UNews - Mount Royal College

1971 Chinooks get their due

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 May 2011 21:50:13 +0000

Long before the Pronghorns men's hockey team skated away with a national title on Maple Leaf Gardens ice, another group of young athletes brought glory to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

The 1971 U of L Chinooks women's basketball team won the institution's first national crown, the Canadian Junior Women's Basketball Championship, 23 years before Mike Babcock and company claimed the school's second. It was a monumental achievement that went relatively unnoticed, both then and over the ensuing years.

Only now are we beginning to realize just what this motivated group of small-town overachievers accomplished and fittingly, their induction into the Pronghorns Hall of Fame is finally shining a spotlight on their legacy.

The 1971 U of L Chinooks, coached by Wilma Winters, consisted of Dixie Dow, Linda Dogterom, Leona Voth, Minne Van Dieren, Sharon Giduk, Marge Moore, Linda Voth, Rosemary Brodrick, Joan Cannady and Linda Dow.

"The very best fans we had were the janitors at the Civic Centre," laughs Joan Langille (Cannady) (BASc, BA '73). "We didn't have a lot of people come to our games. What really struck us though, was when we arrived back in Lethbridge from winning the championship, the only people at the airport to greet us were the boyfriends, the parents and the janitors; they supported us right to the end."

With a roster stocked by southern Alberta products, the Chinooks proved that small could play big if given the opportunity.

"Basketball was a comfort zone for many of us from the smaller communities," says Langille, a Taber native. "Those of us from high school, it seemed pretty daunting to make a university team but we managed."

Linda Joncas (Dogterom) (BEd '72) grew up in Broxburn, went to McNally School as a youngster and then finished high school at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. The majority of the rest of the team came from the Coaldale area and the powerful Kate Andrews program.

"It was really neat because we all kind of knew each other growing up, either playing with or against one another and then we reunited once we got to university," says Joncas.

"For me, it was a struggle to go to school. I ended up being in a single parent home after my parents divorced, and I had to get student loans and an academic scholarship to get me through. Basketball and the team meant so much to me, it really helped me through what was a tough time for my family."

Langille and Joncas were co-captains of the Chinooks in 1971, both playing out their final years before graduation. Each used their U of L degrees to carve out satisfying careers, Langille as a longtime provincial government employee and Joncas as a teacher and guidance counsellor. They both laud the personal learning environment the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ offered.

"There's really something to be said for small schools and it was exciting to be a small school playing against the big universities. In terms of education, it was also such a great experience and years after, I would recognize that both in my career and when I would see other U of L graduates applying for positions in the provincial government," says Langille. "More often than not, they were very successful."

Joncas says she is an unabashed supporter of the U of L experience, and was for years in her role as a high school guidance counsellor.

"I remember coming back to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ 10 years after I'd graduated and as I was walking down the hall, somebody called my name and it was Dr. Petherbridge and he remembered me," she says. "That was very significant to me, 10 years after this man still knew who I was. There's a real student-centred focus at the U of L and in my experience, there's nothing much that compares."

That the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has now recognized the Chinooks for their significant contribution to the school's sporting history, brings the team back into the fold.

"We're very appreciative, honoured and in a way humbled," says Joncas. "You don't realize at the time that it was a big deal. We were all young and it was fun and it was a "Wow, we did it" feeling, but in terms of the bigger perspective, I don't think we really understood the way we do now."

The only regret the two have is that their coach, the late Wilma Winter, is not around to reconnect with her team and enjoy the long overdue accolades they are receiving.

"It just breaks my heart actually," says Joncas before pausing to gain her composure. "She should have been here because she was some lady. She would have loved to be honoured, she would have loved it from a coaching perspective and been proud that her institution recognized her girls."

GET THE FACTS

· The Chinooks only adopted the Pronghorns name in the fall of 1971 when the campus moved to its westside location.

· They very nearly won consecutive national titles, losing in the championship game the year before when Lethbridge hosted the event.

· The Chinooks won the 1971 provincial title with a 66-29 rout of Red Deer College and a 71-25 blowout of Mount Royal College.

· In the national championship tournament, hosted by UBC in Vancouver's War Memorial Gymnasium, the Chinooks beat UBC 46-45, topped ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Ottawa 70-59, and then won the national title with a 52-40 decision over ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria.

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

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.

Gaining a global perspective

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:15:07 +0000

Throwing the first pitch at a major league baseball game and travelling the world are just a few of Jason Lee's ambitions. The Calgary native and bachelor of management student has accomplished much in the last few years, and says his time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has given him a world of opportunities, equipping him with the knowledge and confidence necessary to make his dreams a reality.

Lee is majoring in international management combined with political science. He came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in fall 2007 after a year at what was then Mount Royal College. He lived in Peru serving a mission from 2004-2006.

"It was a life-changing experience," says Lee of his time in Peru. "It was a chance to look inward and figure out who I wanted to be."

Jason Lee has seen his future open up thanks to participating in the Integrated Management Experience program.

He says he wanted to choose a career that would let him continue to travel abroad and the U of L seemed like a good place to pursue that option.

"At the end of first year, I realized post-secondary is a unique experience and it's different from the rest of your working life, and I wanted to make the most of it," says Lee, who enrolled in the Integrated Management Experience (IME) program.

"I started thinking more seriously about schoolwork in IME and I was involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities that had to do with the program. I liked everything about it. I was the type of person that asked a lot of questions and the program really catered to that."

The program encouraged Lee to make the most of his knowledge, and he became a representative in the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (ICBC) as part of the business strategy team. He was also part of a team that won the KPMG Case Competition in March 2009. Lee says he was honoured to be involved with the group.

"Most of the time, you just feel like a regular student who's busy studying and doing the normal things, but the odd time in your life you get to feel the thrill of your achievements and there's nothing else like it," he says. "It feels great."

Lee previously completed co-ops in Calgary and Botswana, and is in the process of completing his third with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

"Co-op studies have been as important as any class I've ever taken," says Lee. "So many opportunities have risen from that for me; it's an excellent program."

When he's not focusing on his studies, Lee enjoys several hobbies including long boarding, playing sports and learning the guitar. He says he's not sure where life will take him, but he's determined to keep an open mind.

"I'm a dreamer; I want to do so many things," he says. "I want to get the perspective and experience I need to do something I like, and there's enough success out there for everyone."

To learn more about the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, visit this link.

Buchanan knew early what career path lay ahead

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:15:28 +0000

It's likely your first job did not spawn a career choice.

Whether it was selling lemonade, delivering papers, doing yard work, shoveling snow or repeating the phrase, "Do you want fries with that?", most first jobs only inspire us to head in a completely different direction. That was not the case for Daniel Buchanan (BA, BEd '02).

"Growing up in Hanna, Alta. I had a job as a summer camp counselor in high school," remembers Buchanan. "That helped me realize right then that I enjoyed the energy of working with kids and they seemed to relate to me also. So becoming a teacher fit me quite well."

After high school graduation, Buchanan headed to Calgary and enrolled in the pre-education program at Mount Royal College, majoring in English.

"During my second year, I attended a presentation given by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Education. I heard so many amazing things about the education program, and I realized that the U of L seemed to cater to what we were already doing at Mount Royal. Most of us in the pre-education program transferred to the U of L that year," he says.

Buchanan completed his third year of undergraduate courses at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in spring 2000 and was admitted to the Faculty of Education that fall. Thrown immediately into the refiner's fire, Buchanan fondly remembers Dr. Frank Sovka's technique for preparing students to become teachers.

"It was the first week of classes and Dr. Sovka dropped this assignment bomb on us. In between planning units, lesson plans and teaching in our practicum, we had to look at the Alberta program of studies and write a paper on the learning outcomes of our particular teaching strand. We hadn't put in that many hours before and felt hard done by, but in the end, it was great because it was a good introduction into the busy life of a teacher," says Buchanan.

Motivated by the professional, personable demeanor and the high expectations of his professors, Buchanan graduated with distinction in 2002 and moved back to Calgary, but not before he left his mark on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"A bunch of us got together and decided to form a lunch club. About three days a week we got together for lunch, relaxed and planned our weekends. We painted a lunch club mural in the tunnel and put our names on it," says Buchanan. "The club became our circle of friends."

Substitute teaching and taking on several short-term contracts, Buchanan worked in Calgary for three years before taking a year off to backpack throughout Europe, north Africa and Argentina.

"When I was in Argentina I worked for about six weeks as a resource teacher. It was a real heads-up; I realized how fortunate we are here," he says. "When I came back to Calgary I taught at Harold W. Riley Elementary School, but I had fallen in love with the country of Argentina so I returned there to teach English for a year."

In 2006, Buchanan returned to Riley before transferring to Simon Fraser Middle School when Riley closed in 2009.

Last year, Buchanan was awarded two prestigious teaching honours: the Alberta Education Excellence in Teaching and the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.

Buchanan is well respected among his colleagues, students and the community for his dedication and commitment to students and for his innovative incorporation of new technology to improve student learning, experience and success. He is actively involved in extra-curricular activities including school recycling and digital literacy programs, and spends many personal hours cheering for his students at hockey games and other community events.

"I think it is important to take an interest in students both in and out of the classroom because it is important to them and it leads you to appreciating the whole person," says Buchanan. "Each summer is bittersweet because you have to say goodbye to students you have a connection with. I hope that at the end of my time with my students, they are independent, they feel safe and are confident to go on to new endeavors."

GET THE FACTS

• Engaged, Buchanan is to be married in April.

• He was instrumental in securing several grants for Harold W. Riley School, including a $60,000 Hewlett Packard Physical Education Equipment grant from Kidsport.

• Buchanan speaks Spanish and ran his first half-marathon last year.

• He was a Kimmitt Scholarship recipient at the U of L in 2001 and was on the Dean's honour roll at Mount Royal.

• One of his current initiatives is a students/staff recycling project where they make wallets out of used tetra packs.

Paul Brandt to earn honorary degree

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:22:21 +0000

Paul Brandt

Award-winning singer/songwriter Paul Brandt works on behalf of several local and global humanitarian efforts.

Born in Calgary, Paul Brandt attended Mount Royal College to study nursing and worked as a pediatric nurse at the Alberta Children's Hospital. During this time, he continued to pursue his passion for music.

Winning first prize in the Youth Talent Showdown at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, he went on to capture the attention of Warner Brothers Records in Toronto and was later signed by the Nashville office. After the release of his debut album, Calm Before the Storm, the #5 song, "My Heart Has A History," became the first song to chart in the U.S. by a Canadian Male Country Artist. The follow-up single "I Do" went to #1.

Over a stellar musical career, Brandt has received numerous Canadian Country Music Awards, JUNO Awards, and also the Country Music Award for Global Artist of the Year in 2005.

Using his fame as a platform to help people around the world, Brandt's
humanitarian efforts include working with World Vision and Samaritan's Purse and, in doing so, helps to raise awareness of the various needs in developing and war-torn countries.

For his outstanding achievements in music and humanitarianism, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will honour Paul Brandt by conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community loses alumnus (Robson) Heidinger

trevor.kenney — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:40:36 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community suffered a very difficult loss over the weekend as alumnus and Pronghorns women's basketball assistant coach Krista (Robson) Heidinger (BA/BEd '01) passed away suddenly.

The 34-year old Heidinger is survived by her husband, Jared (BSc/BEd '00), newborn daughter Sophie, and children Jaxson (age 6) and Grace (age 4).

Originally from Calgary, Heidinger played four seasons for the Pronghorns women's basketball program (1994-95 through 1997-98) after transferring from Mount Royal College. She played a total of 68 games as a Pronghorn before graduating and establishing a career as an elementary teacher. For the last two seasons, in addition to teaching at Mike Mountain Horse Elementary School, Robson served as an assistant coach for Donna Branch with the Pronghorns program.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects to the family on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Martin Bros. Riverview Chapel, 610 4th St. S.

A funeral service will take place Friday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. at the Evangelical Free Church, 4717 24th Avenue S.

As well, a trust fund has been established in the name of Jared Heidinger for donations to the family. The fund is being administered at TD Bank, 2033 Mayor Magrath Drive South, Lethbridge. Donations may also be made at the U of L Athletics Department.

Return to school gives Poulsen new outlet for passion

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:34:40 +0000

Whether we laugh uproariously or shudder in abhorrence, it is probably safe to say that the mind-numbing monotony of Ben Stein's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off does not inspire an interest in learning. With her passion and enthusiasm for dance, however, Betty Poulsen (BEd '02), dance teacher at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, has inspired students for many years.

"Although I taught dance for many years, I graduated with my bachelor of education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2002 so I still feel that I am a new teacher as far as the school system goes," explains Poulsen. "I considered going into education years ago but I was too scared of the responsibility of teaching young people."

Instead, Poulsen completed a bachelor of arts, majoring in anthropology and drama at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, while teaching dance and performing with the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede.

"I had been dancing since I was a little girl but my first love was competitive gymnastics. At 15, I auditioned for the Young Canadians and was one of only four who were accepted. It changed the course of my life," says Poulsen. "Dance became my serious passion and it is something that has obviously stayed with me."

At the U of C, Poulsen also met two people who would greatly affect her life, Keith Johnstone, professor emeritus U of C and founder of the Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC) and Dr. John Poulsen, her husband and assistant dean, student program services in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Education.

Graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1980, Poulsen worked with Johnstone's LMTC. (She was one of the original "Moosers" and continues to teach in their summer program each year). She also worked as a freelance artist with various children's theatre troupes, including M&M for Kids.

From 1988 to 1996 Poulsen taught dance at the U of C and in 1993 she and John were invited to team teach fine arts in Gaza. She was completely immersed in the conflict as students brought the events from the streets into the class.

Inspired by her travels, Poulsen completed her master's in 1996 from Wesleyan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Connecticut and moved to Lethbridge where both she and John began teaching at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It was while teaching at the U of L that Poulsen felt the opportunity to re-tool was too good to pass up.

"I decided to go back to school as a student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ because the education program is known as one of the best in the country, and I love the liberal arts philosophy," explains Poulsen. "There were very inspiring teachers in my program and having three practicum opportunities was invaluable. When you get through your third practicum you are stepping into the classroom with real hands-on, practical learning."

Becoming a peer with some of her former students was pleasantly surprising for Poulsen, who says that working with young people was one of the highlights of her after-degree studies.

"I enjoyed meeting young people with incredible integrity and vision who wanted to step into the role of educators. We had a blast together. Once, we were to present the ninth aspect of the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA's) of a good teacher. We used a Beatles song with the number 9 and the students thought it was cool even though it was not from their era."

In her third practicum, Poulsen was teaching at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute when she was approached by then principal Carol Steen and asked to start a dance program at the high school.

"I taught dance for many years and was planning on teaching elementary," says Poulsen. "I thought long and hard about her proposal but I have had great experiences in my life, great opportunities, great teachers, a professional career, taught post-secondary and danced professionally. What else was left to do but give back?"

Poulsen has certainly given back. She is proud of her students and their dance program and says that her greatest successes are her two children and wonderful marriage.

GET THE FACTS

• Recently invited to be on the 2009 City of Lethbridge Performing Arts Centre Steering Committee

• Recipient of over 20 awards, grants and scholarships totaling $80,000

• Artist in residence at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery

• Guest instructor at the Institut Senian Indonesia (ISI) and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts

• In 1993, she spent three months in Java, Indonesia with her husband, John, and their children making masks and performing with masQuirx (a company of masks and mask performance)

• Taught children's dance at Mount Royal College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guildford, England

U of L competes at CMA event

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:12:04 +0000

CALGARY, AB – Five business students from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge competed in Certified Management Accountants (CMA) Alberta's first-ever Board Governance Competition, Mar. 5-6, in Calgary.

The students analyzed a governance case, based on a fictitious not-for-profit company, and presented their recommendations to a judging panel of esteemed Alberta business leaders which included: Jim Dinning, Chair Federal Export Development Corporation, Randy Garvey, FCMA, Executive VP, Corporate Support, Canadian Western Bank, Geeta Tucker, FCMA, CFO, Agriteam Canada Consulting Ltd., and Chris Good, CMA, CFO & General Manager, Corporate Services, City of Calgary.

CMA Alberta created the Board Governance Competition to give post-secondary students a practical understanding of board governance and the important role it plays in an organization. The competition also included a Board Governance 101 workshop led by Dr. Chris Bart, founder, principal and lead professor of The Directors College and a leading board governance expert. Bart's presentation focused on governance fundamentals and the importance of maintaining a positive relationship between management and a board of directors.

"Business students have been kept in the dark for too long about the workings of boards and how directors should effectively govern their organizations and CEOs," says Bart. "Since many grads are likely to sit on a not-for-profit board early in their careers, the competition provided an exceptional opportunity to expand their knowledge and business acumen."

The students had seven hours to develop their case and put together a presentation to deliver to the judging panel. Twelve teams participated in the competition, with the top three teams going to the final round. The U of L team failed to place in the top three. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta took home the grand prize of $10,000; Mount Royal College placed second and received $5,000; and MacEwan College placed third and received $2,000.

"The calibre of the presentations was exceptionally impressive," says Joan Bedard, Director of Member Services and Events for CMA Alberta. "The competition was intense, but each team rose to the challenge and presented a professional, well-delivered case analysis to the judging panel."

UNews - Mount Royal College

1971 Chinooks get their due

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