Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo - VIU Alumni · University Development and Alumni, and may be reprinted...
Transcript of Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo - VIU Alumni · University Development and Alumni, and may be reprinted...
Chief Shawn A-in-chut AtleoVIU’s first chancellor is at the forefront ofcultural shifts
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VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 1 • SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Keep in touch with your fellow VIU graduates and rediscover the spirit of living and learning on the West Coast.
Update your contact information at www.viu.ca/alumni and stay informed about relevant news, reunions, and events.
Have you purchased your Alumni Privilege Card?VIU alumni can purchase an Alumni Privilege Card for an annual fee of 10 and receive discounts from:
Purchase your Alumni Privilege Card from the Development and Alumni Office, 114-59 Wharf Street,Nanaimo, or the VIU Welcome Centre, Nanaimo campus.
VIU Alumni RelationsPhone: 250 · 740 · 6215
Fax: 250 · 740 · 6491E-mail: [email protected]/alumni/
The success of any school is determined by the strength of its graduates.
VIU LibraryVIU Gymnasium
VIU TheatreDiscovery Room
VIU ResidencesVIU Bookstore (Nanaimo Campus)
Milner Gardens
Rediscover Your School Spirit
Journey Spring/Summer 2009 1
C O N T E N T S
FEATURES SPRING/SUMMER 2009
12 Seeing the DayVIU installs its first chancellor: Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo
16 Raising a RacketMariner badminton alumnus Mike Walkermakes it to the Olympics
18 88 Keys to HappinessAward-winning pianist returns to VIU
20 Family FueledHigh marks for a family of mature learners
DEPARTMENTS
02 Explorations w
04 Steps w
16 Alumni In View w
27 Class Notes w
28 The Home Stretch w
29 Giving Back w
Spring/Summer 2009 • Volume 2, Issue 1
Publisher
Office of Development and Alumni,
Vancouver Island University
Executive Editor
Director, Development and Alumni
Teresa Moore
Managing Editor
Alumni Relations Manager
David Forrester (Phys Ed, Rec & Sport ’02)
Editor and Alumni Officer
Matt Carter (BA ’06)
Student Writer/Editor
Bahiyyih Egeli (’09)
Contributors
Marilyn Assaf (Arts ’09)
Brent Dunlop (Phys Ed ’86)
John Gardiner (BA ’97)
Ann Holroyd
Sara Homer (Arts ’09)
Graphic Design
Rayola Graphic Design
Journey is published in the spring and fall by VIU’s
Office of Development and Alumni and is
distributed free of charge to alumni and friends. All
material is copyright © 2009, Vancouver Island
University Development and Alumni, and may be
reprinted with written permission. Opinions
expressed in the magazine do not necessarily
reflect the views of Vancouver Island University.
The Vancouver Island University community
acknowledges and thanks the Tla’Amin, Qualicum,
Snaw Naw As, Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Halalt,
Penelakut, Lyackson, Chemainus, and Lake
Cowichan First Nations on whose traditional lands
we teach, learn, research, live, and share knowledge.
We welcome letters to the editor.
Please address all correspondence to:
Editor, Journey
114 – 59 Wharf Street
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada V9R 2X3
Advertising Inquiries
David Forrester, Alumni Relations Manager
114 – 59 Wharf Street
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada V9R 2X3
250 · 740 · 6214
Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40063601
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
Development and Alumni
114 – 59 Wharf Street
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Canada V9R 2X3
Cert no. SW-COC-002226
On the cover: Chancellor Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, hereditary
chief of the Ahousat First Nation, wears a cape made by his
cousin, Lisa Sabbas, of the Hesquiaht First Nation. The blue grass
lines match VIU’s colours. Photo: Dirk Heydemann (Jazz ’93)
Letters
2 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: MATT CARTER
E X P L O R AT I O N S
The spring of 2009 marks my first year as
VIU’s alumni relations manager, and one of
the best things about that year has been lis-
tening to alumni talk about their alma mater
with pride. Their experiences at school have
translated into success in the “real world.”
Our alumni distinguish themselves in their
careers and communities; their stories are
remarkable and inspirational. Unfortunately,
many of them are unknown to others in the
alumni community. We are determined to change this, and
the publication of Journey is a great first step in sharing our
alumni success stories.
We are reaching out to alumni in other ways, such as events.
MBA alumni are hosting their second annual get-together in
Vancouver in June. Alumni branch events are scheduled for
the summer in Whistler and Victoria. In October, President
Ralph Nilson and Dr. Graham Pike, dean of International
Education, will be hosting a reception for all of our alumni in
Japan at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.
We are also proud to announce the creation
of an official Alumni Association, which will
unite the alumni community and enhance
networking opportunities for our graduates.
As well as representing our graduates in the
community and supporting the growth of VIU,
the Association will provide some exciting
opportunities for alumni including mentoring
current students, networking with soon-to-
be graduates, sponsoring an internship or co-
op, or speaking in a classroom seminar, to name a few.
As we head towards the 75th anniversary of our institution
in 2011, there is no better time for alumni to get involved.
It’s time to rekindle your school spirit!
As always, I welcome your feedback and encourage you to
keep in touch. I can be reached at [email protected].
Sincerely,
David Forrester
Manager, Alumni Relations
Vancouver Island University
I am a recent graduate of the Fisheries
& Aquaculture program, now living
back in my home province of Manitoba.
I would like to stress that the inaugural
Journey publication not only brings me
a sense of pride by the sheer fact it has
been published, but it looks great and
contains well-written articles.
I was disappointed to see little men-
tion of the Fisheries and Aquaculture
program in the inaugural issue. The
program’s quality and uniqueness defi-
nitely warrant it! However, I’m certain
that in future publications this world
class program will be featured.
VIU’s strength to attract students from
abroad rests with its specialized pro-
grams. School ambassadors need to do a
more aggressive job of spreading the
word about how great these programs
are. I sure do whenever I’m talking to
students that are thinking about pursu-
ing an education in aquaculture.
Congratulations again on the first
issue, and I look forward to reading
more about the school that I am so
proud to have attended.
– Jeff Eastman (BSc ’06)
At the beginning of 2009, VIU offered over
150 programs—a tough struggle to catch
everyone in 32 pages! However, we value
all programs, and strive to cover as many
departments as possible. The best way to
ensure that your program is mentioned is
to let us know what you are up to. Drop us
a line at [email protected].
Congratulations, Malaspina, on your
graduation to full university status as
VIU! I am proud to have played a part
in the development of the institution
and was thrilled to hear the news. I was
one of the original faculty members of
Malaspina College in August 1969, the
first president of Malaspina College
Faculty Association, and with Roy
Wright and a dozen students, founded
the Navigator newspaper. Those were
historic days under the fine leadership
of Dr. Carl Opgaard.
I remember August 1, 1969—the open-
ing date of Malaspina College and the
first day of full time university classes. It
was also a day of responsible student
demonstration at Nanaimo City Hall in
informed protest of proposed atomic
bomb testing in the Alaska panhandle.
In the context of the original voca-
tional school, renowned on the Island
long before 1969 for its excellence in
career training, maybe there is an older
anniversary we could all celebrate. But
don’t leave it too long!
I wish you well in stirring up the
waters to develop an active network of
contacts with former members of
Malaspina in its various guises.
– David Harrison, retired VIU faculty
member
Future issues of Journey will feature news of
VIU’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 2011.
Letters to the Editor
Manager’s Message
Journey Spring/Summer 2009 3
The 2008-2009 year will go down as a year of
celebration at VIU. A new name, university des-
ignation, our first chancellor, a bold campus
master plan, and the opportunity to connect
with old friends through several new alumni
and friends events are only a few of the high-
lights that will build the legacy of this past year
as one of the most significant in our history.
VIU’s success has been shaped over the
course of 73 years by people committed to
ensuring the success of students through quality learning.
These people, our faculty and staff, continue to create an
environment where students thrive and love to learn. The
stories of these successes and the milestones mentioned
above are the highlights of this edition of Journey.
In our feature story, we are honoured to profile VIU’s first
chancellor, Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo. Through his many
leadership roles over the past 20 years, Chief Atleo has
focused on the empowerment of people and their communi-
ties; these values and his strength of character mirror the
values and direction of VIU. Chief Atleo is an exceptional rep-
resentative for VIU and a role model for the various con-
stituencies the University serves.
At VIU, we believe education is a community asset. It will be
through the success of VIU’s community partnerships in edu-
cation and our collective contributions to our world that VIU
will continue to grow its reputation as an institution commit-
ted to high quality outcomes and people. VIU, through its four
campuses, more than 2000 employees, and thousands of
alumni around the world, is a major economic engine and
important asset operating in the communities
of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and
beyond. VIU is adding value to these commu-
nities and is providing leadership in the areas
of Aboriginal engagement, cultural enrich-
ment, international education, economic
development, environmental sustainability,
research excellence, and social development.
This issue of Journey features a few of the ways
we are demonstrating this leadership.
In all of our endeavours, VIU will continue to stay focused
on the success of students and the quality of the educational
experience. It is our alumni that represent the greatest meas-
ure of our success. The more than 30,000 graduates of the
institution’s degree, diploma, and certificate programs are
shaping our world in extraordinary ways. Our graduates are
providing business, industry, and the communities we serve
with a talented pool of highly trained individuals who are
ready to take on the demands of a new economy, and we are
proud of every single one of them.
Our door is always open to VIU’s alumni and friends. I ask
you to continue to support your university and visit us
whenever you can. Encourage prospective students to think
about VIU. Talk about VIU to your friends and colleagues and
show your pride for VIU at every opportunity. Above all,
stay connected with us.
I welcome your comments at [email protected].
Ralph Nilson, PhD
President and Vice-Chancellor
Vancouver Island University
E X P L O R AT I O N S
President’s Viewpoint
We asked students: Whatcampus issues would youlike to see addressed as aresult of the CampusMaster Plan?
Scott Bastian – 4th year Tourism
Management Expand the hours that
the food services are
open and available,
especially for people
who have classes mid-
day. After class, you want to get some
food, but the choices and hours of
operation are quite limited.
Elizabeth Baltzer – 3rd year
English/History We need more wireless
Internet access around
the campus. You can
only access it in cer-
tain buildings. I also
think we should have a 24-hour library,
like they have at the other major uni-
versities.
Luke Trigona – 3rd year Sciences I’d
like to see more study
areas on campus. As
well, the study areas
and lecture halls need
more power outlets, so students can
plug in their laptops.
4 Journey Spring/Summer 2009
S T E P S
VIU’s Board of Governors has approved
the Campus Master Plan for the
Nanaimo campus. The plan outlines a
50-year campus vision with dramatic
changes to the infrastructure of the
campus, adoption of new energy
sources, and a dedication to sustain-
ability initiatives.
“I’m very excited about the Campus
Master Plan and proud of the effort that
went into creating it,” said Ric Kelm,
VIU’s Executive Director of Facilities
Services and Campus Development and
chair of the Campus Master Plan proj-
ect steering committee. He said that
the process to create the Campus
Master Plan included input from con-
sultants, architects, VIU employees,
students, and community members,
marking a break from how campus
planning was previously undertaken.
“The Nanaimo campus used to be
designed on an ad hoc basis,” Kelm
said. “One would walk around, see an
empty lot, and assign a building there
with little regard to how it would fit in
with the rest of the campus and the
natural environment.”
VIU has presented the Master Plan to
the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Edu -
cation and Labour Market Develop ment
and will present it to Nanaimo City
Council and the VIU Senate in May.
These presentations focus on the insti-
tution’s capital priorities: an inte-
grated health and science building; a
sports, health, and wellness centre; a
transit loop at the top of Fourth Street;
and the replacement of Building 300
with a University Centre that would
serve as the social and administrative
hub of the campus.
Other elements of the plan include the
creation of a central campus pathway to
link the trades and academic areas,
increased on-campus housing and
green space, a Third Street campus
entrance, increased bicycle and pedes-
trian paths, and reduced parking spaces.
New buildings will be designed to
LEED Gold Standards, ensuring that
they leave a minimal environmental
footprint by utilizing efficient water
and energy systems and recyclable
materials. These initiatives are
expected to significantly reduce facility
operating costs.
A key component of the plan is the
adoption of alternative energy sources,
suggesting that it might be possible to
harness thermal energy from flooded
coal mines below the southeast half of
the campus.
f The entire Campus Master Plan is view-
able online at www.viu.ca/masterplan
&Q A
Campus Master PlanApproved The Hills They Are A-Changin’
h One of the Master Plan draft concepts ofthe future Nanaimo campus
ILLUSTRATION: ALFRED WAUGH ARCHITECT / VIU Journey Spring/Summer 2009 5
S T E P S
Gather RoundVIU Supports Aboriginal Student Services Centre
The Aboriginal population growth rate
in Canada is three times the rate of non-
Aboriginals. This trend will result in a
larger Aboriginal student body at VIU,
which already has the highest
Aboriginal participation rate of any B.C.
post-secondary school.
Many of these students come from
rural communities, and the cultural dif-
ferences at university can be shocking.
This was reinforced by a 2008 report
from the British Columbia Ministry of
Advanced Education, which stated that
a non-Aboriginal person is, on average,
four times as likely to have a university
degree as an Aboriginal person.
To aid in the recruitment and retention
of Aboriginal students, VIU is creating
Shq'apthut, A Gathering Place, a “home
away from home” that reflects and cele-
brates Aboriginal cultures and traditions.
“Gathering places are spaces for com-
munities to come together,” said Dan
Lines, associate dean of Trades and
Applied Technology and a member of
the Tsimshian Nation. “The new build-
ing will be a centre for student celebra-
tions, studying, and First Nations
student services.”
Construction of the Gathering Place
will begin in the spring of 2009.
Designed in a Coast Salish longhouse
style, the 5,000 square foot building
will be located in the southwestern cor-
ner of the Nanaimo campus and will
represent a sizeable upgrade from
VIU’s current Aboriginal Gathering
Space, located in Building 310.
The Gathering Place will feature
study areas, student and elder
lounges, offices, a lending library, and
a ceremonial space, designated for
cultural activities and celebrations
such as dances, totem pole carving,
and drum making. It will be con-
structed by students in VIU’s new
Aboriginal Construction program,
developed in consultation with First
Nations communities.
“This program will be the first of its
kind for VIU and will include the his-
tory and origins of First Nations con-
struction techniques in our coastal
regions,” said Fred McDonald, dean of
Trades and Technology. “Elders and
First Nations community leaders will
assist us.”
Graduates of the program will earn the
Industry Training Authority Level 1
Carpentry certification, the first step
towards Carpenter Journeyperson status.
f For more information about the
Gathering Place, visit www.viu.ca/
gatheringplace
To learn more about the Aboriginal
Construction program, visit
www.viu.ca/calendar/TradesAppliedTech/
h Architect’s rendering of the Gathering Placeentrance
S T E P S
Par NoneScientist masters golf greens and brings home the hardware
VIU physics professor Ray Penner has
struck gold, thanks to greens. His
study of the physics of golf won him a
2008 Sports Emmy Award for
Technical Achievement.
“If someone had asked me a couple of
years ago what the chances of winning
an Emmy were, I’d say about the same
as winning a Grammy,” Penner joked.
“If you’ve ever heard me sing, you’d
understand.”
Penner, who has published academic
papers on the physics of putting and
golf ball motion, was approached by
Florida-based AimPoint Technologies
to develop the equations needed to sur-
vey and analyze the topography of
greens. These equations are used by a
computer program to produce a
graphic overlay on a television broad-
cast that shows where a golfer must
aim for a successful putt, increasing the
drama for the television viewer by illus-
trating the particular challenges of
each green.
The Golf Channel, available in more
than 110 million homes worldwide,
began using the AimPoint technology in
2007 and called it a “viewer favourite.”
“The development of the AimPoint
putting line was groundbreaking in
helping the television ‘spectator’ enjoy
and get more out of each telecast,” the
Golf Channel wrote in a media release.
Television coverage of the top-tier
women’s and men’s golf tours in the
world, the LPGA and PGA, features the
AimPoint technology.
“It was rewarding to see the end
result on TV and not just in a physics
journal,” Penner said. “Some people
don’t like the idea of showing what the
golfer is going to do, but the pro golfers
really like it.”
Golf publications are following suit
with their praise of the program. Golf
Week magazine wrote that AimPoint is
“the most significant technical advance-
ment in golf broadcasting in the past
decade. Its accuracy is uncanny.”
Although the AimPoint team was
happy with its creation, the Emmy nod
was unexpected. “We were thrilled just
to be nominated. To win it was a real
surprise,” Penner said. “It was the Golf
Channel’s first Sports Emmy.”
f To see videos of the technology in
action, visit www.aimpointgolf.com
6 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: MATT CARTER
h Emmy, I got your number: VIU professor Ray Penner combinedgolf and science to win a 2008 Sports Emmy Award
VIU’s new Hospitality Managementdegree is at your serviceThe number of resorts, hotels, and restaurants worldwide is increasing,
and with it comes a growing need for skilled workers. In British Columbia
alone, the tourism industry is forecasting a need for 84,000 more skilled
workers in the next decade. To respond to the shortage, VIU has developed
a new Bachelor of Hospitality Management degree.
Students gain experience in strategic revenue management, entrepre-
neurship, conference and event management, and advanced resort man-
agement while learning about the changing nature of the hospitality
sector, said Hospitality program chair Stephen Burr.
“The focus of resort and hotel managers can’t solely be on profits anymore,”
Burr said. “Hospitality professionals must have a better understanding of
human resource management and environmental impacts. The curriculum of
the degree program addresses these issues.”
The degree combines study and
paid experience through three co-
operative education work place-
ments throughout the four-year
program. For people already work-
ing within the industry, the flexi-
bility of the new degree program
allows students to enter directly
into year three on a full-time or
part-time basis.
f For more information on the
program, visit www.viu.ca/hospitality
h Hospitality students recommend abeverage to Hospitality chair StephenBurr (seated, right) and Co-operativeEducation coordinator Micki McCartney(seated, centre).
VIU’s nauticaltraining expandswith new marineinstituteThe Western Maritime Institute (WMI) has joined
with VIU to offer training in a new six-acre
facility in Cassidy. The institute is one of only
two places in Western Canada to offer courses
in Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boat
training and Advanced Fire Fighting.
“The demand for training is huge. Every tow-
boat, fishing vessel, and ferry needs trained
staff on board,” said Captain Bob Kitching, pres-
ident of WMI. “Training institutions cannot pro-
duce enough people to meet industry needs.
This course offers an opportunity for current
mates and masters to upgrade their certificates
and for young people to start a career. The in-
dustry offers particularly attractive job opportu-
nities that are very well paid.”
Changes to the Canada Shipping Act in 2001
require that any commercial vessel operator
have appropriate certifications. VIU and WMI
have been offering nautical training in partner-
ship since 2005, but the new institute will ex-
pand the scope of training with a pool capable
of holding a lifeboat and a mock-up of a ship’s
superstructure for firefighting.
f For more information on the program, visit
www.viu.ca/ccs/courses/marine.asp
VIU students get green trainingAccording to the B.C. government, residential and commercial build-
ings produce about 12 per cent of the province’s total greenhouse gas
emissions. In September 2008, the government released amendments
to the BC Building Code, requiring new buildings to have higher
energy and water efficiency standards.
To satisfy this rapidly growing need for energy-efficient buildings,
VIU is now offering a two-year Green Building and Renewable Energy
Technician diploma.
“Government, business, and the general population recognize that
with climate change and decreasing supplies of oil and gas, energy
efficiency and renewable energy are two primary ways of ensuring
that we will continue to have the energy we need in the future at a
reasonable cost,” said engineering professor Eric Smiley.
Applied technical courses will be complemented with design, evalu-
ation and communication courses. Graduates will be prepared to
work in the green building industry or the renewable energy industry,
providing technical communication, design, assessment, and evalua-
tion services to engineers, architects, contractors, project managers,
and facilities managers.
f More information at www.viu.ca/calendar/Technology/greenbuild.asp
PHOTOS: SARA HOMER (ABOVE); JOHN GARDINER (RIGHT) Journey Spring/Summer 2009 7
S T E P S
h Captain Bob Kitching
VIU alumni are scattered across all the
campuses and in all areas of the institu-
tion: administration, faculty, and sup-
port staff. In November 2008, Alumni
Relations and the President’s Office
hosted a reception to recognize this
homegrown alumni chapter.
Graduation years of attendees ranged
from 1969 to 2008.
“It was a pleasant surprise for all of us
to learn how many of our co-workers
are VIU alumni,” said Jane Kelly (BA
’94), director of International
Admissions. “It was a great social event
and a lot of fun.”
Celebrating Our RetireesAlumni Relations and the President’s Office hosted a reception for
retired VIU employees in November 2008. The reception took place in a
festive cafeteria, decorated with brightly-lit trees and ornately
decorated wreaths for VIU’s annual Festival of Trees fundraiser.
President Ralph Nilson praised the re-
tirees, recognized their contributions as
vital participants in VIU’s evolution, and
stressed the importance of maintaining a
strong relationship with the University.
“It is important that we stay connected
to our past and recognize our history,” Nil-
son said. “Our retirees have contributed to
the success of the university and are am-
bassadors for VIU.”
h (L-R) Bruce Hunter (Leisure Services ’81),Les Malbon (Arts ’76), Jane Kelly (BA ’94)
h (L-R) Marilyn Assaf (Arts ’09)and Jennifer Jensen-Richards(Business ’09)
h (L-R) Catharine Andrewand Dorothy Wallace
h VIU President Ralph Nilsonaddresses the reception
h (L-R) Nursing alumni Zoe Dams (’73),Cathy Ringham (’08), Leigh Blaney (’99)
h (L-R) Libby McGrattan (BA ’94) and Pam Botterill (Microcomputer App. ’90)
Recognizing Campus Alumni
8 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTOS: MATT CARTER
S T E P S
The first
employee of
Malaspina College was
Secretary-Treasurer
Oliver E. Neaves, from
Burns Lake. His first
day on the job was
January 1, 1969.
At the Olympics of cooking, David Wong
(Cook Training ’98) did Canada proud, fin-
ishing ninth at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or,
in Lyon, France in January 2009.
“The Bocuse d’Or competition was the
single greatest moment of my professional
life,” Wong said. “I have been a fan of this
competition since finishing cooking school
at VIU.”
Wong’s apprentice, Grace Pineda, was
named top assistant. Norway won the com-
petition, with Sweden and France also
earning spots on the podium.
In front of a raucous, flag-waving crowd,
Wong and Pineda competed against teams
from 23 other countries to produce two
dishes in five and half hours. Required
ingredients included Norwegian cod, king-
sized diver scallops, wild prawns, and
Aberdeen Angus Scotch beef.
Getting to the competition was no easy
task. After earning the right to represent
Canada at a national qualifier in 2007,
Wong was faced with the need to raise
thousands of dollars to pay for two years
worth of full-time preparation and practice.
The Culinary Institute of Vancouver
Island and VIU Alumni Relations supported
Wong’s training by hosting a fundraiser in
October 2008. Distinguished culinary arts
alumni, including Wong, returned to cam-
pus and treated guests to tasters prepared
at 12 different stations.
Food offerings ranged from raspberry bal-
samic gelée with vanilla Bavarian cream
and green apple compote to alligator cakes
with mandarin saffron aioli and fried fen-
nel. The event raised $5,200 for Wong and
also created scholarships, awards, and bur-
saries for VIU culinary students.
“It was like coming full circle, having the
Culinary program at VIU hold a fundraiser
for my Bocuse d’Or bid. The chef instruc-
tors gave me the foundation on which to
build. I cannot say enough about the expe-
rience I had at VIU.”
PHOTO: MATT CARTER; (INSET) COURTESY DAVID WONG Journey Spring/Summer 2009 9
S T E P S
h Culinary Instructor Debbie Shore: “He’s a great ambassador for theschool, the profession, and the country.” INSET: Cool as a cucumber:Wong in his competition kitchen at Bocuse d’Or
Putting Your Best Food ForwardCulinary alumni support David Wong (Cook Training ’98) on his
way to a top 10 finish at the world’s biggest culinary competition
Culinary alumni thatrallied in support ofDavid Wong:
• Rich Atkins (’00),
Longwood Brew Pub
• Brock Bowes (’97),
Burrowing Owl Winery
• Erin (’01) and Brenda English
(’84)
• Jerry Kwan (’94), Victoria Golf
Club
• Josh Massey (’03),
Wesley Street Café
• Taj Parmar (’01) and Rhiannon
Gauthier (’08), Acme Food Co.
• Iain Rennie (’90) and
Jennifer Jones (’08),
Westin Bear Mountain
• Debbie Shore (’80),
Culinary Institute of
Vancouver Island
• Students in VIU’s culinary and
baking programs
For the third year in a row, VIU had the
most successful athletics program in the
B.C. Colleges’ Athletic Association. The
Mariners topped the 2008-09 aggregate
standings with a comfortable 61-50 lead
over the second place school, UBC-
Okanagan. Among the highlights was the
men’s basketball team’s 18-0 record, the
first undefeated regular season in team
history.
S T E P S
10 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTOS: BRENT DUNLOP
All aboard,Mariners!VIU’s Athletics department is reaching
out to all former Mariners to join a new
alumni chapter. The club wants to re-
engage former Mariners and support
current student athletes.
“More than 1,600 students have been
Mariners since the athletics program
began in 1972 and every one has played
a role in the success of our program,”
said Bruce Hunter, VIU’s athletic direc-
tor. “This club will connect all former
Mariners and build on the tradition of
excellence that was started in the ’70s.”
To learn more about the Mariner
alumni club, contact Bruce Hunter at
[email protected] or (250) 740-6402.
Prior to the start of the BCCAA regular
season, VIU hosted a pair of interna-
tional teams in exhibition games.
In September, the women’s volley-
ball team took on Zhejiang Kai Yuan,
a professional team from China that
plays at the level just below the
Chinese national team. The Chinese
team, which also faced off against
the University of British Columbia
and four American universities on its
west coast tour, showed consider-
able skill and strength, overpower-
ing the Canadian champion Mariners
in straight sets (25-12, 25-11, 25-17).
In August, the men’s basketball team
hosted the University of the Pacific
Tigers, from Stockton, California. The
Tigers, on a Canadian exhibition tour
that included two matches against the
University of Victoria, were the first
NCAA Division One men’s basketball
team to visit the Mariners’ home court.
VIU kept the game close early on and
were four points behind after the first
quarter, but the Tigers won the game
94-45.
“It’s a huge step for VIU to host high
level international opponents,” said
Bruce Hunter, VIU’s athletic director.
“These might have been the best two
teams we’ve ever had in our gym. The
games were memorable experiences
for our fans and athletes.” h VIU guard Blake Mansbridge defendsagainst Pacific’s Terrell Smith
Bring It On, World
h VIU power hitter Lindsay McLoughlin firesa spike against a great defensive wall
h Mariner alumni Liam Sullivan (BA ’98), Erik “Big E” Johnson (Marketing ’94),and Wayne Clouthier (BEd ’95)
h In October 2008, The Mariner men’s alumni basketball team defeated the current squad,103-100, in an overtime game. The alumni team (L-R): Wayne Clouthier (BEd ’95), MattKazanowski (Arts), Erik Johnson (Marketing ’94), Liam Sullivan (BA ’98), Rory Peffers (Arts),Dave Bains (Recreation ’04), Jason Hubbs (Marine Tech. ’05), Graham Giske (BA ’08), BrianWood, Colin Novak (Science)
In April, VIU Athletics announced the first inductees into the Mariner Wall of Fame. The inaugural class included
four-time All-Canadian volleyball player Danielle (Gaudet) Hyde (BTM ’03), basketball coach and national
champion Mark Simpson, sport administrator and creator of the Mariner moniker George Macpherson, and VIU’s
first national champions, the 1983 men’s soccer team.
S T E P S
h Dan Porteous (R) accepts the inaugural Jim KetelsenAlumni Service Award from Ketelsen himself
PHOTOS: DAVID FORRESTER Journey Spring/Summer 2009 11
The Department of Recreation and
Tourism celebrated three milestones in
2008: Thirty-five years of recreation
diplomas; twenty years of tourism
diplomas; and the tenth anniversary of
the Bachelor of Tourism Management
program. To celebrate, the department
invited alumni back to VIU’s Nanaimo
campus in November for a two-day cel-
ebration. More than 200 alumni, stu-
dents, faculty, and friends attended.
At the reunion, the department
announced the creation of the Jim
Ketelsen Alumni Service Award, in hon-
our of Ketelsen’s 20 years of service and
commitment to student success and the
field of leisure services as manager of
VIU’s Co-operative Education pro-
grams and the Campus Career Centre.
The inaugural recipient of the award
was Dan Porteous (Leisure Studies ’84),
Superintendent of Arenas and Southern
Recreation for the Regional District of
Nanaimo. Porteous was recognized for
his loyalty and passion for recreation,
tourism, and leisure studies at VIU, as
well as his role as alumni leader for the
1984 Leisure Studies class.
“Dan has a big heart for students,”
Ketelsen said, noting that Porteous has
supervised many student co-operative
work placements and has never turned
down opportunities to present guest
lectures, sit on panel discussions, par-
ticipate in student orientation activi-
ties, or assist in program development.
“Faculty never hesitate to call him to
find out what’s going on in the field.”
Back to theFutureRecreation and Tourism alumni
take a journey through the decades
h L.A. Shibish and Kelly Whitney-Squire pickout the grooviest records
h (L-R) Students Royce Pritchard, LetashaSeto and Mike Hogman go retro
h Alumni gather for a group shot in the VIUWelcome Centre
h (L-R) Tourism alumnae Neena Budial (’96),Michelle Hartwich (’95), Sarah Henshall(’95), and Carol Hanna (’96) are all smiles
h Professor Tom Delamere (centre) rockedthe baritone sax with The Kiltlifters
12 Journey Spring/Summer 2009
C O V E R F E AT U R E
See
“We cannot help but believe that the old hatreds
shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon
dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our
common humanity shall reveal itself.”
– Barack Obama
Ahousat Hereditary Chief Shawn A-in-chut
Atleo was one of the nearly two million spec-
tators at Barack Obama’s presidential inaugu-
ration in Washington, D.C. He watched the
ceremony from a fifth-floor terrace at the National
Museum of the American Indian with other
Aboriginal leaders.
“It was rapturous,” Atleo said of the ceremony.
“What I saw at Capitol Hill reflected a larger sense of
people coming together. African-Americans had
their chins up and shoulders back, but so did every-
body else.”
Four months earlier, on September 25, 2008, Atleo
was installed as Vancouver Island University’s first
chancellor, the first Aboriginal chancellor of a post-
secondary institution in British Columbia. The estab-
lishment of a chancellor was a significant step for
VIU as it embraced its new status as a full-fledged
university.
Atleo certainly fits the bill. Not only does he hold an
international masters degree in education, but for
the past 20 years, he has been a negotiator, facilita-
tor, strategic planner, and scholar. His credentials
are impressive: regional chief of British Columbia to
the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), member of the
AFN Executive Committee, co-founder of the B.C.
First Nations Leadership Council, and president of
Umeek Human Resource Development.
“Shawn Atleo is a born leader,” said VIU president
Ralph Nilson. “The primary focus of all of his work is
education. He’s respected across business and politi-
cal organizations in the province. He has local knowl-
edge, but importantly, he has a national perspective.”
“They have a saying in parts of Africa: when you
live in the city but you come from a village, they call
the village ‘home squared’. Ahousat is home
squared.” – Shawn Atleo
The BC Assembly of First Nations headquarters
is situated on the fifth floor of a West
Vancouver office tower sandwiched between
the Park Royal Shopping Centre and the Lions Gate
Bridge, a bustling, robust world that parallels Atleo’s.
“I don’t have my own office,”
Atleo laughed as he comman-
deered a desk from one of his
staff members. “I’m always
travelling. But one of the great
things about the opportunity to
be VIU’s chancellor is that I can
stay rooted on the west coast.”
And rooted on the west coast
he is. Atleo was born in
Vancouver but spent his early
years in Ahousat, a community
of 1,000 people on Flores
Island, off the west coast of
Vancouver Island. Accessible
only by water or air, Flores
h Atleo stands in front of the UnitedStates Capitol in Washington, D.C.on the day of Barack Obama’spresidential inauguration
PHOTOS: (FACING PAGE) DIRK HEYDEMANN; (RIGHT) COURTESY SHAWN ATLEO Journey Spring/Summer 2009 13
ing the DayThe installation of Vancouver Island University’s first chancellor was not only a
milestone in VIU’s evolution, but in the growing relationship between Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal people in British Columbia. Chancellor Shawn A-in-chut Atleo talks
about his west coast roots, his belief in the power of education, and what it means
to represent VIU. BY MATT CARTER
Island is known for its stunning scenery: sandy
Pacific beaches, old-growth Sitka spruce forests,
and a backdrop of coastal mountains. Humans
share hiking trails, hot springs, and sheltered
bays with seals, sea lions, wolves, and eagles. A
great place to grow up, Atleo said.
“Ahousat is where my earliest and best memo-
ries are,” he said. “Dad taking me fishing on the
Atleo River, gathering worms like any other son
with any other dad. Salmon barbeques in the
summer, smoked salmon in the fall, and herring
in the spring.”
While there were wonderful memories, there
would be bad ones too. Ahousat has struggled
with suicide attempts (40 in 2004, according to
the Victoria Times Colonist), alcohol abuse, high
unemployment, and houses, ill-designed for the
damp rainforest climate, overrun with mould
and mushrooms.
“Ahousat is really good when it’s good, when
people aren’t being haywire and drinking, and
horrifically bad when things are bad.” Atleo said.
Atleo’s father, a school principal, and his
mother, a teacher, eventually moved their fam-
ily out of Ahousat in order to pursue other job
opportunities and study at the University of
British Columbia. The family moved a lot; Atleo
said he lived in 34 different places before he
graduated from high school. While he spent the
bulk of that time in the Lower Mainland, his con-
nection to his hometown has never frayed.
“I’m not in Ahousat as much as I would like to
be,” he said, “which would be all the time.”
“You have to do your own growing, no matter
how tall your grandfather was.”
– Abraham Lincoln
Atleo’s father, Dr. Richard Umeek Atleo,
was the first Aboriginal student to earn a
PhD from the University of British
Columbia and helped create VIU’s First Nations
Studies Department, where he taught from 1994
to 2004. Atleo’s mother, Dr. Marlene Atleo,
holds an MA in Family Studies and a PhD in
Adult Education from the University of British
Columbia.
Even though Atleo grew up in an academic
household, his interest was not in higher educa-
tion, but in haute cuisine.
“I was certain I was going to be a chef,” Atleo
said. “Cooking class in grade 12 had two beauti-
ful aspects to it: food and 29 girls. I couldn’t
understand my buddies, who were off in shop
with 29 other guys.”
Eventually, Atleo enrolled in general studies at
Trinity Western University. While he didn’t
graduate, he did enjoy his time there—largely
because of soccer.
“I wasn’t a great student, but I earned straight
A’s in soccer. I made the roster of a professional
team, the North Shore Colts. When that league
folded, I played in the Pacific Rim league and the
Pacific Coast league.”
He left university in order to start his family.
Atleo had married his high school sweetheart,
Nancy, and the couple have two children, Tyson
and Tara.
The starting point for his career came when he
identified a lack of support programs to help
Aboriginal people move into post-secondary
education.
“There weren’t any transition programs that
helped Aboriginal people learn life skills and
acquire the basics to be successful in the univer-
sity and college systems,” Atleo said. “I opened
up a private post-secondary family training
institute that provided some of the first training
programs for Aboriginal people in Vancouver.”
Fifteen years of experience at the training insti-
tute allowed Atleo to advance directly into a
master’s program. He earned a Masters of
Education in Adult Learning and Global Change
from an academic partnership of four universi-
ties: University of Technology, Sydney,
Australia; University of British Columbia;
University of the Western Cape, South Africa;
and University of Linkoping, Sweden.
His experience with the four continent co-oper-
ative education model and First Nations teaching
principles that stress equality between teachers
and learners led Atleo to believe that traditional
education delivery systems, with a top-down
teacher-student hierarchy, hinder discovery.
“We’ve got to reduce this so-called power
structure between the educator and the stu-
dent,” Atleo said. “I think if we democratize
education, it will unleash greater potential. My
direct experience of First Nations learning sys-
tems is that at any given time, the learner can be
the teacher, and the teacher can be the learner.”
“Bad times have a scientific value. These are
occasions a good learner would not miss.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
British Columbia, as with much of the
world, entered 2009 under a veil of insta-
bility. Financial markets were melting,
industries were stalling, and global warming and
What is aChancellor?
The title of
chancellor has its
roots in the courts
of the Holy Roman
Empire and has
since been used to
describe a variety
of political,
religious, and
judiciary positions.
In an academic
context, a
chancellor is the
non-resident head
of a university,
chosen to
represent the
institution based
on significant
academic or
professional
accomplishments.
In Canada, past
university
chancellors have
included former
prime ministers
Lester Pearson
(Carleton), Robert
Borden (Queen’s),
and John
Diefenbaker
(Saskatchewan).
When VIU
transitioned from a
university-college
to a university, it
became
accountable to a
different set of
regulations,
requiring VIU to
install a chancellor.
The chancellor
holds a seat on the
Senate and Board
of Governors, and is
responsible for
conferring degrees
at convocation.
14 Journey Spring/Summer 2009
pollution remained on everyone’s radar. To
many, it is a time of distress and pessimism,
but VIU’s new chancellor views this environ-
ment as a perfect opportunity for universities
to make a positive impact.
“We can’t waste this crisis,” Atleo said. “We
have an economic crisis, an environmental cri-
sis, and, some would argue, a moral crisis. Now
is the time for VIU to step into this space and
lead the way. I’ve been speaking strongly about
the need for educational institutions to stand up
and help shape our world more than they have.”
Atleo added that students must play a critical
role in shaping this new world.
“Our students must commit to change and
make sure the University is heading in the right
direction,” Atleo said. “It’s no longer good
enough to stand on the sidelines and lob criti-
cisms. The civil rights movement in the United
States was spearheaded by the actions of uni-
versity students in the South. That’s why I get
excited: the potential of VIU and our students
to make change.”
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Teach me and I’ll
remember. Include me and I’ll understand.”
– Confucius
In September 2008, all four VIU campuses
celebrated Atleo’s inauguration as chancellor.
Atleo presented each campus with a hand-
carved and decorated yellow cedar paddle,
crafted by Nanoose artist Brian Bob. The paddles
were meant to complement
the university’s traditional
talisman, the mace. [See
sidebar]
“Allowing everyone to
have a say is a strong First
Nations tradition,” Atleo
said, “so I gave the paddle
not just to the president,
but also to the leader of
the student body and the
heads of the unions.”
The Nanaimo inaugura-
tion, at the Port Theatre,
was equal parts formal cer-
emony and house party.
Visiting dignitaries and
VIU faculty and staff in
academic robes mingled
with casually dressed com-
munity members and a
large group of Atleo’s rela-
tives and friends, many of them from Ahousat.
Bagpipes and O Canada were heard alongside
the steady thump of hand drums and Nuu-
chah-nulth greetings.
As Atleo addressed the crowd, alternating
between observations of cultural inclusiveness
and lighthearted, self-deprecating remarks, he
invited his family and friends to join him on the
stage.
“It became pretty evident when the songs and
the spontaneous celebrations erupted, it was as
much or more their ceremony,” Atleo said.
“When you work with First Nations and the
spirit moves, that’s often what happens.”
The spirit was moving for a good reason. VIU
had installed its first chancellor and cultural
shifts were at work.
“The symbolism of the chancellor position
going to a chief in a little village on the coast
isn’t lost on me,” Atleo said. “This is bigger
than me or any one individual. My family,
standing in the audience and celebrating on
stage—these are the same people that couldn’t
rent hotel rooms 35 years ago, couldn’t vote
not that long ago, were in residential schools
like my dad was. Just like the people in
Washington, D.C., who never thought they’d
see the day, these people thought they’d never
see the day an Atleo, a kid from Ahousat,
would be installed in an important, high-pro-
file role in an institution like VIU.”
“Collectively, Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals
have turned a heavy page of history,” Atleo said.
“As chancellor, I appreciate the opportunity to
help others write a new chapter.” J
PHOTO: VIU COMMUNICATIONS Journey Spring/Summer 2009 15
What is a Mace?
The mace is a weapon
with roots in ancient
Egypt. As military
technology improved
in the Middle Ages,
the mace became a
ceremonial symbol of
authority. It is often
used to mark special
occasions for
universities, including
convocation.
VIU’s mace was
designed and created
by retired VIU art
instructor John
Charnetski. The
metre-long mace is
made of stainless
steel and gold-plated
cast bronze. At
convocation, the
mace is carried by a
retiring professor or
administrator to
honour their
contribution to VIU.
Atleo has traditional
Ahousat songs on his
iPod, and lists AC/DC,
Neil Diamond, and
B.B. King as three of
his and Nancy’s
concert-going
experiences.
Atleo loved
coaching his kids’
sports teams, and
considered becoming
a school teacher.
Atleo is a self-
described “ski bum”
and figures he was one
of the original
snowboarders in
Vancouver. He had one
of the first Burton
production
snowboards, which
was made out of wood.
h Atleo presents a cedar paddle to (L-R) James Bowen, Students Union; RobinKenyon, VIU Board of Governors; Ralph Nilson, President and Vice-Chancellor; DanMacDonald, VIU Faculty Assocation; Stu Seifert, BCGEU; and Pam Botterill, CUPE
16 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: COURTESY MIKE WALKER
A L U M N I I N V I E W
When it comes to varsity athletics, badminton is
often overshadowed by other sports, even
though it boasts an estimated participation rate
of 200 million people around the world, second only to soc-
cer. While many North Americans view it as a gentle net
and racket game, often brought out at family reunions, it’s
an incredibly demanding professional sport, requiring a sub-
lime mix of skill, power, and tactics, all necessary to track
down a flying shuttle that can come at you at speeds
exceeding 300 kilometers per hour. Fans take the game as
seriously as the athletes do. Indeed fan devotion in Asia is
akin to hockey in Canada.
No one knows this better than Mike Walker (Arts and
Science, Commerce ’79), the only Canadian of the 46
Badminton World Federation (BWF) certificated umpires. In
matches in Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia, Walker and his
colleagues are routinely booed, heckled, and jeered by
overly zealous fans, who let the umpires know when they
are not pleased.
“It took a lot to get used to the crowd response in these
countries where the culture surrounding the sport is very
different,” Walker said. “In North America, badminton
crowds tend to sit on their hands, but not the rest of the
world. I umpired a Thomas Cup men’s singles match
Raising a RacketMike Walker makes net gains, following badminton
from the VIU gym to the Olympic Games. BY MATT CARTER
h Walker (seated on the #5 chair) umpires amatch at the 2006 World Junior BadmintonChampionships in Incheon, South Korea
PHOTO: MATT CARTER Journey Spring/Summer 2009 17
between Indonesia and Denmark’s top players in Jakarta,
where the crowds are the most vociferous, badminton-
crazy crowds in the world. Every time the Danish player hit
the bird, it was ‘boo,’ and every time the Indonesian player
hit the bird, it was ‘yay.’ It went back and forth, ‘boo, yay,
boo, yay’—and this was just in warm-ups.”
A commerce graduate, Walker played badminton at VIU
from 1977 to 1979. One of his teammates was Janice
Tissington (Phys Ed ’84), a talented doubles player who
earned two silver medals at the national college badminton
championships and was named the university’s female ath-
lete of the year in her final year at VIU. They married soon
after graduation, and moved to Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
and later, Edmonton.
In Edmonton, a serious back injury forced Walker away
from badminton for nearly a year. To alleviate the frustra-
tion from his injury, he signed up for a badminton umpiring
clinic, and started umpiring matches in northern Alberta.
“I was just looking for a way to stay involved in badminton,
and this was something fresh and new,” Walker said.
Walker improved quickly and switched his focus from
playing to officiating, aspiring to umpire games at the
national level.
His goal was realized six years later when was asked to
umpire at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. What
he didn’t know was that international badminton officials
were watching him.
“After the Games, I was approached by a senior official
from Malaysia who asked if I would be interested in umpir-
ing at the international level,” Walker said. “I looked at him
and said ‘Sorry, there’s an international level?’”
Despite Walker’s initial
naivety about international
badminton, the Malaysian
official recommended him to
the BWF. After eight years of
accreditation and certifica-
tion assessments, he became
an internationally certifi-
cated umpire—the top level
of badminton umpires in the
world.
Even with his new creden-
tials, he lacked the experi-
ence necessary to be invited
to the biggest international
events. He paid his own way
to travel from Nanaimo to as many overseas tournaments as
possible, eventually reaching the pinnacle of international
umpiring—the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and again
in Beijing in 2008.
“Athens was fantastic because it was my first Olympics.
Many of the venues didn’t sell out, so I got to attend virtu-
ally any event I wanted to.”
While he thought that the badminton competition in
Beijing was much more exciting because of the large, vocal
crowds, Athens provided him with the biggest thrill of his
umpiring career. He was selected to umpire the women’s
doubles bronze medal match between China and Korea.
“Being assigned to a medal match is a great honour,”
Walker said. “Korea won in three sets, and it was the most
amazing match I had ever been involved in. It featured sev-
eral rallies that went on for over 100 shots. The players
received standing ovations during the action, and even
when the applause ended, the rally kept going.”
Back at home in Nanaimo, Walker is president of the law
firm Mont & Walker Law Corp. A world map adorns his
office wall and miniature flags mark the international tour-
naments he’s officiated,
including the Masters Super
Series, Thomas and Uber
Cups, Commonwealth
Games, Pan Am Games, and
Olympic Games.
Walker’s most recent over-
seas trip was also badminton
related. He travelled to
Hawaii, where he met up
with his wife, who is now
VIU’s head coach. Janice
took her team to the 2009
Honolulu Open tournament,
where the players and
coaches not only performed
well against top-ranked Canadian and American opponents,
but they hiked up the Diamond Head volcano, bodysurfed
and snorkeled, and made a trek to Pearl Harbor.
“These team-building experiences are a major reason why
playing varsity sports is so valuable,” Walker said. “They’ll
have strong memories and friendships that they’ll keep for
the rest of their lives—just as I have.” J
h Smashing success: Mariner Mike Clark (centre)receives a scholarship thanks to an endowmentcreated by Janice and Mike Walker
Badminton endowment
Mike and Janice’s emotional attachment to VIU badminton led
them to establish an endowment, matched by the VIU
Foundation, which will award a yearly scholarship to a member of
the VIU badminton team. The first scholarship was recently
awarded to fourth-year business student and 2008 BCCAA mixed
doubles silver medalist Mike Clark.
“Janice and I figured it was a great way to give back to the uni-
versity and support the game that gave so much to our lives,”
Mike said. “The fact that we met on the badminton team just
adds to how near and dear the sport is to our hearts. It’s a sport
that we’ll continue to play for the rest of our lives, and hopefully
this endowment will reward VIU badminton players for many
years after that.”
18 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: COURTESY PAMELA YORK
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Eighty-Eight Keys to HNow living in Houston, Texas, the pianist, vocalist,
composer, and teacher has performed at the
Jacksonville Jazz Festival, won the Great American Jazz
Piano competition in 2007, played with world class
musicians such as Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton, and
released two highly acclaimed CDs. Even with all of this
success in the United States, a hometown return puts
her in a sentimental mood. BY MATT CARTER
Add Pamela York’s (Jazz ’89) name to Nanaimo’s list of homegrown jazz royalty.
For someone who might weigh 100 pounds on a rainy
day, Pamela (Butchart) York (Jazz ’89) pounded out
the Duke Ellington favourite, “Caravan,” with the
force and rhythm of a racing steam train at a recent per-
formance at VIU. After the final note rang from the piano,
students in the choral room exploded with applause.
“Inspiring,” said jazz student Keesha Roden. “Seeing a
concert like this by someone who graduated from your
school makes the dream of becoming a professional musi-
cian so much more realistic.”
York’s music career has been full of notable achievements in
the United States, including winning the Great American
Jazz Piano Competition in 2007. Previous finalists in the
competition included Harry Connick Jr. and Brad Mehldau.
But for York, coming back to VIU and playing in familiar
rooms for new students and old teachers was just as special.
“Everything I did in Nanaimo, whether in high school, pri-
vate lessons, or college, contributed to my success,” she
said, over a cup of coffee at a sun-drenched café in down-
town Nanaimo.
York’s love of music grew out of the discovery of an aging
upright piano in her grandmother’s basement. Classical
piano training and country rock jams led to high school
band classes where she drove herself to learn jazz.
“She was forward, but never in a nasty way,” said Bryan
Stovell, her teacher at Nanaimo District Secondary School
(NDSS). “She’d ask, ‘Can I get another solo? Can I get
another arrangement?’ But it was never to the detriment of
anyone else in the band.”
One of York’s mentors was a young Diana Krall.
“Diana would drop by NDSS and we’d play,” York said.
“She was very helpful, and didn’t beat around the bush. She
got me to start playing bass lines so I could play in duo set-
tings without a bassist and drilled in that I needed to know
jazz standards. All of that helped to get work.”
At VIU, she was impressed that her instructors were also
professional, practicing musicians. Steve Jones’s jazz his-
tory and arranging classes struck a particularly sweet chord
with her.
“He expected a lot, encouraged us and treated everyone
with respect,” York said. “Twenty years later, I still refer to
his handouts.”
After VIU, York earned a bachelor’s degree from the
Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., and a master’s
degree in jazz from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
In Tennessee, she met her future husband, Adam.
“He came from a musical family—his mother was a violinist
in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra—but was not overly
musical himself,” York said. “I knew our relationship was
getting serious when he enrolled in a jazz history course.”
The couple moved to San Diego, Calif., in 1996. In 2001,
York released her first recording, Blue York. Joining her on
the album were jazz giants John Clayton, bass, and Jeff
Hamilton, drums. It was the same rhythm section that
backed up Diana Krall on her debut recording, Stepping Out.
York had met Clayton and Hamilton while subbing in for
their Grammy-nominated big band, the Clayton-Hamilton
Jazz Orchestra. It took a while to build up the courage to ask
them to record with her.
“At first, I felt like I was at the kid’s table. But after one
rehearsal, it felt like we were peers,” she beamed. “I had
Monty Alexander’s rhythm section.”
Jazz media trumpeted the album. Jazz Improv Magazine
called Blue York a “very impressive debut,” Jazz Times wrote
that York was “blessed with a real sense of grace at the key-
board,” and Jazzreview.com said "Canadian-born Pamela
York is the ultimate pianist."
After moving to Houston, Texas, York released her second
album, The Way of Time. Many of the songs were inspired by
the birth of her first child, Anna. York gave birth to her sec-
ond child, Jonathan, in March 2009, and now plans to record
an album of hymns and spirituals, redone in a jazz style.
This exploration of musical diversity, York said, was born
out of her early classical piano and country jam experiences
in Nanaimo.
“Musicians need to play all styles. The tools that you use in
a Mozart sonata can be used in any jazz tune. Don’t turn
down a gig because it’s not exactly what you had in mind,
or where it might lead to. You might end up being really
good at something you never thought of.”
She finished her coffee and placed the cup neatly onto the
saucer. “As Duke Ellington said, there are only two types of
music: good and bad.” J
f More information on Pamela York at www.pamelayork.com
PHOTO: MATT CARTER Journey Spring/Summer 2009 19
appiness“Canadian-born Pamela York
is the ultimate pianist.”
– Jazzreview.com
h York (seated at the piano) and bassist Kristin Korb (seated on thestool) shared their thoughts on being professional jazz musicianswith VIU music students
At the age of 16, June Jefferies (BA ’07)
started her post-secondary education,
but it wasn’t in a university classroom.
It started at her first job, shelving books in a
Stratford, East London library, under the shad-
ows of acrid soap and chemical factories and
the vacant remnants of bomb-blasted indus-
trial buildings. Her professors were detective
stories and travel guides.
This was in 1948, three years removed from
the Second World War and in an era where a
university education was not considered critical
to personal or economic success.
“Everyone was getting trained on the job,” June
said. “There weren’t many universities in England
in the first place, and only a small percentage of
people considered going. I didn’t subscribe to the
notion that you had to go to university.”
It took 50 years to change her mind.
In 2007, June donned a black cap and robe and
walked across the stage of the Port Theatre in
Nanaimo to accept her bachelor’s degree in
Liberal Studies and Visual Arts. She had watched
incendiary bombs tear London apart, raised four
children almost entirely on her own, dealt with
London’s worst criminals and troubled youths
for 22 years as a probation officer, and moved
from Europe to North America before registering
for her first university class at the age of 65.
It's an experience that appears at odds with
typical university student demographics.
According to a 2007 report from the
Association of Universities and Colleges of
Canada, only 2.5 per cent of full time under-
graduate students were 35 years of age or older,
and two-thirds of master’s students were
younger than 30. But even if higher education
is largely a pursuit of young people, the award-
ing of a Bachelor of Arts degree to 75-year-old
June Jefferies proves that youth is not a prereq-
uisite to academic success.
In the audience for June’s convocation were
her son and daughter-in-law, Merv Jefferies
(BTM ’02) and Mary O’Neill.
“I think getting her degree from VIU was the
best thing my mom has ever done for herself,”
The liberalstudiesscholarship
To celebrate the
Liberal Studies
department, June
established the June
Jefferies Liberal
Studies Scholarship, a
yearly award of $600
that she funds by
putting aside $50 per
month.
“I feel an obligation
to help out a bright
youngster who is
dedicated to Liberal
Studies,” June said.
“It’s easy to put a bit
of money away, and
it all adds up.”
20 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: MATT CARTER
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Family FueledMeet three members of the Jefferies family who went back to school at
the same time as mature students, refuting misconceptions that you
have to be young to thrive at university. BY MATT CARTER
Merv said. “After living through challenging circumstances
and raising four children, it’s a significant accomplishment.”
Merv, who had gone to cooking school as a teenager in
England and moved to Canada in 1974 to work in the culi-
nary industry, invited June to make the same move across
the Atlantic upon her retirement. In 1992, she joined Merv
and Mary in Nanaimo. June, an avid reader, painter, and
pianist, immediately got involved with Literacy Nanaimo
and the Nanaimo Arts Council.
“June is very social, active, and loves learning,” Merv said.
“She’s not interested in sitting on the couch and watching
daytime TV. She looks for any opportunity to be around peo-
ple and have meaningful conversations.”
Mary, a professor in VIU’s Education department, sug-
gested that June sign up for Fine Arts classes at VIU at very
little cost, as the university waives tuition fees for students
65 and older. June enrolled, despite feeling a bit apprehen-
sive at the thought of studying alongside students that were
nearly 50 years younger than her.
“In the beginning, I was nervous about how I might fit in,”
June said, “but it turned out that I paid more attention to
my age than anyone else did.”
In addition to art and literature courses, June embraced
the Liberal Studies program. “It was exactly my kind of
learning,” she said. “I took every Liberal Studies class that I
could. Every professor brought so much of themselves to
the classroom.”
While June was enjoying her first year of university studies,
Merv was becoming increasingly burnt out from running an
independent cookware store in downtown Nanaimo. “It was
hard to compete with the larger companies,” he said. “I
went on a sabbatical and realized that I was tired of the retail
grind and didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Mary, who had started her career by studying applied com-
munications at Camosun College, had seen first-hand how
university studies had improved students’ fortunes and urged
Merv to follow his mother’s lead and go back to school.
“Working at VIU showed me
that higher education is a gift,”
Mary said. “I thought Merv
had a lot to contribute in an
academic setting.”
Seeing tourism as a growing part of the world economy and
buoyed by the opportunity to complete co-operative work
placements, Merv applied to VIU’s Tourism and Recreation
department. He walked into his first class at the age of 46.
Instead of feeling out of place surrounded by younger stu-
dents, he fed off of their optimism and positive energy. It was
a complete switch from the chronic stress of retail sales.
“Besides emigrating to Canada and marrying Mary, going
to VIU was the best decision I ever made,” said Merv, who
graduated with a Bachelor of Tourism Management degree
less than a month before his 50th birthday. “It gave me self
confidence. I got involved in things I never would have
done otherwise, such as finding myself in an outdoor recre-
ation class, upside down in a canoe.”
Fueled by his success, Merv looked to add to his education.
At the same time, Mary wanted to upgrade her position at
VIU. So, both enrolled in master’s programs, and they called
on VIU professors Rick Rollins and Marshall Soules to serve
as their MA advisors. Mary completed her master’s degree in
2003 and Merv finished in 2005.
Merv now works with Tourism
Vancouver Island as an industry
services research coordinator,
and Mary lectures on classroom
technology applications and digi-
tal portfolio design.
June has finished her under-
graduate education, but she has
not lost her zest for learning.
She remains active with the VIU
Liberal Studies Alumni Club,
where she continues to discuss
art, literature, philosophy,
music, politics—anything to
keep the academic fires burn-
ing. Her spirit left a lasting
impression on everyone that
she met at VIU.
“Good students inspire
their peers, but great stu-
dents inspire their teachers,”
said Liberal Studies professor
Russell McNeil. “June loved
ideas, music, art and conver-
sation, and she always com-
municated her enthusiasm
with clear intelligence and
infectious humour. She
showed us that education is a
never-ending, life-long
process.”
Sixty years after June
started her first job, you can
still find her in a library, flipping
through books, learning and dis-
covering. J
Keeping in touch
In addition to teaching,
Mary produces a regular
newsletter for VIU
Education alumni,
Alumni ED, which details
the accomplishments of
VIU Education alumni
and lists teaching
opportunities at schools
in B.C. and around the
world. Graduates
appreciate Mary’s
efforts to keep them
connected.
“It’s great to read
about fellow colleagues
and the successes
they’re experiencing in
their new endeavours,”
said Trish Bogle (BEd ’07).
“Mary has always
made her students and
alumni feel like they
were important,” added
Erin Behnsen (BEd ’07).
“She always finds the
time to help us.”
f To see current and
past issues, visit
www.viu.ca/
education/alumni/
newsletter/
PHOTO: (LEFT) MATT CARTER; (RIGHT) COURTESY MARY O’NEILL Journey Spring/Summer 2009 21
h Teachers just want to have fun: Mary O’Neill (centre)with 2008 Education alumni (L-R) Kris Isenor, Chris Sheasby, Katie Stafford, Simmy Mukhija, and Teresa Fayant
h A beaming June Jefferies standsin the Diana Krall Plaza with herson Merv after his VIUgraduation ceremony in 2002
22 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 STORY: BAHIYYIH EGELI. PHOTO: MATT CARTER
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Following a journey that took him
from Saskatchewan to the Yukon,
to Malaspina University-College,
then to San Diego, Calif., VIU First
Nation Studies graduate Richard
Aisaican (BA ’01) has returned to VIU.
He counsels students in his dual roles
as Aboriginal Career and Employment
coordinator in the Campus Career
Centre and Aboriginal Student Success
advisor for Career and Academic
Preparation.
A member of the Cowessess First
Nation, he grew up on a reserve
unaware of the complexity of his tradi-
tional culture, so he credits First
Nations Studies at VIU for teaching him
about himself as a First Nations person.
Aisaican was young when his family
moved from the Qu’Appelle Valley,
Saskatchewan, to the Yukon. After
high school, he enrolled in business
studies at Yukon College, but was soon
recruited by a representative of VIU.
Aisaican was impressed with VIU’s
Aboriginal connections.
“I wanted to be in a place where I
would feel connected,” Aisaican said.
“Yukon College had about a 55 per cent
Aboriginal student population. I liked
that VIU also had a strong Aboriginal
community.”
At VIU, Aisaican was involved with
student union activities and was an
advocate for student loan reform. He
said that many of his teachers
inspired his work, including Dr.
Richard Atleo, father of VIU’s first
chancellor, Shawn Atleo.
“He was my mentor, and I remember
his story about being born in a long-
house in Ahousat,” Aisaican said. “He
has an impressive education and is
articulate when sharing his stories and
cultural knowledge.”
Aisaican’s student experience was
enriched by the supportive presence of
the VIU resident elders on campus. “I
didn’t always contact them, but know-
ing they were there kept my mind at
ease,” he said. “We knew they were
there with prayers and to keep us in
line. It was what they were symboli-
cally that helped. I hope they knew
that we felt that way.”
When asked to compare his time as a
student at VIU to now, Aisaican com-
mented that Aboriginal community life
at VIU is now “more entrenched in the
institution.” There are positive changes
on campus, including additional First
Nations staff, an Aboriginal chancellor,
and more campus events that promote
Aboriginal pride, such as a successful
First Nations Christmas Feast that
Aisaican hosted in December 2008.
Aisaican hopes the Gathering Place
building will add another positive piece
to Aboriginal life on campus. He added
that while it will have an Aboriginal
feel and focus, all students are wel-
come to host events and promote cam-
pus culture there. This promotion of
culture and community is essential to
Aisaican.
“The First Nations people here, such
as the Haida and Coast Salish, still
have their traditional stories,” he
explained. “My classes helped me
visualize what Aboriginal education
can mean for people.”
Roots and CultureFirst Nations culture grows at VIU, thanks to the efforts of elders, students, staff, and
alumni such as Richard Aisaican (BA ’01)
Brendan Tang (Visual Arts ’96) is
remixing ceramics—and getting
noticed.
After nearly 15 years of exhibits and
academic study, Tang has been recog-
nized as an “emerging artist” by
Ceramics Monthly, the world’s largest
ceramic art periodical. His work has
also been featured in Hi-Fructose and
FUSE magazines.
Tang’s art draws heavily from contem-
porary popular culture, humour, and
satire, but he mixes it with exquisite
craftsmanship and lavishness that one
might take as a product of an older era.
For instance, his “Manga Ormolu” series
mixes traditional Chinese Ming Dynasty
vessels with robotic elements inspired
by plastic toys and Japanese comics.
“I’m playing with ideas of cultural
appropriation and hybridization,” said
Tang, a naturalized Canadian who was
born in Dublin, Ireland to an East
Indian mother and Chinese father.
“My ideas and thoughts of culture have
started to change a bit. Earlier in my
life, I thought of culture as static, or if
it moved, it moved at a glacier’s pace.
Today I think of culture as a
much more fluid, dynamic
thing.”
Tang, who went on from VIU
to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree from the Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design and
a Master of Fine Arts degree
from Southern Illinois
University, now teaches
ceramics at Thompson
Rivers University in
Kamloops, BC. He
has exhibited his
works across
North America,
including shows
in Kirkland,
Wash., Toronto,
Chicago, and
Pittsburgh in
2008.
The fact that he
was recognized after
more than a decade of work proves that
artists have to spend a considerable
amount of time learning the business
side of their craft and marketing their
art to gain attention, Tang
said.
“In the beginning, I had
whimsical notions that I
would just create my
work and someone
would snap me up, but
like anything that’s
risky or out of the
norm, it becomes an
issue of endurance.”
A busy spring in
2009 is in the
cards for Tang,
with shows in
Vancouver,
Kamloops, and
Ottawa.
“I’ve had lots of
times of self-doubt
but I never have any
doubt about my
work,” he said. “I
stand by it. I never think I’m
giving up or selling out.”
f View Tang’s art online at
BrendanTang.com
Clay MotionAlumnus turns heads with his dramatic ceramics
STORY: MATT CARTER AND SARA HOMER. PHOTOS: COURTESY BRENDAN TANG Journey Spring/Summer 2009 23
A L U M N I I N V I E W
24 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 STORY: MATT CARTER. PHOTO: JOSH NYCHUK
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Graphic designer Josh Nychuk
(Graphic Arts ’08) could be con-
sidered a master of arts, but he
started out at VIU as a master of fish.
His undergraduate journey at VIU took
him through three different programs,
starting with culinary arts in 2001. After
earning a Culinary Arts certificate, he
began working at a Japanese restaurant
to study its cuisine—sushi, in particular.
After two years of professional cooking,
he became interested in learning web
design techniques for a side job and
enrolled in VIU’s Digital Media program.
While earning a Digital Media diploma
and an Internet production certificate,
access to certain computer programs
changed his path yet again.
“I decided to learn how to use some of
the graphic design software in my
spare time,” Nychuk said. “Until that
point, I had only used traditional medi-
ums for creating artwork. Once I
understood how the computer pro-
grams could not only facilitate this
process but completely revolutionize it,
there was no turning back. It was then
that I knew exactly what I wanted to
do: graphic design.”
The former cook had considerable
success with graphic
design in 2008, winning
an award in a competition
sponsored by the Society
of Graphic Designers of
Canada for his cover
design for Portal, VIU’s lit-
erary journal. He followed
that by winning a contest
to design the logo for the British
Columbia government’s LiveSmart BC
program. In doing so, he defeated over
140 student designers in B.C., earning a
prize of $10,000. LiveSmart BC, a pro-
gram that promotes green habits and
choices for home, work, and the road,
uses his logo in a variety of highly visi-
ble media.
Nychuk has parlayed his success into
a design job in Toronto. His portfolio
covers a wide variety of work, includ-
ing corporate logos, event posters,
product packaging, book and CD cov-
ers, websites, and skateboards.
Nychuk cites British designer Neville
Brody and American designer David
Carson as two main influences, with
roots in punk rock, surfing, and edgy
styles. “I love rule breakers,” Nychuk
said. “Their work played a large role in
my decision to become a designer.”
f See Nychuk’s work at grafikmatter.com
h Nychuk’s winning logo design for LiveSmart BC
From Sushi to Skateboards Cook-turned-graphic artist fires up his career by winning
a provincial logo design competition
The heart of Parksville Bay
looks rough. Excavators
and dump trucks rumble
by the skeleton of an unfinished
eight-storey residential build-
ing, and portable offices and
makeshift fences frame muddy
bogs and construction debris.
But something stunning has
risen behind the muck.
A new oceanfront resort, The
Beach Club Resort, has sprung
from the crevices where the old
Island Hall Resort stood since
1917. VIU alumna Shawna
Broekhuizen (Hospitality ’02) is
the general manager. To get here,
she had to go through her own
transformation.
“I worked in food and beverage
for 15 years,” she said, sitting in
front of her office window, over-
looking a fountain that marks the
resort’s entrance. “It came to a point—
especially as a single mom at the time—
that I grew tired of waitressing.”
Broekhuizen enrolled in VIU’s
Hospitality program and was instantly
inspired.
“The professors were so strong,” she
said. “Dale Francis was a visionary! He
got us to view things from the guest
perspective and realize that our goal
was to create memories. When he died
of cancer, it was a huge loss to the pro-
gram. His ‘Principals of Marketing’
course was my favourite, by far. I still
use his teachings every day.”
After graduating, she moved to
Whistler and managed banquets at the
Delta Whistler Resort on a ferocious
schedule.
“At one stretch, I worked 25 days in a
row and slept in the first aid room,”
she said.
Broekhuizen returned to Vancouver
Island when she was recruited by Tigh-
Na-Mara Resort in Parksville. She
worked there as banquet manager
before switching to sales and market-
ing at The Beach Club, one month
before its grand opening. It was
not long before she was
promoted to general
manager, a role
she relishes.
Her attitude
towards her
employees
matches her spirit.
“Your staff has to have fun,” she
said. “It’s about making sure that they
feel important and empowered. At the
end of the day, I don’t manage a hotel;
I manage people.”
It takes less than a minute to get from
Broekhuizen’s office to the beach.
From here, there are no signs of con-
struction. Look west and you see the
resort, with stone-sculpted walls, tall-
windowed villas, and a nine-storey
tower. Look elsewhere and you see the
calm salt water of Parksville Bay.
Broekhuizen is proud of the fact that
she worked her way from waitressing
to resort management in barely
five years. Instead of deliver-
ing meals and drinks,
she organizes cater-
ers—and marketers,
front-desk staff,
housekeepers, cor-
porate partners,
guests—anyone and
everyone involved with a luxury
resort.
“I’m thrilled to be living proof that
hard work and perseverance leads to
success in this business,” she said.
“The hospitality industry, with all of its
challenges and struggles, is incredibly
rewarding. I can’t wait to see what’s
around the next corner.”
STORY AND PHOTO: MATT CARTER Journey Spring/Summer 2009 25
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Movin’ On UpAs Parksville develops its waterfront, Shawna Broekhuizen (Hospitality ’02)
develops her career
Why did you come to VIU?
I completed a two-year
diploma in recreation serv-
ice at Langara College and
realized that I wanted
more education with a
stronger focus on tourism.
I went for a tour and info
session with VIU
Recreation and Tourism
professor Nicole Vaugeois and was sold
on the program. Great instructors,
beautiful campus.
How would you describe your time at VIU?
The bad times were good, the good
times were great, the hours were long,
but the rewards made it all worthwhile.
I met amazing people who have gone on
to all corners of the globe to follow their
dreams, and I can’t wait to visit them.
Outside of the classroom, there were
many activities, such as ski trips, Grey
Cup flag football, and curling. There
was always something going on, and it
was always themed. I did-
n’t know what a tickle
trunk was until I went on
a 1980s-themed pub
crawl. Most of my money
was spent at Value Village,
putting together outfits
from different eras.
I was the bartender at the
Velvet Underground dur-
ing my first year at Malaspina in 2002.
The first day of classes, we went to the
pub and they weren’t open because
they needed a bartender. So I became
the bartender and the pub opened—
that’s my commitment to education!
Did you have any particularly inspiring
professors?
John Plantinga was inspiring. He was
tough and demanded the best, but you
felt you couldn’t disappoint him. If you
did, you were disappointing yourself.
What do you enjoy about where you work?
If I didn’t work here, I’d be vacationing
here.
I’m an avid skier, and this resort is a
hidden gem. Sun Peaks has 121 runs over
3,700 acres, the second largest skiable
terrain in Canada after Whistler. The runs
aren’t crowded and the temperatures are
mild. The Austrian national ski team
trains here, and this year the team
brought a contingent of Swiss and
Russian national skiers. Olympic and
world champion and Canadian female
athlete of the century, Nancy Greene, is
our director of skiing.
For non-skiers and snowboarders,
there is a ton of other activities: ice skat-
ing, snowshoe tours, snowmobiling, and
authentic dogsledding, where you actu-
ally get to pick your own team from 45
Alaskan Huskies, harness them, mush
them, and reward them afterwards.
At the end of the day, I get to work
with friendly and passionate people
while living and playing in a ski resort.
From Sea to Shining SkisColin Brost (BTM ’04) is the international sales manager for Tourism Sun Peaks, a
destination marketing organization that promotes Sun Peaks Resort, an award-winning
mountain resort 45 minutes northeast of Kamloops, B.C. We asked Brost about his VIU
experiences and life on the slopes.
26 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTOS: PAUL MORRISON / TOURISM SUN PEAKS
A L U M N I I N V I E W
Susan Wright (Szasz)
(Uni versity Transfer ’72) and
Roy Wright (University
Transfer ’72) have recently
moved from the United
States back to Calgary, AB.
Susan is General Counsel
and Vice President-Law for
Alliance Pipelines, while Roy
is the Principal of Roan
Con sulting, specializing in
an urban and regional
planning in Canada and the
United States.
Peg Montgomery (Culinary
Arts ’84) is co-owner and
chef of Restaurant Maya,
located on a beach in
Melaque, Mexico,
overlooking the Pacific
Ocean.
Jarrett Beaulieu (Cook
Training ’90) is the
Executive Chef at the Ritz-
Carlton Hotel in Sharm El
Sheikh, Egypt.
Simon Lazarus (Hotel
Operations ’90, Cook
Training ’93) was promoted
to Senior Area Director of
Food and Beverage, Middle
East and Africa, for Hilton
Hotels. Stationed in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates,
Lazarus oversees food and
beverage operations for 45
hotels and is responsible for
opening a further 32 in the
region.
Megan Bailey’s (Office
Admin ’98) career and
family have evolved
drastically since graduating
in 1998. Her education led
directly to her first “real job,”
administration at MacMillan
Bloedel. During the lunch
break on her first day at
work, Megan met her future
husband. Now married with
a daughter, Megan is back at
VIU and studying for a
business degree.
Matt Rimmer (Fisheries and
Aquaculture ’98) is working
for the North Carolina
Wildlife Resources
Commission in Marion, N.C.
He has worked with geoduck
clams, Atlantic salmon,
white sturgeon, Arctic char,
brook trout, rainbow trout,
and brown trout.
Jen Fisher (Recreation and
Sport ’99) and former VIU
recreation student Mandy
Dunning (Right in photo)
were married August 9,
2008 in Lantzville, BC. Jen
completed a Bachelor of
Science in Therapeutic
Recreation at Dalhousie
University and currently
manages Leisure &
Education Services for THEO
BC, a mental health
organization, in Vancouver.
Mandy works as a personal
trainer, also in Vancouver.
Graham Kruse (Cook
Training ’00) is the
Executive Chef at the
Fairmont Beijing Hotel in
Beijing, China.
Brian Horncastle (ITAS ’02)
and Amanda Van Tankeren
(BBA ’07) were married in
August 2008. After
graduating from VIU, Brian
earned a Bachelor of Applied
Technology in Information
Systems from the Southern
Alberta Institute of
Technology and was hired as
a Unix Systems Network
Administrator at Camosun
College in Victoria, which he
describes as his “dream job.”
Amanda works for the BC
Public Service Agency as an
Aboriginal Youth Internship
Program Assistant.
Liz Harvey-Carter (BA ’06)
and VIU professor Linda
Derksen’s co-authored
research paper “CSI Effect:
Science Fiction or Social
Fact?” will be published in a
new book, The CSI Effect:
Television, Crime and
Critical Theory, a collection
of essays on the CSI television
series. Since graduating,
Harvey-Carter has completed
a counselling diploma and a
M.A. in Integrated Studies
from Athabasca University.
She will be starting a PhD on
the anthropology of learning
disabilities at Simon Fraser
University.
Cole Renner (Recreation and
Sport ’06) has been named
head of business operations
for the Nanaimo Senior A
Timbermen Lacrosse Club.
He is also Vice President of
Business Operations for the
V.I. Raiders football team.
Magnus Stephen Colvin (BEd
‘07) is an English 10 and
Communications 11
instructor at Dalian Maple
Leaf International School in
Dalian, China. Colvin and
his wife recently celebrated
a new baby, Claire Sadie,
who is already planning her
VIU academic career.
Roy Tyndall (BA ’08) sends
us this note: “Living in
Danang, Vietnam. Eating
shrimp. Riding a bike. This
land of smiles teaches a
foreigner that there are
different ways to look at life
and its trials. Most people
here are poor but most are
still happy, loving people. I
love it here.”
AlumnEyeLet us know about your new job, promotion, wedding,
family addition, travels, or further academic achievements
Journey Spring/Summer 2009 27
C L A S S N O T E S
T H E H O M E S T R E T C H
28 Journey Spring/Summer 2009 PHOTO: COURTESY ANN HOLROYD
When we travelled to Nepal, we
were aware there were differ-
ences between our cultures,
but no amount of class work could have
prepared us for the cultural diversity of
this country. The experience was the
greatest teacher we could have to
advance our own cultural sensitivity.
A common mantra within the group
was to be open, let things happen, and
relinquish control, thereby recognizing
the path to a new inner vitality.
Students had to gain comfort against
the limits of their own tolerance, and
seeing beyond the commonly held
assumption that other cultures should
strive to be like us was a valuable lesson.
While globalization has brought the
marketization of many things, includ-
ing health, the people of Nepal seem to
have resisted a global model of health
care based on “think alike, look alike”
principles. Regional beliefs and super-
stitions still influence health care prac-
tices. Cow dung, thought to be a
healing agent, is rubbed on the navels
of newborn infants, and babies are
rubbed daily with mustard seed oil to
promote strength as an adult. Nurses,
in facilities without ventilation, mix
toxic chemotherapy drugs in full view
of patients and their families.
Everywhere the students turned, in
hospitals or communities, they were
presented with adventures of ideas and
new shades of thought. Most impor-
tantly, they began to see the Nepalese
beyond an “us versus them” mindset.
Spending a long period of time in a
different culture helped the students
see the value of cultural diversity on a
personal level. Their identities were
being challenged. Being part of a large
group and working in a foreign country
truly offset any desires they may have
had to safely remain the same person
they had always been.
I wish that all students could partici-
pate in at least one international
learning experience during their
under grad uate program. The learning
that takes place outside of a classroom
is a necessary complement to class-
room work. Our time in Nepal taught
us to savour the differences that exist
between cultures and people, a worth-
while value that we can bring to the
world of health and illness care.
Mother Teresa said “I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbour. Do you
know your next door neighbour?”
In a global village, citizens on opposite sides of the planet are neighbours. They might
have different habits or beliefs, but exploring that sense of diversity can be life-changing,
as 12 Bachelor of Science in Nursing students and two VIU instructors discovered in Nepal
during a four week field school in September 2008.
Beginning their journey in the ancient city of Bhaktapur, the students travelled to
Scheer Memorial Hospital in Banepa and learned about the health and social issues in the
Kathmandu Valley region. They shared a nursing residence and tasted local food, includ-
ing a national dish of dahl bhat (lentil soup and rice) at every meal. The group also visited
the Royal Chitwan Park wildlife reserve, attended a traditional Hindu wedding, faced the
aftermath of a landslide on the way to Thulo Syabru, crossed mountains, donated money
to The Mountain Fund, a poverty eradication non-profit that targets mountain regions,
and provided communities with medical supplies. VIU nursing professor Ann Holroyd
reflected on the value of these cross-cultural explorations for the students.
Going to KathmanduCultural Comparisons in the Heart of the Himalayas. BY ANN HOLROYD
h VIU students in Nepal: (L-R) Kamiko Tomiyama, Alison Graham, Kala Fitton,Laura Fyfe, Mandy Parmar, Kristy Wareham, Pamela Browett, Jenny Patton, andHeather Maitland. (Missing: Eva Andres, Christie Kay, Jaycille Zart)
VIU Alumni Mean BusinessAccounting firm celebrates its relationships with
VIU Business graduates
The Nanaimo branch of accounting firm Meyers Norris Penny cre-
ated a $40,000 endowment fund for VIU, establishing the MNP
Nanaimo Founders Award. It will be given annually to a student in
VIU’s Bachelor of Business Administration program.
“We are very proud to provide this award and recognize the local
impact of VIU
accounting stu-
dents,” said Lucie
Gosselin, MNP
Nanaimo’s man-
aging partner.
“The quality of
their work is very
high. We cur-
rently employ
graduates at all of
MNP’s Vancouver
Island locations.”
h VIU alumni at MNP’s Nanaimo office include (L-R)Jennifer Farr (BA ’05), Leif Bogwald (BA ’02), MikeBonkowski (’88), Mike Furnell (’06), SeanDougherty (BBA ’08), Kali Meyer (BBA ’08), MerylChahley (’85), Sally Bethinger (’77), Lynne Pankratz(’89), Traci Pogson (BA ’05)
What was the most importantrelationship you forged during yourtime at VIU?
Bonnie Bill (Social Services ’06) I had some struggles
in the social services program, but Professor Patrick
Konkin was extremely supportive. He emphasized the
importance of being flexible to learning styles, which
I’m mindful of when I work with school children. I
also admired instructor Anne Spilker, an incredible
woman who made sure everyone was heard.
Carrie Friend (BA ’02) Professors John Black, Janina
Hornosty, and Lisa MacLean were brilliant facilitators
and fabulous human beings. Our 18-person liberal
studies seminar group was a special unit that cared
about education and each other—and we kept it lively!
Aran Gough (BSc ’96) Ecology instructor Ed van
Zinderen Bakker was integral in guiding me into a
career in ecology. I constantly apply techniques that I
learned from Ed in my projects. He continues to pro-
vide me with support, even though I now live in Peru.
Tom Guy (BA ’07) My professors were very giving of
their time—in classrooms, forums, field trips, clubs,
and in sharing music. These experiences helped me
generate a respect and fondness for dedicated peo-
ple doing good work.
Carrie Johns (BA ’05) I met Jason Parsley (BA ’06) in
English 215. We were put in a group and instructed to
read our essays aloud to each other. I wrote some
drivel on my obsession with the TV show MASH. Jason
wrote about building birdhouses with his grandfa-
ther. For some reason, I asked Jason if he’d build me
a birdhouse, and for some reason, he agreed. In June
2008, we were married. For a wedding present, we
received the complete MASH collection and watched
all eleven seasons in six months. I’m still waiting for
my birdhouse.
Hannah King (BTM ’03) I met my husband at VIU. He
was two years ahead of me in the Recreation and
Tourism program but we shared a class together and
the rest is history. Professor John Plantinga had the
biggest impact; you have to appreciate somebody so
straight forward and non-fluffy!
Paul Langereis (BEd ’01) I was fortunate enough to
take visual arts classes from Fran Benton and Gregory
Ball. Fran was a wonderful person to talk to about the
arts, and Gregory provided me with great inspiration.
As well, Education advisor John Boland had a great
sense of humour and provided me with support
through the program.
PHOTOS: MATT CARTER Journey Spring/Summer 2009 29
G I V I N G B A C K
h Six VIU nursing students received $5,000 scholarships as a result of theSharmans’ million dollar donation. (L-R) Dean of Health and Human ServicesLaureen Styles, Sidney Sharman, Sarah Gibson, Jennifer Peters, Kellie Connelly,Jennifer Steele, Jennie Taylor, Jennifer van Barneveld, and President Ralph Nilson
Wealth Care for Health CareNursing students benefit from a one million
dollar donation—the largest in VIU’s history
In January 2009, Nanaimo philanthropists Sidney and Gladys
Sharman donated one million dollars to VIU, the largest personal
donation in the university’s history. The money will go into an
endowment fund to provide up to six awards each year for fourth-
year students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.
“We need doctors and surgeons,” Sidney Sharman said, “but
when you’re in the hospital, it’s the nurses you see. I want to sup-
port the nursing program and nurses in the Nanaimo area.”
&Q A