UNews - Jay Gamble

Cultivating connections through the Global Citizenship Cohort

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 23:20:39 +0000

The Global Citizenship Cohort (GCC), now in its third year, has been providing first-year students with an enhanced first-year educational experience.

Students are given the unique opportunity to connect some of their first-year courses around a common theme while interacting with a group of like-minded students. The theme for the past few years has been very popular, and centres around water, sustainability and social justice. Students in the cohort have been provided with connections to professors, mentors, job opportunities and volunteer opportunities that complement their academic experiences. This combination offers a unique and engaging undergraduate experience and a head start in whatever career they choose to pursue.

Students in the GCC take five of their 10 first-year courses together: two in the fall, two in the spring, and seminar - for Cohort students only - that runs all year. These five courses are taken as a group, giving the opportunity to build friendships among students with similar interests, be taught and mentored by a core group of inspiring professors, develop leadership skills, and learn how to have a positive impact on the world.

If students already have a major in mind, the cohort will help to fulfill electives and liberal education requirements. If they haven’t chosen a major yet, these courses will give a taste of the variety of disciplines available and help to find a path for the future. Students who complete the five courses as part of the group will receive a Certificate of Global Citizenship upon graduating.

Students that participated in the GCC have gone on to pursue new interests they discovered while in the program.

“Even though my major is environmental science, this semester I am doing an independent study in anthropology that is related to land use issues in Ireland. Taking the anthropology class as part of the cohort last year showed me that this discipline also gives a very important perspective on environmental issues and that it is important to look at both the scientific and social science aspects of an issue,” says Flavia Egli.

Last year, students in the GCC had the opportunity to work on a Southern Alberta Water Charter project with the Oldman Watershed Council (OWC), a community-based, not-for-profit group that works to find practical solutions to environmental challenges that impact us all.

Several of the students formed lasting relationships at the OWC and continue their work either as volunteers, or in the case of Antoine Gendron, on the board of directors.

“The project gave us the time and space to apply what we are learning and our passions into the community and the university. It allowed us to start using our potential beyond hypothetical situations,” explains Gendron.

Jace Briand also volunteers with the OWC and is doing an independent study with one of his GCC professors.

“I really enjoyed all the different presentations we had and how our professors showed us how the many different subjects are tied together. It was great to see so many connections between the majors and minors represented by the cohort members,” he explains. “It was the perfect way to start my first year of university. The cohort is directly responsible for helping me decide which educational path was right for me.”

Katelyn Arik puts special appreciation into the social aspect of the cohort.

“I enjoyed how as a first-year in the cohort you get to deal with the challenges of being a first-year with other people that are going through the same things as you. The cohort made it easier to find a group of friends too because everyone shares the same classes,” she says. “It may seem scary, but just sit next to someone and start a conversation. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is hard enough as it is; sometimes all you need is to know you are not the only one struggling. Push yourself to think outside the box and challenge yourself no matter how simple the task seems.”

In 2018-2019 the GCC will expand to offer an additional theme: one group will focus on water and sustainability, while a second group will focus on identity and politics. Both themes will offer different perspectives on what we see taking place in the world around us. Each theme will also ensure that students are well-prepared for their second, third and fourth years at uLethbridge, as well as for their transition to careers beyond university. Not only do students receive a unique social jump start to their university career, they also have guided access to further opportunities such as applied studies, independent studies, co-operative education, and teaching assistant positions.

Applications for the Fall 2018 cohort are open until June 1st, 2018 and entry is competitive so space is limited. Students in any Faculty of Arts & Science major can participate and students from other majors will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please feel free to contact the coordinator Dr. Jay Gamble (403-382-7178 jay.gamble@uleth.ca) with any questions you might have, or learn more about the student cohort at ulethbridge.ca/artsci/gc.

PUBlic Professor Series spawns a spinoff

caroline.zentner — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 20:53:05 +0000

Although Faculty of Arts & Science professors could be labelled serious, scholarly types by day, the occasion of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 50th anniversary has given them a reason to have a little fun while still imparting their knowledge.

The PUBlic Professor Series: 5-Minute Edition, is designed to showcase the diversity of research interests within the Faculty in an entertaining format. Each of 10 professors will have five minutes and a maximum of 15 PowerPoint slides to do a presentation on their research. The slides will automatically advance every 20 seconds, requiring the speaker to keep pace.

“After five minutes is over, I’m cutting them off,” says Dr. Kevin McGeough (BA ’96), a U of L geography professor and moderator of the event. “That makes it fun because there’s a kind of panicked element to the presentation. It’s especially fun for professors because we’re not known for being concise in our comments. That lightning-fast approach makes it interesting for people to watch.”

The professors who have agreed to participate include Dr. Jay Gamble (English), Dr. René Barendregt (Geography), Dr. Sergio Pellis (Neuroscience), Dr. Ute Kothe (Biochemistry), Dr. Omar Rodriguez (Modern Languages), Dr. Jennifer Copeland (Kinesiology), Dr. Janay Nugent (History), Dr. Locke Spencer (Physics), Dr. Maura Hanrahan (Native American Studies) and Dr. Hillary Rodrigues (Religious Studies).

“One of the things we’re looking for is that these research presentations be of interest to the public and to people who aren’t specialists in the area of expertise,” says McGeough. “That matches the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s liberal education approach where we have all sorts of different disciplinary backgrounds and we all contribute to a larger conversation.”

McGeough has some experience with the format from a session he participated in at an event hosted by the U of L Faculty Association. He has a few tips for his colleagues who’ll be participating.

“Talk quickly, have a sense of what you want to say before you get up there and pick your slides well. If you lose track of where you are, good slides can cue you to get back on track or find a new track to go down,” says McGeough.

The PUBlic Professor Series: 5-Minute Edition is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. in B756 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall. McGeough says the event will be informal and people are welcome to drop in on the session even after it’s started.

“We especially hope that alumni will come and experience this event. This will be a fun way to spend the afternoon,” says McGeough, adding everyone is welcome to attend.

Writers rewarded with 2015 Plays and Prose prizes

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:19:56 +0000

Thanks to a generous ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus, undergraduate students have the opportunity to flex their creative-writing muscles, win cash, earn recognition, and have their work presented in a public reading on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 7 p.m. in the David Spinks Theatre.

The 2015 winners, including top row from left to right are Garrett Bishoff, Brayden Haidenger and AJ Baragar. Bottom row from left to right are Emma Dering, Blair Yoxall and Rodrigo Henriquez.

Alumnus Terry Whitehead (BA '94), whose aim is to encourage excellence and help develop student writing skills, generously donates $5,000 in prizes each year to the Striking Prose and Play Right Prize competitions. First place winners in both competitions receive a $1,500 prize, second prize is $750 and third is $250, making these some of the most lucrative awards in the country for undergraduate student writing competitions. The competitions are open to all U of L undergraduate students and this year winners came from four different areas – History, English, New Media and Dramatic Arts.

Play Right Prize Winners

History major, Garrett Bishoff earned first place in the Play Right Prize for his play Detritus.

“Of all entries to this competition, this script demonstrated the strongest potential for growth and development. The playwright has playfully interwoven two narratives into a single exploration of fraternal love and loss,” says juror Jamie Dunsdon, Co-Artistic Director of Calgary’s Verb Theatre on behalf of fellow jury members Grant Linneberg, a Calgary based actor, and Dr. Kiki Benzon, U of L English professor.

Lost Dog by Brayden Haidenger, a dramatic arts major, took second place.

“Lost Dog is an avalanche of suburban family drama neatly framed within the search for a lost pet,” says Benzon. “It probes the limits of love in a family struggling to reconcile shared values with individual desires. We were impressed by the juxtaposition of the sitcom comedy setting with the dark subject matter.”

Third place in the Play Right Prize went to Co-Workers by AJ Baragar, also a dramatic arts major. The jury was thrilled to see a comedy in this year's mix of plays. They congratulated the playwright for creating a zany comedy with a surprise ending that was worth the wait. This play has already made it to the stage. In March 2014 it took three awards at the Chinook Regional One Act Festival in Lethbridge (Best Play, Best Original Script, and Best Male Actor) and at the Alberta Provincial One Act Festival last May it won Best Original Script. Co-Workers appears at Club Didi (Lethbridge) March 18-21 and Birds and Stone (Calgary) May 27-30.

Striking Prose Winners

Striking Prose, the short story writing competition, was adjudicated by three faculty members from the U of L Department of English, Dr. Kiki Benzon, Dr. Jay Gamble, and Dr. Wendy Faith.

Fourth-year English major, Emma Dering took first place with An Amiable Correspondence, which the jurors called a ‘Single White Female,’ epistolary for a late-Victorian age.

“This story sets the spine a tingle with one lonely student’s brewing obsession with her governess,” says Gamble. "It ultimately reveals the psychological instability of the young protagonist.”

Second place went to Blair Yoxall, also an English major, for Raymond’s Comet, which offers a witty and funny merging of the superhero and the literary in a hyper-real local setting.

“Mayor Nenshi even makes a cameo appearance,” says Gamble.

Third prize for the Striking Prose competition was won by Topnew media major Rodrigo Henriquez for Icarus, a story of the earth’s impending destruction told from multiple perspectives in a sinister science fiction mode.

Creative writers crowned as competition winners

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 21:43:58 +0000

Thanks to a generous alumnus, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students have the opportunity to flex their creative-writing muscles and possibly win fame and fortune. The annual Striking Prose short story competition and Play Right Prize playwriting competition, sponsored by alum Terry Whitehead (BA '94), are proud to announce the 2014 award winners.

Contest winners, from left, include Czarina Zoleta, Liam Monaghan, Travis Robinson and Chelsea Woolley.

Taking the first place prize in the Striking Prose category is Travis Robinson for his short story, The Contest, in which a radio contest captures the attention and imagination of a small town. This was the only award presented this year for Striking Prose.

A three member jury consisting of Dr. Jay Gamble, Dr. Kiki Benzon and Dr. Heather Ladd critiqued the story by saying that through carefully building suspense, the author shifts perspectives between a number of average men and women, finally showing his audience that the extraordinary is never far from the ordinary. The strength of this story was its shifting focalization and whirling perspectival shifts. They also indicated that a contest where something is won and something is lost is the uneasy irony of this finely observed short story.

First place for the Play Right Prize went to Czarina Zoleta for her play, In Another Life, which the jurors unanimously agreed on because the script moved them so strongly.

“There are beautiful relationships between characters in this script and the structure creates strong dramatic tension,” says Zaborsky on behalf of fellow jurors Jacqueline Russell and Meg Braem. “We thought it was subtle in its poignancy. All three of us were moved by the story. It also managed to successfully create believable alternative worlds.”

Because the quality was so high, this year’s Play Right Prize jurors found it too hard to decide on second and third place winners, so two second prize awards were presented to Liam Monaghan for Mad Little Gods and Chelsea Woolley for Goose, respectively. This was not Woolley’s first award for the Play Right Prize competition. In 2012, her play 1000 Names won second place and was produced in the 2012/2013 TheatreXtra season.

Monaghan and Woolley split the second and third prize awards, receiving $500 each. The jurors said that both plays captured great character voices and showed a wonderful use of conflict. Of Mad Little Gods, they said that the juxtaposition of Christmas hymns with the darkness of the tragic subject matter was a strong choice that creates a discomforting tension for the audience. The character voices in Goose were strong and clear, and Goose is a very likable character that has the audience immediately on her side.

Both winning entries receive a $1,500 prize, one of the most lucrative awards in the country for a student competition. The $5,000 in prize money is generously donated each year by alumnus Terry Whitehead, the competition aiming to encourage excellence and development in student playwriting.

The winning play and short story each receive a public reading on Thursday, Mar. 27at 7 p.m. in the David Spinks Theatre. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

Whitehead gift gets creative juices flowing

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:09:32 +0000

Thanks to generous ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus, Terry Whitehead (BA '94), students have the opportunity to flex their creative writing muscles and possibly win fame and fortune.

Whitehead provides $5,000 in prize money to support the annual Play Right Prize and Striking Prose competition to encourage excellence and development in student playwriting and short story writing.

When the 2012 winners were asked why they participated in this competition they all answered the same way – because they love to write.

Pictured here are the winners from the Play Right Prize and Striking Prose competition. Back row from left are Cole Olson and Christopher Wallace. Front from left are Lori-Ann Steward, Kristine Saretsky, Makambe Simamba and Chelsea Woolley.

The first place prize in the Striking Prose category went to English major Kristine Saretsky for her short story The Persephone Games. The three member jury, made up of Department of English faculty, Dr. Kiki Benzon, Dr. Maureen Hawkins and Dr. Jay Gamble, conclude Saretsky's story is a moving read that is part mystery, part dream and entirely entrancing. What is left unsaid defines the story and is most terrifying.

First place for the Play Right Prize went to Makambe Simamba, a BFA Drama major, for her play MUD, which speaks to contemporary Canadian issues in a powerful and poetic way. The jury included Meg Braem, an award-winning playwright and drama faculty member; alumni Andy Jenkins (BFA '07), Empress Theatre's summer program director; and Estelle Shook, the former artistic director of British Columbia's nationally acclaimed Caravan Farm Theatre. With a record number of submissions, the jurors were impressed with the high degree of imagination demonstrated by the student playwrights.

Both first prize winners receive $1,500 and the opportunity to share their winning entries at a public reading on Thursday, Mar. 15 at 7 p.m. in the David Spinks Theatre. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. The evening includes a reception and cash bar.

Second place in the Play Right competition went to Chelsea Woolley for her script 1000 Names, which had rich, vivid characters and timeless potent themes. Third place went to Cole Olson for his play Patriarch, a work that takes a personal and intimate approach to the classic family drama. They receive awards of $750 and $250 respectively.

Because the quality was so high, this year's Striking Prose jurors found it too hard to decide on a second and third place story, so two second prize awards were presented to Christopher Wallace for his story Alex and to Lori-Ann Steward for her submission Marionette.

Wallace and Steward split the second and third prize awards and each receive $500.

This story first appeared in the March 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

ULSU honours faculty members

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:12:56 +0000

This year the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union (ULSU) began what promises to be a tradition of honouring professors, sessional staff and lab instructors by creating the ULSU Teaching Excellence Awards.

The idea behind the awards was that the ULSU wanted to provide students with an avenue to nominate an individual who they saw demonstrating outstanding effort and dedication to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students. The ULSU is proud to honour Drs. Jay Gamble, Department of English; Lesley Brown, Department of Kinesiology; and Hans-Joachim Wieden, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

"The ULSU wanted to offer students a way of recognizing professors and to show appreciation for the extra time and effort professors contribute to their educational experience," says Taz Kassam, ULSU president.

Gamble has been described by his students as a "delightfully quirky individual" who encourages students to engage in discussion rather than traditional lecturing. He also encourages creativity over memorization of course materials and provides a fresh perspective to literature.

Brown has a reputation of having a great passion for teaching and a high consideration for the students she teaches. She encourages her students to reach their full potential and does not accept anything less. She is known for going to great lengths to ensure that students walk out of class having learned something valuable.

Wieden is known to go above and beyond to ensure that students get the help they need to succeed. He will have extended office hours and will eagerly help students both inside and outside of class time. He has been an instrumental part of the Lethbridge iGEM team, spending countless hours helping the team win three gold and one bronze medal for their participation at the Championship Jamboree.

"The ULSU looks forward to continuing this tradition for years to come," says Kassam. "We, as students, want our instructors to know that we appreciate all the ways they contribute to enhancing our education."

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

Whetstone Magazine revived

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:27:17 +0000

If you are an aspiring writer or photographer who dreams of having their work published, you are in luck. Whetstone Magazine is back, and it's just waiting for your literary and visual art submissions.

"To my delight, there was a great interest in reviving the magazine," says Dr. Jay Gamble, the English professor who, along with managing editor Rylan Spendroth, proposed giving the magazine a facelift and bringing it back into circulation.

Gamble runs the Creative Writing Association at the U of L and had heard about Whetstone and its history. He asked if anyone in the CWA was interested in reviving the publication and a preliminary meeting was organized to gauge participation. Over 20 students answered the call.

"We not only had students interested in seeing the publication come back, many of them were eager to take on senior editing positions," says Gamble. "That initial interest and enthusiasm bolstered the desire to renew the publication."

Whetstone is a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge based literary magazine that consists of submitted prose, poetry, photography and graphic design images. It was originally established in 1971 with the help of English faculty advisors, and buoyed by a dedicated incoming flow of submissions and donations from the community. The magazine survived until 1999 when it was discontinued due to declining interest.

The plan now is to publish Whetstone bi-annually, with issues out every fall and spring semester. And while the Whetstone name remained from its first incarnation, a twenty-first century upgrade was definitely in order. One of the main changes, its size, came out of necessity.

"Due to the fact we had relatively few submissions in the latest edition, the magazine was able to take a full size format, cut it horizontally in half, and use the look as a new publishing trait," says Andrew Penner, a third-year English major and the public relations advertising manager. "The result is a reenergized Whetstone 2.0."

Gamble says that Whetstone can provide a wonderful outlet for both aspiring and established writers alike.

"It offers a great opportunity for emerging writers to not only have their work published, but to have it showcased alongside more established authors," says Gamble. "Our first issue, for instance, includes work by respected Canadian author Robert Kroetsch."

Penner, who is a poet,attended the preliminary meeting held by Gamble and Spendroth because he was interested in possibly getting some works published. He walked away from the meeting as a member of the executive committee.

"It is really exciting to be involved at the grassroots level of a magazine that has the potential of becoming something very big," says Penner.

Whetstone is available for purchase at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Bookstore.

As sales increase and the magazine's budget expands, Whetstone will look to similarly expand its distribution. Until then, the main focus of the magazine is on southern Alberta and the prairies.

"Whetstone will help to establish a community of writers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in the city of Lethbridge and surrounding area," says Gamble. "I would eventually like to see the magazine grow to become a part of the landscape of Canadian Literature."

Those interested in submitting works for inclusion in the magazine can send their works to Poetry.whetstone@gmail.com or Fiction.whetstone@gmail.com.

For general comments or questions, contact the editor of Whetstone at Editor.whetstone@gmail.com and check out the Whetstone Facebook page.

The next submission deadline is tentatively set for Dec. 1, with the edition scheduled to be released Mar. 15, 2011.

Last Lecture always a highlight

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:34:20 +0000

One of the highlights of the spring takes the stage tonight as three ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty members participate in the Last Lecture Series.

Presented by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union, this is an opportunity for ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professors to talk about life lessons that cannot be learned in a classroom.

This year's speakers are Dr. Jan Newberry, Faculty of Arts and Science – Anthropology; Dr. Jay Gamble, Faculty of Arts and Science – English; and Dr. Louise Barrett, Faculty of Arts and Science – Psychology. These distinguished speakers will deliver a hypothetical Last Lecture about life, love, success and basic knowledge they feel everyone should know.

The Last Lecture is a book co-authored by Randy Pausch, detailing everything he wanted his children to know after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Pausch delivered his last lecture entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams as part of a lecture series where ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are challenged to think about what really matters to them and give a Last Lecture.

The Last Lecture is Thursday, Apr. 8th at 7 p.m. in PE 261. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

UNews - Jay Gamble

Cultivating connections through the Global Citizenship Cohort

Related Topics

PUBlic Professor Series spawns a spinoff

Related Topics

Writers rewarded with 2015 Plays and Prose prizes

Related Topics

Creative writers crowned as competition winners

Related Topics

Whitehead gift gets creative juices flowing

Related Topics

ULSU honours faculty members

Related Topics

Whetstone Magazine revived

Related Topics

Last Lecture always a highlight

Related Topics