October 2006
Oct. 2, 2006
TRU to host political expert for free talk
KAMLOOPS- Thompson Rivers University welcomes the public to the latest talk in the TRU President’s Lecture Series, designed to allow campus and community the opportunity to hear world-class speakers and thinkers.
Political and economic insider David Frum, a Canadian acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal in 1996 as one of the leading political commentators of his generation, will speak on “Understanding the Middle East” on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 pm in TRU’s Grand Hall.
Now one of the leading political intellectuals in America, Frum has a profound influence in politics, and his opinions and advice are widely respected.
Since the publication of his first book, Dead Right (1994), described by William F. Buckley as the most refreshing ideological experience in a generation, and Frank Rich of the New York Times as the smartest book written from the inside about the American conservative movement, Frum has written or co-written four other books, including two New York Times bestsellers: The Right Man: The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush (2003), and co-author with Richard Perle of An End To Evil: Whats Next in the War on Terror (2004).
He writes a daily column for the National Review Online. He contributes frequently to the editorial pages of the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as to Great Britain's Daily Telegraph and Canada's National Post. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox News, and the BBC.
He has also served as special assistant to President Bush for economic speechwriting.
David Frum captivates audiences with his observations of political leadership, his commentary on events of the day and his opinions on Canada-US relations.
Admission is free, but seating is limited.
The TRU President’s Lecture Series aims to sponsor one or two speakers per academic year on topics of global importance. Since the series was established three years ago, the university has hosted such international figures as Stephen Lewis, Romeo Dallaire, Lloyd Axworthy, and Severn Cullis-Suzuki.
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For more information, please contact Maryanne Bower at 250-828-5318.
Photo available on
request.
Oct. 3, 2006
TRU a community focus this OctoberKAMLOOPS-Town and gown meet at the Thompson Rivers University campus next week in a variety of public events.
Thursday, Oct. 12, the university invites the community to a free public lecture by political and economic insider David Frum, a Canadian acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal in 1996 as one of the leading political commentators of his generation. Frum, one of the leading political intellectuals in America with a profound influence in politics, and his opinions and advice are widely respected, will speak on “Understanding the Middle East” on Thursday, October 12th at 7 pm in TRU’s Grand Hall as part of the President’s Lecture Series.
Friday, Oct. 13 features the TRU Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet, the McDonald’s Desert Classic Men’s Basketball Tournament, and an art opening.
The TRU Alumni Association hands out its Distinguished Alumni Awards at a banquet beginning at 6 pm in TRU’s Culinary Arts Building. The public is invited to attend this banquet. Tickets are $50/person, available by calling 250-371-5711.
Honourees for 2006 include: Deanna Howell (Award for Service to the Community), who has contributed greatly to her community, particularly in the areas of the development, education and well-being of children; Alan Corbishley (Award in Arts & Culture), an accomplished baritone whose vocal ability, exciting stage presence and innovations in the performing arts have brought him international success; Shelly Johnson (Grace Chronister Award), who has made a significant contribution to the profession of social work through her employment and her involvement in community service; Sue Carpenter (Award for Professional Achievement), an exemplary nurse whose innovations and initiatives have been instrumental in bettering health care and nursing education in a significant way and; Don Avison (Award for Public Service), a creative and innovative leader whose record of excellence in public administration, program implementation and strategic planning is highly respected.
Also on Friday, the TRU Art Gallery will open a Trilateral Print Exchange Exhibition, “Re-identification: Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands” in conjunction with the Japan Studies Association of Canada annual conference to be hosted by TRU from Oct. 12 to 15.
The McDonald’s Desert Classic will see the TRU WolfPack men’s basketball team host the University of Great Falls, the University College of the Fraser Valley and Simon Fraser University in exhibition action with games at 5:30 and 7:15 pm Friday and Saturday.
Three events Saturday make for a full day on campus: the Desert Classic continues, the Japan Studies Association Banquet features guest speaker Ambassador Joseph Caron, and the public is invited to an open house.
Starting at 12:30, curious minds of all ages are invited to experience and explore the wonders of science and technology at the TRU Science, Nursing, Trades & Technology Open House. For four hours, TRU faculty and students welcome the public for an afternoon of hands-on activities, live demonstrations, interactive displays with faculty and students, the renowned Wonder of Chemistry show (1pm) beetle races (3 pm), fish pond, live lung display, sumo wrestling robots, nail driving contest and more.
That evening, the public is invited to a banquet featuring a keynote address by His Excellency Joseph Caron, Canada's Ambassador to Japan entitled, "The new Japanese government: New directions and implications for Canada,” as part of the Japan Studies conference. Over 100 presenters, including more than 30 from Japan, and others from Malaysia, the United States, the U.K. and Finland, will give talks on a variety of topics such as trade, education, language, business, foreign affairs, minorities in Japan, and history at the multidisciplinary conference, which is Canada's largest conference related to Japan.
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For more information:
David Frum:
Please contact Maryanne Bower at 250-828-5318.
Photo available by
request.
Japan Studies conference and Ambassador Caron:
Please contact Thomas Waldichuk at 250-371-5718 or
by email. Or see the conference
web page. TRU Science, Nursing, Trades & Technology Open House:
Please contact Linda Underwood at 371-5747, or by
email. Or see check out the
web. McDonald’s Desert Classic:
Please contact Nevin Gleddie at 828-5272.
Oct.3, 2006
Canadian Ambassador to Japan speaking at TRU conferenceKAMLOOPS-A talk entitled "The new Japanese government : New directions and implications for Canada" by Joseph Caron, Canada's Ambassador to Japan, will be a feature of the Japan Studies Association of Canada 2006 Annual Conference, to be held at Thompson Rivers University Oct. 12 to 15.
One of Canada's most senior diplomats, Ambassador Caron will be giving a talk titled "The new Japanese government: New directions and implications for Canada" at the evening banquet on Saturday, October 14th.
Well-placed to discuss both Japan and the region, Ambassador Caron joined the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in 1972, and was assigned to Saigon and Ankara. In 1975, he began Japanese language studies, and subsequently was posted three times to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, including as Minister and Head of Chancery. During the 1980s he undertook private-sector assignments involving China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan.
In Ottawa, he has held several positions related to Asian and international economic affairs, including G7 Summitry. He became Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia Pacific and Africa in 1998. Concurrently, Mr. Caron served as Canada's Senior Official for APEC. From 2001 to 2005, he was Canada's Ambassador to China, Mongolia and to North Korea. He was appointed Canadian Ambassador to Japan in 2005.
Ambassador Caron will speak at the conference banquet, to be held at 7 pm on Saturday, Oct. 14. The public is welcome to attend. Tickets are $50 in advance only. Please contact 828-5035.
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For more information, please contact Tom Waldichuk at 250-371-5718 or by
e-mail.
Oct. 11, 2006
Kamloops alumni to be honoured at TRU KAMLOOPS-Three distinguished alumni from Kamloops will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards this Friday at a banquet beginning at 6 pm in TRU’s Culinary Arts Building.
Honourees for 2006 from Kamloops include:
Alan Corbishley (Award in Arts & Culture), an accomplished baritone who received a Bachelor of Arts degree from TRU in 1994. Corbishley’s vocal ability, exciting stage presence and innovations in the performing arts have brought him international success;
Sue Carpenter (Award for Professional Achievement), an exemplary nurse who received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from TRU in 2001. Carpenter’s innovations and initiatives have been instrumental in bettering health care and nursing education in a significant way and;
Don Avison (Award for Public Service), who completed two years of university transfer studies at TRU in 1977. Avison is a creative and innovative leader whose record of excellence in public administration, program implementation and strategic planning is highly respected.
Also receiving awards at the banquet will be Deanna Howell (Award for Service to the Community), who has contributed greatly to her community, particularly in the areas of the development, education and well-being of children and Shelly Johnson (Grace Chronister Award), who has made a significant contribution to the profession of social work through her employment and her involvement in community service.
Friends, family and associates of the winners are invited to attend this banquet. Tickets are $50/person, available by calling 250-371-5711.
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For more information, please contact Nancy Plett, Executive Director, TRU Alumni Association, at 250-828-5267
NOTE: Full citations for Corbishley, Carpenter and Avison are appended below:
Alan Corbishley—Thompson Rivers University Distinguished Alumni Award in Arts & CultureAlan Corbishley is an accomplished baritone whose vocal ability, exciting stage presence and innovations in the performing arts have brought him international success.
Alan Corbishley was born in Sault Ste. Marie in 1973 and then moved with his family a year after his birth to Thunder Bay, where they remained until 1999, when the family moved to Kamloops in his final year of high school.
After graduating from Kamloops Senior Secondary in 1991, he attended Thompson Rivers University from 1991 to 1994, where he completed three years of a Bachelor of Arts program with a concentration in theatre arts. While at TRU, he portrayed the lead character in the university’s Actors Workshop production of Up the Ivory Tower. He then went on to study at the University of British Columbia in 1994, where he completed a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in opera in 1998.
While at UBC, Alan Corbishley made his European stage debut in 1997 as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, performed with the UBC Opera Ensemble at the Silesian State Theatre in the Czech Republic, a role he later reprised in Marseilles, France, in 2003 and in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2005.
He was granted a fellowship in 1999 by the Boston Symphony to study for two summers at its prestigious Tanglewood Music Centre, during which time he also pursued a Master of Music degree in voice and opera at the New England Conservatory in Boston, completed in 2000 with a mark of distinction.
While at Tanglewood in 1999, Alan Corbishley performed in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with Robert Spano conducting and then returned in 2001 to singe the role of Ramiro in Ravel’s opera, L’heure Espagnole, led by world-famous conductor Seiji Ozawa. Through his success at Tanglewood, Alan Corbishley made his debut with the Boston Symphony in its regular season as Horns Wild Thing in the opera version of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are.
While at the New England Conservatory, he performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Rape of Lucretia both by Britten . Following graduation, he performed with the Connecticut Grand Opera in Kurt Weil’s Three Penny Opera before attending the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara California. It was world famous mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne who personally invited Alan to study at the academy for the summers of 2000 and 2002. There, he performed the roles of Harlekin in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, and the role of Sid in Britten’s comic opera Albert Herring.
While at the new England Conservatory, he performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Rape of Lucretia. Following graduation, he performed with the Connecticut Grand Opera in Kurt Weil’s Three Penny Opera before studying at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, which he attended at the personal invitation of world-famous mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. There, he performed the roles of Harlekin in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos and the role of Sid in Britten’s comic opera Albert Herring.
In 2001, Alan Corbishley returned to Canada to perform in the world premiere of Turtle Wakes with the Calgary Opera and in 2002 was one of 12 other young singers from around the world to be invited to study voice and opera for one year as part of the Young Artist Program at the Centre National Insertion Professionnelle Artistes Lyriques (CNIPAL) Marseilles, France. While there, he returned to Canada to sing Schaunard in Puccini’s La Boheme with the Vancouver Opera.
From 2003 to the present, Alan Corbishley has performed on the stage in many countries and has lived in France, Germany and England. He made his London debut in 2004 as Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with Opera Holland Park, and within the last year he has performed roles and concerts in Belfast, Bristol, Exeter and Bath, and has performed several roles with the Besançon Opéra Théâtre in France. He also mounted a self-produced concert creation in 2006 in which he fused classical chamber music with multi-media and theatrical staging to overwhelming success. In the same year, he performed in Vancouver, Canada, in the role of Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Alan Corbishley plans to focus on producing and stage directing, while continuing his performance appearances. He said of his alma mater, Thompson Rivers University, that “It is exciting to see it blossom into a fully-accredited university in such a short span of time and proves what excellent planning and true vision can amount to.” His words can easily be applied to the singing career of this engaging and talented young artist.
It gives the Thompson Rivers University Alumni Association great pleasure to bestow a Distinguished Alumni Award in Arts and Culture upon Alan Corbishley.
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Sue Carpenter—Thompson Rivers University Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional AchievementSue Carpenter is an exemplary nurse whose innovations and initiatives have been instrumental in bettering health care and nursing education in a significant way.
Sue Carpenter was born in Kamloops and attended high school in Clearwater, graduating from Clearwater Secondary School in 1973. She enrolled as a member of the first nursing diploma class at Thompson Rivers University (then Cariboo College) in 1973, graduating as a Registered Nurse (RN) in 1975. Upon graduation, she worked as a Registered Nurse at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake and at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.
Upon completion of a post-graduate critical care course in 1978, she worked as a critical-care RN until 1989, when she was appointed Head Nurse in Royal Inland Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, a position she held until 1996. During this period, Sue Carpenter completed programs in nursing unit administration and management/leadership training through the hospital and the university.
In 1996, Sue Carpenter was promoted to the position of Director of Critical Care, a position she held until 2002, during which time she also embarked on studies to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Thompson Rivers University, which she completed in 2001.
In 2002, Sue Carpenter assumed the role of Leader of Recruitment and retention for the Interior Health Authority, the next year accepting the position of Corporate Director of Emergency Services with that organization, in which capacity she is still employed.
She enrolled in the first cohort of the TRU-hosted University of British Columbia Master of Science in Nursing degree program in 2003, and that year was also awarded the Registered Nurses Association of BC Recognition Award for Valuable Contribution to the Nursing Profession. She has also been recognized with service awards from Thompson Rivers University, Royal Inland Hospital, and the Interior Health Authority. She completed her master degree in 2005.
Throughout her busy career, Sue Carpenter has also been involved in the education of others as a Nurse Manager and as the health authority’s Leader of Recruitment and Retention, when she was responsible for the educational strategy for all of nursing in the Interior Health Authority. She found time to further nursing education as a mentor to many practicing nurses and has been a frequent guest lecturer for TRU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. She has had an influence on many nursing students through her encouragement, advice and commitment to creating a workplace that welcomes learners.
Sue Carpenter’s system-wide accomplishments and innovations have been acknowledged on the provincial level, with many other provincial health authorities drawing upon her work for inspiration and potential solutions to their own challenges. She has also provided leadership that has elevated rural practice in rural areas to the provincial agenda.
True to the spirit of nursing, Sue Carpenter combines her professionalism in education, clinical practice and leadership with compassion and caring. She continues to be a passionate advocate for patients and staff and is highly respected by all in the hospital setting as an inclusive, fair-minded, value-driven and patient-focused health-care leader.
It gives the Thompson Rivers University Alumni Association great pleasure to bestow a Distinguished Service Award for Professional Achievement upon Sue Carpenter.
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Don Avison—Thompson Rivers University Distinguished Alumni Award for Public ServiceDon Avison is a creative and innovative leader whose record of excellence in public administration, program implementation and strategic planning is highly respected.
Don Avison was born in Jasper, Alberta in 1954. He moved with his family to Kamloops in 1957, and graduated from Kamloops Secondary School in 1972. That fall, he enrolled at Thompson Rivers University (then Cariboo College) where he was a member of the student council. After completing two years of undergraduate study, he went on to Simon Fraser University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977. He then earned a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of British Columbia.
After articling for a year, in 1980 Don Avison was employed at a private law firm for a year before taking the position of Crown Counsel at the Yukon Regional Office of the federal Department of Justice, where he remained until 1985. In 1986, he was appointed Counsel for the Appellate and Advisory Unit of the Criminal Law Branch of the Department of Justice in Ottawa. While there, he was mainly involved in Charter-based Supreme Court of Canada litigation, major extradition cases, and was the Canadian Attorney-General’s representative regarding the constitutional challenge of the mandatory minimum sentences for first- and second-degree murder.
In 1989, he returned to the north when the Department of Justice appointed him Regional Director and Chief Crown Counsel at its Northwest Territories Regional Office. He left this position in 1992 to assume the office of the Director General of the Aboriginal Justice Initiative under the Canadian Department of Justice, where he remained until 1994, distinguishing himself in a number of ways. He implemented the Aboriginal Justice Pilot Project and Research Initiatives, led the policy development process for the administration of the justice aspects of the Inherent Right, and successfully advocated for amendments to the Criminal Code which require sentencing judges to specifically address the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.
From 1994 to 1999, Don Avison held five Deputy Minister positions, in the Northwest Territories Department of Justice and Office of the Premier, and then with the British Columbia government, in the Ministry of Education, Skills and Training, the Crown Corporations Secretariat, and the Ministry of Health.
During this period, Don Avison was closely involved in a number of key initiatives, among them the implementation of the Nunavut Agreement and the establishment of Canada’s first fully unified superior court in Nunavut. He was also Chief Negotiator for the Government of the Northwest Territories in the development of all socio-economic, environmental and impact-benefit agreements associated with the approval of the Broken Hills Properties NWT Diamonds project. In British Columbia, Don Avison was responsible for education policy and funding, and long-term planning for provincial health care.
In November, 1999, Don Avison assumed the presidency of the University Presidents’ Council of British Columbia, a position he holds today. In this capacity, he has been the key spokesperson for the province’s university sector, and also led the development and implementation of a proactive government relations and advocacy program. He was also called upon during this period to act as Chief Negotiator for the First Nations Education Jurisdiction Agreement, signed in July, 2006.
Don Avison has contributed greatly to social justice and education throughout his professional career. It gives the Thompson Rivers Alumni Association great pleasure to bestow a Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service upon Mr. Don Avison.
Oct. 12, 2006
TRU Canadian Studies hosts Secwepemc storyteller KAMLOOPS-Thompson Rivers University’s Centre for the Study of Canada will host Peter Michel, Secwepemc educator and storyteller, for a free public presentation Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 8:45-10:00 am in Room 262 of the Arts and Education Building. Mr. Michel will tell traditional stories and discuss their historical importance to Secwepemc culture.
From Adams Lake Band, Peter Michel completed his Bachelor of Education degree at UBC, along with a fifth-year counselling option through UBC. Michel has been working with youth for over 25 years as a teacher, coach, community leader, counsellor, and friend. His commitment to the preservation of the culture of his people is evident in the history of his involvement in traditional ceremonies, powwows, drumming, sweat lodges, storytelling, healing circles, and traditional stick games, to name but a few of his many interests.
“I’m delighted to invite the TRU community and the general public to the talk Mr. Michel is giving to my Aboriginal drama students, not only because of the breadth of experience he brings to bear on the subject but also because Peter was my student in the early 1980s in the Native Indian Teacher Education Program offered locally by the University of British Columbia,” said TRU Canadian Studies faculty member Ginny Ratsoy.
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For more information, please contact Ginny Ratsoy at 828-5238.
Oct. 12, 2006
TRU fundraiser features Olympian tastesKAMLOOPS-Diners with discerning palates and a taste for helping out can take advantage of a prestigious event to be held at the university on the evening of Monday, Oct.23.
“One of our recent graduates, Brody White, has been chosen to participate in a world-class culinary competition called the Bocuse D'Or, hosted every two years in France,” explained Kimberley Johnstone, chair of TRU Culinary Arts.
“Team Canada, representing one of the 22 participating countries, will be made up of Vancouver chef Scott Jaeger and our own Brody White. The team will be practicing their presentation platters here and have agreed to open the kitchens for all to experience,” she added.
In conjunction with this practice session, TRU Culinary Arts will offer a five-course gala fundraising dinner featuring the flavours and dishes the world will taste in Lyon in January 2007.
“There are a limited number of tickets for this very rare opportunity to see the team practice outside of Vancouver,” said Johnstone. “It’s a great opportunity for local residents to experience a world-class event.”
Tickets for the dinner are $80 per person with a $60 income tax receipt issued. Cocktails are at 6 pm with dinner beginning at 6:30 pm. Please contact Kimberly Johnstone at 828-5356 or
by email.
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For more information, please contact Kimberly Johnstone at 250-828-5356 or
by email.
Oct. 12, 2006
TRU Foundation kicks off campaign with highest total ever
KAMLOOPS-At its annual kick-off breakfast this morning, the TRU Foundation raised $71,065, with 70 per cent of the total coming from a single donor.
Ken Lepin earmarked his $50,000 endowment for TRU trades apprenticeship programs, and in addition to his endowment, the local developer made a planned giving bequest that will add to this endowment for further support to trades students in perpetuity.
Lepin’s history as a local developer working with trades people inspired him to elevate the opportunity trades trained students could have, and with this award, aims to support excellent students in the trades. His award will go to students in five entry-level trades who demonstrate excellence in many trades areas, including such criteria as craftsmanship, project design and academic achievement. He hopes that by providing a $1000 prize for a top student annually, his fund will make an impact on students and inspire them to achieve their greatest potential in a variety of their educational and training components.
Mr. Lepin has also been invited to sit on one of the division’s program advisory committees by Ralph Finch, TRU’s Dean of the School of Trades and Technology.
“Mr. Lepin’s life experiences and his success motivated him to choose the TRU Foundation as a place to give back to our community,” explained Kathleen Biagioni, Foundation Executive Director. “Working with donors like Mr. Lepin, who have a vision of the difference that they can make in students’ lives, is a growing opportunity for us at TRU. We are grateful for this generous level of commitment from Ken Lepin today.”
TRU president and vice-chancellor Roger Barnsley echoed Biagioni’s remarks, saying, “TRU owes its existence to strong community support. We welcome the investment that Mr. Lepin has made in our university and in our students.”
Biagioni was also pleased to see that about a third of the people attending the breakfast took pledge forms with them. Any pledges made within the next two weeks will still be matched to the Foundation’s unrestricted fund, she said.
The breakfast, sponsored by Howard Bingham Hill Architects, also featured a talk by Kim Rathwell-Austin, 2006 TRU Bachelor of Social Work degree graduate, 2003 Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medalist, and former Foundation student award recipient, who said, “As a recipient of bursaries and scholarships I give thanks to you. Someone believed in me enough to give me money and that in turn made me accountable to myself, to the faculty, to the larger community of TRU, to the donor and to my fellow students. I don’t know how many of you have had to live off of a student loan, but as a single mother of two I can tell you that for me , it meant choices between necessities such as luncheon meat and printer ink. Receiving funding from donors such as you made the choices a heck of a lot easier, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Paul Wright, this year’s annual campaign chairman and master of ceremonies, noted in his opening remarks,
“From personal experience I can tell you what a tremendous feeling it is to hand out an award to a student at the annual awards ceremony. Last year we were able to provide awards to over 1300 students who applied for financial aid through money provided by the TRU Board of Governors and TRU Foundation donors. Unfortunately, another 500 students who applied for aid did not get any assistance because there was a shortage of funds available. Our goal is to close the gap on this shortage.”
Last year the TRU Foundation awarded over $1 million in scholarships and bursaries to TRU students. Its endowment funds now total almost $7 million, and last year its planned giving program was advised of $1.8 million in expectancies from donors leaving a legacy through a gift to TRU in their will or through a life insurance policy.
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For more information, please call:
Kathleen Biagioni at 828-5266
Ken Lepin at 828-1336
Oct.12, 2006
US political and economic insider sparks lively debate at TRUKAMLOOPS-A few costumed participants and some clashing ideologies sparked a lively debate in Kamloops this evening as Canadian David Frum, now one of the leading political intellectuals in America, addressed a near-capacity crowd in Thompson Rivers University’s Grand Hall.
Frum, speaking at a free public presentation as part of the TRU President’s Lecture Series, loosened up the crowd with a few White House anecdotes, including characterizing President George W. Bush as a leader whose brain’s “smart aleck” and “self-preservation” nodes were constantly at war.
Moving into the topic of his presentation, “Understanding the Middle East,” Frum listed economic breakdown, social unrest, political dictatorships and repression, xenophobia and religious intolerance as the major drivers behind terrorist attacks originating from “the most stagnant and dangerous part of the world,” and blamed political regimes in the Arab nations for intensifying and directing anger outward.
His views were hotly contested by many who stood at the microphones during the question period that followed his talk.
TRU professor in the School of Business and Economics, Monia Mazigh, corrected Frum’s depiction of Algeria and Morocco as Middle Eastern countries and cautioned the former President G. W. Bush speechwriter not to “turn a blind eye” to factions in Arab countries trying to promote democracy.
The final question was asked by a student from the Middle East who identified himself as “Sultan.” The youth shared first-hand knowledge of terrorism in his own country, advanced the view that “the US is the most violent country in the world,” and asked how the US could “oppose violence through violence.”
Blaming propaganda promulgated by state-controlled media in the Middle East aiming to “channel resentment against external targets” to deflect social unrest due to “a political system gone awry,” Frum wrapped up the evening with a final comment that “the ultimate tragedy is that people in the Middle East are determined not to see what afflicts them.”
Next Frum traveled to Kelowna where he addressed a fundraising event for the Okanagan-Coquihalla Conservative Association, the constituency of Canadian Public Security Minister Stockwell Day.
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For more information, please contact TRU President Roger Barnsley at 250-828-5001
Oct.26, 2006
TRU student to participate in Nicaraguan electionsKAMLOOPS-Third-year Bachelor of Business Administration student Kristi Denby has been selected by TRU World to participate in monitoring the Nov. 5 election process in Nicaragua at the invitation of the Organization of American States (OAS), which requested a Spanish-speaking student to participate in the project.
“Kristi’s experience as an exchange student in Chile makes her an outstanding candidate,” explained TRU Study Abroad Manager Jan Petrar.
The international business major followed her first academic experience abroad as a TRU exchange student to the University of Vina del Mar in Chile in 2005 with an extensive exploration through 10 countries in South and Central America before her return to TRU in September 2006.
“Travelling and studying in Latin America has not only personally enhanced me, it has brought me opportunities such as this OAS mission that only happen once in a lifetime,” said Denby.
“I have been to Nicaragua before and I am very excited to return to take part in this monumental event. Nicaragua has had a shaky political past and 70 per cent of people live under the poverty line, so these elections can either bring hope or despair to a country in desperate need of a non-corrupt government.”
Commenting on Denby’s opportunity, Cyndi McLeod, the Associate Vice-President International Education, Training and Development for TRU World said, “At the core of the OAS mission is an unequivocal commitment to democracy, as expressed in the Inter-American Democratic Charter: ‘The peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it.’ Building on this foundation, the OAS works to promote good governance, strengthen human rights, foster peace and security, expand trade, and address the complex problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption.”
Denby is excited about her upcoming role in Central American politics.
“I am very happy that the OAS chose me to go to Nicaragua because the mission will be a unique experience that will expand my knowledge, and it is something that many people may not get to experience in a lifetime,” she said, extending thanks to TRU World and Study Abroad Manager Jan Petrar.
“This opportunity would not have been possible without their support and help, and I extend an unconditional thank you to them,” she said.
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For more information, please contact Jan Petrar at 250-371-5888 or
by email.
Oct. 26, 2006
TRU Wins Olympic Training Contract in ChinaTRU World Associate Vice-President Cyndi McLeod announced today that the university has won a significant training contract for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The project will send a team of instructional and project staff from Kamloops to Beijing to provide specialized training for 100 site managers from the China Network Communications Corporation. CNC is the largest telecom in China and the official telecommunications provider for the 2008 Olympic Games.
“We have been working on this proposal for more than six months,” said McLeod. “We’ve made two missions to China for direct discussions with CNC and to establish the curriculum design for what will be a highly customized program of instruction.”
The TRU team will deliver intensive courses in English as a Second Language, customer service, intercultural communications, as well as event support and emergency response. The entire program has been customized for telecommunications managers, and features specialized vocabulary and other course content specific to the internationalized delivery of voice, data, and other telecom services. Beginning this fall and continuing through March 2007, the training will be delivered in three intensive four-week modules.
The TRU project is an integral component of CNC’s preparations for the Summer Olympics, and the trainees will go on to serve as Telecommunications Customer Support Site Managers in Beijing.
“The Customer Support Site Managers will have a high level of responsibility,” explained McLeod. “They will act as ambassadors for CNC at 27 Olympic venues throughout China. The language and intercultural training that TRU will deliver is particularly important for the Site Managers as they will provide critical media and telecom support for their international customers and clients during the Games.
“We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Summer Games in Beijing, especially given that British Columbia will be hosting its own Olympics in 2010. This project is both a significant recognition of our training capabilities at TRU, and a chance to build some important international linkages for BC in the context of the Olympic movement.”
TRU was also recently shortlisted for a second Olympic-related training contract in China in the tourism and hospitality sector.
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For more information, please contact Cyndi McLeod at 250-828-5191 or by
email.
Oct. 27, 2006
TRU student wins Webster awardKAMLOOPS-A Thompson Rivers University fourth-year journalism student is one of six recipients of $2000 Jack Webster Foundation 2006 Student Journalism Awards recognizing BC journalism students who have demonstrated their dedication to their craft and motivation to establish themselves in a competitive and challenging field.
Karl Hardt was one of six Student Journalism award-winners announced by Jack Webster Foundation co-chairs Steve Crombie and Chris Weafer October 16th. He will receive his award this Monday evening in Vancouver.
“I was honoured to be selected,” said Hardt, “especially when there were so many great students who applied just from TRU.”
Hardt was a working journalist until 2005 when he decided to complete a degree at TRU, which fully credited his previously earned journalism diploma.
“I liked the fact TRU offered me the opportunity to complete my degree and round out my education without having to repeat courses I had already taken in my diploma course in Calgary,” said Hardt.
“Everyone in the program has been tremendously encouraging. So far, I’ve learned a great deal even after having worked in the field for six years,” said Hardt.
Hardt hasn’t decided where he’ll go when he graduates this spring, but said the award and his TRU degree will give him added confidence in the job-hunt.
A total of 66 BC journalism students have received educational funding since the program started in 2001. Carolynne Burkholder and Gwen Preston from UBC, Jackie Hunter from Kwantlen University College, Jean Paetkau from BCIT and Joanne Penhale from Langara College are the other 2006 recipients.
The Jack Webster Foundation was established in 1986 to recognize and encourage excellence in BC-based journalism in the name of Jack Webster and his legacy of insightful, accurate and uncompromising reporting during his more than 40 years of print, radio and television journalism.
BC Hydro has sponsored the student award program since it began with additional funding coming this year from the Hospital Employees Union.
“We’re very appreciative of the continuing funding by BC Hydro to support access to education for future journalists,” said Crombie. “Also, this year, we welcome the support of the Hospital Employees Union who provided additional funding for these students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to their craft.”
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For more information, please contact Alan Bass, TRU Journalism Chair, at 250-371-5924.
Oct. 30, 2006
TRU athlete heads to Canadian University Championship Regatta
KAMLOOPS-Nick Hamilton, in his last year of studies in the Natural Resource Science program at TRU, is heading east to compete alongside the major university rowing athletes in Canada at the Canadian University
Championship Regatta to be held in St. Catharines, Ontario, Nov. 1.
All students competing in this event have to be full time students at their university, and Hamilton certainly qualifies. The 24-year-old is carrying a six-course load and also training at the Kamloops Rowing Club (KRC).
Hamilton, who has been rowing since high school with the Vernon Rowing Club, has been rowing at the Kamloops Rowing Club at Shumway Lake for the past four years.
“Nick has ambitions to possibly try out for the Canadian National Rowing Team and this regatta is one of the recognized steps that brings him closer to that goal,” said TRU respiratory therapy faculty member and rowing coach Janine Chan, who went on to explain that “TRU's rowing program has been in existence since 2003 when an ex-national team rower, Graeme Hill and I teamed up to develop and coach the new recreational sport offered at the university.”
Since then, the crew size has grown to an experienced and novice university crew that totalled 15 rowers this past season. The Kamloops Rowing Club also runs a high school rowing program that saw nine rowers on the water this past season.
The rowing season begins in May and has just ended with representation from TRU crew /SKSS crew /KRC Master rowers crew at the Head of the Gorge and the Head of the Elk in Victoria this past weekend.
Those interested in further information about the rowing program at TRU or programs offered at the Kamloops Rowing Club for 2007 can call 828-2110 and leave their name/number and a club member will contact them
shortly.
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For more information, please contact Janine Chan at 371-5543 or
by email.