Skookum

fall 2011 | Vol 02 | Issue 01

FOOD MATTERS

Lenore Newman, UFV Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment, at Lepp’s Farm Market in Abbotsford

Skookum: good, best, ultimate, first rate. That’s what UFV aims to be: the best undergraduate university in Canada, which is why we’ve named our university magazine with this strong word from the Chinook jargon, a trade dialect that was used as a cultural bridge among groups of aboriginal peoples and multi-ethnic newcomers to British Columbia.

How do you like us so far?

This is the third issue of Skookum, the magazine that celebrates the best of the University of the Fraser Valley.

We’re interested in hearing what you think of our magazine. Please take a few minutes and go to the web address listed below to take our online survey. We’d love to know what you’d like to see more of in Skookum.

FaLL 2010 | VoL 01 | Issue 01

From UFV to HarVard

Spring 2011 | Vol 01 | iSSue 02

Carving a better future

trudeau Scholar and alumna Lisa Kelly

ufv alumnus george Hemeon weaves his aboriginal heritage into corporate and artistic careers

Skookum: good, best, ultimate, first rate. that’s what UFV aims to be: the best undergraduate university in Canada, which is why we’ve named our university magazine with this strong word from the Chinook jargon, a trade dialect that was used as a cultural bridge among groups of aboriginal peoples and multi-ethnic newcomers to British Columbia.

Skookum: good, best, ultimate, first rate. that’s what ufv aims to be: the best undergraduate university in Canada, which is why we’ve named our university magazine with this strong word from the Chinook jargon, a trade dialect that was used as a cultural bridge among groups of aboriginal peoples and multi-ethnic newcomers to british Columbia.

To see the questionnaire, go to: http://tinyurl.com/d2eqv9y

Are you inspired?

Want to join UFV’s family of donors?

Go to www.ufv.ca/giving and we’ll get you started today.

2 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

On the cover: UFV’s new Canada Research Chair, Dr. Lenore Newman, visits Lepp’s Farm Market in Abbotsford.

Photo: Rick Collins.

Skookum Features

06 08 10 12 14

Food matters The Fraser Valley will be a living laboratory for foodways expert Lenore Newman

U-Town Two initiatives are bringing town and gown together in Abbotsford

U-Roots

12

There would be no UFV without the UCFV era — and we had to fight for that

Tanzania time Students bring home life lessons from overseas experience

Lifelong learner John Lennox was intrigued by the campus next door, so he did a degree

Departments & sections 04 A message from Mark President Mark Evered on our ‘skookum’ future

05 UFV News Globe and Mail kudos, new Faculty of Health Sciences, Stinson new board chair, Nolte Dean of Arts

16 Soundoff: Finding a balance Carl Peters on the dynamic tensions between academia and art

20

Aluminations

20

Underdog advocate Distinguished Alumni winner Shirzad Ahmed is a non-stop champion of human rights

21 Alumni Association Chair’s letter 22 Alumni News 24 Keeping in Touch

UFV Giving

26

Community support — we couldn’t do it without you

27 Founding family — Dick and Barbara Bate were FVC pioneers: now their son Scott is giving back

10

28 Golf giving — what better way to support a golf team than a golf tournament 29 Mission launch — Graphic Design is back and moving to Mission

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 3

Skookum people, skookum programs, skookum place!

A message from UFV president Mark Evered

T

his edition once again illustrates well the reason we chose the name Skookum for our publication. It highlights some of the outstanding people who serve and support one of Canada’s best universities, right here in the Fraser Valley. This edition also celebrates our mutually beneficial commitment and connection to our community. For example, the appointment of a Canada Research Chair, Dr. Lenore Newman, affirms our commitment to building strength in fields central to the economic development of the region. The article on physician John Lennox and his studies in adult education demonstrates the opportunities for life-long learning;

not all our students come straight out of high school. And in several articles we take the opportunity to salute and celebrate the support from our communities that has been and continues to be so vital to the development of a strong, vibrant university in our region.

This includes the support from donors whose contributions will support our students for years to come.

Another important feature of Skookum is its focus on our alumni. We should remember that this magazine evolved from our award-winning, alumni-based publication, Aluminations. We are extremely proud of the achievements of our alumni, and we are deeply grateful for those who have continued to support and engage with us, through financial support or through the generous donation of time and expertise that benefits our students, faculty and staff.

I recognize that we have not always been diligent about staying connected with

our alumni. But, with your help, we are working hard to correct that. We owe much to the volunteer members of the Board of our Alumni Association, led so effectively by Tony Luck and supported by the alumni office. I encourage all readers to learn more about the work of the Alumni Association and the range of benefits and activities it continues to develop.

It is an honour and a privilege to serve you.

Sincerely,

Mark Evered, PhD President & Vice-Chancellor University of the Fraser Valley

UFV among Canada’s best in Globe and Mail’s University Report Once again, UFV students have given their university first-class grades in several key categories.

UFV, along with the University of Northern British Columbia, earned the most A-level grades of any public university of any size in BC.

The Globe and Mail’s 2012 Canadian University Report was released on October 25, and UFV earned A-level grades in class size, quality of teaching and learning, student-faculty interaction, and instructors’ teaching style.

UFV placed first in BC in the in categories of quality of teaching and learning, instructors’ teaching style, and academic counselling.

“We are pleased to be recognized nationally for achieving what matters most to us — providing high-quality, student-focused post-secondary education. Our growing reputation as one of Canada’s best undergraduate universities is a tribute to the talent and commitment of our faculty and staff,” said UFV president Mark Evered.

4 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

UFV tied for first place in BC in the categories of most satisfied students, student-faculty interaction, class size, career preparation, research opportunities, information technology, and work-play balance.

And UFV can count itself as among Canada’s best public universities, placing in the top 10 in terms of number of A-level grades out of more than 60 universities rated in this year’s survey.

UFVNews Left: BC Minister of Health Mike de Jong, UFV VP Academic and Provost Eric Davis, Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz, UFV President Mark Evered, Chilliwack MLA John Les, interim Dean of Health Sciences Diane Reed, UFV Chancellor Brian Minter, Dean of Professional Studies Rosetta Khalideen, and UFV Board Chair Larry Stinson at the Faculty of Health Sciences launch.

Photo: Anne Russell

U F V lau n c h es Facu lt y o f H e alt h Sc i e n c es As our population ages, the demand for professionals in the health care sector increases. And with the Baby Boom generation approaching its senior years, this demand is expected to explode.

UFV is responding to the anticipated demand for well-educated health-care workers by launching a new Faculty of Health Sciences this fall. The Faculty brings together UFV’s existing programs in the areas of nursing, kinesiology, practical nursing, dental assisting, dental hygiene, and health care assisting. It also creates a base from which to plan more health care programs.

“Our health sciences programs have been some of our most popular and fastest growing areas in recent years, as students recognize that an education in this field will prepare them for careers in an indemand sector,” noted UFV president Mark Evered. “We see some real opportunities for synergy, creative research initiatives, and new programming by bringing all of our health sciences programming together into one faculty.”

Health Sciences programming will be one of the main focuses at the new Chilliwack campus at the Canada Education Park.

St i n so n n e w U F V boa rd c h ai r Chilliwack lawyer Larry Stinson is the new chair of the UFV Board of Governors, succeeding Rod Thomson of Abbotsford. Henry Jansen will serve as first vice chair and Bonnie McGhie will be second vice chair.

UFV’s Board of Governors is comprised of appointed local citizens and elected faculty, staff, and students. It has a mandate to oversee the management, administration, and control of the property, revenue, business, and affairs of the university.

Stinson is a corporate lawyer and partner with Baker Newby LLP, a law firm with offices in Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

He obtained a BA from the University of Alberta and a JD degree from the University of British Columbia, and has been practising law since 1969. He and his wife Karola have lived on a hobby farm in the Greendale area of Chilliwack since the mid-1970s.

Stinson has been connected to UFV in a myriad of ways since its early days as Fraser Valley College, when he periodically taught continuing education courses on a variety of legal topics and also occasionally served as legal counsel. When the university was building its new theatre on the Chilliwack campus in the mid-1990s, Stinson’s Rotary club was actively involved in fundraising for

the project. He then became a member and eventually the chair of the UFV (then known as UCFV) Foundation Board, which had a mandate of overseeing fundraising efforts at the university and acting as stewards of those funds. He helped set many of the policies surrounding fundraising at UFV, which is now overseen by the university development office.

N o lt e a ppo i n t e d D e a n o f A rts Dr. Jacqueline Nolte has been appointed as the Dean of the College of Arts at UFV. This appointment follows a two-year stint as UFV’s interim Dean of Arts.

Nolte has been at UFV since 1999, starting as a sessional instructor in art history and gaining a faculty appointment in 2000.

She served as Visual Arts department head from 2004 to 2009, and became interim Dean of Arts in June of 2009.

Originally from South Africa, Nolte holds a PhD in historical studies, an MA and a BA (Hons) in the history of art, and a BA in fine art from the University of Cape Town, as well as a diploma in higher education from the University of South Africa. She immigrated to Canada in 1998.

As interim Dean of Arts, she steered a process that saw the Faculty of Arts restructured into a College of Arts with two Faculties (Humanities and Social Sciences).

She also led the development of majors in philosophy and political science within the Bachelor of Arts degree, of several minors and extended minors within the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and a number of academic certificates (in Mennonite studies, diaspora studies, professional communications, and media literacy).

She also oversaw several program reviews.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 5

Photo: Rick Collins

Dr. Lenore Newman explores the bounty of an autumn harvest at a local farm market in Abbotsford.

A living laboratory Food expert Dr. Lenore Newman will have plenty to study in the Fraser Valley

By Anne Russell

F

rom her new office on the UFV Abbotsford campus, Dr. Lenore Newman could take a brief walk down the road and see raspberry, corn, and strawberry fields and dairy farms.

In a five-minute drive, she could visit a number of farmers’ markets selling local produce. If she chose to, she could buy a new house or condo in one of many local housing developments or a heritage farmhouse on an acreage. Within 10 minutes, she could drive to the Fraser River or creeks where wild salmon spawn. If she didn’t feel like buying local that day, she could be at Costco or Wal-Mart within minutes too. And at 6 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

the end of the day, she could (and does) embark on a long, but do-able, reverse commute to the Commercial Drive area of Vancouver.

In short, she’s landed herself in the perfect living laboratory for a researcher of Canada’s food culture, food sustainability, and the competing pressures on our farmland and wilderness.

Newman was recently appointed Canada Research Chair in Food Security and Environment and joined the Geography department at UFV this past August.

The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 with a goal of establishing 2,000 research positions across the country. It is part of a national strategy to prevent the ‘brain drain’ of Canada’s brightest researchers and make Canada one of the world’s top nations in research and development.

Newman fills the second Canada Research Chair position at UFV. The first is held by Hugh Brody, a cultural anthropologist and filmmaker.

She comes to UFV from Royal Roads University in Victoria, where was an assistant professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability, and head of the Master of Environmental Management program.

Her research interests include food security; sustainable food systems/urban food systems; place, space, and urban nature; and urban spatial geography.

Newman holds a PhD and a master’s degree, both in environmental studies, from York University, and a BSc (honours) in physics and astronomy from

“I’ll be looking at how foods help define a regional culture,”

Photo: Rick Collins

the University of British Columbia. She has travelled extensively and developed a strong interest in sustainability partly as a result of those travels.

As part of her appointment, Newman will be investigating Canada’s foodways, or how food defines Canadians and their culture, and how cuisine shapes identity.

She will also be looking at environmental and social threats to food sustainability.

The location of UFV in rural zone at the edge of a growing metropolis provides a perfect venue for her research, although her scope is also nationwide.

She says that there are three main threats to Canadian food sustainability: climate change, urban land pressures, and the disappearance of wild environments.

“Canada is a cold-defined nation, so any change to our climate will affect our foodways,” she notes. “And almost all of our good agricultural land is located right up against urban areas.

Then we’re seeing the expiration of wild environments, and Canadian cuisine is one of the only cuisines largely grounded in wild foods such as salmon.”

As for what defines a Canadian cuisine, she says that it is based on wild foods and an enthusiastic integration of immigrant culture and foods.

“In the past, we’ve been hesitant to say that there is a definitive Canadian cuisine, but one is emerging, based on connection with wild foods, use of local ingredients, an incorporation of immigrant cuisine (in a huge way, from day one), and a focus on ingredients more than preparation. Canada is exploding with interest in food now.

Our foodways got bland and unhealthy a few decades ago, but there is much more interest in eating local food and healthy eating now. It means we’ll pay more for food, but we’ll be healthier for it.”

Newman will be crossing the country finding “foods of locality,” talking to food producers and chefs, and recording her research through film and still photography, along with other methods.

“I’ll be looking at how foods help define a regional culture and really speak for a region.”

— Dr. Lenore Newman

She will also be looking at the Fraser Valley and its connection to food production and the competing demands of agriculture, urbanization, and the wilderness needed to sustain wild foods such as B.C. salmon.

“The Fraser Valley is a fascinating region. It’s different from Vancouver and it’s changing rapidly. Abbotsford is one of those edge cities with typical post-modern development where you see farms, suburbs, and urban environments all intermingled. There are major tensions between farmers’ interests, encroaching development, and preserving the rivers that the salmon need to survive.”

She says that the collapse of a food source affects a region in many ways.

“When the cod fishery collapsed in Newfoundland, it wasn’t just a case of environmental and economic damage: entire communities and ways of life were wiped out. Just imagine our region without the salmon.”

Although we like to take pride in our local foods in the Fraser Valley and much of our economy depends on agriculture, Newman says that nothing is guaranteed unless steps are taken to preserve the farmland and wild habitat needed to produce food.

“Chilliwack is famous for corn, but the only way to preserve a local food source like that is if steps are taken to preserve the land. Vancouver is a world city with enormous growth pressures and it will fill this valley if it is allowed to. We do have the Agricultural Land

Reserve but it’s quite leaky. We don’t want to see land leaving the ALR but there are incredible development pressures on it. Being situated right next to a major city on the Pacific Rim is both a blessing and a curse for agricultural communities.

“The provincial government is spending billions of dollars right now to bring the Fraser Valley into comfortable commuting range of Vancouver. Once the Gateway project is finished, it puts this region into that category and development pressures will increase even more.”

Newman says issues such as transportation, availability, and evolving attitudes about the value of local food all affect the health of our food system.

“Having local food available plays a huge role in the new emphasis on fresh, tasty food. Our berry industry benefits from the fact that it’s hard to transport berries long distances while keeping them fresh and appealing.”

When asked what comes to mind when thinking of foods that define B.C. cuisine, wild salmon, fresh wild crab and other seafood, and blackberries are her immediate response. A devoted foodie, Newman is definitely in the right line of work, and loves the tactile and sensual nature of her research and how it crosses over into hobby and pleasure for her. Who wouldn’t want to be tasked with researching farmers’ markets across Canada (as she did for an earlier project)?

Please see page 30.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 7

Image: Courtesy of City of Abbotsford.

Could this be King Road in the future? UFV and city planners envision a pedestrian-friendly university district adjacent to UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

University town Two new projects bring town and gown together in Abbotsford

By Anne Russell

C

raig Toews sees Abbotsford as a university town. And he’s looking forward to a future when the connection between town and gown is even closer.

“We want to bring the city to the university and the university to the city,” says UFV’s director of campus planning.

To do that, UFV has two major strategies: create a new centre of learning right in the heart of Abbotsford’s civic core, and encourage the development of a university district in the area surrounding the Abbotsford campus on King Road.

8 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

While many would agree that UFV’s Abbotsford campus has a beautiful setting with spectacular views of Mt. Baker, it’s not close to the urban amenities that can be found nearby many other universities.

The first strategy is already in motion.

UFV has leased the bottom floor of the Clearbrook library building in Abbotsford’s civic square and will be creating a vibrant new learning centre close to City Hall, The Reach gallery, Abbotsford police headquarters, and shopping and restaurants.

Currently, UFV leases 10,000 square feet at the Marshall Road centre, and

bases its Continuing Studies and Applied Business Technology courses and programs there. The Clearbrook centre will provide 15,000 square feet and replace the Marshall Road space.

“This is a much better location for us,” Toews says. “It’s on transit routes and within five minutes walking distance of all those civic facilities and many services and amenities. It will give us a much higher profile for the programs that will be based there. And we see a lot of opportunity for interaction between our academic departments and all of our new neighbours in the form of classes, workshops, and conferences. Our geography, business, history, library tech, art and criminal justice programs will all benefit from having a space close by to the gallery, the library, the police station, and City Hall.

“It’s also going to be a much nicer space than our former leased facilities.

It’s adjacent to the community garden, there will be lots of natural light, and we’re opening up spaces for students to study and just hang out.”

Photo: John Van Putten

Across town at the main Abbotsford campus, the view is more long-term.

UFV has been working with the City of Abbotsford on a vision for a university district surrounding the campus. When the campus on King Road was built in 1983, it was plunked down in a gorgeous setting surrounded by farmland to the east and south and industrial land to the north. Since then there has been in-fill development of suburban housing, and mini-malls, but for the first few decades nothing that comes close to resembling the vibrant and funky university districts that surround many institutes of higher learning. The addition of the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre right next door along with The Phoenix restaurant and pub adjacent to that is the start of what is hoped will become a true university district over the next few decades.

“What we want to see is an area where people can live, eat, shop, and use a variety of services within walking distance of our campus,” Toews says, noting that the new UFV Chilliwack campus at the Canada Education Park will be located in an instant university district because of the well-planned new community of Garrison Crossing being right next door with its mixed housing, recreational facilities, and shopping and restaurants.

Toews calls the proposed Abbotsford university district a “win, win, win” idea.

“If the city were to lay down a blank canvas in terms of rezoning the surrounding area in a way that supports this type of neighbourhood, then we’re going to attract developers who will provide our campus population with affordable housing, and mixed use amenities and services right off campus.

That’s the first win. The university would then be able to focus our limited capital resources on building more academic and cultural facilities rather than more residences. That’s the second win. And the developers and businesses that move in nearby will have a huge local market for their products and services. That’s the third win.”

UFV campus planning director Craig Toews at the new UFV Clearbrook centre.

Imagine the current King Road as a “high-street” style concept, with streetfront shops and eateries and residential above, and wide promenade strolling sidewalks. People could live across from where they worked, and pop off campus for a quick lunch or shopping trip.

And the neighbours of the university could stroll on campus and take in the cultural and athletic events offered

by UFV and the AESC. Toews notes that Abbotsford has industrial land elsewhere in the city where current industrial activity near the campus could move to, and says that developing the adjacent lands as a university district would help “bring the community to the university.”

“21st century development is all about building communities around the concept of people walking to what they need to get to. This type of ‘green’ development supports the concept of sustainable community design.”

The city has had several consultation sessions with residents and businesses, and a group of senior UFV geography students took on a project in which they hosted a one-day ‘charette’ consultation session that attracted 300 participants in the UFV student pub.

People were invited to doodle, submit ideas, prioritize what they wanted near campus, and post items on a map. One of the most frequent student demands was for affordable off-campus housing.

Jessica Dick, Milan Francisty, Kristin Galcso, Angeline Mushumanski, Angela Ostrikoff, Chris Ovens, and Scott Varga worked on the charette planning and information compilation as a directed studies project under the direction of geography professor Cherie Enns.

“Conducting the charette was a great and rewarding challenge,” notes Varga.

“It was a real-life project that will have a great and lasting impact on our entire community and enhance both the university and the Fraser Valley. It was an exciting taking what we know from theory and put it into practice.”

Toews notes that the u-district concept is not a hard-and-fast plan, but rather a vision for a new urban anchor that will support UFV and the local community.

“It’s a way for the city and the university to work together to present an opportunity to the community. The city would do the zoning. Then developers would then come in and identify what would be profitable for them to build.

Entrepreneurs would decide what would work in terms of local businesses, and the public would vote by buying in, moving in, and patronizing businesses.”

Toews gives credit to the City of Abbotsford for being open to the idea of working together to design and promote a university district concept.

It may be decades in the making, but Toews is optimistic that there will come a time when Abbotsford can live up to the “university town” label.  Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 9

UFV archival photo

It was an historic moment when Fraser Valley College was transformed into a university college.

Celebrating that moment were MLA Peter Dueck, history instructor and Access committee chair Jack Gaston, Board chair Brian Minter, and Student Society president Wilf Vicktor.

Rocky road Getting university-college status for Fraser Valley College was no easy task

By Anne Russell

J

uly 3, 2011 marked the 20-year anniversary of Fraser Valley College becoming the University College of the Fraser Valley, after a long and hard-fought community campaign.

As there would be no UFV without there first having been a UCFV, serving as a transition from two-year college to university, we thought we’d share the history of how it came to be.

It’s possible to think of UFV’s journey from small community college to full-fledged regional university as a fait accompli, or destiny, but the road to university status was filled with stumbling blocks and barriers.

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Perhaps the most crucial juncture was the transition to university-college status, which allowed the institution to begin offering third- and fourth year programming, at first granting other universities’ degrees, and then eventually its own.

British Columbia first began experimenting with the universitycollege concept in 1989, when the new status was conferred upon Okanagan, Cariboo, and Malaspina colleges.

In March 1988, Stan Hagen, the Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training, announced the ‘Access for All’ initiative which would allow

selected colleges to become university colleges, and in 1989 the government designated three community colleges as the first of this new breed of institution.

“Stan Hagen apparently went into a meeting having chosen Kamloops, Kelowna, and Prince George as the location of the new university colleges,” relates former FVC/UCFV president Peter Jones. “But Bruce Strachan, the MLA for Prince George, said no way, and that he would settle for nothing but a real university. So that’s where the University of Northern BC came from. The premier then asked Stan what community he would choose instead of Prince George, and he chose Nanaimo, because that’s where he was from.

That’s how Okanagan, Cariboo, and Malaspina became the first university colleges. FVC was thought to be too close to the city.”

Folks at FVC wondered “what about us?”

Even then the Fraser Valley was the fastest growing region for the demographic most likely to attend university.

There was a general recognition as the ’80s turned to the ’90s that something had to be done to increase access to education in the Fraser Valley.

The Socreds commissioned former MLA Harvey Schroeder to conduct a formal consultation into access to postsecondary education in the area. He travelled the Fraser Valley, attending community forums and meeting with interested parties in the fall of 1990.

FVC saw an opportunity to push for the university-college status it had missed out on in 1989. Meetings were held, brochures published, briefs produced. Attendance at meetings was solid and support was good. FVC’s position was that it could become a university-college and there would still be room and sufficient demand for the creation of a new university further west in the valley in Surrey. Enthusiasm was high for moving to the next level in the Fraser Valley.

Then Schroeder’s report came out.

It recommended that a new free-standing university be built and operational somewhere in the Fraser Valley by 1995, and that Simon Fraser offer an extension program of upper-level courses in the Fraser Valley, perhaps by using Kwantlen and Fraser Valley College classrooms. It did not endorse the university-college model for which many Fraser Valley residents had vociferously lobbied.

Students, faculty, administrators, staff, and community members were all dismayed that FVC’s proposal to

UFV archival photo

“We just decided we weren’t going to take no for an answer.

We wanted to ensure the community was heard,” — Sue Gadsby Dignitaries cut the cake at the UCFV announcement celebration. Left to right: unknown, Wilf Vicktor, Sue Gadsby, FVC/UCFV president Peter Jones, Advanced Education Minister Peter Dueck, and Board chair Brian Minter.

become UCFV was being overlooked and seemingly dismissed.

Sue Gadsby and Jaclyn Rea were two FVC students at the time, roommates and single mothers sharing a townhouse in Chilliwack while attending classes and raising their young sons. They had pinned their hopes on university-college status for FVC, knowing that it was the only way they and other students in their situation could afford to pursue a degree.

They also loved FVC and its instructors and desperately wanted to continue their studies here.

“We’d been feeling pretty good about the prospect of getting UC status when the Schroeder commission was conducting meetings,” recalls Sue. “A lot of the community felt the way we did, that it was a ‘done deal’ that we’d get the status because community support was so strong.

“When the report came out without a strong endorsement of the concept, suddenly it was in jeopardy and seemed like it likely wouldn’t happen. We just decided that we weren’t going to take no for an answer. We wanted to ensure that the community was heard because it seemed that Schroeder hadn’t heard us the first time. So we created a community coalition to make it clear that Fraser Valley community members had a strong opinion about this.

We wanted to show that it wasn’t just employees or even just students.”

“When we heard that the Fraser Valley wouldn’t be getting a university college, that really sparked the community,” recalls Bob Warick, who was director of community relations at FVC. “We knew that we couldn’t run a campaign entirely out of the college — the support had to come from the community. And the support was there. Individuals and businesses stepped up to buy ads to publicly support the cause.”

Fraser Valley communities, at least those in them with long memories, were used to having to apply pressure on government to get what they wanted when it came to higher education. It had taken over a decade and various false starts for the college itself to be legislated into existence.

The Fraser Valley rallied once again, thanks in no small measure to the Community Coalition to Support the University College Concept, run by Sue and Jaclyn out of their shared townhouse in Chilliwack.

Others were involved too. Pat McQueen was an eloquent FVC student from Abbotsford who was always willing to speak on the cause’s behalf. The FVC Student Society, at that time chaired by future Hope mayor Wilf Vicktor, Please see page 18.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 11

Photo: courtesy of Jody Thom

UFV students rapidly immerse themselves in African culture as part of their volunteer experience in Tanzania.

Tanzania time The world is a classroom for UFV students

By Ashley Wray

S

itting just below the equator, tucked between eight African countries, and bordered by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, is Tanzania.

Home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent’s tallest peak, the region draws visitors from around the world to conquer its height and beauty.

With an economy based on agriculture, the state also draws tourists to the exotic beaches on the island of Zanzibar, and the wildlife parks in the Serengeti, which features the world’s largest mammal migration.

The east-African country is also home to a growing UFV partnership in which students work on development initiatives

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during a three-month internship, while simultaneously growing as individuals.

The initiative connects UFV and Ardhi University, located in Dar es Salaam.

Over the next year, six students will receive funded summer internships to the school through the UFV Global Development Institute (GDI). Two will be departing in January, with four more leaving in May. In addition, four students from Tanzania will study at UFV. The project is made possible by funding received from the Canadian International Development Agency and the Students for Development program managed by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

The grant allows students to receive up to $6,500 towards living, working, and travelling abroad.

While in Tanzania, students who receive the funded internships conduct research related to the improvement of informal settlements. That includes mapping and examination of numerous topics, such as health issues, building materials, and the impact of climate change.

Meanwhile, the students travelling from Tanzania to UFV will carry out research for their PhD degrees, mainly focussed around urban planning related to the Fraser Valley.

There is also room for UFV students to apply for un-funded positions, in which they would be working in Tanzania in different capacities but with an array of similar skills.

No matter the internship, students will work on projects that are “adding value to the community,” said UFV geography instructor Cherie Enns, who grew up in Africa.

“We are all sailing in the same boat.”

Photo: courtesy of Jody Thom

“What I love about the program is that it’s taking UFV students to a place where there are educational opportunities, understanding is expanded, and a transformative experience is provided,” she said. “It’s exciting to share in that learning process. And for me, it's about trying to impact a place that struggles in many ways and has so much potential.”

Over the last five years, UFV has seen student placements funded through AUCC in places like Africa, India, and South America.

This year, the program required the university to apply for one country to form a project, creating a “more sustainable partnership.”

“When you’re going back to the same place and you're value adding, you’re not just starting something and stopping. You get to continue,” said Cherie, explaining the premise behind the change.

Following an internship trip to Tanzania last year, relationships and bonds were already being formed, which influenced UFV’s decision to continue working with the country.

The benefits received by the students on such a trip are diverse, said Cherie.

From one aspect, it provides them with a “competitive edge,” no matter their profession.

In addition, it helps the students see the world from a new perspective.

It also gives them focus. Many have returned with feedback such as, “Now I know what I want to do with my life,” according to Cherie.

All of the above were true for last year’s interns.

Twenty-six-year-old Joel Nagtegaal and 22-year-old Deanna Waslewsky were the first two UFV students sponsored through the GDI program to visit Tanzania.

Joel is a fourth-year student who is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in geography with a minor in English, with the hopes of becoming an urban planner. Before applying for the internship, he had always wanted to visit Africa.

— Tanzanian teacher of UFV students

“In North America, we constantly see images and hear stories about this entire continent that is suffering. I wanted to go learn more about it and try to use some of my skills to make an impact,” said Joel.

Meanwhile, Deanna, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology, an extended minor in psychology and a pre-medicine concentration, wanted to gain the international experience.

Upon their arrival, it took some time adapting to the new surroundings.

Factors such as the drastic divide between poverty and wealth was difficult to observe, said Deanna. However, they felt extremely welcomed by the locals.

Living at the Passionist Father’s Guest House, which was run by a Catholic priest and nuns, they were provided with good, clean conditions — and a view of the Indian Ocean.

When they weren't visiting the beach for a swim or playing a game of soccer, the two were working.

Joel did his internship in association with the Institute of Human Settlement Studies at the university.

He was assisting PhD students with their research, specializing in mapping using a geographic information system (GIS). He researched informal settlements, also called slums, trying to find which areas were the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as flooding. From time to time, he ventured into the field to explore the region.

Deanna also assisted PhD candidates by conducting literature searches, summarizing relevant literature and researching funding opportunities for the students to complete their research, both in Tanzania and Canada.

Beyond the benefits gained from practical side of the internship, they both agreed it was a life-changing trip.

Experiencing another way of living was the highlight for Deanna.

“The experience is incredibly valuable and cannot be replicated in a classroom setting,” she said. “It has increased my awareness of the issues faced by people around the world and the value of international experience. It made me wonder how other people in the world live and how they overcome the obstacles they face.”

To Joel, it was “the experience of a lifetime.” One that he says, “changes you forever.”

Referencing the relationships he forged with other interns and locals from Tanzania, he said he also found a new appreciation for Africa and B.C. “As our Swahili teacher told us, ‘We are all sailing in the same boat,’” said Joel. “It was also humbling, as before I left I thought I would go and make a big difference in Africa and leave a lasting impact. It turned out that the people and the experience taught me a lot more than I taught them.”

Please see page 18.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 13

Photo: Rick Collins

Not every UFV student comes straight out of high school or is studying to get a career.

Dr. John Lennox was retired when he started taking courses for fun and stimulation.

Lifelong learner Dr. John Lennox didn’t need another degree — he just wanted one

By Patty Wellborn

D

r. John Lennox has an “Everest attitude” when it comes to learning.

A few years back, while in his midsixties, and after a lengthy medical career, much of it working overseas teaching pediatrics with his wife Dr. Ruth Lennox, he decided to go back to school. It wasn’t because he needed to. He had a busy medical practice in Abbotsford, and prior to that had managed small hospitals in Africa and northern B. C. But at the age of 67, the good doctor earned his BA in Adult Education from UFV. When asked why he would do such a thing, he laughs and quotes Sir Edmund Hillary.

14 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

“Well, it’s just because it’s there.”

Another hearty laugh, but this time the answer tells the tale. “I had the time, I wanted to learn more, and I wanted to be involved with young people.”

While Lennox is proud of the latest framed degree, he didn’t return to school because he wanted to cover his wall with certificates. The fact of the matter is, the university is ‘there’; right beside his home on King Road in Abbotsford. The draw was far too strong for a man passionate about lifetime learning to not “dabble in a few classes.” Soon, he was hooked, taking more and more part-time courses including art and art history. He was having so much fun learning and sharing

his life stories with his classmates, he just kept signing up for more.

“Somebody in the classroom mentioned the university was introducing a new degree program in adult education and I said to myself ‘I’m going to see about that.’ I’ve always been interested in teaching … it’s my life, really, so to go to school and learn more about teaching seemed like a great idea.”

It’s not that he needed to learn how to teach. In fact, UFV instructor Ian Hunt, who taught Lennox several courses, wondered at first why he was there. But he soon recognized Lennox’s lust for learning and joy of life.

“John didn’t need to do a BA in Adult Education; he simply wanted to. He was well qualified, and he could have been doing his work as a graduate student but chose to come here. For him it was more the combination of newness and opportunity that fed what I certainly felt was a passion on his part.”

Ian recalls that while John was a student amongst many other adult

“John was thoroughly engaged with learning — both as a receiver and a giver.” — Ian Hunt

After Nigeria the Lennox medical team moved to Ghana where they managed a 100-bed hospital that included a midwifery and senior nursing school.

More than half the hospital care was obstetrics, and Lennox found himself and Ruth teaching almost constantly.

“There is something about doing a practice in the poverty of third world places,” he says. “It grabs you from the inside and you never get it out of your system. You do hero stuff every day, stuff that you never get to see at home.”

He fondly recalls stories of people he has taught and is proud to say many moved on to England and other countries where they excelled in their medical careers. He even heard that former students who had moved to England found the British qualifying exams easy compared to the tests he would prepare for them.

“It was wonderful to hear from people who would tell me that they realized how well we had taught them in those hospitals in Africa. We took people from tiny African villages, gave them careers and set them on journeys to different countries.

While John and Ruth delivered thousands of babies and performed lots of Caesarean births during their 10 years in Africa, he realizes the work they did is only a drop in the bucket and that there are women around the world who still need proper medical care.

Eventually, John and Ruth decided to put the needs of their children first and they immigrated to Canada. They moved to Peace River and then Chetwynd,

Photo: Rick Collins

learners in the BA program, his passion for teaching and willingness to share stories made him a natural leader, classmate, and role model. Lennox admits he couldn’t spend enough time in the classroom and he had many great stories to share.

“I would like to give a little credit to my father’s blood group for this problem of mine,” he says. “In Scotland, back in 1696 the Scottish came up with a law that every village had to have a system of education for its children and it had to be free. The country also offered five universities, not quite free, but at a reasonable cost to its students. There was no reason not to be educated.”

In Grade 3 he wrote a term paper outlining what he wanted to do when he grew up. He wanted to be a doctor and work overseas. It was in medical school that he met Ruth. After graduation the two young physicians married and set off for Africa, where they worked in a missionary hospital.

“We were in West Nigeria for the first two years. The hospital had 120 beds and a midwifery and nursing school.

Although I was kept busy learning about local diseases and running the surgery clinic, I found myself spending more and more time with the senior nursing class.

I was teaching them medicine and surgery and I was teaching pediatrics to the midwife students. I liked it.”

At that time, measles was pandemic in Africa and very dangerous to young babies. Lennox recalls the invention and introduction of the measles vaccine and how it changed medicine in his hospital.

“It was distressing to me that so many baby boys died in the first two years of life. Males have a shorter life expectancy and in Africa at that time the baby boys seemed to die more easily than girls of common childhood illnesses including malaria, malnutrition, and surprisingly, measles. When the vaccine was invented it was wonderful to be part of the field trials in Nigeria. Thanks to the vaccine, we were almost able to close down our baby and child ward after the vaccination team came through. It was a privilege to be there and witness the effects.”

where they opened the new government hospital. They eventually settled in Abbotsford, where Ruth was the first female doctor to practise. She was immediately in demand and soon had hundreds of patients. The medical couple didn’t give up on the third world and would take lengthy breaks from Canada for relief work in hospitals in Ethiopia, north India, and Nepal.

After he retired and moved to King Road, it was a natural progression for John to wander over to UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

It was the perfect fit for a man who loved to teach and had a thirst for knowledge that could not be satiated. He was such an ideal and unforgettable student that Ian Hunt, who has been teaching at UFV for more than 15 years, still talks about Lennox and uses him as an example of someone beyond retirement who came into and completed the program.

“I really enjoyed his presence in class, as did the other students,” notes Ian. “He was thoroughly engaged with learning — both as a receiver and as a giver. He was a role model to all in his commitment, in his sharing of his own experiences as a health and medical educator in Africa, in his exploring the wider practice of adult education with his fellow students at UFV, in his welcome and openness to learning and participation in his classes and other outside activities. It was a pure pleasure having him in my classes.”

After he completed the program, Lennox taught some courses for Abbotsford’s Learning Plus Society, Please see page 31.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 15

Photo: Rick Collins

University Without Condition1 or the University of Disaster: 2 Radical Pedagogy and the Scholar as Artist The pressures on us to turn classrooms into writing labs, semiotics, response theory, myth or enclaves of National Literature are symptomatic of the deformed state of this business.

(Jerry Zaslove) I believe that we are seeing the worst effects of democracy and capitalism, that trivia is pushing out scholarship, that fun is pushing out curiosity. If you mention Homer, the majority of people will think that you are referring to a TV cartoon character. Vocabularies have, apparently, become much smaller.

One can say that young people are voluntarily settling for a smaller world.

But, I think that there are forces in the world today that are making money from induced ignorance. (George Bowering) 1 The title of an essay by Jacques Derrida.

2 The title of a book by Paul Virilio.

16 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

S

HOW TO PLAY CAREER, AND WIN

Someone you know once asked me “How did you survive?”

I have struggled, as you may or may not know, with the implied (and at other times palpable) hierarchy in place at any given institution. I teach the craft of thinking, which, for me, is “deconstruction” and the turning and turning over again of certain concepts and signs. The irony is that deconstruction is a product (commodity) of the institution, and never as good as what the artists and poets are doing anyway. I have tried in my life to be, as a scholar, an “artist” too – to deliver to my students a certain lyrical sensibility – certain madness or, putting it more lightly, “enthusiasm.”

TO MAKE A DADAIST POEM

• Take a newspaper.

• Take some scissors.

• Choose from this paper an article of the length you want to make your poem.

• Cut out the article.

• Next carefully cut out each of the words that makes up this article and put them all in a bag.

• Shake gently.

• Next take out each cutting one after the other.

An opinion piece

by Carl Peters, who teaches English, visual arts, and art history at UFV.

• Copy conscientiously in the order in which they left the bag.

• The poem will resemble you.

• And there you are — an infinitely original author of charming sensibility, even though unappreciated by the vulgar herd.

(Tristan Tzara 39) THE DIGITAL CATASTROPHE: HEGEMONY AND THE ABSOLUTE VIOLENCE OF THE DIGITAL IMAGE

I am forced to make this the core of what I teach: the destruction of languages, literacy and, ultimately, art by digital technology and by the way our culture of connectivity forces or draws us into an unbreakable consensus. The philosopher Theodor Adorno asserts it most clearly: “Technologization, the extended arm of the nature-dominating subject, purges artworks of their immediate language.

Technological requirements drive out the contingency of the individual who produces the work” (Aesthetic Theory 60). The philosopher Jean Baudrillard states it most provocatively: This is what the digital lacks: the time of emergence [. . .], which no longer has anything to do with the gaze, nor with the play of the negative, the play of distance. A new view of the world, globalization’s view of the world: the subjection of everything to a single programme, the subjection of all images to a single ‘genome.’

This is why it is a mistake to regard

Photo: Diane Nosaty

cholar Jerry Zaslove saw, already in 1979, as is evidenced by his comment above, that “globalization” was bad for “business” — our business. That is to say, bad for “literature.” When they asked Willie Sutton why he robbed banks his response was quick: “Because that’s where all the money is.” My intuition is that Jerry Zaslove perceived that the university was becoming a bank. Ask any student why they’re here and the quick response is: to get a job. No one begrudges any one their ethic here — to work. But somewhere between 1979 and 2011 something was lost. And I know, though, that the university my professors and mentors knew is not the university today. OK, here goes.

the move to the digital as a mere technical advance, as a superior form of automation or even, indeed, a final liberation of the image [—that is, the subject]. (Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? 60–61) Languages have become, in this populist minimalization of them into the twitters and tweets of the 25 words-or-less vernacular of the salespitch, dilapidated, which means of course: |the (building) stones of the polis shattered and strewn about.

It is the end of public discourse as we know it. The barbarian-citizens of the electronic world no longer have time to EITHER read or write; “in such a world, what we have is not communication, but contamination of a viral type; everything spreads from one person to another in an immediate fashion” (Baudrillard, Passwords 28); in short, the digital (image) ensures our disappearance and the technology itself becomes a new species of totalitarian rule if not terror.

The shift from analogue to digital media in our age constitutes the creation of a virtual “tabula rasa” on which any and all subjective projections of pre-formed or preordained images can be projected, thus completely erasing (in this case overwriting with code) any and all presence of the “other” as “surface” (or any thing else).

Please see page 31.

Skookum | fall 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 17

Rocky Road, continued from page 11. helped organize large student rallies in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. And the FVC administration and the Faculty and Staff Association were strong and vocal proponents of the concept. FVC’s Access committee (chaired by history instructor Jack Gaston), which had been tasked with finding a made-at-FVC solution to the access to education question and which had championed the universitycollege concept, met weekly to strategize.

FVC president Peter Jones and FVC board chair and noted horticulturalist Brian Minter were in constant contact with Victoria, letting the powers-that-be know that this issue wasn’t going to go away.

“Brian and I went to Victoria on several occasions to talk to Ministry of Advanced Education representatives and anyone else who would listen,” recalls Peter Jones. “Brian always brought flowers for the secretaries so that smoothed our way.

Eventually, Advanced Education minister Bruce Strachan, who was very focused on developing the new university in his own Prince George riding, summoned us to a meeting. He was fed up with all the politicking going on in the Fraser Valley about this. He told us that we would not be getting university-college status and that there was no point in going further with our lobbying.

“Well, Strachan hadn’t encountered a community leader like Brian Minter before. Brian drew himself up purposefully and said in a polite but forceful way: ‘We will not be giving up on our quest. You’ll be hearing more from us.’ And he was right. The communities of the Fraser Valley refused to back down.”

Letters were written and petitions were signed. The community coalition made presentations to city councils and civic organizations and did guest spots on local radio and were interviewed by print media. Community rallies were organized. As had been the case when lobbying for a community college was going on years earlier, community

18 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

meetings were held in Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

“We got amazing attendance in Chilliwack,” Sue Gadsby recalls.

“One man got up at that forum and said ‘when our kids go away to university they don’t come back’, and he made a passionate plea for making it possible for them to complete their degrees here.”

“The community really came through beautifully for us,” Peter Jones concurs.

“Especially in Chilliwack.”

The two women leading the coalition led a frenzied life, balancing parenting duties, studies, and this impromptu community campaign. It was the days before email, Facebook, and the internet, so there were a lot of phone calls and letters and face-to-face meetings.

“We certainly racked up some huge phone bills,” Sue Gadsby remembers.

“And the aviation students were prepared to fly us to Victoria for a meeting but that didn’t end up happening.”

It was an interesting time politically.

The Social Credit party was coming to the end of a long reign. Premier Bill Vander Zalm had resigned amidst scandal and Rita Johnston, an MLA from Surrey, was now the premier. Local MLAs knew that their party’s chances of winning the next election were slim, so they were eager to get what they could for their communities while they still held the balance of power.

“This whole crazy campaign was going on during the dying days of the Social Credit government, but we were too deeply immersed in it to have much perspective on what that meant for our chances,” Sue Gadsby says. “It looked pretty bleak for a while. We heard that we’d been called naïve for even pursuing it by our own political science instructor, but we proved him wrong.”

The region’s MLAs weren’t super supportive of university-college status for FVC initially, former president Peter Jones recalls.

“We knew we needed to convince them that this was vitally necessary for the region but we weren’t having much success persuading them. So we brought

in the former president of the University of Victoria, Howard Petch, who was quite a fan of the university-college concept. After Chilliwack MLA John Jansen met with him, he agreed to throw his weight behind the idea.”

There were several cabinet shuffles in the last months of the Social Credit government, and the stars seemed to finally align for Fraser Valley College’s ambitions when Chilliwack MLA John Jansen was appointed Minister of Finance and Central Fraser Valley MLA Peter Dueck was named Advanced Education Minister.

Many interpreted this as a signal that things were finally going to happen for Fraser Valley College, and that was the case.

College officials were asked to prepare for a ceremony on July 3, 1991, on the Abbotsford campus. At that ceremony Peter Dueck announced universitycollege status for Fraser Valley College.

“We were so relieved,” recalls Sue Gadsby.

Although many people were involved in the campaign for university-college status, the two coalition leaders were recognized for kick-starting the campaign.

“I remember college board chair Brian Minter coming up to us almost with tears in his eyes, saying, ‘if it wasn’t for you two this would never have happened.’”

The front page of the Vancouver Sun the next day featured the two friends hugging and celebrating the victory. 

Tanzania Time, continued from page 13.

Students can apply for the grant by sending a cover letter and resumé to Garry Fehr or Cherie Enns of the UFV Global Development Institute.

Both funded and unfunded internships will receive course credit.

For more information, contact Garry Fehr at garry.fehr@ufv.ca or Cherie Enns at Cherie.enns@ufv.ca.

Or, visit www.ufv.ca/GDI.htm 

Photo: Rick Collins

Lawyer and human rights advocate Shirzad Ahmed is this year’s Distinguished Alumni winner.

Advocate extraordinaire Distinguished Alumni winner recognized for human rights work

By Anne Russell

S

hirzad Ahmed knows what it’s like to be a refugee — stateless and far away from family and friends.

At the age of 18 he was a political exile from Kurdistan, an area of northeast Iraq that suffered great oppression under the regime of Saddam Hussein and continues to be mired in poverty today. He knocked on the door of 13 countries before gaining temporary refuge in Italy and a permanent home in Canada.

Shirzad is now a lawyer in Calgary whose own door is open to countless refugees fleeing persecution from every corner of the globe. Because he enjoys helping people and has an extremely

strong sense of duty and human compassion, he often helps them for free and even pays their court costs out of his own pocket.

The youth who left his home country had many experiences on the way to becoming the lawyer who was honoured with the Alberta Order of Excellence for his pro bono humanitarian work. But perhaps the most life-changing one was the two-year stint he did at what was then called the University College of the Fraser Valley, where he launched his postsecondary studies at the age of 30 in 1992.

In recognition of his humanitarian work as a lawyer and while he was a

student, Shirzad has been chosen to receive the Distinguished Alumni award at the University of the Fraser Valley for 2011.

Retired UFV administrator Erling Close nominated Ahmed for the award.

“After 35 years in post-secondary education, I remember very few students as truly exceptional. Shirzad is easily at the top of my list…. Over the years I have learned to admire Shirzad’s keen intellect, academic prowess, political savvy, relentless quest for justice, boundless energy, dogged perseverance, fierce independence, deep sense of honour, charismatic but unorthodox leadership style, infectious passion, and above all, his willingness to be of service to others without asking anything in return,” Close noted in his nomination letter. “Shirzad is not only a UFV success, he is a Canadian success. Consider where he began… an 18-year-old refugee from oppressed Kurdistan…. Look where he is now: a successful human rights lawyer who has won the highest award the

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 19

Alberta government can bestow upon one of its citizens. In between is the University of the Fraser Valley, which I believe fostered and facilitated much of his success.”

Although he finished his BA at Simon Fraser and earned his law degree at the University of Calgary, UFV (then UCFV) was where he began his university studies. Shirzad was a student at UFV for two years in the heady days when the institution had recently received degree-granting status and was working on developing its own degree programs.

Faculty who had been around for a while were excited about the prospect of teaching upper-level courses, and a large contingent of new faculty was being hired every fall.

“The best education I received was at Fraser Valley because of the amazing faculty members and the incredible access we had to them,” recalls Shirzad.

“It was a very community-oriented place, with small classrooms and a wide range of amazing students, including many mature students. I made friends for life there, both among the students and the faculty and administration. The work was very hard there. The faculty had very high standards. People think about universities such as UBC and Dalhousie as prestigious universities, but sometimes the best university experience is right in your own backyard.”

Ahmed remembers other student leaders such as Lori MacIntosh, David Thiessen, Rebecca Anderson, Taryn Thomson, Dianne Schwartz, and Robin Price, and holds a special fondness for some extremely mature students such as Guy Rushton, and Viola Southgate, who were in their 60s and 70s when studying at UFV. As for faculty members, he recalls being inspired by Scott Fast, Eric Davis, Kevin Busswood, Jeff Morgan, Jack Gaston, Elizabeth Asner (now Dennis), and John Carroll.

While at UFV Ahmed co-founded a chapter of Amnesty International, and was a frequent visitor to management and board meetings, bringing forth

20 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

“Sometimes the best university experience is right in your backyard.”

— Shirzad Ahmed

ideas about how to improve the rapidly growing institution. It was a time when there were very few boundaries between administrators, students, faculty, and staff.

“We were advocating for things like a women’s centre, a dorm, and a gym.

Students would go to these meetings and make speeches about what we needed, and we were very well received.

I got to know the management, and it was possible to talk with them not just as student and administrators, but as friends.

There was an understanding that you had to make students the number-one priority — that if there were no students, there would be no university.”

While he was completing his BA at SFU, Shirzad was appointed to the UFV Board as a community representative, and continued to shape policy and have input into the development of the university college.

Dr. Eric Davis, who is now UFV provost and vice president academic, taught Shirzad back when he joined UFV as a history faculty member.

“Shirzad set and broke the mold for student leadership,” Davis noted. “He was a tireless supporter of students’ success and rights, in general, and of disadvantaged individual students, in particular…. I don’t use the word ‘tireless’ lightly. The man never slept….

And he was inspirational. His strength, determination, passion, intelligence, selflessness, energy, hard work,

infectious enthusiasm, and sense of humour transformed the life of many a student who, because of his example, discovered within themselves the motivation and capacity for leadership and commitment to a community and world beyond their particular story.

Shirzad’s own capacity to transcend differences, to connect with people of different backgrounds and abilities, was a wondrous sight to behold. This was true in both a local and global sense.

A refugee from Kurdistan himself, he brought the issue of internationalization to UFV and embodied its spirit before we even used the word.”

Rebecca Anderson, a fellow UFV alumna who attended at the same time as Ahmed and who is also now a lawyer, recalls meeting people who were inspired by him.

“I met a number of individuals who told me that the best thing that ever happened to them was to have met Shirzad, that their lives were changed forever as a result of having known him, and that he helped them become a better person and to make it a priority to contribute more time and energy to their communities in a variety of ways.”

In addition to being a human rights activist and providing free legal services to many refugees, Ahmed has written extensively about human rights.

Anderson notes that his legal work has aided people who “might not be alive, or who would be imprisoned indefinitely, Please see page 23.

Alumni Association Chair’s Letter Once again we are looking forward to a busy and productive year. As we move into 2012 we are looking forward to alumni events that will provide opportunities to come back to the campus and renew old friendships with fellow students and staff.

Convocation was a great success again this year. Moving the ceremonies into the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sport Centre allowed unlimited seating for the graduates’ parents, families, and friends. Year after year I am amazed at the quality of our grads and wish to welcome all the new graduates to the Alumni Association. We look forward to having you as part of our alumni community and look forward to having some of you join us as board and committee members in the near future. Please stay in touch with us by visiting our website at www.ufv.ca/alumni. Also, we have a new Facebook page to stay in touch as well. All the best and good luck in the future.

One of the biggest challenges for your Alumni Association is to have the funds to provide endowments and awards to existing students to complete their studies. Recently the board approved a new committee to look for ways to raise funds to improve and enhance our programs. This is a great way to give back to our community and enhance the reputation of our institution.

We’d like to hear your ideas to help us find ways to raise funds to create new endowments and enhance the current ones.

We appreciate your input into this important initiative.

I wish to thank everyone for the time and efforts they expend on the association’s business. Positions on the board are voluntary and it is always amazing the amount of time board members and volunteers are prepared to put in to make the associations a strong and vibrant enterprise. The events the association can do for its members are only limited to the imagination and people willing to step up and help. If you would like to be a part of our team please contact the Alumni Relations office at the university.

We wish you continued success in your careers and look forward to hearing from you soon.

A lu m n i Ac t ivi t i es Alumni artist competition — 2012 Alumni commemorative wine The 2012 alumni commemorative wine artist competition is underway. UFV graduates are invited to submit their artwork. The winner will have selected art rendered onto the 2011 wine labels. This is a terrific opportunity to round out your art portfolio and gain some excellent exposure. Be part of this growing annual tradition. Pick up an application by visiting us at www.ufv.ca/alumni. Deadline to apply is January 9, 2012.

Like us today on Facebook!

This summer we launched our Facebook page. Everyone likes to be ‘liked’! Search UFV Alumni Association on Facebook and like us today. Share pictures, see what other alumni are up to, and stay connected.

Alumni Association welcomes SUS president Carlos Vidal The Student Union Society president was welcomed as a new ex officio director on the Alumni Association board this past spring.

As part of this new role Carlos will participate in regular board meetings. Central to Pillar II of the Association’s strategic plan is a mandate to foster a vital connection to our student body, and having the SUS president actively involved on our board is a great way of accomplishing that.

Announcing a second Distinguished Alumni award for young alumni!

Do you know of an outstanding young graduate? If so, the Alumni Association encourages you to nominate them. This second prestigious award will be presented to a graduate of UFV who is 34 years of age or younger and who has achieved outstanding distinction in career, educational achievement, or community service.

Both the distinguished alumni Award and Young Distinguished Alumni award recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of exceptional alumni offering excellent media exposure through UFV’s Skookum magazine, news releases, website exposure as well as a permanent place on the prominently displayed Distinguished Alumni awards plaque wall.

Past recipients include human rights and immigration lawyer Shirzad Ahmed (UT ’92), TV and film producer Mary Anne Waterhouse (Dip’86), Terry-Lynn Stone (BA ’98), former editorial director for the Alive publishing group, and Amar Kingra (Cert.’94) a sergeant with the Abbotsford Police.

The deadline for application is April 1, 2012.

Tony Luck, BBA ’96, BA ’07 Chair, UFV Alumni Association

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 21

Alumni News S po n so r s h i ps New student orientations The Alumni Association was there and it was fun!

Baker House residence move-in barbeque The Alumni Association board members were on hand greeting new students, helping them with luggage and mingling with parents to help ease their transition.

The barbecue sponsored by the association was enjoyed by all.

E V ENTS Alumni Association annual general meeting and reception

Big day for UFV Athletic Alumni Six team sports were in action against their alumni on Sat, Oct 1, with the current teams winning in the basketball and soccer and women’s volleyball matchups, and the alumni winning in the men’s volleyball match.

The day-long games were topped off at the after-game party by the launch of the first UFV Athletic Alumni chapter. Key alumni from each of the sports stepped forward to be leaders for this new chapter, including Derek Fletcher (BSc ’08) and Carrolyn Jennings (BA ’07) for volleyball; Aaron Willms (BA ’06) and Emma Broadfoot (2012 grad) for soccer, and Carmella Silvestri (BKin’08) and Paul Morris (BA ’04) for basketball.

Chapter leaders will help us build on future events and activities for Athletic alumni.

The UFV Alumni Association has a long and growing history of partnership and collaboration with UFV’s Athletics department. Since 2001, when the Alumni Association was first formally recognized, they have built on some exciting traditions for alumni athletes, including Alumni Games Day. The association works with the department and Cascade coaches to organize these exciting games, sponsors the trophies, and hosts the after-game party.

This year’s after-game party in the EAC lobby included the official launch of the UFV Alumni Athletic chapter, food, drinks, and live music at the party.

Heat home opener and fundraiser for student awards On Fri, Oct 14 the UFV Alumni Association partnered with the Abbotsford Heat to get alumni affordable tickets to the most anticipated game of the season, the Heat’s home opener against the Rockford IceHogs. Alumni sat in exclusive UFV section of the AESC arena and partied!

Three dollars from each ticket sold to UFV alumni, staff, and students was donated back to the university for student scholarships and bursaries.

Stay posted to our website for future Heat events www.ufv.ca/alumni Alumni Appreciation basketball game at AESC The Alumni Association and Athletic department is hosting the third annual Alumni Appreciation event on Sat, Jan 28, when the UFV Cascades basketball teams host their Langley rivals from Trinity Western University at the AESC in Abbotsford. Come out and enjoy a fun-filled night of basketball action, complete with free pizza and beer, and connect with former teammates. Maybe win some exciting prizes! Seating is limited so register early at alumni@ufv.ca.

Join us as the cross-valley basketball rivalry heats up!

Annual Alumni Evening of Theatre — Friday, March 16

New Athletic Alumni chapter leader with UFV mascot Sas’qets.

See item in next column.

As graduates of UFV you are considered members of the UFV Alumni Association, which held its AGM on October 17. Attendees enjoyed a wine and cheese reception as alumni who have served UFV and the Alumni Association were honoured, including Paul Kroeker and Helen Yannacoupolos, who have completed their terms on the Alumni board.

Scott Varga (BA ’11) was welcomed as a new Alumni board member.

22 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

Hold the date and mark your calendars for the annual alumni evening of theatre, featuring Shakespeare’s As You Like It, one of The Bard’s most popular romantic comedies. The play is filled with a cornucopia of comic characters and situations, with a happy ending and a wrestling match to boot.

This complimentary evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and theatre is brought to UFV Alumni and your guest free of charge by the UFV Alumni Association. Seating is limited so be sure to register early by calling 604-557-4008.

BENE FI TS

Shirzad Ahmed, continued from page 20.

INTRODUCING OUR UFV ALUMNI, STAFF & FACULTY PACKAGE The UFV Alumni Association, in partnership with Envision Financial, is pleased to offer UFV Alumni, staff and faculty an exclusive banking and insurance package. As part of this package, this group will receive free chequing and cheque orders as well as additional discounts on mortgages, insurance and more. For more information on this package, visit www.ufv.ca/alumni.

envisionfinancial.ca BUSINESS BANKING

•

PERSONAL BANKING

•

INSURANCE

•

W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T

A division of First West Credit Union

Perks and Privileges: • Alumni business cards • UFV Bookstore discounts of up to15% on selected items • Athletics discounted tickets at games • Student Activity Centre — a discount on a fitness membership

• UFV Theatre discounted tickets • UFV Library access • Alumni Board Directorship • UFV Alumni Association events

Be sure to get your Alumni Association membership card in order to take advantage of these and other perks. Visit us at www.ufv.ca/ alumnibenefits for more details on these and other great offerings.

UFV Alumni Wear now available!

Select from a variety of designs in men’s and women’s hoodies, sweat pants, and t-shirts. Order online now! www.ufv.ca/alumniwear

Shirzad Ahmed, this year’s Distinguished Alumni winner, with the Alumni Association board and some old friends, including Erling Close and Rebecca Anderson.

among the tortured or ‘disappeared,’ except that they received assistance from Shirzad.”

She lists women fleeing genital mutilation in Kenya, gay men fleeing persecution in Nigeria, conscientious objectors seeking refuge from Ethiopia and Somalia, women running away from sexual slavery in and enforced prostitution in Yugoslavia, people fleeing persecution for membership in the Falun Gong religion in China, and many other examples of people he has helped.

Shirzad received the 2008 Distinguished Service award in Pro Bono Legal Service from the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. In 2009, he was inducted as a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence. He was also recently chosen to lead graduands in reciting the graduate’s pledge at a University of Calgary convocation ceremony.

Shirzad lives in Calgary with his life partner, Yvette Kroeker, whom he met soon after coming to Canada in 1984. He recently returned to Kurdistan for his first visit in decades, and while he was happy to see his family and friends and the landscape of his home, he was saddened by the “heart-breaking” poverty.

He’s now lobbying the Canadian government to establish a consulate there.

“I had a really great experience at Fraser Valley,” he notes.

“I’m honoured to be recognized by the university that I enjoyed the most, where I made lasting friendships. I have nothing but good things to say about the place: the staff, the people in the cafeteria, the faculty, the library, the people in student services: all amazing!” 

Alumni board chair Tony Luck recognized alumna Ginny Summers for her volunteer work for the Alumni Association at the recent AGM.

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 23

Keeping in touch Beth Maenpaa, BA CYC ’09 — completed her degree in child and youth care and was immediately hired as a supported child development consultant with the Mission Association for Community Living.

The education and experience she received in this particular degree program played a major role in gaining employment with this organization.

With great appreciation for the opportunity to work in her town of residence, she continues to balance work and family life, raising two boys ages 12 and 9 who are sure to be future UFV grads with her husband Steve.

Briana Beckwith, BA ’09 — has just completed PDP in Teaching at SFU, and will be now looking for a job! She graduated from UFV June 2010 with her Bachelor of Arts degree. She did her practicum in a grade 5/6 class in Mission and had a great time. She looks forward to her future as a teacher!

Myrtle-Anne Rempel, Dip ’86, SFCA, CSPWC — a well known professional artist, Myrtle-Anne graduated from UFV with an Applied Arts diploma, with concentrations in painting and print making. She has exhibited extensively and won many awards and honorable mentions for her work, including the 2008 Arty Award for “Outstanding Visual Artist”. She was awarded Senior Signature status with the Federation of Canadian Artists and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. Myrtle-Anne seeks to evoke emotion for her viewers as light, shadows, and textures play across her colourful paintings to create many different moods. Her work is included in private, corporate and government collections in the USA, Ireland, Austria, France, West Africa and Canada. http://artists.ca/mrempel Nicole Hande, BScN ’08 — completed her degree in 2008 then started working at Royal Columbian Hospital. After two years she moved back to her hometown of Mission and took a specialty nursing program at BCIT. She now works in the High Acuity Unit at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and thoroughly enjoys the challenges and rewards of nursing. She recently became a steward in the BC Nurses’ Union and looks forward to mentoring new nurses in the profession. Giving back to her community is also important to her. She has

Myrtle-Anne Rempel, Dip ’86

24 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

volunteered at Options for Sexual Health for the last nine years.

Lee Hanlon, BGS ’10 — Prior to completing his BGS, Lee was hired on with Source Security at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.

He has been employed in the security profession for six years and is also an approved JI BST security training instructor. Lee has also served 17 years in the Canadian Forces Army Reserve, and has been training in martial arts (Karate) for over 36 years.

The next step in his educational goal includes studying law, and he has recently been accepted to the University of London International Bachelor of Laws program. While at UFV, his core focus was on criminology. He has a passion for law and justice and is a strong advocate for victims’ rights.

Lee will be returning to UFV in the Winter of 2012 to teach the BST security training program with the Continuing Studies faculty.

Shaun Kipling, BC Ad Grad ’10 — graduated in June with his British Columbia Adult Graduation Diploma (Grade 12) through the Upgrading and University Prep program. Shaun started his upgrading in the summer of 1997. Through his experiences with UFV and the instructors in the UUP department he found the courage to continue his education. He has been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree program and is currently finishing his first year.

Curtis Penner, BA ’09 — completed his Bachelor of Arts in French and geography.

Since finishing studies at UFV, Curtis worked as an Events Services staff member at the main media centre and the Olympic cauldron for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Curtis completed his Bachelor of Education — Secondary, with a French specialization, at UBC-Okanagan.

Effective September 2011, Curtis is teaching French full-time at Merritt Secondary School.

Amy Anaka (nee Rossa), BA ’05 — majored in geography. Following graduation, Amy worked for two years in Abbotsford on a federally funded research project studying early childhood development. She then worked at the City of Abbotsford as a social planning technician until 2008 when she moved to

Amy Anaka (nee Rossa), BA ’05

Portland, Oregon to complete her Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University. Amy worked for various planning organizations while completing her master’s degree, and is now employed with the City of Abbotsford as a community planner. The physical and human geography skills she learned at UFV, including statistical analysis, GIS, and community development, helped with all of her accomplishments. She would like to thank past professor Sandy Vanderburgh, and professors Cherie Enns and John Belec, for their time, energy, and guidance while attending UFV and following graduation. Amy currently lives in Abbotsford with her husband Ryan Anaka, who also received his BA in 2005.

Amy Waites, BA ’10 —graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in both French and history, and an Associate of Arts degree, as well as both an intermediate and advanced French proficiency certificate. Amy has been putting her degree to use as the customer communications representative at the Overwaitea Food Group, Langley office. She is responsible for the social media as well as aiding in customer/ media relations.

Durga Dhaliwal, Dip ’09 — completed his diploma in AutoCAD at UFV while at the same time earning a job with Dynamic Windows & Doors. Durga went on to exercise his entrepreneurial skills by buying Advantage Print & Graphics, a printing business in Abbotsford.

Durga believes that his association with UFV enabled him to build networks with the community. Through his role as the president of the Indo-Canadian Club while at UFV, he was able to organize various Bhangra competitions that facilitated this networking which truly is an asset for his new business.

Jim Daems BA ’95 — Jim went on to complete an MA (SFU) and a PhD (University of Wales, Bangor). Upon returning to Canada, he taught for five years in the English department at SFU. Eventually, he returned to UFV, teaching in the English department since 2005. Jim’s main

Shaun Kipling, BC Ad Grad ’10

Keeping in touch research interests are 17th century literature, particularly John Milton, representations of Ireland, and gender. He has published two books, as well as articles on the work of Milton, Edmund Spenser, William Bradford, bill bissett, and J. K. Rowling. He is currently finishing his third book, focusing on Milton and his contemporaries in the context of the Irish Rebellion.

Shauna Filgate, BA ’00 — completed her BA in Child and Youth Care in 2000 and began working for the Ministry of Children and Family Development in Abbotsford. Being adventurous, she transferred to Fernie, BC, where she practised as a child protection social worker for eight years in the beautiful Elk Valley. In 2008 she took a position at MCFD’s provincial office in Victoria where she currently works as a program/ policy advisor specializing in the areas of child protection, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation of children and youth.

Valery Joy Reimer, Dip ’01 — Joy graduated with a diploma in Library and Information Technology and was hired by Columbia Bible College to work in their academic library. Joy worked as a library assistant, a circulation assistant, and circulation technician, as well as bookstore manager. For the last few years, Joy has been working as a serials technician as well as the exam invigilation coordinator. This year Joy has taken on the role of circulation coordinator, as well as course reserves. Joy says UFV gave her invaluable training. Her favorite part of the job is helping students in their research as they prepare to enter careers of their own.

degree in communication. She now oversees the Communications department at Sto:lō Nation, an Aboriginal service organization, and is a contributing writer for the Fraser Valley Pulse.

Rebecca is looking forward to continuing her education and exploring her career path in the future.

Kara Stevens, CCDP, Dip Social Services, ’07 — completed the Social Services diploma and accepted a position as an employment counsellor helping people on income assistance achieve their employment goals. Kara loves her job and recently completed the process to become a certified career development practitioner. In addition to providing her with the skills needed to work in a field that can at times be very complex, graduating from UFV also ignited a desire for life-long learning and she is currently working on her application for entrance into the Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education program.

Jenilee Corbett-Willock, ABT '06 — after completing the Applied Business Technology program Jeniliee was offered a position as manager/bookkeeper at a service station where she worked for over two years. Since then she has worked as a bookkeeper/office manager, and prepared income tax returns. In the last year, Jenilee has gone back to school to become an accountant. She is grateful to the ABT program for preparing her for her career.

Robert Marriott, BCIS ’08 — was awarded the Governor General’s bronze medal after completing his diploma and degree with honors in Computer Information Systems. That same year, Robert founded Qualitative Business Systems Inc./BCWebPress.com, which provides innovative web design, SEO, and SEM services to the Fraser Valley business community.

Danielle Zanardo, BA ’08 — upon graduating on the Dean’s List with a BA (Major in Soc/Anth) Danielle went to work for a large veterinary nutrition company, combining her many years of experience as a veterinary assistant with her education. Danielle then started the company Motion Health Canada, supplying veterinary hospitals and health providers across Canada with nutraceutical green-lipped mussel (www. motionhealthcanada.com). She continues to live in Abbotsford with her husband, and is currently on maternity leave after the birth of her daughter.

Rebecca Middleton, AA ’06 — Upon completing her associate degree in media and communications studies, Rebecca continued her studies at SFU where she earned a bachelor's

Dan Clegg, BA ’08 — After completing his degree in psychology, Dan worked for Communitas Supportive Care Society as a mental health worker in two transitional programs in Chilliwack. He is

Valery Joy Reimer, Dip ’01

Danielle Zanardo, BA ’08

half way through a MA in counselling psychology at the Adler School in Vancouver and is starting a practicum at Chilliwack Child and Youth Mental Health. Other than that, he is spending as much time as possible fishing and picking berries.

Stefanie Halldorson, Dipl ’09 — since completing her Liberal Arts diploma in 2010, Stefanie continues to attend UFV working to complete her degree in criminology and English.

She hopes to be done by the end of 2011. Right now she is a full-time UFV student and volunteers at Children's Hospital.

Ruby Setchay, BA ’00 — After graduating from UFV with my BA, Ruby went on to get herBEd at UBC. The following year she was off to Manitoba, with her husband, to teach Grade 6 for one year.

They returned home to BC after that year so that my husband could resume his work. Since then they have become the parents to two wonderful boys, the oldest of which is now in kindergarten. With her children heading off to school she has been getting back into teaching by substitute teaching at a local private school, and also looking into options for future full-time employment.

June D Krause, Cert ’92 — June graduated from the Office Careers Upgrading program in 1992. She has been using the skills acquired in her course working as a bookkeeper for Tabor Village in Abbotsford, as well as for her husband’s painting company.

Ron Neels, BA ’07 — after graduation Ron enrolled in SFU’s PDP program and graduated with a BEd in 2008. He was hired as the Grade 7 teacher at Mount Cheam Christian School in January 2009. When he looks back on his years at UCFV he feels he received a high quality education that prepared him for his career. He says that instructors truly inspired him with their passion for teaching and learning and, as an educator himself, he aspires to follow their example.

Alumni: submit a brief writeup telling us what you’ve been up to since graduation. Send it to alumni@ufv.ca and we’ll print it in the next issue and enter you to win a prize.

Curtis Penner, BA ’09

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 25

UFVGiving Community support key to UFV success Photo: Rick Collins

By Christiane Hodson, UFV Interim Director of Development

N

ever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

— Margaret Mead (1901–1978) At UFV, Mead’s words resonate. In fact, the university owes its very existence to the vision and perseverance of the citizens of our communities. In 1974, as a result of your tireless lobbying, Fraser Valley College was launched. The first few hundred students filled makeshift classrooms in church basements and storefronts in Chilliwack and Abbotsford just months after the college was legislated into existence.

Similar community efforts helped us gain university-college status in 1991, which allowed us to develop degree programs, and university status in 2008.

Now, 37 years later, we are the University of the Fraser Valley, with 16,000 students, and approximately 100 programs and close to 30,000 alumni,

Giving to UFV provides opportunities for students to excel and make their parents proud!

and a reputation second-to-none. We have relied on you, your children, and your grandchildren to fill our classrooms.

Your needs have shaped and directed our programming. Your voice has assisted us in acquiring the space and infrastructure we’ve needed to serve our students for nearly four decades.

For this, we are eternally grateful.

We cannot and do not take for granted the support of our communities. Indeed, we need it now more than ever before.

Times are changing. Private support — from the businesses, individuals, foundations and organizations that call the Fraser Valley home — will become paramount in the years ahead.

Photo: Rick Collins

26 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

The donors and friends we’ve highlighted in the Giving section of this issue of Skookum are just three examples of the generous support we’ve received in the last several months. A golf tournament at Ledgeview in support of Cascades Athletics; additional funds for an award from an established Chilliwack family with links to the pioneer days of Fraser Valley College; and a momentous gift from the District of Mission to establish a signature program — the gifts we receive are richly diverse and a testament to the various ways our communities demonstrate their support of UFV. Elsewhere in this issue, we look back at that exciting time in 1991 when a community unwilling to back down secured university-college (degreegranting) status for us.

These thoughtful, committed citizens are investing in UFV. This is an investment in many things: youth, potential, local business, the local economy, healthcare, education, and our place in the global marketplace. It is an investment that will indeed change the world.

Recognizing our donors and sharing these stories is but a token of our sincere appreciation for their generosity, vision, and commitment to our university.

Thank you for your ongoing support. 

FVC roots bring UFV growth Scott Bate gives back to honour parents

By Anne Russell

Photo: Rick Collins

Scott Bate with his parents Barbara and Dick.

T

he UFV roots go deep for Scott Bate.

He grew up with Fraser Valley College, moving to Chilliwack from Calgary as an 11-year-old in 1975 when his father Dick was hired to be the first Dean of Instruction.

“Dad came out first, and then at spring break the rest of us joined him.

I remember driving from Hope and emerging into a beautiful green valley which was quite a pleasant change coming from the winter weather in Calgary. We quickly made friends as the whole community embraced and welcomed us right away.”

Scott’s parents, Dick and Barbara Bate, both had long careers with what’s now known as UFV. Dick spent a quarter of a century in administration at Fraser Valley College and UCFV, seeing it grow during his time from a brand new ‘college without walls’ to a well-established, multi-campus, degree-granting institution.

Barbara taught in the Adult Basic Education program. For several years she also had a special assignment as a literacy coordinator. In that role, she

helped lay the foundation for several community literacy projects that remain in place today.

When Dick retired in 2000, UFV created a Dick Bate Endowment Scholarship, which annually awarded $500 to a student who has taken advantage of UFV’s laddering options.

The majority of the endowment for the scholarship was established at the time of Dick’s retirement. Friends, colleagues, family members, and the Bates themselves all donated to the original endowment fund. Recently, Scott looked at the amount the endowment is able to provide every year and decided he would like to see the scholarship amount increased to at least $1,000. He then called the Development Office and offered to donate $15,000 to increase the scholarship’s endowment.

Working with the Bate family, the Development Office is now renaming the scholarship the Dick and Barbara Bate Scholarship to recognize Barbara’s contribution to the development of UFV along with Dick’s.

The award will continue to go to a student who has laddered their studies at

UFV, whether it’s starting in a universityprep type program, and going on to complete a certificate and/or diploma, or someone who started with a diploma program and who has been accepted into a degree program.

“We are delighted to see someone who has grown up with our university acknowledge that it’s time for his generation to play a role in supporting us philanthropically,” says UFV interim director of development Christiane Hodson. “As our alumni move ahead in their careers and settle into financially successful situations, we’ll be looking to them more and more to support their alma mater.”

Not only did Scott watch his parents as they helped build Fraser Valley College, he attended FVC for a few semesters in the 1980s, earning more than 30 credits while settling down into post-secondary studies after working for a few years and backpacking through the South Pacific.

And he’s been watching the university develop ever since he built a successful career out of his interest in business and automobiles. It’s a pursuit that has led to a senior executive position with the Mertin Auto Group. Scott recognizes that the value of education, particularly postsecondary education, is substantially that of learning how to learn and how to adapt to a constantly changing environment.

During this time at FVC Scott was taught by the first generation of Fraser Valley faculty, including Velma Alford (math), Brian Coulter (business), Ian McAskill (economics), Art Ross (English), Casey Sheridan (business), and Blake Wight (business).

“They all worked hard to make sure I succeeded, and for that I am grateful.”

After a year at FVC, Scott transferred to SFU where he earned a BA in economics (as there were no degree programs at FVC in those days). He is thankful for his college and university studies and is now pleased to have the opportunity to give something back.

Scott continues to live in Chilliwack with his family, wife Valerie and daughters Jessica and Hailey. Dick and Barbara also still live in Chilliwack and spend their summers at Cultus Lake.  Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 27

UFVGiving

Photo: Bob McGregor

Stars come out to shine in support of UFV golf

By Anne Russell

G

olf tournaments and fundraising: the two go hand in hand. So when UFV golf coach Chris Bertram was looking for a way to boost funding for the UFV Cascades golf team, going the golf tourney route was an easy decision.

He even had the framework for a successful event in place. Former PGA player Ray Stewart lives in Abbotsford, and had run pro-am golf tournaments for other causes before. And since his son Brett Stewart had played for the UFV Cascades for 5 seasons, Ray was inclined to support his local university team and make UFV the beneficiary of his tournament. “I know how hard Chris has worked to grow the golf program at UFV, and the success they have been able to achieve on a relative shoe-string is amazing,“ says Stewart. “Seeing firsthand the positive effect the program has had on my own son, the decision to get involved in helping the team was a no-brainer.”

But this is no ordinary golf tournament. Ray was able to use his many connections in the golf community to bring the pros to Abbotsford for the tournament, matching 22 pros into foursomes with 66 amateurs.

“The pros play the tournament for money, and the amateurs play for prizes, and for the thrill of playing with the pros,” explains Bertram. “It all adds up to a really fun day with great competition.

A real win-win for everyone involved.”

Abbotsford is a bit of a golf hotbed, especially the Ledgeview golf course, which has recently produced talent

28 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

UFV’s golf team once again found success at the nationals, placing third in Canada.

such as James Lepp, Nick Taylor, and the current Canadian it-player, Adam Hadwin. The very best golfers are typically recruited by U.S. universities before launching their pro careers.

UFV’s Bertram wants to ensure that those who don’t leave for the States have a place to play university-level golf at home.

“We want to build a competitive program so that those that don’t get U.S. Division I scholarships have a place to play and to continue to develop their skills right here at home,” he says.

The community really gets behind the tournament. Local and out-of-town companies sponsor teams, and the pros often bring along amateurs within their circles. The title sponsor for the tournament was Bowers Medical of Kelowna, and the presenting sponsor was Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada. Pros playing this year included Ray Stewart, Adam Hadwin (who was the defending champion from the 2010 event), and UFV alum Clark MacPherson, who went on to take home the trophy this year.

This year the tournament generated nearly $30,000 in revenues, which allowed the team to enter some high-profile tournaments in the U.S. in addition to their four-tournament PACWest regular season. A silver medal at the PACWest provincial championship

earned them a berth to the nationals in PEI, where the team finished third in Canada, and landed on the national podium for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

“Without question, our program would not be where it is today without the support of the Fraser Valley business and golf community,” added Bertram. “We are extremely grateful to all of those who continue to support the golf team and UFV athletics.”

Members of the 2011 team include Connor Richey, Mitch Lock, Aaron Pauls, Darren Whitehouse, Ryan Grill, Dan McArthur, Scott Benstead, and Daniel Bismeyer.

“Athletics at the university level are not an inexpensive endeavour, especially if you want your teams to do well,” notes UFV interim director of development Christiane Hodson. “We are happy to see the Abbotsford community recognizing the financial challenges faced by our golf team and stepping up to support UFV. We’ll be looking to our community for sponsorship support and players for the May 2012 tournament.”

Contact the Development Office at 604-854-4595 for more information. 

Mission launched UFV and the District of Mission team up to start Graphic Design program

By Anne Russell

U

The two-year diploma program is being revived and updated, after being dormant for nearly a decade, in order to prepare local students for careers in the graphic and digital design field.

It was previously based at UFV’s Abbotsford campus.

The financial commitment from the district includes start-up funding for

ready for work in web design, design for applications for the burgeoning smartphone application market, the video game industry, and animation studios.

Although some will find work locally or set up home-based virtual studios, Mission’s location on the West Coast Express line also opens the opportunity for graduates to commute to Vancouver

Photo: Anne Russell

nder a special memorandum of understanding signed recently, the District of Mission will secure $500,000 in seed funding to establish the UFV Mission campus as the primary site for the delivery of the UFV Graphic and Digital Design diploma program.

“The District of Mission is very committed to forging partnerships with the University of the Fraser Valley that will strengthen its presence in our community,” noted former Mission mayor James Atebe. “This agreement recognizes our focus on developing local post-secondary education opportunities and promoting economic growth; choosing to locate a flagship program with a focus on art and design in Mission goes well with the artistic focus of our community.”

The two-year, 60-credit Graphic and Digital Design diploma will provide students with a foundation of design skills, from which they will go on to learn about digital design for print and web. The courses in the program will also serve programs in media arts and the minor and extended minor options in graphic and digital design in the UFV Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

“This is a field that advances at an extremely rapid pace, so when we considered offering programming in this area, we knew that it would require significant capital investment in order to outfit our labs with the latest equipment and software,” noted UFV provost and vice president academic Eric Davis. “We are extremely grateful that the District of Mission has recognized this need and is stepping forward to partner with us.”

Sharon Syrette, the first Fraser Valley College employee hired for Mission in the 1970s, and community leader and UFV honorary degree holder Catherine Marcellus look on as former Mission Mayor James Atebe, UFV Board Chair Larry Stinson, and UFV President Mark Evered sign memorandum of understanding.

the renovation of the Mission campus, purchase and installation of equipment, development of courses and programs, and marketing and student recruitment.

The planned date for launch of the program is September 2012.

Graphic Design program graduates will be prepared to work in traditional area such as design studios, newspapers, and magazines, but will also be

and its busy design community.

Heritage Park Centre has housed UFV’s Mission campus since 1996, along with a secondary school, and a community theatre. The UFV Mission campus currently offers a variety of courses in areas such as liberal arts, business, human services, criminal justice, computing, and kinesiology, as well as upgrading courses. 

Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 29

Lenore Newman, continued from page 7.

But there is a more serious motivation behind her research focus as well.

She started her undergraduate career studying physics and astronomy out of sheer curiosity.

“Then I took a course in carbon chemistry and got really interested in how the earth’s environment works.

Then I saw David Suzuki speak once and got all fired up about environmental issues. Later I travelled extensively through Russia, China, Mongolia, Europe, and Canada, and everywhere I went I saw fragmented ecosystems and

environmental degradation. I decided that I wanted to put my education to work on environmental issues.

Her next step was master’s degree focusing on the social side of environmental science, and then a doctorate.

“My graduate work focused on complex systems theory, or how large numbers of people and institutions interact and evolve.”

She did some work with Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon at the University of Toronto, “pushing the thinking forward on applying these theories on the ground and to the context of the environment.”

Photo: Rick Collins

30 Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

While doing post-doctoral research with Dr. Ann Dale, she looked at public food markets as an example of sustainability theories in action.

“I really got into studying food from a sustainability perspective because it is a good example of how we can act sustainably. People can’t change their house or their car overnight, but they can commit to eating a less energy-intense diet one day per week, for example eating a vegetarian dinner.”

Newman is also interested in how farming families and communities are coping with the changing nature of agriculture, development pressures, and other challenges.

“Traditional agriculture extension programs are closing at universities across North America. In most farm families, either the next generation is not taking over, or they are choosing to take a business degree because that’s seen as more relevant.”

While investigating local foodways of the Fraser Valley, Newman will also be considering indigenous foodways, and the traditional and current importance of salmon and berries to the aboriginal population.

Although her studies and research have taken her across the country and she has travelled the world, Newman is a British Columbian at heart. She grew up in Roberts Creek on a Sunshine Coast and came from logging and fishing family.

Her research ties in nicely with a “deep foodie” enthusiasm for adventurous eating. She also enjoys travel, hiking, and mountain climbing, and spends much of her free time commuting on BC Ferries to see her partner, who is a researcher at the University of Victoria.

An activist for LGBT rights, she views the university environment as a place where “people can speak to each other and debate social issues and communicate without ripping each other apart,” and she values the relative civility and tolerance of Canadian society. 

Carl Peters, continued from page 17.

GERTRUDE STEIN, ARTIST

The only thing that is different from one time to another is what is seen and what is seen depends upon how everybody is doing everything. This makes the thing we are looking at very different and this makes what those who describe it make of it, it makes a composition, it confuses, it shows, it is, it looks, it likes it as it is, and this makes what is seen as it is seen. Nothing changes from generation to generation except the thing seen and that makes a composition. (516) As a scholar I take pride in the courses that I research and teach.

My research, writing and teaching are grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to literary, visual arts and aesthetic critiques like structuralism, deconstruction and avant-garde poetics. In all of my classes and research I continue to explore various manifestations and iterations of modernism that have appeared and continue to evolve at different historical times and places. As a result of this critical praxis, I draw on a great deal of visual art and film in the reading and interpretation of literary work in its local, North American, British and European social and political contexts.

In pursuing these intellectual, philosophical and aesthetic investigations, I am always aware that modernism as a “style” in the arts is both historically and culturally a distinctly European, post-industrial phenomenon.

However, the importance of nurturing an understanding of its ongoing evolution as a cultural construct is that it has become dominant in shaping our emergent culture of globalism as it continues to encounter the many forms of its “other” in non-European, pre-industrial or emerging industrial cultures.

I approach my classes the same way I approach my research — with an active interest in the aesthetic experience of graphic and textual modernism from Dadaism to contemporary art.

This means that all of my courses and scholarship foreground and emphasize

international and cross cultural iterations of modernism and philosophies of art and thought.

I continue to make this study and its related materials visible and accessible to students at UFV, consistently creating courses that reflect the history and practice of modernism in the public sphere in which we as modern citizens interact.

THE SIMULATION INDUSTRY

My comments are informed by two important critical, if not polemical, texts; the first is Jean Baudrillard’s Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?

The second is Paul Virilio’s manifesto on reading modern art entitled Art and Fear. Both Baudrillard and Virilio are interested in extreme phenomenon; the more we talk about literacy and the lack of it the more crowded my mailbox gets in the English department with compact disks featuring the newest and most “accessible” and the most “simplistic” approaches to writing and teaching; the emphasis is on the way literacy has been institutionalized into illiteracy. We must make art unreadable. If my “sound” today is beginning to read like a punkedup version of T.S. Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent” — good!

The anxiety of faculty, the ambition for rank and tenure, is a more aloof version of the student’s anxiety. Faculty want their rank; students want good grades. I’m beginning to ponder that perhaps I’m here to break the mirror, the ground, “the frozen sea within us,” like a miner in a mine (Kafka). On the other hand, “one must step back and stare down the medusa of progress with a mirror” (Grey Ecology).  WORKS CITED Adorno, Theodor W. Aesthetic Theory. (Trans.)

Robert Hullot-Kentor. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press, 2006.

Baudrillard, Jean. Passwords. (Trans.) Chris Turner.

Verso: London and New York, 2003.

---. Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared?

(Trans.) Chris Turner. London, New York and Calcutta.

Seagull Books, 2007.

George Bowering interview with Judith Fitzgerald .

3 May 2011. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ news/arts/books/in-other words/article1675695.ece>.

Kafka, Franz. “Letter to Oskar Pollak.” Letters to Friends, Family and Editors. (Trans.) Richard and Clara Winston. New York: Schocken Books, 1977. 15–16.

Stein, Gertrude. “Composition as Explanation.”

Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein. Ed. Carl Van Vechten. New York: Vintage Books, 1972. 511–523.

Tzara, Tristan. Seven Dada Manifestos and Lampisteries. (Trans.) Barbara Wright. New York: Calder Publications, 1992.

Virilio, Paul. Art and Fear. (Trans.) Julie Rose.

London and New York: Continuum Press, 2006. 15.

---. Grey Ecology. (Trans.) Drew Burk. New York: Atropos Press, 2009. <http://www.amazon.ca/ Grey-Ecology-Paul-Virilio/dp/0981946275> Zaslove, Jerry. “Look! We Have Come Through…

Then and Now.” West Coast Review Volume XIII/4 (April 1979): 11–13.

John Lennox, continued from page 15. and some preventive medicine classes, such as smoking-cessation and health and obesity lessons for his church. He is a proud UFV alumnus and still has a passion for the university. In fact, he recently approached the Alumni Association and put his name forward to be a board member. But after hearing that young alumna Melissa Kendzierski was interested on sitting on the board, he removed himself from the running to allow her to take the vacancy.

But he hasn’t stopped learning.

“Life is about learning. You should spend every day learning something.

And you should learn and make mistakes and keep learning. Really, that’s the point.

And if you don’t make mistakes along the way, you can’t possibly learn anything.”

These days, Lennox still wanders over to the Abbotsford campus on a regular basis. During a recent evening walk, he stopped to talk to students who had been playing volleyball. Living beside a university and making contact with tomorrow’s leaders keeps him young.

“My experiences with UFV have been extraordinary, including earning my BA in 2000. You meet so many wonderful people on campus every time and you come home with a smile on your face.

It’s wonderful to interchange with these young people and know they are working towards making themselves, and our world, better by getting an education and contributing to society.”  Skookum | FALL 2011 | Volume 2 | Issue 1 31

Building community: here and everywhere You could say that this issue of Skookum is about UFV and community, both in the Fraser Valley and around the world.

Dr. John Lennox and his wife Ruth spent much of their professional lives in Africa educating health workers. As they enjoy their retirement in Abbotsford, they take advantage of living right next door to the UFV campus and often strolling the grounds talking to students. John liked it so much here that he enrolled in the BA in Adult Ed program and earned a degree in his 60s.

UFVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision (one shared by the City of Abbotsford) for a vibrant university district adjacent to the Abbotsford campus could mean that many more people will live within walking distance of all the social, cultural, and educational activities that UFV has to offer.

And just like John, current UFV students and faculty are travelling to Africa to share knowledge with and learn from the people there in a special partnership we have established with universities in Tanzania.

Of course, the university of today wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be what it is without the community support we received in earlier years. This year marks 20 years since a massive community lobbying effort helped us gain university-college status and set us on the road to granting degrees. It was by no means a certain outcome. Read about the ups and downs of the exciting spring of 1991 in this issue. skookum production team Publisher: Karola Stinson Editor: Anne Russell Design & Production: Alisha Moolla, Marie Tary, Camilla Coates Writing: Ashley Wray, Anne Russell, Patty Wellborn Photography: Rick Collins, John Van Putten, Bob McGregor, Diane Nosaty, Anne Russell, Jody Thom Marketing and Communications Director: Leslie Courchesne Alumni Relations Manager: Nancy Armitage Director of Development (interim): Christiane Hodson Skookum is published twice a year for the University of the Fraser Valley by the Vice President External team Have comments or ideas about Skookum?

Send them to: skookum@ufv.ca See Skookum online at www.ufv.ca/skookum Want to communicate with your Alumni Association?

Contact: alumni@ufv.ca or call 604-557-4008 UFV Alumni Relations Office: 33844 King Road, Abotsford, BC V2S 7M8

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: UFV Alumni Relations office 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8

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