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JOURNALISM: DECELERATED Alumnus Jeremy Klaszus is an independant journalist breaking the hamster wheel of 24/7 news.
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There are more than 100,000 Mount Royal University alumni making a difference around the world. In this sea of genuinely successful folks, we pause to celebrate four outstanding alumni.
WORDS BY JULIE MACDONALD PHOTOS BY CHAO ZHANG
It’s their dedication to their craft. It’s how they help others achieve success. It’s how they give back to their communities. And it’s how they continue to contribute to their alma mater, long after graduation. Mount Royal is celebrating four outstanding alumni who have excelled in both their academic and professional lives. They all do different things; there’s an academic, a social entrepreneur, an interior designer and an executive coach. But they all embody what it means to be Mount Royal University alumni and serve as inspiration for everyone around them. The Alumni Achievement Awards are presented in three categories: • The Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award recognizes alumni at the culmination of their careers who have brought honour to their profession and alma mater • The Outstanding Alumni Award acknowledges alumni who demonstrate exceptional achievements in their fields • The Horizon Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of alumni early in their careers
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Walter Hossli
Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Award Social Services Diploma, 1985
One who likes to make things grow, Walter Hossli is an avid gardener in his free time.
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Walter Hossli is one of Calgary’s most accomplished social entrepreneurs. He is a respected advocate for the rights, dignity and creation of business and employment opportunities for Calgarians at the economic margins. Originally from Switzerland, Hossli switched from his first career in architectural technology and construction after attending Mount Royal to earn a Social Services diploma. He changed his life’s direction to pursue his passion for working with people and helping them reach their true potential. “Going back to school as a mature student at the age of 30 meant that I was truly interested in every course I signed up for,” Hossli says. “Studying was easy and good marks followed. This gave me the confidence to not undervalue my capacity just because I had grown up in a different country.” Hossli went on to lead the Arusha Centre in Calgary and become a refugee claimant caseworker back in Switzerland. Then, in 1991, he created MCC Employment Development, now known as Momentum, a community economic development group with the mandate of increasing prosperity for those living on limited means. More than 25 years and numerous awards later, Momentum now has a staff of 60 and offers 20 programs to 3,000 participants per year. “Together with a strong team of leaders, we created an organization that offers innovative and empowering programs with real results,” Hossli says. “Most importantly, we built an organization that has changed systems in order to improve the lives of low-income Calgarians.” Story continues on page 54.
Jenn Lofgren
Outstanding Alumni Award Business Administration — Human Resources Diploma, 2006
When not coaching others to be their best in business, Jenn Lofgren challenges herself on the links.
As a young female executive coach without prior experience in a senior leadership role, Jenn Lofgren has broken the mould. Many people told her she lacked credibility and was crazy to launch her own company — especially after she had already established a successful career building information technology network infrastructure. But Lofgren was unfulfilled, and while she could have sought advancement opportunities, she didn’t want to follow the same path as her former employers. “They were all great people deep down, but stressed out and micromanaging because they had never been supported or developed as leaders.” Two factors led Lofgren to pursue a career change: her dissatisfaction with working for others and recognizing which aspects of the job she enjoyed. “I loved working with my team and developing their capabilities and business acumen. What if I could find a way to make partnering with business leaders and people development the core of what I do?” Lofgren enrolled at Mount Royal to obtain a Business Administration — Human Resources diploma. The small class sizes and professors who had connections to the business community combined to create an environment critical to her success. Her experience also helped quell any uncertainty she felt about moving on. “The co-op program allowed me to get a real sense for the new career I was embarking on to help boost my confidence that I was going in the right direction.” Story continues on page 54.
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Sarah Ward Sarah Ward has been a designer as far back as she can remember. “As a child, I was always interested in building environments, whether it was Lego villages or homes for my dolls,” Ward says. “At 13 I was thrilled with the possibility of getting to design my own room when we moved to Calgary, and shortly after that, I recall doing a presentation on interior design for a careers project at school.” Today, Ward is the brains and creative spirit behind Sarah Ward Interiors, a design company specializing in creating innovative work and living spaces, as well as iconic public gathering places for clients in the retail and restaurant sectors. A small sampling of her work is the look and feel of Two Penny, Home and Away, Proof and Brookline Public Relations. “I think I understood early on how space could affect different people and define a user’s experience. I was fascinated with exploring that idea.” With a philosophy that celebrates a process of thoughtful discovery of a space intertwined with meeting a client’s needs, Ward immerses herself in the design process to encompass where Calgary’s story can be both generated and told. Typically, Ward’s favourite project is her most recent one. In this case, it’s Alumni Sandwiches. “We really proved that our team could create a space that was truly unique on a budget that others didn’t believe possible.” Story continues on page 55.
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Outstanding Alumni Award Bachelor of Applied Interior Design, 2004
Sarah Ward regularly immerses herself in Calgary’s culture with her favourite companion Oliver, who is a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. She is also a jazz aficionado.
Geoff Schoenberg Horizon Award
Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship — Sport and Recreation, 2007
Geoff Schoenberg is the first alumnus out of Mount Royal’s sport management program to achieve a PhD in the discipline, which he completed at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Now based out of the Centre for Sport Research at Deakin University, Schoenberg is one of only 10 research fellows from around the world working with the Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne. “Much of the academic work in the sport field is focused on western countries with well-developed sport systems. India’s sport system is still developing. Outside of cricket, a lot of the success of Indian athletes comes in spite of the system rather than because of it,” Schoenberg says. Since beginning the role in September 2016, Schoenberg has travelled to India several times to deliver workshops on sport governance and meet with government, business and sport leaders who are helping him shape and identify a research agenda that addresses the needs of the Indian sport system. Schoenberg’s valuable industry experience before starting graduate studies includes assisting community sport organizations and co-ordinating volunteers. “I’ve been lucky to have been ‘on the ground’ in delivering sport, working with organizations and students, developing and implementing programs and other tangible work. Much of this involved individual interactions and, hopefully, led to positive impacts on the people I’ve worked with.” Story continues on page 55.
Nominate an amazing classmate for a 2019 Alumni Achievement Award Do you know a notable member of our MRU alumni community? Someone who has made exceptional contributions to their community and in their professional lives? Submit your nomination for 2019 at mru.ca/AAA.
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PHOTO BY COLIN WAY
Cultivating lifelong connections In spring 2018, we had our largest graduating cohort ever with more than 1,700 new alumni. Their success pushed our total number of Mount Royal alumni to more than 100,000, with nearly 80,000 in Calgary and the rest making a difference in 39 countries around the world. I often run into alumni, whether it’s by reaching out to them when I travel, attending local meetings or going about my day-to-day life. To say these interactions are delightful is an understatement — the nurse in the emergency room providing care to my child, the Transitional Vocational Program grad who works where I grocery shop and the alum who is my fitness trainer. Reaching out to veteran alumni and asking them to connect with a recent graduate is also very rewarding. Without fail, the response is, “No problem. I
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remember when ‘so and so’ did the same for me. I’ll get a hold of them right away.” It’s just the Mount Royal way — to be welcoming and supportive. The University plays a big role in helping to nurture relationships between alumni, the campus community and other partners. Summit magazine is one way we do this. In this issue you will see stories about successful alumni, campus highlights and several featuring graduates effecting positive change. Being an MRU grad also comes with some excellent perks. For example, did you know you can access Career Services for up to eight years after graduating from your program? You can even enjoy a free lifetime membership at the University Library, housed in the Riddell Library and Learning Centre. Reciprocally, we appreciate when you pay forward the support you got at Mount Royal. You can mentor a
student, contribute to scholarships and bursaries, participate in an advisory group or simply make sure your information with us is current to strengthen our alumni network. None of these connections or opportunities can happen unless we have your contact information. Go to mru.ca/AllAboutU to ensure we can get a hold of you, and you can get a hold of us. The fruits borne from Mount Royal’s vision to provide an exceptional undergraduate education are indeed sweet. And because you always belong here, they last a lifetime.
David Docherty, PhD President, Mount Royal University
Dear alumni,
Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top... Being a Mount Royal alum comes with some pretty sweet benefits. The best
way to have your cake and eat it too is to update your contact info with us.
Update your contact info today! mru.ca/AllAboutU
Alumni benefits are like icing on the cake Claim your benefits
Get involved
Give the gift of education
Be in touch
Mount Royal alumni can enjoy a whole world of benefits including: • discounted Recreation memberships • access to Career Services up to eight years after graduation • cheaper concert tickets • preferred insurance rates
Become a mentor, volunteer at Open House or Convocation or attend an event. There are so many ways to give your time to Mount Royal. Sign up for the alumni enewsletter at mru.ca/AllAboutU to stay in the loop.
Every student can use a helping hand on their journey. Consider contributing to an alumni scholarship or bursary. Visit mru.ca/Giving for more info.
We’d love to hear from you. Our Alumni Relations office is available for you Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. alumni@mtroyal.ca 403.440.7000 @mrualumni
CO N T EN T S
In this issue 6
Letter from the president
| 11
Bleed Blue: campus highlights
| 18
Research snapshot
| 56
Checking in with MRU alumni
F E AT U R E S :
20 On the cover:
JOURNALISM: DECELERATED
Alumnus Jeremy Klaszus is crowdfunding his journalism outlet, The Sprawl, as a return to in-depth, investigative storytelling and a reaction against the prevalent “churnalism” of today.
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Alumni Achievement Awards Mount Royal’s alumni count has topped 100,000, four of which are the recipients of a 2018 Alumni Achievement Award. Being recognized are a social entrepreneur, executive coach, interior designer and sports researcher, each of whom has used their education to do great things for themselves and others.
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A self-described “street nurse,” alumna Rachael Edwards is on the ground working with the Calgary Allied Mobile Palliative Project (CAMPP), a groundbreaking program for those experiencing homelessness providing death with dignity.
Four alumni entrepreneurs have come up with cool ways to help diversify the economy while also incorporating sustainability and a commitment to community into their smallbusiness plans.
Coming together at the end
Alumni Marketplace
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Rolling out legal cannabis Universities across Canada are trying to find their way through the haze created by the legalization of cannabis, with Mount Royal starting from a harm-reduction standpoint.
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Alumni in this issue
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The chemistry between us Mount Royal has launched its 32nd major, a Bachelor of Science — Chemistry, which faculty members say promises to create and graduate some of the best scholars in the field.
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Studies in kindness English professor and author Kit Dobson, PhD, reveals what he has learned about resilience, reconciliation, respect and why being nice is a good thing.
Maj. Denis Bandet
Vik Mall
Aviation diploma, 1997 (Page 11)
Business Administration diploma, 2007 (Page 56)
Julia Barnes Bachelor of Business Administration — Accounting, 2006 (Page 34) Paul Brandt Nursing diploma, 1992 (Page 14) Briare Crawford Bachelor of Communication — Public Relations, 2017 (Page 36) Chelsey Creller
Paul McAleer Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, 2018 (Page 23) Lorne Motley Journalism diploma, 1986 (Page 24) Kurt Oatway University Transfer Certificate — Geology, 2004 (Page 16)
Bachelor of Nursing, 2017 (Page 19)
Dustin Paisley
Roisin Dillon
Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2015 (Page 36)
Bachelor of Nursing, 2018 (Page 16)
Jamie Parker
Doug Dirks
Health and Physical Education (Page 37)
Sports Administration diploma, 1983 (Page 16)
Devon Proctor
Rachael Edwards
Bachelor of Communication — Information Design, 2017 (Page 17)
Bachelor of Nursing, 2010 (Page 27) Jameela Ghann Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2011 (Page 35) Jordan Hofmeister Bachelor of Science — General Science (Page 40) Walter Hossli Social Services diploma, 1985 (Page 2) Lindsay Jones Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management, 2011 (Page 16) Basil Kelly
Kevin Read Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship, 2006 (Page 17) Tim Richter Bachelor of Applied Communications — Public Relations, 1999 (Page 32) Geoff Schoenberg Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship — Sport and Recreation, 2007 (Page 5) Brandon Shokoples Bachelor of Science — Health Science, 2017 (Page 46)
General Studies (Page 39)
Kathleen Smiley
Jeremy Klaszus
Bachelor of Communication — Public Relations, 2017 (Page 36)
Bachelor of Applied Communications — Journalism, 2006 (Page 20) Wes Lafortune Bachelor of Applied Communications — Journalism, 2000 (Page 17) Jenn Lofgren Human Resources diploma, 2006 (Page 3)
Sarah Ward Bachelor of Applied Interior Design, 2004 (Page 4) Mike Wenzlawe Bachelor of Health and Physical Education, 2013 (Page 37)
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CO N T R I B U TO RS
Meet the team VICE–PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Paul Rossmann
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Rossmann EDITOR Michelle Bodnar BCMM (Applied) ’05 ART DIRECTOR Michal Waissmann BCMM (Applied) ’07 PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Deb Abramson Journalism diploma ’77 COPY EDITORS Peter Glenn Ruth Myles Andrea Ranson Public Relations diploma ’85 Frankie Thornhill Social Work diploma ’07 COVER ILLUSTRATION Yippiehey c/o JSR Agency DESIGN Leslie Blondahl BCMM ’14 Mike Poon Christina Riches BCMM ’14 Michal Waissmann Chao Zhang PHOTOGRAPHY Curtis Desiatnyk Business Administration and Insurance Co-Operative Education diploma ‘03 Leonora André Mike Poon Christina Riches Colin Way Chao Zhang ILLUSTRATIONS Dave Murray Yippiehey c/o JSR Agency CONTRIBUTORS Jonathan Anderson BCMM ’13 Valerie Berenyi Michelle Bodnar Justine Farago BCMM ‘18 Peter Glenn Brendan Greenslade BCMM (Applied) ‘10 Julie Macdonald BCMM ‘13 Dave McLean Ruth Myles Rob Petrollini BCMM (Applied) ’07 Melissa Rolfe
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In light of our look at the strength of journalistic endeavours today (despite opinions to the contrary) on page 20, we asked Summit contributors, “Where do you get your news?” “I do my best to avoid going straight to my social media feeds, but it can be very hard. I admire the dedication and talent of the New York Times editorial staff. I also love the BBC. News with accents is just better.” — michelle bodnar
“As a former ink-stained wretch I still love Calgary’s newspapers, but it’s hard to resist the immediacy of news through apps on my phone, especially the Reuters app.” — peter glenn
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. And Reddit. ” — michal waissmann
“There are many good podcasts that go beyond the headlines and provide context from several articles and sources. It means I can get more context without spending a lot of time on research myself.” — leslie blondahl
“I read the Globe and Mail online and the Toronto Star on the library website, The Guardian online and political columnists from all over. The halfhour Global National at 5:30 p.m. is my go-to daily world news wrap-up and cue to stop working.” — frankie thornhill
“Our national public broadcaster — CBC — on all platforms.” — rob petrollini
“One digital news media company that has really made an impact on my news reading habits is Quartz. Their website is amazing and they have an easy-to-skim daily digest. It’s news for the 21st century. qz.com” — dave mclean
ASSOCIATE VICE–PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Melanie Rogers DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS Andrea Ranson DIRECTOR, MARKETING Dave McLean Summit is the Mount Royal University magazine, published in the fall and spring of each year. Our circulation is approximately 63,000 recipients. Each issue features the exceptional students, faculty, alumni and supporters of Mount Royal University. Summit tells the University’s ongoing story to its various audiences, showcasing the aspirations, achievements and contributions of the Mount Royal community. In doing so, the magazine illustrates Mount Royal’s profile as a provider of an exceptional undergraduate educational experience. ISSN 1929-8757 Summit Publications Mail Agreement #40064310 Return undeliverables to: Mount Royal University 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 6K6 You can enjoy Summit online by visiting mru.ca/Summit If you would like us to deliver a print copy to your office or home, simply email summit@mtroyal.ca Mount Royal University is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Iyarhe Nakoda. The city of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation. Sustainably yours.
We’re sorry The Spring/Summer 2018 edition of Summit included photos of people residing in United Active Living’s Garrison Green residence placed within an article on dementia. This placement suggested those individuals have dementia. They do not. We regret this misrepresentation and appreciate the chance to clarify.
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Complete listings of events and happenings at MRU can be found at mru.ca/Events.
Mount Royal alumni, we want to hear all about you. Get back in touch, sign up for updates on alumni events and receive exclusive benefits at mru.ca/AllAboutU. Follow us on Twitter at @mruAlumni.
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Scholarships awarded for study at Commonwealth Games sites Twelve students will get the exciting opportunity to study at Commonwealth Games sites such as Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Zambia and Namibia over the next four years. The Office of International Education will receive up to $82,000 as a recipient of the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program. These scholarships were awarded in part because of the University’s Sport Leaders International Internship Program. The funding will support 12 international internships ($6,000 each) for qualified students. In total, $5.8 million of funding will support 650 students in 20 Canadian university-led projects. Also included is an additional $1,000 per student to support networking, leadership and community engagement activities.
See STARS, Bill and Joel Plaskett, Dave Kelly Live and more at this year’s Taylor Centre Concert Season.
TAYLORMADE FOR CALGARY WORLD-CLASS SHOWS
Get your tickets at
TAYLORCENTRE.CA
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He’s the “Boss”
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When Aviation diploma alumnus Maj. Denis Bandet (1997) ended his first tour with the Snowbirds, he had a feeling he’d be back. His intuition proved right when he rejoined his aerobatic colleagues for the 2017/18 season as their team lead, No. 1, a.k.a. the “Boss.” “From day one you’re always looking ahead to be goal-oriented,” Bandet said. “I had the support of all my commanders. The CO (commanding officer) and everyone were behind me coming back to the team.” But the transition from team member to lead has its own set of challenges. Each pilot brings a unique skill set and the training plan is crafted individually towards them. “It’s a balance,” Bandet said. “I have to find out what works for the team.” In most workplaces, being the boss means seeing the big picture so employees can do their jobs. In the air, that’s literally the case, as eight other pilots match their flying off Bandet’s wings. “If I roll too fast to the left, I’m going to leave the right side in the dust and the left side of the formation is going to get a very different view of my airplane.” As a leader, Bandet is not immune to feedback. In fact, he said it helps his work. “Some days I make mistakes, but that’s the good part of our team. We’re able to check our egos at the door. I’m willing to accept criticism so that I can improve and we can do a better job.” When asked what prepared him for the lead role, Bandet was pragmatic. “You’re the sum of all your experiences. I don’t think I could have done this job 10 years ago.” His advice for emerging leaders? “Embrace the moment, keep working towards your goal, and remember to respect and appreciate those around you.” Want to learn how to fly? Go to mru.ca/Aviation.
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Otahpiaaki producer Taryn Hamilton shows off an original design by Angel Aubichon
Spirit River Striped Wolf sews an Otahpiaaki bag
The interior of the Otahpiaaki container at the Junction Pop-Up Retail Park this summer
Tayrn Hamilton and Spirit River Striped Wolf
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Continuing the path to Indigenization
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OTAHPIAAKI 2018 REPRESENTS INDIGENOUS STYLE AND ADVOCACY Otahpiaaki 2018 brought together Indigenous fashion designers, artists, musicians and performers at the beginning of November to celebrate the many forms of Indigenous beauty. A social innovation project developed through MRU’s Bissett School of Business and headed up by Professor Patti Derbyshire, Otahpiaaki is much more than just a fashion show. It reflects innovative research by students on decolonizing the runway, Indigenous design, economic reconciliation and capacity building. Producer and researcher Spirit River Striped Wolf, a policy studies student at Mount Royal, describes Otahpiaaki as a seven-generations,
"seed-to-runway" economic model focused on Indigenous fashion and design. “We have a growing network of Indigenous designers from across Canada. There’s so much potential there.” The name comes from the Blackfoot language and describes the moment when the sole and the vamp of the moccasin are sewn together. Artists and designers include Angel Aubichon of the Peepeekisis Cree Nation, Tobi Naatoyitapiaak DavisEagle Speaker from the Kainai Nation, Derek Jagodzinsky from the Whitefish First Nation and Justin Louis of the Maskwacis Nation. More at otahpiaakifashionweek.com.
Walking With Our Sisters
Moccasin tops
WALKING WITH OUR SISTERS Walking With Our Sisters (WWOS) took up temporary residence at Mount Royal’s Riddell Library and Learning Centre last spring. The installation displays 1,665 pairs of moccasin tops created by more than 1,400 volunteers to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people across North America. “Our goals have been to honour and remember the lives of our sisters who have been lost, many of whom have never received justice, and to stand with grieving families and remind them that we have not forgotten,” said Wynter Ducharme, a co-lead of WWOS Calgary. WWOS is visiting more than 25 locations across North America before the tour ends in September 2019. Find out where WWOS will be next at walkingwithoursisters.ca.
Billy-Ray Belcourt
COLLABORATING ON INDIGENOUS CURRICULUM Formally opened in January 2018, the Office of Academic Indigenization (OAI) leads the implementation of the academic recommendations in Mount Royal’s Indigenous Strategic Plan. In doing this work, the OAI is consulting and collaborating with faculty, chairs and deans, the Iniskim Centre, the Indigenous communities of Treaty 7 and other stakeholders within and external to Mount Royal. Highly acclaimed author and academic Billy-Ray Belcourt was on campus last spring as the first emerging scholar-in-residence of the OAI. Belcourt, from the Driftpile Cree Nation northwest of Edmonton, is a poet, 2016 Rhodes Scholar and a PhD candidate in English and film studies at the University of Alberta. Learn more about the OIA at mru.ca/OIA.
SPECIAL INDIGENOUS OFFERINGS REPRESENT STEPS TOWARDS RECONCILIATION Siksika elder Clarence Wolfleg Senior (Elder Miiksika’am) recognized Mount Royal last April with a rare distinction: an Honour Song for the University and a Blackfoot name and headdress for President David Docherty. The song, composed by Elder Miiksika’am, will be performed during events and ceremonies on campus. Docherty was given the name Mokakii’na, which means “wise leader.” Elder Miiksika’am explained that a headdress honours and acknowledges a leader’s accomplishments, protects the wearer during challenges and commits them to continuing to be a foundational member of the community. “Wearing a headdress shows leadership and caring for your people,” Miiksika’am said. Made of eagle feathers, the headdress is adorned with ribbons in Mount Royal blue. Docherty was humbled, particularly because of his respect for Elder Miiksika’am. “The Honour Song gifted to Mount Royal is nothing less than that — an honour. And it will serve as a reminder that we have made promises, and that tremendous people like Elder Miiksika’am have faith in us.” Accepting the headdress and name, Docherty said, “I want to do you, all Indigenous Peoples, this name and this headdress proud ... I realize (they) come with obligations I must honour — to be a leader in service of communities.”
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Inspiring and motivating new grads
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Because of their achievements, leadership and generosity, a distinguished list headlined this year’s collection of spring honorary degree recipients. JOHN LACEY Honorary Bachelor of Arts — Policy Studies John Lacey, PhD, had an esteemed career in engineering with experience in energy exploration, production, transportation and marketing, working with governments and private sector clients around the world. He serves as chair of the Conservatory’s advisory committee at Mount Royal University. WO R DS
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BARBARA JEAN FRASER Honorary Bachelor of Education — Elementary A tireless volunteer for more than 50 years, Barbara Jean Fraser’s dedication and leadership has brought about major changes in the delivery of health care, education and social services in Alberta. She also served on MRU’s Board of Governors from 1982 to 1998.
PAUL BRANDT Honorary Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management A Mount Royal nursing program alumnus, country music superstar Paul Brandt is dedicated to humanitarian causes, social consciousness and creativity with a purpose. He is currently the campus’ storyteller-in-residence.
“Play to your strengths. Be very kind to your knees. You’re going to miss them when they’re gone.”
“We all have quirks. Misconceptions. A certain amount of rightness or wrongness. Civility says it’s not up to me to convince other people of truth. Truth will convince people on its own.”
W IS D O M:
“Take a broad view. The world today actually needs generalists rather than specialists.”
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BRET HART Honorary Bachelor of Health and Physical Education — Physical Literacy Before he became one of the most famous professional wrestlers of all time, “The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be,” Bret Hart pursued an education in film and was a Cougar athlete at Mount Royal.
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“One grows not only according to the pace of one’s intellect, but in the cultivation of one’s heart and soul.”
M A RCH I N G
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Armed Forces course grads can receive credit at Mount Royal
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Prevention key to nonviolence
The first Jewish woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Rosalie Abella was awarded the 2018 Calgary Peace Prize by Mount Royal’s John de Chastelain Peace Studies Initiative earlier this year. Abella, known for creating the Canadian concept of employment equity, was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004. In her powerful acceptance speech, she asked why a world that has so successfully co-operated through such bodies as the World Trade Organization has failed when it comes to ensuring human rights. Abella stressed that the rule of law is not enough, it is “rule of justice” that people want and need to ensure their safety and happiness. And while “subsequent justice” such as that achieved through the Nuremberg Trials is often necessary, “We have not learned the most important lesson of all, which is to try to prevent abuses in the first place.” Abella was born in a displaced persons camp in Germany in 1946 and her family came to Canada as refugees in 1950. “Justice Abella is an extraordinary woman and a very worthy recipient of the Peace Prize,” said Jennifer Pettit, PhD, dean of the Faculty of Arts at Mount Royal. “Having been born into a displaced persons camp, Justice Abella has first-hand experience of the many forms violence may take.” Discover past recipients of the Peace Prize at mru.ca/PeaceInitiative.
Mount Royal is saluting graduates of two Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) courses who can now receive credit for their studies, thanks to a partnership between the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension (FoCEE) and 41 Canadian Brigade Group, under the command of the 3rd Canadian Division. “Creating and supporting personalized learning pathways is at the core of what we do at Mount Royal. Being able to facilitate that for former and serving Canadian Armed Forces members is an honour,” said Brad Mahon, PhD, interim dean of the FoCEE. CAF members who have completed their Primary Leadership Qualification — Army and their Intermediate Leadership Qualification — Army can now apply their credentials to Mount Royal’s Project Management Extension and Leadership Development Extension certificates. Both parties are interested in exploring opportunities to expand to more programs in the future. For more information, visit mru.ca/ProjectManagement and mru.ca/LeadershipDevelopment.
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J. Murray McCann receives honorary degree at Fall 2018 Convocation J. Murray McCann, businessman and philanthropist, has a passion for the Canadian Armed Forces and southern Albertans who represented Canada in combat. He received an Honorary Bachelor of Nursing at the Fall 2018 Convocation ceremony. McCann founded Calgary’s Field of Crosses Memorial Project, which, from Nov. 1 to 11 each year, displays more than 3,400 crosses in military cemetery style on Memorial Drive N.W. Each cross bears the name, age, rank, regiment and date of death of a soldier from southern Alberta who died in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean conflict, Afghanistan and peacekeeping missions. One of those soldiers was Mount Royal alumnus Capt. Douglas Gordon Purdy of the 14th Army Tank Regiment. He was killed during the Dieppe Raid at the age of 22. A Mount Royal Military Memorial Bursary was established in Purdy’s name, along with bursaries in honour of 28 other fallen Mount Royal students. Support a Mount Royal student in financial need to achieve their goals and honour 29 Mount Royal students killed during active duty by donating to the Military Memorial Bursaries.
Double your impact! Your donation will go twice as far! All gifts made by Dec. 31 will be matched by a generous private donation. Go to mru.ca/MMB.
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Collective works with leaders and scholars
Alumnus a sports host staple Mount Royal University alumnus Doug Dirks, a 25-year veteran of CBC Calgary, was the lead commentator for all of the alpine skiing events at PyeongChang 2018, his fifth Olympic games. He has also been the lead commentator for World Cup alpine skiing and snowboarding, Stampede rodeo and chuckwagon racing events, and triathlons. Dirks earned a Sports Administration diploma from Mount Royal and then went on to McGill University to complete an undergraduate degree in education. He returned to Mount Royal after finishing at McGill, marketing the Cougars teams for two years.
Canada’s beloved parks will benefit from the formation of the Canadian Parks Collective for Innovation and Leadership (CPCIL) by Mount Royal’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability, the Canadian Parks Council, and founding academic partners Royal Roads University and York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies. CPCIL’s mandate is to develop and connect emerging leaders, innovative managers and engaged scholars so they can steward parks and conservation areas in ways that are effective, inclusive, equitable and sustainable. Don Carruthers Den Hoed, PhD, a 26-year veteran of provincial parks and alumnus of the Canadian Parks Collective’s Park Systems Leadership Course, is the new senior fellow and manager of CPCIL. “This role is a dream opportunity to directly engage with diverse park leaders, as well as Indigenous and community partners across the country, through applied research about the environmental sustainability of park agencies and protected areas in general,” he said.
A LU M N I A N D S T U D EN T AWA R DS A N D ACCO L A D E S
You did what?
Photo courtesy Kurt Oatway
Gold-medal winner takes on extreme obstacles Kurt Oatway attended Mount Royal College for a two-year transfer credit program with a major in geology, later moving to the University of Saskatchewan to complete his degree. A love of skiing has carried this alumnus to great heights, and on March 11, Oatway achieved his Olympic dream by placing first in the sitting super-G race in PyeongChang.
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CANADIAN OPIOID CRISIS FOCUS OF PRESENTATION TO GARNER TOP PRIZE FROM OXFORD Mount Royal nursing program alumna and 2017 valedictorian Roisin Dillon won the top prize at the prestigious 2018 Oxford Map the System Challenge at Oxford University. Her passionate submission and presentation highlighted possible solutions to the opioid crisis in Canada. There were 470 entries from 27 schools worldwide.
MOUNT ROYAL PART OF EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS AT THE 2018 OSCARS Lindsay Jones, the proud owner of Luxura Diamonds in Calgary, had one of her customdesigned Canadian gold and diamond necklaces chosen to be in the Academy Awards’ famous Everybody Wins gift bags, given to the top nominees. Jones graduated from Mount Royal in 2011 with a Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management.
Students and community innovate together
Photo by GEC Architecture / Michael Wach
COMMUNICATIONS GRAD HONOURED FOR MOVING ACCOUNT OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA Alumnus Wes Lafortune graduated from Mount Royal’s communications program in 2000. Along with illustrator Samantha Rogan, he received an International Association of Business Communicators Gold Quill Award of Excellence in the Publications category for work on the Hull Services’ 2017 annual report, Diary of an Angry Young Man.
TWO YEARS IN A ROW, MOUNT ROYAL STUDENTS RECEIVE LOCAL ABORIGINAL YOUTH AWARD Wacey Little Light, an Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership student, received the City of Calgary’s Aboriginal Youth Achievement Award for leadership in 2018. To give back for the support he has received, Little Light volunteers at the University’s Iniskim Centre and the Office of Academic Indigenization. Last year, Mount Royal student Latasha Calf Robe won this award.
Community and learning come together at the new Trico Changemakers Studio, located in Mount Royal’s Bissett School of Business. The studio connects community members with students in a vibrant social innovation space to focus on ideas that creatively address social or environmental challenges. Having celebrated its official opening in September, the studio is cultivating an inventive culture and meaningful student–community connections. In 2017 Mount Royal was named a Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U, becoming part of the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers. “At the organizational level, it’s about our students having the 21st-century skills needed to be successful in society, such as digital literacy, the ability to work collaboratively, and the ability to innovate and act on creative ideas,” said Jill Andres, director of the Trico Changemakers Studio. “When artificial intelligence becomes significant, these are the things that can’t be replaced.”
GLOBAL KUDOS FOR STUDENT DESIGN FOR TRACKING MEDICATION FOR CATARACT SURGERY Information Design graduate Devon Proctor (2017) received a Bronze Award from the International Institute for Information Design for her work as a student designing a booklet for tracking medication before and after cataract surgery. The awards represent superior achievement in the field, meeting the challenge of information design and information visualization.
LOCAL HOMEBUILDER TOUTED AMONG CANADA’S TOP 40 UNDER 40 Alumnus Kevin Read was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 this year. Read graduated from Mount Royal with a business and entrepreneurship degree in 2006. He is the founder and CEO of Nomodic Modular Structures, which started in a small home office and has grown to employ more than 40 individuals, recording annual revenues of roughly $20 million.
PRESENTATION TO CHEMISTS LEADS TO SECOND PLACE Science alumnus Jordan Hofmeister won second place in the Graduate/ Undergraduate Student Oral Competition category at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition. As a research assistant for chemistry professor Brett McCollum, PhD, Hofmeister evaluated experiences of peer learners in a flipped classroom environment (spending class time on practical examples and assigning lecture material for homework).
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The inquiring minds of Mount Royal COMPILED BY ROB PETROLLINI
The Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement addresses societal needs with student learning and faculty expertise, emphasizing community-based projects and positive change. Here is a sampling of current Mount Royal research initiatives.
This is research at Mount Royal. mru.ca/Curious
R ECO NS T R U C T I N G ECOS YS T EM S
Fossil pollen data may help track climate change Terrestrial ecosystems such as tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forests, tropical rain forests, grasslands and deserts play fundamental roles in how our planet works, yet there is still limited understanding of how they both impact and respond to climate change. Using fossil pollen data and mathematical modelling, Department of General Education Professor Andria Dawson, PhD, is reconstructing past ecosystem variabilities. This information will be used to improve the forecasting capabilities of ecosystem models and help understand ecosystematmosphere feedbacks.
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NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey SUMMIT – FALL / WINTER 2018
Professor Olive Fast, PhD, brought these surgical instruments back from Benin as an example of her work. This photo was taken by Melynda Coates of Coronado Instruments in Calgary while she was cleaning and repairing them.
STOPPING SEXUAL ASSAULT DURING NATURAL DISASTERS Statistics show that sexual assault incidents rise significantly during and after natural disasters, with women and children being particularly vulnerable, especially if displaced to evacuation centres. Interviews with agencies in eight post-disaster areas in North America reveal a lack of awareness of international genderbased prevention protocols and sexual assault issues, as well as no collaboration with sexual assault centres nor any data collection. Nursing professor Cathy Carter-Snell, PhD, is collaborating with colleagues and Bachelor of Nursing alumna Chelsey Creller to investigate and recommend preventive actions and intervention tools.
CONSEQUENCES FOR SPORTS PARENTS ACTING BADLY In minor hockey, parents screaming from the stands used to be the norm, but this behaviour is increasingly frowned upon. Health and physical education Professor Julie Booke, PhD, is researching the impact of the Respect in Sport program in minor hockey. Findings have found the program raises awareness of appropriate and inappropriate behaviours and at the same time requires more integration (for example making completion of the course mandatory for all parents/guardians). Booke is also working on a project investigating the Dare to Care in Sport bully prevention program.
REDUCING RISK FOR BUSINESS STARTUPS After distributing the results of his study on enterprise development in Alberta, entrepreneurship professor Simon Raby, PhD, and his colleagues attracted more than $250,000 from the Alberta government to launch innovation and market diversification programming through the Growth Compass. This program leverages the ambition of business owners with the expertise of academics to ensure that smalland medium-sized businesses have the critical, data-driven insights to continue to be the growth engine of Alberta.
STERILIZATION COURSE IMPROVES PATIENT SAFETY IN DEVELOPING NATIONS Serious deficiencies in surgical instrument sterilization processes in three low-income countries were found in analyses carried out between 2013 and 2016. None of the participating 59 facilities met basic standards for instrument cleaning, disinfection and sterilization as defined by the World Health Organization. To assist, Professor Olive Fast of Mount Royal’s Bachelor of Nursing program and colleagues designed and offered a sterile processing education course and conducted a research study to evaluate its impact on participants’ personal knowledge and skills. After training health-care staff in four Benin facilities, findings showed they better understood their impact on patient safety and improved their practices.
BONE DETECTIVES Samanti Kulatilake, PhD, and professor in Mount Royal’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, is working with adjunct professor and colleague Patrick Carmichael, PhD, to try to extract ancient DNA from the mummified remains of members of the Nasca culture of coastal Peru. The feasibility study Kulatilake conducted on a sample has yielded positive results, and the pair are applying for grants to launch their research full scale.
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JOURNALISM: DECELERATED WORDS BY RUTH MYLES
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA RICHES
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ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” Today’s journalists are navigating a maelstrom of uncertainty, but one Mount Royal alumnus has found a way to harness the winds of change and tell stories on his own terms.
Here’s the question Jeremy Klaszus would ask if he were interviewing himself: “Are you out of your mind?” He’s kidding, but only sort of. Klaszus is the mad genius (or madman, depending on the day) behind The Sprawl. The self-described “crowdfunded, ad-free, made-in-Calgary … reinvention of local journalism in tough times” functions in pop-up mode. When inspiration strikes, Klaszus sets up shop around one issue and takes a deep dive. He publishes his work on a variety of electronic platforms, all the while nurturing conversations on social media and in person. Then, The Sprawl folds up and goes quiet until the next edition arises. It’s Klaszus’ contribution to slow journalism.
The Sprawl’s credo is “We do depth, not breadth. Context, not clickbait. And we’re constructive, not cynical.” The slow journalism movement is a reaction to “churnalism,” which prioritizes quantity over quality in the daily hamster wheel that is 24/7 news coverage.
“Does it help people connect to their community?” Traditional media tends to go fast and hard at a subject, hitting all the high points before moving on to the next headline. Slow journalism, however, recognizes that the story doesn’t end 22
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once sound bites are collected and bait clicked. Rather, it takes up residency behind those headlines, taking days, weeks, even months to expose multiple facets of a story. “People don’t want just another torrent of information. Everyone’s already inundated. If you just turn the fire hose on someone with more information, does that help them? Do they actually want that? No,” says Klaszus, who graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Communications — Journalism (2006). “My question for the daily cycle of media coverage would be, ‘Does it help people connect to their community?’ You find out a little bit about what’s going on, but does it actually deepen your understanding of the city you live in, and how it works and the complexity involved? It can tend to be quite simplistic.” Practitioners of slow journalism include The Atavist Magazine, which
posts one long-form non-fiction story a month; Serial, the wildly popular podcast that took more than a year investigating the conviction of Adnan Syed for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee; and the Out of Eden Walk. The last one takes the concept to the extreme. Two-time Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Paul Salopek is on a decade-long journey on foot, tracing early human migration from Ethiopia to Argentina. Salopek says that slow journalism is telling stories “at a human pace of three miles an hour.” Klaszus can’t move quite that slowly. The clock is ticking on the fourth edition of The Sprawl, which started in September 2017. Sitting in his de facto office — Phil & Sebastian’s headquarters in Calgary’s East Village — the bespectacled journalist is neck-deep in final preparations. The focus is on Calgary’s duelling 17th Avenues: how they’re being reshaped, what they say about Calgary, how their pasts were formed and where they might take us in the future. He shared the topic beforehand on social media, soliciting story ideas and subject matter experts. That kind of openness is rarely seen in traditional media, where protecting the exclusivity of a story is a point of pride. As a journalist with 15 years of experience — he’s contributed to The Walrus, Reader’s Digest, The Globe and Mail and the Calgary Herald’s now defunct Swerve magazine, among others — Klaszus is still getting used to his new way of doing things. That was driven home recently when he heard a story on the radio that was similar to one he was working on. “I was half asleep, but I heard CBC do a thing about bike infrastructure close to 17th Avenue S.E. And I’m, ‘Oh, I think I just got scooped.’ But then I thought, ‘It doesn’t really matter because they did a quick story on it, but I’m bringing more context and it will fit with the coverage I’m doing with everything else that is happening in the area.’ ”
FORTIFYING FUTURE JOURNALISTS WITH A BATTERY OF TOOLS
BRAD CLARK Chair, Department of Broadcasting and Journalism
When Brad Clark started in journalism, he wrote stories on an electronic typewriter. The finished copy would go to the typesetter, who would print it out on sheets that were then run through a wax machine. The waxed sheets were then cut up and laid out on larger pages to make the St. Albert Gazette. That was 1986. In 1992, as a reporter for CBC Radio, Clark wielded a razor blade to cut pieces of quarterinch (6 mm) audiotape that he’d then splice into a story. Times have certainly changed. Now Clark, as chair of the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism in Mount Royal’s School of Communication Studies, and his team ensure students have access to the cutting-edge knowledge and technological prowess needed to navigate the ever-shifting media landscape. “Members of our faculty are at the pointy end of the wedge of trying to figure out where our discipline is headed. We’re passionate and keenly interested in finding viable options,” Clark says. “We’re very nimble. We will incorporate elements into our individual courses on a trial basis as new things start to get some traction in the world of journalism.” For example, radio and television have always been a component of the program, but “we’ve started to focus more specifically on podcasting in the past few years. The lessons of really good audio apply to podcasting, but there are also differences and distinctions,” Clark says.
While the basic tenets of journalism are unchanged — the commitment to serving the public, to pursuing truth in an ethical fashion, to accuracy and to sharing stories that illuminate our world and what goes on in it — so much in the industry has shifted. It’s not enough to write a story and send it to the typesetter anymore. “The journalists we train have to be much more than good writers. They have to be good media producers as well: understand the needs of different platforms; be able to shoot, edit, record audio and video for all sorts of audiences,” Clark points out. In addition to the subject matter, department members constantly debate the type of gear students should be using. Do aspiring reporters need a digital single-lens reflex camera, or will an iPhone do? Should the program add in 360° cameras, or hold off to assess the role of virtual reality in journalism? Paul McAleer, who just graduated with a Bachelor of Communication — Journalism, values the consideration that went into crafting the curriculum behind his degree. “Our instructors worked very, very hard to prepare us for this ever-changing industry,” McAleer says. “It’s a toolset of learning, of how to become a Swiss Army knife to tackle the variety of stories in different situations. It’s really prepared me to be adaptable, no matter how the industry changes.”
Works well with others Adjusting his outlook is part of the 35-year-old’s evolution as a journalist. He established The Sprawl in part to cover stories that the ever-shrinking local newsrooms couldn’t or wouldn’t. The first edition took on Calgary’s 2017 municipal election. Klaszus got sucked into the vortex of trying to cover every aspect of the campaign. That was understandable, seeing as election time is like Halloween, Christmas and Easter rolled into one for municipal politics keeners. (In June, The Sprawl won Gold in Best News Coverage: Small Newsroom at the Digital Publishing Awards for its reporting on the election.) But it was also in counterpoint to what he set out to do. “It was flat out, all the time. It was this reactive, almost frantic way of doing it,” he says. “I’ve shifted to more depth. It is more, ‘Okay, I’m going to decide what I cover, then go deep on it rather than reacting to things that are going on.’ ” He’s also honed his sense on how to present stories: in traditional stories posted online, via Sprawlcast (a radio show on CJSW that doubles as a podcast), live streams on social media, transcripts and videos. He recently added Sprawl Soapbox, a means for readers to contribute content. The Red Mile Complete Street Advocacy Group, for instance, contributed a blog post to the 17th Avenue edition. You can see that give-and-take in The Sprawl’s embrace of collaborative journalism. Klaszus partnered with the Calgary Journal, the online and print publication produced by MRU journalism students, to tackle one of the biggest stories in Calgary: the debate around hosting the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Third-year students in Professor Sally Haney’s online journalism class went deep on five areas surrounding the bid.
Student Stephanie Babych valued partnering with The Sprawl. “It’s not so much mainstream media and big corporations anymore,” Babych says. “There are a lot of small startups that are managing to make a living and connect with audiences more.” Haney says the partnership with The Sprawl meant more eyeballs on students’ work and reaching a new audience seemed to “really inspire” them. Collaborations in journalism aren’t limited to media outlets, however. This fall, Mount Royal’s journalism program is partnering with the Calgary Mental Health Association (CMHA) — Calgary Region for a pilot project. Third-year students will work with people in CMHA’s program delivery area, telling their lived-experience stories over the course of four to six weeks.
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“We’ll likely be burrowing into some of the leading-edge programs that they deliver. Mental health is a massive public-health issue. Working with the CMHA, we get access to unique sources and resources,” Haney says. “We may tackle producing some podcasts with the CMHA participants. We’re bringing editorial and technical expertise to the table. And we can also do our job as journalists, which is to investigate and uncover new information.” It’s a brave new world, one vastly different than the one Haney navigated at the start of her journalism career. The us-vs.-them mindset that permeated newsrooms and kept reporters at arm’s length from the community is being challenged by approaches such as solutions and advocacy journalism. “Journalists and their organizations can still use exacting objective methods without having to maintain such a cool distance between themselves and the community,” Haney says. “I think collaborations are critically important. The more that journalists and journalism organizations see themselves as deeply rooted in the community — and a part of that community — the better the result. “With our journalism program, we see great value in collaborative partnerships where we have similar goals. Of course, we have to maintain our editorial independence and objectivity. The key thing is that at no time can the partner think of themselves as the client.” This fall, Mount Royal is partnering with seven post-secondary institutions across Canada on a large-scale investigative project via the National Student Investigative Reporting Network. The project is hosted by the Institute for Investigative Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal, with media partners that include Global News, National Observer and the Toronto Star and its offshoots, including The Star Calgary. In a fortunate coincidence, the topic is water. Journalism professor Janice Paskey recently explored teaching water journalism through a grant from Mount Royal’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability. “If water has always been there, and you haven’t gotten sick from it, you don’t tend to think too much about it,” Paskey says. “I have students who come from places where they use wells and others who have been reporting in communities with water issues, so there are some very different outlooks there.” Three Mount Royal students will be extensively involved in the project this semester, with 15 more working on backgrounders. They’ll learn how to read research studies, do data requests and improve interviewing techniques. “This is experiential learning. We form a virtual network and meet as a group every two weeks, often with the help of experts,” Paskey says. “Collaborations are becoming common in the industry. By taking part in collaborative projects, our students will be better prepared to join the workforce.”
“The more that journalists and journalism organizations see themselves as deeply rooted in the community — and a part of that community SALLY HANEY Professor, Journalism
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— the better the result.”
In addition to working with seasoned journalists, students will potentially have their hands in stories that unfold on the national and international stage. For its part, the large media players get access to a fresh crop of talent versed in emerging technology. MRU students covered the last municipal election for Postmedia (the Calgary Herald and Sun) and the Calgary Journal. Lorne Motley, editor-in-chief of Calgary’s two Postmedia properties, is a Mount Royal journalism alumnus. He also served on the program’s advisory board, including as chair, for more than two decades. “We’ve been trying to build on what we started with the election. These are great opportunities to showcase the students’ work in the daily papers here, and get it to a broader readership,” Motley says. “I like it because it helps the students, and it also helps bring stories to life that are more difficult for us to do these days. It’s great for both the Herald and the Sun, and also Mount Royal.” Mount Royal students are collaborating with the Calgary Journal and CBC Calgary, as well. Since April 2018, the Life 2.0 project has featured works by students that focus on stories of immigrants and refugees.
Who foots the bill? Collaboration ties into the biggest challenge facing journalism: money and the collapse of lucrative print advertising. Salopek may have won a Pulitzer, but he is also supported by two grants, totalling nearly US $1 million, from National Geographic and a Kickstarter campaign. Traditional media hasn’t figured out a magic formula, either. La Presse, the storied Montreal French language newspaper that stopped printing a paper edition altogether in 2017, is becoming a nonprofit, opening the door for funding from the public, government and charitable organizations. This model has a proven track record: ProPublica, a non-profit news organization founded in 2007, recently won its fourth Pulitzer Prize. For now, The Sprawl is funded by its audience. Supporters can subscribe via donation through Patreon. As of this writing, The Sprawl has more than 500 registered patrons contributing around $3,800 a month. Klaszus’s goal of $4,000 a month will allow him to work on the venture full time. As passionate as he is about telling the untold stories of Calgary, the reality is that this is his job — a job that helps keep his family, including two children, housed, clothed and fed. “It’s exhilarating some days and depressing other days. Some days, I’m ‘Oh yeah, this is awesome, blazing
a new trail!’ Then other days, I’m ‘Oh man, what am I doing?’ ” The financial pressure has let up for now, however. In April, Klaszus was awarded a spot in the Digital News Innovation Challenge (DNIC). It came with money — up to $100,000 in seed capital and $50,000 for marketing on Facebook — and access to hands-on coaching and workshops with seniorlevel mentors in digital news and journalism innovation. As one of five startups selected by Facebook, the DMZ (Ryerson University’s business incubator for technology startups) and the Ryerson University School of Journalism, Klaszus also gets straight talk on running a business. “For me, the temptation is always just to do journalism, which is great, but it’s not enough to make this sustainable in the long run. Having a program where they challenge me with questions like, ‘You need to focus on growing your business. Are you going to have enough revenue to keep this going?’ is very valuable.” He meets virtually with an entrepreneur-in-residence once a week, and flies to Toronto monthly for a group session with fellow DNIC recipients. Klaszus is in touch with independent journalism ventures around the world, from New York to Vancouver and beyond. Having that support network — both through DNIC and the innovative journalism community as a whole — is
critical to succeeding, he says. “We’re all sharing information and saying, ‘What’s worked? What hasn’t? How can we learn from each other?’ It’s important that we’re not duplicating the same research and the same work.” The goal is to grow The Sprawl to the point where there are other paid contributors. Not only would that take some of the pressure off Klaszus, but it also would better reflect the diversity
“It’s exhilarating some days and depressing other days.” of Calgary and allow the outlet to provide in-depth coverage on a broader range of issues, he says. And if a deeppocketed backer happened to magically fund the venture for a decade? “I’d have a newsroom,” he says, then laughs. “But again, I would be doing it differently. I wouldn’t just jump into the fray that everybody else is in. There’s room to grow and to do so in a way that has that depth.” — With files from Michelle Bodnar
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In the award-winning 2015 Calgary Herald photo-documentary series, Barbi Harris describes herself as “a tough bitch.” Fiercely independent, Harris — 54 years old and homeless — had multiple health issues and spent her last days telling her story to and having her picture taken by photojournalist Leah Hennel. Widowed at 35, Harris experienced traumatic life events that resulted in her living on city streets, struggling with addiction, diabetes and COPD and, finally, receiving a cancer diagnosis. Find a way to do better for people like me, was Harris’s final ask of Dr. Simon Colgan, the physician who, in his own words, A palliative care program for people who had the privilege of treating her are experiencing homelessness is helping during her final admission to hospital. That dying wish would them die with dignity. come to inspire Colgan to create the Calgary Allied Mobile Palliative Program (CAMPP). WORDS BY BRENDAN GREENSLADE “People often want to die PHOTOS BY CURTIS DESIATNYK how they lived, and we shouldn’t expect any different for someone living in homelessness,” says Rachael Edwards, a Mount Royal Bachelor of Nursing (2010) alumna working as a street nurse with CUPS (Calgary Urban Project Society) and Colgan’s CAMPP co-founder. “They are incredibly resilient and independent folks, and the last thing we should be doing is trying to take that away at their end of life.” Colgan told a room full of nurses that Harris was “a real force of nature” at a spring palliative care conference in Calgary. “I felt a real sense of frustration from her that she was losing her independence. She wanted to be on the street, but could no longer be on the street. She cared deeply for the community of people she loved. The CAMPP program is Barbi’s legacy, and I’d like to think we’re honouring her wishes.” According to Calgary’s point-in-time count in the spring of 2018, Harris’s community totalled 2,911 individuals. A special tabulation by Statistics Canada for Calgary based on 2016 census numbers also states that 17,000 city households are at risk of homelessness because of earnings of less than $30,000 per year and spend more than half their income on rent. At the very least, the numbers total a small town’s population living inside the city. With an average life expectancy of just 54 years, Harris’s death fell directly in line with the statistics, highlighting the disparity in health between those without permanent or stable housing and the rest of the population, whose average lifespan is now 83 years. Unfortunately, many, if not most, of her community die begrudgingly in acute care facilities without a voice and without the dignity and respect owed to them by society. For those experiencing homelessness, hospitals are often seen as places people go to but do not return from. In fact, some die without their true identity having even been known.
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The non-profit agency CUPS has a full-service primary care clinic to simplify the health-care process for clients. In addition to general health care and laboratory services, there are dental, blood and pre- and post-natal care clinics. Mental health specialists are available, along with child and family development centres and parent education programs. CAMPP is funded until October 2019, but Edwards says the need is ceaseless. Her dream is a dedicated hospice with full-time staff for CAMPP clients, who, while difficult to house, have tremendous survival abilities. For this group, Edwards and Colgan find it’s best to work through the lens of harm reduction — reducing the risks associated with substance use and its associated behaviours rather than insisting on abstinence, which is unrealistic (and paternalistic). The biggest challenge for CAMPP is tracking clients down. Typically, Edwards receives referrals from her contacts at the shelters and in the community, and from there it’s up to the clients to choose to let her in to their lives. Having worked with people experiencing homelessness in Calgary since 2006, she is known as someone who can be trusted — in the way that only someone who finds a prosthetic leg in the snow downtown and knows who to return it to can be trusted. Some of the first questions she asks are, “What kind of food do you like and what do you take in your coffee?” When people have a terminal diagnosis, that’s what matters, and that’s Edwards’ way in. Edwards firmly believes in the right for each individual to die with an equal level of care and comfort, driving her to be the voice for those who often don’t have anyone else. It’s regularly assumed that there must be friends and family available for emotional and other support, but for Edwards’ clients, she and her colleagues are usually all they have. “People die in the shelter all the time and nobody knows about it. Or, people die lonely in the hospital with nobody with them. This way, they have someone.” Edwards feels wholeheartedly that the final leg of the journey of life is one nobody should have to walk alone. But in her line of work, goodbyes are inevitable. “There’s definitely ritual that goes into each loss,” Edwards says. “For me it’s about acknowledging the loss in my own life, and also the positives that came from my experience with that person, and then remembering all of their funny and amazing stories of resilience and perseverance … their incredible senses of humour, their jokes, their stories, their values. I’m privileged to have had the chance to share that with them.” Edwards recalls visiting her first client in his home when she was a brand-new nurse. She went with a colleague, who had built a rapport with the man through previous visits. When she entered the client growled at her, grabbed his crack pipe and lit it. “Beyond being vulnerably housed or homeless, our clients are also socially complicated, medically complex, and when you also factor in addictions and a terminal diagnosis, it can be challenging — but pleasantly so. If you only knew the stories behind the complexities, though, behind the people — it would break your heart every day. People need to realize that nobody would choose to have that life. Nobody.”
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Jerome The challenge of staying on top of medical treatments for clients who do not have a phone, mailbox or Internet access, and where missing one appointment has a cascading effect, is often insurmountable. As well, CAMPP clients are not used to compassion and often resist the idea of being cared for. In his 70s, Jerome Domanski describes himself as a true “hobo,” having travelled around North America for much of his life doing odd jobs. With a heart operating at only 15 per cent capacity, he is at serious risk for heart attack, stroke and organ failure. Domanski was referred to CAMPP through Calgary’s Alpha House, and Edwards says it took two months of building his trust before he agreed to move into a transitional suite. At his regular appointment with Edwards, Domanski described difficulties with his medication, which he has a history of not taking. He admitted that two years ago in Montreal, where he was first diagnosed, he would throw out his pills because they made him sick. Edwards worked with him to change his drug schedule to ease the side-effects and reminded him of an upcoming doctor appointment to deal with a severe pain in his leg. Domanski, impatient, said it would just be easier for him to go on the street to buy some morphine. Edwards disagreed, saying he would likely get fentanyl, which could kill him. “I’m dying anyway,” was the response. Using the harm reduction mantra, Edwards quickly put in a call to Domanski’s doctor, who happened to be on vacation but answered the call anyway. She described what was happening and asked if Domanski could get a morphine prescription right away. The doctor agreed and Domanski received his medication that day. What could have been an extremely perilous situation was de-escalated in minutes. When asked about Edwards and what she does, Domanski said, “She does a good job. (Without her) I’d be dead.”
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Balancing between the cracks of society Helping those at risk of or experiencing homelessness inspired Edwards even before hearing about Barbi Harris. Edwards’ path as a street nurse veered towards CAMPP’s conception when she met Brad through a shelter agency after he had complained about abdominal pain, which was eventually found to be a cancerous blockage. After a fall, Brad’s condition deteriorated and his doctor recommended a hospice, where he spent his final three months. Brad had a warm bed, nutritious meals and money left in his pocket at the end of the month to take Edwards out for coffee. He reconnected with family, including his 13-year-old child. Edwards recalls being at Brad’s side for his final heartbeat. “It was a privilege,” Edwards recounts. “It was really pretty amazing.” While she was having a cry outside the hospice with colleagues from the DOAP Team (Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership), a well-dressed man in a cowboy hat whom Edwards recognized from the shelter began walking towards them. “He was a blood relative, as well as a friend,” Edwards says. “We had to tell him he had missed Brad by less than 30 minutes. He just solemnly and silently turned and walked away.” Edwards later learned that the man had spent the previous two weeks detoxing and staying with his sister in order to clean up so he could go to the hospice sober enough to say goodbye. “I realized that although we had done right by the patient, we still had not done right by the community,” Edwards says.
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Missing a final resting place
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Although many shelters and agencies have built their own mourning rituals, Edwards hopes one day a public memorial will be established in Calgary as a place for people to say goodbye and honour those who have died. “My clients understand loss more than anyone,” Edwards says. “And I swear they feel more than the average people. They seem to be more in tune, and intuitively know when people are feeling vulnerable and are there for each other. I’m constantly amazed by the care, love and strength in that group.” Edwards says that some sort of local memorial in Calgary would help those experiencing loss to externalize their grief, rather than internalizing it, which can lead to further trauma and perpetuate or exacerbate addictions issues. Some shelters, including the Calgary Alpha House Society, host regular events in remembrance. Cultural ceremonies such as sweats and smudges mark the beginning of a year of mourning for those who’ve had their final heartbeat, and assist in letting go of those who died the previous year.
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Mount Royal’s support of CAMPP
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Edwards knew as a student in the nursing program that she didn’t want to work in a hospital. CAMPP is definitely her dream job. She has stayed well-connected with MRU to share resources, and in turn the University has helped support development, grant writing and research for CAMPP. The Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement also holds and manages a significant grant from the Calgary Foundation exploring the CAMPP model and building on curriculum for social care workers. The funding is responsible for extending CAMPP for two years beyond its pilot phase. More grant funding and support from the St. Elizabeth Foundation has matched what’s being done through the Calgary Foundation, with a nation-wide study of palliative care models for people experiencing homelessness being created. Sonya Jakubec, PhD, is a professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and a passionate advocate for CAMPP in MRU programming. She has helped link those doing similar work in Victoria and Toronto. “Ideally all of our work locally will lead to long-term funding from Alberta Health Services,” says Jakubec. “Our national goal is palliative equity.” Recognized with an Outstanding Alumni Award — Community Service in 2017, Mount Royal communications alumnus Tim Richter is president and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. He knows all too well the need for the work Edwards, Jakubec and their colleagues are taking on. “Palliative care for people experiencing homelessness has become a sad necessity because the population is aging — in fact seniors are among the fastest growing population,” Richter says. “Many in their late 50s and early 60s become ‘functionally The Downtown Outreach seniors’ due to chronic illness and the ravages of homelessness. For far too many people the Addictions Program (DOAP) cumulative effects of prolonged homelessness lead to premature death.” The DOAP team is often the first point of contact Richter explains that the health-care system for vulnerable individuals in the community and is notoriously difficult to navigate for anyone are able to connect them with the support they and is exponentially more difficult for people need. If you see someone who appears to require experiencing homelessness, who face stigma, non-emergency help call: hostility or benign neglect. As a result, many avoid it. Outreach (24/7): 403.998.7388 “If they are not engaged in the health-care Encampment (People sleeping outside: Monday system in a meaningful way and they have no to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.): 403.805.7388 one there to advocate for them, accessing endof-life care is unlikely,” he says. Many of Edwards’ clients fear being a burden Go-Fund-Me Campaign for — to family, friends and even care workers. But Calgary Memorial CAMPP is changing that, giving clients support, independence, choice, respect and dignity. A local group is working on a Go-Fund-Me project “Since connecting with CAMPP, I look forward to establish a homeless memorial in Calgary. to more than tomorrow now,” says one. Go to gofundme.com/YYCHomelessMemorial.
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— With files from Michelle Bodnar
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BUILDING BUSINESSES WITH A CONSCIENCE WORDS BY VALERIE BERENYI PHOTOS BY CHAO ZHANG, CHRISTINA RICHES, MIKE POON
ALUMNI M A R K E T P L A C E
With a median age of 36.7, Alberta is Canada’s most youthful province. And according to the government of Canada’s 2016 Key Small Business Statistics document, we also have the most small- and medium-sized businesses. In this leading-edge environment, it’s no wonder many Mount Royal University graduates are opting to start their own enterprises. Meet four local entrepreneurs who are thriving on their own terms by incorporating sustainability and a commitment to community into their business plans, all while contributing to a diversifying economy.
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“When I started wearing swimwear that made me feel sporty and sexy, it helped me embrace not just my body, but my uniqueness and the person I am. The confidence stays with me and I apply it to how I hold myself in everyday life.” — Julia Barnes
Our mission is to create an empowered feeling of freedom and contentment just like you get when riding the wind and the waves.
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FAC I N G T H E E LE M E N T S | Alumna Julia Barnes is making a splash with Honubelle, a swimwear brand dedicated to women who love wind and water sports. Barnes graduated from MRU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Business Administration — Accounting, and says being part of that program “gave me the tools I needed and opened my world to doing this.” Barnes grew up windsurfing and is part of an avid outdoor community in Calgary that goes kiteboarding and surfing (rivers and oceans) whenever possible. A creative person, she started Honubelle in her spare time in 2009, melding her twin passions of water sports and fashion. “When I got to go to Maui for the first time — it was in 2008 when my husband and I got married there — I saw these incredibly talented, strong and graceful windsurfing women, who wore little bikinis and walked with such pride and power that it became clear to me, it was them who I wanted to be like.” Barnes researched how to manufacture swimwear and rash guards on contract with a company in Bali, and launched her first collection in 2014. “When I started wearing swimwear that made me feel sporty and sexy, it helped me embrace not just my body, but my uniqueness and the person I am. The confidence stays with me and I apply it to how I hold myself in everyday life.”
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Honubelle is sold online and in shops. Barnes will also accept appointments for personal consultations. Made from sustainable Econyl, a fabric spun from regenerated nylon waste such as fishing nets, and knitted with stretchy Lycra, the suits are highly durable and sunscreen and chlorine resistant. “(The fabric) has a nice, soft feel on the skin, with better shape retention,” Barnes says, adding the high-quality garments last for years, thereby reducing waste. Pieces can be mixed and matched to help reduce consumerism. She sees Honubelle as a tool to help women feel strong and confident and tackle unrealistic body standards. Her online catalogue features regular women and athletes as models. “My swimwear is for anyone. You don’t have to be a certain size or shape to wear it.” After a few years, Honubelle finally became a full-time business. “Funding is always a challenge, especially for the product/makers sector. You need to have funds to pay for product before you put it on the market.” That said, she believes the province has become “more vibrant” with small businesses and makers. “Small businesses are more limber and creative and can address gaps in the market more quickly. They also keep the rest of Canada and the world interested in Alberta.”
C R A F T I N G J E W E LRY W I T H A PU R P OS E | Much like the parts of a bracelet, Alora, a Calgarybased jewelry company, is linked to family, MRU and the community. While she was still at university, alumna Jameela Ghann, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management in 2011, and her mother Emilyn Ghann — also a Mount Royal grad (1984) — took a jewelry-making class together and began handcrafting earrings, bracelets and necklaces from recycled glass beads and brass. “People started wanting to buy our things,” Ghann says. “It grew organically from a hobby into a business.” Around the same time, Ghann met her future husband, Peter Njongwe, a computer science grad (2013), in MRU’s old library. “I guess that’s dating ourselves,” she says with a laugh, adding that her parents also met on campus “back in the day” when Mount Royal was a college. Ghann initially worked in insurance, but after having the first of two daughters she decided she didn’t want to return to her job. “That was not going to work for the kind of lifestyle I wanted,” she laughs. In 2013, Alora co-owners Ghann, her mother and her husband turned their kitchen-table hobby into a full-fledged business, one that now supports her family. Mostly wholesale, Alora sells to 70 stores in
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Canada and 10 in the U.S., with a plan to be in 125 stores in total by the end of 2018. They also market online and at events. The company salvages brass from estate sales and old doorknobs, and sources recycled glass beads handmade by women in Ghana, the West African country where Ghann’s now-deceased father came from. Five per cent of every sale goes to help women transition out of poverty and homelessness. Alora also creates limited editions, donating $10 from each original item to organizations such as the Women in Need Society. And they provide free jewelry workshops to clients at women-focused charities. Ghann describes small business as Alberta’s “economic engine,” one that brings innovative products and services, diversity and interest to market. There are headaches, but numerous rewards, too. Ghann loves it when customers tell her they wear her jewelry when they want to feel powerful and courageous. Alora, or “my dream” in the central African language of Bantu, is an appropriate name. “My dream was to be master of my own destiny, do my own thing and not work Fridays,” Ghann says. “It’s also a dream to be able to create meaningful jewelry that people enjoy wearing.”
Each piece of jewelry Alora makes improves our people and our world, from the materials and labour all the way to the proceeds.
“My dream was to be master of my own destiny, do my own thing and not work Fridays. It’s also a dream to be able to create meaningful jewelry that people enjoy wearing.” — Jameela Ghann
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F LY I N G T H E Y YC B A N N E R |
The driving force behind Local Laundry has always been about building community and having a positive impact on that community.
“I’m taking what I’ve learned here [at Local Laundry], from MRU and at ATB, and offering strategies and advice to new entrepreneurs”
— Dustin Paisley
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Mount Royal University alumnus Dustin Paisley got a head start at learning how to build a business even before graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration — General Management in 2015. During his time at MRU, Paisley made his mark as student entrepreneur-in-residence with the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. As president of Enactus, a global organization of student entrepreneurs who address social issues with business solutions, he spearheaded a successful financial literacy program to help former sex workers, in turn garnering grants from ATB Financial. For MRU’s JMH LaunchPad Pitch Competition he developed a completely inflatable tent (mattress and poles, too), upping the camping comfort quotient by a large margin. Then Paisley met Connor Curran, who had the idea of making T-shirts to show their deep appreciation of living in Calgary. Together they started Local Laundry, a community-building clothing company, in October 2015. Their first T-shirt design, the letters YYC divided by an X with a graphic of two mountains beneath it, is cleverly simple and very popular. Their second collection was developed using CAN for Canada. Now, nearly three years later, the lifestyle brand’s product line includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, toques and other forms of streetwear, all 100 per cent Canadian-made.
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The Giving Toque is extra special. For every toque sold, Local Laundry donates another one to area homeless shelters. So far, nearly 700 have been given to those in need. Each month, 10 per cent of the company’s profits go to a charity chosen by Local Laundry customers, who can nominate and vote on which one gets the donation. They have given away more than $15,000 across Canada so far. Curran works full time as CEO and the company’s public face, and manages relationships with 12 wholesale partners in five provinces. Paisley is “chief laundry operator,” responsible for the financial systems and the never-ending worries of cash flow. He’s part time with Local Laundry, juggling those responsibilities alongside a full-time job with ATB Financial as an entrepreneur strategist. “I’m taking what I’ve learned here [at Local Laundry], from MRU and at ATB, and offering strategies and advice to new entrepreneurs,” Paisley says. Local Laundry has two other part-time employees, both graduates of MRU’s public relations program. Briare Crawford tackles social media and Kathleen Smiley is devoted to building community. Local Laundry’s gear has been spotted everywhere from Australia (Aussies are big fans) to the base camp at Mount Everest, and Paisley is happy to be getting Calgary’s name out there. And, as a small-business owner, he’s proud to be contributing to YYC’s prosperity and diversification.
From left, Jamie Parker and Mike Wenzlawe
B R E W I N G A N A R O M AT I C A DV E N T U R E | Mike Wenzlawe’s path to co-owning a craft coffeeroasting business is best described as organic. A former member of the national water polo team, Wenzlawe is a nature lover and alumnus of MRU’s ecotourism and outdoor leadership program, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education. He has journeyed widely, plus worked in the travel industry and as a wildland firefighter in Alberta. But it all came together during a hunting trip to the Willmore Wilderness Park in the Rockies near Jasper. There, as his firefighting buddy (and co-founder) Jamie Parker, who also attended Mount Royal, roasted some coffee beans over a campfire, a business idea began to percolate. Nothing tastes better than coffee in the wilderness, so they decided to try to re-create that experience in the city. With no experience or capital, the friends agreed to start with e-commerce, and launched the Calgary Heritage Roasting Company (CHRC) website in November 2015. Today, the lifestyle-branded enterprise is thriving. CHRC specializes in roasting high-quality, premium craft coffee beans as well as retailing green unroasted coffee beans for DIYers. They also look to give back to the wilderness they love through the Tall Timber roast, a collaboration with TreeEra that plants one tree for every bag sold.
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Additional revenue streams include selling wholesale to restaurants and retailers who source locally such as Community Natural Foods, Sunterra Market, Blush Lane and most recently Calgary Co-op. Presently, CHRC are operating a pop-up coffee shop in collaboration with UNDRCARD Boxing Studio to gain experience running a retail storefront. This knowledge will be valuable as they work towards opening their flagship roaster and coffee shop located in the historic C.C. Snowdon Building in Ramsay in early 2019, when they will finally live out and manifest the tangible experience that sparked their passion for coffee. The environment and community are infused into CHRC. For example, to encourage urbanites to develop an appreciation for exploring nature, CHRC runs Bubba’s Buds, a program that trades bags of coffee for blog posts about personal outdoor adventures. Bubba is the grizzly bear on the company’s logo. “We’re trying to build resources of places to go, get people out there and build community,” Wenzlawe says, who is a past-president of MRU’s Outdoor Adventure Club. “We have always been drawn to the idea of legacy. Our company is a means to foster connections and genuine opportunities that have a lasting impact for those involved. “We are so thankful for taking the leap into entrepreneurship. It is truly the most rewarding decision we have ever made.”
It’s time you tasted coffee as wild as you are.
“Our company is a means to foster connections and genuine opportunities that have a lasting impact for those involved.”
— Mike Wenzlawe
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ROLLING OUT LEGAL CANNABIS WORDS BY PETER GLENN PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA RICHES, LEONORA ANDRÉ
“AS A SOCIETY, OUR CURRENT VIEW OF WHAT CANNABIS IS, IS EXTREMELY NARROW AND I THINK THAT IT IS HIGH TIME WE ALLOW THIS PLANT TO SHOW US ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT SHE HAS TO OFFER.” BASIL KELLY Manager of licensed producer relations at Natural Health Services
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lumnus Basil Kelly is blazing a trail through the world of medical cannabis. He is the manager of licensed producer relations at Natural Health Services (NHS), a cannabinoid medical clinic assisting patients in need of access to medical cannabis. Kelly’s experience in the nascent industry has been “overwhelmingly positive,” describing those at its roots as having “managed to preserve the quality of open-mindedness and the spirit of teamwork and inclusion that I have always found to be present among cannabis people.” As an employee of NHS almost since its inception in 2015, Kelly’s work has been “vast and varied,” beginning as a bud genius helping to guide and educate patients new to cannabis. “Often, for a new patient, having an experienced individual to lean on can make all of the difference in the world for successful treatment,” he says. “These days my main focus is working in tandem with Canada's licensed producers to help them offer the best service and medicine, to not only our patients, but all Canadian medical cannabis patients.” With the legalization of recreational pot, Kelly, who is also co-host of The Cannabis Show podcast found on YouTube, predicts the medical cannabis industry will grow and improve. As primarily recreational
users are free to light up, more purely medical users, he believes, will seek treatment and the medical industry will be in a better position to help them. Ultimately, he would like to see a revolution in how cannabis is perceived. “I want people to know that cannabis is not just about getting high and that the medical potential of this plant has barely had its surface scratched. As a society, our current view of what cannabis is, is extremely narrow and I think that it is high time we allow this plant to show us all of the benefits that she has to offer.” While a general studies student at Mount Royal University from 2002 to 2005, Kelly was a volleyball player for the Cougars. In accordance with the standards set out in Cougars’ Student-Athletes Handbook, which state, “The use of illegal drugs by any intercollegiate athlete will not be permitted and will result in immediate dismissal from the athletic program along with written notification to the athlete’s parents or guardians,” Kelly says he did not use cannabis for most of the year. “I did, however, consume cannabis (at other times) for many of the same reasons that I consume it today,” he recalls. “Cannabis helped me deal with a broad range of issues, from social anxiety to focusing my attention.”
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BUD OUT Visions of pot smoke wafting out of dorm rooms at Mount Royal University have proven a pipe dream, despite the legalization of marijuana effective Oct. 17. Mount Royal has been preparing for months, and while it has not been easy anticipating the decisions of various levels of government, the University is focusing on education and harm-reduction strategies. According to Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey in 2012, 34.6 per cent of Canadian males and 23.4 per cent of females aged 15 to 24 reported using cannabis in the past year. While a majority of Canadians support legalization and the federal Liberals won their majority government with legalization featured on their platform, there are pockets of resistance when it comes to consumption. Bow Valley College, for example, was given an award in May by the non-smoking advocacy group Action on Smoking and Health for new rules that ban the smoking of anything, including cannabis, on campus. The University of Regina also banned smoking of all kinds on its campus. The City of Calgary bylaw allows council to approve designated areas where cannabis can be smoked. To date, there are no proposed consumption areas. As the province prepares to offer 300 different cannabis products to licensed retailers, the Alberta government is intent on keeping cannabis away from children, promoting health, maintaining respect for public space and reducing the illegal market, said Kathleen Ganley, minister of justice, during a March panel discussion at Mount Royal organized by the students’ association. ”There will be upsides and downsides, benefits and challenges that will arise,” Ganley said. “Ultimately, the present federal government ran on a clear platform of legalization and it’s incumbent on us (other levels of government) to implement it. Democracy is the will of the people. The people, the voters, have spoken and we’ll be ready to go.” Ganley also pointed out that legalization means Albertans over the age of 18 will be allowed to possess up to 30 grams of legally produced cannabis in public and will no longer face minor possession charges in the criminal justice system. The minister said the province is looking at the federal legislation as a beginning, not an end. “We’re prepared to adjust going forward. It’s an interesting policy file; it’s not often you see something built brand new. There could be changes due to things we haven’t anticipated.” 40
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THC and CBD According to Leaf Science, cannabis contains over 113 different chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. The two most well-known cannabinoids are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). Common uses for THC include: »» achieving euphoria and relaxation »» sleeping better »» stimulating appetite »» acting as a painkiller and a muscle relaxant Common uses for CBD include: »» treating anxiety »» acting as an anti-convulsant and anti-psychotic »» reducing pain and inflammation Mixed strains combine the effects of each, but it is difficult to determine for sure how an individual will react to a given strain on a given day. Source: leafscience.com
SMOKING POLICY UPDATED
STEVE FITTERER Vice-president, Student Affairs and Campus Life
A cross-campus Mount Royal committee worked through the winter on a revised smoking policy that covers cannabis, and would have allowed use in a few clearly identified designated cannabis smoking areas. While MRU was gathering feedback on the proposed policy, however, city bylaw changes prohibiting smoking cannabis in public spaces were put forward, despite the fact that the city’s own Engage survey indicated that people wanted to be able to consume in selected public spaces. Interestingly, Edmonton adopted a much more liberal set of bylaws that allows for public consumption on sidewalks and in parks. Then in June, the city moved to allow smoking in designated areas if approved by a public hearing of council. Residents or councillors could start the process for a particular designated smoking area in a community, but as of yet there have been no successful applications.
Cannabis 101: Learning to cultivate The Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension (FoCEE) is offering courses taught by industry experts to help cannabis entrepreneurs, or those aiming to fill the thousands of new jobs expected as a result of legalization. Eightweek courses start in September and offer online instruction under a licensing agreement with Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), located in B.C.’s lower mainland.
PHOTO BY BASIL KELLY
When it comes to cannabis, the revised MRU smoking policy does not permit use at field schools, sale by businesses on campus or advertising products on campus. The policy emphasizes education and support services. For employees, the Employee Family Assistance Program through Human Resources provides help for addiction and substance abuse. For students, the University provides health promotion events, health awareness and harm-reduction resources through Wellness Services. “We’re working to arrive at a policy involving a wide variety of groups on campus,” says Steve Fitterer, vice-president, Student Affairs and Campus Life. “This is new territory for everyone — governments, universities and post-secondary students. It is to be expected that the process will be fluid. We’re all learning.”
As for disciplining students who show up to class high, MRU policy specialist Tim Harlick says it will remain a matter of discretion. As was the case before legalization, students can be asked to leave a class and behavioural incidents can be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Mark Keller, director of Residence Services says for those living on campus, since the current policy bans smoking anything inside, nothing will change. The working group considered whether to allow plants in Residence or whether growing plants in Residence would be allowed and ultimately decided against it. More generally, Keller says everyone just needs to be aware of the rules for cannabis where they are, recognizing they will differ from municipality to municipality and from province to province.
The courses focus on: »» plant production and facility management »» marketing »» sales and drug development »» financing a cannabis operation “Cannabis is a whole new sector coming online at once and this is an opportunity to put ourselves — and our students — at the leading edge of this developing industry,” says Brad Mahon, interim dean, FoCEE. Go to mru.ca/Cannabis for more information.
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Higher education at Mount Royal
Harry Anslinger served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics, and is known for his hardline policies. His campaign against cannabis lasted from approximately 1930 to 1937.
Marijuana and Mount Royal have a history that goes back to the early 1970s. In response to the federal government’s move toward lessening penalties for possession, a number of stories in support appeared in Journal 3009 (the communication department’s publication, now known as the Calgary Journal). The 3009 came from its room name, Q309. An editorial in the Nov. 9, 1973, edition of the paper claimed 90 per cent of male students and 70 per cent of
WHAT’S THE HARM? Although cannabis is not risk-free, University of Calgary professor Matthew Hill, PhD, said in a webinar held in July that many of the studies highlighted in media in recent years simply don’t stand up to further examination, citing methodological problems. “The current state of evidence does not support the blanket statement that recreational cannabis use by adolescents causes irreparable brain damage or persistent impairments in cognitive function in the average person.” Adolescence is generally defined as someone developing from puberty to early adulthood. Higher risk, he says, may involve use of other substances, life stress and genetics, as well as earlier ages of smoking, ingesting or vaping cannabis with high concentrations of THC. As it adjusts to legal cannabis, MRU Wellness Services is providing education and assistance to anyone with concerns seeking help, contributing to policy development where necessary and monitoring the impact of behaviour changes through population health data. “With anything from a harm-reduction perspective, it’s about making sure people have information,” said former MRU Wellness Services health promotion specialist Laura Henderson. 42
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female students had used cannabis. It then asked: “Is marijuana harmful? Is the drug so evil that anyone caught with it should be branded a criminal? If the drug is so harmful, the high percentage of users in this institute of learning should be turning into vegetables and the halls of Mount Royal are being overrun with pothead criminals. “Marijuana has been popular in North America for over a decade, it has been used for centuries and still there is no proof of any dangers connected
with the drug. Maybe it is time we the people demand some satisfaction as to what is going to be done about the situation, before more people are hurt with our ignorant drug laws.” On Dec. 6, 1974, a twopage spread of stories called Decriminalizing Cannabis backed a move by the then Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau to reduce penalties for possession of pot. The feature included a story headlined, “Pot: A hazy history,” that described early medicinal use, recreational smoking starting in the
“We’ll be making that available and then folks are going to make their own decisions. “We’re encouraging them to use it safely and buy it safely, which is a great asset of legalization in terms of it being much, much easier for people to safely purchase cannabis, and know what they’re buying.” Henderson said while cannabis produces positive effects for some, for others it can make existing mental health issues (bipolar disorder for example) worse. Rachelle McGrath, Healthy Campus Team lead within Wellness Services, says Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines can be a great resource. MRU Wellness also suggests these cannabis tips: »» don’t use cannabis every day »» have a plan to get home safely »» buy cannabis from a safe place »» be aware of your risk factors (if you are suffering from anxiety and depression, for example) »» know safe ways to ingest The goal is to provide the right resources to those who run into problems. “If a student felt like they were using cannabis to manage other things that were going on with their mental health or their physical health, we’d encourage them to talk to their doctor about that,” says Henderson. “There are other ways to be coping and other supports that we want people to be connected to.”
1920s, “Tea Pads,” or marijuana speakeasies in big cities and anti-marijuana laws spreading through the ‘20s and ‘30s. “Cannabis prices are rising” explained that the price of cannabis in Calgary had been caught in an inflationary spiral. The cost of hashish went up from $70 an ounce to $150 an ounce. Marijuana increased from $250 a kilogram to $350. In the story “RCMP favour proposed law,” Calgary RCMP Staff Sgt. Dutch Ryba said
he favoured moving marijuana from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to the Food and Drugs Act, where it belongs. He said, “It shouldn’t be classified with the narcotics.” Ryba didn’t favour complete decriminalization, however, because he knew driving while high was dangerous. Another story profiled a local user and former art student “Dave” who had been busted five times for possession. While his criminal record hindered
his job prospects, he remained philosophical. “I look at the fines and all as a sort of tax on the dope I smoke.” In 1977, a student reporter interviewed cannabis users: Henry, an artist said, “I like it. Food tastes better after a few joints. Besides, it relaxes you without the need for chemicals.” Susan, on the other hand, asked, “Why bother legalizing it? It would just cost more.”
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
SHAYLA BREEN Vice-president, Student Affairs Students’ Association of Mount Royal University
The Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) will also key in on harm reduction and education, says Shayla Breen, vice-president, Student Affairs. “I think there are misconceptions that when students talk to a doctor or a counsellor on campus that it’s reported to your parents and it goes on your transcript. None of that is true,” she says. “We’re here to support students in any choices they want to make. Prohibition has never worked well. Telling a student, ‘No, you can’t have this,’ is not going to work. Instead, we’re saying to students, ‘Abstinence is the safest option, but if you want to use this, that’s your choice and you have the right to exercise that. Here’s some information as well to help you.’ ” SAMRU was involved in the working group and the creation of the revised smoking policy, and while they are disappointed in the city’s decision to restrict consumption in public because it leaves many students with no place to smoke legal marijuana, they back the harm-reduction strategy. Breen said some students have asked about medicinal use and that SAMRU will give them the information needed to obtain the necessary approvals.
MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS You would think that a criminal justice professor who is also a lawyer, once worked for the RCMP’s Coordinated Marijuana Enforcement Team and is a city councillor in Chestermere would know what to expect with legalized pot. But ask Professor Ritesh Narayan of the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies to look ahead and it becomes clear there are far more questions than answers about even the most basic assumptions regarding legal weed. As a city councillor, Narayan has witnessed challenges first-hand as the three levels of government try to sort it all out. “There’s a lot of ambiguity as to who should do what, and who is responsible for what,” he says. “The municipalities are looking up to the provincial government, who are looking up to the federal government — hoping there will be more clarity. I think that will continue.” While Narayan favours decriminalization of marijuana and other drugs if it comes with an overall focus on health, he is not sure such measures will result in a reduced burden on the legal system. He sees enforcement shifting from criminal trafficking and possession to bylaws and regulations around selling, purchasing and consuming legal weed, and driving and committing crimes while high. Narayan also predicts a rise in litigation in areas such as second-hand smoke could clog the courts. “There’s so much that’s going to happen that the system is simply not prepared for what’s to come,” Narayan says. The biggest challenge he says, will be to charge and successfully prosecute individuals suspected of driving under the influence of cannabis. “There are just too many mitigating factors that could render results collected by police as lacking credibility.” For those looking to take advantage of the legalization of cannabis, what the experts do agree on is not to take anything for granted. Reach out to established experts for guidance on consumption and openly communicate with doctors and medical authorities about reasons for use.
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The chemistry between us In September, Mount Royal celebrated the introduction of its newest major, a Bachelor of Science — Chemistry. A study based on the behaviours of atoms and molecules invisible to the human eye, chemistry is everywhere and everything. WORDS BY MICHELLE BODNAR ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAVE MURRAY
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Seven billion people are alive on Earth today because of chemistry “Chemistry is the quiet driver of so many things. It is present in much of what we do, what we need and what we use as human beings,” says Jonathan Withey, DPhil, dean of MRU’s Faculty of Science and Technology and a notable chemist himself, having been named a fellow of the U.K.’s Royal Society of Chemistry for contributions to the field. Chemistry’s contributions to humanity’s current advanced state of development are many. Just a few of the most notable include purification systems for creating potable water; penicillin for fighting bacterial infections; the Haber-Bosch process for producing ammonia for fertilizer; polyethylene for being the genesis of all plastics and liquid crystal displays for the touch screens in our ubiquitous hand-held devices. “Chemistry is not a compartmentalized science,” Withey says. “It transcends all elements of our lives.”
New major for Mount Royal Technological tutelage Mount Royal’s Faculty of Science and Technology houses an impressive array of analytical instruments, including high resolution microscopes, a wide variety of spectrometers and several chromatographic instruments. Having access to these instruments provides students opportunities to train on top-of-the-line equipment, and for faculty and students to address a variety of research questions.
Joe Schwarcz, PhD, who is known for demystifying chemistry on The Dr. Joe Show, which airs on Montreal’s CJAD, has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and has also appeared hundreds of times on the Discovery Channel, CTV, CBC, TVOntario and Global Television. He was on campus in September to help officially launch Mount Royal’s new Bachelor of Science — Chemistry. Counting as the institution’s 33rd major, a full initial cohort of students is already registered and taking courses. “Everything in the world works based on a chemical reaction, no matter what you look at. Chemistry is the key. It is the cement that ties all of the other sciences together,” Schwarcz says. “If you have a feel for what molecules are, what they can do and the reactions they can engage in, you have a pretty good feel for what can and cannot happen in the world. And you also have a pretty good explanation for the ways things work.”
The building blocks towards a future in science Mount Royal’s chemistry degree sets up graduating students to play a key role in solving global challenges from a variety of career paths. Graduates may end up discovering new medicines, protecting the environment, inventing new products and materials, solving crimes using forensic analysis, inspiring others through teaching chemistry or continuing with studies in graduate school. While myriad labs are filled with students wearing safety goggles and white coats doing experiments around the world, what differentiates Mount Royal’s degree is Community Service Learning (CSL). CSL means applying education to complex, real-world issues through partnerships in the community. Students who take three CSL courses receive a CSL designation on their MRU transcripts, and all students graduating with the chemistry major will satisfy this requirement.
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The Department of Chemistry and Physics has initiated a CSL pilot project with a group of a landowners near Oyen in eastern Alberta testing phosphatase levels in soil. Phosphatase is an enzyme that breaks down the phosphorous that comes with fertilization, so they are studying how much fertilizer residue is in the soil. “Because we’re small and nimble, we can work with these community groups to carry out these sorts of projects effectively,” says Professor Chris Lovallo, PhD and chair of the Department. Second-year student Jaymar Tallo switched to the chemistry major as soon as he saw it was open for registration. “I went straight to the science advisors and asked them to put me into the major,” Tallo says. “I liked the chemistry labs in high school and the theory of chemistry. I also think that my high school chemistry teacher influenced my decision. Thanks to Ms. Lovallo for inspiring me.” Coincidentally, Tallo’s high-school teacher is the spouse of Mount Royal’s chair of the chemistry and physics department. He hopes to use his education for graduate studies in chemistry or pharmacology, and says that he appreciates how much MRU professors invest in seeing students succeed. “The teachers do not see the students as numbers, but as people,” Tallo says. Chemistry professor Nathan Ackroyd, PhD, says Mount Royal stands out through its commitment to personalized learning. “I’ve had students contact me four years after taking just one class to say, ‘I don’t know if you remember me, but I was in your class and I need a letter of recommendation.’ “The truth is, I do remember them. If you want to know who your instructors are and you want them to know you, this is your best option. And that’s an opportunity you don’t get very many places,” he says. The chemistry major will, like other Mount Royal degrees, embody this principle. And even though the degree is still in its infancy, MRU graduates have been making their mark in the field. Professor Brett McCollum, PhD says, “We’ve been doing a really excellent job at Mount Royal of drawing students in to do research. Students have been going on 46
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to post-graduate studies based on their research in chemistry, even though MRU previously didn’t have a major in chemistry.” Bachelor of Science — Health Science (2017) alumnus Brandon Shokoples performed undergraduate research with professors McCollum and Carol Armstrong, PhD, while at MRU. He subsequently presented his research on chemistry language development at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Toronto and the American Chemical Society Conference in San Francisco. He has co-authored two papers on the subject (one published and one under review) and is currently at McGill University as a graduate student in experimental medicine. In addition, McCollum and fourthyear student Darlene Skagen, who is majoring in cellular and molecular biology, are teaming up with the University of Illinois Springfield to develop students’ professional identities, communication confidence in chemistry, content mastery and appreciation for chemistry as an international language. Research assistant Jordan Hofmeister (Bachelor of Science — General Science (2018)) won second place in the Graduate/ Undergraduate Student Oral Competition category at the 101st Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition. His work evaluates the experience of peer leaders (similar to teaching assistants) in a flipped classroom environment, (where students work through challenging problems in class with the support of the professor and peer leaders, and complete preparatory learning with their textbook for homework). McCollum sees a bright future for students. “We’re very excited for this opportunity now to move students through the new chemistry program, knowing that we’re going to produce some of the best graduates any university has to offer.” The possibilities open to students with a degree in chemistry are unlimited. Mount Royal is already creating leaders in the field and has the ability to make an atomic impact on the world of science. — With files from Peter Glenn
Major chemistry discoveries throughout the ages 5000 to 3500 BC copper 5000 BC glass 1200 BC concrete 1200 BC bitumen 1200 BC gunpowder 1796 vaccines 1800 electric battery 1864 pasteurization 1874 refrigeration 1896 radioactivity 1907 plastics 1909 ammonia 1928 antibiotics 1939 pesticides 1953 DNA structure 1500-1990 anesthetic
Science is an attempt to understand how we all came to be and continue to exist on the planet. Here, five Mount Royal chemistry professors describe life in terms of chemistry.
Professor Nathan Ackroyd, PhD
Professor John Chik, PhD
Professor Brett McCollum, PhD
Professor Susan Morante
Professor Jonathan Withey, DPhil
Ackroyd is co-author of Organic Chemistry: Mechanistic Patterns (1st Edition), which has been adopted by 20 universities across Canada, including Mount Royal. “When you think of life, you’re thinking of thoughts, which is very meta. But all of the processes that go on, that make your heart beat, that cause signals to happen and then travel down nerves, to feel a surface, all of those things involve chemical processes. “Life is really a very, very complicated chemical reaction.”
Chik received his PhD from Princeton University in the field of protein crystallography/ chemistry. “There was a time in the history of chemistry when it was thought to be a discipline separate, or alongside, life. If you look at table salt and an ant, they’re very different things. But the laws that govern them both are the same. “From the lens of biochemistry, life is about how biology is able to reorganize atoms. All of the energy that we have, that we use industrially and biologically, is essentially a rearrangement process. You’re not creating new atoms. You are rearranging them to create energy. And energy is life.”
McCollum is a Nexen Scholar of Teaching and Learning and recipient of a Mount Royal Faculty Association Teaching Award (2016) and a Mount Royal Distinguished Faculty Award (2017). “Mathematics allows us to symbolically represent interactions. Those interactions can be described based on the principles of physics. We apply mathematics and physics in chemistry to describe chemical reactions. And it’s those reactions that drive and facilitate life.”
Morante has been with Mount Royal for more than 30 years. She has worked in various research and industrial labs, contributing to an understanding that a premature infant needs a different type of milk formula than a full-term infant. “I actually think of life in terms of science, generally. I look at everything with that questioning that I think is the hallmark of a scientist. ‘What’s going on? Why did this happen? What can I find out about it?’ “One of the biggest things that we do in science is remind students that it’s OK to ask questions. That should be what we’re really doing, is asking questions about the universe and about the world.”
Withey earned his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Oxford. “For me, chemistry helps us understand life. It helps us measure the environment around us. It’s an enabler of our own collective futures. We can monitor and detect things around us, but then we can also develop ways to influence those things in a positive manner. How can we influence things in a way that allows us to thrive?”
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WHAT IS “CHEMOPHOBIA?” James Kennedy, a chemistry teacher at Haileybury Institute, one of Australia’s largest and leading independent schools, created this list of the actual chemical elements of coffee beans as an attempt to combat what is known as “chemophobia.” He has done the same for other foods such as eggs, bananas, blueberries, kiwis, lemons and so on, all of which contain what he calls “scary-looking ingredients,” that are, in fact, completely natural. “Natural isn’t always good for you and manmade chemicals are not inherently dangerous,” Kennedy says.
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THE NATURAL COFFEE BEAN I N G R E D I E N T S : C A F F E I N E , C H LO R O G E N I C A C I D S ( 5 - C A F F E OY L Q U I N I C AC I D, 3 , 4 - D I C A F F E OY L Q U I N I C AC I D, 3 - C A F F E O - 4 - F E R U L OY L Q U I N I C AC I D, 5 - P- C O U M A R OY L Q U I N I C AC I D ) , C A F E S TO L , K A H W E O L , A M I N O AC I D S, S O L U B L E D I E TA RY F I B R E (GALACTOMANNANS AND TYPE II ARABINOGALACTANS), G A L AC TO S E , A R A B I N O S E , F U R A N S , P Y R I D I N E S , P Y R A Z I N E S, P Y R RO LS, A L D E H Y D E S, M E L A N O I D I N S, FATTY ACIDS (LINOLEIC ACID, OLEIC ACID, LINOLENIC AC I D, C O F F E A D I O L , A R A B I O L I ) , A S H , S T E R O L S (4-DESMETHYLSTEROLS, 4-METHYLSTEROLS, 4,4-DIMETHYL-STEROLS, ALPHA-, BETA-, AND GAMMATO C O P H E R O LS ) , F L AVO U R S ( 2 , 3 - B UTA N E - D I O N E , 2 , 3 - P E N TA N E D I O N E , 1- O C T E N - 3 - O N E , 2 - H Y D R OX Y3 - M E T H Y L- 2 - C Y C L O - P E N T E N E - 1- O N E - P R O PA N A L , 2 - M E T H Y L- P R O P A N A L , 3 - M E T H Y L- P R O P A N A L , 2 - M ET H Y L B UTA N A L , 4 - M ET H Y L B UTA N A L , H E X A N A L , (E)-2-NONENAL, METHIONAL, METHANTHIOL, 4-METHYL2 - B U T E N O - 1 - T H I O L , 2 - M E T H Y L- 4 - F U R A N T H I O L , 5-DIMETHYL-TRISULFIDE, 2-FURFURYLTHIOL, 2-FURANM E T H A N E T H I O L , 2 - ( M E T H Y L- T H I O L ) - P R O PA N A L , 2 ( M E T H Y LT H I O - M E T H Y L ) F U R A N , 3 , 5 - D I H Y D R O 4 ( 2 H ) - T H I O P H E N O N E , 2 - A C E T Y L- 2 - T YA Z O L I N E , 4-METHYLBUTANOIC ACID, DAMASCENE, 4-HYDROXY2,5-DIMETHYL-4(2H)-FURANONE (FURANEOL), 2-ETHYLFURANEOL, 4-HYDROXY-4,5-DIMETHYL-2(5H)-FURANONE ( S OTO L O N ) , 5 - ET H Y L- 4 - H Y D R OX Y- 4 - M ET H Y L- 2 - ( 5 H ) F U R A N - O N E ( A B E X O N A ) , 2 - E T H Y L- 4 - H Y D R O X Y- 5 M E T H Y L- 4 - ( 5 H ) - F U R A N O N E , 2 - M E T H OX Y- P H E N O L , 4-METHOXY-PHENOL, 4-ETHYL-2-METH-OXY-PHENOL, 4 - V I N Y L- 2 - M E T H O X Y- P H E N O L , 4 - E T H E N Y L- 2 M ET HOX Y P H E N O L , 3 - M ET H Y L- I N DO L E , VA N I L L I N E , 2 , 3 - D I M ET H Y L- P Y R A Z I N E , 2 , 5 - D I M ET H Y L- P Y R A Z I N E , 2 - E T H Y L- P Y R A Z I N E , 2 - E T H Y L- 6 - M E T H Y L P Y R A Z I N E , 2 , 3 - D I E T H Y L- 5 - M E T H Y L P Y R A Z I N E , 2 - E T H Y L- 3 , 5 DIMETHYLPYRAZINE, 3-ETHYL-2,5-DIMETHYLPYRAZINE, 3 - I S O P RO P Y L- 2 - M ET H - OX Y P Y R A Z I N E , 3 - I S O B UT Y L- 2 METHOXY-PYRAZINE, 2-ETHENYL-3,5-DIMETHYLPYRAZINE, 2-ETHENYL-3-ETHYL-5-METHYL-PYRAZINE, 6,7-DIHYDRO5H-CYCLOPENTAPYRAZINE, 6,7-DI-HYDRO-5-METHYL-5HCYCLOPENTAPYRAZINE, 3-MER-CAPTO-3-METHYLBUTYL F O R M AT E , 3 - M E R C A P TO - 3 - M E T H Y L B UTA N O L ) , M I N E R A L S ( P OTAS S I U M , P H O S P H O R U S, S O D I U M , MAGNESIUM, CALCIUM, SULFUR, ZINC, STRONTIUM, SILICON, MANGANESE, IRON, COPPER, BARIUM, B O RO N , A L U M I N U M )
SOURCE: JAMESKENNEDYMONASH.WORDPRESS.COM
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The incredible periodic table of elements The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, 150 years after Mendeleev’s first publication. Mount Royal chemistry students are taking part in an international collaborative project spearheaded by the University of Waterloo, where they are focusing on the impact of one specific element to go into a timeline organized by year of discovery. Modern chemistry’s roots are in alchemy, which was first recorded about 4,000 years ago. It was the idea that one element could be transformed into another, which is now possible using controlled nuclear reactions. Alchemists were mainly trying to turn base metals — lead, in particular, into gold — for the obvious purpose of creating wealth. They weren’t successful, but what they did end up doing was producing a number of different alloys, which in turn led to the discovery of a number of different elements. This was the beginning of the periodic table of elements, a remarkable visual one-stop shop for all 118 elements discovered so far. Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, first published a rudimentary table in 1869, knowing it was incomplete but that it would be filled in by future scientists. The table is organized by atomic number (the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom), as well as chemical behaviours. Metals are to the left, non-metals are to the right and nonreactive, or noble gases, form the farthest right column. Its importance to the world of science can’t be overstated. By looking at the periodic table of elements reactions can be predicted without the need for a lab. It is essentially the key to all things chemistry, and provides the inspiration for innovation in the field. 50
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Chemistry is natural, not naughty Although it forms the basis for the understanding of science as a whole, the word “chemistry” can conjure up images of chemists as sorcerers summoning black magic or scientists playing fast and loose with stable states. In his article, “Why do people hate the word ‘chemicals’?” Professor Mark Lorch, PhD, of the University of Hull in the U.K., describes the phenomenon as “chemophobia,” and says it results in a “bad rap” for the field. Biology implies plants, animals and nature. Physics conjures up images of space, laser beams and the wonders of the universe. Chemistry, though, has become synonymous with poisons, toxins and weapons. “Chemicals are looked on as dangerous things,” says Joe Schwarcz, PhD of the Dr. Joe
Show. “This is an absurd view because chemicals are just things. They are the building blocks of everything, of all matter. They are not good, they are not bad, they are just things.” In fact, today’s “pharmacy” was once called the “chemist’s,” which had shelves lined with minerals, herbs and animal matter, all thought to have healing properties. But pharmacology evolved and compounds are now synthesized through sophisticated chemical processes, resulting in stronger, more effective medications and treatments. “One of the biggest myths out there is that if something is natural it’s better. That it’s better or safer than something made in the lab, which of course is not the case,” Schwarcz says.
Chemistry components The Canadian Society for Chemistry breaks up the study into five major branches: organic, inorganic, physical, analytical and biochemistry. Mount Royal chemistry students are immersed in all of these, plus they look into computational and “green” chemistry. • Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions and preparation of carboncontaining compounds. Because carbon atoms bond easily into molecules, over 95 per cent of all compounds are organic. • Inorganic chemistry is concerned with the properties and behaviour of inorganic (not carbon-based) compounds, which include metals, minerals and organometallic compounds. What “scares” people are the names of chemicals, says Professor Chris Lovallo, PhD and chair of Mount Royal’s Department of Chemistry and Physics. An example is nitrates, which are known to cause cancer. “If you buy normal bacon, the ingredient list will say sodium nitrate. If you buy the ‘no-chemical’ bacon, it will say celery salt, but celery salt actually contains nitrates as well. “’No-chemical’ bacon actually has more nitrates and more sodium than standard bacon. But they can say there are no chemicals in it because they get it from a ‘natural’ source.” There are also estimates that the average woman puts approximately 168 chemicals on her body every day (shampoo, conditioners, makeup, skin care cream, etc.). Many women check the chemical make up of each individual product, but the real danger may be in all those chemicals being applied at one time. Schwarcz advocates for balance and reflection within all sciences. “While there are no such things as safe or dangerous chemicals, there are safe ways and dangerous ways to use them. What has to be considered, always, is that there is a risk/benefit ratio. Chemicals are not good or bad, it depends on how you use them.”
• Physical chemistry is the study of how matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level and how chemical reactions occur. • Analytical chemistry is the art and science of determining what matter is and how much exists. • Biochemistry is the study of the structure, composition and chemical reactions of substances in living systems. • Computational chemistry is where computers are used to solve chemical problems. • ”Green” chemistry is also called sustainable chemistry and concentrates on designing products that use and produce less hazardous waste.
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Studies in kindness Learning about fierce listening, reconciliation and resilience WORDS BY MELISSA ROLFE PHOTO BY CHRISTINA RICHES, MIKE POON
nglish professor Kit Dobson, PhD, believes the secret to a kinder world is listening. And learning. He is a researcher, writer and the interim co-director of Mount Royal’s Office of Academic Indigenization (OAI). Here Dobson describes what he’s learning about ‘fierce listening’ as a way to solve problems, build bridges and make life and the world a little bit better.
Fierce listening
The poet Margaret Avison once used the term ‘fierce listening,’ which is an idea Dobson is exploring in his current writings. For him, it means entering a space and actively becoming part of the conversation. “I can listen and not just take something away for me, but listen in a way that is reciprocal rather than extracting.” Fierce listening can’t happen without kindness. If kindness is missing, it can have a negative effect on society, Dobson says. And without kindness, there’s also less empathy and more social loneliness, and “those don’t lead to good social and cultural outcomes,” Dobson says. “Society functions well when we’re able to speak with and listen to one another in meaningful ways.” Dobson’s interest in how to listen has him studying the Athabasca region, where his family comes from, and then thinking deeply about how to engage in social and environmental situations. That means actually trying to hear nature. He notes that even certain place names in the region — such as Calling Lake and Whispering Hills — invite listening. “I am stepping into areas where I am not as sure of myself — which I think is something I should be doing.” 52
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Reconciliation
As for his role with the OAI as a non-Indigenous person, Dobson knows some people might struggle with his appointment. He says it’s not “unproblematic”; but also that it’s not entirely the responsibility of Indigenous people to do the work around reconciliation. “For me that has been a useful framework for thinking about how I want to approach this work: to decolonize and dismantle things that have been done, which makes space for Indigenous folks to come in and do indigenizing work.” The University’s work around decolonization and indigenization has scholars and staff increasingly attuned to the nuances of the word “reconciliation.” “There’s a risk that it becomes an empty buzzword, and so Indigenous thinkers like Leanne Simpson are talking about ‘resurgence’ as another way to think about community processes away from the ‘statesponsored’ model of reconciliation, so to speak. “It’s complicated work,” he notes, but as Dobson and OAI co-director Renae Watchman meet with departments across campus, his goal is finding ways to move forward “in a constructive and collaborative way.”
Kit Dobson, PhD, is exploring “fierce listening” in his current writings about listening to one another, the land and how people interact with the land.
— KIT DOBSON, PhD
“We’re in a world in which more and more people are living and working with precarity, so thinking about how people can create resiliency to thrive takes on renewed urgency.”
Resilience
Dobson is involved with the University of Salamanca in Spain on a project studying the literatures of resilience. “That work involves trying to think about what it might mean — in a literary context, but also a social and cultural context — to be able to not just survive but thrive in the contemporary world,” he says. This entails thinking about who are the most vulnerable populations and
what kinds of representation they have in literature. It’s timely and important work. “Different states in the world have cut back on education, social welfare and health systems, rendering more people vulnerable. “We’re in a world in which more and more people are living and working with precarity, so thinking about how people can create resiliency takes on renewed urgency.”
This ties back to listening fiercely to people and environments in distress in a way that can help change those conditions, he explains. The goal of fierce listening is to develop relationships that can begin to solve problems. “Maybe we can’t resolve significant differences between perspectives or reconcile everything, but that doesn’t mean we can’t listen.”
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Alumni Achievement Awards Story continued from page 2.
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Walter Hossli
Jenn Lofgren
Momentum advocates for the more than 140,000 Calgarians living below the poverty line and provides opportunities to develop skills and knowledge so they can move forward. “Momentum also identifies systems barriers for low-income folks to become more economically productive, and then working to reduce or remove those barriers is a lasting feature of what Momentum does. Our policy advocacy has led to thousands of Albertans being better able to escape poverty for good.” Hossli’s commitment to the community has a massive scope. He has been integral to organizations such as Vibrant Communities Calgary, the Calgary Foundation and the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, to name just a few. He also promotes policy change to facilitate communityowned renewable energy and regularly volunteers his time and knowledge in Central America. In 2016, after more than two decades as executive director of Momentum, Hossli came back full circle to MRU as the Institute for Community Prosperity’s changemaker-in-residence. “My favourite part of being a changemakerin-residence is joining a group of mostly much younger people who are passionate about effecting change in big systems and supporting paradigm shifts. As a human family we are facing unprecedented global challenges. Protecting the status quo is no longer an option.” Hossli’s relationship with MRU includes mentoring students and institute personnel, guest lecturing and providing guidance and thought leadership around economic development, community-based energy production, climate action and public policy improvement opportunities. “I deeply value long-term meaningful relationships. This award connects me back to my studies many years ago. It also connects me with the current position of changemaker. It feels especially gratifying to receive the award from MRU — a place of so much learning and growing for me over many years.”
Fast-forward to today and Lofgren is about to celebrate a decade since founding her own executive leadership coaching and consulting company, Incito Executive and Leadership Development. “I’m convinced I’m a terrible employee but a good entrepreneur,” she says, laughing. “I enjoy being able to build relationships on behalf of Incito and our team of coaches. I enjoy working one-onone or with a leadership team and seeing ideas click for the first time and helping convert those ‘aha’ moments into action.” One of 54 people in Canada and only three in Calgary to achieve her Master Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation, Lofgren has been a member of the invitation-only Forbes Coaches Council since 2016, contributing articles and Q & A segments to Forbes magazine on topics such as leadership, career development and effectiveness, and employee engagement. Despite being part of such prestigious groups, Lofgren is proudest of the long-term impact she has on her clients. “I love that I get to be a part of helping people navigate one of the hardest jobs — leadership. Leadership roles can be lonely, ambiguous, uncertain and lacking direction. I get to be a small part of making the path less lonely, helping clients create their own direction, finding ways to get feedback and developing their strengths to serve them most effectively.” She says the best part about switching careers is the ability to come home every day happy. It has also allowed her to follow causes closer to her heart. Most recently, she was elected to serve on the board of directors of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and is also a member of the board of directors of the Calgary Youth Justice Society.
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Sarah Ward
Geoff Schoenberg
The Nash in Inglewood was the first project Ward’s firm completed, so she felt she had a lot to prove in its execution. Because of this, it occupies a special spot in her repertoire. “I think we redefined what restaurant design could mean in Calgary and we produced a space that told the story of its neighbourhood and past lives. It was a huge relief and a very pleasant surprise to hear how much everyone loved it when it opened, and it reinforced that my decision to go out on my own was truly worthwhile.” Although Ward knew what she wanted to do from a young age, her orientation day confirmed that she belonged at Mount Royal University. She knew, absolutely, that she was in the right place. That feeling continued throughout her time at MRU, as she was equipped with all the fundamental skills she needed for her future career. Since graduating, she has maintained strong ties to the University, returning as president of the Interior Design Alumni Chapter and serving as a studio instructor. She is currently paying it forward by acting as a mentor to MRU students through the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program. “Mount Royal exposed me to a broad range of people and backgrounds and how to understand different points of view. As a designer, we have to consider a wide variety of variables for each project that we undertake, and that is often well outside of our own lived experiences. Understanding how others view and experience the world is crucial to being able to design for the global population and I credit MRU with helping me to understand the world at large.”
As his career advanced, however, he became much more interested in system-level impacts, much like the work he is now executing in India. “While making a difference in the lives of the athletes, volunteers and students I’ve worked with will always hold a place in my heart, creating and refining systems that can have mass effect is particularly rewarding.” Schoenberg has published and presented his research around the world. He also volunteers with community sport organizations, for major events, on academic boards and within personal development organizations. “Contribution to community has been a guiding value in my personal and professional life,” Schoenberg says. He has even received an award for Diversity Support at Griffith University. “As a cisgender, straight, able-bodied, white, educated male I do my best to recognize my privilege with its accompanying benefits and strive to find different ways to act as an ally for underrepresented and marginalized communities.” Even as an alumnus living overseas, Schoenberg strives to stay connected with MRU, whether through formal engagements such as collaborating with MRU’s Professor David Legg, PhD, on the Sports Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success project, or in how he carries his Mount Royal education into his own classroom. “My experience as an MRU student informs my approach in the classroom now that I am teaching in a university setting. I strive to create an engaging and encouraging atmosphere, as my professors did for me.”
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CH ECK I N G
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W I T H
M O U N T
ROYA L
A LU M N I
Alumni Q+A
VIK MALL Business Administration Diploma (2007) INTERVIEW BY JUSTINE FARAGO PHOTO BY CHAO ZHANG, CHRISTINA RICHES
Since leaving his tiny hometown of Golden, B.C., Vik Mall has been working towards a successful law career while paying it forward. An associate lawyer practising commercial and employment litigation at a mid-size Calgary law firm, Mall makes time to give back. He volunteers with Pro Bono Law Alberta and is proud to act as a student mentor through Mount Royal’s Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program. Becoming a lawyer was not an easy road, but Mall says starting his post-secondary education at Mount Royal — with its small class sizes and practical learning programs — set him up for success. After completing his diploma in business administration at then Mount Royal College, Mall went on to pursue a Bachelor of Management at the University of Lethbridge, and then earned his law degree from the University of Calgary in 2013.
Are you interested in becoming a mentor? Learn more about the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program here: mru.ca/CareerMentorship
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SUMMIT – FALL / WINTER 2018
Why did you decide to pursue a career in law? Being able to advocate for others’ rights — in court or otherwise — was something that was important to me. There are a lot of individuals who cannot advocate for themselves, often because they do not feel comfortable with the legal processes or find the legal terminology difficult to understand. Practising law has allowed me to help others with issues in their lives in a way that is not possible through other avenues. Why did you choose Mount Royal? I chose Mount Royal because of its welcoming campus and program offerings. The Bissett School of Business also had a strong reputation. The program itself was well structured, striking a good balance between practical applications and theoretical aspects. This ultimately provided for a more personalized and interactive learning environment. What is the best piece of advice you received at Mount Royal? I was lucky in that I had several great takeaways from my time at MRU. First, setting realistic goals for yourself while still enjoying the journey. Trying to reach to your final destination is important, but learning along the way is just as valuable as achieving your goals. Second, it will be difficult to accomplish it all by yourself. You will likely need help from others. Do not be afraid to ask. At the end of the day, there is a network of people — family, friends, professors or colleagues — who will be there to support you in your journey. Finally, you then have a responsibility to support others in achieving their goals.
What drives you to be a changemaker, dedicating yourself to a positive community and social impact? My parents are a major reason why I am involved in the community. They have always set a great example of trying to help others and give back. I sit on the articling committee at my firm and mentor students at Mount Royal. I do this because I enjoy it and it’s an opportunity for me to understand the struggles students face, see the changes youth are making now to deal with those challenges and provide support and advice where I can. What three words describe your student experience at Mount Royal? Growth. Encouragement. Stimulation. What are your future plans and aspirations? Law is going through significant changes. New technologies and the traditional ways of practicing law are colliding. I hope to be able to work with others to bridge that gap. I would also like to continue to develop my legal skills while participating in mentoring opportunities. I am happy to learn from others who have gone through the processes and dealt with challenges, as well as provide support to undergraduate and law students. As a lifelong student, it is about looking forward and continuing to grow.
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SUMMIT – FALL / WINTER 2018