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Kovalchuk looks at link between night shift and breast cancer

Jaeger works to ease burden on students through SOS

Schultz examines how music is put together

Meet Myrtle, the U of L’s youngest student

The U of L Legend is published monthly during the academic year by the communications unit within University Advancement. Submissions, comments and story ideas are always welcome. The Legend reserves the right to refuse any submitted advertisement. The Legend can be found online at issuu.com/ulethbridge.

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CREDITSEditor: Trevor KenneyDesigner: Angelsea Saby

CONTRIBUTORS:Anne Baxter, Amanda Berg, Bob Cooney, Jane Edmundson, Abby Groenenboom, Erica Lind, Jesse Malinsky, Jana McFarland, Suzanne McIntosh, Kali McKay, Heather Mirau, Leslie Ohene-Adjei, Stacy Seguin, Emma Thompson, Katherine Wasiak, Lori Weber, Jamie Woodford and Lizhu Wu

BY TREVOR KENNEY

As much as David Hill describes his return to Lethbridge as a

homecoming, he is quick to recognize that what he thought he knew about the University of Lethbridge only scratched the surface.

“I always thought I was pretty familiar with what was happening at the University, and I have been pleasantly surprised by both the depth and breadth of the intellect, experience and opportunity that exists,” says Hill, the new director of centres and institutes and research advocacy.

Since assuming his post Sept. 1, Hill has seen the introduction of the ninth research centre/institute on campus (Institute for Child and Youth Studies), the declaration by RE$EARCH Infosource that the U of L is Canada’s Research Univer-sity of the Year (2012 Undergraduate category) and the highest ever rank-ing from Maclean’s magazine.

“This really is a career opportu-nity,” says Hill. “From my personal perspective, this allows me to make a difference, to use all the skills I’ve developed over my career and to do it in a way that will add value to the research and the teaching that’s hap-pening here.”

Born in Eastern Canada, Hill spent much of his youth in Europe before eventually settling in the Lethbridge area. He married his wife Betty, a Picture Butte native, in 1974, and they spent the early days of their marriage in towns such as Taber, Vauxhall and Brooks, all the while raising five children.

Professionally, Hill became well known both provincially and nationally as a key advocate for water research, water use policies and irrigation management. In the

six years prior to coming to the U of L, Hill was the executive direc-tor of Water Resources for Alberta Innovates-Energy and Environment Solutions, based in Edmonton.

The key contacts he has estab-lished over the years will serve him well in his new capacity at the U of L.

“I think what I bring to this is the ability to take some of the research findings and outcomes happening in the various centres and institutes and get them into communities of interest that would not normally have contact with the researchers,” says Hill.

And it’s not just about water, although Hill is cognizant of the long history he was with the Univer-sity’s water researchers.

“There is so much that is hap-pening within all the centres and I’ve found, particularly when I’m visiting labs and talking with stu-dents, that the level of commitment and excitement is so high, I’m going to have a difficult time deciding where to invest my time,” he says.

Hill is a big proponent of the centres and institutes approach the U of L has taken in establishing areas of expertise. By investing strategically in people and infra-structure, the University has been able to focus on its core strengths while invigorating interdisciplinary research.

“They have, in many respects, been a means of bringing research-ers with common interests together to share their talents and expertise in ways that weren’t formerly done,” he says.

“We all need to challenge ourselves somewhat about what we know and where we know it from. We’re living in a world now that is talking an awful lot about collabora-tion, but it really does spawn ideas through that dialogue and interac-

tion that individuals on their own would likely not come to. That’s one of the key advantages of these cen-tres and institutes, to discover new ideas together.”

This discovery benefits all, not the least of which are U of L students.

“At the end of the day, universi-ties still educate and that student experience, in an area where there is such a rich exchange of ideas, I think is really valuable.”

Research advocacy finds champion in Hill

David Hill’s long relationship with the University of Lethbridge and southern Alberta as a whole helps ease the learning curve for the new director of centres and institutes and research advocacy.

G E T T H E FAC T S

•Hill loves going to bat for a ‘smaller’ university like the U of L, saying, “We have a very unique ability to involve undergraduates and graduates in key research interests that are pressing needs for society. That’s the part around research advocacy that I’m going to find really enjoyable and interest-ing.”

•Hill’s son, Justin (BSc ’08), is the GIS co-ordinator for Palliser Regional Municipal Services Ltd.

•His daughter, Jennifer, works with Alberta Innovates Tech-nology Futures in the Alberta Genetically Engineered Machines program, and she is now running the Imagine Cup competition, while another daughter, Jocelyn, works in the U of L Daycare

•Hill loves to cook to relieve stress, citing all kinds of chili as a favourite dish to prepare

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Dr. Peter Alward (Phi-losophy) recently had his book, Empty Revelations An Essay on Talk about, and Attitudes toward, Fiction published by the McGill-Queen’s University Press. The book is touted as a rich and engaging investiga-tion into the nature of literary fiction.

Adam Mason’s (Music) newly published composition Trini Yellow was performed re-cently at the Percussive Arts So-ciety International Convention in Austin, Texas. The piece was performed by 60 of the world’s leading steel drum performers. Mason was also selected to be a performing member of the group and served as Chair of the International Committee for the convention, which attracted 5,000 percussionists. Lethbridge audiences got to hear Trini Yellow at the recent A Dark Knight Christmas concert in the University Theatre.

Tanya Harnett’s (Art & Native American Studies) major artwork Skull Mountianettes has been purchased by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Glenbow Museum has col-lected her suite of photographic prints entitled Scared/Sacred

Water. She was also awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by Premier Alison Redford in a presentation ceremony at the Leacock Theatre.

Dan Wong (BFA ’03) has work in a group exhibition at ARTSPEAK in Vancouver en-titled As Far As I Can See.

Former Board of Gover-nors Chair Robert Turner, who served as Chair from 2006-2012, was recently appointed Board of Governors Chair Emeritus.

Dr. Seamus O’Shea, a University of Lethbridge Vice–President Academic Emeritus and a well-known advocate for province-wide information technology development, is being acknowledged as a Cyber Trailblazer by Cybera for his long-term efforts to support and expand connectivity to the prov-ince’s networking and comput-ing infrastructure. O’Shea led the IT strategies at the U of L, and as Chair of Cybera’s Board of Directors over the past five years, he has worked to grow the organization to become a regionally and internationally-recognized leader in networking and cloud computing.

Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) and Emily Luce (New Media) presented at Talking with Our Mouth Full II: Conversations about Social Change sponsored by the U of L Art Gallery.

Clark Ferguson, the Chief Information Officer at the University of Lethbridge, was one of five recent appoint-ments to the board of Cybera, Alberta’s guardian of research and education e-infrastructure. Cybera is the architect of Al-berta’s Research and Education Network, which connects the major post-secondary institu-tions in the province and pilots above the network services to support education, research and enterprise.

Tilo Schaller (Music) and Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) presented The Art of Sound Production – The Production of Sound Art: Research in Digi-tal Audio at the University of Lethbridge to a group of alumni in Calgary.

Mary-Anne McTrowe (BFA ’98) and Cindy Baker (MFA candidate) participated in Welcome Back Ye Annunaki at Open Space in Victoria.

I am really pleased to be back on campus and feeling well again, and I thank everyone for their well wishes over the past six weeks.

During my time away and recently as I have been transi-tioning back into the workplace, I have been thinking about what facilitates success at the Univer-sity of Lethbridge.

In recent months we have seen national organizations such as RE$EARCH Infosource award the U of L with the distinction of being Canada’s Research Uni-versity of the Year 2012 (Under-graduate category), achieved our highest-ever ranking in Maclean’s magazine’s annual university rankings and been lauded by the Globe and Mail in

their annual University Rank-ings Report.

While recognition is nice, accolades do not facilitate the success of the University, rather it is our people. The faculty, staff and students of the University of Lethbridge are our success and they drive the institution.

In recent days, I have been taking part in Strategic Planning Workshops, and as I listen to the presentations from throughout campus, I am constantly reminded that we can only achieve success as an institution if our people feel as though they are a part of the vision of the University and can see their role in pushing our strategic priori-ties forward.

We can achieve this by con-

tinuing to support our people in every way that we can and allowing their talents to shine.

I think of the Health Check for You program that is currently offered by the Wellness Commit-tee, free of charge, to our campus community. After listening to a presentation on the program and its benefits, it struck me that as much as this initiative might seem small in relation to the big picture, these are the very things we have to continue to support as we cultivate an environment for our people to be successful.

I look to the recent addition of David Hill to the Office of Research and Innovation Servic-es as another example of creating an environment for success.

By bringing David to cam-

pus, we have added an advocate who will continue to build capacity from a research centres and institutes perspective, who will help us look ahead at what are the next opportunities for our institution, and where the next successes lie that will allow us to build as a comprehensive university.

By putting the right people in the right environment and providing them with the tools they need to be successful, whether it is in terms of equip-ment and infrastructure or a healthy supportive workplace, we can’t help but achieve success as an institution.

Going forward, our chal-lenge is to continue that support while also identifying the next

group of people who can help us move forward strategically.

Our Strategic Plan must reflect this culture of support, through small programs such as Health Check for You to larger scale initiatives such as the quest for a new science building, the further expansion of residence and the reshaping of food ser-vices. All these individual pieces must come together to form a basis of support for our faculty, staff and students.

Maureen and I wish you the very best this holiday season, and look forward to reconnect-ing with everyone in the New Year.

OPENMikeUniversity of Lethbridge President Dr. Mike Mahonchats about what’s happening in the University community

CAMPUS kudos JUDGESNEEDED

Canada-Wide Science FairMay 11-18, 2013

More than 400 qualified judges are needed to volunteer their expertise, experience and time to interview finalists and evaluate their projects at the Canada-Wide Science Fair May 11-18, 2013. If you have a background in science or engineering and would like to be a judge, please contact Chief Judge Dr. Roy Golsteyn (BSc ’84) at roy.golsteyn@youthscience.ca.

If you’re not a scientist, but would like to be involved, consider volunteering at the event. For more information on how you can help, email admin@satclethbridge.ca or visit http://cwsf.youthscience.ca/form/volunteer-registration.

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cwsf.youthscience.ca

BY TREVOR KENNEY

Where is your next meal coming from?

Thankfully, the majority of southern Albertans are secure in the notion that there will be an adequate food supply available to fill their plates.

Such is not the case world-wide, and in fact by the end of 2011, it was estimated that one billion people in developing countries did not have enough food to meet their basic nutri-tional needs.

With food security one of the most pressing issues fac-ing humankind, University of Lethbridge researchers are embarking on a project that will develop a prototype system using geomatics information technologies, in combination with crop growth and socio-eco-nomic modelling to better moni-tor and forecast food security at local and regional levels.

“Alberta, really Canada in general, is a very important player in the world food market. Depending on the year, we are ranked fourth or fifth in terms of grain exports to the global food supply,” says principal investigator Dr. Wei Xu, a pro-fessor and Chair of the Depart-ment of Geography. “Alberta is one of the major players in the game of food trade, so any decline in food production will not only affect our local com-munities, but also will affect the global food market. In that regard, the sustainability of food production at the local and re-gional level is very important.”

Along with Drs. Karl Staenz, Henning Bjornlund, Stefan Kienzle, Craig Coburn, Jinkai Zhang and Z. Zhang, Xu’s team will work for two years under funding from Alberta-based Tecterra, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Engineering Research Center for Information Technol-

ogy in Agriculture, China-based NERCITA and the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. Tecterra is funding $495,000 of the $885,000 project.

“We want to start the proj-ect here and eventually expand to a global level,” says Xu. “We want to help China, India, maybe African countries, so that they can, in their decision-making processes, adopt this kind of technology to help them assess and plan their crops more effectively.”

The project is uniquely interdisciplinary and utilizes expertise from across campus. Xu, who classifies himself as a social scientist, has more than a decade of experience in conceptual design and system development for integrated assessments, while Staenz is a world-renowned expert in remote sensing technology. Add in the expertise of both Coburn and J. Zhang in remote sensing system development and design,

the software development skills of Z. Zhang, Kienzle’s world-wide experience in hydrological and crop modelling and Bjorn-lund’s established knowledge in agricultural policy assessment and you have a comprehensive approach to the issue.

“We really tried to mobilize people from across campus,” says Xu, recognizing the scope of the problem they are tackling. “This project will generate a geo-matics solution to the problem of food insecurity that is of global significance.”

The proposed prototype will fill a significant gap in the assessing and forecasting of food supply at a local and regional scale, offering governments new technology and information that can be utilized in policy devel-opment.

One would think that south-ern Alberta farmers, having worked the soil for generations, would understand what crops produced the best yields for

our area but Xu says that is not necessarily so.

“Certainly we tend to claim that we know but, for example in 2001-02, when the entire region was severely hit by drought, nobody was expecting that,” he says. “Given the uncertainty in climate, which is possibly getting warmer, the variability in the region, the greater demands on our water supply, the introduc-tion of biofuel production, there are so many more factors at play.

“Our system will enable Alberta and Chinese govern-ments to better monitor and assess the state of food produc-tion and security.”

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization has forecasted that an increase in food production of 70 per cent is required to feed the estimated world population of nine billion people in 2050.

“All these factors make this research very much relevant to our world,” says Xu.

Food security concerns spawn project

BY BOB COONEY

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, a bio-logical sciences researcher at the University of Lethbridge, has re-ceived a significant award from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation – Prairies/NWT Region Research Grant program to study how something as simple as sleep disruption could make cells vulnerable to cancer.

“The disruption of circadian rhythms (a sleep-wake cycle) due to shift work or exposure to light at night has recently been suggested as a breast carcinogen, as elevated rates of breast cancer have been reported in groups of shift workers in countries all over the world, including Canada,” says Kovalchuk.

Circadian rhythms are the equivalent of a person’s internal clock, and help govern such things as sleep patterns, alert-ness and other factors. Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, from bacteria to plants and animals.

They follow a set pattern that, if shifted around, cause a number of biological processes to change, and not always for the better – as any sleep-deprived new parent or shift worker adjusting to a new schedule can attest.

To tease out the minute changes in the genetic markers that make up the road map to solving this challenge, Koval-chuk will employ epigenetics

– the study of how an individual gene can go wrong or not work properly over a person’s lifetime.

“The precise mechanisms of breast cancer induced by

circadian rhythm disruption are elusive,” says Kovalchuk, a professor, Board of Governors’ Research Chair and CIHR Chair in Gender and Health.

“In recent years, the role of epigenetic changes as a cause of breast cancer has been increas-ingly recognized, so we are going to attack this challenge from that

perspective.” Epigenetics is the study

of how individual genes and components of individual genes can change in response to envi-ronmental conditions or other factors.

In addition to the hard-wired traits in DNA, epigenetic changes can occur in response to a change in lifestyle or other trigger, and can be passed from one generation to another.

Together with colleague and neuroscientist Dr. Robert Mac-donald at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, the researchers and their respec-tive lab teams will develop a model to test how changes in ge-netic structure are brought about by sleep or circadian disruption. They will also look at how those epigenetic changes affect cells, which in turn would make them a target for cancer.

The group will study mam-mary glands and look at the genetic switches that are turned on or off in response to the cir-cadian pattern changes.

Kovalchuk will receive $125,000 per year for three years. Her award is part of a 19-proj-ect, $6.8 million announcement made in early November by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foun-dation – Prairies/NWT Region. The CBCF supports research projects that demonstrate high degrees of innovation or novelty in breast cancer research.

Dr. Olga Kovalchuk will investigate whether disrupting circadian rhythms plays a role in elevated risks of breast cancer.

KOVALCHUK INVESTIGATES CANCER LINK TO DISRUPTIVE SLEEP

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BY JANA MCFARLAND

Judy Jaeger has the type of job that when it’s done well, it can easily be taken for

granted. As manager of caretaking

at the University of Lethbridge, her day-to-day duties revolve around co-ordinating the 51 staff members who keep the University’s campus sparkling clean. It’s a role that is integral to the University’s operations, but is also the kind of posi-tion that flies under the radar, simply because it’s executed so exceptionally well.

In a similar way, Jaeger has been a long-time, behind-the-scenes supporter of bursaries, faithfully giving to U of L students in need, year after year. Early on in her role as manager, she recognized that many of her employees were struggling to make ends meet while going to school. She felt compelled to help them.

“Approximately 25 per cent of the staff in caretak-ing is students. Because of my first-hand interaction, I see how hard students have to work on a daily basis. Scholarships and bursaries make a big difference; some students couldn’t afford to be here without them,” she says. “If students get help with their tuition, then they can work less and spend more time focusing on their studies.”

It’s a message Jaeger is tak-ing to the broader University community in her role as co-Chair of this year’s Support-ing Our Students campaign. Since its inception in 2005,

the annual fundraiser has seen more than 650 University faculty, staff and retirees con-tribute more than $1.5 million towards student scholarships and bursaries. And while it’s an impressive dollar figure, Jaeger is determined to see it grow larger.

“I want to blow the other records out of the water,” says Jaeger enthusiastically.

As she explains, donations need not be large to make an impact.

“All I want is five dollars a month from everyone on cam-pus. That will be a lot of money in the end.”

And while Jaeger encour-

ages colleagues to give for the benefit of students, she also recognizes that the support ultimately has an added benefit for faculty and staff.

“If it wasn’t for the stu-dents, none of us would be here,” she says. “Supporting Our Students gives employees a way to help them. Here at the U of L, we really are part of a strong community where people take care of each other. We work as a great team and are doing a lot of great things by working together.”

For more information about Supporting Our Students or to make a contribution, visit: www.uleth.ca/giving

Jaeger sees need first-hand

Judy Jaeger works with many students who are just trying to make ends meet while pursuing their academic goals.

Security manager Peter Ashworth brings a comprehensive resumé of experience to the U of L.

SECURITY GAINS FROM ADDITION OF ASHWORTH

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BY TREVOR KENNEY

It’s safe to say that Peter Ashworth doesn’t see the world around him the way most people do. As the new security manager for the University of Lethbridge, that stands out as one of his great-est assets.

Ashworth spent 30 years in London’s Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), work-ing in every capacity from uniform patrol to royal family and diplomatic protection to his penultimate post, as head of the intelligence unit at Heathrow Airport respon-sible for crime and counter-human smuggling. So when he moved with his wife Ingrid to Lethbridge to retire, it’s not surprising that he couldn’t just shut his instincts off and slow down.

“We came to Lethbridge in 2007 and I spent two months golfing, fishing, shooting and got really, really bored,” says Ashworth. “I like to be challenged and I need to be busy.”

Ashworth is taking over for the retired Bill Krysak and brings plenty of experience to the University. A man of many interests and talents, he is a veteran of six years of military service that included three active duty tours of Northern Ireland and work in counter-terrorism. He has an education certificate, an honours bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in management, all achieved after the age of 42. He has helped develop models for the training of intelligence officers and been at the fore-front of the use of analytical concepts and information gathering to help thwart crime.

“I’ve done some stuff,” he laughs.

That Ashworth would wind up in an educational setting is fitting, as he credits his going to post-secondary school as a life-altering moment. Having been in

policing for more than 15 years when he first started at University of Greenwich, Ash-worth describes the negativity surrounding policing.

“You’re either dealing with a victim who has just been traumatized or you’re dealing with criminals and it’s very easy to fall into a siege mentality, where it’s them or us,” he says. “To go to univer-sity and suddenly be exposed to people of all ages and from all sorts of backgrounds and learn they actually had dif-ferent opinions was quite a freeing experience.”

“It is enlightening to sit there and kick around ideas and break those hang-ups we tend to develop. I found it quite liberating and it changed my life, no two ways about it.”

His detective work and career focus on the intelli-gence field dovetailed nicely with his psychology studies. Following 911, his counter-terrorism responsibilities at Heathrow took on a whole new emphasis and he began to realize how important the gathering of intelligence could be in curbing threats.

“It was amazing that once I’d done the training and started to do the tasking and the analysis, I found I could actually be responsible for catching just as many crimi-nals flying a desk as I could driving a patrol car, which I thought was pretty good,” he says.

Working security at the U of L, in what amounts to a small city, calls for the same sort of analysis.

“I want to increase the type of information that we gather and then apply those analytical concepts to see if there’s a need here for us to actually do intelligence led patrolling,” says Ashworth.

He also wants to apply his background as a training officer to the security staff so that they are not only well trained but regularly and repeat trained.

Visit uleth.ca/giving to make your contribution. If you give before December 31, you will receive a 2012 SOS sticker and charitable tax deduction.

Please help students succeed. Give today.We are only 45 donors away from reaching this year’s goal of 330 Supporting Our Students donors. Time is running out – will you help us reach our goal by making your 2012 gift today?

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athletics AT T H E U

Peters maintains connection with Horns athletics AT T H E U

OPERATION RED NOSE READIES FOR SEASON

A year after setting program records for total rides and money

raised, Operation Red Nose (ORN) is on the road again for Pronghorn Athletics.

Operating under the slogan, Let Rudy Take the Wheel, the Horns will be participating in their 18th Operation Red Nose, a countrywide initiative aimed at curbing drinking and driving by chauffeuring partygoers and

their vehicles home safely.The program is an annual

win-win for the Horns and the southern Alberta community. Run by volunteers and supported generously by community spon-sors (such as insurance providers Alpine and Intact Insurance), rides are free of charge to users, with donations accepted. In the end, the program works as a major fundraiser for Horns Athletics and takes numerous potentially unsafe drivers off the roads.

This season, with new Alberta blood-alcohol content regulations in effect, it’s expect-ed Operation Red Nose will be utilized more than ever.

“You’re really going to need a big volunteer base to cover the demand,” says the Lethbridge Regional Police Service. “It’s a fantastic program. We have

people out on a designated check stop all throughout December and we’d rather have them not find an impaired driver than to have someone who could have used Red Nose come through our stop and get charged.”

Sandy Slavin, the director of Sport and Recreation Services, says the push for volunteers is ongoing.

“I would think we need upwards of 800 volunteer slots that need to be filled,” says Slavin. “That can include one person filling two or three slots but by the end of the day, there are 800 slots to fill, which is pretty substantial, especially closer to Christmas when the majority of our athletes have headed home.”

She has been pleased to see a number of alumni returning to campus in recent years to

help with ORN. She notes that it often just takes one experience with the program and people get hooked.

“You really do feel good at the end of the night, that you’ve given something back to not only the Horns program but to the community,” she says. “We are finding that more and more of our alumni are coming back and that’s how they support their team and their university.”

Operation Red Nose oper-ates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from Nov. 30 through New Year’s Eve. To vol-unteer, contact Horns Athletics at 403-329-2681. To access a ride, call 403-320-4155 from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

BY TREVOR KENNEY

When Bill Peters left the University of Lethbridge

Pronghorns after the 2004-05 season to return to the Western Hockey League, he saw it as a graduation. Given his continued connection with the men’s hockey program, he could easily be considered a U of L alum.

It wasn’t surprising then, that when the National Hockey League locked out its players and shut down professional rinks across North America, Peters made his way back to Lethbridge to assist the program that gave him his first opportunity as a head coach.

“When you have tough times, it forces you to dig deep and reflect and to try and get better.”

BILL PETERS

“It was a good learning experience for me,” says Peters of his run as head coach with the Pronghorns from 2002-03 through 2004-05. “It was my first time as a head coach, com-ing from Spokane as an assistant, and I was here for three years and I really enjoyed my time. It was a good situation for me and that phase of my development as a coach, but I worked with and for good people and that’s always important.”

The connection to people and the relationships cultivated are what ties Peters to the pro-

gram today. Now an assistant coach with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings (working with another former Horns coach in Mike Babcock), Peters regularly speaks with current head coach Greg Gatto. It was Gatto who headed to Detroit late last season to spend a weekend with the Red Wings, watching practice and film sessions and gaining the kind of knowledge you can only glean from true professionals.

“We kept talking this fall and he asked what I was doing to keep busy and if I’d like to come up to Lethbridge,” says Peters. “This was an opportunity with their bye week to come up and spend some time with the team, and I think it’s been as good for me as it was for them.”

Peters ran practices, led film sessions, instituted Red Wings philosophies on power play and breakout situations and more than anything, worked the

club at a high tempo. While the dividends of his visit have yet to show in the results column, the experience is another valuable building block in establishing the Pronghorns program and a level of expectation.

“I like the group that Greg has here, they worked very hard for me,” says Peters of a squad that has just one win on the season but is one of the least experienced rosters in Canada West.

“These guys don’t know each other as well as they are going to in years three and four, obviously, and chemistry plays a huge part of it, consistency in the culture of your program and what’s expected.”

Peters is consistent with that message and it has taken him all the way to the NHL. He under-stands struggle, winning only four and three games respec-tively his final two seasons with

the Horns. But he believed in his ideals and parlayed that into success both at the WHL and American Hockey League levels.

“When you have tough times, it forces you to dig deep and reflect and to try and get better,” he says. “You’re always asking your players to get bet-ter, so as a coach, you have to continue to evolve and get better as well.

“I was fortunate, we didn’t have as much success on the ice as we’d have liked but I had some great kids to work with. Ryan Epp, Chad Kletzel, Billy Katelnikoff, Andy Houthuys, they’re good people. It would have been nice to get some more wins but they’re quality men.”

That was in evidence over the course of Peters’ week in town, as he also skated with the Catholic Central Hockey Academy and was assisted by Houthuys. Epp, Kletzel and

Katelnikoff have all coached in the minor hockey ranks as well since their playing days with the Horns.

What’s next for Peters, when and if the NHL returns to the ice, is a desire to become a head coach again, this time on the biggest stage.

“For sure, most people want to be a head coach and most people want to coach at the highest level and for me that’s the natural step,” says Peters. “I enjoy being a head coach and for me to become a head coach in the national league, I need some NHL experience and I’m getting it in a good organization right now.”

Having had it all start at the U of L is something Peters will never forget. So, while he may not have the parchment, it’s apparent he’ll gladly play the role of an alumnus and ambassador wherever he goes.

The Pronghorns men’s hockey team may be taking its lumps this season, but former Horns coach Bill Peters sees the beginnings of a solid future.

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BY JAMIE WOODFORD

It’s taken a few years, but the redevelopment of the downtown Dr. James Foster Penny Building is coming along. Parts of the build-ing are already accessible and the main floor is set to open in Janu-ary 2013. A recent $800,000-reno-vation to Level 1 and sections of Level 2 has enhanced the building immensely.

Upon completion, the Alumni Relations office within University Advancement will move into its new home, complete with five offices and a meeting room. As well, a new University gift shop will be created and the art gallery space updated, allow-ing Faculty of Fine Arts students a venue to showcase their work. The building’s entrance will also be spruced up and the stairwell to the second floor is receiving a facelift.

The U of L Conservatory of Music is calling the second level of the Penny Building home until it moves into the new downtown Community Arts Centre in the spring of 2013.

Meanwhile, other areas of Level 2 continue to undergo construc-tion, including a community meeting room, boardroom and upgrades to the washrooms and kitchen area.

The U of L Call Centre is also housed on the upper level of the building. It will continue to occupy the space part time throughout the year.

Renovations to the Penny Building have been ongoing since it was donated to the University of Lethbridge in 2007. Formerly a furniture store and

a pool hall, the Penny Building has a long history in Lethbridge. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the greatest condition when the University took ownership, and with no set purpose for its use, construction to the building didn’t get off to a roaring start.

The Project Management Office (PMO) first began work on the building to make it func-tional starting with the creation of gallery space for the Faculty of Fine Arts. However, there was a slight delay before the gallery could move in.

“We were doing the reno-vation for Fine Arts, but at the time, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery needed a home be-cause their building was being renovated, says Project Manager Greg Lacey. “So we renovated the Penny Building for Fine Arts knowing that they wouldn’t move in until after SAAG was done occupying the building.”

In 2010, SAAG moved out and Fine Arts moved in, and soon after the PMO began an overhaul of the mechanical com-ponents throughout the build-ing. Previously, each floor was broken into two zones, which offered little control of the heat-ing and cooling systems among other mechanical operations.

“We did that for functional-ity of the space because we want-ed to be able to mechanically zone the area to outfit anything we wanted to,” says Lacey.

All renovations included the installation of energy efficient lighting and low volt-age relays. A new hot water tank was also installed.

“We are using anything we can to make the building as energy efficient as possible,” says Lacey.

Situated in downtown Lethbridge, the 2,862 gross sq. m. Penny Building not only presents more space for U of L programming, it is the perfect site for the University to host events and further immerse itself into the community – part of the University’s strategic plan to build relationships off campus.

“Right from the get-go, the University identified the build-ing as a good place to have galas and other events,” says Lacey, adding many events have already been held on the site.

Future phases of the build-ing project have yet to be out-lined, but it may include renova-tions to the bar, art gallery area, and storage space as well as new signage.

FACILITIES BLOGBY JAMIE WOODFORD

Another month has come and gone and facilities hasn’t slowed down much. We continue to work on building a better University for students, faculty and staff.

Unfortunately, we had some sad news in our department last month when one of our own, Curtis Dodd, was fatally injured on the construction site of the new residence building. He was a familiar face within facilities and at numerous campus jobsites. We offer sincere condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.

Spaces and placesThe campus planning and

architecture department has been keeping busy and recently released two important publica-tions: A key parameters docu-ment outlining the framework of the Library and Learning Commons project and a report on the proposed University Hall Renewal that is part of the Desti-nation Project.

The Library and Learn-ing Commons project would increase the amount of informal learning and social spaces on campus. It proposes the creation of strategically located study hubs and computer lounges for students as well as a reorganiza-tion of the library in order to

house a Learning Commons.The Key Parameters docu-

ment is available at www.uleth.ca/facilities/content/library-and-learning-commons.

The University Hall Re-newal Visioning and Inception Planning Report is available to view at www.uleth.ca/facili-ties/science-complex/content/university-hall-renewal.

The document includes descriptions of the long-term vision for University Hall, its role on campus and the potential mix of the building’s uses, as well as overarching design prin-ciples and exploration of possible reorganization of UHall’s physi-cal layout.

BlogFacilities now has its own

blog site. Check it out at blogs.ulethbridge.ca/facilities. In addition to our website, the facilities blog is another great outlet for our department to share stories and information about our activities while also providing a way to engage with the University community.

Christmas breakAlthough the University

is closed during the Christmas holidays from Monday, Dec. 24 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, secu-rity personnel will be available to the campus community during the holidays. Safewalk and the

Working Alone programs will also continue to be offered dur-ing the break.

A few caretaking staff will be around over the holidays, however no caretaking workers will be on campus Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.

Utilities, building mainte-nance and grounds workers will be on call during the break. For any issues, call Security at 403-329-2345, who will then inform the appropriate contact person.

From all of us in Facilities, have a safe and happy holiday!

VASEY SAYS FACIAL HAIR MIGHT NOT ALWAYS GET THE GIRL

As Movember winds down around the world, men will be faced (pardon the pun) with a few serious decisions – to keep their new moustache, augment it with a beard, or to shave it off.

University of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Paul Vasey (psychology) has some advice – based on research conducted in New Zealand and Samoa, which could help.

Vasey, a behaviour and evo-

lutionary psychology researcher, worked with col-league Barnaby Dixson (Uni-versity of New South Wales in

Sydney, Australia) to test an evolutionary theory that holds that beards evolve for one of two possible purposes (or maybe

both): To attract female mates and to scare off male sexual competitors.

The upside? The researchers found that both New Zealand and Samoan men and women rated men with beards as older, of higher status and potentially more aggressive.

The downside?“These two different cultur-

al groups, in particular women, were reportedly less attracted to men with beards than they were to clean shaven men,” says Vasey.

The researchers displayed natural photographs of men with and without full beards posing with neutral, smiling and angry facial expressions.

“In both cultures we found that men and women judged faces with full beards as looking

older and more socially domi-nant,” says Vasey. “Men in both cultures also judged bearded faces posing angry facial expres-sions as most aggressive.”

However, women judged clean-shaven faces as more at-tractive than bearded faces.

The researchers indicate that, although further research is certainly required, these find-ings suggest that beards play a stronger role in signaling a man’s age, social status and potential threat than in augmenting physi-cal attractiveness.

Their research was pub-lished in the Journal of Behav-ioural Ecology.

Future of U of L’s Penny Building looks bright

An artist’s conception of the lobby area inside the Penny Building.

Dr. Paul Vasey sudies behaviour and evolutionary psychology.

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Dr. Arlan Schultz is an assistant professor of music, composition and theory and the head of the compo-sition area within the Department of Music in the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Schultz’s music has been broadcast on Radio Canada, in France on CBC’s sister net-work, and has been heard at performances in Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Austria and Hungary. He has also been commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orches-tra, the McGill Concert Choir, the Stuttgart Wind Quintet with Canadian pianist Louise Besette, Hungarian violinist János Négyesy, Canadian pianist Sandra Brown, Ensemble Reso-nance, Calgary and New Works Calgary, among others.

In addition to his cre-ative work, Schultz is active in several areas of research related to the field of composition. He is implementing software algorithms for real-time audio spatialization in live perfor-mance, and designing symbolic computational algorithms for computer-assisted composition and audio synthesis. As well, he is developing tools for electro-acoustic composition in the form of audio-spatialization software and unique audio-sample data-bases.

What first piqued your interest in your research discipline?

At a young age, I was fascinated with the structure of music and the techniques involved in its composition. Although I was a pianist, the act of performance was some-how unsatisfying and I found myself increasingly involved in performative situations where improvisation and creativity were required. This engagement with creative music making is what directly led to my desire for more in-depth study of how music was put together.

Along this path, I discov-ered that, in addition to the tra-ditional tools offered to a com-poser by historical (and newer) models for realizing a musical composition, there were signifi-cant technologies which could enhance the composer’s expres-sive palette – such technologies include real-time spatialization techniques; interactive and

computer mediated performance techniques; symbolic compu-tational models; algorithmic composition; and new real-time techniques for audio synthesis.

How is your research appli-cable in “the real world”?

My current research is engaged with creating music and configuring it for transmission to an audience. When I consider the relevance of my research to the world at large (beyond the academic walls), I ask myself, “What role does music play in my daily life?”

Music is ubiquitous, but is it all meaningful? I view my research as a means for differen-tiating levels of meaning and for creating an aesthetic experience that goes beyond the back-ground noise of daily living.

What is the greatest honour you have received in your career?

I have been fortunate to receive many grants and awards for my creative work, among them our current ACDI Grant from the Canada Council. How-ever, the most important honour

I have received in my career has been the great privilege of work-ing with world-class performers on the production and perfor-mance of my work.

My wife, soprano Martha Renner, is a frequent collabora-tor on my vocal music and my more recent work has involved the inclusion of ritual Tibetan music. The Monks of the Dre-pung Gomang Monastery in South West India have honoured me by allowing the recording of their ritual music for study and inclusion in my creative work.

How important are students to your research endeav-ours?

To be a concert-music composer is to be a teacher – students are central to the sur-vival of concert-music and to the continued advancement of, and experimentation with, musical discourse. The art of composi-tion has always been passed on through apprenticeship models of teaching and my students play a central role in my creative life. My students have been actively involved with my musi-cal productions and have been

able to benefit from utilizing new technologies and hearing new ways to organize sound.

If you had unlimited funds, which areas of research would you invest?

I would invest in those forms of endeavour that keep us more fully human. Many have said that art fulfills this criterion, but in my view artistic endeavor informed by and com-bined with scientific research is among the most exciting fields for future research.

Each month, the Legend will pres-ent 5 Questions With . . . one of our researchers. For a look at the entire catalog of 5 Questions With . . . features, check out the Office of Research and Innovation Services website at www.uleth.ca/research/research_profiles. If you’d like to be profiled, contact Penny Pickles at pickpj@uleth.ca

STRESS TAKES A HOLIDAYBY EMMA THOMPSON

The Stress-Free Zone is back at the University Library.

From Sunday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 16, room L1114 will be stocked with healthy snacks, coffee, tea, movies, puzzles and games for our students to utilize.

Students are welcome to enter the Stress-Free Zone between 6 and 10 p.m. each evening to refuel and have some fun. This service is provided at no cost to stu-dents, and is just one of the many ways that the library actively attempts to improve the student experience.

Library personnel are keenly aware that as final exams approach, students experience increased levels of stress and anxiety. In 2009, professional librarian Nicole Eva noticed an opportunity for the library to help students alleviate their stress while preparing for finals and implemented the Stress-Free Zone.

Many students congre-gate in the library during final exam periods to use the resources and available spaces and to take advantage of increased library hours (the library is open until 11 p.m. each night from Nov. 26 through Dec. 17). Eva realized that the library was a natural place to provide a service like the Stress-Free-Zone because of its operating hours and its heavy use by students. Three years and six Stress-Free-Zones later, the library is still offering a stress-free environment for students, who have consistently and enthusiasti-cally given positive feedback about the service.

A collaboration of resources from across the University makes the Stress-Free Zone success-ful. Library Administration, University of Lethbridge Students’ Union and Sodexo combine resources to offer students free refreshments and a place to relax. The Alumni Association gener-ously provides a prize for a raffle. The Career Resource Centre, Health Centre and Writing and Counseling Services support the event by providing their valuable print resources.

The result is a welcom-ing, stress-free environment for students where they need it, when they need it. The University Library thanks everyone involved for mak-ing this initiative a contin-ued success.

MATH GROUP OFF TO RUSSIA

BY BOB COONEY

The recent winners of a spot in a prestigious international computer science and math-ematics challenge competition are going to have to brush up on their Russian – and quickly.

A team of University of Lethbridge computer science and physics students, coached by Dr. Howard Cheng, placed second of 49 teams from western Canada and the northwestern United States at the ACM Inter-national Collegiate Program-ming Contest (ICPC) Rocky Mountain competition at the end of October.

The team’s success landed

three members (Hugh Ramp, Chris Martin and Darcy Best) of the U of L group on the elite roster of competitors at the ICPC World Finals to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 30 to July 4, 2013. It is the first time the U of L has qualified students for the world finals.

“The team also won a warm-up event two weeks before the regional contest (the Alberta Col-legiate Programming Contest) where we took the top spot in the province, and the students have put in a tremendous amount of training into this effort,” says Cheng.

The events leading up to, and including, the St. Petersburg events are a gruelling series of problem-solving boot camps, competitions and drills designed to enhance the students’ ability to work as a team under relent-less pressure, the watchful eyes

of the world’s best judges and extremely strict working condi-tions.

“They trained for hours on weekends as well as a few evenings just before the regional

contest. This is in addition to the years of practices they have had, including taking a course (CPSC 3200) that teaches many of the topics they had to know for this contest. Top IT employers such as IBM and Google value these contests and commonly test applicants with programming contest puzzles during inter-views, so there is definitely a career-related aspect to know-ing how these types of puzzles work.”

St. Petersburg National Research University of Informa-tion Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) hosts the ICPC World Finals. Only 115 of the top teams in the world make it to the final competition.

“This is an outstanding achievement for our students and their coaching and mentor-ing group,” says Dr. Chris Nicol, Dean of the Faculty of Arts &

Science. “Howard has done an excellent job of building up the team’s strength and develop-ing its real-world experience in mathematics and computer science through these competi-tions. They have been consis-tently successful at regional competitions, and that success is now paying off. We wish them well in their future efforts at the world finals in Russia this sum-mer.”

At the ACM Rocky Moun-tain Regional Contest at the University of Alberta in October, U of L teams placed second, 12th, 28th, and 34th of 49 groups.

The full U of L contingent features: Darcy Best, Chris Martin, Hugh Ramp, Rio Lowry, Chris Thomas, Kim Wikkerink, Mark Hunter, Ian Stewart, Fei Wang, Camara Lerner, Jason Racine and Vince Weiler.

BY STACY SEGUIN

In 2008, two years after completing his management degree at the University

of Lethbridge, Brock Melnyk (BMgt ’06), financial advisor for ATB Securities Inc., attended a golf tournament put on by the U of L Alumni Association Calgary Chapter, where he was promptly recruited to be a member of the board of directors.

He served as both a director and vice-president before tak-ing on the role of president (he will complete his term in spring 2013), after which he plans to stay involved with the board and sit as past-president. During his tenure, Melnyk has witnessed a great amount of hard work and dedication from his fellow board members and he is grate-ful for the gains that the chapter has made in the last five years particularly with the annual golf tournament, which, Melnyk admits, is his baby.

“For our Calgary chapter, the annual Calgary Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament is our single fundraiser for the year. When I first joined the associa-tion almost five years ago, we were earning enough money to give out one $500 bursary each year. Since then, we have seen a great increase in the success of the tournament in terms of numbers of people participating, increased donations and increased corporate sponsor-ship,” says Melnyk. “This latest tournament was the most suc-cessful so far; we raised $8,000 and had approximately 80 people in attendance. We were able to offer four $1,000 bursaries to students and have ensured that this contribution to student suc-

cess is sustainable in the future.”Money raised at the golf

tournament comes from raffle revenues and corporate dona-tions. This year, for example, Calgary-based West Jet agreed to donate a flight for two to anywhere West Jet flies as a raffle prize. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames donated a Top Shelf Experience, which includes four premium tickets to a Flames game, signed jerseys, dinner and a chance to meet one of the play-ers after the game.

“Jeff Wilson, our vice-pres-ident, has been instrumental in increasing our corporate spon-sors. Thanks in large part to his hard work with the advancement committee, we have doubled our corporate network,” says Mel-nyk. “Our legacy sponsors have written cheques to us every year since I started with the tourna-ment in 2008. Their generosity, and that of our other sponsors, helps us continue our mission of

enhancing the exposure and im-age of the University and alumni in Calgary, while providing net-working opportunities for new graduates and students.”

“We encourage alumni from all faculties to get involved.”

BROCK MELNYK

Although the Calgary chapter is heading in the right direction, Melnyk believes they still have a lot of work to do as they continue to generate ideas and events that will support all alumni.

“This year, we are intro-ducing our first child-friendly event,” says Melnyk.

“On Dec. 28 we have rented a suite at the Saddledome for the

Lethbridge Hurricanes-Calgary Hitmen hockey game. We are hoping alumni bring their fami-lies and enjoy the game in a re-laxing, friendly atmosphere, and we would love to have to rent additional suites to accommo-date everyone!”

Every year, the Calgary chapter holds a reception at the Big Rock Brewery. It is an eve-ning for alumni to relax, catch up on what is happening at the U of L and in Calgary and to get to know each other. This year the board has decided to hold its AGM at the Big Rock evening in late spring.

“This is always a very suc-cessful event,” says Melnyk of the Big Rock reception. “Other than the golf tournament, this has the largest turnout, and it’s a different demographic in atten-dance. We would really like to take advantage of how support-ive our alumni are by coming out to Big Rock, and similarly, how supportive Big Rock is to the University. The majority of our board members are from the Faculty of Management and we encourage alumni from all faculties to get involved so that we can meet the needs of all our current and future alumni.”

Melnyk’s motivation always comes back to his belief in giving back. It is a philosophy that he hopes all alumni will live by.

“My wife and I have just established scholarships at our high schools to help students pursue their dreams. Without that same kind of help, neither of us would be where we are today,” explains Melnyk. “I encourage my fellow alumni to really think about what you have achieved and the help you have received along the way. Whether it is with your time or your chequebook,

give back so that others can have those same opportunities.”

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Calgary Chapter continues to gain momentum

Carolyn Seward, top left, with Liza Worthington and Steve Worthington, had a great time at the Calgary Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament.

Front row (l to r): Hugh Ramp, fourth-year physics, Dr. Howard Cheng, team coach; Back row (l to r): Chris Martin, third-year computer science, Darcy Best, second-year mathematics.

G E T T H E FAC T S

•Calgary Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament Legacy Sponsors include: LARC Resources, ATB Financial, BMO Nesbitt burns, CGA (Certified General Accountants), CMA (Certified Managerial Accountants) and Trafigura

•Tickets for the Hur-ricanes/Hitmen game are priced at $25 each, include a meal and can be pur-chased online by e-mailing uoflcalgaryalumni@uleth.ca or calling toll free 1-866-552-2582. You must RSVP by Dec. 20 and prepayment is required

•Melnyk also runs the annual ATB Brock Melnyk Invitational Golf Tourna-ment, which is in its 10th year. It raised $10,000 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital and the Edmonton Stollery Children’s Hospital this past year

•Melnyk has been on the organizing committee for the United Way Day of Car-ing for the past 10 years, and this year he organized 120 bankers to paint 30 houses in one day for underprivileged seniors

O U R alumni

BY SUZANNE MCINTOSH

Is it time to start thinking about those New Year’s resolutions? How about

quitting smoking? Please take a minute to read the following and help us celebrate those who have had success quitting in the last year!

Debra Tarnava, caretaking supervisor, and Eric Hamilton, member of the building mainte-nance team, took the opportuni-ty to join last year’s Smart Steps Smoking Cessation program held on campus. It’s wonderful to report that both Tarnava and Hamilton are now non-smokers.

“I never expected to say that I was a person who succeeded at quitting smoking,” says Tarnava.

After 39 years of smoking, she has now been a non-smoker

since Feb. 11, 2012. While not counting the days, Tarnava does know the exact day she quit. Prior to this, the longest she had quit was for 48 hours, and despite trying to quit on numer-ous occasions had not had the resources of the Smart Steps program.

This time, Tarnava paid attention to the advice the Smart Steps counsellor had about the physical effects of smoking and nicotine. She knew that after two weeks, the nicotine had left her system, and what was left was actually changing the habit itself. The habit of smoking, for many, is the toughest part to break and it is a lifelong challenge. Now, Tarnava will brush her teeth or take a few deep breaths to man-age any cravings she has to light up.

She says she feels physically better, is starting to take some fitness classes at the gym, and now has a car payment instead of a cigarette payment! And that car still smells like a new car instead of smoke.

When asked if she had any recommendations for people who are thinking of quitting, Tarnava says, “Hang in there, in spite of any non-supporters you might encounter, and good luck to anyone who is trying to quit.”

There have been three more quitters in Tarnava’s department since she undertook the chal-lenge and she is happy to support anyone who is willing to quit.

As for Hamilton, he has been a non-smoker for nearly 300 days now and he says every morning he writes down how many days it has been – a good

way to keep track of his suc-cess. Prior to this, Hamilton had been a smoker for more than 10 years and had never tried to quit. He says he was just tired of not feeling well, and found himself winded after even getting up to get a drink of water.

The Smart Steps program was the kick-start to quitting, and reading Allan Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking book was the key to his success. He ini-tially began the book three years ago but put it down because he knew he was not ready to stop smoking yet.

Since quitting, Hamilton says he has an increased sense of smell and much more energy. His advice is, “You can do it if you want to, and if you are ready. There is a lot more to it than that, but at the same time, it’s

really that simple.”If YOU are thinking about

quitting or would like more infor-mation, there are many resources available on campus and off.

On Dec. 3, the Alberta Health Services Smoking Cessation infor-mation table will be on campus. This is your chance to register for an individual information session with a counsellor. The table will be in the University Hall Atrium from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

On Dec. 12, free, private sessions are available with a Tobacco Reduction Counsellor (Alberta Health Services) from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register for your individual session at well-ness@uleth.ca.

As always, please contact Suzanne McIntosh at suzanne.mcintosh@uleth.ca with sugges-tions or ideas. Be well!

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L I V I N G W E L L AT T H E U of L

MYRTLE MAKES HER CAMPUS DEBUT

The University of Leth-bridge’s newest student is just 16 weeks old and yet she’s quickly adapting to a full course load and on pace to graduate in only 10 months.

Meet Myrtle, a guide dog in training that has been accom-panying third-year psychology student Lauren Hamilton to her classes for the better part of the last month.

Hamilton, originally from Calgary, does not need Myrtle, rather she is part of the Alberta Guide Dog Services training program, working with Myrtle for the next 10 months before she is sent off to Vancouver for a final five-month training period.

It’s a first for the University

to host a guide dog, even one in training, and Hamilton cleared the process through Risk & Safety Services (RSS) before she was brought on campus.

“From our perspective, the University learns from this be-cause we never know when we’ll have a student or somebody with a disability who needs to have a guide dog on campus,” says Anne Baxter, director of RSS. “It’s a wonderful experience for us to have her here and to see one of our students undertake such an amazing community initiative.”

It won’t be hard to spot Myrtle on campus, after all she is the only dog allowed and she’ll be sporting her blue guide dog vest, indicating she’s on the job. What that means is she’s off limit for interacting with anyone other than Hamilton, she shouldn’t be petted, coaxed or fed.

As for Hamilton, she too must follow certain protocols in order to bring Myrtle with

her to campus. These include keeping Myrtle on a leash at all times, not taking her into any exams, removing her from class or away from other students if she becomes disruptive and steer-ing clear of the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience because it is a live animal facility.

So far, the experiment has gone well.

“People are really supportive of it. It can be a bit of a distrac-tion I know, because she’ll sit

there chewing on her toy or not always settle right away but people have been very coopera-tive with her and I’m really happy about that,” says Hamilton, who needed permission from all her professors before bringing Myrtle to class.

“Most people do understand that they can’t play with her, pet her, feed her, all the things you’d love to do with a puppy because she is working.”

Myrtle is originally from

California and has been specially bred to be a service dog. Like most international students, she doesn’t particularly like the snow but is adapting.

“She settles down well, the only thing is when she first meets people she gets excited,” says Hamilton. “When she’s working, just her and I, she’s been great. She’s learning her commands well.”

How Hamilton will send her away after 10 months is hard to fathom.

“It’ll be really difficult but at the same time you know going into it, that’s what’s going to hap-pen, so you prepare yourself the whole time,” she says. “The best part of the experience is it will be so rewarding.”

So, if you see Myrtle, resist the urge to fawn over her and let her do her job, after all, we want every one of our students to graduate.

DEBATING THE FLU SHOTBY LORI WEBER

People often ask me if they should get a flu shot, and as a nurse of 30 years, they are some-times surprised when I say, “I don’t know.”

There are pros and cons to getting a flu shot and each per-son needs to look at their own health situation.

Let’s look at some back-ground about flu shots.

Influenza – or the flu – is a viral infection of the nose, throat and lungs. According to the World Health Organiza-tion, there are three types of seasonal influenza (A, B and C) and numerous sub-types.

Health Canada estimates that 10 to 25 per cent of Canadians get the seasonal flu each year and between 4,000 and 8,000 will die from it.

The flu is spread by an infected person through the air (talking, coughing and sneez-ing), as well as through contact with infected surfaces. The flu virus can stay active on a surface for up to 48 hours. A person can contract the flu from breathing in infected droplets, or touch-ing an infected surface and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

The WHO uses data from its Global Influenza Surveillance Network to predict what the three most prevalent strains of seasonal flu are circulating and recommends a vaccine com-position that targets those. In

Lethbridge, our flu season tends to be highest in December and January.

So what are the negatives to getting a flu shot?

1) The Centre for Disease Control sometimes selects viruses for their vaccine that do not become the biggest problem for our community.

2) A sore arm after the injection and the very small pos-sibility of bigger problems.

3) If you are typically well and do not get the flu, why bother with the shot?

4) A person may not like an injection. Did you know that Alberta now has a nasal mist/spray that can be used instead of an injection?

What are the positives to getting a flu shot?

1) If you have a chronic ill-ness, then you can protect your own health.

2) If a loved one has a fragile health situation, you may want a flu shot to protect that person. While a young, healthy person might be able to get over the flu in a week, that person might pass on the virus to an elderly person or someone with a weak immune system who could have serious complications.

3) If you want to avoid a 10-14 day flu in the middle of your Christmas break or early part of the Spring Semester, a flu shot might be helpful. Going home for Christmas and getting ill is not fun.

4) You may be in a high risk occupation (health-care workers,

teachers, etc.) where you do not know who is ill and what they can give you in terms of the flu, and what effect your illness may have on them. Some employers require proof of vaccination each year.

So, in the end, I don’t know what the answer is for you. I ask people to put some thought into their situation and make a decision based on their personal health situation and the commu-nity around them.

If you are interested, the next flu shot clinic is Wednes-day, Dec. 12 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Exhibition Park (Heritage Hall). This is a drop-in clinic with no set appointments.

Lori Weber is the manager of the University of Lethbridge Health Centre

Quitting smoking proves to be life changing

Guide-dog-in-training Myrtle, with her handler Lauren Hamilton.

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Pronghorn AthleticsJan. 4-5 | Canada West Wom-en’s Hockey | University of Regina vs. Pronghorns | 7 p.m., Nicholas Sheran Arena

PerformancesDec. 4 | Music at Noon: Studio Showcase | 12:15 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)

Dec. 5 | Feel the BeatSchool choirs from around southern Alberta perform with the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra7 p.m., Southminster United Church

Dec. 7 | Winter WonderThe U of L Singers and U of L

Women’s Chorus entertain with songs of the season.8 p.m., University Recital Hall (W570)

Dec. 10 | Handel’s Messiah and More | Vox Musica entertains with guest soloists and the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra.8 p.m., Southminster United Church

Dec. 13 | Winter Gala | The U of L Singers accompanied by musical guest U of L Jazz Ensemble7 p.m., 2104 – 6th Ave. S.

LecturesDec. 5 | Art Now Speaker: Lyla RyeNoon, University Recital Hall (W570)

MiscellaneousDec. 5 | Rebound Health Centre Open House | Check out the new Sports Medicine Clinic in the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness | 3 to 6 p.m., PE100

Dec. 5 | New Media Film Series: SomewhereNew Media Film Series focuses on new possibilities and creative cur-rents in 21st century filmmaking.7 p.m., Lethbridge Public Library

Dec. 8 | Robotics DayHosted by the Department of Math-ematics & Computer Science, this is your opportunity to explore the field of computer science11 a.m. to 3 p.m., PE264

events C A L E N D A R

EMBRACING THE SOCIAL WORLDBY LIZHU WU

The use of social network-ing continues to increase for both personal and business purposes. For universities, the effective use of social media has become an essential communi-cations tool.

The 18- to 24-year-old student demographic is all over the social web, and its younger counterpart (the high school crowd) is equally immersed. Additionally, alumni and po-tential donors are just a Tweet or “like” away. But as much as there are many new opportuni-ties for universities to connect with stakeholders there are just as many opportunities to get into trouble with social media.

How are schools successful-ly using social networking tools?

A recent study showed that 100 per cent of colleges and uni-versities polled are using some form of social media. However, the same study found varying degrees of social media effec-tiveness, suggesting that there is

room for improvement in how schools use this medium.

Some of the most popular ways universities interact with students on the web include: highlighting the universities’ experts, as well as the resources they make available to the public by tweeting and posting news and events to Facebook; showcasing student and faculty work, such as featuring photos taken by students; providing a platform to broadcast events where students can participate through live streaming video or by collecting tweets; spreading news during an emergency by complementing students’ e-mail and text alerts; collecting com-ments and inspiring conversa-tions about the institution.

Successful blogging and online community building requires two-way interaction.

A great example at the U of L comes from the IT Solutions Centre, which is now using social media as one of the communications channels to engage our students.

What are the potential risks?

Social networking can also be a doorway for cyber-crime or other malicious activity. People enjoy talking to friends and sharing experiences but they often do not realize that everything they reveal to their personal network of friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances, is also acces-sible by those who could use the same information to commit a variety of crimes. Although less criminal in nature, some of that same information could also be used to damage the reputation

of the school, or a member of its community.

How can we support a safe social networking environ-ment?

The University of Lethbridge embraces and encourages a social networking environment. In the University of Lethbridge Social Media Guidelines, we recognize social networking’s role in sharing knowledge, expressing creativ-ity and connecting with others. The guidelines also provide information to instruct mem-bers of the University commu-nity on how to use social media effectively, protect their per-sonal and professional reputa-tion, and adhere to University policies and procedures. The guidelines focus on the follow-ing tenets:

• Be respectful and thoughtful • Post accurate, concise and

useful information• Protect your identity and

maintain confidentiality• State your role when acting

on behalf of the University of Lethbridge

• Be consistent with the University of Lethbridge’s Policies and Guidelines

Unfortunately, we can’t opt out of the risks while we enjoy the simplicity and reach achieved through social net-working. But with a little pru-dence we can make our social media presence a constructive part of our community.

Lizhu Wu is a student at the University of Lethbridge, and is completing her second work term in the Internal Audit department

BY ABBY GROENENBOOM

The University of Lethbridge Students’ Union has a number of services that assist in allowing students to focus on their studies.

Understanding the finan-cial constraints involved in obtaining a post-secondary education, and the difficulty in making ends meet, the ULSU is helping students alleviate the pressure of food insecurity by offering the ULSU Food Bank.

“The Students’ Union Food Bank is one of the most widely used resources we offer on campus,” says Shuna Talbot, ULSU vice-president internal. “Unfortunately, going to school is expensive and that leaves a lot of students with less money to cover costs for food, rent and other necessities.”

All current students, fac-ulty and staff of the University of Lethbridge are eligible to access the food bank. The food bank has a wide range of users and everyone has a different story; whether it is a delay with a student loan, an emergency situation, unexpected expenses or other budgeting issues, the ULSU Food Bank is there to help.

The ULSU Food Bank is a not-for-profit service, but it is also a limited resource depen-dent on donations. The food bank can be accessed twice a month to a maximum of 10 visits in an academic career. Every October, the Students’

Union hosts the Feed or Fam-ine Food Drive, which pits stu-dent clubs against each other in a challenge to collect food bank donations. It’s a friendly competition where clubs select an area of Lethbridge and go door to door to collect food bank donations. The clubs visit homes in Lethbridge and leave a notice that they will come back on a designated day and collect non-perishable food items.

This year, over the course of seven days at the end of Octo-ber (Oct. 29 through Nov. 4), the Feed or Famine Food Drive crowned the Trolls Rugby Club as the winner of the challenge after they collected the most non-perishable food items.

The Trolls were awarded $300 for their win, followed by the Pre-Med club ($200) and the Geography club ($100). A total of 2,476 non-perishable food items were collected and club participation was up from the previous year.

“We are in constant need of donations, due to the increasing amount of students who access the food bank every year,” says Talbot. “We continually have to replenish the food supply due to the high demand.”

The Students’ Union is always accepting donations for the food bank. For more information on how to donate, e-mail food.bank@uleth.ca or visit www.ulsu.ca.

RSS CHANGE LOOKS POSITIVEBY ANNE BAXTER

They say with change there is growth, and with growth there is opportunity.

The recent amalgamation of Risk and Safety Services (RSS) with Security Services elicits some exciting changes as RSS grows its portfolio.

You may have seen a new face within our area and we are very pleased to welcome Lorna Selinger who is assuming the position of Biosafety Officer. Selinger graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture. She started her career with Eli Lilly and has held positions with the University of Saskatchewan, the province of Saskatchewan, Agrium and most recently with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Selinger brings to the Uni-versity a wealth of knowledge and significant experience in microbiology. She was highly involved in the design, imple-mentation and training plans for compliance with contain-

ment Level 2/2+standards outlined in Containment, Bio-safety and Biosecurity Guide-lines as required by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

As the University’s aca-demic and research programs have expanded, the need to grow the biosafety program became evident. Selinger will be taking over the portfolio from Bruce McMullen, who diligently managed biosafety for the University since the early 1990s.

We are also delighted to announce that Carolin Cattoi-Demkiw, who has successfully managed the radiation safety, chemical safety and labora-tory safety program for the University of Lethbridge since 2005, has been appointed Manager, Safety. Reporting to the director of Risk and Safety Services, Carolin is responsible for the supervision of the safety officers. She also assumes the management and oversight of the University’s safety program, which includes occupational health & safety, radiation, laser, chemical and laboratory safety as well as biosafety.

Anne Baxter is the director of Risk and Safety Services

STUDENTS’ UNION FOOD BANK ALWAYS IN NEED OF SUPPORT

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 | U N I V E R S I T Y O F L E T H B R I D G E the Legend

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Three months of hands-on experience in the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts Scene Shop for Muhammad Azri B. Ali (also known as Ajie) has not only left a lasting and meaningful impression on this Malaysian exchange student’s life, but has also positively affected the staff, students and administration at the University of Lethbridge.

For the first time in his life, Ajie travelled overseas, arriving in Lethbridge on Aug. 23, 2012 to experience a new language, new culture and to learn new techniques and skills in theatre

and dramatic arts. Led by U of L Professor Emeritus, Dr. Ches Skinner, this unique program between the University Technology of Mara in Malaysia and the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts has pro-vided valuable experience to four Malaysian theatre students over the past two years.

“I’ve always wanted to travel around the world, and my pro-fessor, Dr. Skinner, approached me to apply for this exchange program to learn and work at the University of Lethbridge for the semester,” explains Ajie.

With no more than a

handful of English words in his vocabulary, Ajie settled into his new home at the U of L, work-ing in the Scene Shop on the set of The Rocky Horror Show, the first Mainstage production of the 2012-2013 Theatre and Dramatic Arts Season.

In addition to becoming almost fluent in English over the course of three months, Ajie’s experience further enhances his education with the numerous skills he learned on campus.

“I’ve learned many things,” says Ajie. “I’ve come to appreci-ate how organized people and

systems can be. Reading scale drawings and building set pieces exactly as they are drawn has been very interesting for me to learn. I understand how careful I have to be.”

Ajie didn’t spend all his time in the Scene Shop. He also joined the Global Drums percussion ensemble and had the chance to lead a dramatic movement class, teaching students a traditional Malaysian dance.

“I have liked the relation-ships I’ve made with the profes-sors and the staff,” says Ajie. “I intend to work hard so that I can return to Canada to work on a

master’s program sometime in the near future.”

Set to graduate with a degree in theatre directing from the University Technology of Mara in June 2013, Ajie says he is better prepared to fulfill the final requirements of his degree, which include directing a play for his final project.

“I can’t wait to share my experiences with my friends and colleagues back home, and I also can’t wait to return to Canada,” he says confidently.

GIFT IDEAS ABOUND

Gift-wrap the performing arts and put them under the tree for someone you love this holi-day season! Tickets to Fine Arts events make a fantastic holiday gift for the theatre or concert-goer on your list.

The University Box Office closes for Christmas on Dec. 14 and reopens on Jan. 7. Tickets are also available online at uleth.ca/tickets.

Here’s a look at some of the upcoming performances.

TheatreXtra (Tickets: $11 regular, $7 student/senior)

The Love List by Norm Foster

January 24-26, 2013 (8 p.m. nightly, 2 p.m. matinee on Jan. 26, David Spinks Theatre)

What would happen if you got the chance to order your dream date?

In this hilarious comedy we are introduced to the characters of Bill and Leon who compile the love list – the top 10 qualities

they want in a woman. However chaos ensues as this “perfect woman” comes knocking on the door and the gentlemen learn to be careful what you wish for.

Drama Mainstage (Tickets: $15 adults, $10 student/senior)

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (Adapted by David S. Craig)

Feb. 12-16, 2013 (7 p.m. nightly, University Theatre)

A boy must save the world of Fantastica using the power of his imagination. This play is for anyone who has ever read a book that was so good they did not want it to end.

Estuary by Ron ChambersMar. 19-23, 2013 (8 p.m.

nightly, University Theatre)As a young man’s dreams

begin to infiltrate his waking life, he’s forced to determine what’s real and what isn’t. This comedy asks whether, in snub-bing our dream life, we are ignoring a significant and real aspect of our humanity.

Faculty Artist and Friends Series (Tickets: $20 adults, $15 student/senior)

Celebrate PoulencJan. 25, 2013 (8 p.m.,

University Recital Hall)In honour of the 50th an-

niversary of the death of Francis Poulenc, a leading figure in the Parisian musical life of the early 20th century.

Quasar Saxophone Quartet

March 9, 2013 (8 p.m., University Recital Hall)

The confluence of acoustic and electronic music, Montreal’s Quasar explores aspects of artis-tic creation from instrumental to live electronics, from improvisa-tion to instrumental theatre.

For a complete listing of events, pick up a copy of the Faculty of Fine Arts’ Season at a Glance, or go to www.uleth.ca/finearts for more information on all these fantastic shows, gallery exhibits and concerts.

SINGERS AND WOMEN’S CHORUS BRING WARMTH TO HOLIDAY SEASON

Although the weather outside may be chilly, the warm sounds of the season echo throughout the halls as the Uni-versity of Lethbridge Singers and U of L Women’s Chorus present a whimsical and captivating pro-gram of choral music to welcome the wonders of winter.

Featuring music that inspires peace and joy, these two talented choirs take to the stage

Friday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. in the University Recital Hall.

U of L Singers director, Dr. Janet Youngdahl, says the singers have been hard at work preparing Missa Brevis by Canadian composer Ruth Wat-son-Henderson for the evening’s performance.

“This is Watson-Hender-son’s first major choral work, and it is an exciting and beauti-ful version of this standard text,” she says.

Other offerings include a set of Christmas pieces from the Italian Renaissance paired with the lovely Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen.

The U of L Women’s Chorus contributes a selection of choral works that director Dr. Sandra Stringer says convey both the spirit of the holiday season and

captures the beauty of nature in wintertime.

“The pieces the women’s chorus are performing focus on themes of peace, hope, love and joy that have some truly beauti-ful texts by such poets as Emily Dickinson, Sara Teasdale and Shaun McLaughlin,” she says.

Make the season brighter with tickets for this magical evening of choral music.

Tickets are available at the U of L Box Office (Monday through Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.) or by calling 403-329-2616. Tickets ($15 regular and $10 student/senior) are also available online at uleth.ca/tickets.

Malaysian exchange a benefit to all involved

L A S T I N Gimages

Alex Colville was born in

Toronto in 1920, and received

a bachelor of fine arts degree

from Mount Allison University

in 1942.Colville enlisted in the Canadian

Armed Forces under the War Artist Program and was deployed to Europe for four years. During this time he became one of Canada’s most promi-nent war artists, and painted troops landing at Juno Beach on D-Day.

After the war, Colville returned to Mount Allison as an instructor in fine arts until 1963, when he left teaching to devote himself to his painting and printmaking practice full time.

Colville’s paintings and prints have been extensively exhibited and collected across Canada and inter-nationally. His work has appeared on

the Canadian centennial commemora-tive coin set and as part of Canada Post’s Masterpieces of Canadian Art series of stamps. He works and lives in Wolfville, N.S.

Colville’s photo-realist works have been linked to the American Precisionists of the 1930s. His process begins with extensive series of sketches, which he utilizes to craft exacting and precise compositions. The paintings and prints are created through the layering of many points of colour, resulting in complex render-ings of space and light reminiscent of European Impressionism. Colville’s subject matter is generally the human or animal form in mundane settings, with great attention paid to moments of stasis or fragmented movement.

(BELOW) Alex Colville, Snow Plough, 1967. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Canaccord Capital Corporation, 1995.

(BOTTOM LEFT) Alex Colville, September (from Book of Hours, Labours of the Month), 1978. From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Gift of Hon. John Roberts, 1993.