Spring 2008 Layout - Mount Royal University

MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGEALUMNI MAGAZINE

SPRING 2008

Gina Guimont fashions acareer using beauty, brainsand business savvy

A modelapproach

P L U S … F I T T O B E T R I E D • B O DY O F E V I D E N C E • M O R E D E S I G N = L E S S U R B A N J U N G L E

10 Body of evidence… from Vegas to Virginia, finding answers for “un-natural” deaths

14 Cultural immersion… two English instructors weigh in on the value of pop culture

18 A model approach… Gina Guimont’s career prospects are in good shape

22 Passion for the story… horror and hope intertwine in the film Passchendaele

25 Heartache to hope… an enduring tribute to a fallen reservist

26 Fit to be tried… making fitness real for every body

30 More design, less urban jungle… when form meets function in Calgary

I N E V E RY I SS U E

3 Forward... quick news and notables from the campus

6 Alumni Association news... chapters, new programs, reunions — it’s all here!

9 From the archives... yearbooks chronicle College culture

32 Class notes... find out what your classmates are doing now

36 Closing words… Sharlene Massie is all About Staffing

F E AT U R E S

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MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINESPRING 2008

R E F L E C T I O N S S P R I N G 2 0 0 82

Good stories are made of two ingredients: good topics and good writing.

With the outstanding achievements of Mount Royal College alumni, there

is no shortage of good topics from which to choose for Reflections. When

it comes to good writing, we are also fortunate to have Cathy Nickel, a

Mount Royal alumna (Public Relations ’81), carry the bulk of the writing

load. Cathy gets to the heart of the story and tells it well. She sets the

bar pretty high for quality writing.

Because of this, I was a bit reluctant to be pressed into action to write

the cover story for this issue. Fortunately, we can count on a great topic,

Gina Guimont, to save the day. I met Gina in Toronto in November and was

immediately struck by how friendly and genuine she was. Although she

has been travelling in some interesting celebrity circles since launching a

professional modelling career, my interview felt like a conversation with

someone I have known for a very long time. Gina credits her success in

large part to her family. I think that same family influence comes

across in the way she treats people with care and concern.

In addition to Gina’s story, other stories in this issue revolve around the

broad theme of popular culture. We talked to two Mount Royal faculty

members to help frame this admittedly large subject, which we attempted

to explore by having alumni take us beneath the “pop:” into the medical

examiner’s office, the fitness world, the film set and the design realm.

The exception to the theme is Closing Words, which offers a preview for our Fall 2008 issue: entrepreneurship.

We look forward to sharing some of the inspiring stories of successful Mount Royal entrepreneurs. As always,

we appreciate your story ideas. Please send them to me at [email protected].

Randy PaquetteDirector, Alumni Relations

EditorRandy Paquette, Director, Alumni Relations

Editor-in-ChiefHunter Wight, Vice-President, External Relations

Advertising Coordination(403) 440-7000

Editorial CoordinationCathy Nickel, Misprint Marketing Communications

ContributorsSharlene Massie, Mount Royal External Relations,Cathy Nickel, Patricia Roome

Design Design Asylum

PrintingCalgary Colorpress

Cover photography by Greg Swales, styling by Olga Nabok,

hair and make-up by Kim Goodman

Return undeliverableCanadian addresses to:Alumni Relations — Mount Royal College4825 Mount Royal Gate S.W.Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 6K6Telephone: (403) 440-7000 • Fax: (403) 440-7070e-mail: [email protected] • www.mtroyal.ca/alumni

Reflections is published by Mount Royal College in the spring and fall of each year,and is distributed to more than 35,000 alumni. The magazine provides informationon the accomplishments of alumni, faculty and students, and on significant issuesand developments within the College community. Reflections stimulates interestin the College and in the alumni program, encourages alumni to support MountRoyal College initiatives, and maintains goodwill. Letters to the editor and editorialsubmissions are welcome. The editor reserves the right to edit or refuse anysubmission. Views expressed or implied are those of the individual contributorsand do not necessarily reflect the views of Mount Royal College.

ISSN 1481-3203Publications Mail Agreement #40064310

F R O M T H E E D I T O R

Unearthing Yemen’s history

Mount Royal Archaeology instructor Bill Glanzman has received a

prestigious award for his work in promoting the cultural heritage of

Yemen. Glanzman is best known for his work on the archaeological

evidence behind the legendary Queen of Sheba, whose capital was the

ancient city of Marib (referred to in the Qur’an). As the field director for

a project to unlock the secrets of a 3,000-year-old temple in Yemen, he

helped unearth the Mahram Bilqis (the Temple of “Bilqis,” Arab folklore’s

name for the otherwise-nameless Queen of Sheba), most of which was

buried under the sands of the southern Arabian Desert until the project

began in 1998. The 2001 season of that project was filmed for a movie

entitled The Queen of Sheba: Behind the Myth, which has be seen throughout

the world. Glanzman is director and principal investigator of the Wadi Raghwan

Archaeological Project, again within the Marib District of Yemen. He is

investigating the history of hominid/human interaction within the Wadi Raghwan,

and examining the archaeological evidence for ancient commerce in goods

such as Arabia’s frankincense and myrrh, conducted via camel caravans.

Bill Glanzman’s award recognizesyears of research work in Yemen and

his contribution to the country.

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Five new degrees for Fall 2008The Mount Royal College Board of Governors

has authorized Mount Royal to proceed with the

implementation of the following five new degrees in

Fall 2008: Bachelor of Arts — Criminal Justice,

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and, subject

to Campus Alberta Quality Council and Ministerial

approval, Bachelor of Business Administration and

Bachelor of Communication degrees.

“This represents choice — increased choice — for

parents considering university-level education for

their children,” says President Dave Marshall. “It also

represents the next step in Mount Royal’s aspiration to

become a full undergraduate baccalaureate institution.

With these degrees now in place this fall, we will be

in a position to plan our application for membership

in the Association of Universities and Colleges

of Canada.”

New Library on the books

Rendering by Cohos Evamy integratedesign

FOR THE LATEST MOUNT ROYAL NEWS AND EVENTS, GO TO WWW.MTROYAL.CA

Cohos Evamy integratedesign has been selected

to design a new Mount Royal Library — a key

component in the institution’s transition plan. The

new facility, tentatively to open in summer 2011, will

serve the changing learning needs of post-secondary

students and the community as a whole. As a

member of the Energy Innovators Initiative, Mount

Royal will ensure the new Library minimizes its

environmental impact. The building will follow in the

footsteps of the Centre for Continuous Learning,

which achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) gold certification from the

Canada Green Building Council.

Potter maniapure magicEnglish instructor Diana

Patterson is smitten with

all things Harry Potter. An

academic and avid fan,

she provided a thought-

provoking and unique

perspective on the world’s

favourite boy wizard, as well

as the cultural phenomenon

surrounding him, to media

last July when the final installment of J.K. Rowling’s

book series and the fifth Potter movie were released

almost simultaneously. After all, who better to comment

than the chair of the upcoming 2008 Harry Potter

conference to be held at the Hogwarts-like setting of

Oxford University?

Patterson has conducted extensive research and

produced several papers on the multi-layered person-

alities and complex social issues reflected in the some-

times-misunderstood series. She also has several copies

of each Potter book, including adult and children’s

versions from Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan,

Italy and America.

This mere Mount Royalmuggle understands theliterary power of Potter.

Research show goes onTrevor Davis is ready to call “action” on Mount Royal

research. With a background in film and television,

the new Associate Vice-President of Research has

an important role boosting research activity and its

profile at the institution. The 45-year-old holds a PhD

in Geography from the University of British Columbia

and previously headed the research department at

Thompson Rivers University in B.C.

Davis is committed to supporting research and

researchers. “I want to simplify the way things are

done,” he says, “to make sure the research infrastruc-

ture is in place and to make sure researchers’ lives

are as simple as possible so they

can concentrate on the research.”

Once that research is underway,

he wants to ensure the work is

recognized. “I think this institution

shouldn’t be all things to all people,

especially in the research area.

We need a full range of activities,

but we also need areas where we

can raise the flag and say, ‘Yeah,

we are really good at this.’”

Trevor Davis wantsto celebrateresearch success.

FOR THE LATEST MOUNT ROYAL NEWS AND EVENTS, GO TO WWW.MTROYAL.CA

Crash without the burnMath, Physics and Engineering instructor Sean Maw’s

profile is growing citius, altius, fortius — swifter, higher,

stronger. Maw and colleague Clifton Johnston have been

awarded the contract to engineer and design the short-

track and long-track speed skating crash pads for the

2010 Olympics in Vancouver. While crash pads may look

simple, they are far more than foam wrapped in coloured

fabric. Athletes depend on the pads to prevent injury,

so they shouldn’t be able to slide under, knock over or

go over the pads. Plus the system has to be operational

quickly — in short-track, crashes can occur in the

same spot 10 seconds apart.

Maw, a speed skater and member of the board of Speed Skating Canada, is building on

Olympic success: he and Johnston worked on the aerodynamics of the skin suits worn by

long- and short-track skaters and cross-country skiers, and 14 of 24 medallists at the Torino

games were wearing the duo’s innovative suits. His next contribution to Olympic speed?

He’s working on a top-secret project to improve the skates themselves — but you’ll have to

wait until after the Olympics to see if Canadian athletes smoked the competition.


Sean Maw is helpingskaters go faster —

safely.


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Mount Royal’s newest Faculty is dedicated to what the

institution does best — teaching and learning. The

Faculty of Teaching and Learning was launched Oct. 12

and will focus on carrying out the vision of teaching

excellence that is at the core of the institution’s history

and fundamental to its future. “This Faculty is the

first of its kind in Canada and is a testament to our

leadership in the education field,” says Robin Fisher,

Provost and Vice-President, Academic. “Most important-

ly, it will serve our students and faculty by facilitating

an exceptional learning environment at Mount Royal.”

The new Faculty will focus on developing innovative

teaching practices and will provide leadership and

support to enhance students’ experience. The Academic

Development Centre, Department of General Education,

Department of Education and Schooling and Institute

for Research in Teaching and Learning are part of the

new Faculty.

New Faculty a national trailblazer

Grad makes the world greenerEmma Gilchrist (Journalism ’06) found the perfect way to

turn her interest in the environment into a flourishing career: she created The Green Guide, a website that offers

information about recycling, tips on living “green” and an online community where readers can ask questions. The

focus is on environmentally-friendly consumer issues and simple things people can do. A copy editor at the Calgary

Herald since June, Gilchrist says this is the ideal way to blend her interests in journalism and the environment. As well

as being online, The Green Guide now appears in the Herald’s Real Life section every Friday, and it was recently praised

as a “great newspaper web production” by the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Journalism’s

Online Journalism Review. Visit The Green Guide at www.calgaryherald.com/greenguide.

Hitting the books are (L-R) Robin Fisher, Provost andVice-President, Academic, and Jim Zimmer, Dean, Facultyof Teaching and Learning.

Athletes’ safety is no gameAttending an international sports event is as much

an achievement for an athletic therapist as it is for an

athlete — something Mount Royal Athletic Therapy

instructor and Cougar Athletics Head Therapist

Khatija Westbrook knows first-hand. In August, she

served as a member of Canada’s core medical team at

the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, and

the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At

both, Westbrook was part of a team of medical staff

ranging from physicians to dentists to optometrists.

Based on her background working with Canada’s

national field hockey team and Wrestling Canada, she

was assigned to three combative sports: tae kwon do

at the World University Games and fencing and karate

at the Pan-Am Games. Her responsibilities involved

preparing the athletes to compete by doing everything

from taping to warm-up related treatments such as

massage and stretching. And if an athlete were injured

while competing, Westbrook was on the front line

of medical care.

There’s no clowning around when Khatija Westbrook, shownhere with a mascot from the Pan-Am Games, gets athletesready to compete in combative sports.


Chapters and BranchesToronto Branch — Roundup at Rodney’sSeeds were planted for the launch of a Toronto Branch of the Alumni Association on Nov. 14, 2007, when alumni and

friends of Mount Royal met at Rodney’s Oyster Bar for the Roundup at Rodney’s. Several alumni expressed interest

in helping to plan a 2008 Roundup, aiming to make the event even bigger and better.

A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

(L-R) Joanne Woodward (Public Relations ’99), Ron Clancy(Physical Education ’68), Jonathan Reimche (Accounting’05), Gina Guimont (International Business and Supply ChainManagement ’06) and Dean Seguin (Journalism ’06).

(L-R) Dave Marshall (Mount Royal College President),Rodney “The Oysterman” Clark, Mike Harris (MountRoyal College Foundation Board Member).

Social Work ChapterA new Social Work Chapter of the Alumni Association

was launched on Jan. 30, 2008. Chapter Board

members are:

Tracy Larocque (’07) President

Joanne Boley (’07) Vice-President

Sarah Mullin (’05) Vice-President

Rhonda Coles (’00) Treasurer

Karol Gouschuk (’99) Secretary

Brian Guthrie Director-at-Large

(Faculty Representative)

Chris Thiessen (’95) Director-at-Large

Deb Bennett (’87) Director-at-Large

Georgina Bird (’06) Director-at-Large

All Social Work alumni are invited to contact

Shirley Reynolds, Coordinator of Alumni Chapters and

Events, at [email protected] or (403) 440-7047

for more information.

Aboriginal Alumni ChapterA group of Aboriginal alumni have expressed interest

in forming an Aboriginal Alumni Chapter of the Alumni

Association and are seeking interested members to

join their group. Please contact Shirley Reynolds at

[email protected] or (403) 440-7047 for more

information.

Vancouver BranchPresident’s Reception for Alumnihosted by the Mount Royal Alumni Association

May 7, 2008 – 7 p.m.

Buschlen Mowatt Gallery

1445 W Georgia Street

Join President Dave Marshall, mix and mingle with

former classmates, sample some MRC Alumni wine

and renew your connection to Mount Royal. Contact

Shirley Reynolds at [email protected] or

(403) 440-7047 for more information.

Photos by Graham Dickhout


Upcoming 2008 Reunions

1960s Reunion — October 25, 2008Did you attend Mount Royal between 1960 and 1969? If so, mark October 25 on your calendar for the1960s Reunion. Visit the Alumni Association website — www.mtroyal.ca/alumni — or contact ShirleyReynolds at [email protected] or (403) 440-7047 for all the details.

1950s ReunionAlumni from the 1950s returned to Mount Royal

on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007, for a weekend of

memories hosted by the Alumni Association.

Activities included an afternoon of tours of the

Lincoln Park Campus and the downtown Kerby

Centre, which served as the College’s main campus

from 1949 to 1972. In the evening, guests caught up

with old friends, danced to the rockin’ tunes of

the ’50s, and played a few rounds of ’50s-related

trivia during a special banquet. The event was

emceed by two-time MRC graduate Jackie

Cutting (High School ’58, Broadcasting ’04).

Reunions

H I G H L I G H T I N G T H E N E W , T H E N O T A B L E A N D T H E N O T - T O - B E - M I S S E D

Above (L-R): Lou (’54) and Phyllis Lorincz, Betty andAllan Buttle (faculty). Top right: Students from 1950-59in front of the Kerby Centre. Bottom (back row, L-R):Freda and Keith Lynn (’56), Wilma and Kris Snethun (’55);(front row, L-R): Sheila (nee Casey ’56) and Terry Dexter(’56), Grant (’55) and Marilyn Hinchey.

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Programs and ServicesIntroducing the Bell Mobility Wireless Communication PlanThe Mount Royal College Alumni Association is pleased to announce a new wireless

communication partnership with Bell Mobility. This affinity program provides special rates

exclusive to MRC alumni. See the Bell Mobility advertisement on page 37 for details.

“Live and Learn” Alumni Education Series set to beginAs part of our continuing effort and commitment to produce quality programming for our alumni, the Mount Royal

College Alumni Association is pleased to introduce the “Live and Learn” series. This new series of seminars will

cover a range of topics, from learning how to choose the best wine for your dinner table to how you can best

protect your identity.

The “Live and Learn” series is free to alumni and will be launched this spring. The first scheduled seminar, “Uncorking

the Mysteries of Wine,” is set for Thursday, April 3, 2008, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or

new to the grape phenomenon, there will be something for everyone’s palate. You’ll also have an opportunity to

connect with fellow alumni.

Details on this seminar and others in the series will follow in the weeks and months ahead via the alumni website

and your alumni e-newsletter. Please make sure we have your current e-mail address on file. In the meantime, mark

your calendar for the following dates:

Thursday, April 3, 2008 • Uncorking the Mysteries of Wine

sponsored by The Art Institute of Vancouver and Industrial Alliance Pacific

This session will be led by François Gaulin, current manager of Calgary’s Cellar Wine store, Calgary Wine and

Spirit Education Trust Instructor, Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, former Manager of

Teatro Restaurant and former Sommelier at the Banffshire Club – Fairmont Banff Springs.

Note: this seminar is limited to 40 registrants. Please register early.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 • Tax Planning Through Investment

sponsored by Wellington West

Thursday, June 5, 2008 • Identity Theft

sponsored by TD Meloche Monnex

Seminars will not be held during the summer, but will resume in the fall. To register for a seminar or to suggest

topics of interest for upcoming seminars, please contact Cyndi Rowlings at [email protected] or (403) 440-7220.

A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

Happy birthday to you!

The Alumni Relations Office wants to celebrate your birthday with you. Each month, the names of all Mount Royal

College alumni who are celebrating a birthday will be entered into a random draw for a special birthday treat:

an alumni wine package. It’s just our way of honouring you on your special day. But remember, we can’t send a

package if we don’t have your current contact information. Make sure it’s up to date by calling Alumni Relations at

(403) 440-7220. We wouldn’t want to send the delivery person to the wrong address!


Yearbooks chronicle Mount Royal cultureby Dr. Patricia Roome, Director, Mount Royal Centennial Archives

The snake dances, powder puff football games and dribblethons of the late 1950s and early1960s welcomed Mount Royal students into a lively youth culture, but the seeds of thesewonderful traditions were sown in previous eras. Opening the faded pages of studentpublications The Chinook and The Varshicom brings these special experiences — andMount Royal culture — to life.

From the earliest years, faculty and students created clubs and societies for everyone. TheMount Royal Literary Society enjoyed a long history inspiring poetry, stories and debates and creating atradition which continues today in the College’s arts programs. Reflecting the co-ed and liberal politics of Collegefounders Dr. George and Emily Kerby, students debated women’s suffrage in 1912. Likewise, MRC’s winning sportstradition started with the passion and advocacy of Dr. Kerby: he created the Calgary Intercollegiate Rugby FootballUnion in 1912 and MRC’s Royals claimed many trophies.

Editors of The Chinook and Co-Principal Mrs. Kerby successfully encouraged female students to join hockey andbasketball teams, paving the way for women’s powder puff football to debut in the 1950s. In keeping with the College’sChristian mission, Dr. and Mrs. Kerby led students in daily morning chapel service, Sunday afternoon Bible classes anda Sunday evening service. A balanced social life involved parties for every occasion: the Halloween masquerade partywith its Chamber of Horrors, the Merry Valentine’s Party, skating parties and annual football suppers. From thebeginning, the Mount Royal Conservatory created a vibrant music scene, assisted by a Glee Club and a Rooters Club,in charge of College “yells.” A Students’ Council appeared in the College’s first year, initiating a long tradition ofstudent self-government.

By 1942, Canada had changed and so had MRC. The Varshicom, taking its title from the three aspects of the College— varsity, high school and commercial — started to reflect this new world: contests for “Mac and Mimi” or Mr. andMiss Mount Royal, Engineers’ Balls with a queen and princesses, basketball tournaments, dribblethon competitionsand an annual Frosh Week. In 1964, this “College madness” started with a huge bonfire at Prince’s Island, “happysticks” lit for the popular Cougar football team and a snake dance in costume back to the MRC campus,still located on 7th Avenue.

The yearbooks ceased publication in 1967, but many of the traditions continue to thrive.In preparation for MRC’s centennial in 2010–11, the Mount Royal College Archives hascollected, catalogued and digitized these yearbooks, which soon will be available on theMRC website. To complete the series, we still needselected numbers of The Chinook from the 1920sand 1930s. If you own one of theseand would be willingto loan or donateyour copy,please contactthe Archives at(403) 440-5690 [email protected].

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Snake dances, powder pufffootball and dribblethons


The body lies sprawled in a seamy Las Vegas alley, blood

oozing from a head wound. The CSI — perfect make-up,

every hair in place, on four-inch stilettos — reaches down and

takes a gun from the dead man’s hand. Debi Spencer (Child

and Youth Care ’93) and her colleagues laugh out loud.

“TV gets it wrong,” says the Medicolegal Death Investigator,

commenting on the wildly popular CSI TV franchise.

She should know. Spencer spent just over two years working

in the Clark County Coroner’s Office in Las Vegas. She knows

some of the people the show’s characters are based on and

has been involved in the “nuts and bolts” that have become

weekly episodes. In December, ironically, she moved to

Richmond, Va., and now works three 10-hour shifts a week

and handles investigations in the Office of the Chief Medical

Examiner that spawned the CSI craze. The Chief Medical

Examiner, Marcella Fierro, who recently retired, inspired the

title character in crime author Patricia Cornwell’s novels

which, in turn, helped fuel interest in all things forensic.

“On the show,

they depict the

CSI — in the real

world, they’d often be

called a crime scene analyst or

technician — doing about five different

jobs,” Spencer explains. “But in reality,

their job is to analyze and collect evidence from the

scene, such as fingerprints and blood, and to take

photographs.

“The coroner or the medical examiner’s office has

jurisdiction over the body, which nobody can touch without

authorization. The police are in charge of the scene; investi-

gators with the coroner’s or medical examiner’s office are

in charge of the body. The coroner or medical examiner’s

office is responsible for determining the cause and manner

of death and the investigator is the eyes and the ears for

the medical examiner, the forensic pathologist.”

Body ofEVIDENCEWhen a homicide raises questions, Debi Spencerturns to the victim for answers.by Cathy Nickel

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In some ways, it’s unfortunate so many people who watch

the TV shows now think forensic science is a glamorous

job. But at the same time, Spencer says she’s glad the high

profile is drawing people into the field and creating an

“explosion” of new educational opportunities that weren’t

open to her. In her case, after some post-MRC travel adven-

tures, she started her master’s degree online and defended

her thesis in 2004. In 2006, she presented her thesis and

won an achievement award from the American Academy of

Forensic Science, one of the world’s largest international

forensic organizations.

Las Vegas was baptism by fire, the work often gruelling

and gruesome. She handled 220 on-scene deaths and more

than 700 cases, including in-office investigations. “In a quiet

month in Las Vegas there were about 15 homicides in the

8,000 sq. mi. area we handled,” she says. In Virginia, a

state-run system, the central office where she works is

responsible for 41 counties and nine cities. This “extremely

busy little office” completed almost 1,000 autopsies on

people who had died from “non-natural” causes last year

alone. “Death doesn’t know night or holidays; we work

24/7, 365 days a year.

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‘I have seen the worst ofhumanity, the stupid sideof humanity.’


“I have seen the worst of humanity, the stupid side of

humanity — the traffic accidents, people with no heads,

jumpers, airplane crashes, the most bizarre homicides

and suicides. I’ve seen people do the craziest things to

themselves.” Not surprisingly, drugs and alcohol are

involved in a high percentage of the case load.

But by far, the toughest cases involve children.

“I had only been on the job for nine months and I had been

dispatched to investigate a fetus that had been found in a

garbage can. But it turned out to be a three-year-old child.

I always want to get the person identified and have the

family notified quickly, but this case was so involved it

took six weeks to identify the child. The case was actually

featured on America’s Most Wanted to try and assist with

identification. This was one of the high-profile cases of

2006. It was horrible and has been the only case that

has really bothered me.”

Spencer is a skilled professional, but she’s also human,

so the job can take a high emotional toll.

“I’ve been called every name in the book

by families when I have told them their

loved-one has died. I’ve even been

punched. But I try to put myself in

their position. I expect the

worst-case response and

I accept that. They’re

going to be upset and

out of control and

I don’t take any

offense.

…continued from previous page

“You need a strong faith and a strong support system, or

you end up getting burned out and not caring about the

job or the people. I have that support — otherwise the job

would eat me alive. People always ask, ‘Can you sleep?’

I answer, ‘I ask God to give me peace.’”

She knows she’s doing a job few could and that she’s

appreciated by victims’ families. “What keeps me going is

the one family member who says ‘thank you so much.’ It’s

the most sincere thank you you’ll ever hear in your life.

You know you’ve offered some bit of comfort, that they

know you care.”

It’s truly not a job for the faint of heart, but clearly it’s a

good fit for Spencer. “It’s such an amazing job. I know I am

providing a service to society and there is never a dull

moment. I am constantly being challenged by interesting

cases. I never stop learning.

“If you’d have asked me 15 years ago if I’d be here, I’d never

have believed it. Somehow all the pieces of my life have

come together to make me who I am, so I can handle this.”

Forensics finds answers

The first step in investigating any homicide is gathering evidence — and the body is the largest and most important component.

“We get to the scene and the body is our evidence,” Spencer explains.

“It’ll tell you the most: estimated time of death (by analyzing the postmortem changes), the position the person died in, if the body

was moved, the type of injuries or wounds sustained.

“We preserve evidence for autopsy. We do a gun-shot residue kit, bag hands, photograph and document the scene, write reports and

work on positive identification. There’s a lot of paperwork you don’t see on the TV show.”

From the scene, the body goes to the coroner’s or medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Sometimes, generally on a homicide, law

enforcement attends the autopsy. Body fluids (like heart blood, urine, peripheral blood and vitreous fluid from the eyes) are sampled

and sent to the crime lab. Orifices are swabbed, bullets and other physical evidence are collected and everything is sent to the lab.

DNA tests take time and money — “the fastest I’ve seen was two days, and that was an FBI rush because the case involved a child” —DNA analysis takes months to years in some cases and toxicology tests can take up to 16 weeks. It can often be months before

families get any answers.

’What keeps me going isthe one family memberwho says ‘thank you somuch.’ It’s the mostsincere thank you you’llever hear in your life.’


Randy Schroeder was the only Canadianjudge of the 2007 Philip K. Dick Award forscience fiction writing. He read over 100submissions from around the globe, allvying for one of the most prestigiousawards in the sci fi writing world.

Cultural immersionWhat we wear. How we dance. What wehear. What we eat and drink. How andwhat we sing. It’s pop culture and welive it every day.


Substance in the superficial“Popular culture affects a lot of people in many complicated ways: cognitively, ideologically,

conceptually and so on,” Trono says. “It can brainwash or empower. It can illuminate and teach or

confuse and dumb down. Pop culture carries enormous political power and influence. Politicians fight

over how their Wikipedia entries are edited by others. They get their message out on YouTube and go

along with Rick Mercer’s satires of them.”

The phrase “popular culture” only makes sense in a capitalist society Schroeder says, explaining

that the “intricate dance” between mass culture (products produced and distributed by the

industrial system) and folk culture (products spontaneously produced by

people) creates pop culture.

“Corporations make and sell products, but people don’t just accept

them passively. We interpret those products and sometimes change

them, which is then reflected in new products in a continual cycle.

Mass culture doesn’t necessarily make us stupid.”

Take Star Trek. The characters, TV show and movies were mass

produced, but fans have run with the idea to create their own

Star Trek stories, websites and “fan fiction.” Or punk rock. It

was originally a rebellion against “corporate rock,” but has

now become a mainstream, marketable music genre.

Living in the present“Shelf life does always indicate the level of pop culture’s

affect on a nation of watchers,” Trono says. While the content

of a particular popular culture moment can be fleeting, part of

planned obsolescence, popular forms or systems — cyberculture

and video games, for example — can be more enduring.

Digital technology, Schroeder notes, is fuelling the pace of

change in popular culture, almost breaking down the distinction

between creation of a product and its distribution.

Pop culture is typically not enduring because the pop culture

machine needs to introduce and move new product, Trono says.Mario Trono’s face is familiar to ACCESS TV viewers

who know him as the host of an online popular culturecourse and the lead-in to Law and Order: Criminal Intent.Ph

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Intuitively, we all know what pop culture is. But how about what it does? Why

it’s important? Why we should care? Mount Royal English instructors Mario

Trono and Randy Schroeder delve into the depths of pop culture in their

classes, helping students understand how pop culture influences society —and how mass media has become an almost-irresistible force changing

our culture and how we see and live in it.

Arguably, visual popular culture is the most powerful form of communi-

cation human beings have ever created. We need to be able to weed out

subtle messages and ideologies — to be more media literate than ever

before. Here, then, is a quick pop culture primer to get us started.

…continued on next page


“Prior to the 20th century, the appeal of some popular stories could

span generations. But today, it’s unlikely that a grandfather could enjoy

Southpark with his grandson.”

But all this emphasis on living in the consumerist, fashionable present

can destroy historical awareness and understanding, and sometimes a

lack of critical thinking can lead to simplistic handling of important issues.

“We need to make sure our identities aren’t constructed exclusively from

the flotsam and jetsam of popular culture,” Trono notes.

Sometimes scarySchroeder sees a paradigm shift where the boundaries between public

and private, between “self” and the rest of the world, are being drawn.

“Technology is changing how we think of ourselves as individuals. Digital

technology and popular culture have become indistinguishable, and that

is having a radical impact on our definition of self.” The implications of

this increasing blurring between public and private, he says, could have

enormous consequences for the foundations of society, such as the

legal system and government.

“There is a frightening, non-centralized, cultural hysteria that fascinates me when an aspect of popular culture

becomes omnipresent,” Trono adds. “Britney Spears, for example. There is an unofficial media- and fan-driven death

watch on her right now. People can’t wait. It’s like a Nuremberg rally — there’s lot of excitement, and death is in the air.”

Shifting sands of popularityAs traditional media boundaries dissolve and become more fragmented, as niche markets grow, specialty channels multiply

and users create more media content, pop culture becomes less homogenous. It’s unlikely popularity on the scale of The

Beatles or Elvis will be seen again.

“Pop culture is difficult to predict,” Trono says. But perennial themes relating to romance, family, war and the general pursuit

of happiness are bound to be front and centre. And in the distant future, we likely won’t be looking back fondly on any pop

culture phenomenon. “We’ll be too preoccupied by the next big thing.”

Schroeder believes good science fiction may offer glimpses into the future. “Really savvy writers can tell us about the

relationship between technology and popular culture. They can predict where the dance will go.”

Enduring heaps of academic scornThe study of pop culture does belong in the halls of academe.

“Studying popular culture can tell us a lot about how power flows in society,” Schroeder says. “And the artifacts of popular

culture are like a fossil record of culture. It shows us what we consume, what we value, how power flows and stagnates, how

certain institutions maintain themselves. If, for example, we see ethnicity represented a certain way in a film, what does that

tell us about society in general?”

“Academics who study popular culture are very misunderstood creatures,” Trono concludes. “People think we’re elevating

The Bachelor to the level of Romeo and Juliet and heaping aesthetic praises on Friends. We’re not doing

that, and aesthetics aren’t always the point anyway. I can’t bring myself to ignore the

popular culture texts that are affecting millions of people, just to go sit in a corner

somewhere to track down an obscure reference on page 126 of Nabokov’s Lolita.

Not when outside my den window, the sexualization of children is gaining

momentum in our mass media.

“English profs have some great analytical chops that can help

demystify mass media.”



C O V E R S T O R Y

Beauty. Brains. Business. Gina Guimont pulls itall together to fashion a successful career.

by Randy Paquette

A modelapproach

industry are very glamorous,” she says, “but you have to

work through many ups and downs. One week you’re in Paris

or New York, the next week you don’t get a call.”

Typically, she gets an e-mail at 5 p.m. each day telling her

what her agenda for the next day will be, whether it’s a

casting call, a shoot or something truly bizarre. “Imagine

going to a shoot and being told to ‘pretend you’re water,’”

she says, shaking her head.

But so far, crazy requests aside, she has been getting calls

for good assignments and that bodes well for the future.

In the past few months, she has been on magazine shoots,

commercial and movie spots and other print advertisements.

She did designer Stephen Trigueros’ look-book for Toronto

Fashion Week and has travelled to New York, San Francisco,

Chicago, Miami and the Bahamas. She’s also very busy in

her new home in Toronto.

Having sister Penny, a Toronto pharmacist, nearby while

Canada’s Next Top Model was being shot helped keep

Guimont grounded. And as she discovers what her new

career holds, she knows she can count on the support

of her biggest and most precious fans: her family.

Growing up in Cranbrook, B.C., Gina and Penny were

encouraged by their parents to pursue a variety of

interests. “My parents couldn’t have done a better

job raising us,” Guimont says with obvious pride

and admiration. In addition to a strong focus

on education, Guimont was active in music

and a variety of sports, passing her

Grade 8 in piano from the Royal

Conservatory of Music.

But her passion, and what brought

her to Mount Royal, was basketball.

“Basketball was my identity at

Mount Royal,” she explains.

Former Women’s Basketball

Coach Donovan Martin

recruited her to play for the

Cougars directly out of high

school. She played four years

with the Cougars, excelling

not only on the court, but

also in the classroom —

she was named an Academic

All-Canadian by the

Canadian Colleges

Athletic Association.


At the end of 2006, Gina Guimont’s (Applied International

Business and Supply Chain Management ’06) career in oil

and gas was well on track. She was working as a buyer for

Jacobs Engineering, one of the world’s largest providers of

professional technical services, putting into practice what

she had learned during four years at Mount Royal’s Bissett

School of Business.

Then everything changed.

Prompted by coworkers, she applied for a spot on the

popular TV reality show Canada’s Next Top Model. She’d

never seen the show and, to her surprise, was selected as

one of the top 20 contestants. She then made the cut to

the final group of 10 who would appear on the show.

“It was a strange time,” she explains. “I will never look at

reality shows the same way again. They shoot more than

1,200 hours of video and show less than seven hours on

television. The editors can do anything they want with

you, and they put you in situations where you can’t

help but look like an idiot.”

So why do it? “In general, I think most people live

inside this box,” she explains. “We’re comfortable,

and outside this box is unknown territory. Before

the show, I was comfortable. But I knew that if I

didn’t take this chance, I would regret it. My sister,

Penny, has been my strongest supporter and

helped me to see that when you get that

uncomfortable feeling, you’re growing.”

Although Guimont didn’t win the

Canada’s Next Top Model title and the

$100,000 modelling contract that

went with it — she made it to sixth

place and in four weeks on the

show proved there were brains

behind her obvious beauty —

she has used the show as a

springboard to a new career

as a professional model. The

day after she was knocked

off the show, she did 27

interviews. And she’s been

surprised to be stopped in

malls and asked for her

autograph.

But despite enjoying

the flurry of attention,

Guimont knows modelling

is an industry that

requires a thick skin.

“Parts of the


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She credits her experience as an athlete as one of the

reasons she can cope with the criticism that comes with her

new line of work. “Modelling is a very subjective industry

with people judging you and criticizing you every day. My

background in competitive sports and my education makes

this a totally different experience.”

There’s no doubt she’s taking a very business-like approach

to defining her career and has concluded that her future

lies in high-end commercial modelling, not on the catwalk.

“I don’t want to be a high-fashion editorial model. I have

a personality,” she says with a laugh. “In fashion, women

rule. Income can be lucrative for a good model.” A long-

term career in commercial modelling is possible, she says,

because good models who are more than 40 years old

still work as professionals and are in high demand.

“When it’s over, I hope I can still say I have no regrets and

that I’ve totally taken care of my family and my sister.”

And it’s this perspective that seems to keep her grounded.

While she’s clearly enjoying an exciting time in her career —

in her life — she is a young woman with a plan.

As for her oil and gas career? Guimont says it’s something

she can always fall back on. Something tells me she won’t

have to.

Scoring a big winBeing part of Canada’s Next Top Model has been the

impetus for Gina Guimont to move in two directions at the

same time: embarking on an international modelling career

and supporting a cause that’s close to her heart.

In tandem with her sister, Guimont created Losers 4 a

Cause, a charitable event last fall that brought together

the “losers” from Canada’s Next Top Model and some

well-known Canadians to raise money for cancer.

After her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Guimont

recognized the meaning of living life to the fullest — so

bringing together her fellow models from the show and

many other sports and entertainment celebrities to have

a good time and support a good cause was a natural fit.

Initial expectations were small, but the event proved to

be a great success and the Guimonts are planning to

make Losers 4 a Cause an annual event. Find out more

at www.losers4acause.ca.tt.

C O V E R S T O R Y…continued from previous page

Photo by Greg Gerla


Francis Damberger (R) was an on-setproducer helping Paul Gross (L) tell a

love story within the horrors of war.

Passion for theSTORY


More than 750,000 young men, many still in their teens, died horrific deaths in just overfour months in 1917. Soldiers with the Allied and German armies, they fought one of the mostgruesome battles of the First World War: Passchendaele.

Heavy artillery pulverized the Belgian marshland into an oozing quagmire. Soldiers stoodwaist-deep in rain- and muck-filled shell craters. It was cold. Food was barely digestible. Thestench of rotting flesh permeated the air. Slipping off “duckboards” could mean death bydrowning, which may have claimed as many lives as enemy fire. And into this treacherousmorass 20,000 Canadians were sent, told to take the city at whatever cost — and pay dearlythey did. More than 15,000 died in 16 days claiming Passchendaele Ridge and its five sq. km.of sodden, slimy land.

“The ground was a mixture of bomb fragments, shrapnel and bodies — a porridge of death,”says Tofield, Alberta’s Francis Damberger (University Transfer – Drama ’77), Mount Royal 2001Distinguished Alumnus, award-winning film writer and director, President of The DambergerFilm and Cattle Company and, most recently, Alberta producer and second unit director ofPasschendaele, an epic Canadian film scheduled for release on Remembrance Day 2008.

The project was launched more than a decade ago by his good friend, Canadian actor PaulGross, who both directs and stars in the film. When Gross was in front of the camera, Dambergerwas helping from the director’s chair, adding his story-teller’s perspective.

Passchendaele won’t be a “war story.” Rather, it will be a love story framed by war — and itwill be entertaining.

“When I started my career, I was always trying to educate the audience,” Damberger explains.“But the real skill in filmmaking is to entertain and educate without people knowing it. Ultimately,people go to movies to be entertained. Sometimes a film upsets them and sometimes it makesthem think and changes what theythink, but really all you can do is tella good story. And if you tell a goodstory, it has repercussions.”

Experience as an actor, then as awriter, director and/or producer offeature films, short films, documen-taries, made-for-TV movies and TVseries — a mix of his own projects and“hired gun” directing for others — hashoned his sense of story. “When I first read Paul’s script, I knew we had to tell this story.I knew it was important.

“Americans are very good at taking their history and embellishing it, rightly or wrongly, andmaking it bigger than life. They’ve told their stories, sometimes jingoistic and sometimes accurate.[Canadians] seem to lack the spirit to celebrate our stories. We don’t like to brag. Passchendaeleisn’t necessarily a part of history we’ve ignored, we just haven’t said much about it. But theFirst World War arguably defined Canada as a nation.

We don’t have to look far to find a personalconnection to the First World War. That’swhy it’s so important to tell the storyof Passchendaele.by Cathy Nickel

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‘90 years after Passchendaele,they’re still mourning. Canadians

are still dying in conflict. Whathave we learned? What has

the world learned?’



“This is the right time to tell this story. We’re inAfghanistan. Globalization is changing the world. Canadaneeds to re-identify itself.

“We need to remind ourselves that we can stand on ourown two feet as a nation.”

Bringing the story to life has been an epic task of itsown. At $20 million, it’s the most expensive Canadianproduction ever and brought together an unlikely mix ofgovernment, corporate and private funders. And then therewas the all-too-real battlefield.

Canadian Forces members signed on as actors, joiningextras who literally immersed themselves in muddy battlescenes. “People just couldn’t take it on a day-to-day basis,”Damberger says. “It was just too much. They were constantlycold and wet, and even though they wore wetsuits to helpmaintain body temperature, there was risk of hypothermiaon some days. We were only using blanks, but it was terrifyingfor people not used to the sound of guns.

“Yet we had hot meals, hot coffee, heaters, could go homeand have a shower at the end of the day. We realized that afterthe filming ended, all of this would be over for us. But foreveryone at Passchendaele, if they survived, they could neverleave it behind.”

One poignant moment drove the point home. Fact andfiction collided the day Canadian reservist Cpl. Nathan Hornburg(General Studies ’05) was killed in Afghanistan. On set, just as the sun was going down,soldier-actors in First World War uniforms gathered in silent tribute to a colleague who had died.

“It was really eerie. Ninety years after Passchendaele, they’re still mourning,” Damberger says quietly.“Canadians are still dying in conflict. What have we learned? What has the world learned?”

Will Passchendaele help find the answer?“Film and TV, especially TV, are the driving forces for information in our society. They’re the most powerful

mediums we have in today’s world. Are they being used effectively? Not always and not nearly as well as theyshould be. They’re both drivers of change and reflectors of change. Film encompasses many art forms — painting,photography, music, writing — and if used right, a film can become something that everyone connects with, andthat everyone needs to connect with.”

Audiences also need to connect with one another, he says. “It’s important to see a film on the big screen,the way the filmmaker intended it to be seen — to connect with the energy of others in the audience.

“Great films must get right under people’s skin and stay there. Passchendaele could be one of those films.It will be hard to forget. People will see Canada in a different light.”

‘Canadians seem to lackthe spirit to celebrate

our stories.’

Passion for theSTORY



Memorial Awards at Mount RoyalMore than a means of financial support, memorial scholarships and bursaries create lasting and meaningful memories for both donor

families and student recipients. A permanent plaque honouring the individual for whom the memorial endowment award was created

is placed in the Dr. John H. Garden Memorial Park, located at the heart of Mount Royal’s campus. Each August, family members are

invited to the memorial ceremony, where loved ones are remembered and celebrated. To set up a memorial endowment for a family

member or to find out more about the memorial program, please call (403) 440-7724.

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In September 2007, less that a month into a six-month tour

in Afghanistan, Cpl. Nathan Hornburg (General Studies ’05),

a member of the King’s Own Calgary Regiment, was killed

while helping to rescue a disabled tank in Panjwai District,

Kandahar. He was 24.

Hornburg’s family and Mount Royal College established

the Corporal Nathan Hornburg Memorial Scholarship

Endowment to honour his memory. Hornburg’s family says

he believed in education, and felt many of the problems

existing in war-torn countries were the result of an

under-educated population.

“One of Nathan’s main reasons for fighting for security in

Afghanistan was to give committed students a chance reach

their potential and think for themselves,” says Linda Loree

(Arts and Science ’65), Hornburg’s mother. “Now he’ll be

helping to do that at Mount Royal. We are grateful he will

be remembered this way.”

In a family where a son, his mother and sister all were

Mount Royal College students, ties to education and the

campus run deep. The new scholarship is a particularly

appropriate and enduring tribute.

“Mount Royal is a small community and Nathan’s death

had a deep impact across campus,” says Carole Simpson,

Executive Director, The Mount Royal College Foundation.

“Creating a scholarship in his name was our way to honour

his memory and create something positive out of such a

tragic loss.”

Heartacheto hopeCreating an enduring tributeto a fallen reservist

Hornburg appreciated his education, read widely, conversed

articulately and wrote poetry. His sense of responsibility

and fair play led him to deploy to Afghanistan as operator

of a Leopard II Armoured Recovery Vehicle with the Lord

Strathcona’s Horse Regiment. Proud to be the first reservist

to drive a tank since the Korean War, he hoped to help

establish security, especially so all children could attend

school.

The Corporal Nathan Hornburg Memorial Scholarship in

the Faculty of Arts will be awarded to a full-time second- or

subsequent-year student, based on academic proficiency,

financial need, community leadership and involvement in

sports or fitness. The endowed fund will generate sufficient

interest each year to award $500 to $1,000 annually. It will

continue in perpetuity and, as the fund grows, the awards

will increase.

Hornburg will be remembered at the annual In Memoriam

ceremony at Mount Royal in August, when his name will be

added to the memorial plaques in the Dr. John H. Garden

Memorial Park.

Donations to the Corporal Nathan Hornburg Memorial

Scholarship Endowment are welcome. Additional information

is available from The Foundation at (403) 440-7700.


‘Getting ripped’takes on a whole

new meaning when ado-it-at-home fitness

program helps buildthose covetedsix-pack abs.

Fitto betried

It’s not quite 9 a.m. and Jari Love (Personal Fitness Trainer ’00)

has already gone for a run and done an interview with The New

York Times. She looks ... well ... fabulous. Toned. Tanned.

Megawatt smile.

Ah, you’re tempted to think, another plastic personality cashing

in on society’s obsession with “looking good,” joining Suzanne

Somers and Lululemon designer yoga wear in the celebrity

get-fit-quick arena.

You couldn’t be more wrong. When it comes to fitness, Jari

Love is the real deal, well on her way to building a fitness empire

based on substance, not style.

Keenly interested in helping people get the most out of life, she has parlayed what she calls her “passion for fitness

and compassion for people” into a thriving business. Five Get Ripped! DVDs popular across North America, two Calgary

Fitness Plus gym locations, promo tours across Canada and the U.S., membership on the Fitness magazine advisory

board and scads of media interviews prove she “gets it” when it comes to understanding what people need and why.

“I really feel it’s my mission to help others,” says the 42-year-old mother of two, who credits a supportive family and

a strong faith for much of her success. She believes good fitness programs must have work-outs that are based on

sound knowledge and science, and that they be accessible to everybody, of every age, at every fitness level. The

former she achieves by bringing in experts to augment her own education. The latter by creating a welcoming in-gym

environment and DVDs that people can use on their own, in their own homes, on their own schedule. Combined,

they deliver what people want.

“As a fitness instructor, I have to live what I preach. But I can’t be out there saying ‘check me out, check me out.’

That just turns people off,” she says. “I’ve been the kid on the outside, the one who didn’t fit in. I know what it

feels like. So I don’t want to be a star. I know who I am and this is real.”

She believes the fitness industry is on the cusp of huge growth and plans to be one of its

leaders. “I see more attention being paid to kids and teens, and more on Baby Boomers,”

she says. “Kids and teens are so hooked on their Xboxes and Facebook. If they don’t get

active now, they’ll be in real trouble in the future. And when I see young girls obsessing

about being thin, but not about being healthy, it worries me. I’d love to do more work

with the videos to educate kids at an early age.

“And fitness will help keep Boomers younger and more able to enjoy their futures, and

we can really cater to their needs.”

She also expects to see more fitness programs that can be downloaded onto iPods and more

“just in time” delivery of programs to respond to market need and boost convenience. It’s all

going to mean a lot of hard work, so it’s a good thing she’s in shape for what the future will

demand.

“You know, many people said I’d fail at this, and some have been absolutely vicious. So I must

be doing something right. At the end of the day, if you’re willing to sacrifice weekends and work

12-hour days, it’s totally worth it. I honestly believe that one day, God’s going to ask: ‘What

did you do on this earth?’ My answer can’t be ‘I feel pretty.’”


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Jari Love’s abs “look as if theycould deflect an oncoming bus,”

wrote Abby Ellin in a Nov. 15, 2007,story in The New York Times.

Love was featured prominently inThe Fonda Factor, celebrating“older” women superstars in

the DVD fitness industry.

Want to get ripped?Pick up Love’s Get Ripped! DVDs at London Drugs, Wal-Mart, Costco,both Fitness Plus locations or online at jarilove.com.


The popularity of TLC’s Trading Spaces may have waned —

let’s face it, there are only so many ways pampas grass or old

hubcaps can be used as wall covering — but the near-cult-like

celebrity of designers like Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan,

Debbie Travis, or Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman

confirms we’re still obsessed with “interior design.”

Or does it?

Maddie Moss (Interior Design ’05) looks at all these media-

made design mavens and just shakes her head. “Everyone

thinks interior design is about choosing fabrics and wall

colours and finding that perfect pillow,” she says. “But

that’s scarcely 20 per cent of what we do.”

While TV shows and magazines emphasize how a space

looks — more accurately called interior decorating — interior

design focuses on how a space works. Interior decorating is

about fashion. Interior design is about our culture.

If we focus less on looks and more on making spaces work for people,can we create a Calgary that’s both more livable and more stylish?

Maddie Moss thinks so.

“Interior design is about functionality and space planning

and how people use a space,” Moss explains. “Most people

have never worked with an interior designer and don’t

realize that we create working drawings and blueprints

that are needed for development permits, or that we work

hand-in-hand with architects. They design a space’s ‘shell,’

and we help with interior space planning.”

An interior designer with 4living and also the owner of

Moss Interior Design, Moss works with commercial and

residential clients across the city to develop spaces that

work for people, including designing custom furniture.

She believes interior design aids or hinders daily life —

and isn’t particularly happy with what she sees in Calgary.

“Many spaces just don’t work,” she says. “There’s an

emphasis on trends, not quality. But we tend to live our

busy day-to-day lives not being aware that things can

be better.

Can moredesign mean less

URBAN


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“I think that when design really works, you feel something.

You might not be able to put your finger on the fact that

it’s the design, but you know the space works. I hope that

as Calgary becomes more of an international city, as people

become more prosperous, as more international retailers

come here, as people become more knowledgeable about

good design, there’ll be greater investment in interior

design.”

She acknowledges there’s still a lot of ground to be made

up before Canadians value design the way Europeans do —

“Canadians will spend big money on a flat-screen TV,” she

says with a laugh, “but Europeans would likely spend the

money on amazing furniture and forego the TV altogether”

— but she feels “there is a growing respect for interior

designers and the value we add. It’s not there yet, but it’s

getting there.” She knows our society’s consumerist bent, its

emphasis on copying the latest magazine-fuelled trends and

willingness to indulge in “prestige purchases” that impress

the neighbours aren’t going away any time soon. But small

shifts are starting to point toward a new direction.

“There’s a growing emphasis on environmentally sustainable

design,” she notes. “The focus on ‘green’ has become a pop

culture phenomenon. Ultimately, even if people don’t adopt

sustainable practices for ‘pure and honest’ reasons, they

will do it.

“And I also see a growth in areas like universal and

therapeutic design, which have a big impact on people’s

quality of life.”

Those transformations are what inspire her and convince

her she’s made the right career choice. “Design should be

accessible for everyone, and I’d like to see more projects

that really matter come to fruition. I believe I’m in this

field for a reason. It’s not to do ‘in’ design — it’s to make

a difference in people’s lives.”

JUNGLE?

What can you do with thatspare bedroom in your house?Maddie Moss was one of fiveinterior designers asked toanswer the question at theSeptember Calgary Homeand Interior Design Show.Her solution was featuredin a “design pod” for showvisitors to tour: a functional,stylish in-home office.


Accounting

Jonathan Reimche (’05) works in the

Corporate Advisory and Restructuring group of

PricewaterhouseCoopers in Toronto. He says the

work is very interesting and he finds himself

applying the entrepreneurial thinking he was

taught in the Bissett School of Business. He

earned his CA designation by completing the

UFE this fall, and was also nominated for PwC

Calgary Volunteer of the year in 2007.

Applied Business and Entrepreneurship

Jamie Hutton (’07) launched the business

plan for his Ultimate Garage company seven

years ago, competing in the inaugural Bissett

School of Business New Venture Competition,

and continues to be a successful business owner.

Put your garage in tip-top shape by checking

out www.ultimategarageinc.com.

Megan Lehn (’06) has opened a new restaurant,

Olive ‘R Twist Bistro & Bar, in Cochrane, Alta.

She won the Bissett School of Business New

Venture Competition for her business plan for

the restaurant — and is now seeing her dream

become reality. Visit the martini bar and trendy

restaurant on Main Street, right across from

the famous McKay’s Ice Cream.

Aviation

Sue (Kohut) Zawada (’91) became a Captain

with Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific in November.

After graduating, Zawada worked her way up

from Cessnas, twin-turbine Beech 99s and small

Falcon 20 jets, to 747s and the 777s she has

flown for the past eight years. She and her

husband Darrell have lived on Discovery Bay,

a small island off Hong Kong, for 10 years.

They have three children.

Broadcasting

Brian Duff (’92) joined the NHL Network in

September as host of the network’s signature

show, NHL On The Fly. Prior to this, he was the

pre- and post-game host for Toronto Maple Leafs

hockey on Leafs TV for six years. His 15 years in

the industry have included stints as the radio

host for pre- and post-game coverage of the

Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, anchor

and reporter at The Score, play-by-play for

Ottawa Rebel lacrosse and the Mann Cup, and

freelancing for U.S.-based media outlets

including ESPN and Associated Press.

Patrick Haas (’05) is going into his second

year doing play-by-play for The Salmon Arm

Silverbacks Hockey Club, and has also done two

seasons of play-by-play for the Calgary Vipers

professional baseball team. He launched his

career doing play-by-play for Cougars hockey

in 2003.

Darrel Stephenson (’76) invites classmates

to get in touch at [email protected].

Business Administration

Bob Nicolay (’78) has been named Vice-

President, Business Development, at Pengrowth

Management Limited. The 2007 MRC Distinguished

Alumnus was previously President and CEO of the

Calgary Olympic Development Association.

Matthew Stathonikos (’97) joined his father

in the collision repair business in Calgary.

Stathko Group operates three stores and opened

Autobahn CARSTAR Collision in August.

Child and Youth Care

Debi Spencer (’93) has headed cross-country,

leaving her position as a Coroner Investigator in

the Las Vegas Coroner’s Office to accept a new

post as an investigator with the Chief Medical

Examiner’s Office for the Commonwealth of

Virginia. Take a look behind the scenes of

forensic investigation on page 10.

Conservatory

Tanya Kalmanovitch (viola, violin) is a highly

respected music educator, composer, musician

and recording artist. She holds a Bachelor of

Music (Viola Performance) from The Juilliard

School, a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and

Master of Science from the University of Calgary

and a PhD (Ethnomusicology) from the University

of Alberta. She has three solo projects to her

credit, her own jazz quartet, Hut Five, and is

a founding member of the Brooklyn Jazz

Underground. Heralded as one of the world’s

foremost music educators, she teaches regularly

at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in

London, England, the Koninklijk Conservatorium

at Den Haag, Netherlands, and is a member of

the faculty of Creative Improvisation at Boston’s

New England Conservatory. She lives on the

U.S. east coast.

Funeral Director and Embalmer

Jeff Groenewegen (’05) is a realtor in

Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Class Notes is your

opportunity to reconnect

with classmates. Go to

www.mtroyal.ca/alumni or

e-mail [email protected]

(include your program and

the years you attended

Mount Royal). If you’d like

classmates to get in touch,

add your e-mail address.

Class Notes listings have

been submitted by alumni

or pulled from media

stories.

Don’t miss a beat!Sign up for eNEWS

Breaking news. Deals anddiscounts for alumni. Invitationsto special events, concerts and

theatre presentations. Volunteeropportunities. Sign up for the

Alumni e-Newsletter to get thelatest news. Send an e-mail to

[email protected] today!


General Arts and Science

Jeff Price (’07) has added his point guard

talents to the University of Calgary Dinos

basketball team.

Kyle Sheen (’06) has taken his Cougars

hockey experience to the United Hockey

League’s Huntsville Havoc in Alabama, where

the forward has been signed for the 2007-08

season. He previously played for the Kalamazoo

Wings, Richmond Riverdogs and Port Huron

Beacons of the UHL, and junior hockey with

the Western Hockey League.

General Studies

Scott Butts (’03) is the new head coach of

the Terrace, B.C., River Kings senior men’s

hockey club. A former Cougars hockey player,

he helped coach the MRC’s men’s and women’s

teams before joining the RCMP. He has played

semi-pro hockey in Alaska and also was part of

the coaching team for the Canadian women’s

team in the 2002 Olympics.

Interior Design

Maddie Moss (’05) was one of the featured

designers offering creative solutions to hard-to-

use rooms at the fall 2007 Calgary Home and

Interior Design Show. She works at 4living, where

some of her talents are dedicated to designing

custom furniture, and also has her own company,

Moss Interior Design. Read how interior design

is now part of everyday life on page 30.

International Business and SupplyChain Management

Gina Guimont (’06) is turning a stint on TV

show Canada’s Next Top Model into an exciting

worldwide career. Read how she’s bringing it

all together on page 18.

Journalism

Tom Babin (’99) was named Entertainment

Editor at the Calgary Herald in October. He

worked at newspapers in several communities

in southern Alberta before working at Calgary’s

Fast Forward. He moved to the Herald in 2004

as a copy editor before moving on to Swerve

magazine and then Entertainment, where he

has been Assistant Editor.

Emma Gilchrist (’06) has created The Green

Guide, a website that offers information about

recycling, tips on living “green.” Find out more

on page 5.

remarkable achievements include World Cup

gold in 2005, silver in 2003, world championship

titles in 2002, 2004 and 2006, and a 2000

Paralympic silver medal. He was voted by his

peers as the international player representative

for standing volleyball. He played professionally

among able-bodied players in Germany

in 2004-05.

Sharlene Massie (’90) founded About Staffing

in 1996 and now has offices in Calgary and

Edmonton, more than 20 employees and has

helped match up thousands of clients and

candidates. She closes out this issue of

Reflections on page 36.

Hilary McMeekin (’95) is a PR practitioner with

TransAlta in Calgary and the Chair of the MRC

Public Relations Program Advisory Committee.

Last June, she was presented with two Gold Quill

Awards at the IABC International Conference in

New Orleans: A Gold Quill Award of Excellence in

Publications for Mapping Our Future and the Jake

Whittmer Award for effective use of research in

informing strategic communications. She also

presented the Mapping Our Future project as a

speaker at the conference.

Paul Rosenberg (’83) is the new Associate

Vice-President of Sales and Programming for

the Calgary Stampede. He will become a vice-

president and member of the executive team

following an executive transition planned for

mid-2008. With the Stampede for more than 21

years, he has held five management positions in

promotions, publicity, corporate sponsorship,

sales and programming.

Suzanna Shelley (’04) has left the U.K. and

is working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean as

a Communications Manager.

Jenna Stuckey (’06) works in media relations

with Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine in Banff.

Theatre Arts

Jon Johnson (’07) performed in Alberta

Theatre Projects’ critically acclaimed production

of Rabbit Hole in September. In a media

interview, he credited his MRC program with

preparing him for the rigours of being a actor:

“It’s a really good program. …It’s great because

they get a lot of directors and actors from the

Calgary professional community to come in, so

you get a lot of experience working with [them].

…I was really impressed with how professional

rehearsals were at Mount Royal compared to

Leanne Hachey (’95) started out in print and

moved into television, then decided she wanted

a career where she could build on the skills she

had learned in both print and in television. She

went back to school to do her MPA in Halifax and

in Lund, Sweden, and started with the Canadian

Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in

2002. She is now the Vice-President, Atlantic

Canada, for CFIB.

Justice Studies

Landon Giraudier (’04) lives in Pilot Butte,

Sask., and started 18 weeks of training at the

Saskatchewan Police College in January.

Marketing Management

Laura Littlechilds (’06) and a long-time friend

are the new co-owners of Ricky’s All Day Grill

in Prince Albert, Sask.

Nursing

Vivienne Hudson (’82) is hoping plans for

a 25th anniversary reunion are in the works.

“I live in Nova Scotia and want to know if

anyone is planning to organize a get-together.”

Get the ball rolling and get in touch with her

at [email protected].

Personal Fitness Trainer

Jari Love (’00) was profiled in The New York

Times’ The Fonda Factor, an article focusing on

older women as superstars in the DVD fitness

industry. The 42-year-old was also named one of

2008’s 20 Compelling Calgarians by the Calgary

Herald. Read how she has built a business of

health and fitness on page 26.

Physical Education

Alicia Loader (’06) played soccer at Mount

Royal before transferring to the U of C where

she studies nursing and kinesiology. In a back-

to-school Calgary Herald article, she offered

advice to help first-year post-secondary

students be successful: join a club or sign

up for a sport team.

Public Relations

Natalie Harper (’06) was recently promoted

to Account Executive with Brookline PR.

Neil Johnson (’06) is credited with breaking

barriers for disabled athletes around the

world. The former Cougar and three-time world

standing volleyball champion announced his

retirement from the sport in August. His


Matthew Ryan Bienert (1979-2007)Aviation ’99

Anthony Joseph Bockman (1918-2007)Former employee

Philip Bollmann (1988-2007) Open Studies ’07

Glenn Dewey Burgess (1921-2007)Former instructor, Biology

Anne Combe (1962-2007)Medical Office Assistant ’83

Ronald Hamilton Feist (1950-2007)Former student

Mary Susan (Davidson) Howard(1916-2008)Former student, 1930s

Walter Eastwood Howard (1920-2008)Former Board of Governors member

Harold Irving (1927-2007)High School ’47, MRC DistinguishedAlumnus ’96

the way they were in the real world.” MRC had

strong representation in the production:

Vanessa Holmes (’98) and Curt McKinstry

(’93) were also performers, Karen Fleury (’97)

was assistant stage manager and Glenda

Stirling, a part-time faculty member, directed.

Haysam Kadri (’96) played Fagan in Alberta

Theatre Projects’ presentation of Oliver Twist

last fall. Kadri is also a graduate of the

University of Alberta and spent six seasons as

a member of the Stratford Festival of Canada.

Since returning to Calgary last year, he has

performed with Mount Royal’s Shakespeare

in the Park and Lunchbox Theatre.

Joe Macleod (’00) is host of YTV’s Ghost

Trackers, which is in its second season. In

addition to helping kids find ghosts, he is the

lead singer of the band Day Theory, which

provided the theme music for MTV’s Monster

Island (Macleod has a lead role in the series).

Thomas Arthur Jones (1938-2008)Police Sciences ’75

Audrey Kahler (1934-2007)Former employee and volunteer

David Peter Klassen (1911-2007)Former employee, Grounds

Frances Patricia Killey (1929-2007)Former student, High School

Harold Houston Love (1914-2007)Former Chairman of the FinanceCommittee, Board of Governors

Vladimir Orel (1952-2007)Former instructor, English

Omer Patrick (1930-2007)University Transfer ’48

Jack Timmins (1939-2007)Business ’71

Crystal Alison (Hehr) Violante(1976-2007)Public Relations ’04

Nathan Hornburg (1983-2007)General Studies ’05

Cpl. Nathan Hornburg was killed inAfghanistan on Sept. 24, 2007. The 24-year-old reservist from the King’s Own CalgaryRegiment had “a warrior’s heart,” accordingto his family, and was never afraid to leadothers, encouraging bravery in fellowsoldiers in times of adversity. He believedin education and felt that many of theproblems existing in war-torn countrieswere the result of an under-educatedpopulation. A memorial scholarship hasbeen established in his name at MountRoyal, a particularly appropriate andenduring tribute. It will be awarded to astudent studying in the Bachelor of Artsprogram who demonstrates both academicachievement and community leadership.Read more about the scholarship onpage 25.

He has also guest starred in various TV shows,

including Nickelodeon’s Romeo!, The Collector

and Smallville, and has appeared in movies

Scooby Doo 2 and Elf.

University Transfer

Francis Damberger (’77), and MRC’s 2001

Distinguished Alumnus, is co-producer of

Passchendaele, an epic film depicting one of

Canada’s greatest, least-understood triumphs

of the First World War. This major work, led by

Canadian actor Paul Gross, is scheduled for

release on Remembrance Day 2008. The

award-winning filmmaker, whose home base

is Tofield, Alta., shares thoughts on his art

and industry on page 22.

Gerald Hankins (’41) is a retired surgeon

living in Canmore, Alta. The Second World War

veteran shared memories of his time as a

navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force

Flight Command in a local Remembrance Day

newspaper article. Gerald’s mother, Gladys

Towner, graduated from MRC High School in

1915. Gladys was an editor for the Mount Royal

Chinook yearbook from 1912-1914.

Sandy Nickel (’91) is an Operations Manager in

the Primary Care Division, Community Health

Services, with Capital Health in Edmonton.

Tracy Suppes (’88) started Eclectic Research

Services, a company to assist businesses with

finding and disseminating information. Contact

her at [email protected].

In MemoriamThe Mount Royal College family pays tribute to classmates, friends, instructors and colleagues who have passed away in recent months.To submit memorial announcements, please contact the Editor.


C L O S I N G W O R D S

When I graduated, I believed I would land a job somewhere as

a P.R. coordinator and that would be my lifetime career. After

graduation, I applied to employment agencies to help me find

something in the field, and my mind was closed to anything else.

But one of those agencies convinced me I could do very well in sales, make a lot of money and meet

every human resources manager in Calgary. I had student loans to pay and three kids to feed, so I

took the job, thinking it would be short term. That agency was right! I was successful in sales.

But true success came much later, in 1996, when I started About Staffing. The About Staffing head

office is in Calgary and I also have a branch in Edmonton. I have 20+ internal staff, thousands of

clients and candidates, and have placed well over 10,000 people in jobs. It has grown into a multi-

million-dollar company with several domain names, three trademarks and a reputation for excellence.

We focus on office placements for small- to medium-sized businesses and everything and everyone

we touch is based on four core values: loyalty, enthusiasm, stability and sincerity.

Did I have any idea when I graduated that I would create a presence in our community? No way.

When I think about what I do now as CEO and Visionary of About Staffing, though, I am responsible

for the positive image of my company. I write a long-standing column in the Calgary Sun and

Edmonton Sun career sections every Sunday, I appear on City TV Big Breakfast every couple of

weeks discussing employment issues and I write articles for magazines and newsletters North

America wide. I deliver speeches weekly, win and accept awards, write business plans and ads,

create marketing ideas and plans, solve problems and issues, teach “boss school” to employers

and am the go-to expert for the news media.

I sometimes wonder if I do more P.R. than the P.R. coordinators out there!

The past 18 years have taken my life to levels and experiences I could never have imagined.

Sometimes we get our minds set on a job title or job duties and we refuse to see what else is

available, especially if we have spent day-in and day-out focusing on that one last assignment or

term paper.

Maybe we should be taught that our career path can be more of a general idea, and if we grasp

what we’re good at and focus on our strengths instead of weaknesses, we will end up successful

and happy with our jobs, no matter what they end up being.

My job as CEO and Visionary of About Staffing is public relations — just without the title.

Sharlene MassiePublic Relations ’90

Sometimes your dream job isthe one you make for yourself.

What’s ina title?

Photo courtesy Sharlene Massie

Spring 2008 Layout - Mount Royal University

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