Art Camps

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:38:26 +0000

Instead of having your kids spend the summer wishing they had something exciting to do, why not have them create a sculpture, paint a picture, make up a play, or appear on stage? They'll have those opportunities by participating in one or more of the U of L Faculty of Fine Arts Drama and Art Camps.

With a variety of weekly camps to choose from, running weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., every child will find something to their liking.

"All the camps provide a positive, enriching experience, and are just plain fun," says Katherine Wasiak, communications officer, Faculty of Fine Arts. "No previous experience is necessary and all participants need to bring is their curiosity, and a desire to learn something new."

Fine Arts camps have been held for the past nine years and have continued to be extremely popular. Following is a roundup of camp options.

Drama Adventures
(For ages 7 to 10)

Use your body, voice and imagination to create a world of original characters and stories in this action-packed camp. Participants must be able to read. The camp concludes with a performance on Friday afternoon for parents and friends.

Camps: July 6-10, July 20-24, Aug. 4-7 and Aug. 10-14.

Survivor: Drama Camp
(For ages 11 to 15)

Acting, comedy, costumes, make-up, improvisation and more! These camps are perfect for older participants looking for a dramatic challenge.

Camps: July 13-17, July 27-31 and Aug. 17-21.

Art Adventures
(For ages 7 to 10)

Explore drawing, painting, mask making, printmaking, sculpture and more – something new and interesting every day. No experience necessary! The camp concludes with an exhibition of the creative exploits of participants.

Camps: July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20-24, July 27-31 and Aug. 4-7.

Exploring Art
(For ages 11 to 15)

Specifically for students interested in investigating in-depth a variety of art experiences including painting, sculpture, printmaking and more.

Camps: Aug. 10-14 and Aug. 17-21.

UNews - Katherine Wasiak

Student support motivated by student experience

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