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Retirees of MacEwan University Newsletter

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Issue 3 February 2017

Message from the Leadership Group As the membership within ROMU grows, so does the enthusiasm within the Leadership Group. At last count ROMU has 113 members and this number seems to grow monthly – faculty and staff who are soon to retire are even making inquiries about membership to our email address. The enthusiasm within ROMU was well on display at the Theatre Night presentation of The Drowsy Chaperone this past November. The next activity will be a social gathering including a travel presentation on Italy by Alan Knowles. Discussing ideas for potential types of social activities is a prime focus at our monthly Leadership meetings. We look forward to further get togethers in 2017. The Leadership Group would like to take this opportunity to express its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Joe Sombach. Joe played a critical role in the creation of ROMU and since its inception he has served as the “facilitator” for our meetings. The rapid growth and success of ROMU has been in no small part due to his inspiration, guidance, and leadership. Joe has decided that it is time to pass the torch, so to speak, and is stepping aside from this role. Fortunately he will be staying on as a member of the Leadership Group. On behalf of the entire ROMU membership we say “thank-you” for leading us to where we are today. Rick Lewis Chair, Leadership Group

Upcoming Events Renaming City Centre Library Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 4 p.m. 2nd floor near the Douglass Clock City Centre Campus Library (107 Street and 104 Avenue) Responses were due by February 7 Alan Knowles Presentation on Italy March 22, 1 p.m. Lendrum Place Community Hall, 11335 57 Avenue NW A nominal fee will be charged to cover the cost of the hall and refreshments at the social after the presentation Details will be sent out soon, RSVP will be requested Stay Tuned ROMU Leadership Group will arrange a fall tour of the new Arts and Cultural Centre [CFAC]

Did You Know Retirees are eligible for Staff/Faculty rates at Sport and Wellness Centre. For information on how to access this rate, contact [email protected] Retirees can now download Microsoft Office free of charge from the retirees portal under the technology tab.

The following are taken from “The Complete Live and Learn and Pass It On” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I’ve learned that people are in such a hurry to get to the “good life” that they often rush right past it. Age 72 I’ve learned that money is a lousy means of keeping score. Age 71 I’ve learned that goldfish don’t like Jell-O. Age 5



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ROMU Member Profiles Laurene Park

I started with Grant MacEwan, June, 1972. For my interview downtown, I wore hot pants, 4 inch high heels, a small hair piece tacked on, and false eyelashes. I was fifteen minutes late for my interview to be informed they thought I wasn’t coming and had gone for lunch. When the secretary asked if I could come back the next day. I said, “Yes, but will you tell them how great I looked today because I don’t want to go to all this trouble again tomorrow.” The next day I appeared for my interview to be met with laughter as I walked into the room. I was told they had wanted me for the position of secretary to the President and Board of Governors but with my sense of humour I would love working with Dr. Otke at Cromdale. They sent me by taxi to Cromdale Campus for the interview. I walked in to a 5’ 1½“ man with his shoes off and feet up on the desk. He jumped up when he saw all 5’ 6¾” of me plus 4” heels and said “Come on, I’ll show you around.” I said, “How about the shoes.” We hit it off instantly and I loved working with this man with the great sense of humour. I was his assistant – in charge of the campus and activities therein and responsible to all programs reporting to Dr. Otke, which included Community Services and Performing and Design Arts.

Mill Woods Campus was built and Dr. Otke and I and all Community Services programs moved there in 1976. Health Sciences also came under our wing while Performing and Design Arts moved to Jasper Place Campus. While there, a new position came up as Assistant to the VP Academic and I went to work with Dr. Chuck Day. Chuck was also a wonderful man to work with; I thought the world of him and loved my job. We moved downtown to 107 Street and then to City Centre Campus in 1993. It was here I received an Outstanding Employee award which I cherish. Also a bouquet of flowers from Grant MacEwan. Grant MacEwan asked to have his picture taken with me when they had a professional photographer at the campus. I treasure this picture which I have in my living room. I totally loved my life at Grant MacEwan. A wonderful farewell was given for me when I retired in 1996 more or less. I did some work in the VP Academic office from time to time. Dr. Harry Davis was my MC whom I also adored. If you want a good life, come work at Grant MacEwan I always said. Best years of my life. Jack Phelan I have been a faculty member in the Child and Youth Care program since 1983. We became a four year degree in 2005 and I was the Program Chair a few times during my tenure. I also served on the Board of Governors as the faculty rep as well as lots of other committees. I have always enjoyed working at MacEwan and actually continue to teach in the Fall semester and head for Arizona every December. I had a book published this year and continue to write in academic journals. I don’t miss the long winters in Alberta, dry cold or not. My highlights in my time at the university have to be the sense of community engendered by almost everyone I have been associated with in every facet of the organization. I transitioned into retirement in 2007 through the bridging program offered to faculty and have been in transition since then. I really enjoy being totally free to do what I want for most of the year, yet I return to the classroom fairly eagerly in the Fall, although I am also happy to be gone after a few months. My plans are to continue to explore the world with my wife Marilyn; we will be in South Africa in July and perhaps other places if the spirit strikes us. I value my connections with ROMU and look forward to seeing people in the Spring when I get back to Canada.



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ROMU Theatre Night On November 24, 90 ROMU members and guests mingled over delicious appetizers and drinks before seeing The Drowsy Chaperone. What a treat it was for us to reconnect, find out how others are spending their time, and share ideas for retirement activities! Students served drinks and took coats, making us feel very special. In welcoming the group, President David Atkinson reminded us that this is the last year of productions in the John L. Haar Theatre. It was particularly fitting that The Drowsy Chaperone was directed by Kate Ryan, daughter of the late Tim Ryan, who founded the Theatre Arts program and was its chair for 30 years. Indeed, Tim would have been proud of the production and the students’ talents onstage. We certainly were! The acting, sets, and music all showcased the high standards of both students and faculty. By Susan Lieberman Many ROMU members later expressed their appreciation for the President’s invitation to and support for the evening. Lyn Hayashi: Just a note to thank all who were responsible for setting up this lovely night. What a wonderful opportunity for us retirees to have this chance to see one another and enjoy the talents of our MacEwan Theatre Arts students. It is hard to think of them as students, when they put on such a professional performance. Many thanks to David, for supporting this endeavor to keep us Retirees engaged and still feeling like one of MacEwan's family. Such an enjoyable evening. Thank you again. Susan Lieberman: It was great to be back at the "JP” Campus, as it was called for so long. I loved teaching there. The reception was a great chance to reconnect and the production was thoroughly enjoyable! Jack Phelan: It was another wonderful event to bring us together. Kudos to the team that organized this event. Sharon Richardson: A big thank you for organizing the theatre night; it was very enjoyable. Norma Young: Please convey my Thanks for the wonderful evening on November 24th. It was good to meet with former colleagues over tasty food and beverages. The Dizzy Chaperone production was very enjoyable as well. Thank You for this special evening with retirees of MacEwan!



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Jasper Place Campus … Two perspectives Richard Cook Buildings don’t have souls. They don’t have feelings. But they do have a feeling about them, and the Jasper Place Campus of MacEwan University has a certain feeling that is about to move into mythology. I joined MacEwan University [then Grant MacEwan Community College] in 1979 at the old Assumption Campus. The quarters were ancient and cramped, and everyone was excited about the new Jasper Place Campus that would not only house Performing and Visual Arts, but also the President’s Office, Finance, Human Resources and the Registrar. What an odd group of housemates we were to be. [Editor’s note – all programs in the Business Division were also part of this group] Even by today’s standards, the architecture of the campus is striking, not just for the distinctive orange colour, but also for the open and airy design. The official opening invitations were in the shape of a bright orange-yellow banana. Unlike many colleges and universities where great effort is made to segregate students in the different performing and visual arts, MacEwan made the wise decision to provide an atmosphere of integration. This integration reflects the nature of the arts themselves: an arts career requires specialized generalists who know their own discipline, but who also must be prepared to work with other artists, both performing and visual. There were some inconveniences to this model. Not all faculty appreciated holding their class next to a drum workshop. Over the years, however, I like to think that most of these challenges ironed themselves out to at least an entente cordiale. Students quickly acquired favourite hang-out spaces within the building. For example, Theatre Arts clustered around seating outside their movement studio. Music students occupied the couches conveniently in front of the dance studios - no doubt to improve relationships between the two programs. One of the very special elements of JP was the way that all staff engaged in the instructional process, and the entire building was used as both a classroom and performance space. For example, it was common to see dedicated custodial staff members working with students to hang their art in the halls and position sculptures. Thanks to these dedicated Facilities staff, our students learned the importance of structural integrity, how to patch holes and paint walls, and how to protect their works from the public as well as protect the public from their work. In one particular case, a student installation involved placing a pile of soil on the floor of a small storage room. Rather than saying "no", our inventive custodians figured out a way to lay down plastic sheeting and specify a "best before" date for the soil so that interior damage and the smells of wet soil were contained. I must also pay homage to many of our extraordinary faculty members, unfortunately some of whom have passed away. We were better educators thanks to the dedication of early pioneers like Tim Ryan, Gail Leonard, Charlene Tarver, Ross Hill, Keith Chapman, Brian Ellis, Dianne Westwood, Rick Garn, Alice Switzer, Charlie Austin, Bob Cairns, Bob Myers, Adrian Kennedy and many, many more. We were also blessed with amazing building managers like Vern Larson and Gaston Cleremont. JP was an extraordinary place to learn and work, and I know that our new Centre for the Arts will, over the years, become iconic for its service to students and for housing future generations of extraordinary faculty and support staff.



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Anne Gurney On September 4 1975 I arrived with my family from England to start the first display and merchandise course in Canada. Jasper place campus, as we know it, was not yet built and the college was housed in an old high school with two metal nissen huts for extra classrooms. I was given a classroom to teach window display. The students and I got some timber and chicken wire and quickly built some windows. Amazingly it all came together and we even put on a show to the public in the spring of 1976. We went out into malls to demonstrate our skills – fabric draping period figures. Quickly the new course became popular and it was filled to occupancy. If you ever wondered why Jasper Place was orange – here is the true story. The architect, who was designing the new campus, came to ask the staff if they had any special needs. He asked Alice Switzer and I to join him and his assistant for lunch in the Saxony to discuss any special needs we might have for the space. He said the building was to be clad in dark maroon coloured enamelled tiles. I said “yuck, how depressing, such a dark colour.” Alice, who was drinking apricot brandy, raised her glass and said “make it the colour of apricot brandy.” And that’s how it became orange. In the transition from the high school to the new campus we were housed in the Victoria Composite High School. Finally, the grand opening of the new orange campus. It was a vibrant atmosphere with music playing and dancers in leg warmers wandering the corridors, and art on the walls. The only drawback to all that glass was that it leaked. No matter how often we tried to fix it, it leaked. When I was there, Tim Ryan was the artistic director of the theatre and he used to hang out outside the large display window watching me teaching fabric display. We had just done the whole window in a Tudor background and draped the figures of Elizabeth I and her ladies in waiting when Tim banged on the glass and shouted “I want you to design for me” and that’s how I got into theatre. I designed dozens of shows for Tim as the director and sadly with his show “A Connecticut Yankee,” he died. A great sadness descended on the department, for he was well loved by both staff and students. The corridors were filled with flowers sent by admirers in Tim’s memory. It was great to come back the other evening and see the show “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The show was well directed by Kate Ryan. The set was fun and the costumer delightful. It was a lovely reception and good to meet old friends One day I took a short cut through the back of the theatre to my office and I smelled smoke. I rang the fire alarm. Apparently, a fine prop curtain had fallen over a spot light, the smoke damage was extensive and the Haar Theatre was closed for several weeks to get rid of the smoke damage. I am sad to see the closing of the old orange Jasper Place Campus but happy to see the new location on 104 Avenue [just north of where I now live]. I am still designing and painting and seem to have become the resident artist as I decorate the niches outside people’s doors for special occasions like Christmas and Halloween



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Our People

Anne Baran I was very fortunate to go on vacation to Bali for a few weeks. My most memorable time was on Xmas morning. Hubby and I had a couples’ massage. We were smothered in plain yoghurt and left for 10 mins, did not quite know what we had to do, it was fun. We went to an elephant sanctuary, and a monkey forest. The weather was not fantastic but we enjoyed ourselves.

Doreen Haskell With my hubby Wayne, I am enjoying Arizona life till the end of March. Desert blooms are not out yet, although the reasonably priced wine and margarita mix are out on the shelves. Life is good!

Mark Lund I have been involved with the development of a series of canoe brigades for the last four years. The brigades [4 to 8 days] are across the country, Fort St. James in the NW, the Salish Sea in the far west, two in Alberta [one passing through Edmonton on Canada Day], up to three landing in Ottawa on Canada Day, some mid July to August events on the St. John River, and possibly a short brigade on Prince Edward Island. The Fort Edmonton Canoe Brigade (June 29 to July 3), has shorter options for tandem or solo, canoes or kayaks. Details at: www.voyageurbrigade.org or e-mail me at: [email protected]

Rick Lewis I and my family enjoyed a hot and sunny Christmas holiday in Orlando Florida including visits to Sea World and Disney World. Here we begin our day in the Animal Kingdom of Disney World where we enjoyed the “Kilimanjaro Safari” as well as the many animals to be seen along the various walking trails. Picture includes: Rick and wife Donna Daughter Kailey and 2 year old granddaughter Lucy Daughter Allison and her partner Adrian

Pati Russell I enjoyed a trip to Cuba in January. One of the highlights was a private taxi tour of Havana; our taxi was a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air driven by Jorge [or George to the tourists] with Joleiya as our tour guide. What a relaxing holiday – friendly people, lots of sun, and a few mojitos! In March I’m off to Victoria to visit my son and daughter-in-law. We’ll enjoy what’s left of the cherry blossoms, visit some craft breweries, maybe do some swing dancing, and most definitely play some board games – great family time.

Joe Sombach This past fall my partner Betty and I went on a seven day wine tour to the Okanogan Valley – a

celebration of 40 years with our wine group of four couples. Good wine, good food, great friendship. Then a three-week tour in Tanzania and Rwanda. Sensational safari in Tanzania. Rwanda leg, very different - connected briefly with the strong, resilient women and children who are the prime struggling survivors of the 94 genocide. Coming next: winter break in Jasper. I continue volunteering in the community. Not too shabby a life.

A lioness lying in a bush one meter from my 200 mm lens

Enjoying wine in Africa after a Serengeti Balloon Safari.



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Tips for Healthy Living the BREATH by Chery Ann Hoffmeyer We have all heard the saying Stop and Smell the Roses – this phrase refers to the sense of smell and the important act of breathing. Not only is breathing essential to life, it is essential to one’s health and well-being. A simple act, one that we don’t really pay attention to, and yet, this simple act is very powerful and is important enough to direct one’s attention to so one can understand it. By paying attention to your breathing, you can become aware of how you are responding to life. For the next minute continue with your everyday activity and notice your breathing without trying to change anything. Just notice the depth, the rate, the rhythm, the pauses – When/how often do you hold your breath? Do you clench your jaw? Do you notice any muscle tension? TO PROMOTE YOUR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: Take one to five minutes each day where you focus on breathing deeply and slowly into your abdomen and notice that changes occur in your life. I find doing this focused, deep breathing first thing in the morning is a great way to start my day. Of course, you can do this focused breathing whenever you are feeling stressed as well. Be sure to DEEPLY smell the roses!

Friendship Force Do you like to travel? Our member, Sharon Schnell, has provided us with information about her travel experiences with the Friendship Force. Friendship Force International is a worldwide network of clubs and individuals that advance our mission of promoting global understanding across the barriers that separate people. We do this by connecting people from different countries at a personal level. When local hosts open their homes to visitors from other countries and cultures, true understanding can develop through the sharing of meals, conversation and the routines of daily life. Since its founding in 1977 FFI has brought together millions of people. Source: www.canffex.ca There are approximately 360 clubs in 60 countries. The headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. In Canada there are 22 clubs, in Alberta there are four clubs, and the Edmonton and Area club has 70 members. Why have I stayed a member for seven years? I enjoy hosting and showing guests Edmonton and area. My tours always include a drive past MacEwan University. We design an itinerary for each visit with individual and group activities. Many guests are impressed with the accomplishments of Edmonton and area and the beauty and cleanliness of our cities. The flip side is that I have travelled to places I would not have gone on my own and certainly not in homes of the local people. The lasting friendships I have are within the Club. Google Friendship Force International, Friendship Force Edmonton or contact a MacEwan retiree members: Sam Yakimishyn (780-432-7038) Elaine Kirschner (780-438-4833) Sharon Schnell (780-469-0342).



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Photo Memories

Thanks to Margo Baptista for sending pictures from MacEwan University’s archives. The picture of Anne Gurney in the John L. Haar Theatre was taken by Adam Goudreau and was printed in a 2013 article on MacEwan University’s Big Orange Building: http://www.avenueedmonton.com/May-2013/Sunrise-Sunset/

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