Journey Magazine Fall 2009

Terence FitzgeraldFrom a renegade comic bookcompany to a billion-dollarentertainment success

HONOURING VIU’S FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONS • ANTARCTICA: THE CLASSROOM • NEW COWICHAN CAMPUS

Pub. Agreement No. 40063601

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 2 • FALL 2009

Keep in touch with your fellow VIU graduates and rediscover the spirit of living and learning on the West Coast.

Update your contact information at www.viu.ca/alumni and stay informed about relevant news, reunions, and events.

Have you purchased your Alumni Privilege Card?VIU alumni can purchase an Alumni Privilege Card for an annual fee of 10 and receive discounts from:

Purchase your Alumni Privilege Card from the Development and Alumni Office, 114-59 Wharf Street,Nanaimo, or the VIU Welcome Centre, Nanaimo campus.

VIU Alumni RelationsPhone: 250 · 740 · 6215

Fax: 250 · 740 · 6491E-mail: [email protected]/alumni/

The success of any school is determined by the strength of its graduates.

VIU LibraryVIU Gymnasium

VIU TheatreDiscovery Room

VIU ResidencesVIU Bookstore (Nanaimo Campus)

Milner GardensFairwinds Golf Course

Rediscover Your School Spirit

http://www.viu.ca/alumni

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.viu.ca/alumni/

ON THE COVER: ILLUSTRATION OF TERENCE FITZGERALD BY SAM KIETH. THIS PAGE: ILLUSTRATION BY GREG CAPULLO. Journey Fall 2009 1

C O N T E N T S

12 Master of One’s Destiny Visual Arts graduate Terence Fitzgerald spawnsa multi-million dollar entertainment empire

10 On Top of the Bottom of the WorldVIU student L-A Shibish spends two weeks studying in Antarctica

16 Spirit of ’83Honouring VIU’s first national championship

DEPARTMENTS

02 Explorations w

04 Steps wNew Cowichan Campus; Atleoelected National Chief; Word onthe street; Mariners Wall of Fame

20 Alumni In View wTanya Griffiths; VIU’s firstvaledictorians; Alumni reception in Japan

25 AlumnEye w

28 The Home Stretch wFace to face with the Italian Renaissance

29 Events w

FEATURES FALL 2009

LettersI was surprised by the professional look

of the magazine and even more sur-

prised that I received it in the

Netherlands. I think I am one of the

very few VIU alumni here.

I would like to read more stories

about international alumni; those who

have graduated and become successful

in their own country. So far, I have

found the magazine to be very local

and I think that having a more geo-

graphic spread would make the maga-

zine more interesting to read.

– Niels Siskens

(University Programs ’04)

VIU welcomes 1,000 international

students per year and they bring valuable

global perspectives to our classrooms and

communities. As alumni, they represent

VIU around the globe. We will always look

to include their stories in Journey, such as

Indian alumnus Alex Casewa and his

environmentally sustainable dinnerware

business on page 26.

Can Malaspina alumni update our

degrees to state Vancouver Island

University instead of Malaspina

University-College? I graduated in June

2006 and would like my degree to

reflect the new name of the institution.

– Aimee Newton (BTM ’06)

Malaspina alumni can purchase

replacement certificates,

diplomas, and degrees from

Vancouver Island University for

$35 per copy. Contact the

Alumni Office at [email protected]

for more information.

You’ll be glad to know that all

Malaspina degrees, diplomas,

and certificates will still be

recognized by employers and

other post-secondary

institutions. For university applications or

resumés, VIU’s Campus Career Centre and

Registration department recommend that

Malaspina graduates list the institution as

“Vancouver Island University—formerly

Malaspina University-College.” To make

things simpler, all transcripts from the

institution will now have the VIU name on

them.

Letters to the Editor

2 Journey Fall 2009

E X P L O R AT I O N S

“In my lifetime, there has never been a more

problematic time to be graduating than now.”

– VIU’s 2009 Outstanding Service Award

winner Shirley Goldberg, speaking at VIU’s

spring convocation

With those words, Goldberg shook up the

Class of 2009. While her sobering words are

reminders that many young alumni will

struggle in their transition from academics to

the working world, they also offer a challenge: embrace the

changes of a transitioning world in whatever way works

best for you.

For many alumni this means foregoing the workforce to

experience the world through travel. For many it means

commiting to a cause or helping improve the world through

volunteer work. And for many, it means continuing or

upgrading their education.

We notice the trend here on campus. As VIU’s enrolment

grows, increasing numbers of alumni are returning to further

their education or access the free services offered by the

Campus Career Centre, including one-on-one

employment counseling, resumé updating,

and advice on accessing the hidden job market.

These may be hard times, but they also

present a great opportunity for young alumni

and recent graduates to make their mark in

different ways, perhaps, more than those who

came before them. Speaking on behalf of his

classmates, valedictorian Scott Bastian

signalled that the Class of 2009 is eager to

embrace Goldberg’s challenge and this changing world:

It is your responsibility to be in charge of your own life…

to wake up and be prepared to face the challenges and seek the

opportunities presented every day. If you don’t like the current

situation, change it. Create the vision you want and build it.

I welcome your feedback and encourage you to keep in

touch. I can be reached at [email protected].

David Forrester

Manager, Alumni Relations

Vancouver Island University

Hard Times? What a Great Opportunity



Journey Fall 2009 3

In the previous issue of Journey, readers

were introduced to Shawn A-in-chut

Atleo, VIU's first chancellor and the

first Aboriginal chancellor in B.C. With

West Coast roots and a dedication to

education and the betterment of First

Nations communities, he is a natural fit

with VIU.

On July 22, I was

fortunate to attend the

election of the Assembly

of First Nations’ new

national chief in Calgary.

Shawn was one of five

candidates, and at 42, he

was the youngest, vying

to become the first

national chief from B.C.

since 1976.

At 7:45 a.m. on July 23, after nearly 23

hours of voting, a winner was declared.

Shawn, surrounded by his family and

supporters who cheered throughout

the election whenever his name was

announced, was victorious. He is now

in an advantageous position to unite

and strengthen First Nations

communities across the country,

furthering his work as B.C. Regional

Chief for the past six years.

The election result is also terrific for

VIU. Shawn, who will remain

chancellor, will be able to articulate the

university's strengths and evolution

across the country in his new role.

Shawn has made it clear that he sees

post-secondary education as a key to

empowering the next generation of

First Nations, and VIU

shares this vision. He is

an excellent ambassador

for the institution as well

as a role model for all

students, Aboriginal and

non-Aboriginal, on

Vancouver Island and

across Canada.

I hope you enjoy this

issue of Journey,

corresponding with the beginning of

the fall semester. Our campuses will be

alive with lectures, art exhibits, sports,

and concerts. I always enjoy meeting

alumni on campus and I look forward

to seeing you at an event soon.

I welcome your comments at

[email protected].

Ralph Nilson, PhD

President and Vice-Chancellor


E X P L O R AT I O N S

President’s Viewpoint

Fall 2009 • Volume 2, Issue 2

Publisher

Office of Development & Alumni,


Executive Editor

Director, Development & Alumni

Teresa Moore

Managing Editor


David Forrester (Phys Ed, Rec & Sport ’02)

Editor and Alumni Officer

Matt Carter (BA ’06)

Editorial Assistants

Heather Burke (BA ’09)

Angela Hovestad (BA ’09)

Contributors

Marilyn Assaf (Arts)

Brent Dunlop (Phys Ed ’86)

John Gardiner (BA ’97)

L-A Shibish (Tourism and Recreation)

Graphic Design

Rayola Graphic Design

Journey is published in the spring and fall by VIU’s

Office of Development & Alumni and is distributed

free of charge to alumni and friends. All material is

copyright © 2009, Vancouver Island University De-

velopment & Alumni, and may be reprinted with

written permission. Opinions expressed in the

magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of

Vancouver Island University.

The Vancouver Island University community ac-

knowledges and thanks the Tla’Amin, Qualicum,

Snaw Naw As, Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Halalt,

Penelakut, Lyackson, Chemainus, and Lake

Cowichan First Nations on whose traditional lands

we teach, learn, research, live, and share knowl-

edge.

We welcome letters to the editor.

Please address all correspondence to:

Editor, Journey

114 – 59 Wharf Street

Nanaimo, British Columbia

Canada V9R 2X3

[email protected]

Advertising Inquiries




Canada V9R 2X3

250·740·6214

[email protected]

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40063601

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

Development and Alumni



Canada V9R 2X3

Cert no. SW-COC-002226




http://www.no.SW-COC-002226

B.C.’s shellfish industry requires an

influx of new research and trained

workers in order to grow. VIU has

answered the call by placing a state of

the art, multi-use fisheries and

aquaculture research station in the heart

of the province’s shellfish harvest.

h Flexing its mussels: the new Deep Bay FieldStation will consist of a multi-use researchbuilding connected to a lower support build-ing and land-based seawater tank farm. ILLUSTRATION: MCFARLAND MARCEAU ARCHITECTS

4 Journey Fall 2009

S T E P S

The overgrown grass of the Cowichan Fairgrounds

will soon be home to a new VIU campus for the

Cowichan Valley.

The 3,500 square-metre building will provide

new teaching and research facilities and space for

a student body that was outgrowing the smaller,

two-building campus on Cowichan Way. The new

campus will be part of Cowichan Place, a commu-

nity centre with art and recreation facilities.

“The new facility will allow more students to

stay and study in the Cowichan Valley,” said

Campus Principal Maria Lauridsen. “The

upgraded facilities will allow us to offer more

programs, including university courses.

Currently, students wishing to take science

courses have to go to the Nanaimo campus.”

Planning for a new campus began in 2003. The

project took a giant leap forward with the April

2009 announcement of $26.6 million funding

from the provincial and federal governments.

New Cowichan Campus AnnouncedThe fields are alive with the sounds of learning

h Cowichan Campus Principal Maria Lauridsen is eager to get to workon the site of the new Cowichan campus. PHOTO: MATT CARTER

Construction Begins

In May 2009, workers began construction on the Deep Bay

Field Station, an offshoot of VIU’s Centre for Shellfish Research.

The 900 square-meter building will include an upland

seawater tank farm, demonstration shellfish farm, laboratories,

and seminar rooms. An entrance foyer, overlooking Baynes

Sound, will house interpretive displays promoting coastal

environmental health and research activities.

Built to platinum accredited LEED standards, the facility will

also demonstrate sustainable building technologies in a

coastal area under enormous development.

Unlike similar field stations, the Deep Bay facility will

feature more than research space. It will offer industry

training programs to increase the pool of skilled aquaculture

specialists and coastal ecology and shellfish aquaculture

education programs for school children and tourists. An on-

site culinary training kitchen will double as a teaching lab for

the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island and a preparation

area for caterers to service events and conferences.

Half of the funding for the $8.5 million field station was

raised by VIU and matched by the provincial and federal

governments in April 2009. The Field Station is expected to be

completed in July 2010.

f For more information, visit www.viu.ca/deepbay

Journey Fall 2009 5

However, VIU is seeking additional

funding to build vocational training

facilities and bring trades programs to

campus. They are currently taught at

district secondary schools.

Construction is expected to begin in

January 2010 and finish in 2011. The

campus will be built to a LEED gold

rating and the design will reflect the

local cultures of the Cowichan Valley.

To complete the design, VIU is

initiating a Cowichan Campus Master

Plan and inviting community and

university members to voice their

opinions on the design of the new

campus.

f For more information,

visit www.viu.ca/facilities/Campus_

Development/Cowichanplace.asp

Atleo Elected National ChiefFirst Nations chiefs across Canada have embraced VIU Chancellor Shawn

A-in-chut Atleo as their lead voice to advocate for First Nations issues.

At the Assembly of First Nations annual general assembly in Calgary in July,

Atleo was elected National Chief, succeeding outgoing chief Phil Fontaine. In

National Chief Atleo’s new role, he represents more than 630 First Nation

communities across Canada and will be a conduit between these communities

and the provincial and federal governments to articulate important issues faced

by the First Nation population in Canada.

Atleo, a hereditary chief of the Ahousaht First Nation, based his campaign on a

four pillar platform: increasing education and skills training for youth and

families; establishing First Nation land jurisdictions through treaty and title

rights; encouraging sustainable community economic development; and

strengthening the unity between First Nations communities across Canada, as

well as with non-Aboriginal Canadians.

“Canada was forged on strong relationships between Europeans and First

Nations,” Atleo said. “When our ancestors signed sacred treaties, there was

mutual recognition and respect. It’s time to reconcile these relationships. Both

parties need to realize that we are a stronger nation if we walk forward together.”

on VIU’s Innovative Shellfish Research Centre

h (L) Shawn Atleo isembraced by runner-upPerry Bellegarde afterBellegarde concededdefeat on the eighthballot. PHOTO: TED RHODES,

THE CALGARY HERALD.

REPRINTED WITH

PERMISSION OF THE

CALGARY HERALD.

http://www.viu.ca/deepbay

http://www.viu.ca/facilities/Campus_Development/Cowichanplace.asp

http://www.viu.ca/facilities/Campus_Development/Cowichanplace.asp

S T E P S

6 Journey Fall 2009

New Programs

Bachelor of Arts – Digital Media Major

• A combination of media and culture theory

with digital media production: Internet,

photography, audio, and video.

www.mediastudies.viu.ca

Bachelor of Arts – Economics Major

• Become versed in international economies,

economic theories, financial services, and

market structures; develop skills in math,

communications, and reasoning.

www.viu.ca/economics

Nail Technology Certificate

• www.viu.ca/ccs/certificates/nailtech.asp

Professional Esthetics Certificate

• www.viu.ca/ccs/certificates/esthetics.asp

B.C. tourists are well aware of the

province’s “golden triangle” of Vancouver,

Victoria, and Whistler. But are they hearing

enough about the rest of the province?

While many rural communities are using

tourism to diversify their economies, a

number of them struggle to showcase their

natural and cultural assets to visitors,

according to Nicole Vaugeois, VIU

Recreation and Tourism professor and BC

Regional Innovation Chair in Tourism and

Sustainable Rural Development.

“Hosting visitors comes naturally to

people in small towns as they are usually

friendly and hospitable,” Vaugeois said,

“but there is more to being successful in

tourism than having attractions and

friendly people.”

In May, she sent three VIU students to join

a research group in Wells, a village of 200

people, 80 kilometers east of Quesnel, to

research the village’s marketing and

tourism practices before presenting a

sustainable tourism development plan to the

community. In effect, Wells received a week

of professional consulting for free and the

students gained real-world research

experience.

“We have great cultural narratives in B.C.,”

Vaugeois said. “Houseboating in the

Shuswap, cowboys in the Chilcotin, the

contributions of Chinese immigrants to

developing the province…they are all

unique, and these stories are just the sort of

authentic experiences today’s well-

travelled markets are looking for.”

VIU Tourism Professor Stands Up for B.C.’s Small Towns

h (L-R) VIU Marketing & Recruitment Coordinator Dale Hunt (BA ’02) and First NationsStudent Services Liaison Jennifer Christoffersen (BA ’97) lead a song as part of a May landblessing ceremony for the future campus space of Shq’apthut, VIU’s new Gathering Place.Shq’apthut will be located in the southwestern corner of campus, adjacent to Career andAcademic Preparation, Building 205. PHOTO: MATT CARTER

h Aluminum Boat Building graduates (L-R) Max Mielke, Grant Ayers, Marc Rei, and Jordan Brand-back stand on board the Chetlo, VIU’s new shellfish research vessel that will operate out of VIU’sDeep Bay Field Station. The 12-metre boat was built by the 2008 Aluminum Boat Building classand launched in May 2009. The name is apt; Chetlo is the Chinook Jargon word for oyster.PHOTO: MATT CARTER

h Vaugeois: helping rural communities stir up sustainable tourism. PHOTO COURTESY NICOLE VAUGEOIS

http://www.mediastudies.viu.ca

http://www.viu.ca/economics

http://www.viu.ca/ccs/certificates/nailtech.asp

http://www.viu.ca/ccs/certificates/esthetics.asp

Journey Fall 2009 7

S T E P S

You aren’t likely to see a giant billboard

comparing George W. Bush with Adolf

Hitler in Canada. But you will in Cuba.

In Canada, protestors put graffiti and

posters on alleyway walls and power

poles to get their messages across.

However, in Cuba, citizens can be jailed

for posting a notice criticizing the state.

To study these differences, VIU Media

Studies professor Marshall Soules trav-

elled across Canada and Cuba, taking

photos of posters, graffiti, murals, and

billboards. He posted the images at

www.imagedialogue.ca to enable fur-

ther discussions on how politics are

communicated in the public sphere and

how public communications are regu-

lated by authorities.

His research shows how the two

countries have ideological differences

in the way they manage their public

spaces. In Canadian cities,

advertisements rule the visual

landscape while citizen-produced

messages are limited.

“City authorities marginalize posters

and graffiti by classifying them as

vandalism,” Soules said. “If you want

to put up a poster in downtown

Nanaimo, you are restricted to five

poles, while businesses have many

more options for putting up billboards

or signs to promote their cause.”

In Cuba, the government has a

monopoly on public messaging. Its

landscape is filled with giant billboards,

colourfully promoting the country and

the socialist revolution while denounc-

ing enemies of the state. Unlike Canada,

there are few examples of commercial

advertising in public spaces.

However, Soules identified one

common theme in Canadian and Cuban

public messaging.

“Our countries worship heroes. One

of the things I discovered was that

every Canadian town has a war

memorial, and it’s often the most

beautiful piece of art in the community.

The Unknown Soldier is our hero, the

Canadian Ché Guevara.”

h Havana, Cuba. Adolf Hitler, George W. Bush,and Cuban ex-patriots Posada Carriles andOrlando Bosch are pictured as the four aces(assassins) in a deck of cards. PHOTOS: MARSHALL SOULES

The Word on the Street Comparing the visual cultures of Canada and Cuba

h Vancouver, B.C. A poster advertising an anti-Olympic Games rally is taped to a recyclingcontainer at the corner of Hastings and Mainstreets in the Downtown Eastside.

http://www.imagedialogue.ca

The VIU gymnasium walls have witnessed nearly 30 years of

exceptional athletic achievements and will now capture

these achievements in a Mariners Wall of Fame.

The wall will pay tribute to VIU’s outstanding athletes,

coaches, builders, and teams, including the inaugural four

inductees: Mark Simpson, George Macpherson, the 1983

men’s soccer team, and Danielle (Gaudet) Hyde (BTM ’03).

Hyde was one of the most dynamic and consistent athletes

in Canadian varsity sports during her four years with the

women’s volleyball team from 1997-2001. She was named

CCAA women’s volleyball player of the year in 2000, CCAA

all-Canadian four times, and Mariner athlete of the year

three times. She won three provincial gold medals and

national bronze and silver medals in 1999 and 2000.

The 1983 men’s soccer team earned VIU’s first national

championship and was inducted in the team category. Led

by coaches Mike Armstrong (Arts ’73) and Les Malbon (Arts

’76), the team earned 12 wins and six draws, scoring 49 goals

while conceding only six on its way to defeating Seneca

College 1-0 in the national final. [For a look at the team’s run

to the title, see page 17.]

Mark Simpson coached the men’s basketball team for ten

years, compiling a 120-24 record. His 1994 team won the

CCAA national basketball championship, the first team from

B.C. to do so. Many of his players have gone on to coach

teams of their own, including current Mariner coaches Tony

Bryce (Education ’94) and Bill McWhinnie (Education ’95).

George Macpherson, elected in the builder category, was

instrumental in developing VIU’s Athletics program in the

1970s. He came up with the Mariners moniker and created

and coached VIU’s hockey program for 10 years.

“It’s important for VIU Athletics to recognize and celebrate

past athletes and teams because there were many people

before me and the current athletes that put Mariner Athletics

on the map,” Hyde said. “Our success comes from years of

great athletes and coaches. They deserve to be honoured for

doing that leg work.”

If you want to nominate an athlete for the Wall of Fame,

contact Athletic Director Bruce Hunter at 250 · 740 · 6402 or

[email protected].

h Danielle Gaudet (BTM ’03) andAthletic Director Bruce Hunter(Leisure Services ’81)

h George Macpherson (L) and Phys Ed professor Mike Armstrong (Arts ’73)

h 1983 men’s soccer national champions and (R) Student Services Executive DirectorDarrel Mansbridge (Recreation ’75)

h (L-R) Mark Simpson and Phys Ed professor Les Malbon(Arts ’76)

Best of the BestVIU celebrates athletic excellence with a brand new Wall of Fame

8 Journey Fall 2009 PHOTOS: MATT CARTER

S T E P S

Women’s Soccer

• 2008-09: 6 wins, 2 draws,

6 losses (5th place)

• Exhibition games against Al-

berta, Victoria, and the Van-

couver Whitecaps prospects

will have the team in good

form.

Men’s Soccer

• 2008-09: 4 wins, 3 draws,

7 losses (6th place)

• New head coach Bill Merri-

man aims to get the lads

back into the playoff picture.

Women’s Volleyball

• 2008-09: 13 wins, 3 losses

(3rd place)

• The team remains strong fol-

lowing a provincial silver

medal in 2009 and national

gold in 2008.

Men’s Volleyball

• 2008-09: 13 wins, 3 losses

(1st place)

• The team is reloading to im-

prove on a bronze medal at

the provincial champi-

onships.

Mariners 2009-10 Preview


Tony Bryce Rewarded forCoaching and NeckwearFit to be tied on the sidelines, but undefeated

on the court

Basketball B.C. named VIU men’s basketball coach Tony Bryce

(Education ’94) 2008-09 Collegiate Coach of the Year. Bryce led

the Mariners to their first undefeated regular season in team his-

tory, and did so while uncomfortably sporting a new tie at every

game.

“I’m not a fan of ties, and the players knew that,” Bryce said.

“After a rough pre-season, I told them I’d wear a tie at every game,

as long as they kept winning.”

Eighteen straight wins tripled Bryce’s tie collection and propelled

him to the provincial coaching award, which reflected the commit-

ment of the entire basketball team, Bryce said.

“The award really deserves to be shared by the players and my

staff. We all wanted to win and knew it would take all of us to get

there.That sense of teamwork is what made us successful.”

Journey Fall 2009 9

S T E P S

h Fifth-year Mariners (L) Carson Williams (BA ’09) and (R) Henry Bui congratulatecoach Tony Bryce on another spectacular tie. PHOTO: BRENT DUNLOP

Golf

• 2008-09: 27 points

(3rd place)

• The Mariners and 2008

provincial bronze medalist

Josh Logan look to chip away

at the provincial leaders.

Badminton

• 2008-09: Bronze medal at

provincial championship

• There are high expectations

for the host team of the

provincial championship in

February 2010.

Women’s Basketball

• 2008-09: 11 wins, 7 losses

(4th place)

• The skill of Kayla Gromme

and the size of 6’5 Alicia

Grossi will bolster the of-

fense and defense.

Men’s Basketball

• 2008-09: 18 wins, 0 losses

(1st place)

• It’s hard to improve on an

undefeated season, so the

team is making a push for

playoff success.

VIU Mariners Home Schedule

SOCCER – MARINER FIELDDate Opponent Women Men

Sep 12 UBC-Okanagan 1:00 3:00

Sep 13 Thompson Rivers 12:00 2:00

Oct 11 Quest 12:00 2:00

Oct 17 Langara 1:00 3:00

Oct 18 Capilano 12:00 2:00

BADMINTON – VIU GYMNASIUMFeb 20-21 BCCAA Provincial Championships

VOLLEYBALL – VIU GYMNASIUMNov 6 Fraser Valley 6:00 7:45

Nov 7 Fraser Valley 1:00 2:45

Nov 20 Camosun 6:00 7:45

Nov 27 Douglas 6:00 7:45

Nov 28 Douglas 1:00 2:45

Jan 29 Selkirk 6:00 7:45

Jan 30 Selkirk 12:00 1:45

BASKETBALL – VIU GYMNASIUMSep 26 Alumni 6:00 8:00

Oct 10 Lewis and Clarke TBA -

Oct 16-17 VIU Tournament TBA -

Oct 30-31 Halloween Tournament - TBA

Nov 13 Langara 6:00 8:00

Nov 14 Langara 1:00 3:00

Nov 21 Camosun 6:00 8:00

Jan 15 UBC-Okanagan 6:00 8:00

Jan 16 UBC-Okanagan 12:00 2:00

Jan 22 Columbia Bible College 6:00 8:00

Jan 23 Columbia Bible College 1:00 3:00

Feb 12 Capilano 6:00 8:00

Feb 13 Capilano 1:00 3:00

Mar 4-6 BCCAA Provincial Championships

F E AT U R E

10 Journey Fall 2009

Drake Passage » After two days

at sea on the dreaded Drake

Passage, I stood on the ship’s

deck, watching the horizon for

our first glimpse of land south of

the 64th parallel. The winds,

coming from deep across the

frigid Antarctic plateau, were

flesh-gnawing and tried to pry us

off the ship. I felt humbled by the

awesome forces of nature.

Goudier Island » We encountered the

remains of a huge blue whale skeleton.

I lay down on the rocks to take a photo

of the bones, and after a few minutes

felt something tapping my sleeve. I

turned my head to discover two Gentoo

penguin chicks pecking at my jacket. It

left me wanting to protect these curious

creatures.

In February, second-year tourism student L-A Shibish (centre, green jacket) went on a two-

week field school to Antarctica, which she called “the greatest classroom on Earth.” She and

70 students from around the world studied aboard their ship and on the Antarctic mainland,

surrounded by icebergs, glaciers, and thousands of penguins. PHOTOS AND TEXT BY L-A SHIBISH

On Top of the Botto

Journey Fall 2009 11

Whaler’s Bay »Between 1904 and

1966, 175,250 whales were

slaughtered and processed onshore.

The decaying buildings, machinery

and giant oil tanks are a grim

reminder of the human exploitation

of Antarctica’s natural resources. I

was disgusted with the fact that

these sites, scarring the landscape,

were never cleaned up, yet thankful

for the ugly reminder of that era, so

that we don’t forget.

Bailey’s Head »Bailey’s Head is

home to a Chinstrap penguin

colony, estimated at 500,000. As

we landed on a black volcanic rock

beach, the smell of guano brought

tears to my eyes. There is no

vegetation here, but the guano

takes on a green colour in the

summer, speckled with white down.

m of the World

f To learn more about Shibish’s journey, visit her blog at www.antarcticlashibish.com

The ability to interact so closely with wildlife is one of the reasons tourism in Antarctica is increasing exponentially—

there is also camping, mountain climbing, snowmobiling, even parachuting. With the potential to destroy the pristine

Antarctic environment, tourism needs to be delivered and managed in an environmentally sensitive manner so

generations will be able to enjoy the distinct wildlife and geographical features. It will also ensure that the penguins

will continue to welcome us. J

http://www.antarcticlashibish.com


C O V E R F E AT U R E

ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY TERENCE FITZGERALD Journey Fall 2009 13

Spawn #1, a comic book featuring an

assassinated CIA agent who returns to

Earth from Hell, was the launch pad for

one of the major success stories of the

1990s entertainment industry. Since its

release in 1992, more than 130 million

Spawn comic books have been sold

around the world, and the character has

been featured in films, television series,

videos games, and toy lines. Behind the

success of Spawn are internationally

famous illustrator Todd McFarlane and

VIU visual arts graduate Terence

Fitzgerald (Arts’92), a native of Duncan,

B.C. With Fitzgerald handling the

business operations of the McFarlane

Group, they grew a two-person

operation into a billion-dollar brand with

120 employees in four countries.

Fitzgerald has won a Grammy Award,

Emmy Award, MTV Music Video Awards,

and a MuchMusic Video Award. He can

now add VIU’s Distinguished Alumni

Award to that collection. After 15 years

with McFarlane and hanging out with top

Hollywood celebrities, Fitzgerald is back

on Vancouver Island and charting a new

path in the entertainment industry.

BY DAVID FORRESTER

h Production drawing of a scene from thethird season of Spawn: the Animated Series.

Like most Canadian boys, a young TerenceFitzgerald loved hockey, baseball, and comicbooks. But while others grew up dreaming ofwinning the Stanley Cup or the World Series,Fitzgerald’s aspirations weren’t as clear.

“I didn’t want to be a fireman, didn’t want to be a cop, didn’t want

to play hockey,” Fitzgerald said. “I liked to draw, but according to my

dad you couldn’t make a living as an artist.”

In high school, an aptitude test determined that Fitzgerald was best

suited for a career as a garbageman or stockbroker. His high school

counsellor talked him out of a career as an architect and a general

dislike for science killed a fleeting aspiration to become a pharmacist.

Through it all, Fitzgerald remained interested in drawing but it took a

chance meeting with a legendary comic book artist to finally convince

him to follow his dream.

In 1987, Marvel Comics artist Todd McFarlane stood in

Cowichan Secondary School’s auditorium and gave a group of

eager young artists a simple request: draw a tree. McFarlane

was looking for a new background artist to work with him on The

Amazing Spider-Man. In the group was Fitzgerald, whose understand-

ing of comic books helped him secure the position with McFarlane.

“Everyone else spent a half hour drawing a beautiful tree, but you

can’t spend a half hour on each tree when you have 22 pages of a

comic book to fill,” Fitzgerald said. “Todd wanted someone to rough it

out fast. He could go in later and make it look good.”

Fitzgerald discovered early on that life with McFarlane would be

fast paced and full of adventure. “Todd was on a bi-weekly schedule

with Spider-Man, and always worked right until deadlines,”

Fitzgerald said. “On deadline day, we’d jump into my ’73 Mustang

and I’d drive 100 miles per hour to get us to the Nanaimo airport in

time to courier his artwork to Marvel. Todd would still be drawing on

the drive there. If we hit a bump, what was once a drawing of a dog

would become a tree.”

McFarlane remembered their deadline dashes well. “We were like

clockwork on our ‘milk runs,’ as we called them,” he said. “Once, we

drove right onto the runway as the plane was taxiing in order to make

sure we got the artwork delivered on time.”

Fitzgerald was motivated by these experiences to enrol at then

Malaspina University-College to pursue a future in visual arts. As he

was about to graduate, Fitzgerald received an opportunity to join

McFarlane in a new venture in Portland, Ore. Angry that they were

unable to keep the copyrights of their own characters, McFarlane and


LC O V E R F E AT U R E

h Fitzgerald, 21, at his first comic book signing atLegends Comics in Victoria, B.C.

six other Marvel artists left the comics

giant to create their own comic book com-

pany, Image Comics. Reflecting the fight-

ing spirit of his hockey idol, Gordie Howe,

Fitzgerald’s decision to go to battle was an

easy one.

“I’ve always had a balls-to-the-wall

attitude, so the move to the States to take

on a billion dollar company like Marvel was

too much to be passed over,” he recalled.

“Plus I knew Todd wasn’t going to fail. You

don’t become the number one comic book

artist in North America and not be special

and talented.”

Now with their own company, McFarlane

and Fitzgerald began producing the first

Spawn comic. It was a revolution in the

comic book industry: the first monthly

comic book to be printed on glossy

magazine paper, move outside the

traditional borders and use the entire page

for artwork, and use computers to colour

their illustrations. “We always asked what

everyone else in the industry was doing and

figured out how to beat them,” Fitzgerald

said. “When we launched Spawn, people

had never seen anything like it. It pioneered

a new era of comic books.”

The inaugural issue of Spawn sold 1.7

million copies, making it the best-selling

independent comic book to date.

Capitalizing on the success, Fitzgerald was

instrumental in transforming the Spawn

empire into an international conglomerate,

producing action figures, films, television

series, and music videos.

“As we became successful, other groups

started sniffing around wondering how they

could get a piece of the action,” McFarlane

said. “It was tough for me to be drawing and

be out there shaking hands, so Terence’s

role was to build relationships and identify

legitimate business opportunities while I

remained focused on the artwork.”

Eventually Hollywood came knocking on

the duo’s door. Fitzgerald moved to Los

Angeles and the company produced a

feature film, animated series, and several

music videos. “Success in Hollywood is all

about relationships,” Fitzgerald said. “You

have to play the scene, have to be in the

inner circle or you’re gone once the next big

thing comes along.”

The Gaelic word

Sgeulaiche is tattooed

on Fitzgerald’s left

forearm and translates

to storyteller. Life in

Hollywood can be filled

with scandal, gossip,

and outlandish tales

and the tattoo is

extremely fitting for a

man who has an

endless supply of anecdotes from his days in

L.A. “Unless you live in Hollywood, you

can’t understand how bizarre, different, and

unique the community is,” he said. “I was in

a little sushi place on Sunset Avenue in L.A.

and Christina Applegate asked to try the

prawn heads I was eating, but didn’t want to

touch them. Where in the world do you get

to hand-feed a star other than Los Angeles?”

While relationships are paramount to

success in Hollywood, Fitzgerald discovered

that the city focuses on business first and

true friendships were rare. “If you’re


Career Highlights

• 1992 First year sales of

Spawn comic book aver-

age over 1 million per

month, a new record

• 1994 McFarlane Toys revo-

lutionize the action figure

industry, becoming the

fourth largest toy com-

pany in North America

• 1997 Associate Producer

on New Line Cinema’s

Spawn the movie

• 1998 Emmy Award for

Outstanding Individual

Achievement in Anima-

tion for Spawn the Ani-

mated Series on HBO

• 1998 Grammy Award nom-

ination for Best Short

Form Music Video as Pro-

ducer on Pearl Jam’s “Do

the Evolution”

• 1999 Licensing Maga-

zine’s Top 30 Licensing

Agents Under 30 Award

• 1999 Emmy Award for

Outstanding Animated

Program for Spawn the

Animated Series

• 1999 Grammy Award for

Best Music Video, Short

Form as Producer on

Korn’s “Freak on a Leash”

• 1999 MTV Music Awards

for Best Rock Video and

Best Editing for Korn’s

“Freak on a Leash”

• 2002 MuchMusic Video

Award for Best Rap Video

as Producer on Swollen

Members’ “Breath”

• 2006 Producer/Director of

Disturbed’s “Land of Con-

fusion” music video

Where in the world do youget to hand-feed a starother than Los Angeles?

h Steven Spielberg examines a McFarlane Toysreplica of a scene from Jaws, his triple-AcademyAward winning film.

making someone money, they love you to

death, but as soon as you don’t, you’re cut

aside,” he said. “I lived in L.A. for 10 years

and I can count on one hand the number of

people I could call on in an emergency.”

Fitzgerald did make make some lasting

friendships, though. He spoke highly of

Nelly Furtado and her work ethic and was a

close friend of comedian Chris Farley,

whose passing in 1997 affected him deeply.

Fitzgerald, a “huge” Pearl Jam fan, was

ecstatic to meet vocalist Eddie Vedder and

produce a video for their song “Do the

Evolution” in 1998. It was the band’s first

music video in seven years and earned a

Grammy nomination.

In 2007, Fitzgerald made a tough

decision: wanting to tackle a new

industry and experience the thrill of

the pursuit again, he left McFarlane and

joined Dussault Apparel, a high end

clothing company that listed Gene

Simmons as a collaborator.

Unfortunately, the move coincided with a

three-month Writer’s Guild of America

strike, which cost Los Angeles an estimated

one billion dollars. The flagship Dussault

store on Melrose Avenue in downtown L.A.,

home to numerous internationally

renowned fashion houses including Ralph

Lauren, Vera Wang, and Marc Jacobs, went

a month without a single customer

entering its doors. “It was the right idea at

the wrong time,” Fitzgerald said. “If it had

been two years earlier, everyone involved

would have been millionaires.”

Today, Fitzgerald is back in Duncan,

planning his next foray into the quirky but

stable entertainment world. “People will

always want to be entertained and taken

out of their world for an hour or two,”

Fitzgerald said. “They want someone to

make them laugh, cry, rescue them, and

make them forget all of life’s problems.” To

that end, Fitzgerald is currently developing

a television pilot for HBO, which he

describes as “Six Feet Under meets the L

Word, all situated around a bonzai class,

with a couple of killings thrown in for good

measure.” He has also been involved with

Torso, a film starring Matt Damon and

produced by David Fincher that is expected

to begin filming this year.

Fitzgerald still maintains he is unsure of

what he wants to do when he grows up, but

he is relying on two principles that have

served him well to guide his business

decisions. “It has to make sense in your head

and you have to feel it in your heart,” he

said. “Taking a paycheque and not doing

what you love is a lot harder than doing

what you love and maybe not making a lot of

money.” J

h Fitzgerald shows off his VIU Distinguished AlumniAward with his wife Amy (L) and mother Mary (R)at VIU’s June convocation.


C O V E R F E AT U R E

People willalwayswant to beentertainedand takenout of theirworld foran hour ortwo

h (R) Chris Farley and Fitzgerald at the L.A. moviepremiere of Spawn.

h (L) Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder and Fitzgeraldlook over the storyboard for Pearl Jam’s “Do theEvolution” video.


The Spirit of ’83In 1983, the men’s soccer team earned VIU’s first national championship in athletics. The

tough, rowdy, colourful group was led by two young coaches who emphasized

teamwork, grit—and the music of The Doors. Twenty-five years after their undefeated

season, Journey brought the team back together to reminisce about the championship

game. BY MATT CARTER h The team mobs Gunnar Myhrer after he putsthe Mariners up 1-0 against Seneca College

F E AT U R E


A Close-Knit Family

Mike Armstrong (coach, Arts ’73): In the previous season, we

earned a bronze medal in the playoffs. Quite a few players

from that team returned. There was no recruiting. Whoever

showed up, that’s who you had.

Les Malbon (coach, Arts ’76): Now VIU is a volleyball school,

but in the ’70s and ’80s it was a soccer school for sure.

Todd Odgers (Phys Ed ’84): We were

predominantly working class Island

lads, many of whom were the first in

their families to go past high school.

Brian Johnston (Phys Ed ’84): We had

very good team chemistry. At least half

of the team was in Phys Ed, so a lot of

us were taking courses together.

Darren James (Education ’84):

Possession, skill, and dominance. If the

other team never touched the ball, they

couldn’t score.

Opening the Doors

Chuck Nowakowski (Municipal

Government Cert. ’89): The team

always listened to Jim Morrison before a

game—he was there in the van

spiritually. We were never ready to play until the opening

whistle sounded. Our pre-game preparations resembled the

Bad News Bears.

Rory Panton (Commerce Dipl ’88): We would practice at a

different field and come late to the games. The Doors and

L.A. Woman blared from the van’s stereo. It psyched us up

and psyched out our competition. We were the bad boys of

the college league.

Raymond Frogner (Arts ’84): We were often late to games. I

don’t know if we showed up late on purpose. We didn’t

always stay in the nicest places and they were usually far

from the playing fields. We also stayed out late the nights

before most games, so that may have contributed to it. At

one game in Kamloops, we showed up so late that the other

team was waiting for us on the field. When we got out of the

van, they gave us a round of applause.

LM: We deliberately rolled in late to our national semi-final

game against Capilano. We actually came late enough that

they were wondering where the hell we were.

MA: We changed in our hotel rooms, so we had our kit on, and

drove the van right up to the sidelines. It was rocking. We had

it cranked up with L.A. Woman. When we opened the doors

and all jumped out, everybody must have been wondering,

“What is this? Who are these hayseeds from the Island?”

LM: We blow in there, the van stops, the doors come busting

wide open, the tunes are cranked, and we’re out of our

minds. They were in the middle of their warm-up. It’s the

national semi-final. They’re hosting the tournament. And

they turned and they stopped their whole warm-up. And I

knew without a shadow of a doubt that we would beat

them. We had them right there.

The National Championship Game

LM: For our team, Mike and I were the manager, coach,

trainer, water boys, the whole thing. When Seneca came

out, they had three coaches, a trainer, physiotherapist, two

or three different uniforms, and brand new soccer balls for

every player.

RF: The Seneca players on the sidelines were wearing these

full-length raincoats with hoods and everything. We

thought it was just bizarre. They also had a fancy bus and a

full staff, including a guy that videotaped the game, which

was big in 1983. They were obviously well-funded. We had

to raise money just to get to Vancouver.

Bob Kanigan (Phys Ed ’84): They had this attitude that we

didn’t even belong on the field. We weren’t even from

Vancouver, just some small-town team from the Island.

F E AT U R E

h (L-R) Back row: Bob Kanigan, Bruce Benedict, Chuck Nowakowski, Lanny Cronan, David Kohse,Gavin Bowers, Ray Frogner, Rory Panton. Front row: Mike Armstrong, Darren James, GunnarMyhrer, Doug Chase, Mike Fredrich, Brian Johnston, Todd Odgers, Les Malbon


BJ: The weather was so bad they were thinking of cancelling

the game.

Gavin Bowers (Phys Ed Dipl ’84): The field was a travesty. In

the right hand corner, there was mud, four inches thick.

RP: It was the wettest soccer game I ever played. But the

weather played into our game because it slowed them down.

RF: The weather was perfect for us. We grew up playing in

weather like this.

Lanny Cronan (Phys Ed Dipl ’86, BEd ’96): During the first 30

seconds of the game, I got possession of the ball at our eight-

een. I cut to the inside to move the ball past their striker, he

tripped me and I ended up face-first into the quicksand of a

pitch, soaked and covered in mud. Only 89 minutes to go.

RF: There was a big divide in the Seneca team. There was one

big group of Italians—I recognized their swear words when

they yelled at the ref—and the other half of them were

Jamaicans. And those groups hardly spoke to each other.

Very different to how close our team was.

Victory

Gunnar Myhrer (Phys Ed Dipl ’84): Bruce had the ball on the

left wing, deep in the Seneca end. I was playing right-

midfield, and had made my run to the far post. Bruce sent a

long, high cross into the box. The keeper left his line to go

punch the ball out. He had mistimed his approach, so I said

“I’m getting this ball!” As the ball went over his outstretched

hands, I ran onto it and headed it down into the open net.

MA: I had walked over to the far side of the field because it

was too tense, I couldn’t stand it anymore. So I was

standing on the same side as Gunnar. There was a long,

looping… I think it was a free kick, and he ran from midfield

and headed it and it kind of looped over the goalie and went

in. I can still see it now.

BK: Gunnar hit the cross from pretty far back, about 12 or 15

yards out, and buried it. Then he ran about 80 yards to the

other end of the field with the rest of us chasing him in a

mob. It was beautiful.

GB: We were running uphill after that. The last 20 minutes

were a battle. We were exhausted and cramping up.

Bruce Benedict (Commerce Dipl ’84): Seneca enjoyed much

of the possession of the ball. I got completely exhausted and

asked to come off the park, as I didn't want to be the guy

who let the team down.

Mike Fredrich (Education ’84): Once we scored our goal,

Seneca College poured it on and we held on for dear life.

Doug Chase (Phys Ed Dipl ’84): Freddy made the save of the

year in the final. A Seneca player was inside the eighteen

yard line and nailed a shot to the far post where Freddy dove

and steered it wide.

TO: I think we were all a bit surprised when the final whistle

blew and we had held onto that one goal lead.

LC: My fondest memory was racing to Freddy at the final

whistle, seeing the joy of accomplishment in everyone’s eyes.

LM: We had one hell of a defence. What were the goals

against? Eight goals in 18 games? That was ridiculous. I can’t

think of any team that does that. It wasn’t the best talent

that I’ve coached. But it was the best team I’ve ever coached.

Alfredo Moon (Phys Ed ’84): Two last words: “Mojo Rising!” J

Where are they now?

• Bruce Benedict: Controller, CruisePlus

Management, Nanaimo, B.C.

• Gavin Bowers: Head of Athletics and

Physical Education, Glenlyon Norfolk

School, Victoria, B.C.

• Doug Chase: Teacher, Alberni District

Secondary School, Port Alberni, B.C.

• Lanny Cronan: Teacher, Mountain View

Elementary School, Nanaimo, B.C.

• Mike Fredrich: Teacher, Cochrane High

School, Cochrane, Alta.

• Raymond Frogner: Associate Archivist,

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.

• Darren James: Teacher, Stelly’s Second-

ary School, Saanichton, B.C.

• Brian Johnston: Teacher, Frances Kelsey

Secondary School, Mill Bay, B.C.

• Bob Kanigan: Truck driver, Haggard

Trucking, Port Alberni, B.C.

• Alfredo Moon (Phys Ed ’84): Supervisor,

Service Canada, Nanaimo, B.C.

• Gunnar Myhrer: Teacher, Woodlands

Secondary School, Nanaimo, B.C.

• Chuck Nowakowski: Territory Sales Man-

ager, Dare Foods Ltd., Victoria, B.C.

• Todd Odgers: Associate Director of Inter-

cultural Education, Norquest College,

Edmonton, Alta.

• Rory Panton: Power Engineer, Vancou-

ver Island Health Authority, Qualicum

Beach, B.C.

Coaches

• Mike Armstrong: Sport, Health, and

Physical Education professor, VIU,

Nanaimo, B.C.

• Les Malbon: Sport, Health, and Physical

Education professor, VIU, Nanaimo, B.C.

A L U M N I I N V I E W

At an average length of eight metres, human intestines

contain the majority of bacteria in our bodies. It takes

a special motivation to enjoy poking around in them

to collect bacteria through biopsies or by getting up close

and personal with feces. For Tanya Griffiths, it’s a family

connection that drives her dedication to study gut bacteria.

“My mom has Crohn’s disease,” Griffiths explained. “I

thought getting into this research would be a great way to

learn more about her condition and in some small way

contribute to inflammatory bowel disease research.”

Back in high school, a career filled with research, lectures,

and international conferences on gastrointestinal research

was an unimaginable path.

“After Science 10, I vowed that I would never take another

biology course,” Griffiths said. “I wasn’t captivated by

vegetation.”

Oops. After high school graduation, she realized that she

needed those biology courses to enter a nursing program. In

1994, she enrolled in ABE biology courses at VIU’s Cowichan

campus, where instructor Linda Revere encouraged her to

consider a different career path.

“Tanya was vibrant, eager, and asked fantastic questions,”

Intestinal FortitudeWhen Tanya (Wood) Griffiths (BSc ’00) was 15, she hated biology. Fifteen years later, she’s one

of the top young biologists in Canada. The transformation started with ABE science classes at

VIU, which led her towards gastrointestinal bacteria research. Her rapid advancement in that

field has been recognized with VIU’s 2009 Alumni Horizon Award. BY MATT CARTER

20 Journey Fall 2009 PHOTO: COURTESY TANYA GRIFFITHS


Revere said. “I recommended that she turn her attention to a

biology degree and become a doctor.”

Griffiths’s research at VIU was considered so exceptional

that she was able to bypass master’s studies and go directly

into a fully funded doctoral program at UBC. She followed

her PhD with a post-doctoral research position with the

University of Calgary’s Gastrointestinal Research Group, led

by Dr. Kevin Rioux.

“Our work focused on how common drugs used to treat

inflammatory bowel disease may affect gut bacteria,” Rioux

said. “She has a tremendous breadth and depth of technical

expertise in molecular biology. Her contributions are quite

unique.”

Griffiths returned to UBC in 2008 to study medicine. When

she graduates in 2012, she’ll be one of the first VIU graduates

to have PhD and MD beside their name.

“Learning medicine is like nothing else,” Griffiths said.

“It’s exhilarating, demanding, enlightening, and challenging

all at the same time.” J


The Alumni Horizon Award is

given to a graduate for

outstanding achievement

within 10 years of obtaining a

credential from VIU. Past

winners include fish disease

researcher Dr. Chris Whipps

(BSc ’97), now an assistant

professor at the State

University of New York, and

marine mammal ecology

expert Alison Keple (RMOT Dip.

’96, BSc ’99), a teacher at

Cowichan Secondary School.

B Make a bequest to VIU in yourwill.

C Leave a specific dollar amountor a percentage of your assets.

D Leave assets such as stocks,mutual funds, or real estate.

E Name VIU beneficiary of yourRRSPs or RRIFs.

F Create a charitable gift annuitymaking a planned gift to VIUwhile receiving income for lifefrom the gift.

G Name VIU beneficiary of yourexisting life insurance orpurchase a new policy with VIUas beneficiary.

H Set up a charitable remaindertrust with VIU as beneficiary,using the gift for the remainderof your life.

I Establish a gift of residualinterest giving your property toVIU upon your death, whileusing it during your lifetime.

J Remember your loved oneswith a memorial gift.

1) Contact Julie Keenan, Manager, Major Gifts & Legacies, · · [email protected].

10 Waysto Leavea Legacyto VIU

h VIU President Ralph Nilson (L) and ChancellorShawn Atleo (R) present Griffiths with the AlumniHorizon Award


What was the most importantthing you learned at VIU?

BA: I am quite capable of attaining any goal

I set my mind to. I learned the value of a

challenging opportunity and that help and

support are only a question away.

SB: It’s better to be hated for what you are,

than to be loved for what you are not.

AH: Individuals are more likely to listen to

me if I listen to them first. Stats and facts

preached from above will not change the

status quo. Real change, hearts and minds,

comes from a place of common ground. As

well, build your network; the potential to

effect change is greatly increased with

more people on board, even if their views

oppose yours. True strength lies in the dif-

ferences between us.

EP: The division between faculty and stu-

dents is not absolute. Both are on a

journey of knowledge, but faculty mem-

bers are just further along. Learning, for

me, transitioned from a passive absorption

process from the unquestioned expert to

an interactive dialogue within a supportive

framework. I learned to value the quality of

my own thought processes and question-

ing in relation to perceived authority.

What are the main challenges forthe Grads of 2008-09 as theyhead out into the “real world”?

BA: Recognize everything you learn in uni-

versity is transferable to some level and

degree. Dig deep, find your transferable

skills and sell yourself to prospective

places of employment.

SB: Figuring out what the “real world” is.

Everyone can create his or her own world,

but be wary of trying to fit into someone

else’s world while neglecting your own

goals and needs.

AH: The changing face of work. We might

have six to 10 different jobs over our life-

times, and many of those jobs don’t exist

yet. If you add the coming environmental

and energy crisis it makes it tough to find

long-term security. Of course, the flip side

of this is the excitement of the uncertainty!

EP: Maintaining a sense of optimism and

possibility. Create a role for yourself and

22 Journey Fall 2009 PHOTOS: MATT CARTER


Meet VIU’s FirstValedictoriansValedictorians represent their graduating class and address their peers at convocation. At

many universities, the student with the highest marks in his or her graduating class is named

valedictorian. At VIU, valedictorians are chosen by a committee made up of graduating

students, the registrar, convocation secretary, and a faculty member from the Senate. The

committee considers community and campus contributions when making its decision.

Bridgette Alexandra (BEd ’08)

Scott Bastian (BTM ’09)

Amber Hieb (BBA ’09)

Elizabeth Plant (BA ’09)

Out of the Frying Pan and Into Your Kitchen

Bring the culinary delights of VIU’s award-winning chefs into your own home!

VIU’s culinary department has published the first in a series of cookbooks featuring

recipes from culinary and baking students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Recipes From

the Culinary Institute at VIU: Volume 1 features 76 recipes ranging from appetizers to

main courses and desserts, including Grilled Oysters with Mango BBQ Sauce, Blue

and White Wine Soup, and Roasted Breast of Duck with Buttermilk Blinis and

Blackberry Port Sorbet.

Cooks of all skill levels can pick up the cookbook at the Upper Cafeteria for $20.

Proceeds will support Culinary Arts students and the publication of the second

cookbook in the series.


The Festival of Trees is the university’s largest annualfundraiser, which supports equipment upgrades,

scholarships, bursaries, and awards.

This year, the Alumni Office is proud to host an online auction to assist these fundraising efforts. Donate a prize to

the online auction and gain exposure for your company.

To donate, contact:David Forrester

Manager, Alumni Relations · ·

[email protected]

embrace change; although scary, change is

a great opportunity for innovation. Grads of

’09 need to have faith in their abilities to

create the future they want in somewhat

difficult circumstances.

What are your plans for theimmediate future?

BA: I’m going to continue teaching while

researching small businesses and masters

programs.

SB: I’m working full time for BC Ferries,

continuing my term with Ladysmith town

council, and looking for new and exciting

opportunities that could challenge me and

take me to new places. I’m also planning to

regain control of a work-life balance—

that’s possible after graduation, isn’t it?

AH: I have just accepted the position of vol-

unteer coordinator with Haven Society in

Nanaimo. I believe, as Marjorie Moore said,

that “volunteering is the ultimate exercise

in democracy. You vote in elections once a

year, but when you volunteer, you vote

every day about the kind of community

you want to live in.” My long term plans are

to complete a law degree and work in

social and environmental advocacy.

EP: I am preparing to write the MCAT, a

medical school admissions test. In addition,

I’m reading fluffy books for pleasure, prac-

ticing yoga, and playing with my dogs. J

• November 20, Gala Dinner

• November 21-22, Festival Family Days

• November 27, Festival Lunch

• November 28, Public Day

• November 29, Seniors Day

f www.viu.ca/festival

15th Annual Festival of Trees Schedule

Give our students a gift of success.

Festival of TreesAlumni Online Auction


http://www.viu.ca/festival


F O L I OA L U M N I I N V I E W

Stephen Littley (BA ’01), a barrister and solicitor with the Bastion Law Group in

Nanaimo, is the first VIU Senate alumni representative. He was appointed by the uni-

versity president on nomination by the Alumni Office and will serve a three-year term.

“I have always had a personal interest in continuing my connection to Malaspina and

VIU,” Littley said. “The Senate alumni position will allow me to provide input on

issues that are important to alumni and ensure that VIU continues to command

respect as an academic institution.”

Littley earned his high school diploma at VIU before earning a Bachelor of Arts with a

double major in Anthropology and Psychology with Distinction. He was involved with

campus politics as president of the Malaspina Students Union in 2000 and 2001, presi-

dent of the Navigator Newspaper Society in 2000, and a member of the Malaspina

University-College Board of Governors in 2001.

The VIU Senate is a 41-member body that provides academic governance and direc-

tion for the university through six standing committees.

f For more information, visit www.viu.ca/senate.

First Senate Alumni Representative

If you are a VIU business graduate, you are invited to

join a new VIU Business Alumni Association.

More than 1,000 students have graduated from

business programs at VIU since 1969. Association

coordinator Terry Dolan (Commerce Dipl. ’89) sees the

collective strength and expertise of those graduates as

a valuable resource for fellow alumni and students.

“Our business grads are leaders,” Dolan said. “They

could make a powerful networking group and be

mentors for current students.”

Business alumni from graduate, undergraduate,

diploma or certificate programs can contact Dolan at

[email protected] to get involved.

Alumni Reception in JapanAlumni and friends are invited to join VIU President Dr. Ralph

Nilson and new Dean of International Education Graham Pike

for a net working reception at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo,

Japan, on Friday, October 9, 2009. Meet fellow alumni, get the

latest news from campus, and share your VIU stories. If you are

interested in attending or would like more information, please

contact [email protected] before Friday, October 2.

Business Alumni Unite!

h Class of 2009 Business graduates on their way to convocation

http://www.viu.ca/senate



AlumnEyeLet us know about your new job,promotion, wedding, family addition, travels, orfurther academic achievements at [email protected].

Georgina Jones (Dental Assistant ’72)

received a Distinguished Service Award

from the Certified Dental Assistant

Association of British Columbia (CDABC)

for her dedication to the dental assistant

profession and exemplary volunteer

service with the CDABC. For the past

nine years, she has taught dental

assistant, dental hygiene, and

prosthodontics (prosthetic dentistry)

courses at the College of New Caledonia.

Christine Thomson (Theatre ’79) has

worked in costume design for

television and film in Alberta and

Vancouver since 1991, following 12

years as a costume designer with

professional theatres. Recent credits

include television productions Santa

Baby, Santa Baby 2, and Wild Roses.

She was also the costume designer for

the long running CBC series North of

60 and costume supervisor for

Brokeback Mountain.

David Wong (Cook Training ’98),

Canada’s 2009 Bocuse d’Or

competition representative, is the new

executive chef at Vancouver’s Fairmont

Pacific Rim, opening in January 2010.

Erin (Fletcher) Perkins (BA ’01) is a

freelance writer and photographer

living in Czar, Alta., about 40 km west

of the Saskatchewan border, with her

husband Dan (BA ’02) and their two-

year-old son. A former managing

editor of the Navigator, Perkins has

remained in journalism since

graduation, with stops in Nanaimo,

Parksville, Ladysmith, Yellowknife,

and Inuvik.

Andrew Robinson (BA ’01) went on

from his First Nations studies at VIU to

complete a master’s degree with a focus

on Self-Government at the University

of Northern British Columbia. He

worked with Nisga'a Lisims

Government and was the general

manager for the McLeod Lake Indian

Band. Robinson is now an independent

officer of the B.C. Legislature and

delivers a child and youth advocacy

program across the province.

Lindsay Windecker (BSc ’02) is the

Marketing and Events Coordinator for

the Downtown Nanaimo Partnership

Society. She also serves as the public

relations director for Young

Professionals of Nanaimo.

Kerplunk!

A Gabriola Island community music program

for preschoolers was the launching pad for

the hippest new act in Canadian children’s

music.

Teachers Tina Jones (Jazz ’93) and Dinah

Desrochers taught students about a wide variety of

musical instruments through fun songs. They brought in

guitarist Aaron Cadwaladr (BA ’02) and drummer Phil Wipper (Arts ’88) to help record

their songs, and named the group The Kerplunks.

Their self-titled CD caught fire in 2008, earning the Western Canadian Music Award

for Outstanding Children’s Recording, the Canadian Folk Music Award for Children’s

Album of the Year, an Independent Music Award nomination for Best Children’s Song,

and a Juno Award nomination for Children’s Album of the Year.

“You can’t get a better audience than kids because they are so honest,” Jones said.

“If they dig what you’re doing, they bust out with dance moves. If they don’t dig it,

they walk away.” PHOTO COURTESY THE KERPLUNKS

Home Cooking

Jarrett Beaulieu (Cook Training ’90),

Executive Chef of the Ritz-Carlton

luxury resort in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt,

visited the Nanaimo campus in June to

tour his former kitchen and catch up

with his culinary instructors. Beaulieu

has also worked in five-star restaurants

in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore,

Finland, and Kenya.

Home is Where the Art Is

Stephanie Watkins (Interior Design ’04)

is host of Island Homes on Shaw TV.

She follows homeowners on tours

through their homes, focusing on the

stories behind their glamorous and

funky design decisions.

“I created the show to combine my

love for the television and film industry

with interior design and residential ar-

chitecture,” Watkins said. “I’m very

lucky to be able to share how people

live with an audience every week.”

Island Homes airs on Fridays at 6 p.m.


A L U M N E Y E


Cha keen na kwaut (Pamela Jack) (BA

’03) is on the last leg of her master’s

degree in Social Work. She has worked

for Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family

Services for the past six years but is

taking a leave to work as a post-

secondary advisor for the Penelakut

Tribes. In addition to her biological son,

Jack has adopted four children and is

dedicated to improving provincial

adoption laws.

Miguel Maciel (MBA ’03), his wife,

Huang Tzu Chuang, and his son, Li An,

live in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He

works as Operations Manager for

Donaldson Inc.

Heather Roderick (BA ’04) credits the

communications skills she learned at

VIU for her success in the international

sponsorship business. She is currently

preparing a team of rink board

specialists to do the advertising at four

venues of the 2010 Winter Olympic

Games.

Kathleen Scott (BA ’04) has opened her

own clay art business, Mud Otter

Pottery, in Port Alberni, B.C.

Lauren Trimble (Graphics Dipl. ’05)

moved to Montreal in 2007, learned

French, reconnected with old friends,

and found work as an in-house graphic

artist at Hubschercorp—designing

ribbons! Her newer work can be seen at

www.laurentrimble.com.

h True north strong and skilled: Canadian gold medallist Brian DavisPhoto: Matt Carter

Playhouse Perfection

Brian Davis (Carpentry ’09) won a gold

medal at the 15th Canadian Skills Com-

petition in Charlottetown, P.E.I. in May.

The Olympic-styled event is the largest

vocational competition in Canada, fea-

turing more than 500 students and ap-

prentices competing in 40 skilled trade

and technology categories.

Davis was tasked with a complex con-

struction of a children’s playhouse and

was given 14 hours over two days to

complete it.

“At the beginning, I looked at the proj-

ect and thought I’d be done on the first

day,” Davis said. “But as I got into the

details, I started to sweat a little bit.

After the first day, I sat down with [VIU

carpentry instructor] Jessie Chalmers

(Carpentry ’97) and we came up with a

new game plan.”

They mapped out a strict timeline,

and it worked. None of the competitors

was able to finish the playhouse in time,

but Davis, who estimated he was only 20

minutes away from being done, im-

pressed the judges with his overall

handiwork to take the title.

h Alex Casewa shows off his dinnerware atthe 2009 Eat! Vancouver food festival at BCPlace. PHOTO: SHARON STEVENS

Plate Today, Plant Tomorrow

Entrepreneur Alex Casewa (BBA ’07) wants

you to throw away his plates, but don’t put

them in the trash. Put them in the garden.

Casewa’s Earthen Trading Company

produces Earthens, biodegradable and

compostable single-use dinnerware

made from dried Indian Areca palm tree

leaves. The leaves are purchased from

farmers and molded into sturdy bowls

and plates by rural villagers.

It’s a win-win process: consumers get

chemical-free tableware that is sturdy,

attractive, and kind to the environment

and the Indian employees are able to

improve their lives.

“By purchasing waste leaves from

Areca farmers, we supplement them

with additional income,” Casewa said.

“Employees are paid more than

minimum wage and receive medical and

education allowances.”

It’s up to businesses to take a leading

role in producing environmentally

sustainable products, Casewa said.

“Businesses are at the top of the

capitalist food chain. If we don’t provide

eco-friendly alternatives, society will

never change, even if people want to.”

Earthens are available in more than 100

stores in B.C. To see the complete product

line, visit www.earthentrading.com.

A L U M N E Y E

h (L) Carmella Luvisotto and Wellingtonstudent Christine Morrison, winner of theMost Outstanding Junior Baritone Saxaward at the West Coast Music Festival in2008 and 2009. Photo: Matt Carter

Super Conductor

Music educator Carmella Luvisotto

(Jazz ’92) won an Excellence in Culture

Award for consistently leading her

students to major awards at Canadian

and international music festivals,

including the West Coast Jazz Festival,

MusicFest Canada, and the Lionel

Hampton International Jazz Festival.

“I was very honoured to be

recognized,” said Luvisotto, a teacher

at Wellington Secondary School in

Nanaimo and director of the Wellington

Jazz Academy. “I strive to provide

music students with the same

encouragement and opportunities that

I received from my music instructors in

high school and at VIU.”


http://www.laurentrimble.com

http://P.E.I

http://www.earthentrading.com

Sarah Devantier (BA ’06) completed a

Master of Science degree in cognitive

science at the University of Western

Ontario. She presented her thesis,

Physicians’ Use of Goal-Oriented

Categories: The Effects of Expertise, at

The International Conference on

Thinking in Venice, Italy. Devantier is

now in a doctoral program at Western.

June Jefferies (BA ’07) remains busy

with “life after 75.” Along with

painting and playing the violin and

piano, Jefferies is editing a novel,

written by a friend in England.

Lisa Mitchell (BTM ’07) and her partner

recently moved from Nanaimo to

Regina, Sask. She has been hired as the

Tradeshow and Convention Manager

for Tourism Regina.

Aldo Javier Michel (BBA ’08) is on pace

to finish his Licenciatura in Economics

at Universidad Catolica in Bolivia in

December. He has been working at an

internship in the Bolivian Parliament,

analyzing audits of the Bolivian

External Debt. He hopes to start

working at the Bolivian Central Bank.

Charles Reid (BBA ’08) is living in

Tisdale, Sask., working at RBC Royal

Bank as Senior Account Manager of

Business Banking.

Serene Smyth (BA ’08) earned a

2009/10 CIHR Frederick Banting and

Charles Best Canada Masters

Scholarship as part of her graduate

studies in the College of Kinesiology at

the University of Saskatchewan. She is

also teaching Kinetics courses and is

proud to be one of the youngest

instructors at the university.

Ray Anthony (Child and Youth Care –

First Nations Dipl. ’09) won the 2009

Governor General’s Bronze Medal for

the top GPA in a VIU diploma program.

He is the coordinator of the Cowichan

Intercultural Society’s Community

Bridging program, which matches

immigrants, refugees, or other new

Canadians with volunteer host families.

Carol Bob (BSc ’09) received a $5,000

Aboriginal Ambassador award from the

Natural Sciences and Engineering

Research Council of Canada (NSERC),

one of only two awarded in 2009. As an

Aboriginal Ambassador, she plans to

travel to Aboriginal communities in

Alert Bay, Haida Gwaii, and Kincome

Inlet to share her research experiences

and promote science education to

children. She is interesting in receiving

offers to visit other communities;

contact her at [email protected]. J

Craig’s Cuisine Hits the Spot

Chef Melissa Craig (Culinary Arts ’98), winner of

the prestigious 2008 Gold Medal Plates Canadian

Culinary Championship, was White Spot’s

celebrity chef for spring 2009.

Craig was featured in a series of television

commercials along with White Spot executive

chef Chuck Currie. Together they developed a

seasonal “Tastes Like Spring” menu for White

Spot, influenced by Craig’s recipes.

In Whistler, Craig is well-known as the execu-

tive chef of the ultra-hip Bearfoot Bistro. In

2009, it was named the best restaurant in

Whistler by B.C.’s largest annual culinary award

showcase, Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant

Awards. PHOTO: COURTESY BEARFOOT BISTRO

Start Spreading the News

Black Press named 44-year-old Alberni

Valley News rookie reporter Wawmeesh

Hamilton (BA ’06) its best Vancouver

Island-based junior reporter for 2008.

As well, School District 70 (Port Alberni)

honoured the paper and Hamilton for

his education reporting.

The awards are a credit to his passion

for community journalism. “I like having

my finger on the pulse of the community

and writing about it,” Hamilton said.

“People have a right to know what their

public representatives are doing.”

Hamilton was pursuing philosophy at

VIU and hoped to earn an MA at UBC.

But that all changed after taking a

journalism class.

“It was like playing with a

kaleidoscope as a kid,” said Hamilton,

who started studying journalism in his

mid-30s. “You turn it and at the right

point, everything becomes clear.”



T H E H O M E S T R E T C H


Ipacked a suitcase and temporarily

left my job and family behind—

three kids, husband, three horses,

three dogs—to live and study for a

month in Florence. It incorporated my

desire to travel to Europe, satisfied a

craving for knowledge and debate with

other like-minded individuals, and the

chance to see original works of master

artists I had dreamed of seeing since

childhood. This journey allowed me

time to slowly soak in the karma and

culture of this stunning Italian city.

If you allow it, the ancient energy of

Florence will gently embrace you as if

you were long-lost family. Our student

groups weren’t tourists or sightseers.

We were Florentines.

By the second week, I was greeted

regularly by the smiles of grocery

clerks. I made friends with a Scottish

artist who managed the Fabriano paper

shop, and endured some friendly

teasing whenever I went into a

neighbourhood cappuccino shop. It

quickly became a pleasant daily ritual.

The owner of the shop admired a sketch

I had done in Piazza del Signoria, so I

gave it to him.

My memories of Italy still churn up a

small heartache, months later: the

unmistakable peace and serenity of a

Brunelleschi chapel; an unexpected

lump in my throat and tears while

listening to the solemn, magical Sunday

morning mass in the basilica of St.

Mark’s Square in Venice; waking up to

the turquoise jeweled waters of Cinque

Terre, on the Italian Riviera; following a

wizened, white-haired Italian woman

down a dirt path and into her small

apartment, where she gave me lemons

to ease the sun-bloomed freckles on my

cheeks; and climbing the stairs to the

rooftop of the Duomo on the last day

and saying goodbye to Florence.

Back at home, I felt like a bit of

stranger to myself—and to my

bewildered family. Being in an entirely

new environment without the security

blanket of North America changed who

I am. I not only explored, ate, and

breathed the Italian Renaissance, but I

delved deep into myself. I pondered

what the world was about, how

relationships work, the direction of my

life, and my purpose on earth, during

our all-too-brief lifetime.

The photo albums and train ticket

stubs will help me carry these

memories forever, not to mention the

new friendships I made along the way.

I’ll continue to learn about great

works of literature, art, and political

minds in the Liberal Studies program

at VIU. I am hoping to return to Italy

to search for the tiny piece of my heart

that I left behind. Maybe I’ll even see

my sketch from Piazza del Signoria

again, hanging on a corner wall in my

favourite cappuccino shop. J

Since 1997, VIU has offered the Liberal Studies Study Abroad in Italy program. It’s an

opportunity for students, alumni, and community members to study art, architecture,

literature, music, science, and philosophy of the Italian Renaissance. John Black, co-

chair of VIU’s Liberal Studies department, says that the value of these trips is the experi-

ential learning. “When you study the Italian Renaissance and you're surrounded by the

very buildings where those works of art were created, the books were written and the

philosophy developed, you get face to face contact with living history,” he said. “It’s

very different than reading a textbook.”

VIU student Gillian Nichol went on this trip in May 2009. She learned a lot about the

Italian Renaissance—and herself.

Face to Face with the Italian Renaissance BY GILLIAN NICHOL, AS TOLD TO MARILYN ASSAF

h VIU student Gillian Nicholin Venice, Italy. PHOTO: MARILYN ASSAF

20th Annual RBC Charity Golf Tournament

September 15, 2009

Fairwinds Golf & Country Club

Nanoose Bay, B.C.

Partial proceeds to support student

scholarships

Contact Susie Caswell

250 · 740 · 6216

VIU Basketball Alumni Games

September 26, 2009

VIU Gymnasium

Nanaimo, B.C.

www.gomariners.ca

Vancouver Island Leadership Conference

Presented by VIU Business Students

November 12-14, 2009

Nanaimo, B.C.

www.vilc.ca

2009 Festival of Trees

In Support of Vancouver Island

University students

November 20-29, 2009

Nanaimo Campus

For more information, including

volunteer and sponsorship

opportunities, contact Festival

Coordinator Renee Bohun

250 · 740 · 6258

[email protected]

www.viu.ca/festival

2009 BCCAA Provincial Badminton Championships

February 20-21, 2009

VIU Gymnasium

Nanaimo, B.C.

www.gomariners.ca


C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

CO

NTI

NU

ING

STU

DIE

S @

VIU The part-time, online, evening and

weekend courses offered for adults through the Centre for Continuing Studies at VIU make learning accessible for everyone.

Whether you are seeking career advancement, academic fulfillment, artistic stimulation or simply love learning, you can find it here.

Small class sizes, distinguished instructors and a community-centred learning experience all come together in a unique environment. Many adults find a wealth of inspiration, stimulation, personal rewards and new friendships here. We hope U will too.

UMAKE TIME FOR

viu.ca/ccs

Celebrate 40 Years of Malaspina College

All alumni are invited to VIU’s Nanaimo campus on Thursday, November 26, 2009 tocelebrate the 40th anniversary of Malaspina College. Take a trip down memory laneand reconnect with former teachers and classmates. Contact the Alumni Office [email protected] or 250 · 740 · 6215 for more information.

http://www.gomariners.ca

http://www.vilc.ca


http://www.viu.ca/festival

http://www.gomariners.ca

http://www.viu.ca/ccs


* This program is not intended to solicit property already listed.

Buy or Sell – And Help VIU Students

Rob Grey Ken X. Westfall Dave Hammond

When VIU alumni, staff, faculty, or students buy or sell a housewith realtors Rob Grey (Arts ’83), Dave Hammond (Business ’72),or Ken X. Westfall, 25% of the commission will be donated tostudent awards, scholarships, and bursaries.

For more information, contact the Alumni Office at 250 · 740 · 6214

Journey Magazine Fall 2009

Documents

Transcript of Journey Magazine Fall 2009