Anniversaries abound at Lethbridge College in 2013
This year is a big one for several Lethbridge College people and programs. Although different from the traditional gifts given for wedding anniversaries, the staff of Wider Horizons thought it would pass along virtual anniversary gifts to the following Lethbridge College programs and one very important person celebrating big years.
• A gift of gold to the Culinary Careers program, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. An early menu from what was then called Lethbridge Junior College showed one could purchase a “tenderized steak dinner” for a mere 95 cents. Both the elegance of the menu – and the prices – have changed a bit since then, but one thing remains the same: you can still count on having a wonderful meal prepared by the students and chefs of this program any time of year.
• A gift of rubies to Randy Jespersen, Chair of the Lethbridge College Board of Governors. Jespersen graduated from the college 40 years ago with a business administration diploma, and he has been making a difference in his country and community ever since. Whether it’s running a successful natural gas operation in British Columbia, helping his brother bring in the harvest near Taber every August or volunteering at the West Vancouver Senior Activity Centre, Jespersen has given his enthusiasm, great energy and experience to all endeavours.
• A gift of pearls to the Engineering program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The program started offering classes in an auspicious year for engineers – 100 years after construction started on the Brooklyn Bridge and 50 years after work started on the Golden Gate. With another amazing bridge in the college’s own backyard, this program has grown and thrived in its three decades.
• A gift of silver to the Therapeutic Recreation-Gerontology program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. This program started when the youngest baby boomers were 24 and the oldest 42. Today, the oldest boomers are approaching retirement, and graduates of this program are finding their skills in higher demand than ever.
• And finally, a gift of china to the Fashion Design and Marketing program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. This program welcomed its first students at a time when the grunge look ruled the runways and hallways, and when students who weren’t wearing flannel might be found in overalls, Lycra or ankle boots.
To all of these people and programs, the entire Lethbridge College community wishes you the happiest anniversary and many years of great adventures to come.
All invited to annual Career Conference on Oct. 7
Career Conference will be held this year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 7, in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. This annual event is a one-of-a-kind experience geared especially for college and high school students who want to investigate different career options represented by industry experts and businesses. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Recent Career Conferences have been quite successful, with nearly 100 businesses exhibiting, as well as many post-secondary institutions and more than 50 Lethbridge College programs. On average, about 2,000 visitors participate in the event each year, almost three-quarters of whom are Lethbridge College students and alumni. Feel free to come and check it out.
Free career advising groups planned on Fridays this fall
Don’t know what you want to be when you “grow up”? Have a child or friend who is unsure of what to do next? Lethbridge College Career Advising will offer free group sessions this fall that are open to high school students in Grade 11 and 12. Participants take the Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality assessment and the Strong Interest Inventory interest assessment to assist with the self-exploration stage of career planning. These two-part sessions offer: an introduction covering the career planning process and how assessments fit in; printed reports of the individual’s unique assessment results; and assistance with the research stage of career planning. These are two-part sessions which will be held every month; attendance is required at both sessions. Call 403-320-3287 for more information.
School of Justice Studies wins innovation award for successful Networking Day
Students in the college’s Criminal Justice-Policing program can prepare for the rigorous public service application process with the program’s successful and now award-winning Networking Day. The most recent event, held March 2, gave students in the Professional Communication in Public Safety Organizations class a chance to interact with recruiters to learn for themselves what justice programs are all about. During Networking Day, recruiters come from near – Lethbridge Regional Police Service, the City of Lethbridge Public Safety Communication Centre and Blood Tribe Police – and farther afield – Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary police services, Military Police and Canadian Armed Forces. Before the event, students research the agencies’ missions, values and visions and then must interact with every agency the day of the event. The students then choose the five agencies which appeal most to them and report back to their instructors in detail about their choices. The college nominated the event for an “Innovation of the Year” award given by the League for Innovation in the Community College and faculty members Bill Anderson, Kirsten Fantazir (General Studies ‘99) and Hugh Richards received awards for their involvement in the event in the early summer. “The response from both students and recruiters has been exceptionally positive,” says Ian Hepher, who was interim chair this spring. “It is an effective and highly innovative project which links Policing diploma graduates to potential employees” and prepares graduates for the justice workforce, connecting them to public safety organizations globally.
Alum to launch first-ever Lethbridge comic convention in November
Lethbridge College grad Adam Essex (Culinary Arts, 2008) is organizing the city’s first “comic con” on Nov. 1 and 2. These conventions bring together fans, collectors and vendors of comics, games, artwork, antiques, collectibles, toys, jewelry and more. In addition, those who attend are “highly encouraged” to come dressed up as their favourite superhero or villain and can enjoy entertainment and have a chance to meet the artists and writers behind some of the best loved graphic novels, videos and art. Essex, manager and head chef of the Italian Canadian Club, says his training at the college has helped him throughout his career. He adds: “I truly believe in the entrepreneurial spirit and have high hopes for the event.” Among the confirmed featured guests at the first Lethbridge Comic Con will be comic artist Nat Jones, special effects/props/costume designer Travis Shewchuk and ‘80s horror film scream queen Linnea Quigley. For more information about the event, go to lethbridgecomiccon.com.persen, Chair of the Lethbridge College Board of Governors. Jespersen graduated from the college 40 years ago with a business administration diploma, and he has been making a difference in his country and community ever since. Whether it’s running a successful natural gas operation in British Columbia, helping his brother bring in the harvest near Taber every August or volunteering at the West Vancouver Senior Activity Centre, Jespersen has given his enthusiasm, great energy and experience to all endeavours.
Lethbridge College Culinary students shine in Austria
Four Lethbridge College students took their learning on the road this summer – thousands and thousands of miles out of the classroom. The four students, accompanied by three chefs from the college’s Culinary Careers program, travelled to Semmering, Austria, to showcase Canadian cuisine and experience working in European kitchens for two weeks in June.
One of the highlights of the experience for Derek Flohr, Kristy Olsen, Nadean Wutzke and Melissa Eberle came early in the trip, on June 5, when the students prepared a Canadian dinner for a sold-out crowd of 160 under the guidance of Chef Allen Clampitt (Culinary Careers ‘ 81), Chef Rob Sonnenberg (Renewable Resource Management ‘93) and Chef Charles Parker. The students’ Austrian guests sampled caribou Carpaccio, East Coast lobster mousse and maple-infused Arctic char, Saskatoon and tart apple sorbet, fillet of bison with pheasant and wild mushroom pate, sour cherry chocolate sponge, strawberry panna cotta and warm almond and Alberta fruit wine flan. “It was all high quality, locally grown produce and products with great flavour,” says Parker. “It was a nice celebration of two different cultures and communities.” The students and chefs also took field trips to regional culinary production facilities, including a gingerbread factory, a chocolate factory, a vinegar and schnapps vineyard, a sparkling wine production facility and even a pumpkin seed oil plant that has operated on water power from a local river for more than 50 years.
This was the third year that students from Lethbridge College and from Tourismusschulen Semmering (the Semmering School of Hospitality) participated in the international exchange. Last summer, Austrian students came to Lethbridge to learn from Canadian chefs on campus and in the community, and another group of Austrian students will return to Lethbridge in the fall of 2014. While making incredible memories (including seeing student Kristy Olsen successfully slice off the top of a bottle of sparkling wine with a saber), the students all picked up new skills along the way, lessons they can apply to their future work, wherever in the world it takes them.
Culinary Boot Camp for kids cooks ip another season of success
For one week each summer these last five years, the culinary students at Lethbridge College suddenly look much shorter than usual. But they are still stirring up sauces, soups and salads, learning correct cooking techniques, and serving their creations to important guests – just like the usual students do. These fresh-faced students are enrolled in the college’s Culinary Boot Camp, a program for 10- to 15-year-olds that has young chefs working in the kitchens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a week, learning how to debone chickens and make the perfect sugary crust for a crème brûlée. Chef Mark Dieser has been involved in all five camps and says “it’s just a great time to see these kids work and learn.” This year’s class had a long waiting list of would-be campers looking to learn to prepare everything from Boston cream pie to fresh buns to chicken cacciatore. On the last day of class, the students invite two guests to lunch and serve them their specialties. Dieser says that they’ve had several students repeat this popular camp, and one student who was in the first camp has now enrolled in the college’s Culinary Careers program and will start classes this fall.
Stefanie Dunn named recipient of 2013 Troy Reeb Internship
Stefanie Dunn, a 2013 graduate who earned her diploma in broadcast journalism, was this year’s recipient of the Troy Reeb Internship for Lethbridge College’s Communication Arts program. The internship kicked off April 7 when Dunn joined the team behind the award winning Best Local Newscast in Canada, Global Toronto. While in Toronto, she spent time learning the investigative news process at newsmagazine 16x9 as well as joined the fast-paced team of creative early-risers who bring The Morning Show to Global audiences across Canada every day. Dunn then headed to Ottawa where she joined veteran journalist Tom Clark as he produced the agenda-setting current affairs program The West Block. She was also there as Bureau Chief Jacques Bourbeau led coverage of the April 14 selection of Justin Trudeau as the new leader for the Liberal Party of Canada. Dunn now works at Global Lethbridge.
Two builders in The College Home community partnership announced
The Canadian Home Builders’ Association Lethbridge Region (CHBA) and Lethbridge College announced the two builders who will be involved in creating the first houses to be sold in the innovative The College Home partnership at a groundbreaking ceremony in July. Both Galko Homes Master Builder and Ashcroft Homes Master Builder have stepped up to build the inaugural homes for the collaborative project. Over the next five years, CHBA builder members will partner with their suppliers and tradespeople to build two homes per year and have the proceeds from the sales of each go towards the Trades and Technology Renewal and Innovation Project (TTRIP) at Lethbridge College. Both homes will be unveiled this year at the CHBA’s Parade of Homes in Lethbridge, which takes place from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. Lethbridge College will further its commitment to promote accessible post-secondary education by donating a $2,500 tuition credit to the home buyer for each of the ten homes.
Aboriginal group and Lethbridge College extend partnership
The National Aboriginal Trust Officer Association (NATOA) and Lethbridge College announced in June that they have extended their partnership to complete the remaining phases of a trust training program with the prospect of eventually laddering into a professional designation and a post-secondary credit. The pilot of the stand-alone “trust-training basics” was originally launched at Lethbridge College in 2010 to enhance Aboriginal fund management strategies and processes, providing online training founded on Canadian best-practices. It has been successfully delivered to close to 200 participants across Canada to date in support of increased education and decision-making in the investment of trust funds on behalf of community and economic development. The next stage of the project includes the development of capacity to expand the reach of the program. There is an estimated $200 billion dollars of trust assets and investments being managed on behalf of Aboriginal communities across Canada. NATOA’s vision is to improve investment return by a conservative two per cent across the country, putting an estimated $4 billion dollars back into these communities.
Fashion students and grad score big internships this summer
Three Lethbridge College Fashion Design and Marketing students worked to make their own innovative fashion statements this summer in the fast-paced fashion world of New York City. Fashion Design instructor Brenda Low said this was the first-year Lethbridge students were selected for internships in New York.
Calgarian Kelsey Laugher, who graduated in May, went to FiftyTwo Showroom in New York for her summer internship. FiftyTwo specializes in men’s wear, women’s wear, swimwear and accessories. Laugher learned the ins and outs of the fashion industry and was involved in buyers meetings and merchandising the showroom. Since Laugher was more interested in the business side of the fashion industry, this was a perfect fit. “I also want to experience what the fashion world in New York has to offer and be able to network with people in the industry that I can stay in contact with throughout my career,” she said before leaving for her internship.
Ericka Veltman grew up in Onoway, Alta., which has a population of just over 1,000. The chance to go to New York will give Veltman a big opportunity to help her move forward with her fashion career. Veltman’s internship will be with Mara Hoffman, a women’s contemporary ready-to-wear designer who is known for her eye-catching prints on fabric, swimwear, accessories and shoes. She will be working closely with the designers, helping them sew and prepare for Miami Fashion Week. “I’ve learned so much from being here and being taught by such wonderful teachers,” she said earlier this year. “I have pushed myself in so many ways to do things that I never thought I would be able to do – like go to New York.”
Jena Dee Murray had the opportunity to work with one of her style icons this summer, Anna Sui. Anna Sui, one of the most celebrated names in fashion history, is known for her timeless designs and ability to transcend eras with historical and culturally inspired collections. Her fashions and accessories are sold in more than 50 countries. Murray worked as an intern at Anna Sui for three months, spending time in the sample room, cutting, tracing and learning what the industry is all about. “I see things differently than most people and often find inspiration in simple shapes, everyday items, my own life experiences, architecture, or anything that I find intriguing,” she said. “I often notice things that many people don’t and an idea can compound quickly within my mind.” – By Amanda Michalezki
Students discover worth and wonder of wind energy
Lethbridge College gathered southern Alberta’s brightest and youngest wind energy engineers on May 17 when the International Wind Energy Academy (IWEA) hosted Grade 9 to 12 student teams from St. Michael’s (Bow Island), Catholic Central High School and Immanuel Christian School (Lethbridge), Picture Butte High, Kainai High (Cardston) and Stirling School in Canada’s Second Annual BMO KidWind Challenge. More than 800 students from across southern Alberta tried their hand at making wind turbine crafts. Lethbridge College and the International Wind Energy Academy are proud to have now educated more than 1,400 students from across southern Alberta about wind energy since efforts began two years ago.
Annual FNMI Honour Night
Lethbridge College was proud to host its annual FNMI Honour Night on April 27 to celebrate and honour its FNMI convocates. This year featured a Round Dance at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium, which was open to the community, and a special honour song for the FNMI convocates. A Round Dance is a social gathering that is open to the entire community where the singers sit at the centre of the hall or gymnasium and use hand drums. The Round Dance originated with the Cree Nations of Canada and is not necessarily a Blackfoot custom. Its popularity has grown over the years, and, as a result, many other tribes have adopted the Round Dance and now host them in their communities.
